Week of Money: Where my home turns into an icebox

DAY ONE

??:?? — Little Bun wakes up and tells me he is excited to go out today with us. I snuggle him and go make a cup of tea.

9:26 a.m. — He watches some Dr. Binocs and proceeds to tell me why he would hate it if Earth doubled in size.

9:26 a.m. — We finally head out for the day, after my partner makes the dough for our bread tonight, and lets it rise while we are gone. Before we head out, Little Bun is told to go get dressed and he says: YAYY! MOMMY!! PLEASE GO GET DRESSED!!! Then he doubles back and clarifies: But before you get dressed, maybe you should get undressed first, just in case, so you can dress in going out clothes. I thank him for his clarity.

10:20 a.m. — At the park, it is TOO COLD. I am running around with Little Bun and I finally warm up, but we end up spending the day picking up leaves of different colours to leave in a little pile for the squirrels and birds to take for their nests (yes, this is what Little Bun intended, so he would lessen their workload).

11:30 a.m. — We walk for the rest of the morning out then head home.

12:55 p.m. — After lunch Little Bun tells me we should have gone out EARLIER (he wanted more time to play at home before Quiet Time at 1), and I told him we were late because Daddy was preparing the dough for tonight’s yummy Dinner Feast (he loves these). He pauses, nods, and accepts this.

1:07 p.m. — I am working on some new posts for the blog, and these particular ones take a long time so I am trying to do a few days every couple of days, while the info is fresh in my head. I make a cup of tea – Mariage des Freres – Marco Polo as I love the fruity smell, sort of like candied gummies.

1:15 p.m. — I also picked up a Waterpik to help with my plaque, and chose the Aquarius model, which holds enough water to carefully water floss both top and bottom teeth (I was really not interested in having to refill the water reservoir each time), and you can set the intensity as well as having interchangeable heads for the whole family to use.

2:59 p.m. — Little Bun is up after likely having read books quietly instead of napping.

3:14 p.m. — We head into the closet to play, and do Little Bun + Mommy nonsense until dinner time.

4:55 p.m. — I start laundry, do all the dishes, and try to get the kitchen super clean before my partner starts on dinner. It’s nice to work in an empty space.

7:40 p.m. — After dinner, more dishes and cleaning, as tomorrow is his Cook Day. He makes all the meals for the week.

9:30 p.m. — Time for bed.

Spent: $0

DAY TWO

??:?? — Little Bun snuggles into my side.

7:25 a.m. — We get up and start the day. I am trying to synchronize my e-reader with my computer and it isn’t working because I think one of the ports no longer has enough power. I am pretty frustrated with this planned obsolescence. I will be buying a desktop after this, maybe next year.

7:50 a.m. — I clean up my desk while Little Bun plays chess. He doesn’t quite get the strategy, but he seems to do all right, playing against the lower level of the computer to get his pawns to become queens. I am glad he is so excited. Some days he recites to me what he did in a chess play or move, and I am trying to imagine it but obviously have zero interest with what a rook did on the board.

8:20 a.m. — After breakfast, I water the plants, and start laundry. Then we head into the bedroom to watch a movie together.

11:20 a.m. — Lunch! FRIES! His favourite. We eat that, properly salted, and I dip mine in siracha.

12:50 p.m. — Down for his quiet time.

12:58 p.m. — I try to clean up all the files on my desktop.

8:45 p.m. — Dinner, dishes, laundry.

9:20 p.m. — I plan out some scenarios of maximizing Little Bun’s RESP ahead of time, rather than waiting for the ‘free’ 20% return on the money each year. Time in the market matters more than a 20% yearly “return” makes sense when you are thinking you put in $2500 and get $500, but as the capital accumulates, getting $7500 (lifetime max) on $50,000 is only 1.5% at the end of it all.

Spent: $0

DAY THREE

??:?? — I wake up from Little Bun grumpily throwing himself on me, forcibly trying to get me to wake up as well (this is the routine). It feels like he isn’t really awake, but a little sleepy still. He snuggles into my side, and then I get up with him.

