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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

A day in the life of...

My MIL has been saying that i should journal about one day in my life, for me to see how much i accomplish. Now i finally decided to do just that, but i think i picked a particularly hecitc day to do so.
As most mothers will know, it takes a lot of patience to get through a day when neither you nor your children have slept well the night before. Yesterday was one of those days!
It started with a wake up call when daddy headed out the door for work and left a heartbroken girl who "want my daddy". Cuppas, nappies and breakfast later, and we have Weetbix all over the table, not to mention the kids! So its into the bath we go.
Now bath time used to be a sort of saving moment, filled with giggles and playing and not wanting to get out. However lately, its more of a "water all over the floor, standing up in the bath and slipping over, throw the toys out and at each other" sort of moment.
Needless to say, this activity didn't last long.
Next on the agenda was feeding time for the bub. (I must add here, this is the first of the three to succeed at the breastfeeding thing, which is bringing new lessons with it. I.e. make sure toddlers are well and truly entertained with a "parent-free" activity before u sit down.) So feeding begins and all seems well, but when all seems well, it normally means it wont be in a minute.
Sure enough, crying comes from the girls bedroom, where little Miss Two decided that jumping on the bed was a fun game to play. That was until she fell off and hit her head on the fan.
So shes crying, and baby's crying for the feed that was interrupted, and Miss One decides to join in just for the fun of it!

And its not even 9 o'clock yet!
Into the kitchen next to do a bit of baking for morning tea. My girls and my hubby love home baking! Muesli Slice is on the menu this morning. It quick, yummy and pretty good for you.
I mix up the ingredients while the toddlers happily empty the contents of the tupperware drawer into the drawer below.
Back and forth between the kitchen and the lounge to settle the baby, and about half an hour later, the slice is in the oven! Did i mention that the recipe is supposed to be quick? Yes, nothing is with children, but that's another story.

Morning tes time - We spread out the quilt overthe mat, and the girls sit down to watch Playschool. I love this show, and the so do the girls. They are constantly singing the songs and wanting to try out some of the make and do sections too. It also serves as a bit of a reminder that I've made it 3/4 of the way to sleep time. Today, they finish the slice before i've even walked out of the room, and they're asking for more! So after refills, i finally sit down to a relaxing cup of tea and take a breath!

Its at about this point that i'm beginning to think maybe its me. Maybe i need to adjust my attitude. So i decide that a craft activity is just what they need. After i settle the baby to sleep of course. Baby thinks otherwise, so we beginning painting while shes still up.

Now craft is a very exciting thing for my toddlers. Miss Two LOVES Art and Miss One is still new to it all so loves to give it a go. We decide on painting today and i spread out the paper and paint, suit up the girls and set them to it. Oh the joy on their faces as they smoosh their hands into the paint and slap it onto the paper, or into their mouths as is the case with Miss One.
After sufficent eating of paint, and a few peices of soggy paper later, I pry the paint from their hands and clean them up, setting them free to play.

This may seem like the day has gotten a lot better, but as i said, if it seems that way, then it won't in a minute!

Sure enough, as sleep time approaches, out comes Miss Twos teasing, Miss Ones clinginess, and Baby is awake again.
I organise the girls for their sleep, and tuck them in with a "Now dont get out of bed" to the One year old who has only recently moved out of a cot.
I decide to get a start on the long list of things i want to accomplish today, but very quickly realise that is not going to happen!
A door opens... "Back in bed"
a minute or two later...."Back in bed!"
10 minutes or so of this, and Miss One has fallen asleep.
Now there is just the constant singing and chatting coming from Miss Two, and this i can handle.
Once again, i decide to start on the things that need doing, and i actually make a decent dent in the folding, before "BANG" and the crying starts.
Miss Two has fallen off her bed while being silly, and obviously NOT sleeping, and now Miss One is awake far sooner than she wanted to be.
Arggh!!

Get them up, sit down to feed the baby.

Its lunch time. Conversation with Miss Two:
" Do You want a sandwich?"
"no"...."I want a sandwich"
"Honey? Your sister is having Vegemite"
"I want honey"
"Honey, ok"
"I want vegemite"
"Honey or Vegemite?"
"I want honey"
"Ok, sit at the table"
"I want squares"
"Ok"
"I want triangles"
"Ok"
"Honey, Like this" (Indicates wuth her hands for the sanwich not to be cut)
"Ok, sit at the table"

Miss One is already waiting at her seat, and devours lunch in record time.
Miss Two eats all but the crusts, hops down and goes to play.

And we are half way through the day.

Most of the events happen in the morning, and the afternoon is filled with fighting over toys, "get off the coffee table" and " don't hit your sister"
By now i am at the end of my tether and am hanging out for 4 when Dad gets home.
3.30 comes and with it, a text message, " I'm going to be late" Figures! It always happens on these days!

So i set in for a hectic afternoon before a, thankfully, early night for the girls.
Trying to pass the time, i read books to the girls, only to have them rip them out of my hands with an "I read, i do it". Finally its late enough that i can start on their dinner and i seek refuge in the kitchen behind the child gate!
From here on in, Its relatively peaceful. Dinner, stories and getting ready for bed.
Bedtime comes, and we have the same saga as naptime....
"Go back to bed"
"GO back to bed"

Finally, they are asleep, and its just left to bath, feed and settle the baby for the night.
Well to cut another long story short, She doesnt settle till quite late, but is fairly easy to entertain.

Ahh the day in the life of a mother with three small children. and a bad one at that. Think its time to call it a day, turn out the light and pray for the patience to get through another tomorrow

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Counting My Blessings

There is an old hymn that i can vaguely recall my mum quoting that recently has rung clearly in my head on several occasions, and has inspired this blog.

"Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

The lyrics have been a reminder for me lately as i struggle through days of tantrums and stress, that despite the hints of dissatisfaction that can creep into my mind when things get tough, i am blessed beyond comprehension, and my girls are just three of those many blessings.