I’m always curious to see a peek into the mundane moments of someone else’s daily life, so the team asked me to take some notes and photos for one such weekend in my own life in February. In true Kate style, I left my phone at home during the most eventful part of last weekend. I hope my words can paint enough of a picture for you regardless.

I highly recommend doing a similar form of weekend documentation for yourself! It’s a nice way to mark small moments that often pass unnoticed but hold meaning about what matters most to us.

P.S. If you enjoy posts like these, consider taking a look at my last day in the life post from August 2021.

Friday Night

Olympics, takeout, and a cozy fire are the key components of this weekend night. I get to spend some quality time with my son, who usually gives way to his sister since she is more vocal about needing to be physically touching me whenever possible. She is watching a show called T.O.T.S in the basement and I cannot bear to listen to it but love hearing her sing the theme song. She is so happy to have free time to just hang, but eventually comes upstairs to join us. So we let go of bedtime and linger together until 9 p.m. when the kids start falling asleep on the couch. 

I make time for some skin-care (back-to-back hydrating masks because, winter), pop a CBD/melatonin gummy, and fall asleep watching Joe’s “Greatest Show of All Time”—Downton Abbey.

Saturday

Morning

Joe and the kids are on a doughnut run (Baker’s Wife is our weekend spot) and I’m hoping they’ll grab me a ham and cheese croissant even though I said I didn’t want one. I’m sipping coffee and thinking about how the day should unfold. We have a busy one with plans to see two sets of friends in the afternoon, then Joe and I are going out to dinner with friends at night—an event that hasn’t happened yet this year.

I want some creative time to draw and know I will feel better if I move my body. I pop down to the basement for a thirty-minute Peloton class which has become a ritual over the past four weeks. My butt no longer hurts when I mount the thing, which is a relief. Once I’m strapped in I trust Cody Rigsby can get me to the thirty-minute mark. 

The kids get back (croissant in hand) and we eat in the peach room while working in our sketchbooks. I bought the kids their own little books to fill in hoping it would help me with my own practice and, much to my surprise, it has! August is learning about Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock in school and tells me his work will be hung in the Art Institute. Dream big, buddy!

Noon

People are coming to our house in an hour and it’s a disaster. The kids offer to help tidy for the first time in their lives. Joe and I decide we could use the help. Bennett bosses her brother around explaining exactly how to fold pants and make a bed. I had no idea she had strong opinions about these things. August hunts down piles of dog hair with a vacuum and the house is put back together in under an hour. I take a moment to realize how monumental this is—we’re past the phase of life where chaos was unfolding around every corner. Or maybe it’s just one of those days where the little things come easily? Either way, I’m not letting it go unnoticed. 

We all get out of our sweats and into hard pants, brush our hair, and greet our friends.

Afternoon

The afternoon is filled with baby cuddles and catching up with old friends while they get to know our big kids! Bennett and August help me make popcorn for the group, cut fruit, and give the tour of their room and play spaces. I have my first glass of wine in a while. I’m feeling pretty loose when it’s time to say goodbye and get ready for the sitter to arrive.

Evening

Our friends arrive at our house while the sitter gets settled in. We have some bubbles and catch up on the big news that our kids will be going to the same school next year. It feels good to be dressed up and heading out the door, even if it is -1 degrees and snowing outside!

I reach for my phone to document the night and realize I left home without it. Oh well—Joe has his and is our main point of contact for the sitter! It is a chance to just check out and be present for the night.

Joe and I go home happy and full and I kiss my sleeping children’s faces as they swat me away. Joe and I chat in bed while I drift off to sleep with both dogs on top of me.

Night

The night is filled with cocktails, great food (thank you, Estelle!), and even better company. I am reminded that having babysitters is a lifeline that we should use more often. Joe and I go home happy and full and I kiss my sleeping children’s faces as they swat me away. Joe and I chat in bed while I drift off to sleep with both dogs on top of me. Clearly, we didn’t anticipate them missing us after a night out!

Sunday

Morning

I wake up with a headache. It’s one that comes from mixing bubbles with cocktails and finishing your dessert with a rich cabernet. I immediately drink three tall glasses of water. I then remember I have a baby shower in an hour, presents that need to be wrapped, and a baby picture to bring with me. It is frigid and I’m wearing a sweater OVER my sweatshirt and two pairs of socks. 

Noon

I’m tucking into the most delicious lox bagel and washing it all down with a glorious bloody mary made with aquavit and topped with ginger beer. It is the best one I have ever had. The baby shower is gorgeous. I leave feeling thankful, happy, and ready to be under three blankets and horizontal in my living room.

Afternoon

I do not move for a few hours. I notice the children have found a stash of Costco snacks and eaten half the bag. Does this count as dinner?

Evening

In the middle of the Super Bowl, I realize Birdie has not started on her valentines, and August is nowhere near finished with his. I set out all the materials and request their focus. I end up doing all of Bennett’s and hope August will come around to complete his. He does not. 

I start hounding everyone to get to bed around 7:30 p.m. and it doesn’t happen until…

Night

It’s 9 p.m. I only got one kid to brush their teeth and Bennett’s hair is a nest of knots. But I am exhausted and Joe is too. We tell August we will finish the game in the morning and he demands we turn off the TV. I guess it is only fair! The kids tell me they can’t wait to give us their valentines, which I know are covered in glitter because it is everywhere. I remember how fast time goes and that someday soon I won’t have these little faces with sweet expressions peering up at me, cheeks surrounded by stuffies and covers.

I tuck into bed and tell Joe I want to sleep like I’m dead. But before I turn off the light I ask him, “How did we get so lucky?” Neither of us has an answer but we go to bed hoping weekends like this are long and plentiful for years to come.