A Week of Money: Where Metro Riding for 2.5 hours is an activity.

DAY ONE

6:30 a.m. — Back to the grind. Baby Bun is up, and I’m getting ready for work. I am definitely getting that parking spot closer to where I work. I am not sure I am going to make it in winter, 10 blocks through slush and snow, dragging 2 lunch bags, my purse and a ever-growing child.

8:19 a.m. — Just a LITTLE late to work. Baby Bun was extra clingy. I waved a banana at his face and even offered huge cups of milk but he wouldn’t bite. *sigh*

11:52 a.m. — I quickly scarf down my lunch, I want to speed walk to get some errands done during lunch. I quickly answer emails, assign things for people to do while I am gone, and am out the door like a flash.

12:28 p.m. — I drop by Banana Republic to return those items, and end up snagging 2 pairs of gorgeous shoes for around $30 each. Whoa. (You can check out my Banana Republic 2017 Summer review here). $68.96

12:36 p.m. — Need more tape. I buy some at the post office. $6.88

12:46 p.m. — I also pick up a whole stash of heel liners (my favourite kind). I love these heel liners and always run out. $36.74

12:55 p.m. — Back at my desk. Phew. One hour.

1:44 p.m. — A colleague comes by and sneakily drops a huge bag of Kit Kat bites behind me with a thump. “We bought these for you in mind”, he said, along with my manager. These guys are just trying to make me fat because they know they’re a weakness of mine. DANG IT. I never should have mentioned my weakness for them. See why I love this team? 😛

2:18 p.m. — I make a note that I am about to run out of makeup cleansing wipes (finally, from a stash I bought 2 years ago), and research a few options like this Dior Hydra Cleansing Oil to Milk which gets major reviews online, and this Fresh Seaberry Cleansing Oil.

4:15 p.m. — I start getting ready to go, and get side-tracked into a conversation which lasts a little later than I wanted.

5:15 p.m. — I finally manage to get out the door and speedwalk to the pre-school. Baby Bun is fine. Phew. I stuff a snack into his mouth (the rest of his banana he didn’t eat). On the way to the car, he tells me what they did at school that day, although it seems to always be the same thing — “shapes, colours, letters and playing with shaving cream Mommy!” Hmm. EVERY DAY? That’s not what the preschool report says….

5:45 p.m. — At home, my partner is getting ready to go out for a long bike ride. He bought a really nice bike but with our weird helter-skelter weather, he hasn’t had many good days after work to ride, so I let him go and end up cleaning up with Baby Bun.

6:37 p.m. — I finish perfecting the back of my DIY leather jacket, the studs kept coming off, and I finally resort to gluing them on because it looks terrible with it lifting up and looking all weird and janky. YAY! Now I can wear it safely and with confidence it won’t have gaping holes where the studs should be.

7:07 p.m. — I log in, check all my emails and see that my family safely arrived in Montreal and checked into the hotel I booked for them. Yay!

Saved: $0

Spent: $112.58

DAY TWO

6:30 a.m. — Bright and early, my parents come over to pick up Baby Bun for the day. He is NOT SURE ABOUT THIS, but we soldier on. He knows them, he loves playing with them he just doesn’t have much time with them thus far, but this is where he needs to be thrown off the deep end without a safety net. He can’t stay with me all day. Time to hang with others.

6:45 a.m. — I lean into the car, give Baby Bun a biggggg kiss and say: “BYE BYE BABY I LOVE YOU!…” his face crumples and I see his panic rising: “MOMMY? MOMMY? STAY WITH MOMMY?”… and I slam the door, tap the hood and shout: “DRIVE!”

8:08 a.m. — I text my parents and they write back that he was fine. After 2 minutes of sobbing, he calmed down, they stuffed a croissant into his chubby little face and he has not cried, whined, or sobbed a SINGLE TIME since. Phew. It was an experiment on my part really, I’ve never done this to him before with anyone other than his father.

10:18 a.m. — I check in again quickly — they send me photos of him being funny and playing happily.

11:02 a.m. — More photos of Baby Bun playing nicely. He ate his entire lunch, my mom says.

12:08 p.m. — I eat my lunch and relax in peace. They’ll drop him off around dinner time and we’ll all go out to eat.

 

1:18 p.m. — I quickly rush out to pick up a little tart for my mom that I know she’ll like, and end up getting side tracked in a store. I walk off with a stunning James Perse boiled cashmere shawl sweater on major discount. It is the right height, perfect shawl collar, dark deep anthracite grey, and is super cosy. I think my brain subconsciously knows it’ll be an expensive week and is thinking: OH EFF IT, WHAT THE HECK…… WHAT’S ANOTHER FEW HUNDRED? It normally retails for $895 USD… or $1317 CAD but ends up being…… $287.50

 

1:25 p.m. — Before I leave, I laugh. These sneakers are hilarious. Why so glum!?

