I had a moment last week where I just needed (needed!) to be out of the house, away from the boys and I found solace in a kid-free trip to the grocery store. Who knew 45 minutes shopping for food would recharge me but here we are.
Then, on Monday morning, I found myself flipping through one of the photo albums I made for Ryan for Christmas with Chase and Ryder during Rhett’s morning nap the three of us smiled and laughed for nearly 30 minutes as we looked at snapshots of our summer 2020 memories.
The pandemic is awful and hard and stressful in so many ways but when I flipped through our photo album and saw pictures of two bleach-blonde boys grinning ear-to-ear as we searched for tadpoles and threw rocks in the lake, I smiled because I know that 2020 (and now 2021) will include some pretty rough memories but also some pretty wonderful ones, too.
Parenting three boys amid a pandemic is not easy but when I focus on intentionally enjoying my kids and the hilarious, adorable and heart-melting aspects of their personalities that come with their respective ages, it feels a little easier.
Ya know, when things like this happen all the time…
Ohhh Rhett, I love you and your excessive spit up.
Morning
Let’s back up and begin this day-in-the-life recap on Tuesday morning! I was up at 5:15 a.m. after Rhett woke up to nurse and then decided to babble and toss and turn for the next hour. I responded to some emails on my phone in bed while Rhett did his thing and then got dressed for a quick garage workout.
(My sneakers are Adidas and I got them last year. They’re sold out but here’s a link to the latest version. I recommend sizing at least 1/2 size down because they run big.)
Once Ryan was done with his workout, we swapped kid duty and I took myself through a 35-minute shoulder workout that looked like this:
Shoulders are forever and always my favorite to strength train so if I’m ever feeling less-than-motivated to work out, focusing on my shoulders is a great way for me to feel excited about my gym time!
I grabbed a quick shower before throwing on some leggings and a pullover and checking on Ryan and the boys. Ryan had a call scheduled for 7:30 a.m. and while he headed off to work in his makeshift home office in our bedroom, I brought the boys downstairs for breakfast and playtime. Once they were done eating, I dug into the overnight oats I prepped for myself the night before (topped with additional almond milk and sunflower seeds) and ate them with Rhett in my lap on the floor as Chase and Ryder entertained their little brother with lots of mini car races all around us.
Eventually Rhett was ready for a nap which lasted all of 25 minutes but gave me the chance to make a whole milk latte and do some backend blog work on the computer while Chase and Ryder continued to play.
After Rhett joined the party, Chase and Ryder were all-in on some bounce house shenanigans which thoroughly entertained their little brother.
Since I knew Rhett would need a “real” nap relatively soon after his short nap, we stayed home and played with puzzles and the boys’ water doodle mat until Rhett made it clear he was ready for round two of his morning nap. This one was much more of a success and he slept for about 90 minutes.
Afternoon
While Rhett slept, Chase, Ryder and I had lunch before 11 a.m. which is pretty standard around here. We were all hungry and I ate every last bite of the grain bowl I made for myself.
In the mix: A brown rice base topped with leftover green beans, roasted butternut squash and chopped turkey veggie meatloaf. I’ve been really into making various meatloaves lately because they’re so flavorful, very easy to prep ahead of time and taste great as leftovers.
Once Rhett was awake again, our dreary day activities resumed and we played with Lincoln Logs (anyone else love these as kids, too!?) and then the boys played a LOT of indoor soccer and hockey before Rhett took another nap. I then settled Ryder down for his nap (which didn’t really happen since he never fell asleep) and Chase had quiet time while I went into go-mode and got as much work done as possible when Rhett took his next nap as well.
I also ate lunch 2.0 before Rhett’s next nap which looked like a grilled cheese with a side of baby smiles.
(The super-observant readers out there may notice my wedding band is missing. I FINALLY took it to the jewelers to have it coated with rhodium to help prevent the ring rash that was driving me crazy due to the nickel coming through my white gold band. I should have it back next week.)
I was determined to get our gang outside after nap time and thankfully the weather cooperated. It was still dreary but at least the rain held up enough for us to go on a bike ride once Ryan wrapped up work for the day.
(The boys both have this bike from Amazon. Chase has the 16-inch and Ryder has the 12-inch.)
Ever since Ryder got his new bike for Christmas, we’ve been on a million bike rides. They’re never too long (always under 2 miles) but I’m so impressed with his strong little legs!
Once we made it home, the boys took a bath and then we dug into dinner. I forgot to snap a pic in the chaos of our evening/bedtime routine but we had leftover chili. Still lovin’ my crockpot cheesy chicken corn chili so much over here!
