Here's a pretty typical Sunday for us:
3:30 AM: Wake up to nurse Mary Claire (who has been asleep since 7:30 - not too shabby). Consider waking Elizabeth to nurse her, but decide to see if she'll last until morning on her own.
3:50 AM: Go downstairs to get back in bed. Hear Elizabeth fussing upstairs (asleep since 7, woke to nurse at 11).
4:15 AM: Finish nursing Elizabeth, grab some water from the fridge only to have an open box of crackers fall on my head, spilling crackers on the floor. Leave them there as a morning treat for the big kids. Back to sleep.
6 AM: Elizabeth is awake. Andrew brings her to bed and I nurse her briefly, at which point she has decided to giggle and coo. Andrew puts her upstairs in the swing.
6:45 AM: Mary Claire is awake for the day. Nurse her and get some toys for her to play with.
7:05 AM: Elizabeth is awake, too. Start getting breakfast ready for all 4 kids, stick cinnamon rolls (from a tube) in the oven for a Sunday treat.
7:15 AM: Big kids are up and John Paul is already whining. Clearly it's gonna be an awesome day. Tell big kids that they may have some cinnamon roll after they finish their breakfast (frozen waffle, kiwi, apple, yogurt with cereal - trying to cram them full of food before Mass).
7:40 AM: Eat half a cinnamon roll and drink some coffee while Andrew puts away dishes. Head downstairs to get dressed while he gets all 4 kids cleaned up and dressed.
7:50 AM: Cecilia walks into the room as I'm changing my underwear. "Wemember not to poop on me, Mom!" she exclaims. I promise you I have never forgotten.
8:10 AM: Big kids are dressed and ready to go to Mass. John Paul has eaten all of his breakfast and gotten some cinnamon roll. Cecilia has had a cup of milk, a slice of apple, and a few bites of yogurt. Grab John Paul's MagnifiKid and some mass worksheets that Andrew printed, and get the big kids buckled.
8:20 AM: Arrive at Mass to see a man putting out a "Coffee and Donuts" sign. Bribe, bribe, bribe the kids to do an awesome job at Mass.
8:25 AM: Walk into Mass and let John Paul pick the pew. Watch him walk forward, forward, forward, until he decides on the very front pew directly behind where the priests and altar boys sit (churches built in the round: WHY???). Threaten, threaten, threaten that behavior must be ABSOLUTELY perfect or Father will hear them and be VERY disappointed.
We actually got through Mass relatively unscathed - John Paul had a sudden desperate bathroom emergency at the end of the Homily, but we missed very little and weren't *too* distracting as we exited and entered.
9:25 AM: Donuts & apple juice for the kids, who didn't even come CLOSE to fighting the entire Mass, and whispered and said most of the prayers. Hallelujah!
Dress: H&M
Shirt: Kohl's
Belt: Kohl's
Shoes: DSW
Cecilia's dress was an awesome consignment find yesterday, John Paul's is clearance Janie & Jack.
Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday - check it out, Christy's guest-hosting this week and I love her blog! She's one that has even more on her plate than I do, and I love being able to commiserate!
9:40 AM: Back home to a silent house - babies both still napping, Andrew getting ready for Mass. Take a quick picture with the kids, grab them lollipops (yes, they already got donuts... But we weren't prepared for that as a reward and they did a LOT better than usual, so they got two treats...), and get changed into nursing-friendly clothes. Lament the fact that all my comfy skirts are dirty. Put on leggings and an oversized shirt with the promise to change later if we go out.
9:45 AM: Elizabeth is awake after a lengthy 35-minute nap. Of course. Nurse, nurse, nurse, while trying to get the big kids to stay at the table with their lollipops.
9:55 AM: Andrew comes upstairs, dressed and ready to go, only to see that John Paul has stopped up the bathroom sink and left the water running, flooding the floor. John Paul and Andrew (mostly Andrew) clean it up and Andrew leaves for rehearsal and Mass.
10:15 AM: John Paul and Cecilia change out of their Mass clothes into sweatpants and a polo shirt (John Paul) and a long-sleeved trapeze dress (Cecilia). Current temperature: 86 degrees. Vatever.
10:25 AM: Wake Mary Claire up so that her schedule doesn't get too far off from Elizabeth's. Attempt to nurse her in her bedroom so that Elizabeth doesn't notice and demand to nurse again. Make it approximately 3 minutes before Elizabeth comes in to join us. Change diapers and take babies to the playroom to nurse. For once they don't try to gouge out each other's eyes - they hold hands and gently paw at my stretch marks, since my belly is usually not exposed to them.
