One of those days

It’s been one of those days where…

…the kids are still in their pajamas at 3:30 pm

…the sink is full of dirty dishes and the house is littered with half finished games and projects

…there’s baskets full of clothes to be put away everywhere i look

…it took me over an hour to get the baby to take a nap

…and I had to put her in the shower with me to get a shower

…the stack of overdue library books is staring at me from their place by the door

…I broke out the ice cream in the afternoon

…I’m finding it hard to get the motivation to do anything

…the kids are taking their naps so late i know they’ll never go to bed

Hope your day is better.

 

{this moment}

nature walk

In addition to a wide selection of playgrounds and city and county parks, Kalamazoo and the surrounding area offers several recreation areas and nature preserves for families to enjoy the outdoors. We headed to Al Sabo recently to enjoy the cooler weather and check out the changes taking place as the seasons change. 

Day in the life

Inspired by Sarah Davis’ daily jot, I thought I’d offer a peek inside what my days look like:

5:00 am – Wake up to Bronte telling me, “my throat is so thirsty,” over and over. Get her a drink of water. She demands chocolate milk with syrup. Tell her she’s getting water. Listen to her whine. Still offer her water. She finally drinks it. Try to go back to bed.

5:10 – 6:00 – Try to ignore Bronte talking to me and go back to sleep. Repeatedly tell her to go back to sleep.

6:15 – Alarm goes off. Feed baby. Get up. Take shower. Simultaneously get stuff together for diaper bag, find clothes for kids, and get dressed.

7:00 – Children awake. Chase them around trying to change diapers/dress them. Put laundry away. Try to dodge minefield of toys, crawling baby, hungry dog, and messy kitchen and make breakfast. Pack lunch for work.

8:00 – Feed baby, carry everything to the car while carrying baby, get children secured in carseats.

8:15 – Go back for Bronte’s shoes.

8:30 – Drop children off a sitter. Drive in silence to work. Realize coffee is still in microwave at home.

9:00 -work

1:00 – pick up children from sitter. Emerson is asleep when I get there, which means no nap this afternoon. drop phone in toilet while helping bronte in the bathroom.

1:15 – drag everything back in the house while carrying baby. feed baby. change clothes. start laundry. refill chocolate milk. wipe bottoms.

2:00 – mow lawn while carrying baby. put away laundry while carrying baby. vacuum while carrying baby. play imagination games. chase Bronte around. stop Bronte from throwing dirt out of garden beds. listen to tantrum.

4:00 – bathe children. wreck all their fun by stopping them from drowning each other in bathtub. try to dress children. put away laundry. clean up bathroom.

5:00 – empty dishwasher. start dinner. start peeling and seeding tomatoes for salsa. take out compost. tiptoe through minefield of toys, toddler banging on pots and pans, baby crawling, and mess. stop baby from eating yuckies on the floor.

6:00 – serve dinner. listen to baby scream in high chair and Bronte tell me she’s not hungry, doesn’t like what we’re serving, etc. try to shove food in mouth while baby sits on lap and bronte runs around the table. clean up glass of water bronte spills on table. comfort bronte because she stubs her toe.

7:00 – put children to bed.

8:00 – clean up dinner mess, clean up kitchen, sweep floor, finish canning salsa, take out garbage, sort recycling, feed baby, do laundry. feed baby. feed baby. download pictures off of camera. attempt to pick up house.

feed baby. feed baby.

11:00 – bed.

 

 

ode to summer

We complain when you’re hot, we complain when you’re cold.

We curse when you’re dry, we curse when you’re wet.

We moan when you’re sunny, we moan when you’re cloudy.

We call you too long, we call you too short.

Oh summer, what a tricky, ever changing, mischevious one you are.

 

 

 

{this moment}

the mother

summer days

diapers on the clothesline

Thinking…I can’t believe how quickly the days are passing.

Feeling…parched and sore and a little overtired. These steamy days (and increased nursing) have really increased my thirst, and the kettlebell class I’m taking is one tough workout. Long days of moving slow means chores into the evening hours = late bedtimes.

Watching…the sky for signs of rain…Emerson scooting herself across the floor.

Listening…to Ina May Gasken on NPR, the new DCFC record, the kids laughing (and sometimes crying and whining), the hum of the air conditioner, the whir of neighbors’ lawn mowers.

Smelling…the scent of laundry fresh from the line, bubbling chicken stock on the stove, and charcoal from the neighbors’ grill.

Planning…a flurry of trips to the zoo, the beach, and the park before summer ends.

Dreaming…of a few wide open hours to work on my ever-lengthening list of crafty projects.

daily reminder

blessed

Yesterday to escape the afternoon heat and humidity I took a trip to Target to wander the aisles and enjoy an icy momma pick-me-up. Midway though, our potty learning toddler decided she needed to use the potty – and let loose a lake in the middle of the childsware.

One unnecessary pack of paper towels later, I’m home and feeling a tiny bit resentful of this parenting and work-at-home mom life. Many times I  find my days full of laundry, sweeping, scrubbing, caring for children and preparing meals rather tedious and patience testing.

On those all too often trying days, I find comfort and camaraderie in the sharings of others;  Carrie, Amanda, Meg, and so many others. They remind me why I chose this path I’m on and help me to find the joy within it.

|It’s okay

I am not a perfect parent. Sometimes I don’t think you could even call what I’m doing parenting. My children are wild, my house is a mess, I lose my temper and patience too often.

There are many times when my toddler is pushing my buttons – refusing to nap, throwing tantrums, being obstinate or disagreeable. I WANT to get angry and scream and yell and discipline. But anger, frustration, that’s my stuff. She’s not acting this way to make me feel those emotions – those are my emotions and I can choose to have them and act on them. My child is just that, a child. And she’ll act like one. And that’s OKAY. I’m the parent, and I need to act like one. Even if sometimes I’m not perfect. And that’s okay.