A Week in the Life - Day 7

Stacy’s Version

7:30 AM

I woke up and laid in bed for a while. Mark got ready for work and kissed me. I thought I’d try to get a few more winks. I’m sleeping better these past couple of days.

You know those weird dreams you sometimes have when you sleep a bit longer after initially waking up in the morning? Yeah, I had one of those dreams. A family we know that sort of made themselves unwelcome in our homeschool group after a series of treating people badly (super uncommon in the many years of the existence of our homeschool group) was out trick-or-treating and they left a biscuit on our doorstep. Utterly random.

9-something AM

I got ready for the day and checked email and texts and such. I could hear the kids getting up and ready and setting up for their weekly D&D (dungeons and dragons) game. Every week, a bunch of kids come over and they play for a couple of hours in the morning. I love having older kids! They totally set up, take care of themselves, and clean up afterward. I like their friends and I like having a home where their friends are always welcome.

I usually get things done while they play and I always get to enjoy a lot of laughter and strategizing and funny voices coming from the dining room. I love it! One time, I told the kids to come in their pajamas and I made them all breakfast while they played. It was so much fun. I seriously love motherhood.

The kids and I eat breakfast before everyone arrives.

10:00 AM – 12 Noon

The kids’ friends show up and they play D&D. I read, write, and text back and forth with Mark. He is working and going to the gym this morning. We talk all the time, so I think texting is one of the greatest inventions ever, because we get to talk even more.

We usually go to Yoga on Monday mornings (I meet him there with our mats) after he’s done with work, but today we’ve decided to go to tonight’s class instead. I like how I feel better when I do yoga at night. I think it mellows me out too much in the morning and then I feel strangely unsure of what to do next all day. This past week, our regular teacher was sick and we had a substitute – it was the kids’ teacher and I loved her class! Instead of using the regular yoga pose names, she had creative, visual names for them and we did yoga as she told an unfolding story. I responded so well to her method. It shouldn’t be called “kids yoga,” because adults like it, too!

Mark and I both write and talk when he gets home and then I get ready for the day. We keep talking and we also all grab a little something for lunch (no one is that hungry) and Mark cleans up the clinic some before his afternoon appointments. I send some texts – my best friend growing up has texted me about books. We often talk back and forth about books we like and we have similar tastes. She has just finished Eleanor & Park and loved it. My friend Sherri asked about the surprise party – I tell her to check the blog as it’s too long to text, but I tell her it went VERY well. My friend Kristie texted and it sounds like she’s having a rough day. I text myself with story ideas multiple times as I get ready (that shower inspiration!).

Mark and I come up with some fun ideas for “school” this month, too. I say school, but really it’s life. Life is learning. And it’s fun!

Before the kids leave, Mark shows a couple of them our game closet. I wanted Will to see it, as he and his family love games and we have a ton of them. We want to have them over for dinner and games soon. They’re from a fun family of 5 – an older sister and 4 rambunctious boys. The older two are teens and they come over for D&D and a lot of the teen activities at our house. The younger two come over to play (battle) in the backyard with Max and to play D&D where Max is the DM (dungeon master). Their parents are super nice, too. Anyway, the kids are excited to come over and play more games together.

We talk a lot at lunch about learning, openness, friends, attitudes, food, fun, reading, books, you name it. I tell our kids that I love that they have good friends.

1:00 PM

Mark goes into the clinic and I finish up getting ready. I’ve come downstairs multiple times to write things down. My mind is racing with ideas.

The kids blog some gratitude posts for a while and I help them find videos or with some impromptu grammar lessons and writing in general. I also do some writing myself. And ugh, my inbox is piling up. It’s good, just challenging.

After a while, the kids and I take a break and we cuddle up on the couch with blankets and a book we’re reading together. We’re finishing it by this weekend, when we meet the author and he signs our book! So far the book is really enjoyable. We laugh out loud several times.

