A Day in The Life..
6.30 am alarm goes off. Children have been up for sometime like very large dancing elephant mice. Manage to put the inevitable off, listening to Radio 4 till 7.00, but I know it’s a busy day. Shower. Dress. Need to get a post up – thankfully written the day before – I’m out all morning. Re-check notes, address, battery in camera, put a wash in the machine, find oyster card, mediate a fight, oversee teeth cleaning, hair brushing, shoes on, school bags, ready to go…
8.00 Head out the door on the school run..there’s a fight over who shuts the door. I suggest that if I shut the door first they might not be able to get out..Charlie not happy with this logic.
8.50 Head to the train station. Notice my Vans have two nice holes in them. Damn Vans.
10.00 Meeting in Clerkenwell (Great part of London – history oozing from every corner) with the inspirational Matt Cooper, the driving force behind The Fableists – a seriously cool children’s clothing label, built to last and save the planet. What’s not to love? – but more in a future post.
11.00 Checking out the clothes and loving the fact I can buy stuff for Bella..and hand it on to Charlie.
11.30 Grab a quick coffee and phone a friend who’s recovering from an op. Do a quick email catch up. It’s a beautiful day in London. Head back on the tube via a supermarket shop for supper.
Makes me laugh.
1.00 Home. Realise I should’ve grabbed something for lunch as well. Have to make do with a hot cross bun, some cheese and blueberries..but at least the hot cross bun was made by my fair hands at Creative Coffee yesterday. Run round the house and do a quick tidy up.
1.30 Start to write. Always have to put pen to paper once a day otherwise it feels wrong. Set alarms on my phone so I don’t lose track of precious time. Check the blog but no time to reply to comments. Slack.
3.00 Head off to collect the kids from school. Remember to take snacks otherwise I’ll have my arm eaten off. In the whole scheme of things this is only a little patch of green, but it’s one of my great joys walking through it every day.
4.00 Homework. A relatively quick affair today as I’ve promised them we’ll make use of the gorgeous weather (could be snowing next week knowing the UK) and head out to the Common again. We may live in a City, but we make use of what we have.
They insist on wearing their new t-shirts from The Fableists.
5.00 Picnic tea with hot chocolate. A must. It’s our second picnic of the week..a record this year. ANY year..in fact it’s the first year Charlie hasn’t been too knackered by this time of the day, after school, to do things like this. It’s always a balance with kids..doing things..over doing things and then taking the kick-back…
6.00 – 8.00 No time for photos. Just manic. Getting baths done. Hair. Teeth. Stories read. Trying to get ready to go out at the same time. Attempting to stop blood being spilt. Trying to catch up on the Blog. Trying to get everything together – uniforms laid out, bags packed by the door as I don’t want to do it at midnight. Sort the washing in the machine. Husband back at 8.00. I’m already late..run!
8.00 pm – Mums night out at a local Kareoke bar. Always good for a laugh! A fun night setting the world to rights with some great gals.
Get home close to midnight. Up at 3.30 am to give Bella some medicine to stop the Chinese water torture coughing.
Alarm goes off at 6.30 am…and because I was out morning and evening, there’s no post written…it’s also Book Club tonight..and we’re out to dinner tomorrow…honest to God, there’s no rest for the wicked…just crack on…and no run managed yesterday..must remedy that today…and do an internet food shop..and Bella’s gym today and I have hundreds of emails..and…and…write a list and set alarms on phone…and start..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 
nice blog post
Ta luv! x
First of all…how CUTE are your kids? Love. I was tired reading your day. Let me see if I can even log mine. Thanks for sharing!
Bless you! Charlie was non too happy in his first pic!! It’s an interesting post to do..I got the idea from Ruby Angel..taking a picture roughly once an hour through the day..might not have been so much fun if it had been a desk day!! xxx
phewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
By Sunday I was definitely jaded..but when you’re in charge of other people, there’s rarely a let-up..I’ve decided when they’re teenagers and sleeping for England..I’ll be sleeping with them!! xxx
Life is full. 🙂
And what I find is that unless you write down what you do, your work is almost invisible – it’s always done as if there were magic fairies flying around…I know you know what I mean.. xxx
Definitely! Good point. Here’s to blogging for that!
