A Day in the Life (with *just* 2)

Via Marcia's blog, I saw that the theme for this week's QOTW at Multiples and More is to describe a typical day in my life. Normally, I would think this is a bit boring because my life is not so exciting when you write about it in that hour to hour way. However, I thought it would be a nice little time capsule to see how things change once Tater Tot comes along. I have this vision that he will fit in to our routine and we will fit into his and everything will (eventually!) run very smoothly. We shall see...

• What is your schedule like? Do you work outside the home or stay home with the kids?

I am at home with the kids. Most days I'm happy about this. Just not all :) Here is our weekday schedule (when Daddy is off in some exotic place, like New Jersey or St. Louis)

6:30am I wake up. Well, I get up. Usually, I'm already awake. My internal clock is set to go off at 5:30 these days. I blame Matteo and summer sun. I head downstairs, let the dog out, get the kids milk ready, eat breakfast, check email and listen for Sebastian and Collette, who are probably awake but not making enough noise yet. Some days, I have to make a batch of oatmeal, which last 4 or 5 days.

7/7:30am I hear S & C gabbing away (or crying, depends on the day) and head upstairs. Feed the dog and go into the nursery to start the day. Give the twins their milk, get them out of their sleep sacks and hang out for a while, playing, reading books and listening to Matty in the Morning.

8:00am By now, we are downstairs. I have the kids watch TV and play with their toys while I get their breakfast ready. Its always oatmeal with fruit mixed in, usually bananas but we have done apples, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, mangoes, raisins, peaches, etc.

8:10/8:20am Twins eat their breakfast

8:30am I clean up breakfast while they play. sometimes they watch more TV, sometimes not. Depends on their moods and mine. And the weather. If its nice out, they can play outside while I clean up and do important things like check Facebook and read blogs. And of course, I play with them. I can be a good mom, too.

9:00am Go upstairs to get the twins dressed. I try to get dressed when I get up but this doesn't always happen. Depending on our plan for the morning, this is either rushed or lazy.

9:15/10:00am Anywhere between those two times is where we will head out for the morning, if we are leaving the house. Tuesday we have EI at home from 930-1030 so we don't leave until later. Thursday we have EI playgroup at 945 so I try to be in the car by 920. Other days, we have play dates, run errands or go to a park and I always leave the house during the time block.

11:30am Come back home and get lunch ready OR have lunch out.

12:00pm Lunchtime! The kids eat and if there is time, they watch some Wiggles before nap.

12:30pm Nap time! I use this time to due chores. Mondays are for mopping, Tuesdays for vacuuming, Wednesday for dusting and changing sheets. In addition to those weekly chores, I do cleaning in a particular part of the house for a week (this upcoming week is the play room and the den). Also, depending on my mood, I may do some cooking. In between, I give myself breaks to write/read blogs, check email, etc. Or, if I'm really tired, a nap.

3:00pm Twins wake up from their nap. We play around in their room for a bit while they drink their milk.

3:30pm If we have errands to run, play date, or other outing, I will start heading downstairs so we can pack up the car. Otherwise, we go upstairs (3rd floor) to the play room and play up their for a while.

4:45/5:00pm Come back home (if we were out and we're not eating dinner out - we usually don't when I'm alone) OR come downstairs from the playroom. I get dinner ready while the kids play. I often recruit Yo Gabba Gabba to help keep little hands and feet out of the kitchen while I'm getting things ready.

5:30pm Dinnertime. Sometimes they eat quickly, other times, not so much. Either way, when they're done, we hang out and play downstairs (where we already are) and, weather permitting, play outside. I also clean up dinner and declutter in general.

6:30pm Head upstairs to get ready for bed. Every other night is bath night. After bath (if there is one), we get dressed, play a bit, brush teeth and then read some books. Lights out no later than 7.

7:00pm I'm off mommy duty and can relax. Ha! This is usually when I cook for me or for upcoming days. More cleaning may need to be done now, depending on how bad things got during the day and/or how much I slacked off during nap time. I eat, check email, check FB, read blogs, etc. Not too much TV these days as nothing is on. Very different case in October when I can barely keep up with my DVR. If I have a book, I might head to my bedroom early (8ish) to do some reading.

