Week in the Life 2011 :: Day 1, Monday

12:19am: Rupert's making noise coming to bed and wakes me up briefly. Note to self: tell him to close the bathroom door more quietly. Back to sleep.

7:17am: Wake up. Everyone else is already awake, watching TV.


8:00am: Make the kids turn the TV off and do something else. Ian goes to his room to read and Maya decides to play with her Little People toys and makes up a story about a family with a farm. While I have a moment of quiet I catch up on my emails, resend my James and the Giant Peach virtual peach to Sawa in South Africa, and then load the dishwasher.

9:00am: Give Ian a writing prompt based on a New York Times article on a Japanese baseball player. Send him to his room to write/type so Maya can watch SpongeBob after she finishes playing in her room at 9:30. Ice coffee time for me.

10:00am: After Ian finishes his writing prompt he goes to shower. Maya needs a snack and asks for Eggos; she actually eats two.

11:00am: Off to Borders to see if the liquidation sale prices are any better. Unfortunately, most of the books are still only 10% off. Ian buys another Pendragon Before the War book, Maya chooses a drawing book, and I find a Bad Kitty stuffed animal and get a copy of Ghostopolis for work.

12:00pm: Hop back on the computer after getting home and order the tickets to see the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA with S&D. Lunchtime for the kids: Ian makes himself a PB&J sandwich (practice for middle school) and I heat up a beef burrito for Maya. I eat Maya's leftovers and a piece of corn.

1:00pm: The kids keep each other occupied by torturing each other on the couch. Alex comes over to play and the boys immediately begin to play the Wii. Maya heads to her room to play with her doggie stuffed animals. I relax by reading Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai in bed.

2:00pm: I take a power nap for 15 minutes while the kids do who-knows-what. The mail comes and Maya brings it to me; my copy of Comics Express (to help kids in Joplin, MO) arrives.

3:00pm: I keep reading in bed (a profile of Wilkie Collins in last week's New Yorker and the introduction to The Story of Charlotte's Web: E.B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic). Maya is drawing in her room but, oddly, is not using her new drawing book. Ian and Alex are playing outside but wander back in to play more video games before heading over to Alex's house.

4:00pm: The boys leave having first asked if Ian can spend the night over at Alex's (what a surprise *sarcasm*). Maya and I go for a bike ride (Maya riding, me walking) toward Cabrillo. Coincidentally run into Julia so the girls play for awhile. Get to catch up with Teresa and we both lament how difficult it is to get the girls to work on their summer packets. Agree to tell our girls that the other girl has finished her packet!

5:00pm: Manage to pull the girls away from each other around 5:30 so I can go to the market to get ready for dinner. But, first, I have Maya water the plants, a chore Rupert assigned her before going to work. Head over to TJ's to get some vegetables to go along with the fish nuggets I found in the freezer. Maya chooses green beans and salad.


6:00pm: Maya watches Backyardigans and snacks on pretzels while I pre-heat the oven. Surprisingly, Rupert gets home. I send Maya to pick cherry tomatoes from the front yard for the salad. During dinner Rupert chooses to watch Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr. I find him slightly annoying; he's like a big, spastic kid. Apparently, that's what Rupert finds entertaining.

7:00pm: I rest for a bit before getting ready to go to yoga. Wonder if my pork "It's All Good" shirt is inappropriate to wear to yoga. Wear it anyway. Monday and Wednesday nights are my favorite class: YogaBlend 1/2. Sure enough, it gives me the workout I want/need.

8:00pm: While I'm gone, Rupert and Maya go to Yogurtland for a special dessert. Maya is trying to explain to Rupert that Hello Kitty is going to be there; Rupert is confused. They bring home Hello Kitty bowls and spoons and Rupert diligently washes them so they can be saved. Rupert is also kind enough to bathe Maya (something I was supposed to do during the day but forgot to do).

9:00pm: Class goes a bit late so I don't get home until 9:30. I am blissfully exhausted, but my lower back feels a bit strained. Probably shouldn't have done the Bow Pose.

10:00pm: Lounge around on the couch and in bed while I wait for Rupert to come to bed. Fall asleep a few minutes before 11:00pm.