John Paul notices that it's snack time, and fetches a giant bag of frozen vegetables as his snack. I fill a bowl and he eats most of it before getting distracted. Cecilia eats another apple slice from her breakfast plate.
10:45 AM: All 4 kids are quietly occupied, so I sneak to the bathroom for a child-free experience. Reach for the toilet paper to realize that it is nice and damp from John Paul's plumbing escapades. And people PAY for wet wipes. Ha!
10:48 AM: Reluctantly leave the bathroom when I hear cries coming from the playroom. Mary Claire and Elizabeth are fighting over John Paul's belt, which he so thoughtfully left on the floor for them to play with. Send Cecilia to put it away.
 |
| Aaaand this is what the playroom looks like... |
11:20 AM: After reading various books and playing with various toys and nursing on and off, I help Cecilia switch the pink doll shirt from Brown Bear to Bubble Puppy. She puts Bubble Puppy in a plastic bin in the tent for naptime, and I rescue the babies as she gets VERY upset that they might dare to disturb Bubble Puppy's slumber. I notice that it's getting close enough to lunchtime to justify starting early, so I offer choices: PB&J or leftover pizza.
PB&J, they both choose. Only then I remember that for the first time in YEARS, we are out of jelly. Soooo I take quick stock of the fridge and realize that we have week-old leftover chicken and broccoli, along with last night's leftover penne. A quick skillet meal and a rare hot lunch, and we're ready to eat.
11:40 AM: I throw the babies in their high chairs with crackers while I finish getting food ready for the big kids. For once I don't strip the babies down, because Elizabeth is wearing a sweater dress with a neck hole that's *just* a little too small, so it's not worth the effort. Maybe bibs will work this time? Cecilia starts eating the rest of her fruit from breakfast (the yogurt was long ago thrown in the sink, don't worry) and John Paul gets some cold pizza as an "appetizer." Big kids are served, babies are served (cold pizza, apple slices, and the rest of John Paul's now-thawed frozen veggies for them).
11:50 AM: John Paul and Cecilia are pretending to be characters from The Magic School Bus - I make a mental note that this time she is Dorothy Ann and he is Carlos. I remind Cecilia that she still needs to eat her food. They notice their crowns that they made for Mary's Coronation and decide to wear those during lunch.
11:55 AM: Mary Claire's tray is empty - I rescue all the food she has dropped from her lap and her tray is full again. Remind Cecilia to eat.
12:00: Contemplate getting lunch for myself, but realize that anything I want to eat, the kids will want to eat. I don't like sharing.
12:05: Rescue more food from Mary Claire's lap. Remind Cecilia to eat.
12:10: Cecilia is now wearing thigh-high knit socks my grandmother made, John Paul is wearing a robot costume. Tell John Paul to finish his last bite, remind Cecilia to eat.
12:15: John Paul is done and straps on his snow boots to play in the back yard (current temperature: 92 degrees), in hopes that the neighbor boys will want to come play with him. Rescue Mary Claire from the high chair and give her leftovers to Elizabeth. Bib effectiveness? Approximately 50% of the food still ended up working its way under the bib.
 |
| Bubble Puppy is watching her on top of the table so that the babies don't get him |
12:20: Cecilia is now wearing her Halloween costume and sitting at the table eating her breakfast waffle. Mary Claire is crawling under Elizabeth's high chair eating what she drops. John Paul is bellow-whining from the back yard because the neighbor boys aren't home.
12:25: Give Cecilia one more bite and tell her it's potty and naptime.
12:28: Cecilia wants to nap in just her underwear.
12:30: Cecilia has changed into a different dress and decided to wear her new patterned skirt underneath. Give John Paul his camera and send him outside to take pictures while Mary Claire gazes longingly out the window at him.
 |
| What can I say, I've raised a fashion icon? |
12:35: Cecilia wants to nap in her original trapeze dress.
12:40: Change Elizabeth's diaper, attempt to nurse her until John Paul bursts in to take a picture of me, put her down in the swing for a nap.
Nap #1, check!
12:45: Check on Mary Claire and see that she's playing quietly. Read to Cecilia (Amelia Bedelia Sleeps Over, "Because dere are girls, just wike me!"), pray, and sing.