9:00/9:30 Head to my room for the night. before I go upstairs, I make sure all the dishes are in the dishwasher and that the toys are all put away. Also, I let the dog out one last time before we go up.

9:30/10:00pm Get ready for bed and hit the hay. If its early enough and it needs to be done, I will fold some laundry while watching TV. Lately it's the Rachel Maddow show as nothing else is on and I love her. Total girl crush.

• Do you follow it very closely?

Yes. Pretty boring but blissfully predictable for the kids and me. Spontaneity may have once been fun, but is mostly just scary now. For me anyway. Kudos to those of you who can do spontaneous on your own with little ones in tow. Me, I would run over someone's grandmother to make sure we made it home for nap time.

• How much (or how little?) "help" do you have?

I don't. Not during the week. My mom and my sister do visit but it's not part of our routine and does not help me get things done. We just get to enjoy their company and hopefully do something fun with the kids that I wouldn't want to do on my own.

• What chores do you do on a daily basis?

Dishes, picking up toys, cooking (almost), laundry (every other), sweeping (every other, maybe more if the kids got the place really dirty), carpet sweeping (just the dining room rug), toilet bowls, and pick up doggie doo.

• My favorite and least favorite parts of the day?

My favorite part of the day is either waking up the twins or putting them to bed. Both are relaxing and rarely rushed. I also like hanging out in their room - it's very calming. My least favorite part of the day is getting lunch and dinner ready. The kids freak out as soon as they see me head toward the fridge, acting as if they haven't eaten in days. Makes it hard to focus on the task at hand. I'm sure there is a way for me to do it ahead of time, but part of me thinks that they need to understand the fact that food does not magically appear, that it has to be cooked/prepared for us to eat it. And that it takes time.

I wonder what I will think of this list in a month or a year from now. Will adding #3 throw this all out of whack? Or will we find a way to get back to this predictable little life?

The Countdown Is On!

I have 29 more days until Matteo is supposed to be here. I'm hoping its a few shy of 29 because I can't be induced (VBAC rules) and I need to go into labor by or before my due date. So, let the countdown begin!

I had my 36 week exam yesterday and everything looks good. Weight and BP are good. Matteo is head down - hurrah! - and my OB thiks he will engage within the next week and hopefully be stuck in that position. She also told me that we'll probably do an ultrasound at 38 weeks to "make sure" that he is head down and check his weight. This came as a surprise because earlier she told me my only ultrasound would be the 18 week one. And while I was very fed up with all the ultrasounds for S & C, I am very excited to get one last sneak peak at Tater Tot before he makes his debut.

Summer Outings and Stranger Danger

It's hot here. I hate the heat. I didn't always but now that I have kids and am home all day in central A/C that doesn't work well, I'm not diggin' it so much. Being pregnant doesn't help. Anyway, the point of all this, other than to bitch a little, is that I have been on the lookout for cool activities to do this summer, especially when its just me and the kids. Mother Nature does not save heat and humidity for the weekend, as I remember well from my working days.

Yesterday, after a long nap for all three of us, I decided we should try to do a nature walk in the Fells. I used to take the dog there all the time before the twins were born and I think we may have done some walks there when they were very small. Since they have been so good at listening (for 19 month olds) and staying close to me, I thought we should give it a try. With all those tall trees, you could barely feel the heat of the sun - it was so nice. The kids played with rocks and sticks, stayed on the path when I reminded them, listened to birds and had fun pushing the empty jogging stroller.

On our way back to the car, we passed a family - three teen/pre-teen girls and their mom. We all said "hi', exchanged pleasantries, etc. As they were walking away, Collette walked over to one of the girls, tried to hold her hand and walk off with her! Now, I'm glad she is so friendly with new people, but good Lord! This child is an abduction waiting to happen. Gotta love her free spirit. :)

Thanks Guys!

Earlier, I was looking at one of my FB albums labeled "6 months and counting" and it got me all teary-eyed. Sebastian and Collette just looked so small and cuddly. They were learning how to eat "solid" food. Smiling at each other. Wiggling and jumping (in the baby contraptions). For a second, I almost missed them at that age. (Good thing I'm having another one, right?!)

