A Day in Our Life, volume 2

So here it is.  The second edition of 'A Day in our Life'.  This day was selected because it was exactly 3 months after the first round:) Yep, this is now a quarterly event in our house. 

A little background information: this day, Tuesday April 23 was the day my mom, my sister, my sister-in-law and four nieces and nephews (ages 1-3) arrived at our house after traveling 700+ miles all together in one van.  It was a little chaotic to say the least:)

12:07 am - They finally ARRIVED!

12:13 am - Snuggling some of my favorite little people
while their moms unpack the van.

1:24 am - Finally crawling into bed with these two:)
The traveling kids wanted play time before bed.



8:02 am - GOOD MORNING!
Thankfully the kids woke Grandma up first:)
And served breakfast.

8:20 am - Receive my first communication from Joe while
 trying to get myself ready for the day. Good info.

8:32 am - Isaiah is clearly thrilled to go to morning kindergarten
(not his usual schedule)!

8:43 am - Dropped off Isaiah. Now time to drop off library materials.

9:07 am - Big girl playing...waiting patiently to be fed.

9:20 am - Everyone is awake! Let the games begin...

10:19 am - Naomi enjoying 'breakfast' in the basement while the children play

10:21 am - Meanwhile upstairs...

10:33 am - Diaper washing time

10:39 am - Gathering the kids to go pick up Isaiah from school...
it was like herding cats or how I imagine gathering cats would be:)

10:57 am - Locked & loaded!

11:01 am - And we are off.

11:32 am - We made it BEFORE the dismissal bell
but NOT before the rain.  Oops.

11:33 am - My kindergartner with a little extra bounce in his step.

And that is plenty for one day.  Too be continued...

A boy and his Bible

Today our church presented all graduating kindergartners with a Bible of their very own. Isaiah already owns three Bibles so he was a little less than excited when we told him about this Bible.  Therefore we prepped him to have an appropriate response.  Just a polite "Thank you"... not... "Thank you...grumble...grumble...I already have 3 at home...grumble...grumble..."

Turns out he was very excited about the entire process.  Joe and I on the other hand should have prepared ourselves (and hearts) a little more.

(decorating his Bible bag)

What we thought was going to be a simple 5 minute "here is your new Bible" moment was actually a one hour "parents write in Bible (including underlining favorite or meaningful passages for your child) and pray with your child and Bible then present the Bible in front of the group with a special message for your child" event!  Yikes.

We were totally caught off guard.  Which added to our underlying stresses (me = crabby, clingy baby pulling my hair, Joe = feeling unprepared for tomorrow's test) did not make for the ideal Bible dedication scenario.  Sorry Isaiah.  We really hope and pray we didn't mess this one up too much!

 

 



It really was a lovely little "ceremony" in which the children were encouraged to read their Bibles and to learn the one and only Truth so that no matter where they go they will know God's word. 

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6)

 

 

(A drawing on Isaiah's Sunday school wall. I am a monster! And Isaiah is a tick?!)

At least I was dressed appropriately for this monumental event:) That was sheer coincidence. I was just so excited to wear a dress as it is finally  Spring-like outside!

 

Thankfully we will be re-presenting this Bible to Isaiah in front of the entire church on Mother's Day.  I am sure by then Joe and I will be able to get our act together and plan a coherent and meaningful Bible dedication for our first born child!

 

Worm Collecting

It rained all day long yesterday...and it rained the day before that too. Plus it was cold out. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck!

So I tried my hardest to put on my "fun mom" hat and came up with the idea to go on a worm collecting mission!

And by some miracle the kids and I were ready to go (to meet daddy at school) an entire 15 minutes early! So I pulled out shovels and a bucket and sent my rain gear clad children out the door...

Fun. Cute. Right?

It was all fun and games until Isaiah decided he was going to direct Charlotte and I in worm collecting and not actually do any of the collecting! Let's just say this mom didn't take so kindly to that idea. Did I mention it was cold and rainy and Hannah was crying in the van...

Fast forward 10 minutes. I tell Isaiah it is time to go and NO I will not pick up that worm for you (but thanks for asking again!). He forcefully tells me he is not done and we are not leaving.

And that is where I found the end of my rope...so to speak:) I hate to admit it, but I yelled back. I yelled that in this family we do not speak to each other like that. And it is not okay to be rude and disrespectful to your mother. Um. Hypocrite much? Even as I was saying the words I knew my approach was all wrong. And yet I couldn't seem to find my way back to my rope!

Ugh. This parenting stuff is tough. Why can't worm collecting just be fun and cute like the pictures? Why does it have to be WORK? The disciplining and training of children is not for the faint of heart.

And so today I start again fresh with my son's forgiveness.

Liar Liar...

pants on fire!

That would be me. Unintentionally of course:) For the past 8 months I have been telling {practically} everyone that having 3 kids isn't really that different than having 2 kids. Then Joe and Charlotte left for the weekend (for a wedding). And I realized that I am a BIG FAT LIAR! Having 2 kids is WAY easier than 3 kids...especially when one of those kids is non verbal and non mobile!

