I know, I know. I am a stay at home mom.
And, common, how hard can it be to just grab the phone and give you a call, right?
It's not you, it's me. I promise.
I think about calling you sometimes. Some other times, I just forget to grab the phone to call anyone. Or maybe, just maybe, I get a little busy!
Want an idea of what busy means to me?
Here:
* And by posting this one-day journal, I hope no one judges me on how I mother my children. This is NOT by any means how I live my life every day. But just an idea of how one day at the Shelton househoold can be! Some days can be a lot crazier than others, that's for sure!
Ok, after waking up several times, to feed my baby girl and getting, what? 4-6 interrupted hours of sleep total, I am ready to start my day with my peanuts!
Nothing really planned today. Just another playful day with the kids. Daddy is gone again, so I just want to take it as easy as I can, so I don't get too exhausted at the end of the day. (if that is even possible)
I think it's safe to say that around 7:15 A.M, we are all up and at it.
They are both in bed with me by this time. (Jonathan is waking up now in the middle of the night to come cuddle up with me and fall asleep. Julianna gets to join us for her last feeding of the night, which is usually around 4 or 5 A.M.)
We stay in bed for a little while. They are both super happy morning babies. Lots of kisses. Lots of I love you's. Lots of tickles and giggles... I just love love love my mornings with my babes!
We can't stay in bed long, since Jonathan is now fully potty trained and we have to run to the potty pretty quick for his morning pipi!
So we do that.
Then of course, brush our teeth. Make the bed. Change Julianna's diaper. Take both of their PJ's off . Get them dressed. Get myself dressed. Talk to Jodi... etc etc....
Normal morning stuff for everyone. No big deal.
8:00 ish Come downstairs.
(*and of course, these are approximate timeframes*)
8:01 to about 10:00, is normally a busy time for me. I seriously do not get to sit down for a few hours.
8:01 - Let punky out. (She also needs to go outside first thing in the morning.) Let her back in.
(When we first moved here, I would take her out with both kids, wait till she was done and come back in. As you can see, that's NOT the case anymore! One word: Retractable leash! Put in on her, open the door, leave handle inside, close the door, wait for her to finish her business and stand in the door waiting for me to open it, open the door, take leash off! and Viola! It works for me!)
8:10 - Fed Julianna her breakfast (yummy oatmeal, apple, vanilla baby food. She likes that!)
8:15 - Jojo is still hungry. "Momma! I want the red cereal". (meaning, Froot Loops. The box is red)
8:30 - Jojo made a huge mess with the cereal and milk and spilled it all over the table and floor. Cleaned it.
8:40 - Had to put the tablecloth in the washer. (that's how dirty jojo got it)
8:45 - Washed dishes. Sterelized bottles. Cleaned up the kitchen. All this, while holding Julianna 70% of the time. She can be a little clingy sometimes!
9:10 - Played a little bit with them on the floor. I loooove chasing after Julianna. I crawl behind her and she giggles as she crawls away from me. Soooo cute!!!
9:20 - Punky needs to go outside again. This time for a little longer, if you know what I mean. I let her out. Let her back in.
9:25 - Went outside, picked up after her and came back inside! ughhhh!!! I hate this!!! GROSS!!! And it was 2 days worth, since I didn't do it yesterday! I really grosses me out. But, gotta do what I gotta do.
9:30 - Took all the garbage out before the garbage truck passed by.
9:35 - Checked my email and facebook for a little. Yes, I guess I could've called you now. BUT, the kids are still trying to get my attention. I ignore them for a little. I am SURE you do NOT want kids screaming in the background while we talk, right? ha!
Plus! You are at work anyways. You would have not even answered.
9:50 - Grabbed myself a snack. And by snack, I refer to a Samoa Girl Scout cookie.
9:51 - Grabbed another one.
10:00 - "Mamma, I got pipi!" (meaning, he has to go pee) This can take over 5 minutes, since it's a whole process. Everything is "Mamma, I DO IT!!!" From taking his little spiderman undies off, to pushing the stool closer, putting his seat on the toilet, getting up there, doing what he went in there to do, flush the toilet, get down, put the stool back in the corner, put the little toilet seat back the hook that it goes in, put the underwear back on (I am only allowed to help with this), wash his hands, dry them and get him out of there.
(And if I do any of the previously mentioned, without his permission, forget it!)
10:15 - Grabbed another cookie!
10:20 - Nursed Julianna. Who decided to fall asleep while holding her. I knew as soon as I moved, she would wake up and she was too cranky for me to let that happen. She NEEDED her little nap. So I sat there, frozen, with her in my arms for a little while, while watching Kathy Lee and Hoda and Jonathan play with his little cars. (I love Kathy Lee and Hoda! They are so cute and funny)
10:50 - Julianna is up :-)
11:00 - Cut the watermelon up so I can give to Jojo next time he says "I am hungry".
11:05 - Put tablecloth in the drier.
11:10 - Checked on facebook again to see if there were any funny/interesting status updates... Nothing much going on! Most of them are about how cold it is and pictures of snow. Pretty impressive though.
11:33 A.M. - Jodi calls to check up on us, say hello and tell me he loves me.
11:33 A.M (as well) - Jojo decides he needs to know where his red screwdriver was. "Jojo! I don't know! Why don't you look for it?" "Momma, Momma, Momma!!! I CAN'T FIND IT!!!!" We couldn't find it. Jojo moved on to play with another toy.