5:05 p.m. — I head home in quiet, childless peace, listening to music on my iPod using my new transmitter in the car, and LOVING IT.

5:35 p.m. — I see my parents pull in just as I pull up. I am SO HAPPY TO SEE BABY BUN. He wiggles in the car seat, trying to get out like some David Blaine and get to me, saying: Mommy. Mommy. MOMMY. MOMMYYYYYY..

5:45 p.m. — Oddly enough, he gets out then pulls me back to the car, not wanting to leave my parents. Perfect. He bonded well with them then.

6:07 p.m. — I take everyone out for dinner for pizza. I buy 4 huge pizzas, appetizers, desserts, drinks. (And so it begins) $102.58

8:00 p.m. — At home, Baby Bun is excited and hyper from the great day he had of playing and avoiding school, and having stuffed his face with pizza.

8:50 p.m. — FINALLY get him into bed. I try to force him down to sleep but he’s just too excited. I tell him he won’t get to play any more tomorrow if he doesn’t sleep and rest enough. He whimpers then goes down without much of a fight, letting me pat him to sleep.

Saved: $0

Spent: $390.08

DAY THREE

6:00 a.m. — I’m working from home today and my parents are coming over. I can’t leave, and have conference calls all day, but at least they can hang out in our home and I can decide when to have lunch, etc. I laze in bed and Baby Bun tugs on my hand to get me up.

7:09 a.m. — I log in and start working. I want to take about an hour for lunch to take everyone out to eat, but I still need to deliver.

8:08 a.m. — My parents message me, and want to be over by 8:30 a.m. I know that means 9 a.m. because they have zero sense of time and urgency. I just hope they get here soon so that they can take him to the park or something and I can get on this call.

10:18 a.m. — OMG. 10 a.m. why do my parents have ZERO SENSE OF TIME. I know this is my father and not my mother behind this. He wakes up at 11 a.m. but Baby Bun is kind of on a schedule and so am I. Luckily I managed to quiet Baby Bun down with a “special” iPad (I hide it from him for these moments) while I hopped on a call. He hates it when I speak French and cries when I do, which makes it very hard to talk on the phone. He only wants me to speak in English.

10:32 a.m. — They show up. Finally. I give them a look, but clamp it down because this is just the way they are, and it is why I turned into such an obsessive, list-oriented, time-driven Type-A personality. I quickly finish up my tasks, and check the time. Better get to the lunch spot I want to take them to before Baby Bun turns into a mini monster if it gets too close to nap time. I want to see if I can leave him with them for the afternoon.

12:08 p.m. — We’re finally out for lunch, and we grab a meal at a place I’ve been dying to try and all my colleagues have raved about. These are chicken skewers, but while they were well-cooked, they were pricey and I needed something extra to pad the meal.

The buns were good but dang they were covered in sauce. I wouldn’t get those again, I would need way more vegetables… but the bun was interesting.

12:56 p.m. — Finally home, Baby Bun clings to me like a koala bear, and I gently put him down in the bed to nap. My parents lie down for a little nap too, and I keep working.

2:08 p.m. — Everyone wakes up. I’m still working. Baby Bun guzzles down some milk, and I encourage them to go to the park and play. Baby Bun is hesitant but gamely puts on his shoes because his desire to go play at the park is greater than to stay inside with Mommy. Finally.

4:55 p.m. — I text my parents to tell them I’m on my way down. I just finished my last conference call for the day (WHY ARE THERE SO MANY), and I head down. Conference calls remind me of this game. Will play it the next time I’m on one.

5:15 p.m. — At the park, we’re all having a great time. I have a hat on, major sunscreen, and Baby Bun is getting major energy out. Everyone confers, and I take them out to dinner again.

5:35 p.m. — At dinner, I order a round of food for everyone, which they all gobble down. $91.62

8:02 p.m. — At home, Baby Bun is full and happy as a little child should be. He is in a very good mood. I almost forgot! My mom gave me the sandals. I tried to press money into her hands, but she wouldn’t take it for all that I’ve done so far. I’ll have to sneak it into her wallet later.

Saved: $0

Spent: $91.62

DAY FOUR

7:39 a.m. — Baby Bun is still sleeping as I sneak out the door. My partner stays at home today and my parents will come over to visit and play with Baby Bun.

