"A day in the life" of us is about due. I like doing these every once in awhile so I can look back and remember just how our days went. It's true what they say, the days are long, but the years are short. If I'm not recording these things, I forget them. A day in the life of a SAHM of 3 kids, 4.5 and under, is tiring, but so rewarding. Our days are FULL and yet I somehow feel like I've gotten nothing accomplished all day. It's good to record our days and see just how much happens in one day... all the snuggling, all the nursing, all the playing, all the fighting, all the laundry.
Here are the other "day in the life of us" posts I have done: July 2020, February 2021, and July 2022.
Our days usually start with whoever is up first. I wish I was a morning person and I really hope to be someday, but I'm currently getting up so many times a night that those few extra minutes of sleep are not worth giving up. Last night I woke up 13 times by 2:00am and stopped counting after that. If I'm not nursing (hourly), then I am putting the paci back in or rocking a restless baby back to sleep.
SO our days start with the first to rise (sometime between 6:00-7:00). If it's Isla, she comes downstairs on her own and if it's Ewan then Michael goes and gets him. Since Michael can't breastfeed (and I'm definitely not bitter about that), he gets up with the big kids and starts their breakfast while I grab a few extra minutes of sleep.
By 7:00, Michael has to "go to work" (in our basement) so I have to get up. Eleanor usually keeps sleeping in our bed. First things first, C O F F E E.
Usually by the time I'm in the kitchen, Ewan is ready for second breakfast. That kid can eat. Sourdough toast all around!
Isla's favorite breakfast, currently:
Today I somehow got to sit and eat breakfast and hot coffee. That is definitely not the norm. I try to read my devotional and/or Scripture during this time with a quick prayer of "Lord help me to be like you today". That's all I have time for right now.
Breakfast is full and long in our house. The kids are always hungry first thing in the morning. And Isla likes to listen to her audiobooks which adds more time onto her breakfast. I sure am glad we have the freedom and ability to have a slow morning. Usually Eleanor wakes up shortly after the kids are working through breakfast. Of course, today Ewan played a trumpet and that woke Eleanor up. Lucky us, she wakes up so happy, usually around 7:00/30.
Isla likes to help with Eleanor in everything. So she helped get her out of her sleepsuit.
Ewan still needs me to change him and get him dressed, so it's a scramble while I change Eleanor for the day and then get Ewan changed too. He's also "sort of potty training" himself right now, meaning if the mood is right he'll wear undies and sit on the potty. I fully believe kids can train themselves when they're ready. I'm just along for the ride. Isla heads upstairs to dress herself, make her bed, and brush her teeth. Ewan is hit or miss if he'll brush his teeth independently.
Then the kids fight play while I get ready for the day! Getting ready is a quick thing for me- a little makeup, new clothes (usually sweats), and teeth brushed ALL while holidng a clingy baby :) If you're wondering when I clean myself, I don't.
Just kidding, I bathe every night, but I definitely only wash my hair on the weekends because Michael is home with the kids. Washing your hair infrequently is healthy for it, right?
Eleanor needs breakfast now, so nursing session #1.
With spectators :)
Even the dog hates mornings.
By the time we are all dressed and ready for the day, it's about 8:00. Then it's maintenance time, meaning I do all the things I need to do to get our day started.
Make the bed:
Start a load of laundry and let the dog out:
Clean the kitchen from breakfast stuff:
Unload the dishwasher:
And then the first of the snack complaints begin. If I allowed it, my children would snack and snack and snack all day.
Feed the sourdough starter:
Fill the berkey water filter:
Fill the diffusers (Have you noticed a little boy close by me during every chore? He likes to shadow me):
During all of this, Eleanor usually rolls around on the floor or sits in her bouncer. So today while I did my maintenance, Eleanor pooped up her back. So onto outfit 2 and it's not even 9:00 yet :)
While I was changing her, I realized we haven't gotten her 6 month picture yet (only 2 weeks late, go me!). So we did that real quick.
I gave up thinking I was going to finish my coffee while still hot, so I dumped that and brushed my teeth ALL while holding Eleanor. This is why she is "behind" in some of her gross motor skills. I literally just carry her around all day.
Dinner prep for tonight (again, while holding Eleanor):
Ewan (my little shadow) wanted to help so he stirred the pork rub and then cleaned up after himself.
Oh look, the snacks have started!
Ok, phew. Morning maintenance is done, kids have played and fought already, and now it's time for Eleanor's first nap (usually around 9:00). So nursing session #2 and nap, while I hope the big kids are playing nicely. They usually leave me alone to do this.
Night night!
