Day Four: Toes, Blisters, and a Whole Lotta Steps

Day four of the 2025–2026 school year, and let me tell y’all something right now… if I keep this up, I’m going to be in the best shape of my life. Seriously. But my toes? Oh, bless ‘em. My pinky toes have always been drama queens—no matter what shoes I wear, they’re bound to throw a blister tantrum if I walk too much. Maybe it’s the way I walk, maybe they just hate me. Who knows? All I know is that 53,706 steps in three days hasn’t exactly been their idea of fun.

Now, thanks to my new shoes and insoles, the rest of my feet are feeling fabulous—no aches, no pains, nothing. That is a blessing, my friends. If I can just power through these blisters, I’ll be golden.

Anyway, for the three people who might care, here’s the rundown of my new daily routine:

5:00 a.m. — I wake up Carson, who’s 14 but still needs his mama (and I am 100% okay with that). While he’s getting dressed and eating breakfast, I fire up my new Mr. Coffee espresso maker and whip up a caramel macchiato that could win awards. (Yes, I’ll link it. Yes, I make a little moo-lah if you buy one. A girl’s gotta hustle.)

We sit together for a few minutes before walking to the front gate—about a quarter mile—and then I head back home, where I scoop up dirty dishes, toss clothes into the laundry room, and fold whatever’s been living in the dryer since yesterday. I put everyone’s stuff on their beds for them to hang or put away themselves—because let’s be real, I’m not that perfect.

Around 7:30 — Quincy emerges from his room like clockwork and eats exactly four sausage links, maybe a banana if the fruit bowl is feeling generous. Since school for him doesn’t start until later, I squeeze in homework, blogging, or other tasks before we leave. His school is 0.7 miles away, which means no bus, just feet—and blisters. We walk there and back, getting in a solid 45 minutes of exercise before I move on to errands or housework.

Somewhere in there, I carve out 30 minutes for my weighted hula hoop (yep, you guessed it, another link, oh, and don’t knock it ‘til you try it).

Afternoons — Carson gets home around two, and I figure out dinner while helping him with homework. By 3:20, we’re off again to pick up Quincy, then it’s homework round two, dinner, and collapsing on the couch.

I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been this busy, even when I worked full-time. But y’all, I think this is going to be good for me—good for all of us, actually. Here’s to blisters, busy days, and a healthier, more productive life.