7:30 a.m. — “Mommy we woke up EXACTLY at 7:30!!!” … well not quite accurate, we looked at the clock AT 7:30 when we got up but “we” (the collective, royal “We” but more “he”) woke up before 7:30. I am too tired to explain this. After I come out of the bathroom he looks at me grumpily – WHY DO YOU GET TO GO FIRST!!!? … I wearily tell him I went in first when I saw he came out of the bedroom and didn’t head in there. So I went. And now he can go. Today is going to be a hell of a morning. I can tell he did not sleep enough.

7:42 a.m. — I make a cup of tea. I need this. Badly.

7:59 a.m. — A friend wears some sunglasses and I think they look amazing on her. I ask her for the brand, and now I sort of want these Céline sunglasses. The thing is, I need to try them on first because not all sunglasses fit my massive head.

9:08 a.m. — Heading into the bedroom, I set him up with the two episodes I have been saving all week for him to watch – Paw Patrol and Amphibia. That will keep him quiet and not as grumpy for an hour and a half at least. So I can lie down and try to catnap. If I sleep early enough in the day, it won’t affect my night sleep.

12:08 p.m. — Lunch – it’s French Fries and his favourite. He runs into the kitchen screaming: YAYYYYYYY!!! …. and I slather mine in siracha sauce.

12:30 p.m. — I attempt to do as many dishes as possible before they both go down for a nap so they can dry on the counter and free up some sink space.

1:05 p.m. — Time for his quiet time. He is RIPE for sleeping.

1:08 p.m. — I make a cup of tea in an attempt to not fall asleep, and I definitely sign up to buy this Author Clock that shows quotes for times of the day. IT IS SO COOL.

3:15 p.m. — After his nap, I decide we should tidy the second bedroom where I am storing a lot of junk. Time to arrange it, or get rid of it.

5:50 p.m. — Dinner time, then dishes, laundry. Little Bun is cuddling on the bed with his Stuffies, making up games with the freshly washed socks, turning them into Sock Babies.

8:55 p.m. — Bedtime. I am using my water flosser and it seems to be working well, but at pressure #6, it feels really aggressive when I switch sides. Maybe I have to turn it off when I switch to going behind my teeth gumline, so I don’t pressure spray my throat.

Spent: $0

DAY FOUR

??:?? — Feels late enough to be rested.

8:01 a.m. — “Look Mommy, what do you see there!?!? GUESS WHAT? It is Mr. Monster Cloud!!” This is the name Little Bun has given a huge cloud formation outside of our window – it may change from time to time, but it’s a general name to refer to a huge cloud.

8:08 a.m. — “Mommy I hope no one ever uses nuclear bombs again“.

9:47 a.m. — In the bedroom, he plays games of chess on the iPad, and then recreates them with some books and stuffies, playing out different moves like having the Stuffie turn into a Queen and then attack the Rook.

11:30 a.m. — We end up playing together on the iPad – the game Two Dots instead as I use the shoulder and neck massager for 45 minutes on my neck. I can feel the right side finally cracking / breaking apart to smaller muscles, which my masseuse had told me was a good sign, that I was finally breaking through years of my muscles hardening into a big block.

12:08 p.m. — Lunch, and then I lie down to play with him again before his Quiet Time.

1:04 p.m. — I return and transfer new ebooks onto my Kobo Glo. It definitely is nice to be able to read thousands of books or series any time I want without having the bulk and weight of all the books I enjoy reading and re-reading again. It isn’t as nice as a real book but at least I can read it at night with the screen backlit, and it is light to carry.

3:11 p.m. — Up from his Quiet Time, he asks me what we are going to do today. I show him some beginner Chess videos. I am sad this channel did not make more, the boys are really good teachers.

4:13 p.m. — I decide to hold off on yet another Hermès scarf I am eying. I will wait until November to see how things go, seeing as I already went on a bit of a spree lately.

5:25 p.m. — Dishes, laundry, Little Bun watches an action movie with his father while I get a break to read.

8:40 p.m. — We start our bedtime routine, and read through a math page. He asks me for a quiz, and I promise I will do one tomorrow to test him on mixed fractions, improper fractions and simplifying them. He really does love math!!!

9:20 p.m. — Time for bed.

Spent: $0

DAY FIVE

??:?? — I wake up.. somewhat rested. I mean I could use another hour.

7:03 a.m. — Little Bun tells me all about different chess moves and things that he did to win in games, and how he can protect certain pieces. I can tell his level of playing is just slightly below mine (juvenile!! HAHA), and I wonder if this is a phase or if he will continue to learn more. If he does, we can buy a chess set and have him play out Grand Master strategies and moves so he can learn from imitation.

