I realize my blog isn’t your typical baby/mommy blog. I’m terrible about documenting significant and even the small, day to day things on here. I’m more likely to be inspired to blog when something embarrassing/hilarious happens, or when I’m really passionate about a topic… or after I’ve had a drink or two. I read blogs like Becoming Sarah, and I’m envious of the beautiful story it tells through all the small, simple details, the big picture it paints.
Not that I’m going to go switching up my blogging approach, but I figured I’d do a little day in the life post for you all while Kendall naps today, give you a little peek into our day to day life, which is, unfortunately, pretty mundane, but we always seem to find the humor even in the mundane around here. This house is full of laughter (also full of screams and NOs and dogs barking… we are a very loud family, I think we scare some people).
We signed up for 24 Hour Fitness yesterday after nearly 2 years without a gym membership. The biggest selling feature for me was not the hundreds of cardio machines, complete with Ipod compatible TV screens, nor the classes or the indoor and outdoor pools. No. I was 100% sold on the 2 hours of childcare a day. Sure, I have to stay at the gym, but I don’t have to actually work out. I can drop my kid off and go sit in the jacuzzi or lounge by the pool for 2 hours if I want! I can’t even being to explain what this will do for the level of my sanity the weeks Scott is travelling for work.
My sister said, “I have a feeling you’re going to be REALLY in shape because of this.” That, or I’m going to have a killer tan sunburn. And I’m not the only one benefiting. I know for a fact Kendall would much rather hang out in the Kids Club with it’s giant tunnel slides and buckets of crayons, then hanging with me for those 2 hours.
We got up and dressed this morning, excited to head over for our first visit, only for me to realize as we  headed to the door that I left my wallet/ID/gym pass in Scott’s car yesterday. Ugh. Isn’t that just the way it always freaking is?
While I called Scott and waited for him to confirm that he, indeed, was in possession of my wallet and I hadn’t left it in a grocery cart for the 20th time, Kendall occupied himself with his nifty chalkboard cabinet in the kitchen. I keep meaning to show this off to you all. Not that it’s super inventive, or anything. I just took down the cabinet doors one day, taped off the insides and painted a few coats of magnetic primer and chalkboard paint on top. The magnetic primer was SO not worth the money and effort. I think I painted 4 coats of it, and it still barely holds a thin magnet. The chalkboard part is awesome, though. That and the contents of his very own cabinet keep him entertained at least a good 10 or 15 minutes a day.
It’s also really helpful on rainy and cold days when he wants to play with his “cock ass”, which translates to “chalk outside”.
Seeing as how we were already dressed, me in my running clothes, and it’s a damn near Spring-like day here today, I figured we’d run up to the park. Nothing like a trip with a ballsy toddler to a giant, metal structure with several open landings  3-5 feet off the ground, all spaced at equally awkward and hard to get to angles to get your blood pumping. I spent most of my time internally conflicted as to what was the safest thing for me to do – stand on the ground and run around the play structure like a Labrador anticipating a flying tennis ball, or follow his every move and possibly get stuck in a narrow tunnel. Despite my very valiant attempts to keep him from hurting himself, and calmly and repeatedly asking him to go “feet first” down the slides, he still left the playground looking like this.
Boy, n.: Â A noise with dirt on it.
Since we were already both covered in mud, I figured we’d go ahead and plant the “wowers” we got at Lowes yesterday. I only bought these things because they came with instructions, everything but water and a guarantee.
Except they didn’t say that the bulb was actually hidden in the big bag of dirt and that it would look EXACTLY like a giant clump of dirt. I was thisclose to packing the whole thing up and telling the folks at Lowes they sold me an incomplete kit. Really, pictures could have helped. Also, the above picture doesn’t really show off just how black my thumb is.
Per the instructions, which I followed to a tee, we put all the dirt and the bulb back in the provided pot. Kendall enjoyed helping with that part, but I could tell he was really confused by how none of this looked like a “wower” yet.
Then, following the instructions precisely again, we “watered well”. It was at this point I was beginning to think we put too much dirt back in, but the instructions didn’t say to leave any out! I’m taking this whole “guarantee” pretty seriously.
A mid-day bath was a necessity today, and a nice, unexpected treat for Kendall. We followed that up with some yummy black bean quesadillas for lunch, an episode of Dora, 4 books, a battle of the wills, and, finally, a nap in the “big boy” bed, which obviously doesn’t contain him or keep him from tearing down his changing pad or bringing his piggy bank to bed after I close the door.
