Heather Johnson Photography

This project is already pretty tiring (and gets plenty of weird looks at Target) but I truly believe it is going to be so worth it in the end. It’s so intensive I can’t help but think Holly and Marie will be really grateful for this detailed glimpse into their lives someday. I really didn’t intend to do it this time around, having failed at it so many times before, but this post really resonated with me. My intent, with my journaling, is to make it almost a letter to my girls. I think it really will turn out quite cool. *I hope*

The morning started pretty late for Baby Marie. She didn’t stir when I got up around 7, so I finally woke her up around 7:40am so her day wouldn’t be totally off. Every morning around 5am or so she wakes up…and most mornings can’t seem to get back to sleep on her own. So I scoop her up and bring her into bed with me, where she promptly snuggles against my chest and sleeps for 2-3 more hours. I know I should stop doing this, but I just can’t seem to. She is so sweet and in all honesty my last baby. It’s so hard for things to be “the last time” when your talking about the baby in the family. I now completely understand why the youngest in a family always seems to get away with everything. Would you be able to day no to this face?

Once we were all up and ready for breakfast I heated up our oatmeal. Love our steel cut oat freezer pucks! (Did you try out my make-it ahead trick yet readers? We are positively addicted over here!)

After breakfast I jumped in the shower while the girls watched cartoons and made forts in their bedroom. (Holly made them, of course. Marie just watched her with a look of serious contemplation on her face.)

It was time for the baby’s nap so I gave Holly the camera to capture this moment with Marie. (Who needs the self-timer when you have a budding photographer?)

While the baby slept we created a grocery list–

and Holly played games/watched cartoons

while I worked on the computer.

I seriously feel like to doing a work layout a la Cathy Z. I can think of all sorts of funny captions for this picture–first and foremost look at my screen. (Checking out Airtran flight prices on an email that had just came in…dreaming about being way far away on a beach…NOT looking at the concrete block walls that are my basement office!)

When the baby woke up, it was time for errands.

Errands=Target

After shopping we dined alfresco–

and then headed inside for naps. Today was a great day, even Holly took a nap! (Of course it was in my bed, which means I couldn’t take a nap, but these days I will take what I can get.)

After nap we headed to the park and enjoyed the swing–

and time with friends. (Friend face blurred for privacy.)

We came home, had a wonderful dinner of sloppy joes and chips (I can’t find time to cook when I am taking this many photos and notes!) We ended the evening with sports outside…soccer, t-ball…you name it. I have lots of great pictures of this, but will only share one here for now.

Because she took a nap, Holly got to stay up late and have time with dad.

It was a great day!

 

Monday morning started pretty early for me….about 3am to be exact. Holly was making such a racket with her coughing and snoring that the baby woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. Which meant I couldn’t get back to sleep right away….so I did what any good scrapbooker would do. I played with my Project Life album! Oh, and I did manage to set the self-timer and get this little gem.

Attractive yes? This was taken at about 5am…I really wasn’t faking the closed-eye pose up there. I was getting really tired.

Baby and I slept in until 8am, and then it was time to get Holly breakfast and dressed for school. Mornings are always such a rush/stress-inducing time around here no matter how hard I try for them not to be. Someone’s always in the way, or something is always lost. This morning wasn’t too bad (it helps to sleep through most of it!) Here’s Holly finishing up her oatmeal and messing with my “overhead” shot.

Soon we were off to school. Holly used to beg for me to carry her bag because it was too heavy. Now she insists on carrying it herself.

Baby Marie and I return home to the living room that looks like it hosted an all-night rave.

I needed energy to deal with this. So I had my oatmeal and read my blogs before I tackled my chores. (I really do read Ali’s blog when I eat my breakfast…that isn’t just mindless product placement!)

Cleaning took up the rest of my morning, it’s how I spend every Monday morning honestly–just ask my mom. I usually call her and talk to her while I am “doing my busyness” (this is what Holly calls my cleaning) on Mondays.  Couldn’t do it today though–too many stops for pictures

I repacked Holly’s Princess chest.

I swear that thing is her nirvana. Inside there are crowns, wands, microphones, dresses, purses, beads, dishes for tea, felt flowers, and high-heeled shoes. Just a few of her favorite things.

Next up was folding a ton of laundry, which I always have to do watching my DVR’d shows just to make it through it all. I really don’t like to fold laundry.

Today’s features were The Good Wife and The Big C. By this time the baby is up from her morning nap–

and we are ready for our daily walk.

When we return it’s time for lunch–

And then time to get dinner prepped. Stuffed chickens I apparently don’t know hot to butterfly too well–

What’s that? The doorbell! Its a package….

I spend the rest of the afternoon playing with the baby–

And teaching Holly how to square up to the T.

We eat dinner. I hustle the girls around for bed. It’s The Spider and the Fly for storytime.

And that, my friends, is the day. I didn’t think I did much, but typing it all out like this–WHEW. Feels like a long one!

My title sounds a lot more official (and much more far along) than I actually have planned out, but I do feel pretty good about where I am with my preparations. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to play along with Ali’s Week in The Life series for about three years now. Every year I make it to about day four…and then fizzle out after that. Perhaps it’s the confidence that fifteen straight weeks that Project Life has given me, or perhaps I just a don’t know when to give up, but this year I am back in the saddle again.

This year I have a plan.

I present to you my plan for next week–a collection of 25 photos, taken only with my iphone, and put into this template here each and every day. I didn’t want the pressure of something to complex (read: too many cameras and too many batteries to keep track of) to complete, as I still intend to keep up with my regular Project Life album. How these two work together, I am not so sure, but if everyone else on the internet is going to give it a go–so will I!

I have a few ideas about how the opposite page will look, and quite honestly the page above may be played around with as the week goes along….I am a digi girl after all. But at least I have seven templates done, and an iphone that is always in my pocket, which makes me feel like I have half a chance of keeping up.

This weekend we officially have no plans, which is really nice considering the next six–yes six–weekends have parties, showers, and events. I had no idea we were this popular. Oh wait. 95% of these plans are my daughter’s. She is, by far, in much more social demand than me. Must be my hair…..

For those of you that know me, you know that I am trying to grow out the single most terrible haircut I have ever received in my life. Remember how I talked about looking like Justin Beiber in my Project Life album the day I got it cut? Well…now that it is growing out, and we are getting a real good look at just how hacked and uneven it is, I am beginning to look like a Justin Beiber’s middle aged auntie who got mauled by a rabid animal with really….really big teeth.

Lord help me.