By the time the boys were in bed, Ryan and I were both pretty wiped and ended up chatting for a bit before reading and falling asleep. Last night I began reading The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis and am enjoying it so far. I have high hopes since I loved The Lions of Fifth Avenue, a novel by the same author, when I read it last year.
I’m wrapping up today’s blog post with Ryder on my lap as Rhett is just beginning to wake up from his first nap of the day, so I think it’s clearly time for me to sign off! I hope you all have a great Wednesday!
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Julie where do you get your energy from?! My life is half as busy but I always feel constantly exhausted – you are doing amazing! If you have any tips for things you do to keep your energy up, please please share!
you’re very kind to say this, shelby <3 i wish i had more to share but some days i absolutely do feel very drained! i will say that what helps me most on a day-to-day basis is getting outside, trying my best to eat real meals vs. snacking all day and going to bed as early as possible. and i also always feel better on the days i work out, but i'm not super consistent with that right now since a lot of my morning workouts depend on how the night/morning with rhett went!
Where is that wagon from? I think my 2.5 year old is starting to outgrow his stroller and think he might enjoy long walks in a wagon instead Thank you!
Hi! We got it from Academy last summer and it’s the best! It’s collapsible (great for garage storage & throwing it in the trunk of the car) and the price point was great –> https://bit.ly/3t2KfeA
I love your posts!! I have white gold wedding ring and engagement ring, and I was getting them plated at each cleaning. I asked if it was advised, but only last year did they note that they realized people doing that for some 10 and 20 years weakened their bands. Each time they plate, they scrape a tiny bit of metal away, so now I try to do it much less often. I love how shiny and beautiful they look afterwards!
Your workout sounds really nice, and your meals look great! You are very open about your experience with motherhood, but you make it look enjoyable and doable. I love how you come up with fun activities for the boys despite the ongoing pandemic.
Where are Chase’s dino boots from?!
Also, cheers to you mama for staying positive with three little ones! I’m parenting one 6-month-old boy and am lucky enough to have help during the work day & a supportive partner who loves “boys club time” & I feel completely overwhelmed and like I don’t get any time for myself. This was a good reminder to focus on the positive bc those baby snuggles & smiles & firsts will be what I remember.
They absolutely will be! <3 Navigating motherhood for the first time in the middle of a pandemic is HARD -- you are doing amazing and I'm sending you all the supportive mama vibes!
To answer your question, his boots are actually our FAVORITE slippers! --> https://bit.ly/2YkfJhX They stay up so well and both Chase and Ryder have them and love them. The quality is great and I was able to save Chase’s last pair as a hand-me-downs for Ryder, too.
You are so right – this pandemic is HARD! When I feel overwhelmed with one 9-month-old, I try to remember what God has given us as a result (babies, family dinners, appreciation for our health through exercise, etc.) Now you have inspired me to go make a solo grocery run haha
Thank you so much for sharing today’s post and hang in there!! This too shall pass. You’re doing a great job!
haha! ENJOYYYY that grocery store time! LOL!
A bit off topic, but wanted to say that I appreciate you writing so candidly about your experiences with past miscarriages. I am going through my first miscarriage (a missed miscarriage), and it is so much more heart wrenching than I had imagined. Reading your posts has helped me feel not quite as alone.
Oh Beth I am so incredibly sorry to hear this. It’s awful and heartbreaking and I hate that you’re going through this right now. Sending so much love your way. Thank you for taking the time to write this comment in the middle of your pain— it means a lot to me.
Hi Julie! I was wondering, would you mind giving Chase and Ryder’s height? I would love to get my 3 year old one of those bikes but not sure about which size. Maybe I should get the one you got Chase so she could grow into it…does the seat adjust? Thank you so much! First time commenter but I love your blog so much! Have a great night!
Hi!! I’m not sure their exact heights but Ryder is a very average 2.5 year old (he has the 12 inch and it’s perfect!) and Chase is a smaller 5.5 year old and he has the 16 inch which we got him when he was 4.5 & he had to grow into it a little bit but now it’s perfect!
Do you have a good recipe for a turkey meatloaf?
I love a good shoulder workout! Would you be able to describe what a single dumbbell in and out is? I could not find an example online. Thank you!
It is so sad that trips to the grocery store are special treats for moms! This quarantine situation is so mentally draining! I have been doing lots of car picnics with my friends. We get take out from wherever we want, meet in a parking lot, sit in our respective trunks with blankets and talk and eat. Good for the soul!