Hoda Kotb Shares Sweet Photos from Her 'Regular, Ordinary' Day with Daughters After “Today” Exit: 'Spectacular'

The former talk show host shares Haley Joy, 8, and Hope Catherine, 5, with ex Joel Schiffman

Gary Gershoff/Getty; Hoda Kotb/Instagram Hoda Kotb attends Citymeals On Wheels Hosts 35th Annual Power Lunch at The Plaza Hotel on Nov. 17, 2022 in New York City; Hoda and her daughters

Gary Gershoff/Getty; Hoda Kotb/Instagram

Hoda Kotb attends Citymeals On Wheels Hosts 35th Annual Power Lunch at The Plaza Hotel on Nov. 17, 2022 in New York City; Hoda and her daughters

Hoda Kotb is relishing the extra downtime she gets with her girls.

On Thursday, Jan. 16, the former talk show host, 60, shared a set of photos of herself and her kids on a "regular" day following her emotional exit from the Today show after 17 years.

"Another regular.. ordinary…spectacular day xo," she captioned the Instagram post.

The carousel began with two snaps of Kotb walking outside with her daughters, Haley Joy, 8, and Hope Catherine, 5, whom she shares with ex Joel Schiffman.

The family was dressed for a cold winter day with the NBC alum wearing a white puffer jacket with black details and a fur-lined hood, as well as a black hat. Meanwhile, Haley and Hope respectively stayed warm in lavender and black jackets, furry ear muffs and boots.

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The kids were photographed wearing their backpacks as they walked down the driveway and onto the road – seemingly on the route to school.

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The final picture in the post is a screenshot of a sweet quote that reads, "I think you should tell people how important they are to you, not because they could leave at any moment, but because they’re here now, and it’s worth saying."

The Making Space podcast host previously told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that she left Today to spend more time with her kids.

Related: Hoda Kotb Celebrates Daughter Haley's 8th Birthday with a Bowling Party the Night Before Her Final Today Appearance

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"I've had yearnings, and you know when something's pulling you? It's like you either go toward it or you shove it down and say, 'Nope, this is the way. I'm going to stay here because it's safe,' " she said. "It does make more sense to stay at NBC. I'm financially secure and I would have job security. I mean, why would you ever not do that? But I've been watching my kids and I was thinking to myself, I wonder what I'm missing?"

Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty Hoda Kotb on the 'Today' show on Thursday, October 17, 2024

Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty

Hoda Kotb on the 'Today' show on Thursday, October 17, 2024

One thing Kotb said she was looking forward to was taking her girls to school.

"I was like, 'Guess what? Mommy is going to be able to take you to school now,' " Kotb remembered of breaking the news of her career transition to the kids. "They said, 'Wednesday?' I go, 'No, honey, not Wednesday.' 'Well, Thursday?' I go, 'No, no, no, honey, it's going to be like after January.' 'After my birthday?' They were horrified," she said with a laugh.

Kotb signed off from Today for the final time on Jan. 10 and shared a glimpse of her new morning routine just a few days later.

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Related: Hoda Kotb's Daughters Hope and Haley Get Serenaded by Kermit the Frog as They Join Mom on Final Today Broadcast

On Jan. 14, the journalist posted a few photos and a video on her Instagram of her dropping her daughters off at school. She looked giddy as she posed for selfies with her daughters and recorded a video of them walking into school.

"Bye!" Hope said in the video, to which Kotb replied, "I love you!" while holding up her coffee mug to the camera. "Cheers."

"School drop!!! Let’s goooo!" the proud mom wrote in the caption.

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