11:33 A.M (yep!) - Punky decides she needs to go outside AGAIN! It's hard to ignore her, since she stands in front of the door and scratches it until she is outside! What is UP with this dog????
11:36 - Grabbed another cookie!
11:42 - Jonathan decides he "wants bread". I serve him a slice with peanut butter and of course "Grape jelly! Grape Jelly!!!".
12:00 - Time for Bubble Guppies. And if you are truly a stay at home mom and allow your kids to watch cartoons (from time to time, of course (cough, cough), you know who the Bubble Guppies are.
12:02 - Cleaning/organizing paused. My good friend, Ana Isabel, called me. She has an 8 month old baby girl too and we couldn't stop talking about our little dolls. (I haven't talked to her in a few months)
12:47 - Off the phone. Back to business. Julianna is bored. She needs some attention!
12:54 - Punky is hungry or thirsty. She scratches the bowls and barks until served.
12:55 - Time for an afternoon snack. One of our favorites, a bag of Edamame.
1:40- Our friends Natalie and Barbarita arrive!!! Jojo gets super excited! and so does Julianna!!
Time
Third time worked (after letting her cry for 3 or 4 minutes! Broke my heart into one billion pieces, but I knew she was super tired and HAD to fall asleep sooner than later)
2:20 - Served everybody lunch. Chicken tenders, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes (the last two were leftovers).
2:25 - She is BACK UP! ugh! Stubborn little baby! Went and got her.
2:40 - Cleaned up the lunch mess.
2:55 - Jojo needed to go to the potty again.
3:00 - Took the kids to the playground (hoping Julianna would fall asleep in her carseat like she usually does. Didn't happen!)
4:30 - Brought the garbage back into the garage. Put clean tablecloth back on the table.
4:35 - Jodi called again.
4:40 - Cleaned a little more.
All while holding Julianna. She had not napped much and was very tired. Was going to be an interesting afternoon/night.
5:00 - Started cooking dinner. On the menu today: Tilapia and Asparagus.
6:20 - Cleaned up all the kitchen mess.
Don't forget, all these tasks have to be performed while holding or trying to comfort and feed a cranky baby and allowing your "I wanna help you, 2 year old" "help" with everything you are doing.
"Yes Jojo, you can put that garlic clove in that gralic presser so I can squeeze it".
7:00 - Grabbed everything I needed and headed upstairs with both kids.
7:01 - 7:50 - More playtime! This is my hour of uninterrupted playtime with the kids. (Well, I do have ET on, so I may be listening to it while I try to teach Jojo the letter U, Z and X" (wink wink)
Gosh! these kids sure can make a mess in 2.7 seconds!! lol
8:00 - Shower time. Showered with both kids. I have a big enough shower to fit all 3 of us there with enough space for them to move around. The kids have fun. Me, hmmm, let's just say I am ready for Jodi to come back so I can shower alone! lol
8:15 - Me and Julianna are out of the shower. Jojo stays in playing until I am done.
8:45 - Both kids are asleep. (I should insert a picture of my happy face here!)
8:50 - Transferred both kids to their "sleep quarters".
9:00 - ME TIME!!! AHHH!!!!
More girl scout cookies, my laptop, my butt on the couch and some reality show :-)
9:01 - Punky wants to go outside! ahhh!!! grr! Got up and took her out.
9:04 - Back on the couch! yes!
I stay up until I can't handle being up any longer (usually past midnight). Go upstairs, watch a little more tv and fall asleep.
(1:00 AM - Julianna is up!)
Now, you MUST add a few extra pipi breaks in there that I know I forgot to include and definitely, a few more diaper changes.
A few extra feedings for Julianna. (she finds so much comfort and gets so cuddly and happy when she is nursed! I can't help it, I enjoy it so much too! So, I still do it quite often.)
Tons of little
Lots of little "i love you" moments with them (yes, all day! everyday! hugging them, kissing them, tickling them! I can't do it enough! I better, I am a stay at home mom for a reason, right?;-) )
Many, many " Jojo! Share your toy with your Sister!", "Jojo, she was playing with that, that's not nice!", "Jojo! be careful with sister, she is right behind you! (since now Julianna follows him everywhere!), " What do you say? Say Please, please! Say Thank you Mamma!" .... etc etc
A few extra activities (some coloring, some running around, some playing hide and seek)
Constantly picking up little things Jojo leaves behind so that Julianna doesn't "eat" them.
A few little trantrums and time outs. (Although, I have to admit, Jojo has been doing great lately)
Making sure Julianna doesn't get hurt, now that she is NON stop.
And just some other everyday things that add up to the mix and make it even a lovelier day! ;-)
(And of course, today, taking pictures for this particular post.)
So yes, I am
I am one to hate excuses, and this whole post sounds like one. But that's just the way my life goes.
This is NOT to say I don't love it. I do. I choose to stay home and have my days be filled with potty breaks, children screaming and a lot of picking up toys.
I love you anyways and I promise, once the kids are what? in school? I will get better at it... I will call you so much, you are going to have to block my number!
haha! nah! not me! But you get the point!
Thank you for not understanding me all these times when I told you I was busy and apologized.
I hope this helped.
I love you and talk to you
J
