6:30am-wake up, wondering what day it is…
7am-ready to go! Let’s hit it! Let’s do this thing!
When I begin my day, I feel good…ready! I can do it! I can eat right, clean house, make dinner, and educate children…I can do it all! And look good doing it!
7:30am-breakfast for lots of children.
I was going to make pancakes, but was slowed down by an unexpected emergency involving 2 jr high school students, and a money deadline.
8:00am- feeding the next wave of breakfast, searching for Tim’s shoes, trying to get Nick talked into underpants.
8:45am-every child is at school. Tim got his meds, Nick got his underpants. Yes!
9am-First round of diaper changes. After this, laundry…
9:30am-checked email, read stories, had a Pepsi, fed the cat, fed the baby, laundry is next….
10am-snack. Lots of crackers, puddles of juice, soggy napkins.
10:30am-cleaning up snack.
Wiping faces, hands, table, chairs, high chairs, floor, me…changing my shirt reminds me I need to throw in some laundry. I realize my hair is not supposed to look like this…
10:45am-2nd round of diapers, fed a baby, had a pepsi, picked up the living room, thinking about chicken and rice for dinner. Headed for freezer to get out chicken.
11am- baby 1 woke up, needed food, diaper, cuddles. baby 2 needs nap. Pass out coloring for kids.
11:05am-coloring not happening. Pick up crayons. Pick up paper. Pry crayon bits out of toddler hands. Remind preschoolers that it is not funny to see babies with green teeth.
11:15am-send kids to playroom, toddlers to read in living room. Before I start lunch, I have got to get out some chicken and throw in some laundry.
11:30am-start lunch
11:45am-start feeding babies and toddlers
12pm-feeding preschoolers.
12:15pm-Lunch over.
ONE child says they are done and the whole herd of them announces they too are done and they all head to the bathroom to simultaneously wash their hands and drown my bathroom.
12:30pm-supposed naptime.
This means that a couple of toddlers who cannot resist, nap. The rest of them have a “quiet time”. In this particular usage, “quiet” means jumping on the couch, running all about, and yelling their heads off downstairs. “Time” means 30 seconds.
Actually, with some luck, threats, and a little creativity, “quiet time” can last up to an hour. During this time, I am feeding tiny babies, changing tiny babies, holding tiny babies, and filling out the menus, and attendance.
1:30pm-we all pretend naptime happened, and kids play somewhat calmly til 2:30pm
2:30pm-snack. same as 10am, different kind of cracker, sub milk.
2:40pm-3 of my kids come home, eat, make messes, need things. One tiny baby goes home.
3:00pm-all toddlers are now awake, we give snacks, change pants.
3:30pm-1 more of my kids comes home, eats a snack and makes a mess.
3:30-4:00pm-picking up living room, putting belongings into cubbies to go home, checking pants
4pm-1 more of my kids comes home, eats a snack and makes a mess.
4-5pm-kids going home. I spend this time talking to parents, changing random pants, wiping hands and faces, trying to get remaining kids to pick up toys.
5-6pm-My kids starting homework, me sending the rest of the kids home, picking up living room, straightening kitchen in preparation for dinner…CRAP! the chicken….maybe I can defrost it in the microwave right after I answer the doorbell.
6pm. Most kids are home. Usually 2 left at this point. Someone in my family asks whats for dinner and I say…
I have no idea. Want a sandwich?
Summary:
I began the day wearing clean clothes.
Everyone ate.
Every baby got his/her pants changed multiple times.
Everyone I was responsible for is still alive.
No laundry, but hey! it’s only 6:30pm, there’s plenty of time, right after I figure out dinner, help Dan with his homework, give Tim his meds, read the bookclub book, spend time with Blair, check in with each of my girls, and take a shower.
And really, hair would be more important if I were to actually leave the house, right? And technically, it was clean, this morning, and wasn’t exactly sticking up anywhere.
Tomorrow! Tomorrow is the day! I can do it, tomorrow!
♫♪♫Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow! You’re only a day away!!!!!♫♫♫
You are Wonder Woman! More Pepsi and cupcakes for you!!