Charlie’s breakfast of choice is overnight oats. He loves them–almost every morning, when he runs into my room with bedhead and far too much energy for the time of day, the first words out of his mouth are, “Mama, did you make me cold oatmeal?!” Usually, the answer is yes, but on Wednesday night, it slipped my mind. While I can often make up for it on days like this with pancakes or toast cut into a fun shape, on Thursday morning, nothing else would do. His three-year-old heart was inconsolable. I wiped his disappointed tears and promise, promise, promised to make it for him the next day.

Fast forward to this morning, I woke up and realized that, for the second day in a row, I had forgotten to make his oatmeal. And I was furious with myself. I made a bowl of normal oatmeal and stuck it in the freezer in the hopes that I could defer another tear-filled morning with an imposter version of his favorite breakfast. It was still warm from the microwave when I heard his footsteps upstairs. I braced myself for another tantrum, more tears, and another morning of feeling like a failure before my coffee was cold.

Do you know what Charlie asked for for breakfast this morning?

Cereal.

I’ve been reflecting lately on the intensity of this season as a parent–navigating the feelings and needs of these precious little people alongside what I feel and need myself. There have been so many days over the past few months when I’ve felt like I was “on” from the moment Azelie woke up till the moment we closed Charlie’s door at bedtime–a stark contrast from the five hours of time I had to myself back in January. I can’t help but wonder if someday, I’ll look back on this–these exact months–as my most demanding season. Even if we have more kids, I assume/hope Charlie and Azelie will be able to entertain each other at least some of the time. I assume/hope this is the one global pandemic of my lifetime. It’s strange, but reassuring, to think that maybe, just maybe, this is the thick of it.

1. I had so much fun taking over the Everyday Mamas Instagram account on Wednesday to show a casual tour of our house. I hadn’t done a video walk-through since we first moved in (saved in my “Home” Story Highlights on Instagram, or, just check out this post for photos!) and really enjoyed sharing what we’ve accomplished so far, along with some inspiration for future projects. You can still see the full tour saved in their Story Highlights under “lisajanelkirk.”

2. Are y’all into mug cakes? I make them probably once a month when I’m craving a baked good after dinner, but don’t have time to make something more intensive. I tried out a new recipe this week in the hopes that it would be worthy of mention here, but unfortunately, didn’t love it. Instead, here’s the link to my all-time favorite mug cake recipe, which never disappoints! I often trade the graham crackers and marshmallows for a dollop of peanut butter on top (added after cooking). I like that the recipe is really easy to halve since there’s no egg in it.

3. I’ve been using a J. Crew gift card birthday present to do a much-needed refresh of my wardrobe basics–the types of pieces that aren’t very exciting to buy, but that I wear constantly. I picked up two classic crewneck tees (I sized up for a roomier fit and longer length, since they run on the fitted side), a comfy gray long-sleeve tee, and two of these relaxed tanks.

4. I finally ordered a fabric mask that came in last week, since it looks like they’re going to be a big part of our lives for a while. I’m not even going to admit how much time I spent scrolling Etsy for one…but it was a long time ;) Linking a few favorite finds from my lengthy search below (and this is the one I got for Charlie, in the rocketship print!).

5. We watched the 2012 version of Les Misérables last Friday during our weekly pizza night and have been on a “Les Mis deep dive” ever since…it’s so captivating! Absolutely worth a watch, especially if you’re like me and haven’t yet seen the musical performed live. (Fun fact: Eddie Redmayne is my top celebrity crush because I think he looks like Dave! I won’t make it my official question for the week, but I would very much enjoy hearing who your celebrity crush is in the comments, since I confessed mine :))

My question this week is still a little bit Les Mis-related, since watching the movie inspired Dave and I to start reading the (massive) book together. It’s been ages since I read a classic, so I’d love to know, what’s your all-time favorite classic novel? Mine is, hands down, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I’ve read every summer since I was 13. A Moveable Feast and The Great Gatsby are also at the top of my list!