6-7am:
The boys wake up around
7am, if we’re lucky. We stumble
through those first two or three hours.
They have a bit of breakfast and then
we play. Flynn is big into trains at the
moment – he’s just learning how to
construct the track, so that can be a
nice shared time.
9am:
Our wonderful helper takes over
and keeps them entertained while we
go back to bed and nap for a few hours.
11am:
Brunch. This is one of our
big family moments – the meal
where everything stops. We tuck into
scrambled eggs: It’s our breakfast,
Flynn’s early lunch, and we love this
time together.
11:30-1pm:
Naptime. The second
the boys are asleep, we’re getting work
done. I can go through my emails, or
make connections online.
2-4pm:
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, Flynn goes to school now. We
wanted afternoon classes because it
fits our schedule better. His mornings
are very relaxed, and the bonus was
less competition for a place at school. I
make time to do two fitness sessions a
week in the park during that time. I’m
doing a kind of parkour for beginners.
I have an amazing trainer who taps
into my parkour goals, although I am
barely jumping yet! It’s funny, because
there is me leaping about all over, and
the locals just getting on and doing
their tai chi. Just being outside and
being really exuberant and tapping
into something that feels like play
gives me so much energy. I think it’s
important to have a physical outlet.
5pm:
When I am working out, I meet
Flynn after school at the same park.
I finish training, we play and then it’s
time for dinner. Sometimes we’ll bring
a picnic and eat there and, if Kirsty is
around, she’ll join us. I feel incredibly
fortunate that my schedule allows me
to do things like that.
6pm:
I’m lucky that the world can
stop while we sit and have dinner. New
York knows that they’ll never be able
to reach me at this time, and if Kirsty
is studying she’ll break now and come
and join us. Kirsty and I are definitely
on the same page that dinner and
bedtime are key moments.
7pm:
Bedtime. We do the whole bath
and bed routine. Flynn is asleep by
7:30 and for now Jude goes by 8pm.
8pm:
Normally, Monday is a big
night, and I might work until about
4am. On busy weeks, Monday to
Thursday I’ll be working late like
that. Some of what I do online can be
automated, but life-changing things,
things that affect the community,
I have to be on standby for those
times, and have to be spontaneous.
I love how social media gives a level
playing field. I wanted to get in touch
with India’s only gay prince recently,
so I sent him a Facebook message. I
think that working at something you
are passionate about, which is fully
aligned with your goals, is the only
way to overcome the guilt that can feel
so overwhelming.
10pm:
I’m trying to do movement
snacks, where I work at the computer
for two hours and then I get up and
do something physical. This could be
just taking a football to kick around
downstairs, or even juggling. During
the day, when the boys are around, I’ll
go downstairs with them.
I think so much with having boys
is about energy management, and
offsetting theirs before bed. I just
bought a scooter, and for the first time
I went out scootering with Flynn. I
loved that.
12pm
:
Jude has a dream feed around
now. We’re only just beginning to
emerge out of the new baby phase into
feeling more “normal”.
2-4am:
Flynn was a dream sleeper as
a baby, sleeping through from really
early, but now he is waking a bit in the
night. We thought we’d got past all
that – why did no one tell us this could
happen?!
4am:
Bed, at least for a few hours.
The constant:
Music is always on in
our house; we love having it on in the
background. And we rely on FaceTime
a lot – wherever Kirsty is in the world,
we can be there too.
February 2015
43
