A day in the life of...
I have almost no time for the computer these days...hence no time to blog. I want to write things down so badly so that my family has many details of their memories to look back upon, but by the time I have a moment to sit down it's after 10pm and my brain is soupy mush by then :) So I thought that tonight I'd take some time to write about my day hour by hour so that later I can appreciate making it through these days a sane woman!
So here was my day today from start to finish...
7:15am--I woke up to the sound of the shower running (Scott getting ready for work!), appreciative of the 7 1/2 hours of sleep I got since Bristol slept through the night once again
Bristol's hungry moments after my eyes pop open, so I run to the kitchen to get bottle #1 of the day ready
By 7:45 Jaden and Sienna are up; I have them dress while I make them a few eggos for breakfast
8:00am--Bristol's fed, changed & happy, Jaden and Sienna are eating breakfast and I'm getting myself ready for the day
8:30am--Having hoped to be out the door by this time, I'm still running around like a mad woman grabbing diapers to restock the diaper bag, gym socks, a water bottle and my grocery list. Meanwhile, I unlock my car and have Jaden and Sienna start getting themselves buckled (so thankful they're getting progressively more independent and helpful these days!)
8:45am--Finally everyone's in the car and I don't think anything's been forgotten. As I shovel my breakfast into my mouth while driving I remember that I need to pick up a prescription ASAP this morning because I'm out of my colon medicine. I make a quick call to Scott in between bites of cold oatmeal asking him to meet us outside his office in 5 so that I can get his American Express card (don't want to miss out on getting starwood points for the $600 I'm about to spend on medication--don't worry, our health insurance reimburses us a lot of that, so we reap the benefits of hotel points plus reimbursement later in the month!)
9:00am--Prescription picked up, and on my way to the gym. Crossing my fingers that there are 3 spots available in the childcare room by the time we get there...spots quickly fill during the summer months.
9:30am--Finally on the elliptical! Three spots for my 3 kiddos were available (woohoo!) and I'm comforted knowing Bristol is asleep in her carseat--hoping she'll stay that way for an hour. I realized moments ago that I didn't have my gym socks or my water bottle so I grab a pair of Jaden's socks out of my car (thank goodness I have small feet...) and buy a bottle of gym water...guessing I'll find my belongings left behind on the kitchen counter later today
10:20am--After 25 minutes on the elliptical I started lifting for about 20 minutes and then Baby B started wailing; she wants MILK! I'd hoped to be able to lift for 10 minutes longer, but baby's needs come first.
10:30am--I've retrieved all 3 kids, my purse, & diaper bag and we're out to the car. I reason with myself the best way to keep Jaden and Sienna occupied (would've left them in the gym childcare to play while I fed Bristol had 3 children not been waiting in the gym lobby for spots to open in childcare when I picked up the baby...) while getting Bristol fed and knowing that I need to fill up with gas, feed all of the children and get back to our town for Jaden's first day at Safety Town to being at 11:45. I finally settle on letting Jaden feed the baby in the car...hate doing that :(
10:40am--As I arrive at the gas station I can tell Bristol isn't too keen on her big sister's feeding techniques. I pull in, pick up the baby and finish up the feeding myself. After she's done I can fill up with gas during which I decide drive thru Chick-Fil-A is the best choice for today's lunch.
11:10am--Bristol's fed; the rest of us are eating. I'm teaching Jaden and Sienna the differences between cars, trucks, vans & SUVs so they keep pointing out each. My brain is absolutely spinning... I head to Jaden's 1st day of safety town as I urge her to pay more attention to finishing her chicken tenders than to what vehicles are on the road.
11:45am--Miraculously, we arrive at Safety Town in plenty of time. Getting three kids into the building is no small task, but we get it done. I try to keep Bristol and Sienna calm and happy while listening to some Safety Town announcements. When we leave Jaden she's nervous and crying...I almost join her in tears myself and I'm not quite sure if those tears would have been due to being overwhelmed or feeling sorry that she's sad.
12:15pm--Just pulling in at the grocery store...I've got exactly 90 minutes to take Sienna to the potty, then to the kid's club, shop and get back to Jaden at Safety Town. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!
12:25pm--Sienna's in the grocery store kid's club and it's time for Bristol and I to shop fast. I didn't have time to make my usual list and it drives me absolutely crazy shopping without any guidelines of what we need for the week...
First stop, produce department.
I've not even passed the lettuce yet when I realize Bristol has a full, dirty diaper. Last she was changed was when we left the gym...I weigh my options of retrieving Sienna, getting the diaper bag from the car and changing the baby (all would've taken at least 15 minutes) and just allowing Bristol to wait while we race through the store and then change her right after... The latter option wins and Mommy guilt settles in...
