Both men are merely pretending to sleep in this photo.

I started working on this column called "Out of the Office" for Fast Company--my first one is with McArthur "genius" grant winner John Novembre and I have another one coming up. It's interesting asking people what they "typically" do on the weekends because while we all have weekday schedules we don't often realize our weekend schedules. This made me think about mine, which, unsurprisingly, often revolves around children and naps. What on earth did I do with all the free-floating free time prior to having children? I don't remember.

Saturday and Sunday mornings we do "coffee and milk in bed," which is exactly what it sounds like. Either Steve or I get up and fetch coffee for the grownups and a sippy cup of milk for Paul and we all cuddle in bed together with James too. Paul will read a book for as long as he will tolerate before he starts getting antsy and wants to either horse around or watch a few videos on the phone or TV (including Steve's videos: there is a new-but-classic one here.) I will try to read my People magazine which typically arrives on Fridays and I cherish very much. Sometimes Steve will read it before I do which I expressly ask him not to do and he still does anyway, and I can't tell if it's just to troll me or if he really wants to read it.

Saturday mornings Steve takes Paul to gymnastics class and then afterwards to watch ice skating or to the playground with his gal pal Avery, while I'm home alone with James, who is usually napping by that point. I'm working on taking advantage of this quiet time in smart ways--not by getting "ahead" of the housework (which is not a thing that is possible) but by sitting down and reading from my big pile of magazines. It's good to get through it and also to practice sitting still for more than 15 minutes at a time, which I struggle with lately. Then the boys come home and we have lunch and it's naptime, when I'll often go for a jog or do more reading or try to nap (or frequently just waste time online, which can be either dumb or enjoyably indulgent, depending on the day.)

Sunday mornings it's my turn to take Paul out--we go to swim class at the Y. Often we'll stop at my parents' house first to say hi and for Paul to collect cookies from my mom. At the Y I drop Paul off at his class and then hide in the other pool room where it's quieter and cooler. I'm convinced now that Paul swims better when I'm not there to watch him, and if not, well, I don't get upset by watching him freak out. Very responsible parenting. Then he gets dressed. When the weather is nice we walk across the street to the Evanston rose garden to smell the flowers or throw a coin in the fountain, and maybe we'll pick up lunch for Steve. Then it's naptime, which is the same as Saturdays. Most weekend nights we have plans with other friends but some nights we're just at home--Steve will have a cigar outside and read the Wall Street Journal and I will watch some show he's not into, like RuPaul's Drag Race or Call the Midwife. The funny thing is that I think I'm better at being off the computer now that I don't have a dayjob, because I absolutely have to have the computer put away or else the weekends just feel too much like the weekdays.