Good books and good hot chocolate

Mark comes out of the clinic to make us some Ghiradelli chocolate mocha hot cocoa. He tops it with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Delicious! The kids and I cuddle and read for quite a while. I LOVE OUR LIFE!!

The dog is the best cuddler!

 We take a break right about the time that Mark has a break in the clinic. He comes out and the mail arrives (so of course the dog flips out) – surprises for Christmas that Mark keeps hiding from us. Max challenges Mark to play his character’s ghost on Mario Kart Wii. Mark attempts 3 times. I sit down to see if I can do it (I think it would be awesome if I could do it in one try!) and we see that I’m unable to as I have a ton to unlock (again) since our old Wii got fried and we had to buy a refurbished one and transfer everything. Some games didn’t transfer our accomplishments, so we’re starting over again with that stuff. I played one circuit, but it didn’t unlock the course I need to beat Max’s character’s ghost, so I stopped playing so the boys could go back to playing together.

At 2:39 PM, I get a text from Dave. He is excited about the meal he’s making for us tonight (as are we). He was telling us about it yesterday and today he sent me this text:

“I’m fixing us an awesome dinner with lemon, honey, garlic, ginger, olives, pine nuts, saffron, cilantro, and lots of other yummy stuff.” Oh yeah, we love co-op.

We also call Kirsten since today is her actual birthday. It is also Mark’s mom’s birthday. It is also Kate’s backward birthday. So many things! We all have fun passing the phone around and talking to Kirsten. Again I say, I like our kids’ friends.

At one point while reading the book together, it mentions bacon-wrapped shrimp. I remark that that sounds good and then begin to wonder what we’re having for dinner tonight. Then I remember that tonight is the Johnson’s night to bring dinner and that they’re bringing us something very yummy – lemon saffron chicken (it has lemon, garlic, honey, green olives, pine nuts, cilantro, etc.) with garlic couscous and roasted vegetables. We are excited. We love co-op! We usually have group violin tonight, but we’re skipping it tonight while Mark and I go to yoga class. This past week, Max played at the Johnsons’ house while Kate attended group – that was a big hit!

Also, I think I’m trained to look for food in books since our grown-up book club is all about books AND corresponding food. We have great discussions and then we enjoy great food.

I spent more time writing this post and then stopped because I caught up to this point and it is now 3:42 PM.

5:10 PM

The past hour and a half has been spent blogging, commenting, playing games, talking, and laughing. Our kids are writing gratitude posts on their blogs this month (seriously, go check them out – they’re fun!) and we’re all having fun writing them, reading them, and commenting. I love the variety of personalities in our family.

I’m getting a ton done when I recognize the time and we hurry and set the table. Dinner arrives and oh is it delicious! I can’t say enough how much we love co-op. Christie and Rich are delivering tonight. It always varies who delivers to whom. It’s an added fun surprise! Rich is telling our kids stories and totally cracking himself up, which I find totally hilarious. When he really gets going, you can’t even tell what he’s saying - his eyes get small, he cracks up, can barely breathe, and starts crying. When people laugh like that, I always get a kick out of it, even if I have no idea what they’re saying.

5:46 PM

So, Max just randomly came up to me, hugged me, and said, “I just want to tell you that I appreciate everything you do for us and I love you.” I love that kid!! He does this. He always says what he thinks – positive or negative. He is honest and filterless. He is so great about taking time to express gratitude and appreciation. He’s such a great kid.

6:00 PM

It’s getting darker earlier. Mark and I have yoga class tonight and we were going to leave the kids home, but last minute called Johnsons to see if they could go over and they jumped at it! I’m so glad they live close by!! All kids were absolutely ecstatic. We dropped the kids off there and said, “This is nice!” and Mark and I were off to yoga class.

6:25 PM

Mark and I arrive at a very full yoga class – almost 30 people. I like taking yoga classes together. Even though it’s mostly chill and meditative, we giggle sometimes. And during some of the laying down poses, I even sneak my hand into his. Namaste.