7:20 a.m. — I log into work.

7:45 a.m. — He hops onto the piano to practice. I had chided him the other day for sticking to the easy ‘baby’ pieces of just one hand at a time, but he became quite indignant and told me he was actually learning the HARMONY pieces at the bottom of each page with two hands together (the one where you have the teacher play the accompaniment). I apologized and told him I did not know that, and I would like to hear him play the harmony some time. He nods, satisfied with my understanding.

I have noticed that when we assume things he did not do, like anyone else, he becomes quite angry and says: BUT YOU DID NOT KNOW that I was NOT going to jump into that dirty puddle!!!!... Only to have me remind him that last week I told him to watch where he was walking and he literally did just that, which is why I was reminding him to stay away from this puddle this week. He’s mollified with such responses, but then I tell him – now that you know, I won’t remind you again then, okay? 

I actually do not mind if he goes into dirty puddles, it is more that it is too cold for that. In the summer why not?

8:55 a.m. — Lots of meetings today.

12:45 p.m. — Break for lunch. Not much of one, I eat at my desk while replying to emails and will take a proper break later.

2:00 p.m. — I take my ‘real’ break now. I end up lying down in the second bedroom reading, and dozed off near the end. I know Little Bun will be up soon and he can be my alarm clock to get back to work.

3:15 p.m. — Back to work, Little Bun is up and full of excitement.

4:57 p.m. — Dishes, laundry.. same old. I am starting to get the hang of the new Waterpik but I think I need the pressure to be higher for it to be truly effective.

7:18 p.m. — I watch more episodes of Sex Education – an excellent show that I think even preteens should be encouraged to watch, as it is quite accurate, a healthy way of looking at sex, and it covers a lot of questions in a TV series format that is easy to digest rather than in rather boring sex education classes. It also focuses on all aspects of relationships with sex, which is something I think was always missing in the past. Otherwise, children get their info from other children (not great), or from sexual material (even worse).

I’d rather they watch this show and then ask thoughtful questions. Plus it gives great tips for the characters to use (which in turn, means people in real life can try it), like being tongue-tied, maybe you just need to look away or close your eyes so you do not feel judged while trying to say what is in your head which can make you nervous and clam up, which in turn, makes you even more nervous and frustrated because you are unable to express what is inside of you.

Spent: $0

DAY SIX

??:?? — I wake up with Little Bun snuggling into my face.

7:13 a.m. — Little Bun blabbers on about moves with his rook to trap the Queen. He is playing chess on Easy level on the app, so he is winning quite handily. I want to see if we can get him learning some more advanced moves so he can shift the difficulty up to get a bit of a challenge.

7:58 a.m. — My partner pulls everything out from under the sink and starts fixing it. Since he is using pretty strong smelling glue, Little Bun is shuffled off into the second bedroom to sit at the big empty desk to work on his Workbook – it seems to be going quite well because he finishes quietly and is not distracted. He only comes out occasionally to ask me what “restate your opinion” means, and other little things. Maybe we shall stick him in here for all of his schooling instead of the main bedroom where all of his toys are to distract him and the child-sized table is too tiny to work on anyway.

8:20 a.m. — I was NOT warned that my partner would open all the windows and doors to air out the apartment from the terrible smell of the glue. The temperature has now dropped to 7 degrees celsius inside, which is 44.6 farenheit for my American friends. It is bloody cold. I grab my wool blanket from Topsy Farms in Stella Ontario Canada, warm up a Magic Bag (now I wish I had two, one for my neck), and stuff my feet into shearling slippers my brother bought me years ago.

The Magic Bag works the best to keep my whole body fairly warm, while my toes sort of freeze up (I could take them out and put the Magic Bag on them to warm up but they’ll just freeze again. I can only hope I am burning calorie and fat as I am freezing, as a kind of unexpected benefit.

I’d move into the bedrooms, even the laundry room because it’s much warmer there away from the open windows, and balcony door, but unfortunately I have calls until 2 p.m. and must stay in this frigid ice box of a living room. The only thing I am missing are shearling, fingerless gloves.

