Anyah Martinez lives in Denton with her husband Paul, their 5-year-old twin boys Cleary and Cline and 16-month-old son Creed. Paul is a school administrator, and Anyah is the founder of Cash Mob Denton, a consultant for Scentsy and the founder of Explorium Denton, a Denton children’s museum in the works.
5AM Awakened by soft coughing coming from my twins' room. Younger twin (Cline) is lying next to me (how did that happen?), and the older twin (Cleary) is still in bed. I realize I'm also coughing. I get up and heat some water and honey to drink. It helps.
6AM The alarm goes off the first time. No one stirs. After several bouts with the snooze button, I head to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. Hubs gets in the shower. Big kids are up and want to play.
6:45AM Breakfast. Porridge. Go get baby from crib, change him, etc. He joins big brothers at the table. Convince younger twin to eat. Assemble lunches. Get dressed. Get kids dressed and pack backpacks.
7:35AM Walk to school. We are fortunate to live about two blocks from the boys' elementary school. Deposit bags at the front door after stopping so they can hug several friends they haven't seen since before Christmas break. I love them so.
7:45AM Baby and I are off for our morning jog. He contentedly plays with Batman and Robin figures he swiped from the bigs' Batcave.
8:30AM Back from run. Stinky baby. Just enough time to get a text message instructing me to mail something. So thankful our post office is only two miles from our house and that there’s never a line. Whip up package. Gather baby items, library items to return and aforementioned package.
9AM In the car going to post office. Quick in-and-out. Rain begins falling as we drive away. Drop off library items.
9:30AM Time to do some mopping. Baby wants to help. I hand him a broom and he happily complies. He manages to knock over a large glass of water, which we turn into a cleanup game since we're mopping anyway.
10AM Snack time. Clementine and coffee for me and milk, dry cereal and fig bar for him. I reply to a message I received from a board member saying she’s no longer able to fulfill her duties as a board member. Sigh. I understand. This is a fledgling operation, and I'm still very wet behind the ears. Baby teases me with his snack. He is so silly and sweet.
10:15AM Reading time. This baby loves books, just like his big brothers.
10:45AM Free play. The ball popper is a big hit with this one. I check the bank (yikes) and grab a handful of almonds, and the baby insists he wants one.
11AM Run through the shower while baby plays in the bathroom. I emerge, as usual, a mere 15 minutes later completely dried, dressed and ready for the rest of the day. Baby rubs eyes, and I change him and put him in his crib for a nap.
11:20AM Wolf down a makeshift taco while heating up coffee for the fourth time.
11:30AM Hunker down and work on agenda, bylaws and notes for tonight's Explorium Denton board meeting. Mess up our website and spend last 15 minutes before baby wakes up on the phone with website support.
1:10PM Hear the baby squawk. Put chicken in oven to defrost. Set oven to 350 so chicken can roast. Go get the baby. Attempt to feed him. Battle him on banana and veggies, concede defeat and offer yogurt, crackers and peanut butter. I love the smell of chicken roasting in the oven.
1:45PM Wrap up snack time, change baby and play a little.
2:15PM Remove chicken from oven. Heavenly. Read to baby. Get ready to go get bigs from school. Must use shield on stroller and umbrella for me. Stinky baby.
2:40PM Walk toward the school. Receive hugs from my children. Slosh home in the rain. Battle with coughing twin over snack items offered. Before I know it it's 4:30pm. I've done homework, colored, read with the kids and made homemade biscuits to go along with the chili I also worked on during that time. The kids are parked in front of a Signing Time video. Creed comes into the kitchen, apparently scared by the animated zoo animals. I watch the video with the kids. Paul walks in as video ends.
5:15PM Chat with Paul briefly while I set dinner out.
5:30PM Dinnertime. Everyone is finished by 5:45 except younger twin. This is not new. I spoon-feed him a few bites. Seriously. I get a message from another board member who will not be attending our board meeting tonight. Now I'm starting to get discouraged.
6:15PM Baby has refused to eat but still wants attention. Paul reads to him for a while. I receive a package from FedEx and tidy up from dinner. I prepare baby for bed. We all say goodnight to him, and I go through our ritual of turning on his nightlight, playing the same lullabies on his iPod and dancing with him through the first song before I lie him down with a sweet smile on his face. The twins are in time out when I come out of Creed's room. I pray with the boys, get them situated and tuck them in. Our nighttime conversation ranges from "Why did the Philistines poke out Samson's eyes?" to Jabba the Hutt and the droids he may or may not have sold. Paul is almost asleep on the recliner. I wish I were asleep too.
7:20PM I proceed to Zera Coffee Company, where I meet with my board. It's still rainy, and I order a bottomless coffee. I use the few minutes while I wait to catch up on communication with the Denton Public Library Board, on which I also serve.
9:30PM Wrap up our unofficial meeting and chat with a friend until the coffee shop closes at 10. Try to make sense of all the notes I took.
10:15PM Pack lunches for tomorrow. Put final touches on dishes and hit the start button. Chat with hubs about the direction of the museum. Try to fall asleep while I think about doing this all over again tomorrow.