LOVE this post and your photos. Will definitely check the childrenswear brand out – looks like something my boys and girl would like – and MUST do a picnic before the snow/rain/cold/fog hits again! Have a fabulous Friday! xxx
I think it’s right up your street – I don’t know if you saw but they were in the Sunday Times Style section this week.. xxx
Yikes, Kate–it’s 7:00 a.m. here and I need a nap from reading about your day! SO busy but it sounds full and satisfying!
You early bird you..you’d have this under control by 5.00 am! xxx
Are you kidding?! I think you’re a a rock star to be able to handle it all! I don’t have kids so the idea of herding them AND living my own life is absolutely baffling!
Love this- beautiful and lyrical moments combined with a grinding and gruesome rhythm. So realistic. Your kids are unbelievably cute! Xo
Thank you luv! Et ditto! I do find the juggling insane..and I resent that my mummy work is not considered work..it damn well is. Your last post has inspired a post to come titled Activist Mum.. xxx
Looking forward to reading it!!! Big hugs xo
Great post, lovely to read about a slice of your life x
It’s all mad, bad and dangerous to know..but I think the red table will happen..I’m thinking an Easter project and hand the kids a paint brush each….yep…that’s the dangerous bit… xxx
To such a top performance in Germany we say: Respekt!
We say ‘Alcohol!’ !!!!!!! xxx
You made me laugh!
I love seeing the world thru Kate’s eyes…..
The puffy, red, wrinkly ones!!! xxx
An exhausting day in Kate’s life for sure but your children are beyond adorable (at least, via the Internet !). xxxxx
It was the friday and the saturday that nearly killed me..was hoping to get to the Vintage Car Boot at the South Bank – perfect weather..but it was a step too far! Needed to hibernate for a bit… xxx
Beautiful children, love your post, hugs!!
Thank you – there are times when you know you are making memories for them and those times are special..equally I fear they will remember the ‘what do you think you are doings??!!’ too!! xxx
Amazing! I’m tired just reading this!
It has made me think I ought to do a ‘desk’ day too..I do have a rough timetable every day otherwise I cannot physically get through everything!! xxx
Oh my god!! Your kids are just so cute!!
Thank you! Bella does have the most beautiful hair..which she refuses to wear down..it’s the definition of frustration for me! xxx
Ok, I’m tuckered out just reading all that! Wow 😉 Sounds fun though. Thanks for sharing. Your kids are adorable!!
Et ditto!! I’m sure your days must be pretty similar…do you ever look back pre-kids and think if only I realised how much time I actually had?!! xxx
Great idea for a post 🙂 and your kids are so adorable!!
Thank you! I’m one of these people who continually fight time..I want to know where every minute goes and hate to waste any of it..it was a fun post to do! xxx
……and breath!!! Xx
It was a particularly busy week..so much so I was gutted to miss Car boot – but Friday was a 1 am bed..and so was Sat..it’s then the early morns seriously take their toll… xxxx
I was so busy I barely had time to breathe on Sat so thought I might have missed you! Was my best fair ever in terms of sales!…..still buzzing….xx
Yayyyyyy! That is brilliant news..it was the PERFECT day for it! xxxxx
Busy busy busy bee you are! You are one hell of fab mum (^-^) xxx
hehe..you don’t hear the shouting on a Blog!! xxxxx
Your kids are soooo cute! 🙂 What a busy day! And you have time to contribute on La Petite Lady mag too! A million thanks! xxx
A pleasure! x
Writing from across the other side of the world but that routine sounds oh so familiar!!!!
The strange thing is…the day-in-day-out family routine would’ve killed my younger self…now I just think it’s killing me off slowly!!! but I can remember my husband getting up at 5.00 am for a trip away and feeling like sh*t all day..now that’s water off a ducks back..life eh xxx
I would love to know what your secret is – where do you get your energy to do all of this in one day?!
P.s. I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award, http://thatfashionhaze.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/versatile-blogger-award/ xx
You are very very lovely – thank you very much! It’s very much appreciated! The secret? Lots of tea!! xxx
Well I love tea so I think maybe I can use this as an excuse to drink even more of it! 🙂 xx
Breathe. Ensure you sit still even for a moment and listen only to your body. Kx
Today (monday) my body is saying find a pit a dwelleth within it for a good long time..it was our first early night last night..except last person to bed didn’t lock the dog in..she was roaming round the house at 2..I thought it was Charlie so I got up…there is never, ever a let up!! xxxx
I am tired already just from reading! If I have children, it will be an army style camp for them. Can you imagine having normal job 9-5? Where do people get time for doing all the other things?