8:08 a.m. — At work, I log in and ask my partner what’s going on. We should have a home care webcam… He emails short notes about how Baby Bun woke up crying for me until he had his first bottle of milk, and then was fine and is playing nicely on the floor.

12:08 p.m. — I hate how close Anthropologie is to where I work. Ugh. I walk in just to look at stuff, and end up walking out with the perfect pair of khaki green cargo skinny pants. I took them in a Size 29 (plan on taking in the waist MAJORLY), when the 26 would have fit perfectly. I don’t like sausage legs, and I could have gone with the 28, but it took a bit of jumping to get into them, so I took the 29 instead, knowing they’ll fit well and stretch just slightly. These pants look interesting too but wide-leg is not my thing right at this moment. $90.27

12:18 p.m. — I wear them over to the tailors around the corner. They stretch in just a short amount of walking. I hope they can be taken in properly. She assures me yes, but not as tight as I want, no problem. I leave them with her and take the train back. $31.00

12:19 p.m. — This girl has an outfit on and the perfect look of a hipster anime character. She is rocking an outfit I would never ever wear, but looks effortless, elegant and so… perfect! I can appreciate her very distinctive, cool style, while not wanting to wear it, myself. She looked so good.

12:26 p.m. — Back at the office. I can’t figure out this stupid process they have and go through 7 sheets of legal paper before I get it worked out and clear in my head while eating my lunch.

5:35 p.m. — I drop by the post office on my way back home and mail the photo album and 150 photos of Baby Bun to Mamie. I get tracking for it. $80.95

6:07 p.m. — Baby Bun barrels into my arms, squealing with happiness and jumping for joy. I’m going to miss this as he gets older, I better enjoy it.

6:27 p.m. — How much do I love this kid? SO MUCH. He starts babbling about his day as my parents chat with my partner and I get ready to take everyone out for a light dinner and to the park. We decide on éclairs and some apple tarts as a treat. $53.67

7:27 p.m. —We finally leave the park where we went to after having treats and come back home to go to sleep. Baby Bun is one lucky child this week. Treats all day, every day!

8:59 p.m. — Baby Bun does NOT want to sleep. He knows he must go to school tomorrow as my parents want a break to go explore around the city alone without a child.

Saved: $0

Spent: $255.89

DAY FIVE

6:00 a.m. — Baby Bun is up. I’m up. We’re all up. I’m so groggy right now. He has to go to school and he woke up saying: No mommy work? No school? Stay home with Mommy?… hell.

6:55 a.m. — We get ready, I’m out the door and in the car. I don’t even drink my tea as there is no time.

7:59 a.m. — At pre-school, after prying his little fingers off my leg and purse, I manage to close the door and leave. It never ends.

8:28 a.m. — At work a bit late, I stopped to see if they had a little financier (a cake) to eat but they sold out at my local bakery. Rats. Tomorrow is the weekend at least.

10:18 a.m. — I keep screwing up this stupid Excel sheet. I need to start over. My brain is not working.

12:28 p.m. — Lunch at my desk. I want to leave early today.

3:45 p.m. — I pack up and am out the door. I grab Baby Bun early (he is so surprised he can’t speak), grab him and shuttle him to go pick up my parents and take everyone out for dinner.

4:35 p.m. — At the noodle shop, I buy everyone a round of noodles. $75.90

6:00 p.m. — At the park, we play and play as we chat, and my parents enjoy having their grandson around.

8:37 p.m. — We got home LATE. Whoa. I need to get him ready for bed and unwind. I try to calm him down by telling him tomorrow is the weekend, and he gets to stay at home with Mommy in the morning. He sort of half-accepts that, wanting 24/7 Mommy not 1/2 day Mommy.

Saved: $0

Spent: $75.90

DAY SIX

6:30 a.m. — Baby Bun wakes and he immediately protests school the entire morning AGAIN but less whole-heartedly than the day before, until I manage to convince him that today is not a school day.

 

9:00 a.m. — My parents come over for a bit before lunch, and we hang out as we play with Baby Bun, chat, and catch up with stories and have breakfast together.

 

11:02 a.m. — Baby Bun finishes his lunch while everyone oohs and aahs over how much he packs away in that tiny body. They can’t believe how much he eats and how small and sturdy he is. “Just like Cousin Zee!“, they exclaim. Before my mom leaves, she presses a necklace gift box into my hand. This matchstick necklace is absolutely my style, by Lena Bernard but looks a lot like the Fernanda Sibilia jewellery I adore:

12:58 p.m. — We say goodbye as my parents are going back home today and checking out of the hotel, and leaving straight from my home. Baby Bun kisses them all good-bye, not knowing what it all means, and then immediately gets shuffled down for his nap.

