Day in the life - February 12, 2016

Every year I do a "day in the life" or DITL. I started doing them on Valentine's Day, back in the days when holidays weren't all that different from normal days, but as the girls got older, it became clear that Valentine's Day was not going to be representative of our normal, daily lives, so I switched it up to other random days in mid-February. They'll all be attached below, and it's interesting to see how our lives have changed over the years (well, to me, anyway. It's my family, after all).

We wake up super early because the kids start school at 7:45 a.m.

I hate waking them up so early, but the puppy helps me.

Then he has to go outside, but he doesn't like it.

The girls are getting dressed and making beds, and I'm doing last night's dishes.

We remain unimpressed at the hour.

While they eat breakfast, I get dressed.

I grab some coffee for the walk.

Off we go!

Waiting at the loooooong traffic light before turning onto the school's road.

When I get back from dropping them off, I get that shower I didn't have time for.

I'm trying to be healthier, so instead of another coffee, I grab some water. I relax a minute on Words with Friends while I drink it.

Then it's time for some work. I pitch some articles to some publications.

My coworker insists on sitting on my lap.

Before long, it's time for breakfast. I make our usual. Toast, tea and fruit.

Daddy goes to work around 10 a.m.

Time to take the dog out again, but he'd rather play than do his business.

We set back up in our second office, the couch. I usually put a crappy movie on in the background while I work. Today's was "I love you, man" with Paul Rudd and the guy from HIMYM.

Lunch is leftovers. Vodka penne and a pork chop. Fletch approves.

I actually am doing work. Right now, I'm researching academic studies on children who grew up on No Child Left Behind going to college, and what the effects have been. I'm also coordinating interviews with some teachers I know on the subject. It's going to be a good story.

For the first time in months, my head and neck are really bothering me. An old injury: herniated disc. I lay down for just five minutes before picking the kids up from school.

But today is the day I finally get my car back from the shop (it's been two months), so before I grab the girls, I clean out our mess.

Ahh, the car line. My favorite part of the day.

Girls had a Valentine's Day party at school, and they're showing off their loot.

Instead of going home, it's time for some errands. Life as a freelancer means I have to deposit checks once a week or so--old-school.

Since I'm now teaching at university and seeing people in a professional capacity two or three times a week, (and since I only have one full suit, and one extra jacket), we also have to go to the dry cleaners once a week to switch out professional wear.

We had to stop here, too, because last week, my suit pants got a hole in them. What the hell, pants. You had one job.

At home, Dulce wants to play on her new VDay toy with me.

The girls have to read for 20 minutes every day, but they have trouble concentrating while sitting across from one another, so one comes into my room and we read together. I'm reading "Lost and Found" by Katrina Leno. It is excellent.

Of course, they're getting really hungry, so we reorganize and they eat a snack while finishing reading time.

Usually we go to Capoeira on Fridays, but it would have been too much to squeeze in, today. Plus, we got some 'tude over reading, so I give the girls a chore to complete. One cleans the living room, the other the bedroom.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to clean out my closet a bit, so I try some old stuff on and ask my friends what I should toss. The to-go pile is growing.

Time to pick up my car, finally. This is our last moment with the rental.

I get my lovely Honda back home and realize I left my garage door opener in the rental. Great.

We pick up Wendy's because I'm not cooking today. It has been a hard afternoon of errands and cleaning with the girls.

They love the food, at least.

Meanwhile, I have the day's dishes to do. I swear, I spend more time in front of this sink than anywhere else.

It's Friday, so the girls and I have time to play a board game before they go to bed. We chose "Frozen Slides" which we'd never played before. It was meh, but the company was awesome.

Fletch needs to go out one more time, but he would prefer to play inside.

Finally they go down for the night, and we do it all again the next day.

Here are our days from other years! A lot of the selfies of me are missing because as I keep publishing, I need to keep a lower profile.

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011