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| Just getting in and out of the minivan with these monkeys feels like an Olympic feat. |
Everyday life... I probably don't need to tell you that it's mass chaos. It is. Some days are really sweet, and some days are really hard. Most are a mix. So I drag them all out and vacation at Target until at least Mama's happy. Haha... So here's a glimpse into life lately... Our new normal with a 5 month old, a newly 2 year old, and a 3.5 year old... (Also, I started this post when Audrey was 2 months. Hahahahaha liiiiiiiiiiife.)
6.30am ish- Nurse Audrey... Prep a little for the day before we hit the ground running.
7.00am ish- The boys are up and jabbering to each other in their beds. I LOVE hearing their conversations with each other. Andrew and I go in to get them and bring everyone downstairs for breakfast. They want food IMMEDIATELY every morning, so I usually have pumpkin muffins, baked oatmeal, banana bread, etc. ready to go, with fruit. Confession- I freeze EVERYTHING! So I usually make breakfast stuff at night, doubling the recipe, and then freeze half of it for later. I read the kiddos the Jesus Storybook Bible as they eat, and pray for our day. If I accomplish anything in the day, this is it. Along with lots of kisses and hugs and snuggles.
Audrey goes down for a nap pretty soon after breakfast is over, and Andrew heads to work. The boys help me unload the dishwasher (because we have one now!!!!!!!) or sort the cloth diapers before I stuff them. Trying to make them earn their keep lately. ;) I often underestimate what they can do, but they are so competent and really want to help! I've been trying to let go of things being done "my way" to let them help more often.
Then they play while I get stuff ready for the day... Which means I have to stop at least every 2.5 seconds to deal with their meltdowns or sharing issues. They're total frenemies, with Graham lovingly asking Owen to chase one minute, and then shoving him down the next, and vice versa. #boys Usually they have a couple of trips to the "whining stool" and several apologies before we leave the house. Also, Owen is obsessed with books lately, so he'll ask me to read a million books as I try to do a million other things. Haha.
9:30am ish- Audrey is up and ready to eat. Nurse her quickly, have Graham go to the potty, slather the boys with sunscreen if we're about to be outside, grab our 500 bags, and get out the door for whatever the adventure of the day is. Disclaimer: we're always 10+ minutes late wherever we go, no matter how early I start everything, or how early I get up. It's just life now. I'm committed to a few things, and one of them is getting out of the house every single morning. It's a must for my sanity. Adult conversation pleaseeeeeeeeee. Our summer activities are usually meeting friends at the splash pad, park, Children's Museum, etc. Audrey usually takes a quick catnap in the Ergo while we're out.
12.00pm ish- We usually come home for lunch, but during the summer I am more inclined to pack a lunch to eat at the park/ splash pad, etc. Because I need one more bag to carry. ;) One of my sweetest moments with Graham lately was one day when he noticed that I was hauling 500 bags to the car, as well as carrying two little people down the stairs.... And said, "Mommy, you're carrying a lot of bags!! Graham will carry one!" Ummmm yes please! At some point in the day, I make sure to get in 20-30 minutes of reading time to the boys. Another one of our daily commitments. Usually it's when they're eating lunch or snacks, but really just whenever I can fit it in. They both love to read, especially new, fun library books. Some of their favorites lately are "Pete the Cat," "We're in a Book," and "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." I nurse Audrey around 12.30pm.
12.30/1.00pm ish- Owen goes down for nap, and Graham has "room time," where he just plays by himself in his room for a while. He usually builds roads and bridges to race his cars and trucks on, does puzzles, and watches neighbors out the window. ;) Audrey goes down for a long afternoon nap, since she doesn't nap for long during our morning outing. I always throw at least one load of laundry/ diapers in, load the dishwasher, and prep dinner if needed. I've also recently started trying to follow a cleaning schedule that I made up, just to do a little each day, so I can keep up better. Our house is always a disaster, and it drives me crazy. Hoping this one extra "chore" a day will help keep it under control. Anyone have any other tips?! I then crash on the couch and spend a little time with Jesus, Facebook, and then chill out or nap if I need it. Whatever the need is. Naptime is sacred, y'all.
2.30/3.00pm ish- Graham is done with room time, so he usually has a little snack while I read some to him. I nurse Audrey around 3.30, and Owen wakes up around 3.30/4.00. He snacks and we all play a little before I start dinner. They love coloring, chasing each other, cooking in their kitchen, racing on their cars, and working on their toolbench. Audrey goes down for a short nap somewhere in here. And I start counting down the minutes until Andrew gets home.;)
5.30pm ish- "Daddy's home!!!!" The boys cheer and run to the door. So do I. ;) Andrew wrestles the boys and chases them around the house while I finish dinner. #superdad
6.00pm ish- Dinner. I've been simplifying our recipes lately and refuse to do meals that call for much prep at all. I nurse Audrey somewhere in here, and Andrew and I linger at the table to talk for a while, as the boys ride laps around us on their toy cars. We pretty quickly start the bedtime routine from here. The boys help clean up, and then we read books, say prayers, and sing songs for bed.
7.00pm ish- Everyone goes to bed. We're finally on a schedule with Audrey, so all three kiddos are in bed by around this time every night. Again, something we're really committed to!! Haha. It is so necessary to our sanity to have a break at night, and the kids get enough rest to be happy the next day. Win win. Andrew studies for his PHD stuff at night, and I clean up, and then usually collapse and watch The Bachelor or read or whatever the heck would be refueling for me. Because it's almost time to collapse in bed and start it all over again.