9:47 a.m. — REALLY am appreciating heat during winter now. Takes a bit of a rough go to make you feel gratitude for the truly simpler things. My fingers freeze a little so I warm them under the Magic Bag. It makes me really feel in solidarity for those in the U.S. and Europe who are being forewarned of heat being an issue this winter, and to be mindful of it.

In Europe, gas prices have skyrocketed and Russia is selling at a premium, which is causing families to have to basically go with very little heat to save money, and bundle up at home. This is all fine and dandy until you take a shower and come out dripping wet.

10:50 a.m. —  In between meetings I am hunting down an All American Canner for my mother, but they are completely stocked out, and with no chances of replenishment for the next year. I am shooing Little Bun back into the bedrooms because it is freezing cold out here and I do not want him getting sick. Even clad in cashmere and wool, he will not stay warm in these temps without a blanket.

2:08 p.m. — I head out for a walk after my call. It will be warmer outside, I joke to my partner.

3:00 p.m. — Back home, I answer all the 20 emails that came in, and continue working.

4:41 p.m. — I add the XL Magic Bag to my shopping cart. I am waiting for a bunch of real orders before I click Purchase, to minimize shipping in general. I add at the last minute these supposedly pain-free clip on converters for earrings. I love earrings but all conventional clip ons make my earlobes hurt (I cannot have piercings), and I am hoping these will work out. I throw in a chess book for kids for Little Bun, the Heart & Brain calendars (daily and large) for him as a gift he will enjoy as he likes to plan his days out and birthday events, and hit purchase. $121.47

4:55 p.m. — I also need a pair of fleece leggings, but I can find those secondhand on Poshmark.

5:37 p.m. — Little Bun wanders out of the warm bedroom: Mommy, may I stay out here with you?… he asks sweetly. I tell him no, it is far too cold and I will come in with dinner in a bit.

5:55 p.m. — Dinner in the bedroom after I answer an email and then I do laundry, and cuddle up with Little Bun to stay warm.

8:48 p.m. — Time for bed. We brush, water floss, floss, and get ready to sleep.

Spent: $121.47

DAY SEVEN

??:?? — I wake up to Little Bun whispering to me if he can quiz me on how the chess pieces move.

7:34 a.m. — I log in and start working. I am browsing for fleece leggings. The last pair I bought were these Hansel from Basel fleece lined leggings and I am KICKING myself I did not go back to get two more pairs because they are thick, soft and beautifully made. They are also, no longer made. Now I have to go around on Poshmark desperately hunting them down but also looking for other substitutes. They are thick and warm enough to wear just as they are when you go out, or underneath pants, though they get quite hot/warm.

8:44 a.m. — Meetings. We are working through an urgent issue that has to be resolved by Friday so everyone is super… super stressed.

9:12 a.m. — Another call. Meetings until lunch.

12:15 p.m. — I break for lunch to hang with Little Bun. We share mashed potatoes, brown rice and carrots together. He doesn’t seem keen on it, but the mashed potatoes are a nice sort of meat-like? substitute for me. I mean they don’t taste anything like meat but it has the same textural mouth feel.

2:28 p.m. — I head out for a walk after my meeting. It is time for the warm cashmere sweaters layered under jackets now. And if it rains, it is a hooded jacket as if it is snowing. My best winter purchases have been a non-bulky looking down jacket (I wish I had purchased it secondhand though, I deeply regret this), those now discontinued fleece leggings I spoke about earlier, and these UGG Viki boots that look a lot better than the Adirondacks in my opinion, as they look less like “ooo look at me, I am standard Canadian winter rubber boot” with their rubberized black toe.  They are also half the price of Adirondacks as they’re considered a fashion sneaker (?????). Whatever it is, if you need cute winter boots that are sheepskin, warm, easy to lace up, rubberized and grippy, I recommend these ones.

6:23 p.m. — I log off after answering an email, then go and have dinner with my Little Bun. He loves showing me new chess moves and playing while we eat. It’s really cute how into chess he is. Apparently the kids in my family are into chess too? I have no idea why and how they developed this love as it did not come from either of us, it must be from my side of the family but it skipped our generation.

6:23 p.m. — Laundry, dishes, bedtime. I THINK the water flosser is working well but I have to put in warm, almost hot water (I hate cold water on my teeth) and I have to crank it up to 7 to feel like it’s actually power washing any plaque away.

Spent: $0

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Want more? Read all of my previous Week of Money Diaries.