12:50pm--I've filled my cart with over $200 worth of necessities. As I check out I can hardly believe the whirlwind shopping trip I've just done and I hope I'm not missing ingredients for the dinners I've thrown together in my head, the cookies I'd like to make this week and the appetizers I'm planning to have for a gathering with friends tomorrow.
1:15pm--Groceries loaded, Bristol changed, children strapped in and it's back to Safety Town to pick up Jaden!
1:40pm--We're early for pick up, but I walk inside anyway, hoping I'll be first in line to get Jaden and get out of there. Safety town workers don't realize it would be much easier to have a pick-up line outside of the narrow-entry classroom or even a carline outside....stinks to unload and then reload all of the kids, but such is life.
2:00pm--Home for the first time since we left early this morning and Jaden and Sienna insist on playing outside, groceries need taken in and guess who's hungry again...
I decide to hurriedly put away the frozen and refrigerated stuff, then feed Bristol, all the while listening to Jaden and Sienna bicker in the back yard--a sure sign it's time for our hour "rest" I've decided to implement now that we're all at home for the long summer days.
2:50pm--Bristol's done eating and is lying on my bed watching the fan; Jaden and Sienna are beginning their "rest"--quiet time reading books, etc. I decide it's time for a shower.
3:00pm--Bristol is content until 60 seconds into my shower; Oh well I try to tell myself, she'll be fine. Mommy guilt settles in yet again as she screams louder and louder the soapier I get.
3:10pm--I swaddle Bristol and lie her down for a nap; get myself as ready as I can (no time for hair or make-up on this busy day) and no sooner do I have the thought that all is finally tranquil in the house when Jaden is on the stairs asking when "rest" is over....
4:00pm--Jaden is done "resting" although Sienna has dozed off and Bristol is sleeping soundly. I let Jaden watch a half hour cartoon as I place a cookie order for our new neighbors, wash some dishes from last night, unload the dishwasher, finally clear the morning's breakfast dishes and sort through a week's worth of mail that piled up while we were gone in Columbus last week. Hardly a moment to breathe...
4:50pm--Scott's home, the little girls get woken up and it's a rush out the door to go to visit a preschool we're considering for Sienna for next year. She's already enrolled in one school, but we're not satisfied with the days / times because they don't allign at all with Jaden's school schedule so we've decided to check out another option.
5:50pm--Preschool visit went excellent; it's actually one of the best parts of the day since I have Scott's help loading and unloading the kiddos! Plus they were all well behaved at the school--yea!
6:20pm--After a quick drive past the other school Sienna's enrolled in and a discussion with Scott about the pros and cons of each school, we're home and everyone's hungry for dinner. I didn't plan a big meal tonight so it's chicken noodle soup for the girls, taco salad for me and a hodge podge of leftovers for Scott. (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are sorta like this all the time except that Scott eats Macrobiotic meals that his mom prepares...the rest of us usually eat leftovers or "easy" things and I go all out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and the weekends).
7:00pm--It's about time for Jaden and Sienna to get ready for bed. Scott's got Bristol, I write in Jaden and Sienna's "Super Fantastic" Journals with them, they get jammied up, teeth brushed and it's into bed. I wish I had time to read to them, but I know I have a long evening ahead of me so I vow to read to them tomorrow morning instead (more guilt settles in now...). The girls go to bed well thank goodness...
8:00pm--As I'm trying to unpack bags from last week's trip to Columbus I hear Bristol crying. She's ready for bath / bottle / bed so I stop in my tracks and head on downstairs to tend to her. Scott's holding her and watching something on TV. I secretly envy that he has a free evening ahead...he's much better than I am about not overscheduling or overcommiting himself...
9:00pm--Bristol's finally in bed; I'm thankful to have gotten to watch something on TV with Scott while I fed her before she fell asleep. I begin a tedious task of ordering graduation party invitations for my cousin and placing an order of his senior photos.
10:15pm--Having just finished the order, I allow myself 15 minutes of Pinterest...my new internet addiction (it's so cool--so many ideas, so little time!) and 2 minutes of Facebook before I start typing about my day...
11:15pm--I'm exhausted having relived each moment of this crazy day...not quite sure how I made it through or how I'll get through an equally crazy day tomorrow. Better get to bed now though because I've vowed to start waking up at 6am to get myself more prepared for the day ahead and any less than 6 hours and 45 minutes of sleep for me just isn't going to cut it...
I'm by no means complaining. I absolutely LOVE my family and LOVE my life...it's just quite crazy sometimes and I often get through a day feeling so overwhelmed. Today I didn't even touch the laundry, vacuum the floors covered in specs of my dog's hair, or have nearly enough quality time with my kids. I stole moments away with each of them, but it never feels like enough. And my husband...Oh that poor guy hardly got to have a full conversation with me today. Tomorrow night we'll need to make up for that with some snuggles. I know that days get easier as the children become more independent and self-sufficient, but right now I'm not going to lie--they're hard! Every single step is so worth it though and I hope that later I can look back on these days with gratitude for having made it through and more awareness of how to do better.
