A Day in the Life

Someone asked me today why I looked so tired. The short, easy answer is there just aren't enough hours in my day. This is what my day was like yesterday, a pretty typical day...

5:10 am The alarm goes off in that shrill obnoxious beep that's designed to jar you awake so you can't go back to sleep. It barely registers with me, I roll over and hit the snooze button.

5:19 am Repeat.

5:28am Repeat again. Mutter something about how it can't be morning already.

5:37am Damn, I should have just hit the off button! Drag my rear end out of bed and realize that once again I've slept way later than I should.

5:40am Brush teeth and pull hair back because as usual, its a bad hair day.

5:43am Run to the basement to pull clean clothes for me and the kids out of the dryer. Finish dressing as I run up the stairs to wake the boys.

5:49am "Good Morning Collin! Its time to wake up honey" I get some mumbles and a mutter in response followed by a roll so his back is to me and he's curled up in a fetal position.

5:51am "OK, you lay here and sleep, I'm going to change your clothes" He stretches out his legs and is mostly cooperative but never opens his eyes.

5:53am Make farting noise (sometimes you just have to resort to fart humor)"Collin, you farted!" This gets his attention. His eyes still don't open but I hear a small muffled "No I didn't." "Yes, you did. I heard you!" I hear a giggle and his eyes open now. "No, I didn't Mom! It was you!" By now he's sitting up and in a pleasant mood.

5:59am Send Collin off to the bathroom with Tim to go potty and brush his teeth and rush into the baby's room. Nick is standing in his crib waiting for me to come get him.

6:03am Nick is changed and ready to go downstairs. Can't find his toothbrush so we skip that this morning.

6:04am "Mommy, I did something for you! Come look!" I admire Collin's bathroom accomplishments and usher him downstairs to put his shoes on.

6:07am Both boys are dressed, shoes on and ready to walk out the door. Grab breakfast bar and we leave, only 2 minutes late!

6:15am Turn Alvin and the Chipmunks CD on for Collin. Listen to the same song all the way to daycare.

6:33am Drop the boys off, breath a sigh of relief. I didn't talk too long today and I've managed to make up a couple of minutes. I might actually make it to work on time.

4:00pm Pick boys back up at daycare. They've actually been well behaved today! Listen to the same Alvin and the Chipmunk song all the way home.

4:30pm Pull into Costco to get gas and try to mollify Collin who is wailing because he doesn't want to go to the gas store today.

4:40pm Rush in the front door, park Nick in his high chair and make him a peanut butter sandwich. Collin wants a peanut butter banana so I make that for him.

4:45pm Put the dog on the leash and let her out to pee.

4:49pm Admire the peanut butter artwork adorning my sliding glass door for a moment before promising Collin he will be the one to clean it up and washing his face and hands.

5:15pm Rush around like a crazy woman finding swim diapers and clean pool towels to pack in the pool bag. Collin announces he has to poop so I undo his shoes and send him to the bathroom.

5:17pm Walk by bathroom and realize that Collin didn't make it in time. He's standing with his pants around his ankles and a mess on the floor.

5:23pm Collin is finally cleaned and changed into his swimsuit so I quickly change Nick and get ready to run out the door.

5:45pm Swim lessons with Ms. Beth begin.

5:49pm Collin informs Ms. Beth he has to poop! We rush to the bathroom where once again we are not in time and I now have to strip a soaking wet child from his poopy pants. I'm holding Nick in one hand and trying to clean Collin with the other because Tim has not arrived yet. It's not working so I put Nick down. He immediately takes of. Fortunately another Mom is in the bathroom and catches him and occupies him for a few moments. She leaves and although I've managed to clean Collin's suit, I still have to dress him. That takes both hands. Nick runs off again so I grab Collin and pull his seat up on the run.

5:54pm Put Collin down and tell him to go back to his lessons and scoop Nick up. Tim has finally arrived and can only laugh at my predicament.

6:00pm Swim lessons are over and Collin managed to put his face in the water. Good Job! I agree to let him play in the little pool until the whistle blows.

6:25pm Collin gets out of the pool and announces that he has pooped again. Back to the bathroom. Again. I'm so done with clean out poopy pants.

6:35pm Tim decides to take Nick home. I tell Collin he can play until the whistle blows.

6:45pm Whistle blows and I drag Collin back into the bathroom to change into some dry clothes.

6:57pm Arrive home. Turn on Phineas and Ferb and give Collin a yogurt. Tim is upstairs playing Starfall with Nick

7:30pm Time for Collin to go to the bathroom and brush his teeth. Surprisingly enough he decides to cooperate tonight.

7:45pm Bedtimes stories, read. Night Night Songs, sung. Good Night Collin!

7:48pm Check on Nick. Tim has put him to bed and he's sound asleep. Time for a shower.

8:02pm Shower complete. Toss on pj's and crawl into bed and turn on TV. Nothing good on so I catch up on my emails and some blogs and call my parents.

9:00pm America's Got Talent is on. I should be going to bed but I love that show and don't want to miss it.

10:00pm I really should go to bed now. I'm really tired already and it's only Tuesday. Decide to go to the bathroom, brush my teeth and put my hair in curlers.

10:12pm Get interested in a show about children with Turret's Syndrome.

11:00pm Really should have gone to bed 2 hours ago. I'm going to be tired in the morning... Run downstairs and find clothes for me and the kids (laundry is clean but, as usual, not put away) Make a huge mess looking for stuff-Suddenly everything we've washed is towels and things that are too small for Nick now. Finally, find some clothes for everyone and race back upstairs.

11:08pm I turn off the lights and at some point, not much later, fall asleep. Tomorrow morning will come way too early.