How Much Did I Spend Last Week? April 14-20, 2025

Once again, it feels like I did a lot -- without doing much of anything at all

Monday

I set my alarm for 7am every day, but inevitably snooze, cuddled up against my personal hot water bottle (Roman) until 7.30am at least. Today I go one further and don’t get up until 7.45am, meaning there’s a bit of a rush to get Atlas up, dressed and fed before the bus arrives at about 8.30am.

I let him eat his breakfast in front of the TV (the path of least resistance this morning) and make him toast, with strawberries he ignores and a pack of fruit snacks he devours (important for his five a day!). Then it’s out the door to minimal protesting; I’ve started telling him we’re going out to check on the bunnies each morning, which conveniently just happens to be at the exact time the bus pulls up.

Once he’s gone (Roman is back asleep in the swing, much to my relief), I order groceries from Walmart ($230.07) to deliver later on. I know everyone’s on about the price of groceries, but I swear this doesn’t even feel like a big shop, it feels like a top-up shop, except it’s a million dollars. (Truly, it would be cheaper to live off cheap fast food in America than to cook things from scratch.)

Atlas has speech therapy on Mondays now after school — we finally got off the wait list — so I pick him up today at 11.45am and then we head across town to speech. We’re about 20 minutes early, which is not ideal, but they have a play area inside and Atlas seems pretty happy to play with all of these toys he’s never seen before while I nurse Roman.

Speech goes well! I think. I was a bit nervous that he’d be wrecked after school, and uncooperative as a result, but Jessica, his speech therapist, is really lovely, and has selected some very interesting toys for him to play with while they chat: dinosaurs and some random balloon that spins around as it deflates.

Afterwards, we head home via the Jimmy John’s drive-thru. ($23.40) This is a sandwich place that’s just opened up near our house (dangerous!) and is actually quite delicious. I find a lot of American sandwiches are basically subs and just kind of greasy or something?! but these sambos are fresh and crunchy and tasty. I get a turkey BLT, and just a plain cheese roll for Atlas (which he pronounces “bleugh!” and refuses to taste), along with two packs of crisps. He also refuses this, and selects a bag of Doritos instead. I’ve created a monster.

Once we’ve eaten, I put Atlas down for his nap (kicking and screaming, which is how I know he’s definitely tired) and then change and feed Roman, who is also tired but refusing to fall asleep. Eventually, I give in and put on the baby carrier or, as I’ve begun to think of it, the prison backpack (because once I have it on, I’m really limited in what I can do; I can’t seem to get close enough to a table or counter to work, can’t bend over to pick anything up / empty the dishwasher, and drinking anything hot or cold is a bit of a risk).

Thankfully, he’s out of the wrap and in the bouncer when the Walmart arrives. Once again, I’m reminded why I keep pledging not to have groceries delivered when I’m home alone. I would rather wipe 20 thousand poo-covered arses than unload the groceries. (Is this a controversial viewpoint?! Absolutely loathsome task.)

It turns out, Atlas’ loss is our 10-year-old’s gain because he’s delighted to eat his JJ’s sandwich when Brandin and the boys get home.

We have tacos for dinner and do the usual hellish bath-and-bedtime routines before Brandin and I sit down to finish Shogun (unsatisfying, I thought) and go to bed ourselves.

Our composting subscription with Dirt Wain comes out. ($17)

Daily total: $270.40