Daily grind - age 2!

I've been meaning to write a post about what the girls are "up to" at age 2 -- ever since they had their birthday. It's been a month (and then some) and I'm just getting around to it!

I have a hard time recalling things (bad memory) so I think it's fun every now and again to do an overview of our daily schedule so I can look back and be reminded.

Here goes:

6:30-7am - RISE ... and ..... wish I could say "shine", but that's not the God's honest truth.  We seem to struggle in the mornings.  It's anybody's guess who will wake first, but I usually go into their room and spend a little time before I hear the other babe.  It doesn't seem to matter if we've spent 5 minutes or an hour in special snuggle time -- they don't seem overly pleased to find out "sister" has risen.  This is where I often see the most melting down during the day - the morning hours! They BOTH want me to hold them during the wake up period.  It literally breaks my heart that I can't do this.  It's not their fault they have to share - and I'm hoping one day ... "magically" this will ease.  They both just seem to "need" my TLC post-wake up.

7:30-8 - Change diapers ... perhaps out of Pj's ... and head upstairs to start the day.

8:30(ish) - We usually have breakfast almost immediately these days.  Mama (and baby) are starving and it seems to help distract them from their state of unhappiness ... at times.

9:00 - Done with breakfast and time to play.  I usually take this time to clean up the kitchen while they start to play and are still getting along.  I may try to prep for lunch now, too, if time and children allow.  :)  And when I say .. "play" .. it's anybody's guess what they want to play with.  Sometimes they play with actual toys -- while other times a piece of paper or a an empty jar keeps them entertained.  They are still in the stage where they can make fun out of anything ... which I love.  They still usually travel about the house in a pair ... sometimes they grab a bucket or bag and say "bye mom" and head down stairs almost like they are going shopping.  Cute.

9:30/10:00 - I bribe them upstairs so I can shower (for 2.2 seconds) ... and make myself half presentable so we can attempt to leave the house.

10:00-10:30: Time for snack, diaper change and decision making about our morning outing.  Morning outings could include: an area park, community center play area, grocery shopping, or perhaps lunch with daddy.

** Note .... I'd say ... 70% of the time we do "something" late morning.  By this time ... they have grown tired of playing at home with each other.  The fuss buckets are starting to appear and mama starts to go a little nutty.  The days we don't leave the house -- I usually go on a big cleaning mission.  What I've found is that if I'm busy -- they stay busy.  If I'm plopped on the couch -- they circle around me and WHINE.  It's amazing, though, if I'm just busy about the house ... they seem to follow along -- playing as I go.  It's been pretty productive, lately.

11:30 - full swing into morning outing of some sort.....

12:30/1 - Back home for lunch .... which usually consists of very basic foods....for easy clean up!

1:30 - NAPTIME!!  :):):):):):)  Many days I sneak in a nap, too.  My body won't seem to allow me more than 30 minutes ... but I'll take it!

Ms. R usually sleeps until 3 or 3:30.  Ms. K (BLESS HER SLEEPY HEART) still takes a great nap ... up to 3 hours (plus) most days.  This gives Ms. R and mama some quiet time (to make supper) together.  :)  Ms. R has a VERY rough time waking up from her naps on most days.  So -- I usually struggle to find ways to "quietly" please her (which may or may not include chocolate chips) ... while Ms. K continues to nap.  Lately ... she's taken to sitting on the kitchen counter (eating chocolate chips) while I try to put something together for din din. Mom of the year, I know!

4:30: Ms. K is up and now we are all in "waiting for daddy mode"!!!  I can not tell you what a blessing it has been to have him home at a "normal" time these past few months.  He is usually home by 5pm.  This has changed my whole life!!

5pm: After a quick diaper change ... we usually (as a family) head out for at least an hour walk.  It's getting darker and colder here at night (booooo) and so we try to leave by 5 if we can.  Some days the girls do beautifully .... while others ... it can be a struggle.  We have about 5 or 6 different routes we take that add up to about 4 miles each.  This has been such a blessing for us.  It gives me and the hubs time to catch up from the day .. chit chat about non sense ... and allows us all to breath in beautiful fresh air.

6:30pm - We are back home now .... time for dinner!! We've been in a battle with the girls to sit in their booster chairs ... so about 2 weeks ago we took them off and have been allowing them to sit in "big girl chairs".  Let's just say -- that is not always pretty either.  It's kind of at a point we can't go back to boosters ... we are are just trying to weather the storm.  They like to stand up ... and so we are constantly asking them to sit down.  It has to stick at some point, right???

Both girls have been awesome eaters lately, too.  All the women in my family LOVE to feed people .. and I am now starting to see the joy in cooking for my family.  When the girls gobble up one of my creations .. it just melts my heart ... to know they are getting good nourishment and will go to bed with a full tummy.

7:30 - BATH time .... EVERY night.  These girls are filthy by the days end .... so while I clean up from dinner....daddy takes the girls down for a bath.  This has been amazing for me too -- because by this time of day .... I'm spent!! Jon spends a good half hour with them ... and he gets them so clean!!  I scurry around the house picking up every detail .... prepping a little for the next day and then meet them as they come out of the tub to "jammie them up"!! I love seeing their precious little faces from under their bath towels.

I've come to realize ... two things make me crazy happy at the end of the day........the first is knowing my babies are well fed and going to be clean ...... and the second is coming upstairs to a clean and tidy kitchen after we've put the girls to bed. If all that is accomplished ... mama is happy!

8:30 - we take turns rocking the girls to bed.  We read a few books and pray with them each night.  And then ... it's lights out.

8:45 - mama takes a deep breath (literally I do this EVERY night) as I close my little peanuts door .... and thank God for another day.  These have been some of the best days ..... being together ... as a family.

9pm - Mama and Daddy are TIRED.  Most nights lately .... daddy packs up right at 8:45 and heads to the local college library to study until it closes at 11pm.  Most nights .... mama packs up and heads straight to bed.  I've given up watching TV at night ... mostly because sleep is more important.  I have a few favorite shows I watch online ..... but staying up past 9 or 9:30 rarely happens.....unless .. it's a weekend daddy has off from work and we watch a Red Box movie...... maybe have some popcorn.  It's gets pretty crazy here!  Weekends are usually a bit different ... because daddy is around more.  We don't stick as close to the schedule on the weekends.  A year ago -- I would have went into panic mode if the girls weren't napping "on time", but I've learned that we can go with the flow a bit and be just fine. :)

So .... that is our current daily grind.  It's amazing how the day to day happenings have evolved over the past 2 years.  I can't believe how much time has changed what we do.  I'm guessing adding a third child into this mix will change things quite a bit -- so for now -- I'm enjoying our day to day......even in the midst of what can be total chaos -- it's our chaos.  :)

With love,
Cuz I'm the mama!