Life....With Children

I have began and then erased the beginning of several different posts on several different topics. I believe I am running on such a consistent lack of sleep that a deep fog has settled into every crevice of my mind and until I lock myself in the closet or bathroom with a notebook or the computer I will be unable to gather and piece together the fragments of my thoughts.

So, until that day, let me invite you into the chaos that is my world right now.

(Sometimes) 5ish, coerced out of what feels like the first deep sleep of the night by Husband who wishes to have a few moments of conversation without the incessant chatter of children constantly bombarding us.

Make tea (Earl Grey...YOU KNOW IT) and coffee.

Search cupboard in a daze looking for my Thomas Jefferson coffee mug. I simply can't wake up well without the help of the profile of our third president.

6ish, Bid Husband farewell as he heads off to work.

Sit at kitchen table in a daze and marvel at the quiet.

Talk to God.

Compile a list of things that need to be done before the day ends. (some days I am more ambitious than others....hell, some days there is no list)

Look at facebook and try not to fall asleep.

Listen for baby in the monitor.

7:30ish Ellie wakes up.....we make a mad dash for the toilet and hope we make it there in time.

Respond to pleas of: I'm hungry, I'm firsty, with the appropriate food and drink.

Eat a grapefruit and wish it was pancakes.

Attempt to finish a Tae Bo video while not stepping on Ellie who is doing her own freestyle version which spans the length of the room.

Look around this tiny apartment and try to comprehend the mess that seemed to appear out of thin air.

Sing a song about cleaning up in a sometimes successful attempt to get Ellie to take all her junk back to her room.

Occasionally step on the pointy edge of some toy laying in the middle of the floor and hop around trying not to teach daughter expletives that want to fly from my mouth.

9ish Baby wakes up, sometimes happy, sometimes not, but always hungry.

Feed baby while visualizing all the calories being sucked from my body (preferably my butt) and transferred to her tiny little frame. What's mine can now be yours.

Talk in a high pitched voice and act like an idiot in attempt to coerce a smile or even the hint of a giggle from the baby. Well, at least it usually works on Ellie.

10ish Sing the "school time" song and lead Ellie like the Pied Piper into her room where I try to get her to sit still for close to 45 minutes.

Teach her the day of the week and the date. Go over letters and their sounds, numbers, and writing. The latter is proving more difficult that I thought it would be.

11ish Let Ellie watch a show while I try to get baby to nap. Some days are easier than others. Look into crying baby's eyes and tell her that if only I could trade her places, I gladly would . But alas, God has seen fit to make ME the parent, so shut those peepers and for heavens sake GO TO SLEEP.

Five minutes later. Reassure crying baby that I did not abandon her and am still here to usher her into a peaceful sleep which sometimes involves a little "Milk nightcap".

11.45ish Make lunch. Tell Ellie that while her Father may find ice cream an appropriate lunch time meal, I do not and therefore she will be eating something healthy and nutritious thereby securing my place as the "Bad Guy".

Eat some version of a salad or whole wheat sandwich and wish it was a steaming bowl of pasta smothered in a creamy sauce.

12ish Baby wakes up again and this time usually can't be talked or shushed into returning to sleep

Feed baby again.

12:30ish Put Ellie down for a nap

Contemplate blogging, but usually abandon the idea and instead opt to finish a few pages of one of the five books I checked out of the library.

1:30ish Try to get baby to nap again by any means possible. Go through tears and frustration once again. Sometimes give in and lay down with her which does the trick for both of us in minutes.

Dream about weird things

2:30-3ish usually get waken up by Ellie and make another mad dash for the bathroom. Once again respond to the hungry and firsty pleas with appropriate food and drink.

Really wish I could drink more caffeinated drinks.

Wonder where the day has gone and wish I had spent more time outside underneath the trees.

(sometimes) Go to the pool, after much gathering of things and preparation of the children.

Let Ellie play in the kiddie pool while trying to keep Ari happy.

Look at the lifeguards and remember all the summers of my youth spent swimming and laughing.

Miss my childhood.

5ish go home and get dinner ready for husband who will arrive home soon. Tired and hungry.

Make a mad dash through the house in an attempt to clean up the mess that has once again mysteriously appeared.

Look at myself in the mirror and wonder if I remembered to brush my teeth.

(sometimes) put on makeup and try to look like the woman he married.

Welcome Husband home and try to keep Ellie from bombarding him right away with feet and endless words.

Eat.

Clean up dinner mess.

Bathe children.

7:30ish Jeremy puts Ellie in bed while I begin what can be a two hour long process of getting the baby to fall asleep.

9ish fall onto the couch and think about a hot bath and a glass of wine. Usually, it's just a thought.

10:30ish Go to bed and fall asleep with my earphones in listening to an audio book.

The next day: Repeat

Occasionally some variables that may occur are:

Showering

Putting on nice clothes and makeup

Completing some of the To Do list

Leaving the house

Fun, Huh?