Day in the Life: A Log of My Days

I have been struggling to post here on my blog because recently I’ve been feeling like there is nothing to say. My life is both very full and busy, and very boring and repetitive. But then I remembered that the word blog literally comes from a portmanteau of “web” and “log,” and I figured I could give you all a window into the log of my daily life.

Here are a few of my favorite activities these days.

Reading. I love reading. The books I used to read were hundreds of pages long, had digital or paper pages, and contained 99.9% words. The books I’m reading these days are 8-16 pages long, they are made of cardboard or indestructible and waterproof paper-ish material, and they contain 99.9% pictures, with 1-10 words per page. The most important difference is that in my previous life, it was a rare occasion for me to read a book twice in my life. These days, it’s a rare occasion for me to read a book less than five times in an hour. I know so many books by heart that sometimes Elmo’s Lucky Day shows up in my dreams. “Why is Elmo wearing green from head to toe? Elmo is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!” And yes, I know it’s barely February. Toddler A has been very into St. Patrick’s Day since June. Thanks, Buy Nothing for bringing this literary masterpiece into our lives.  I would say a pretty big percentage of my day is taken up by reading. Sometimes, I actually get to the end of the book, which is immediately followed by the baby sign for “AGAIN,” but about 50% of the time I get through 2-3 random pages Toddler A picks, and then he brings over a new book. Good thing I already know the endings!

When I am not reading, I am cooking. Ms. Jen got Toddler A a play kitchen for Christmas, and WOW he really loves it. He spends many, many minutes a day pouring things, stirring things, taking the tops on and off the pots, and of course bringing me his famous recipes to try. The kitchen came with pretend food, but the little man knows what’s up. He needs REAL food for his kitchen. He has become a master manipulator, convincing me he is starving for cheese or crackers, or banana, just to take one bite then run it over to his kitchen to cook up some delicacies. Every evening when I clean up, I have to check all of the pots and pans and cabinets in the play kitchen because without fail, I find real food in there. If he doesn’t become the next Carmy and open his own Michelin restaurant, I’d be surprised.

The issue with New York apartments is, even if they are big, they are small. And with an active kid like Toddler A, he needs room to roam. First, it was the hallway. I spent many many hours in the hallway in December. Especially hiding behind corners where he would run at full speed to find me. Then, we started taking his walker into the hallway so he could scare the dogs in all of the apartments with loud renditions of Old McDonald as he ran past their doors. Then, one day Ms. Jen let him bring his walker to the park, and the rest is history. He discovered that it was possible to bring his toys into the elevator, and now we never leave home without one. I have discovered mini spatulas, balls, drumsticks, and a baby doll thermometer in my pocket in the last month, because he insisted on bringing them downstairs or upstairs, then lost interest 3 minutes later.

You may ask why he lost interest. Well, that answer is easy: because who wants the hallway or toys when you have the LOBBY. It is an amusement park. At least, it is to him. It has everything he could possibly want. Stairs to climb up and down 90-100 times in a row, couches to climb on (and slide off) 200-300 times in a row, a chandelier and art and a fountain to point at, and of course, the doormen. I have coined him the mascot of the building because we spend so much time running around the lobby. Everyone knows him, and each doorman has their own nickname for him, or special thing they do together. Do I wish he hung out with children his own age? Sure. But I also feel so lucky that everyone here is so kind to him. In my daily log, I’d make a conservative estimate that we end up in the lobby 6-8 times/day.

Of course, he eventually gets exhausted from all of the stair and couch-climbing, so we continue on our daily excursions. First: the mailboxes. Not only are they shiny, but he gets to sit up-up-up-up on the counter, which is very exciting. Also, KEYS. You know, the things you use every day of your life to enter your house, car, etc? Those boring things you need to remember not to forget? Those things are VERY exciting to a toddler. Holding them, shaking them, eating them (yuck), and of course, turning them in a lock. My main issue with bestowing my keys to the tiny terror at the mailbox is that eventually, he loses interest and then wants to run around and climb couches and stairs again, while holding them, which is dangerous. But children have no sense of danger, so, a tantrum generally ensues as I pry them from his (mysteriously) strong grip.

He is extremely strong. I would say, “I wonder how he got that way,” but I know the answer. He weight trains. Yes, you read that right, the boy “lifts things up and puts them down,” like the Planet Fitness commercial. A good percentage of our daily routine is carrying things. He has picked up and moved all of the items in the playroom. He picks up packages he finds in the lobby. And of course, his favorite: yellow caution signs. If the floor is wet or slippery from rain or snow, don’t worry, Toddler A will be moving the signs around carrying them to all corners of the lobby making sure everyone knows. The “CAUTION” on the signs is not heeded by this toddler. He will not be deterred by mere signage.

After our daily dose of weightlifting, we hit up our next favorite spot: the laundry room. We have a washing machine in our apartment, but that one is behind a child-locked door. When he discovered that there were machines (plural) accessible to his tiny hands at all hours of the day, he was elated. When I discovered that the buttons make noise and light up but don’t actually turn the machines on because you need to pay, I was elated. It is the best of both worlds. He gets the excitement of buttons, doors, lights and sounds, and I don’t have to pay for the electricity, or worry he will accidentally waterboard himself. Recently, I showed him how I can take him for a ride in the rolling laundry baskets. Needless to say, I’m the coolest mom around. I told you my days were full and busy!

Ms. Jen always says Toddler A loves “novelty,” so when he discovers something new, he becomes obsessed, and that new activity becomes a huge part of our day. Recently, it was the luggage carts. As I noted before, we spend a great deal of time in the lobby, but he only recently discovered he could climb on and off rolling things. Personally, this activity is one of my favorites because he enjoys giving me kisses through the bars. Yes, it’s reminiscent of a jail cell, but I love the kisses anyway. I don’t love that they keep the carts by the front door of the building, which is constantly opening to the arctic circle temperatures we have been living in recently, but it’s a small price to pay for at least 7 minutes of fun.

When Toddler A is (we are) completely and totally exhausted from our lobby follies, we head back to the apartment for snacks, 30% of which end up in his mouth, and 70% in his play kitchen. Then, we turn on Ms. Rachel, or as we have to say here, “M-S R-A-C-H-E-L” because he understands us now.  Toddler A used to love Gracie from Gracie’s Corner, and we called her “his girlfriend,” but this love turned into an unhealthy obsession. According to google, it qualified as an “obsessive love disorder” or “limerence.” When I realized that turning off Gracie led to a daily meltdown, we switched programming.

Anyway, I can usually get about 8 minutes of uninterrupted time when Ms. Rachel is on, so I can make dinner or sit down. Did you notice I filled 3 pages with my daily activities, and I never left the building? #winterlife. Despite never going outdoors, I somehow every day end up with 10,000+ steps and 11 out of 11 hours moving. As I said, I have been busy. And, not at all.