Time to switch the laundry:
At 9:00ish we are ready for the meat of our day. If we are going somewhere, I usually load us up and Eleanor takes her nap in the car. Sometimes we have co-op, playdates, trips to the zoo, visits with grandparents, classes, etc. If we are having a home day, we do school. We usually do formal school 2-3 times a week as of right now.
Today, a feisty little brother did not want us reading. So he received his own activity while we continued.
I try to include Ewan when he's interested. Otherwise, he usually plays on his own.
Eleanor woke up just about the time we finished school (which is usually an hour long or so).
Quick diaper change and I told everyone to meet me at our meeting place, which is the garage door. Whenever we are going somewhere, I ask them to get shoes on and pile into the car. They usually do that, but Ewan does NOT like to be buckled right now. Isla went through this around 2.5, as well.
I always get all 3 kids in and then go back inside to get our stuff and take a breather. Personally, I think the hardest part about having 3 kids is the stinkin' car. I have to crawl through the trunk to buckle Isla, meanwhile Ewan is refusing to sit in his seat, and Eleanor is screaming because she hates the car. Getting in and out is such a stressful experience that I usually do drive-thru errands only (the one thing that the pandemic did right was making businesses curbside!). But today, we needed to pick up our drive-thru library books and I needed to pick up a gift card for someone, so off we went!
Normally, if we are home, 10:00 is when the kids (and sometimes me and Eleanor) head outside to play. I get chores done during this time too. Today, we had short errands to run.
By the time we got home, it was almost time for lunch. One of the best parts of Michael working from home is that he can usually help me when we arrive at home. He comes out to the garage and unloads kids, books, groceries, etc. before heading back to his meetings.
The kids sprinted outside to their new swingset while I started making lunch. But not before nursing session #3. After a small dispute, the kids came in and wanted to read a few of their new library books. So of course I made time for that before starting lunch.
Eleanor did not want to be set down, per usual, so I made everything one handed. I'm a pro at this point.
Lunch today: cream cheese bagels, fruit, veggies (kale for Isla- her favorite food and pepper for Ewan), chocolate drizzled dried mango, and protein (trailmix and shrimp for Isla and trailmix, yogurt bites, and feta cheese for Ewan).
The kids decided to head back outside to eat their lunch. I usually encourage them to eat outside when it's nicer weather. We are always working on collecting hours outside. They usually eat lunch around 11:30. And usually while listening to an audiobook or podcast.
Another diaper change and an attempt at nap #2, but that ended promptly 3 minutes later when she decided she wasn't tired and just wanted to be held.
So I attempted to make my own lunch while I shifted between holding Eleanor and putting her in the rocker. This is usually what happens, I make my lunch in the little in-between moments and just hope I get to eat it eventually.
"Ahhh a delicious salad, sleeping baby, and playing children" *snaps the picture* then a crying baby who again doesn't want to sleep, fighting children, and my realization that it's just about nap time. We start our nap routine about 12:15.
For nap, Isla goes to the bathroom and Ewan gets a pull-up change (and full outfit change today because he wanted to). Then we all settle in and they each pick a book out for me to read. Lately, Ewan has been having a really hard time with this step of the day. Unfortunately, our nap usually begins with quite a bit of tears from him. And no matter how I re-work our schedule or try to figure it out, I can't make him happy. But eventually rest/nap time starts at 12:30. Ewan almost immediately falls asleep and Isla has a 1.5-2 hour rest time. I make her a rest time bin that she gets to have every day full of things like coloring books, manipulatives, small toys, crafts, etc. She does a pretty good job of staying in her room for the duration of the rest time. And every once in a rare while, she crawls into bed and falls asleep. But it's important for me to have this break during the day, so for the time being she will continue with rest time.
Today, I finally got Eleanor down after I nursing session #4, but usually she goes down before the big kids. On days like today she just has to be carried around while I get the big kids down.
Finally I get to eat my lunch, drink that coffee I forgot about, and watch the kids on the monitor. I call this moment my union break :) I eat lunch while I scroll social media, read a book, or sit there and stare. Sometimes I even treat myself to using the bathroom without anyone in there watching me (like it usually goes 99% of the time).
Another load of laundry (I've lost track of how many this is today).
Rest/nap time is from 12:30-2:00 for Isla and usually Eleanor, but Ewan does about a 3 hour nap still. During naptime, I do some cleaning, reading, resting, and preparing. Sometimes I have to work on something for dinner, sometimes I need to clean all the bathrooms, sometimes I have to plan out school, sometimes I need to lay down too. Eventually I'd like to get back to yoga during this time, but my postpartum self is not ready for that yet.