Parenting 2 kids was a piece of cake! We went to the park, we did crafts, we ate big hearty homemade meals, we went to Home Depot's kid workshop and a birthday party...oh and we grocery shopped and went up and down every aisle leisurely! We also played, played, read books and played some more! It was glorious.

 

The kids even went to bed EARLY. And that is where the glorious-ness ended. I had big plans of staying up and crafting. Crossing things off my never ending sewing to do list without interruptions. Umm. That never happened! Instead I curled up in the fetal position under my covers and hid and DID NOT sleep for hours! Never did I muster up the courage to venture to my sewing corner in the basement. Surely the bad guys were waiting for me there...or lurking outside my window!

In the end I slept on Isaiah's bottom bunk armed with my phone. And by "slept" I mean I tossed and turned and woke from every little noise our house made. And let me tell you...this is a noisy house! And I was never so excited for the sun to rise and the day to begin. Because clearly the bad guys leave at dawn:)

Moral(s) of the story:
1. Don't believe the lie that 3 kids is the same as 2! 3 is more work (but I still love it).
2. I will never survive Joe's residency years in a ranch style house. I need to be at least 1 level above the bad guys!
3. Sleeping on your son's bottom bunk makes you a COOL MOM (and keeps you safe). Win-Win!

A walk.

The girls and I walked Isaiah to school. It was sunny and 50 degrees outside...how could we resist? And it was a beautiful walk. We chatted as we walked and enjoyed each others company. On the way home we stopped at the playground for a little bit and all was well.

Until we got home. While I was changing Hannah's diaper Charlotte announces she has to go potty. "Go to the bathroom!" I instruct. She dances. Quickly I pick up a partially dressed Hannah and a wiggling Charlotte and dash to the bathroom. But it was too late. Charlotte pottied on herself, me, the playroom floor, the dining room floor, all down the hallway AND on the bathroom floor. And that is when she lost it.

She threw a fit all through me wiping her down and dressing her. She cried "I not tired" repeatedly as I laid her on her bed and 0.1 seconds later she was sound asleep.

Just when I thought I had it all together as a mom my 2 year old makes it glaringly obvious that I still have a long way to go! Thank you Charlotte. And yes, you is tired. Very very tired.

The Drop Off {mad} Dash

For me the time between 12:15 and 12:45 pm contains some of my ugliest, worst moments as a mother. It is during that time that I speak some of the harshest words to my children. I am not patient and I am easily frustrated. I can be downright rude and unkind to my children. I truly despise this about myself. And I want to change. I pray every day that I will do better. And some days are better. Yet some days are ugly and leave me in tears. I have questioned why God blessed me with 3 beautiful children when I clearly do not deserve them during these times.

So what happens from 12:15 to 12:45? That is the time every {week} day that I have to load up all the kids and drop Isaiah off at kindergarten. Sounds simple enough, right? Yet inevitably something goes wrong and we are running behind. A lost boot or mitten. A diaper MUST be changed. School snack wasn't packed or a library book is misplaced. It snowed and the van has to be uncovered. Or Charlotte's legs quit working. (This happens a lot!) Two year old legs sometimes just don't work right:) Add to all of this the fact that I {unknowingly} bought Isaiah a winter jacket that is he unable to zip himself. It is a small thing, but it can be the straw that breaks this camel's back. And all of this work is done in order to drive 1.2 miles to his school. It seriously turns me into a crazy person.

One day last week I was shocked to discover that we only had 3 minutes to get Isaiah to school once we were all loaded in the van. I was shocked because the loading process had gone so well, without a hitch really! So I thought we had plenty of time. Not so much. I guess we were slow pokes. I drove like a mad woman to get there just in time. I told Isaiah he could unbuckle as soon as we got in the parking lot and he could jump out of the van as soon as I opened the door {via button - I love my automatic door}. And then he was to RUN as fast as he could to the door and knock (if no one was there). Usually I walk him part way to the door.

Well he did just as I instructed. He unbuckled and proceeded to be launched forward onto his backpack once I stopped. Oops! He was struggling to get his backpack on so I told him just carry it and RUN! And boy-oh-boy did he RUN. He was running like a man on a mission. Probably the fastest I had ever seen him run. Unfortunately he was running down the sidewalk PAST the door he was to enter. I started honking trying to get his attention. But every time I would honk he would just lift his hand and wave at me {without looking back} as if to say "I got it mom".

After a moment's hesitation I began driving after him. So there I was driving, honking and calling his name out the window all with the door still open!  Charlotte didn't know what to think of my crazy antics.  Eventually Isaiah stopped and realized his error.  He then ran BACK to the door while I reversed to the door to make sure he made it safely inside. He did even though it was now 12:36.  Which means his teacher was there watching us the entire time.  I am sure we put on a good show:)

I drove out of that parking lot laughing so hard that I had tears streaming down my face.  Charlotte was utterly confused.  She didn't know if I was mad, sad or happy!  If only drop off was this fun every day...

