A Day In The Life.

Quite often, I am asked how I am handling the additional workload with the kids. Adrianne’s new schedule has extended her workday by several hours into brutal twelve-hour shifts. When preparation and commuting time is figured in, she is away from home nearly fourteen hours on her workdays. Twelve hours is a long time for one to be on his or her feet; and fourteen hours is a long time for one to be alone with two young children. I’ve said this before in an earlier blog, but I still cannot imagine what life must be like for a single parent. I know how tattered I feel at the end of my day. I can’t imagine what life would be like without Adrianne putting one of the kids to bed and dealing with one of them when they wake up during the night. Sure, I could handle the kids for 24 hours without help. But as any parent knows, it’s not an event that wears one down it’s the constant repetition and constant demands without reprieve that wears one down to the bones.

On a lark, I decided to write down what I do with the kids throughout one randomly chosen day. The day I recorded was an average day spent with the kids. I’ll refrain from calling the day typical, since there is rarely a normal day in our household. I’m opportunistic. For example, if the weather is nice, like it was on the day I chronicled, I spend more time outdoors with the kids taking them to the park, playing on the swing set, or putting around the yard with them in our radio flyer wagon or plastic push cars. Or, if the weather is not cooperating and house is a mess I’ll spend more time with Taylor playing “clean the house” and doing my best to keep Simon from climbing all over his sister and eating Pledge. On this particular day we spent a great deal of time outdoors, skipped most of the daily chores, and ate left-overs for lunch and dinner. Typical? No. Not in the least. But it was an average day.

7:45 AM
Rest is a beautiful thing. For the first time since … a long time, I feel legitimately rested this morning. Although Simon did wake up once during the night at 3am for about 45 minutes, he slept through the night and well into the morning. Today, both kids woke up at the same time. Both kids patiently waited for the other to be picked up, changed, and dressed without complaint. Today has started out as a good day.

8:26 AM
Both kids have been changed, dressed, and brought downstairs. Taylor picked out her clothes– a purple shirt with a pink squirrel and hearts and flower power pants – for the day. I unsuccessfully tried to get her to wear a nice new blue pair of pants Adrianne picked up for her last week but received a quick, “Sipa’s pants!” rebuttal. It seems that anything with blue in it must belong to Simon and Taylor cannot bring herself to wear boys’ clothing.

8:27 AM
While dressing Simon, Taylor found her Feathers For Lunch book by Lois Ehlert and shortly began requesting, “read, read.” A quick diversion of Hello Kitty Band-Aids quelled her requests but also sparked her need to remind me that three days ago she fell down “outside” and received a “boo boo” on her “knee.”

Downstairs, Simon immediately began playing with one of his Thomas trains. The train set, a Christmas gift from grandpa, is quickly becoming one of his favorite toys to play with and throw at the cat. Although he lacks the fine motor skills needed to play with such a small toy on the wooden train tracks, he likes to push the cars around on the kitchen floor and over furniture.

8:30 AM
Ah, the brewing of Green Mountain Roasters coffee brings back fond memories of Vermont. It’s fitting, then, that I’ll have to drink the coffee cold as I scramble to read my mornings emails and, between chasing Taylor out of her poop corner and onto her Dora the Explorer potty seat and keeping Simon out of the cat litter box, enjoy the jolt.

8:42 AM
After a quick reheat, the first cup of coffee is finished.

8:46 AM
Taylor’s singing of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using the rhythm associated with Ba Ba Black Sheep signals the start of nursery rhyme time.

9:02 AM
It’s time for the second cup of coffee this morning.

9:08 AM
Two very hungry kids quickly put the kibosh on any plans of enjoying the second cup.

9:26 AM
With the kids fed and my coffee in the microwave, I am able to grab some peanut butter toast, OJ, and vitamins. Oh, yea. I can’t forget mentioning finishing washing the dishes and putting out the trash.