Later this morning, however, they did something cool and all grown up. They climbed into their own high chairs for the first time. And then I was brought back to reality. My kids are growing up and learning new things, often without me even trying to teach it to them. And I love it. I'm glad that I don't have to pick them up to get in the chairs anymore - it's been murder on my back lately. And it's really cute to watch them climb.

And in other "growing up" news, both Sebastian and Collette did a superb job holding hands and walking through the parking lots yesterday. I have only been practicing with Collette but decided to take advantage of a 1:1 ratio and have both walk. I was with Sebas and I was amazed at how well he did. He's a lot slower than his sister so I have to remember to walk slowly but he held my hand without objection and that's really all that matters.

So, S & C, thank you for making life a little easier for your (very pregnant) momma. I really appreciate it!!

A Father's Day Project

For Father's Day this year, I figured the kids should make their own father's day gifts now that they have some motor skills. Finger painting seemed as good an idea as any and I was lucky enough to have Auntie Kim over yesterday to help out. Both Sebastian and Collette enjoyed this new activity in their own way, both staying true to their budding personalities.

"You want me to get my fingers dirty??"

"Yay! I'm making a colorful mess and no one is yelling at me!"

"OK, I'm liking this but I'll just use my fingertips."

"This paint feels so gooey ALL OVER MY HANDS!!!"

This is definitely a project we will have to repeat. They were pissed when I took the paints away but bedtime was calling and the paper was getting pretty soaked and I feared for my dining room table.

Any other "mediums" you suggest for 18 month old artists?? We tried stickers but, apparently, they look too much like snacks. Ditto for crayons.

Anniversary Celebration

Yesterday, Billy and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. Fun that it fell on a Friday and we were able to see each other and go out. I made reservations at an all-too fancy and all-too pricey French restaurant in Boston but it was totally worth it. We used to go out to somewhat fancy dinners a few times a month back in our DINK days. I guess once a year is OK now. :)

Naturally, we had no one to take our picture and I felt weird asking someone at the restaurant to do it - not that kind of place, IMO. Anyway, we got a decent shot of ourselves and a preggo picture of me in my slightly scandalous, no bra (yikes!) dress.

So proud of myself for rocking the stilettos at 34 weeks!

PS - I forgot to mention I had a glass of wine. My first this pregnancy, haha!

Lost in Translation

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Sebastian and Collette have been making good progress on the communication front. Things are still going well, both with words and signs, and I think Sebastian may soon eclipse Collette in the spoken word category - go figure!

One of their newest signs is "thank you" which is a good thing but also a tricky thing, for a few reasons. First off, it looks a lot like blowing a kiss so I'm not sure they know the difference. They also don't really understand the concept of thank you, as in only the receiver needs to say it, not the giver as well. I suppose I should teach them "you're welcome" but all that seems pretty high brow for 18 month olds. Then again, what do I know. The other issue is with what deserves a "thank you" - both Sebastian and Collette seem to be under the impression that whenever you get something, even if it's by force, you say thank you. Kind of like a bank robber thanking the teller very much for all that cash. We're working on no toy stealing but at least when they do it, they're polite about it...?

***

I got yelled at by one of my sisters for not posting enough pictures of the twins. My reasons are two-fold: I'm lazy/unmotivated to take pictures and they are horrible subjects. Video would be much more appropriate but you have to be sneaky which I am not. I do have some photos from the past few weeks and, although they are completely unrelated to this post, I will share a couple with you anyway. You're welcome.

First dip of the season

Totally cheating at Cornhole

PS - Matteo has decided that my bladder makes an awesome toy. I almost peed in my pants today, literally. Not sure I can make it 6 more weeks with no accidents. *sigh*

Like Mother, Like Son

A few months ago, I was poking around the maternity section of Sears and noticed these mommy-baby matching outfits: a nursing type "dress" for mommy and a onesie for the baby. I had never noticed these while I was pregnant with the twins and it wouldn't have done me much good, anyway, because it only comes with the one onesie. Anyhoo, I went back and bought a set for me and Matteo. It was the only boy design they had but the little elephant works with his jungle themed* room.



Don't be surprised if every postpartum picture of me features this number. I doubt I'll be doing a lot of laundry.

*We are still only part way done decorating Matteo's room. I'll be sure to post pics as soon as its complete!