Turns out so many people think I live in a dream world. That my want to stay home with my children and be a certified housewife is unnatural, and not at all the work I make it out to be, so I am going to write a bit of a timeline of my typical day, without a naptime, for me anyway, for all those that think I am living in a magical wonderland fantasy (Psh! Fantasy, I wish)
A Typical Monday morning, my week lasts from Monday to Saturday, when finally after 12 hours of working Gabriel comes home and then "goes to bed" for four hours and might stay up to watch tv with me.-
5:30 a.m. I hear the pitterpatter of little feet, the gentle, really not so gentle poking of a three year old who has to go pee, who instead of just going has to tell me first. Oh, did I mention this is the fifth time since 12 o'clock that he has done this, that doesn't include when he is just awake and wants to play in the sink in the bathroom. So here I am, half asleep, walking him to the bathroom, because he is "afraid" of the dark and wants me to turn on the light for him. While to some this is cute, when you are hitting a insominia habit and finally learned how to force yourself into sleep mode, it is neither cute nor sweet. After a cup of water, a second turn on the potty , I scoot him back to bed only to here the playful speaking of Tristan, who was woken up with the very loud creak of the door. When he sees me at the door, the talk becomes loud cries and they are okay, for his diaper is full and someone needs to change that before yet again I need to change a second sheet. In the dark, my eyes half closed I pray that I remembered to bring the basket of diapers and wipes upstairs. "Thank God!" As I find them near the tv and make my way over the opstical course they call a bedroom, change the diaper, shove the empty bottle into his mouth and tuck him in. As I go to make my way back to my room, the dog is greeting me, seems he needs to go out. So rather then clean up any unscheduled accidents I trip sleepily down the stairs toward the back door to let him out. "Damn it's cold." I yawn as I stand patiently by the door shaking from the cold and the need to pee badly, before the dog bounds up the stairs quickly to come back in. Moments later I am back under the covers, cuddling the cat and trying to ignore the numbers on the alarm clock.
6:15 a.m. "Is that Tristan? Please say no" I say as I blink and look at the clock. "Crap." When I hear the familiar whine. Maybe he will go back to sleep, maybe he won't who knows. I roll over only to find a little body tucked down inside my blankets. "Xander." Sighing I try to ignore the whine, since it's low and not full powered yet. Okay he's not ready. by 6:30 the whine has now become a wale. Loud, incent, Mama, cry, mama. Sighing I stand quickly, check his diaper, only a little wet, okay, I change it, then grab the bottle and run down the stairs to make a bottle. I shove it in his mouth and watch as his eyes close and he cuddles the bottle in his hand. "Good." I sigh, before I climb back into bed only to have Alexander wake up five minute later. "Mommy wake up!" So I sigh, and open my eyes, "Twenty minutes please." Okay, he tells me and then hits me with the remote, that really means that he wants to turn on the tv.
7:00 a.m. I am up and in the bathroom, I hear that the bottle didn't satisfy Tristan and Alexander although happy to be up alone, is happy to run to the bathroom with me to tell me about some show and some made up character he just created, and wants me to come out into the backyard to meet later. I nod, through heavy eyes, and then move to brush my teeth and set up his tooth brush. After all that is finished and I am semi-dressed, sweatshirt, jeans, combed hair, I get Tristan, who somehow in the 30 more minutes I got to sleep was soaked up to his neck with pee. Lifting him I eye the sheets and decide to come back later for them. Down the stairs we go, first stop, changing table, "Oo thank goodness I remembered the clothes" I change tristan, sit him in the high chair, let the dog out, feed the cats, scoop the litter box, fill up the dog's dish with food and water, and then go to feed the little bellies that are at the table right now, asking for odd breakfasts like chicken noodle soup or ice pops. They settle for cereal or waffles, or if I am lucky, which is usually the case with Tristan, eggs. I cook, clean up, feed them, maybe feed myself and enjoy a cup of coffee, and usually this is all done by 8:30.
8:30 a.m. Tristan is getting into stuff and thinks the bathroom is the greatest place to hang out, or is hanging upside down off of his high chair tray, yes I hooked him in people, he get's out. Alexander is asking for more juice and when I say no he stomps his feet and pouts. I am asking the ceiling gods when the hell is Gabriel going to get home and at this moment, shoving the garbage down in the can and hoping to get it outside by noon. Tristan finally finds a way to sit back down in the high chair and is relaxing when I decide to check my mail. fwd, fwd, nothing. Okay, I can go back to the children. Alexander is sitting down watching tv. I fill Tristan's bottle with water and he sit's with alexander or stands and dances, bottle in mouth.
by 10 Gabriel is home, most of the dishes are either in the dishwasher, (dishwasher, squell!!) or in the sink waiting for me to wash them. My only want is to finish that cup of coffee, but I know I need to start the laundry so I head downstairs with an arm full of towels and kids laundry waiting for me at the foot of the stairs. First load done by 10:20 second load done by 11:00 third load started soon after. Normally I get the cloths and towels done in one day if I am lucky or through the choas remember.
Noon- Music on, mop in hand I start to clean the floors in the kitchen. Tristan has been down for a nap since 11:30, the dogs are outside now, the cats run from the mop just like the vaccume, go figure. Alexander however, no nap time... so he wants to help. He does, but not a very good job, so I quit the cleaning to paint with him. Sometimes we go outside while Tristan is napping and collect leaves or bugs, or whatever now entertains him. by 12:30 we are back in the house and I set up lunch, chicken noodle soup or sandwiches or whatever we had for dinner last night. Tristan wakes up and I once again change him, set him in his high chair and feed him.
They play all day from 1 till about 3:00 when Gabriel is waking up from his "nap" and comes down stairs wanting dinner. I of course had already started thinking about it, but I am taking their quiet time with a movie and the toys to write a little on the computer and enjoy a microwave heated cup of coffee. I must make a new pot of coffee, because Gabriel wants something and some word reminds me I have to check on the laundry so I start to run about like a chicken with it's head cut off, and get stuff finished before I get to the stove at 4:30 to cook dinner.
By 5:30 I am in need of a nap badly, but I know I still have to do stuff, like wash the dishes in the sink or clean off the stove, or put out the garbage if it's Tuesday. I go on and on. Gabriel sometimes stays up past this time but not usually.
7:30 is bathtime- normally a fight because Tristan is so tired by this time that he doesn't want to take a bath, he doesn't want to play he just wants his crib and his bottle, so I wash him quickly and while Alexander is playing I change Tristan, dress him, and set him on the bed with Gabriel, five minutes and Alexander is next, dried, dressed and ready for bed. With Tristan in tow I put him in his crib, Alexander climbs into his bed, and I turn on a movie, of course I have to wait for Alexander to pick. Once this is done, kisses, hugs, a book sometimes, then tucking in. If I am lucky Alexander will go right to bed by 8:00 if I am unlucky he will be back down or in my bed when I go up.
8:00 I turn on my shows, if it's a show night for me, I get the laundry basket and start to fold the three loads of laundry, or if there is no laundry, I go online. Of course I am interrupted about fifteen times to let dogs out, check on things, or just total exhaustion. I don't always go online anymore. I try to make it only Tuesdays and Thursdays.. *shrugs* I have settled for that. Now it's bedtime for me, but I never fall asleep right away unless the day has been extra hard on me.. and the night or day for that matter starts over for me.
A typical day in my life, without any mistakes.
