What Does Your Day Look Like?

Today’s Mantra: We’re All In This Together

As a working lady (pre-kids) I had no idea what a stay at home Mum would do with all those hours. The way I saw it, I was trapped at work 8 hours a day – not able to get to the shops, the bank or get any of those chores done at home. If I was at home all day I’d have all the chores done by 11am and would spend the rest of the day reading books while my children napped.

I don’t think anyone but Mums get how busy we really are.

Here’s my day. It may look familiar to some (all) of you.

6:05am – Wake up when I’m whacked in the face by my seven month old, he then tries to claw my face with his talons. I vow to cut his nails today.  He looks at me and gives me a huge grin, like he’s spent the last 12 hours comatose, instead of waking at regular intervals crying and unhappy.

6:50am – My three year old wanders in, he’s taken off his socks and his feet are like blocks of ice. He jumps into bed with us and puts his feet against my shins until they are warm enough for his liking. Husband groans and complains about lack of sleep.

7:00am – Try to put Julian’s slippers on to get downstairs. He wants to do it himself. After standing for five agonising minutes waiting for him I tell him I’ll meet him downstairs. I put the little one in a football hold under my arm and grab last night’s debris that has gathered around the bed (milk bottles, water bottles, phone etc)

7:05am – Coffee and toast while I give Leo milk. Julian finally comes down and demands toast. I tell him he has to wait till I finish my coffee. After twenty requests for toast and with still a quarter of cup of coffee left, I give in and get up. I walk around the kitchen trying to read articles on my phone.

7:10am – Rescue the little one from the avalanche of toys and a dressing gown that Julian has lumped on him. Give Julian toast. Finish ice cold coffee and try and read article on sugar and its effects again.

7:25am – Wipe noses.

8:00am – Did I close my eyes? How is it 8am? What have we been doing? Little one needs to go back to bed, Julian needs to get in the shower, dogs are supposed to be going to get groomed today…at 8am. Not going to happen.

8:10am – Do a funny song and dance to get Julian in the shower. It works. I leave him in there an inordinate amount of time (and feel guilty about water wastage) so I can get ready. I cannot find two matching socks. I feel that could be because I no longer own two matching socks. I forget the boots idea and stick on ballet flats.

8:30am – Coax Julian out of the shower but leave him in a toweled ball on the floor as that is what he wishes. Luckily we have heated tiles. Pull off the tags on his new clothes and “sell” them to him. “This one has three buttons and it’s cable knit. You are going to look so gorgeous.” He eyes me suspiciously, “Does it have a hood?” “NO”, “A zip?” “NO”. Luckily it wasn’t one of those mornings. He puts on the rest of his clothes without a discussion.

I negotiate that he can watch Spiderman if he lets me dry his hair with the hairdryer. He obliges. Unfortunately TV won’t turn on upstairs which is the only place we have a DVD player. Spiderman is only on DVD. Meltdown.

9:00am – Ring dog place, tell them we are going to be even later as Leo is still asleep.

9:05am – Leo wakes up, we get in the car and load the dogs in. Julian cries because he wanted to get in Leo’s side, not his. I put him in time out in the car and forbid him to speak whilst he is there (time out is him strapped into his car seat so we can get going). Don’t cross Mummy today.

9:20 – Dogs dropped off. Julian asks if he is still naughty. I tell him no.

9:30am – I am starving. Start to make us some eggs, spinach and a bit of chorizo. Julian wants a toast sandwich. I tell him he can have one with egg. He freaks out. I tell him he can have peanut butter and honey instead and make myself a poached egg.

As I hand him the sandwich he tells me he wants eggs…and a smoothie. I eye him and don’t say a word. He asks for a drink in a blue cup. I hand him the drink of water I’d poured him earlier in a different cup. He freaks out. Time out.

10:20 – Leo not happy. He has eaten a bit of his breakfast but looks like he needs to be sent back to bed.

10:30 – Leo in bed, Jules not happy with his smoothie as it has banana in it. Won’t touch it. It always has banana in it. I tell him to go outside (away from me). A warning.

11:00am – I am on the phone. Find Jules upstairs. Order him downstairs. He tells me “NO!”. I grab him off the stairs take him downstairs and back to his favourite corner – TIME OUT!!!

11:10am – Ngala (Children’s help line) calls me back and tells me I can do nothing with Leo (sleep strategies) until he is better. I am on verge of tears from lack of sleep – she asks me if there is a history of depression. When I laugh she realises I’m fine then says to call back when he’s got his health back. I forget Julian is in time out. I hear him calling out sorry while I’m on the phone.

11:30 – Julian out of time out and I put on the TV for him. I crash – not really sleeping but not awake.

12:00pm – My best friend puts a pasta lunch on our adjoining walls for me and Jules. My saviour.

12:41pm: Too tired to write the rest of my day down.