2 changes of clothes and 1/2 of the day down.
Kendall is 22 months and .5 days old
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23 comments
So.Much.Preciousness.
I’m totally doing the chalkboard paint on the inside of the cabinet door too. This is valuable information. I was already doing the “give her her own cabinet” thing and we also have a drawer for her amusement filled with plastic ladles and wooden spoons and other fun baton-like toddler weapons.
The big boy bed is killing me.
LOVE it! Seriously, the 24 Hour Fitness idea is GENIUS I tell ya! I might just check into it myself!!! And Kendall’s faceplant slide trauma is SO typical boy behavior and though we should be used to it, it’s somehow still hysterical every single time!
Just the fact that he takes a nap makes me drool. Anyways, what a great opportunity for him to get some play on at the gym. Good for you too. Oh, and I am a gardener so I’ve got some advice for you as I look at those flower planting pics- save your receipt.
Well, shit.
Oh my gosh!! I must do the chalkboard thing on the inside of my cabinets!! We’re going to be painting our cabinets soon – I’m just going to go ahead and do the chalkboard thing when we do. It’s awesome.
What are you painting your cabinets? I’m debating painting ours white (once we replace the white tile, white countertops and white appliances).
I found Kendall an awesome big boy bed for here at Nana’s house. Cant wait to see you guys soon
The fact that you have kept the geniusness of the chalkboard cabinet to yourself makes me question our friendship. tsktsk. 🙂
Sorry! I’ve been meaning to blog about it for ages now.
I can’t wait until its warm enough to do some “cock ass”!!
hmmm, not sure if it ate my post or what.. sorry if this is a duplicate:
I am LMAO at “cock ass” and even “wowers”. Don’t know if you saw my post the other day that Jasper mysteriously started saying “boobies” constantly.. took me a few days to figure out he was saying “more please!”.
Anyhow, on one of my photo messageboards someone posted the results of her taking images of her entire day with her two kids and i just LOVED the idea.. thought you might be interested, it definitely made me want to try it!
http://theperrysofwestseattle.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-in-life-3110.html
Loved that! Maybe I’ll be adventurous enough to try a full day one of these days.
Oh, and I did read your post the other day about the “boobies” and “teatoo”. I hate that my Iphone MRSS reader makes it nearly impossible to comment. I got to give it up to ya for raising such a well mannered little man. I still have to bribe for please and thank you around here ; )
I think daycare is mostly responsible, but hey I’ll take the credit 🙂
That wower better darn well grow! Sounds like a lovely half of a day…I hope the last half treats you just as well.
I can totally relate to the whole playground thing with a toddler – totally lol’d since I’ve been in similar situations with my daughter at the playground 🙂
Man, that is one cute kid. Wowers? Adorable. My gardening skills sound right up there with yours. we have a space in our garden where we put the house plants after they die. It’s a pretty big pile these days.
we have the same childcare option at our YMCA and they even told me once there’s this room they call the “Break Room” where you can just go read a book while your kid is in the daycare if you want to. GENIUS.
and btw. I love love love this post. 🙂 my boy is 8 months now and I love it – but I’m also so excited for toddlerhood in all its glory. 🙂
Cool idea with the cabinet! My brother-in-law tried the magnetic paint thing. The deal basically is that you must put like 6 coats on and then not put any other paint on top or it won’t really hold any magnets at all. He learned this after having made and painted 2 awesome toy boxes for his son, only to have many days of waiting for paint dry wasted when he realized that the bright colored paint on top of the magnetic paint kept any magnets from sticking.
The chalkboard paint is a fantastic idea, I foresee this having a role in our basement someday.
OH MY WORD, it’s like being linked by a celebrity. Or. Hm. Or like your high school crush totally checking you out at the dance.
Thanks =) You made me smile!
Also, you made me laugh. See: the definition of a boy as a noise with dirt on it. I even called my sister-in-law to relay that one. She has a boy. She laughed too.
Amazing, you guys crack me up!
So. Much. Funny.
Also he is too cute.
They have free daycare? I would totally start going to the gym for that. That sounds so fucked up. No it doesn’t. I’m going to look into it.
That is really cute! I can’t imagine having warm weather like that! You lucky girl! I am jealous! It has not got above 30 degrees since October here in PA!!! A few more weeks I hope! I here you about the blogging. I am bad about posting pictures! I want to do that more! You have a great blog…it has me following every day.