10pm ish- Nurse Audrey one last time so she can make it through the night, and fall in bed.
LOVE LOVE LOVE my kiddos, and feel like we've hit a good place in parenting these days. Crazy and maxed out, but loving it.
Audrey goes down for a nap pretty soon after breakfast is over, and Andrew heads to work. The boys help me unload the dishwasher (because we have one now!!!!!!!) or sort the cloth diapers before I stuff them. Trying to make them earn their keep lately. ;) I often underestimate what they can do, but they are so competent and really want to help! I've been trying to let go of things being done "my way" to let them help more often.
Then they play while I get stuff ready for the day... Which means I have to stop at least every 2.5 seconds to deal with their meltdowns or sharing issues. They're total frenemies, with Graham lovingly asking Owen to chase one minute, and then shoving him down the next, and vice versa. #boys Usually they have a couple of trips to the "whining stool" and several apologies before we leave the house. Also, Owen is obsessed with books lately, so he'll ask me to read a million books as I try to do a million other things. Haha.
9:30am ish- Audrey is up and ready to eat. Nurse her quickly, have Graham go to the potty, slather the boys with sunscreen if we're about to be outside, grab our 500 bags, and get out the door for whatever the adventure of the day is. Disclaimer: we're always 10+ minutes late wherever we go, no matter how early I start everything, or how early I get up. It's just life now. I'm committed to a few things, and one of them is getting out of the house every single morning. It's a must for my sanity. Adult conversation pleaseeeeeeeeee. Our summer activities are usually meeting friends at the splash pad, park, Children's Museum, etc. Audrey usually takes a quick catnap in the Ergo while we're out.
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| Her expressions crack me up. |
12.00pm ish- We usually come home for lunch, but during the summer I am more inclined to pack a lunch to eat at the park/ splash pad, etc. Because I need one more bag to carry. ;) One of my sweetest moments with Graham lately was one day when he noticed that I was hauling 500 bags to the car, as well as carrying two little people down the stairs.... And said, "Mommy, you're carrying a lot of bags!! Graham will carry one!" Ummmm yes please! At some point in the day, I make sure to get in 20-30 minutes of reading time to the boys. Another one of our daily commitments. Usually it's when they're eating lunch or snacks, but really just whenever I can fit it in. They both love to read, especially new, fun library books. Some of their favorites lately are "Pete the Cat," "We're in a Book," and "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." I nurse Audrey around 12.30pm.
12.30/1.00pm ish- Owen goes down for nap, and Graham has "room time," where he just plays by himself in his room for a while. He usually builds roads and bridges to race his cars and trucks on, does puzzles, and watches neighbors out the window. ;) Audrey goes down for a long afternoon nap, since she doesn't nap for long during our morning outing. I always throw at least one load of laundry/ diapers in, load the dishwasher, and prep dinner if needed. I've also recently started trying to follow a cleaning schedule that I made up, just to do a little each day, so I can keep up better. Our house is always a disaster, and it drives me crazy. Hoping this one extra "chore" a day will help keep it under control. Anyone have any other tips?! I then crash on the couch and spend a little time with Jesus, Facebook, and then chill out or nap if I need it. Whatever the need is. Naptime is sacred, y'all.
2.30/3.00pm ish- Graham is done with room time, so he usually has a little snack while I read some to him. I nurse Audrey around 3.30, and Owen wakes up around 3.30/4.00. He snacks and we all play a little before I start dinner. They love coloring, chasing each other, cooking in their kitchen, racing on their cars, and working on their toolbench. Audrey goes down for a short nap somewhere in here. And I start counting down the minutes until Andrew gets home.;)
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| They LOVE helping me cook... Cookies for the win! |
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| I secretly hope she loves her Teddy as much as Graham does. |
5.30pm ish- "Daddy's home!!!!" The boys cheer and run to the door. So do I. ;) Andrew wrestles the boys and chases them around the house while I finish dinner. #superdad
6.00pm ish- Dinner. I've been simplifying our recipes lately and refuse to do meals that call for much prep at all. I nurse Audrey somewhere in here, and Andrew and I linger at the table to talk for a while, as the boys ride laps around us on their toy cars. We pretty quickly start the bedtime routine from here. The boys help clean up, and then we read books, say prayers, and sing songs for bed.
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| Bedtime stories with Daddy |
7.00pm ish- Everyone goes to bed. We're finally on a schedule with Audrey, so all three kiddos are in bed by around this time every night. Again, something we're really committed to!! Haha. It is so necessary to our sanity to have a break at night, and the kids get enough rest to be happy the next day. Win win. Andrew studies for his PHD stuff at night, and I clean up, and then usually collapse and watch The Bachelor or read or whatever the heck would be refueling for me. Because it's almost time to collapse in bed and start it all over again.
10pm ish- Nurse Audrey one last time so she can make it through the night, and fall in bed.
LOVE LOVE LOVE my kiddos, and feel like we've hit a good place in parenting these days. Crazy and maxed out, but loving it.
Thanks Jaye for sharing this! It helps me to read about how crazy other people's lives are and ways you've added structure to the craziness! And I only have 1 child, so you're the bomb! I hope I can hold it together as well as you are if I ever have 3. I miss our MOPS group and hope it's doing well!
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