1:28 p.m. — I’m out the door, on the bus, downtown. $2.25

1:54 p.m. — I wander into Sephora and get treated to a facial. I end up buying the Fresh Hydrating Rosewater Toner. I am not convinced Toners are necessary, but I buy it anyway to see if it makes a difference in my skin or not. It smells GOOD though. I love the salespeople at this Sephora location downtown. They are way nicer here than anywhere else. $62.10

2:18 p.m. — I pick up a quick vegan burger which is my ‘treat’ these days, and decide that the branch at Atwater makes it much better. $14

2:22 p.m. — I drop by the Apple store. My partner was raving about the iPad Pros, but I don’t really see a need / point in them for myself. I do like the rose gold metal though.

3:02 p.m. — Oh this outfit is cute.

• Pink linen blazer
• T-shirt
• Ripped jeans (tight)
• Loafers

…..I had to do a double take because I realized that I loved the outfit but it was a guy wearing it which means it was truly unisex because I’d wear the same thing. Interesting.

4:35 p.m. — I get on the bus and head back home. $2.25

5:07 p.m. — A woman closes a window behind me and I feel a sharp pain. OW. WTF. WTF IS.. OMG.. SHE SHUT MY HAIR IN THE WINDOW WITHOUT CHECKING. She hears me whimpering and realizes her mistake, and is horrified. She opens the window and apologizes. I try to calm her down by laughing it off and saying it wasn’t a big deal but it HURT.

6:07 p.m. — Din-din. Then I do all the dishes from the entire day, a huge counter full of it. I put on my Bose headphones and listen to music while doing it to calm down. I think about how I should do yoga daily… my back is starting to hurt.

Saved: $0

Spent: $80.60

DAY SEVEN

6:00 a.m. — BABY BUN TRAIN DAY! He jumps up from bed, runs to the clock and points: SUNDAY! TODAY IS SUNDAY TRAIN DAY!... everything this child does is loud and big.

6:29 a.m. —  I sew up a hole in his shirt. He was poking his finger in it the other say commenting: Oh look Mommy, ANOTHER hole!…. 

7:08 a.m. — I make a note, I am running out of my favourite Uni-ball pens, and I need more sewing needles (I broke more than a few sewing leather with them).

10:18 a.m. — I check my voicemail and realize a subsidized daycare at $7.75 a day has opened up a spot for Baby Bun. OMG! I WANT TO SWITCH HIM RIGHT NOW. Would be better than paying $60 a day. I check online and realize we’d have to pay the difference in the daycare if our income is too high but still, it is still cheaper in a subsidized daycare.

10:28 a.m. —I also need to go pay for a new parking space this week. I found a space closer, but it’ll cost $300 a month. *sigh* I just have to suck it up and pay an additional $200 because I can’t walk that distance during winter any more. I have to wait until I get extended before I do this though. I don’t want to sign up for something and be committed to it when I don’t have any money coming in. Maybe I can use that spot on the weekends too.

11:02 a.m. — We eat our lunch, and he plays with puzzles.

12:56 p.m. — Baby Bun goes down for his nap. I log in to check emails, and watch a bit of trash TV (really, just re-runs of Seinfeld). I consider flipping out my yoga mat but feel too lazy to do so.

1:12 p.m. — I quickly google cleaning a yoga mat and think about dumping it into the washing machine for a delicate cycle. It looks pretty gross.

2:18 p.m. — Baby Bun is up! I dress him and we head off to the bus immediately. I want a full train ride in.

 

5:05 p.m. — We ride the train for 2.5 hours. No joke. I took him up and down the lines, and he pointed out all the stations on the map while doing so, naming them or asking me to name them. I hope he loves today. $4.50

5:35 p.m. — We get home and Baby Bun says: Sunday Train Day AGAIN, Mommy????.. LOL this kid could live on a train.

6:07 p.m. — I take him to the park and let him work off his energy, knowing his father is working on the apartment, painting it.

6:32 p.m. — Back home, we eat a light dinner of sausage on bread, and then I putter around googling random nonsense I make notes to myself during the day like:

• Health benefits of chia seeds
• Are toners worth it
• Are face masks worth it
• Are facials just a scam
• Public versus private daycares
• What is a “seaberry”..

8:32 p.m. — A billion internet rabbit holes later, I end up getting Baby Bun dressed for bed.

Saved: $0

Spent: $4.50