Goodnight all :)
So here was my day today from start to finish...
7:15am--I woke up to the sound of the shower running (Scott getting ready for work!), appreciative of the 7 1/2 hours of sleep I got since Bristol slept through the night once again
Bristol's hungry moments after my eyes pop open, so I run to the kitchen to get bottle #1 of the day ready
By 7:45 Jaden and Sienna are up; I have them dress while I make them a few eggos for breakfast
8:00am--Bristol's fed, changed & happy, Jaden and Sienna are eating breakfast and I'm getting myself ready for the day
8:30am--Having hoped to be out the door by this time, I'm still running around like a mad woman grabbing diapers to restock the diaper bag, gym socks, a water bottle and my grocery list. Meanwhile, I unlock my car and have Jaden and Sienna start getting themselves buckled (so thankful they're getting progressively more independent and helpful these days!)
8:45am--Finally everyone's in the car and I don't think anything's been forgotten. As I shovel my breakfast into my mouth while driving I remember that I need to pick up a prescription ASAP this morning because I'm out of my colon medicine. I make a quick call to Scott in between bites of cold oatmeal asking him to meet us outside his office in 5 so that I can get his American Express card (don't want to miss out on getting starwood points for the $600 I'm about to spend on medication--don't worry, our health insurance reimburses us a lot of that, so we reap the benefits of hotel points plus reimbursement later in the month!)
9:00am--Prescription picked up, and on my way to the gym. Crossing my fingers that there are 3 spots available in the childcare room by the time we get there...spots quickly fill during the summer months.
9:30am--Finally on the elliptical! Three spots for my 3 kiddos were available (woohoo!) and I'm comforted knowing Bristol is asleep in her carseat--hoping she'll stay that way for an hour. I realized moments ago that I didn't have my gym socks or my water bottle so I grab a pair of Jaden's socks out of my car (thank goodness I have small feet...) and buy a bottle of gym water...guessing I'll find my belongings left behind on the kitchen counter later today
10:20am--After 25 minutes on the elliptical I started lifting for about 20 minutes and then Baby B started wailing; she wants MILK! I'd hoped to be able to lift for 10 minutes longer, but baby's needs come first.
10:30am--I've retrieved all 3 kids, my purse, & diaper bag and we're out to the car. I reason with myself the best way to keep Jaden and Sienna occupied (would've left them in the gym childcare to play while I fed Bristol had 3 children not been waiting in the gym lobby for spots to open in childcare when I picked up the baby...) while getting Bristol fed and knowing that I need to fill up with gas, feed all of the children and get back to our town for Jaden's first day at Safety Town to being at 11:45. I finally settle on letting Jaden feed the baby in the car...hate doing that :(
10:40am--As I arrive at the gas station I can tell Bristol isn't too keen on her big sister's feeding techniques. I pull in, pick up the baby and finish up the feeding myself. After she's done I can fill up with gas during which I decide drive thru Chick-Fil-A is the best choice for today's lunch.
11:10am--Bristol's fed; the rest of us are eating. I'm teaching Jaden and Sienna the differences between cars, trucks, vans & SUVs so they keep pointing out each. My brain is absolutely spinning... I head to Jaden's 1st day of safety town as I urge her to pay more attention to finishing her chicken tenders than to what vehicles are on the road.
11:45am--Miraculously, we arrive at Safety Town in plenty of time. Getting three kids into the building is no small task, but we get it done. I try to keep Bristol and Sienna calm and happy while listening to some Safety Town announcements. When we leave Jaden she's nervous and crying...I almost join her in tears myself and I'm not quite sure if those tears would have been due to being overwhelmed or feeling sorry that she's sad.
12:15pm--Just pulling in at the grocery store...I've got exactly 90 minutes to take Sienna to the potty, then to the kid's club, shop and get back to Jaden at Safety Town. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!
12:25pm--Sienna's in the grocery store kid's club and it's time for Bristol and I to shop fast. I didn't have time to make my usual list and it drives me absolutely crazy shopping without any guidelines of what we need for the week...
First stop, produce department.
I've not even passed the lettuce yet when I realize Bristol has a full, dirty diaper. Last she was changed was when we left the gym...I weigh my options of retrieving Sienna, getting the diaper bag from the car and changing the baby (all would've taken at least 15 minutes) and just allowing Bristol to wait while we race through the store and then change her right after... The latter option wins and Mommy guilt settles in...
12:50pm--I've filled my cart with over $200 worth of necessities. As I check out I can hardly believe the whirlwind shopping trip I've just done and I hope I'm not missing ingredients for the dinners I've thrown together in my head, the cookies I'd like to make this week and the appetizers I'm planning to have for a gathering with friends tomorrow.