Nap #2, check!
12:50: John Paul is doing a potty dance while taking pictures. Order him to the bathroom, only to have him stall until he pees a tiny bit in his underwear. Take him downstairs to get a new pair from the dryer and camera time is over.
12:55: Read John Paul his choice of story (Jesus is Taken to the Tomb), pray, sing.
Nap #3, check!
1:05: Change Mary Claire's diaper, nurse her, put her in swing to nap.
Nap #4, check!
1:10: Make myself a salad, cheese, crackers, and apple for lunch. Sit down and start writing this out until Andrew gets home!
Whew! I'll stop there - this is way too long already and our day gets less hectic once we have a 2:1 child:adult ratio. If you made it to the end, I'm amazed!
Hey, I'm always amazed when you make it to the end! Typing while nursing can't be all that easy!
ReplyDeleteI am loving your daughters sense of style. Color is king!! I am so glad you went to early Mass. It was way to hot today for tights. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteShe got to "help" pick out "new" clothes at the consignment store and now she wants to wear it all together :P
DeleteWhat a great consignment find! And I love the colors in your outfit- they make me think of fall, even if the weather is not cooperating. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad church went well! There must be something in the air; I was soloing with all three and it went fine too.
ReplyDeleteI love your outfit...that shirt and skirt look great together! I love Cecilia's hat as well! Glad Mass went well. And, I don't think your day by day is boring...I'm always fascinated by other people's days.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Cecilia was VERY excited to wear that hat, and actually kept it on all through Mass!
DeleteMine decided that the pew's kneeler was a mighty comfy place to sleep, especially while using my wrap as a blanket. I decided it wasn't a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteHey, you take what you can get! The problem is when they start doing that when they're older and keep falling off the kneeler because they think it's funny...
DeleteI did read to the end. Wow, so much nonstop going on... All before 1pm. How do you do it with so little sleep (and nursing during the night)? I am a bear from the newborn age through 9 months/1 year when thy keep through the night. And I am impressed with your patience through meals/snacks, clothing changes, nap times for 4 kids! I feel so lucky to know moms like you exist and get a little perspective on my 2 kids' version of a nonstop day.
ReplyDeleteS-u-p-e-r-w-o-m-a-n. oh my goodness.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part is that you don't like to share so you didn't make your lunch :) So true. I always regret the rare occasions I eat something "special" near Ryan.
Woah. I am exhausted(!!!!) just reading that. How do you do it? Not to be cliched. But really, how do you make it through the day? Cocaine? I kid... but really! You're amazing!
ReplyDeleteCaffeine, an awesome husband, but mostly a LOOOOOT of grace from God! And it helps that I work part-time during the week so I have a break from the kids for a few hours a day... I was home with them all day during the summer and got to the point where it was really okay, but I'm a much happier person when I'm working!
DeleteFour naps in 20 minutes, I'm impressed! Also, I hate eating in front of Michael too unless we're eating the same thing for a meal ... I don't like sharing either. :-P
ReplyDeleteSee! So much work to go to Mass! And wow-wee-I still can't believe you're nursing them. I think that would do me in. But I have a love/hate relationship with breastfeeding. But you looked cute-and thats the most important thing! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the sweet compliments and the link Rosie, you're too kind!
I'm tired just reading this. I usually wait to eat lunch, too, even if it's not til 2pm, just to have a moment of quiet and not sharing. I totally laughed out loud at 7:50am's note.
ReplyDeleteI love the minute-by-minute recap. You're a great mom!
ReplyDeleteYears from now I know I'll wonder, "HOW did I ever do this???" And I'll have this for posterity ;)
DeleteThis was hilarious. And I guess I felt the same way about not sharing my food. An old college friend was visiting me recently, and she reminded me that once when my boys were little, she caught me eating Oreos under a blanket do they wouldn't see me!
ReplyDelete*so
DeleteHa!!! I hid a box of Cheez-its under the bed and the kids found them yesterday and asked for some... So they each got one handful of their choosing, which amounted to about four Cheez-its each. Gotta love tiny toddler hands ;)
DeleteVery cute outfit combination. You look lovely! And the kiddos look great too!
ReplyDeleteI thought you were almost ready to put the kids to bed when you fed them lunch. You are a very busy mom.
ReplyDeleteloved reading this :)
ReplyDelete