7:45 PM

Class is over and we high tail it out of there. Mark takes me home so I can use the bathroom and then goes up the street to the Johnsons’ house to pick up our kids. Scout is happy to see me but cries until everyone gets home.

8-something PM

Everyone is home. We talk. We write. We read. We talk more. We text people. Kate and I really want to watch a Gilmore Girls episode since we only watched two on Saturday. Also, my MIL’s birthday is today and she is having donuts, which makes us want donuts. So Mark goes to get some at THE BEST DONUT PLACE EVER (and any of you who have ever visited us can attest to that fact) and Kate and I start a non-Saturday Gilmore Girl episode. So rebellious! Mark gets back with donuts and he and Max play a round or two of Munchkin.

9:45 PM

We do “gratitudes and hopes” and hugs and kisses and the kids are off to bed. I read for a bit and Mark tries to call his mother for her birthday. He tries two different phones and leaves a message. We talk a bit and decide to watch a Goldbergs episode since there’s nothing else to watch and because we like that show okay for the nostalgia factor (go 80s!) and then head to bed early. Mark’s working early tomorrow morning to be back in time for all of us to attend a luncheon/lecture at the local college about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We like going to things there now and then. It keeps us sharp!

Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl is absolutely taunting me. I’m reading books with the kids, we’re all doing blog posts, we’re working on projects, we have activities, we do fun things, we’ve got stuff to do, WE ARE WRITING NOVELS, and this book is sitting here saying, “Read me. Read me.” I give it a loving look as if to say, “I know. Soon.”

Mark is on the phone with his mother for her birthday. This may be a good time to look for my missing book. Yeah, I continue to obsess.

He talks to her for a bit. Then we watch more of The Goldbergs – hilarious. It keeps getting better. It was a Halloween episode and they mentioned x-raying candy, which is so funny because we had JUST told our kids about how people felt about trick-or-treating in the 80s. Ah, the 80s. How I love the 80s.

11:30 PM

Off to bed. Goodnight!


Mark's Version

MONDAY - 7:15 AM

No problems getting up this morning. Maybe the time change will do me some good. I let out the dog, finished putting up our wall of gratitude, and hung the NaNoWriMo poster for 2013. A quick shower later and I'm out the door. It's only 27 degrees out, but even the ice is hiding because my windshield is essentially clear.

8:00 AM

I arrive at the hospital and get to work. It looks to be a very light morning today--mostly chart work, which is not uncommon for a Monday. I usually see the patients admitted to the hospital on the day after their arrival, and not as many patients are admitted to psychiatric facilities around here over the weekend. Having tried to discharge patients from the medical hospital during residency I'm well acquainted with this fact.

The extended unit has next to nothing to do, except for trimming a diabetic patient's toenails. The nurses won't do it because of the poor circulation in diabetic patients' feet. If there is any nicking or nipping it could lead to infection, which won't heal as well, etc., etc. So, I get to do it. It's not as nice as when the podiatrist does it, but I'm not half bad. A coat of nail polish would make it look even better, but let's not get crazy.

Most of the kids I see today are well-behaved and it's a very easy day. I did have to clarify an order for an ankle brace for a girl who sprained her ankle over the weekend. They needed to know exactly how long she needs to wear it. Three days for now seemed reasonable so that's what I wrote. On my way out of the hospital I followed this patient to the inpatient schoolroom. She hopped and skipped the whole way. I'm thinking she may not need that brace. Oh, and incidentally, she is the one who likes to swallow things.

9:20 AM

I am already at the gym. I told you this was a short morning. I do my typical Monday morning routine--30 minutes on the weight machine circuit followed by 30 minutes on the treadmill. I'm feeling like I need to push things a bit so I up my speed on the treadmill. By the time I'm done my legs are rubber and I'm ready for a break. I take a shower, drink some water, and head home.

