Lauren Stockard and her husband Sam make their home in Fort Worth with their sons, who are 1 and 4. Stockard, who coordinates sponsorships (among other duties) for a local blog, enjoys trying new restaurants and visiting breweries with Sam, a human resources professional. But when it comes to mom time, Stockard doesn’t have to go far from home to keep her boys happy.
6:21AM After pressing the snooze button every 8 minutes, I remind myself that my day always starts better if I get up before the kids and drag myself out of bed. I head straight for the coffee maker.
6:27AM Coffee is brewing. I stretch—and by stretch, I mean yawn.
6:32AM I pour myself some coffee and start writing my top to-do’s for the day on the closest sheet of scrap paper I can find.
6:47AM I sit on the couch with coffee in hand, say a prayer and crack open a daily devotional to get my heart right for the day.
7:24AM I hear the pitter-patter of little feet walking down the hall and see my 4-year-old’s head peek out. I say good morning, and he asks if he can watch TV. He’s living his best life this morning because I turn on Blippi. Then I start breakfast and get my 1-year-old’s morning cup of milk ready.
7:29AM Toast is made and served with a hard-boiled egg for my oldest. I take the cup of milk to my 1-year-old, who greets me with the biggest smile! It melts my heart, and I just hold him for a bit while he drinks his bottle.
7:54AM My oldest comes in and asks if it’s snack time yet. The sweet moment of motherhood bliss ends with a quick, “No! You just ate breakfast! Snack’s at 10.”
8AM We start circle time, sing some songs (ABCs; “Twinkle, Twinkle” and a “Baby Shark” request), read the Llama Llama Mess, Mess, Mess book and talk about the importance of tidying up. (Hopefully, one day this will stick.)
8:30AM We make our beds, brush our teeth, get dressed and hop in the van to grab some Summer Moon Coffee.
8:49AM We’re parked near a construction site down the road from our house. The trunk of the van is popped open, and we’re hanging out in the back watching the construction trucks do their thing. This is easy and free entertainment for both my boys. I sit, answer questions about construction trucks (thanks, Google) and sip my coffee.
9:22AM The 4-year-old declares he’s done and is ready to go home. The baby starts to get fussy. We pack up, buckle up and head home.
9:31AM We pull into the driveway. I’m asked if it’s snack time again. I say not right now (same song and dance), and we get distracted by roly-polies wandering around the driveway.
9:37AM I look at the clock and want to cry because it’s only 9:37am. I thought for sure it was noon. These at-home-all-day-every-day pandemic days are long. I miss our pre-COVID routine for a moment, but I’m thankful for the extra time we get together too.
9:38AM We make it inside and I start to get my toddler ready for his morning nap. My oldest plays with his Legos but not before asking if it’s snack and TV time.
9:45AM The toddler lays down for a nap. I stand outside the door and listen for any opposition, but mostly because I enjoy hearing his babbles.
9:52AM I declare that it’s snack time, and the 4-year-old rejoices in songs of “Yay!”
10AM Pretzels and a mix of yogurt plus peanut butter to dip them in is served. I put ABCmouse on the desktop computer, and my oldest is perfectly content. I sneak to my desk, open my laptop and hunker down on some work.
11:53AM Toddler’s awake!
12:11PM Diaper is changed, and I realize I never had breakfast. I serve both baby and myself some hard-boiled eggs and banana while microwaving some macaroni and cheese for my oldest. Lunch is served!
12:37PM The weather is beautiful, so we head outside to work on our veggie garden. We pull some weeds in the flower beds and have some good ol’ fashioned outside playtime.
1:42PM We head in to get ready for both the kids’ naptime. Hallelujah!
2PM After a major struggle with the oldest kiddo, both kids are down for nap, and I get back to work.
4:07PM A couple meetings, some Marco Polo games, quite a few emails and some scheduled social posts later … work is done for the day. I get exactly three minutes to myself before my oldest comes in asking for snack and TV time. (Insert eyeroll.)
4:13PM Toddler’s awake! We’re all back outside enjoying the sunshine, playing with chalk and eating some fruit.
5:32PM My husband’s home. We all rejoice!
6:02PM Dinner time! On the menu: cheese pizza (freezer-to-oven style) and a smorgasbord of mixed veggies that I’m calling a salad.
6:45PM Bedtime routines begin. Baths, jammies and stories.
7:15PM Both boys are down for bed! My husband and I catch each other up on our days, then we lounge on the couch and watch an episode of Superstore.
8:07PM We contemplate whether we should watch one more episode but reluctantly opt for bed.
8:33PM I start my own bedtime routine. I wash my face, brush my teeth and put on my PJs.
8:47PM I lay down in bed, and I’m out!
Fast Facts
What she’s watching Onward on repeat (thanks to my 4-year-old!)
Favorite indulgence Lemon Oreos
Where she goes for retail therapy Target, always
Favorite movie 10 Things I Hate About You
Restaurant she frequents with the family Rodeo Goat
Favorite date night spot Topgolf
Guaranteed to make her laugh Bad lip readings on YouTube
Beverage of choice Lime La Croix
Go-to recipe Skinnytaste’s instant pot chicken taco chili
Best purchase ever My Dr. Scholl’s slip-on shoes
Beauty product she can’t live without Tarte’s Shape Tape concealer for under my eyes
On girls night out, we’ll find her Enjoying a beer and food at Brewed!
Biggest pet peeve People who don’t use blinkers when they drive
She wishes she had more time to Visit long-distance relatives
Celebrity mom she admires Kristen Bell
If she had to change careers, she’d be a Geologist
Title of her autobiography Straight-Up Chaos
Something she learned this week Motherhood never gets easier. The challenges are just different at every stage.
Photo courtesy of Birth & Life Photography.