1:15pm--Groceries loaded, Bristol changed, children strapped in and it's back to Safety Town to pick up Jaden!
1:40pm--We're early for pick up, but I walk inside anyway, hoping I'll be first in line to get Jaden and get out of there. Safety town workers don't realize it would be much easier to have a pick-up line outside of the narrow-entry classroom or even a carline outside....stinks to unload and then reload all of the kids, but such is life.
2:00pm--Home for the first time since we left early this morning and Jaden and Sienna insist on playing outside, groceries need taken in and guess who's hungry again...
I decide to hurriedly put away the frozen and refrigerated stuff, then feed Bristol, all the while listening to Jaden and Sienna bicker in the back yard--a sure sign it's time for our hour "rest" I've decided to implement now that we're all at home for the long summer days.
2:50pm--Bristol's done eating and is lying on my bed watching the fan; Jaden and Sienna are beginning their "rest"--quiet time reading books, etc. I decide it's time for a shower.
3:00pm--Bristol is content until 60 seconds into my shower; Oh well I try to tell myself, she'll be fine. Mommy guilt settles in yet again as she screams louder and louder the soapier I get.
3:10pm--I swaddle Bristol and lie her down for a nap; get myself as ready as I can (no time for hair or make-up on this busy day) and no sooner do I have the thought that all is finally tranquil in the house when Jaden is on the stairs asking when "rest" is over....
4:00pm--Jaden is done "resting" although Sienna has dozed off and Bristol is sleeping soundly. I let Jaden watch a half hour cartoon as I place a cookie order for our new neighbors, wash some dishes from last night, unload the dishwasher, finally clear the morning's breakfast dishes and sort through a week's worth of mail that piled up while we were gone in Columbus last week. Hardly a moment to breathe...
4:50pm--Scott's home, the little girls get woken up and it's a rush out the door to go to visit a preschool we're considering for Sienna for next year. She's already enrolled in one school, but we're not satisfied with the days / times because they don't allign at all with Jaden's school schedule so we've decided to check out another option.
5:50pm--Preschool visit went excellent; it's actually one of the best parts of the day since I have Scott's help loading and unloading the kiddos! Plus they were all well behaved at the school--yea!
6:20pm--After a quick drive past the other school Sienna's enrolled in and a discussion with Scott about the pros and cons of each school, we're home and everyone's hungry for dinner. I didn't plan a big meal tonight so it's chicken noodle soup for the girls, taco salad for me and a hodge podge of leftovers for Scott. (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are sorta like this all the time except that Scott eats Macrobiotic meals that his mom prepares...the rest of us usually eat leftovers or "easy" things and I go all out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and the weekends).
7:00pm--It's about time for Jaden and Sienna to get ready for bed. Scott's got Bristol, I write in Jaden and Sienna's "Super Fantastic" Journals with them, they get jammied up, teeth brushed and it's into bed. I wish I had time to read to them, but I know I have a long evening ahead of me so I vow to read to them tomorrow morning instead (more guilt settles in now...). The girls go to bed well thank goodness...
8:00pm--As I'm trying to unpack bags from last week's trip to Columbus I hear Bristol crying. She's ready for bath / bottle / bed so I stop in my tracks and head on downstairs to tend to her. Scott's holding her and watching something on TV. I secretly envy that he has a free evening ahead...he's much better than I am about not overscheduling or overcommiting himself...
9:00pm--Bristol's finally in bed; I'm thankful to have gotten to watch something on TV with Scott while I fed her before she fell asleep. I begin a tedious task of ordering graduation party invitations for my cousin and placing an order of his senior photos.
10:15pm--Having just finished the order, I allow myself 15 minutes of Pinterest...my new internet addiction (it's so cool--so many ideas, so little time!) and 2 minutes of Facebook before I start typing about my day...
11:15pm--I'm exhausted having relived each moment of this crazy day...not quite sure how I made it through or how I'll get through an equally crazy day tomorrow. Better get to bed now though because I've vowed to start waking up at 6am to get myself more prepared for the day ahead and any less than 6 hours and 45 minutes of sleep for me just isn't going to cut it...
I'm by no means complaining. I absolutely LOVE my family and LOVE my life...it's just quite crazy sometimes and I often get through a day feeling so overwhelmed. Today I didn't even touch the laundry, vacuum the floors covered in specs of my dog's hair, or have nearly enough quality time with my kids. I stole moments away with each of them, but it never feels like enough. And my husband...Oh that poor guy hardly got to have a full conversation with me today. Tomorrow night we'll need to make up for that with some snuggles. I know that days get easier as the children become more independent and self-sufficient, but right now I'm not going to lie--they're hard! Every single step is so worth it though and I hope that later I can look back on these days with gratitude for having made it through and more awareness of how to do better.
Goodnight all :)
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