Dear Spring

Dear Spring,

Thank you for coming. You are my favorite season. I love the signs of new life that pop up everyday. The green blades of grass poking through the dead brown grass. Tiny buds just waiting to bloom on the trees. And bulbs long forgotten reappearing in the dirt. The re-appearance of my kids' soft, smooth arms and legs from beneath all that heavy winter clothing. Oh and the sound of birds singing...beautiful! A warm breeze and sunshine make almost everything better.

You were the season I missed the most while living in the Dominic Republic. You and your promise for long, hot days filled with swimming and fresh fruit with a thick layer of sunscreen:)

But mostly I am glad you are here because I am a better mother when it is warm out. Seriously life with small children is so much easier when you aren't cooped up all day. I play and laugh with my children more when it is nice outside. We go on walks and play at the park. We play bubbles and sidewalk chalk. {Full disclosure: they play sidewalk chalk. I don't. It gives me the heebie jeebies}

So please spring join us here in the Midwest.  Not just in name but in deed too!  Because these temperatures in the 20s and 30s are making me go a little stir crazy. My kids deserve a fun(er), more playful mom!

Sincerely, Me

P.S. I informed Joe the other day that if he can't match us closer to "home" (ie our families) then I would prefer to match somewhere warm! Not that he really has much control over the match process, but a girl can dream:)

Target

It is supposed to be like an oasis for stay at home moms, right? Leisurely walking up and down the aisles admiring all the pretty things. Trying to resist the urge to put everything in your cart...

That is the image I had in my mind before I took all 3 kids to Target after school last week. We needed milk and I really needed a little {mental} break. Target seemed like the perfect solution. Two birds with one stone!

The reality of that trip was vastly different. Isaiah heard the word "Target" and immediately began begging for a new toy. He repeatedly threatened me with, "I will NEVER be happy again...unless you buy me a new toy!" Umm yeah. That is not going to work on me. This ain't my first Ro-de-O buckaroo:)

Then despite claiming they wanted to walk and NOT having to go to the bathroom while we were still at the front of the store...near the bathrooms and big shopping carts made for multiple children....my big kids ended up in my {normal sized} cart doing the potty dance together!

I had the nerve to try on shoes BEFORE going directly to the toy section. My children made their opinion on this quite clear. During which a middle aged woman commented, "Wow. You have your hands full, don't you?" Thank you Captain Obvious. No I didn't really say that. Instead I said, "Yes full of good things". Because deep, deep down I believe it to be true. Even if their whining was driving me to the edge of my sanity.

We eventually made it to the grocery section. It was painful. The number of times my kids said "I'm hungry" was astonishing (and irritating). I remembered the milk but forgot most everything else. The whining made it nearly impossible to concentrate. I forgot the pureed prunes...sorry Hannah:)

Charlotte decided we needed a grand finale for our big outing. At the check out counter she threw a lying-on-the-floor-limbs-flailing FIT like only 2 year olds can. Probably one of her best. And I am still completely clueless as to what brought on this particular fit.

It was at that point I almost called Joe to tell him his kids were at Target and he could pick them up if he wanted to see them again. Instead I loaded them into the van, tossed a nutrigrain bar in their direction and headed home. Once home I hid in my room while they fended for themselves until daddy came home to their rescue.  Not my finest moment. But it happened.  And we survived.  In fact yesterday I took the kids to Wal-Mart and I was pleasantly surprised by their excellent behavior. 

Like I told the lady at Target.  My hands are full but those things that fill them are good, good things!

Nothing & Everything

Hypothetically if someone asked me at the end of the day {any given day} what I did, I would answer "Nothing". Good thing no one asks me:)

But yet in middle of my day...right smack in the middle of NOTHING I feel like I am doing EVERYTHING!

I bathe my children.
I dress my children.
I wipe noses. And I wipe bottoms.
Sometimes I wipe tears away too.
I make and serve meals.
I make and serve snacks.
I eat the kids' leftovers and call it a meal for me.
I clean up after meals and snacks.
I load the dishwasher.
I unload the dishwasher.
Then I start planning the next round of meals and snacks.
I play transformers and Legos.
I play baby dolls.
I read books. And more and more and more books.
I throw in a load of laundry.
I nurse the baby.
I find the lost shoe. The lost mitten.
I drop Isaiah off at school.
I pick Isaiah up from school.
I help him with his homework.
I grocery shop.
I vacuum.
I wipe down the toilet and sink (not in that order).
I fold and sort laundry. Eventually I put the laundry away.
I referee disputes.
I discipline.
I wash dishes.
I check my email.
I check Facebook.
I read blogs.
I write blog posts.
I pick up toys.
I find homes for all the clutter.

And then I do it all over again the next day.

I guess this is just the nature of the beast. The beast called motherhood. Or at least this stage of motherhood. Maybe it changes once my children are older?!? Time will tell.

So what is it nothing or everything?