10:40 AM

I pull up to the house and there is a bike on the porch. Monday is Dungeons and Dragons morning at our house. I walk in and see Kate, Max, and 4 other friends sitting around the dining room table, completely immersed in their adventure. It is great to see them being so creative and having so much fun. Stacy is working on some blogging and so I sit down and finish yesterday's post. I upload pictures and the video from the party and get ready to make the post live. Of course, before doing any of this I acknowledge Scout, who is sitting on the sofa with her tail wagging side to side. It is a sight to behold. It's like she's preparing for liftoff. Where else do you get that kind of greeting.

12:30 PM

No one is very hungry so we all eat a light lunch. Salad with avocado and Swiss cheese for me.

1:00 PM

My first patient arrives. I have a light afternoon where I will see a patient for quitting smoking, a woman with chronic neck pain and headaches after an auto accident last year, a low back pain patient, and a man with recent neck pain. One woman tells me that after three treatments on her feet her nerve pain is all but gone. That wasn't even the first issue that brought her to see me, but I started treating her feet in the last month.

2:30 PM

I take a break in the clinic about the same time that Stacy finishes reading with the kids. We have a fantastic event that we are attending this Saturday and we want to be sure to prepare. There will be a number of authors who write both children's and young adult literature at a conference. We'll get a chance to hear them speak and then to meet them as well. We have a number of their books and have been working through them.

We noticed that Kate has grown, yet again

Max is anxious for me to play Mario Kart so I can try and beat his time on one of the time trials. I am unsuccessful. He is really fast on that track! He tells me how to unlock some other characters and vehicles so I work on that while he cleans up a bit. After that we race through a circuit. During this time I remark that our life is good. What other job would let me take a break in the afternoon and play the Wii with my son? Not many.

Stacy and I hang out and chat while she eats a snack and while I wait for my last patient to arrive. It's a little gloomy outside and we're all feeling a little tired. I'm now not so sure I like the time change. I'm feeling fickle today.

4:35 PM

My last patient arrives so I get him started on the table and then finish writing this post. In fact, it is now 5:05 PM and the music tells me it's time to remove the needles. I've got all the music memorized to a point. There's something comforting about being that familiar with what I'm doing. For every 10 patients that come in with routine issues, I get one or two that have very unique problems. It works out well.

5:15 PM

The Johnsons bring over dinner--lemon-saffron chicken with garlic couscous and roasted vegetables. There is a whole bunch of delicious going on in this dish. I don't even know exactly what seasonings are in there, but they all go together so well. Have we mentioned how much we love co-op?

6:00 PM

We're taking our last yoga class tonight and the kids get to play at the Johnsons while we're there. We love having them so close so we can get the kids together like this. We'd been doing our yoga classes in the mornings but it is especially nice to get to stretch and relax at the end of the day.

8:00 PM

I pick up the kids from the Johnson house and head home. The kids are happy after having hung out with them and we're happy after our yoga session. Since we had such abbreviated dates on Saturday night the girls decide to watch an episode of "Gilmore Girls" and Max and I play Munchkin, a super fun role-playing type of card game. I also make a last-minute run to the doughnut shop for an evening snack. It is my mother's birthday today and Stacy had been texting her. Apparently she had doughnuts for her "cake" today so they sounded good. I get down to the shop about 10 minutes before it closes and realize I've left my wallet in the van. Luckily I had a lot of change in the car so I slap two handfuls of change on the counter and say, "You're going to hate me." She does not and we count out the money together.


After the kids go to bed Stacy and I start catching up on episodes of "The Goldbergs." It's the Halloween episode and the mother mentions x-raying all of the candy at the hospital before the kids eat it. We both bust up laughing because on Halloween we had just told the kids about how they used to do that in the 80s. Anyway, we enjoy an episode and a half and I also talk to my mother for her birthday. The time change means I catch her as her evening is beginning and ours is beginning. After phone calls and TV we head to bed. It's a bit earlier than the past few nights, which is good because we need to catch up on sleep.

The dog also does a great job relaxing

Stacy got a great picture of our sweet Scout

The burning bush in front of the house--fall is wonderful!