Mitch here!
It’s been a while since I spewed Mitch in the City non sequiturs. But Kelly’s also snoring on the couch… so this post is a necessity. ;)
Below you’ll find a handful of iPhone pictures–mostly of my kid, because kid photos are apparently the only photos new parents take–which I hope will give you a glimpse into the daily life of Mitch Larkin.
Me getting up for work
1. The gym
Our work day is bizarre. Emma wakes us up at 7:30 on the dot, and after a frantic hour or so of our morning routine, we put ourselves together to go to “the gym.” I use “the gym” in quotes because for most people, “the gym” is just a gym. Where they work out. But for us, it’s a gem. (See what I did there?) Our gym has unlimited daycare for people to work out or whatever, but we use it to… uh… work.
I spend an incredible amount of time at “the gym.” People stop me in the hallway and ask “do you, like, live here?” (That actually happened a few days ago.) Which is confusing, because when some random stranger to comment on my gym habits, I start to question how much time they spend at the gym. Or perhaps we just have the same gym schedule! Did they ever think of that?! But whatever. I guess the real story here is that I’m at that gym a LOT.
One of our favorite parts about going to the gym, though, is taking Emma to the kiddie play area before and after daycare, and taking her swimming. More on that below.
2: The Bubbler
When people ask me what fatherhood is like, I answer “Magical! It has literally changed the meaning of life for me. The world opened up and swallowed me whole on the day my daughter was born, and… here I am on the other side, a father to a true-to-life human being.”
But this picture is what fatherhood is really like for me right now. Seen here is Emma pushing the button on a water fountain at “the gym.” Five. Hundred. Times. In. A. Row.
Emma could stand at this water fountain for an hour if I let her. Am I supposed to pull her away kicking and screaming? Does this water fountain qualify as constructive playtime? Is her fascination with this water fountain some kind of power trip during which she knows I want to leave and she won’t let me?
Anyway, I just stand there every day like “Yay! A water fountain! This is so cool! Look how the water splashes and stuff. OK, I think we should leave now. No? All right. Yay! A water fountain!”
Pretty cute, though. I wish I got that much joy whenever I walked past this stupid thing.
3. The pool
An added bonus to working at “the gym” each day is that we are literally poolside. Emma caught on to this fact quickly, and has learned to say “Pool? Pool?”
It’s so easy to get caught up in the mania of the week and forget what’s most important, so Kelly and I have imposed a strict “we must take Emma swimming once a week” rule. And we have, though I think this pic perfectly captures the fact that Emma would rather lounge than swim. Like mother, like daughter.
4: Dinner time
I named this section “Dinner Time,” but what you see here is a bowl of salsa that I poured for myself which Emma promptly commandeered, spilled and then rubbed in her hair and stuff. I didn’t even get to eat since the resulting bath lead to story time and then bed time. I’m still hungry as I write this.
Honestly, I just wanted some salsa. I freakin’ love salsa.
5: “Outside?”
Are you getting the message? We are fed up with this late-spring, frigid-cold, you-have-to-be-kidding-me Chicago weather. Last I checked, it’s practically May, and spring was supposed to hit like three weeks ago. Today I wore a three shirts and a tightly zipped-up parka. It was tightly zipped up, people!
I’m not alone! I’ve noticed typically resolute Chicagoans nervously glancing back and forth wondering, “What the heck is this crap?! Should I abandon ship?”
But, I mean, at least we have Netflix.
Nope. Let’s go back inside.
Note the surprising lack of guitar strap, skill, comb or work ethic.
6: The guitar
It wouldn’t be a Mitch Post without mention of playing the guitar. This week’s update is that although a new guitar has moved in, I am worse at playing Blitzkrieg Bop than I was three months ago.
Go figure.
Mitch. Out!
