We’re almost there! If you are tracking your time as part of the 2026 Time Tracking Challenge, you’ve got just a few hours to go.
Weekends are often harder to track than weekdays, but even with something of a “softer” lens on this time I find it’s still helpful to know where it goes. Time keeps passing one way or the other, and having some grasp on it increases the chances that we can repurpose some of this time for meaningful or enjoyable things.
Anyway, after publishing yesterday’s post, I did a little more work, then got ready for the weekend’s big(gish) adventure: ice skating! My 16-year-old agreed to go do this with me, so he and I drove downtown, leaving at approximately 2:20. I drove there (as opposed to him) because of the weather conditions. We parked, got our skates, and spent about 45 minutes zooming around the ice to upbeat music. It’s a bother to get to the rink, and bring quarters for the locker, but I’m always glad I did it. This is a winter-specific fun activity, and with the snowy weather it was really quite pretty on the water, looking at the Ben Franklin Bridge and such. After we did our 45 minutes, we got drinks (Coke + diet Coke, we were thirsty) then got in the car. As the roads had been mostly clear on the way there, I decided it was OK for my son to drive. He did well! He drove safely and confidently on I-676 and I-76, and we had a fruitful discussion of why some drivers are just [unmentionable word] — like on the entrance to I-76 where two lanes go into one, and you are clearly supposed to zipper merge, and the car that should have gone behind us in this pattern elected to jump in front of us. Why?? Congrats, you saved 5 seconds. Maybe.
We got home around 4:20, and the others had just gotten back from skiing. I walked around outside watching the setting sun make amazing colors in the sky and reflecting in the snow. Then I came back in, read for a bit (while my husband went to the Y) and then finished the thank you notes with the 6-year-old. Eventually I got ready (and got others ready) and my husband drove all 7 of us to our favorite Mexican restaurant, which is about 15 minutes away. We had a 6:30 reservation and were seated in the “heated garden” — an enclosed outdoor area with heat lamps. The temperature was mostly fine, and the food was good, as were the margaritas, and the company. It is truly fun to chat with my older three kids over dinner (the two little ones kind of sit at the end of the table and entertain themselves reading or on devices…I don’t push this one too hard, though I’m trying to bring the 11-year-old around this year).
We were home around 8:30 p.m., and my husband and I watched football (taped I believe) to about 9:30. Then I roused myself to get the 6-year-old ready for bed. My husband read him Harry Potter and then I sat with him until he fell asleep (10:15). We watched more football and then some of a prior SNL. I went to bed around 11:20 thinking I’d be waking up at 6:20 for the robotics tournament.
And I was up, but not really for that. I woke up again at 4:45 (I think the heat must come on then and it is loud enough to wake me). I went back to sleep, then woke to a 6 a.m. phone call. I figured I should probably pick it up and sure enough, it was the high school robotics coach calling to inform me that the tournament was canceled due to snow. I went over to tell the 16-year-old then tried to go back to sleep but not very effectively. Maybe I got another 15 minutes. I woke up for good at 7 and scrolled/read blogs in bed for 30 minutes. I got up and showered, dressed, and got coffee and breakfast. I ate then looked out the window and decided to take my coffee outside for a bit. I wandered around a total winter wonderland for about 15 minutes — the snow was just so beautiful.
Of course the snow also makes driving more challenging. Normally I go to choir rehearsal, then come back to get some kids for the service. But that almost doesn’t fit in normal circumstances, and it definitely wouldn’t with the snow. So I went to church solo (my husband took the 6-year-old to basketball at the Y). Rehearsal was 9-9:30, I hung out (and ordered Girl Scout Cookies…) until the prelude started 9:48. The service ran 10-11:05 (mercifully) this week. I was home by 11:20, and got a quick lunch (the chili just keeps going!). I took my daughter to tennis for a 12:00 lesson.
My original plan was to run during her lesson, but there was a lot of snow on the sidewalks. So then I planned to walk, but the snow kept coming down. Eventually I decided to sit in the car, listening to Mozart, and then I made the obligatory Starbucks trip (where I noted there was a fireplace! I’ll have to linger there sometime) during her lesson rather than after. My husband came at 12:40 with the 11-year-old, and the two kids played tennis together briefly, then my husband stayed for the 11-year-old’s lesson and my daughter and I came home.
I worked on my log for a minute, then got snow pants on and convinced the 6-year-old to put snow pants/coat/hat/boots/mittens on. He was reticent at first, and this was a process, but we did make it outside to play and sled, and he quickly decided the snow was the best thing ever. I stayed out for over an hour, doing several runs down the hill in our front yard. He was out for 90+ minutes! I let him stay out by himself if he played in front of the kitchen window. He was acting out some pretty elaborate scenes. Call it another win for the winter fun list!
I came in and spent the next bit waiting for the 18-year-old to be ready to go work with me in Panera. I had suggested this as an afternoon activity — partly because Panera has a fireplace, and because I wanted to spend some time together while he was home for the weekend — and he was game. We left at 3:05, and were there ordering at 3:15 and sitting working by the fire at 3:20. Very cozy! I’m typing this now and hitting publish courtesy the Panera wifi. Then I’ll work on getting ahead of some stuff given that tomorrow likely won’t be a full workday.
Here’s my log for the past day or so:
1:30 work, chat R, hangout
2 ready, drive downtown
2:30 drive, park
3 ice skate (w/S)
3:30 ice skate, get drinks, S drives
4 S drives, home, walk
4:30 walk outside, log
5 read in room, H thank yous
5:30 H thank yous, hangout
6 kids ready, in car, M drives
6:30 park, Coyote crossing
7 family dinner/Coyote crossing
7:30 family dinner/Coyote crossing
8 dinner, home
8:30 TV/football w/M
9TV/football w/M
9:30 H, read, sit w/H/scroll
10 sit w/H, TV w/M
10:30 TV with M/football, SNL
11 SNL, to bed/sleep
4:30 4:45 bathroom, sleep
6 call from VEX, lie in bed
6:30 lie in bed, doze?
7 up, scroll, shower
7:30 shower, dress, b-fast
8 eat, walk in snow, ready
8:30 ready, to church
9 choir rehearsal
9:30 chat, robe, prelude
10 church
10:30 church
11 church, home, lunch
11:30 lunch/work, drive R
12 mozart/insta to Starbucks
12:30 back, wait, R, home
1 work, ready + H, outside
1:30 sledding in snow/play
2 snow play, sit w/H
2:30 still out, in, wait
3 in car, drive, order, work