Today I made coleslaw for dinner:
Cleaned some of our school supplies up:
Read a little bit of my book:
And got a visit from Michael. He usually comes up a couple times a day for a quick hello and help, but most days during rest time we get a few minutes to chat.
And I always prep Isla's afternoon activity. I kind of consider it an extension of her schooling. Her afternoon activity is either a science experiment or an artistic activity. Today, I set her up with baking soda and vinegar. It's not always extravagant, it's just something to get her creative juices flowing and to do something that little brother can't do. It's her time to be a big 4 year old!
When I turn the bird noise on her nightlight from my phone, she knows it's time to come out of her room. Eleanor wakes up around the same time. Isla does her afternoon activity and then we try to read a little from her current chapter book. Right now that's The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. Today, Isla needed some more vinegar, so I made the most of my time and cleaned the toilets while I had the vinegar out (I use vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils). This is how house cleaning tends to go, I do bits and pieces when I can, but never a whole bathroom at a time. No time for that!
During Isla's activity, I tried some more food with Eleanor leftover from my salad. Once again she had no interest, but I'm trying to have her taste all the allergen-trigger foods ASAP.
Ewan usually wakes up and everyone is officially awake by 3:00ish. The kids get snack and I take my snack of supplements :) I gave Ewan some zinc too because he was feeling a little under the weather today.
From 3:00/30-5:00/30 its play time and we do our best to make that outside! Oh and nursing session #5.
Michael usually gets off work around 4:00 and joins us! But today we went on a walk while Michael mowed. Sometimes we all venture out somewhere when he's done working, like a restaurant or store. In the summer we like to go Nana and Pop Pop's pool for a quick swim and dinner.
As we get closer to dinner, the kids make their way in and clean up. Eleanor needed a diaper change and then I noticed her nails needed trimming, so I took care of her while Michael finished up the yard. Then it was time for her last nap of the day.
Michael and I take turns making dinner, it usually just depends on what it is being cooked. For instance, he always does the grilling and I do the more detailed meals. But the deal is whoever does the cooking, the other one does the dishes. If I'm making dinner, I usually have a couple helpers in the kitchen.
Then it's dinner time around 5:15/30! We serve our kids what we are eating with one food we know they'll eat (like fruit). So sometimes they don't eat much dinner. But in the time we are all sitting there we share our highs and lows of the day and talk about what we did that day.
I am really good at eating one handed ;) Eleanor usually wakes up by dinnertime and we try to include her.
Then it's a divide and conquer type situation until bedtime. The kids play a little bit while we finish cleaning up (put laundry away, vacuum, dishes, etc.). Michael usually handles bathtime with the big kids while I finish cleaning up or giving Eleanor a bath. Whatever I am doing, it's always with Eleanor in hand. At this point of the day, she just doesn't want to be set down.
We try to call one of the grandparents or family too. Today we talked to Osso (Uncle Ethan's dog).
After bath, the kids watch a 9 minute show called Peep and the Big Wide World. That's why they like taking baths so much, it's their one chance of a screen except for Sunday movie night. But we use that time to trim their nails, brush tangly hair, and get pjs on. And the kids always get "bedtime carrots", as we so lovingly call them. It's their snack before bed and when they refuse to eat dinner, a carrot sure sounds appetizing.
At 6:30, I finish out with getting Eleanor ready for bed with all the creams, oils, and supplements she might need. Then it's in jammies and nursing session #6 begins, which lasts a long time. It's her little way of snuggling me before bed. While this is going on, Michael works with the big kids to brush their teeth and pick out books. If I get Eleanor down in time, I join them for books and snuggles. Oof, you can see the exhaustion in my face :)
Ewan requires one song and a snuggle and he's good to go. Isla likes one of us to lay with her a few minutes. We usually talk about our day and end with prayers. Even though we are tired, Michael and I do our best to savor these sweet bedtime moments. Then it's lights out at 7:00 (give or take).
I get things ready for the morning, like my coffee ready to go and lunches packed if we are going somewhere. If I know we have a big outing the next day, I pack the car with whatever we might need so it's easier to get out the door.
Michael and I finish the day with some tv and dessert. Tonight I made no-bakes because I realized we didn't have any dessert. Then I promptly remembered I'm supposed to be cutting out nuts (like peanut butter) for my diet because Eleanor is reacting poorly. Oops.
While we watch tv, I grocery shop online once a week, write my blog, shop online for whatever we might need, research child behavior, plan homeschool, or scroll social media.
At 9:00 I bathe, the dog gets fed, I crawl into bed, I read a chapter or two from my book, the lights go out, and I peacefully sleep until I can do it all over again tomorrow. And that's a day in our life!
Just kidding, Eleanor is up 13+ times a night. I'll rest when I'm dead.
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