9:46 AM
Start time for getting the kids ready for the park. The temperature outside is reading 41 degrees with a forecast of 50 degrees before noon.

10:14 AM
The park is virtually empty, except for a small contingent of mothers waiting anxiously in their SUVs for the remaining members of their gossip group to arrive. Virtually every morning this group of women and their kids swarm the park for about an hour as the mothers cram the crisp airwaves with the most mundane details of the last 24 hours of their lives. A small part of me wants to be part of the group– for the socialization of my kids, but I know I could not stomach nor participate in the daily banal morning gossip. Yet, the decision of joining a playgroup for the kids beckons me every time I enter the park. Right now, Taylor is two years old. All of the playgroups advertised at the park are for kids over three years old. I guess I have a little bit more time before having to make this decision.

11:50 AM
With two tired kids belted into the Radio Flyer wagon, we make our way out of the park for home.

12:25 PM
Simon’s lunch: Vanilla yogurt and several ounces of Similac formula.

12:42 PM
Simon is put to bed.

12:44 PM
Taylor’s first lunch: green olives eaten with a fork and water with ice in it. A couple of days ago she made the connections between ice and water. Since then I haven’t been able to keep a tray of ice in the refrigerator for more than one day without having to refill it.

1:16 PM
Taylor’s second lunch: French fries without the ketchup.

1:24 PM
Taylor and her multitude of baby dolls are put to bed with her for her afternoon nap. I am able to work for a little bit on this piece of writing and begin turning a European roller ball pen for my brother-in-law. The pen is a complicated piece of work. This is the second pen I am attempting to turn from the Berea Company. I am not impressed with the written directions, but the pen’s components are top-shelf for a close-out price.

3:00 PM
For the second time today, both kids wake at the same time. An anomaly.

3:10 PM
The weather is absolutely beautiful outside! A quick look at the Weather Channel shows that tomorrow’s forecast calls for rain, wind, and dramatically cooler temperatures. Getting the kids ready for anything after a nap can be difficult. Sometimes the kids wake a few minutes too early minutes they should and take out their frustrations in the form of restlessness, crying, or wiggling around like a fish out of water. This afternoon is no exception.

What should I do first: change them or feed them? Whom should I feed first? Taylor, one would think, should be able to feed herself. Simon, on the other hand, needs a little more help, one would think. But since Simon had more sleep than Taylor, Simon is more than willing to hang out in his high chair eating crackers until I can get to him. While Taylor, Ms. Fussy pants, needs some immediate attention.

4:09 PM
An hour later, we finally make it outside!

5:43 PM
One can always tell if an adventure was fun for the kids by the amount of time it takes them to fall down on the living room carpet floor and start to fall asleep before begging for food. As for this afternoon, before Simon was even in the house, Taylor dropped to her knees and, in a fleet voice, said, “nap” and “P” (her name for PediaSure). It has been a heck of an afternoon!

6:25 PM
With the kids’ hunger satisfied and their energy sapped, it’s time to begin the bedtime routine. After food, bath is first on our to-do list.

7:02 PM
I love bath time, but I love the hour after bath time even more. Hot, sweet smelling bubbly water has a nice calming affect on the psyche for even the smallest child.

7:10 PM
Now I can eat in peace without one of the two kids pulling at my ankles demanding water or ice or wanting to climb up and sit on Daddy’s lap. Ah, peace.

7:43 PM
Did I say I’d have an hour’s worth of peace? What I meant to say is it feels like I have an hour’s worth of peace.

7:52 PM
Thank God Adrianne is home early. The kids are in a tired frenzy. This is the new hell hour. The time of night that the kids’ emotions completely short circuit any and all reasoning they may have acquired over their short life span.

8:44 PM
Taylor’s asleep.

8:45 PM
Mommy’s asleep

8:46 PM
Simon’s asleep.

9:00 PM
Daddy finally gets a shower.

5:59 AM
Simon’s awake for the day. Here we go again….