Slow

Round 15: January 2024

Janie Greene is 30, Danny Cooper is 28, Bridget Greene-Cooper is 6, Lucas is 5 and Molly is 3.

(Dixie is 30 and Liana is 5 months.)

Narrated by Janie Greene.

My bosses seem to have lost their minds because they offered me a new position as Executive. Growing up it was always my dream to be an executive by the time I was 30 but my goals have changed so much since Danny and I started a family. I had mixed feelings about the promotion because I was afraid it would mean less time for my children but I was assured that I could work regular hours and do some extra work at home when needed. The extra money is very welcome so obviously I accepted the offer.

Being an executive might sound glamourous but it doesn't mean that my life is more luxurious than before. I still have to do household chores like I've been doing ever since I moved out of mom and dad's house. We have a big house and messy kids so it feels like there's always something that needs to be cleaned.

I always make sure I have time to help the kids with their homework. Lucas is in kindergarten this year and they sometimes get some little assignments to do at home. He's really anxious to learn to read especially now that he says Brady has learned to read.

Bridget is usually pretty quick with her homework so she gets to play around with daddy after she's done.

Danny quit his job in the print shop because it didn't pay very well and also it seemed quite pointless because it didn't help his career dreams at all. He's now working as an independent designer for a design company and has been able to sell some of his designs so things are looking good. I'm so proud of him for working towards achieving his dream.

I've gotten a second job as well. I give financial advice online for students and newly graduates a couple of times a week. It's really interesting and so different compared to my day job. I wish they had these kinds of services when Danny and I were in college.

It's not easy to find time for each other with our jobs and kids but we manage to steal a moment here and there - like making out in the kitchen while cooking dinner.

Dixie is still on parental leave so she often comes over when I'm home. She says she definitely wants to get back to work some time this year but she really enjoys staying at home with Liana at the moment.

I don't blame her! Liana is a sweet girl. I know we are done with babies but I'm glad Dixie and Charlie are just beginning so I get all the best parts of newborns. I can cuddle and play with them and then hand them to their parents if they start crying or smelling.

Seeing our kids spend time together reminds me so much of my own childhood. We were a tight pack - me and my siblings - and we're still each other's best friends. Having Dixie and Charlie living so close is just perfect and we also see Patsy almost every week. Danny sometimes teases me that if we're not together then we talk on the phone but I think he's a bit jealous of my close relationship with my sisters and brother. In his family the age differences are so big that he only started to get really close to his older brothers after he moved back from Brixton.

Sundays are always dedicated to family time in our household. Either we visit someone or have guests or just stay home - it's all about spending the day together and charging our batteries for the next week.

It's been a fairly warm winter in Exmoor so far and the kids love playing outside. I'm so glad we have fenced backyard so I don't have to worry about them running off to the street. You can't have a big yard in the city but ours is just the perfect size. There's plenty of space for the kids to play and Danny and I have even been talking about putting down a few garden plots in the spring.

We haven't been spending much time on our roof top but Danny had the idea of grilling some hamburgers. Molly was taking a nap so I took the baby monitor with me and we headed off to the roof.

The kids were so excited about eating outside. Bridget even asked if we could eat there every day but we told her that it wouldn't be so special if we did it every day.

One little hamburger isn't really enough for adults so I cooked some pasta for me and Danny after the kids had gone to bed. It's days like these that make me appreciate my life so much.

Notes:

• Title reference: Slow by Rumer.
• I've been pretty much sims-free this year. I somehow lost all inspiration and desire to play so I decided to wait for it to come back instead of forcing myself to play. I have winter holiday next week so hopefully I can crank up more updates now that I actually want to play! First I just have to survive two more night shifts.