7:10 am- Mike is away on a business trip so I woke up with Shelby's sweet hand on my neck. I slipped out of bed at the sound of Mariah jumping in her crib yelling Mama.
7:15 am- I was sitting on the couch drinking a cup of coffee, checking my emails, changing Mariah's diaper and enjoying some one on one cuddle time with the youngest girl in the house.
7:30 am- baby #1 is fed and playing as I begin to clean up the living room and kitchen of the night before's mess. I pray, more like a conversation than anything which helps me begin thinking about my day, what I want to accomplish vs. what I need to accomplish.
7:35 am- I decide I need a second cup of coffee with my beet, carrot, chocolate doughnut. (See other blog for recipe)
7:59 am- Shelby realizes I am gone and is now standing in the kitchen wrapped up in her blankie demanding her breakfast. I smile and take a swig of coffee before I remind her that she knows where the pantry is. (Something I learned after child #3 was to teach them to make instant oatmeal from the hot water tap on the water cooler. It is a survival skill all 4 year olds should learn.)
8:03 am- I am cleaning up the instant oatmeal and water from the floor.
8:15 am- Gabe comes up the stairs. He hugs me, grabs a bowl, spoon and packet of instant oatmeal. No words expressed, no demands made, with all the maturity of a 6 year old he makes his own breakfast....I think there is hope, yet.
8:45 am- David emerges from the basement dressed in full winter apparel. I remind him that today will be 83 degrees, he takes off one layer. I shrug my shoulders and eat another veggie doughnut.
9 am- Micah is heard in the background, "ba-na-na-na-na-na". I ask David to go get him for me as I wipe off the dinner from the highchairs. I check my fb, post a pithy status, ask Gabe to feed the dog, throw some scattered clothing down the stairs, start the dishwasher, check my pocket calendar, clean up oatmeal from the table and take out the trash...all before David returns with his youngest brother.
9:12 am- Lindsey comes up the stairs. I announce to everyone that the van will be leaving in 18 minutes to take Shelby to her skating lesson and ask her to get dressed as I walk to my room gathering shoes as I go. I toss them all in pile by the front door and wake up Briana to babysit the rest while I am gone.
9:35 am- Shelby and I are in the car headed to the rink when I remember I haven't charged my phone in days. I am low on battery and my fb status is texting me....taunting me with frivolous energy it is wasting.
10:03 am- we arrive at the rink. Shelby goes out on the ice and I go to the office to complete the details of a hockey fundraising idea I have volunteered myself for. I don't know why I volunteered myself and as I walk away I start to feel slightly crazy, but shake it off and carry on, happily.
10:45 am- after a short chit chat with Shelby's coach we are headed home to pick up kids for National Day of Prayer. Shelby finishes her 2nd sausage burrito (see other blog) and tries to convince me she is still hungry.
11:15 am- I tell all the kids that are going to get in the car. The babies start to fuss, Briana volunteers to stay home so they can nap, Shelby slams the door and calls me a meanie for not giving her more food, Lindsey quietly gets into the car, Gabe fills his pockets with 34 matchbox cars to play with during prayer, David says he is staying home to help Briana because he is too hot (remember he is in winter clothes) and I grab a water bottle and Greek yogurt remembering I haven't eaten breakfast yet. I finally plug in my phone (that is now completely dead) and leave the pouting Shelby at home.
11:30-12:15 - we joined others in our community for National Day of Prayer. It was so wonderful. It was so relaxing. It was beautiful weather and I was able to catch up with old friends. I was sitting in the sunlight wishing I had brought them all, but after and hour I was thankful I just had Gabe and Lindsey to keep up with.
12:30-1:30 I decided, since I only had two kids with me, I would run into the grocery store and use up some great coupons before they expire. Gabe talks me into a "real" doughnut from the bakery. We ate them in the car so no one else would know.
2 pm- I am home unpacking groceries when the kids inform me that Shelby was a terror while I was gone. She is sweetly sitting at the table acting innocent, studying my face and I am sure planning an exit strategy. Come to find out she was furious that I had left her and she kept running outside on the driveway. Briana put on the house alarm to keep up with her, but eventually ADT called to make sure everything was okay after several alarm triggers. David answered the call and he unfortunately didn't know the secret password, therefore alerting 911 and the police were soon knocking at our front door. They inspected the house, saw the kids were okay and left.
2:04 pm- I picked my jaw up off the kitchen floor and thought I was so glad I didn't have my cell phone on me during prayer. Briana agreed. She deserves a raise.
2:05-3pm- I was on the phone with a friend sharing our crazy lives with one another.
3-3:30 I watched babies play in the splash pool on the deck. I decided it was not productive enough, so I gave the option to the teenagers to babysit or finish mowing the lawn. They decided to sit on the deck by the splash pool...I got to mow the rest of the lawn. It's okay, it is quiet on the lawn tractor (a different kind of quiet.)
5:00- 5:07 -I jumped in the shower and got redressed for the rink. I told Shelby to get out of her swimsuit, because I wasn't leaving her at home this time.
5:30 Briana drove us to Gabe's hockey practice after a slight detour to buy movie tickets for the midnight premier of Avengers.
6pm- At the rink I was able to sit still for an hour and just watch my boy skate. I made Shelby sit right next to me the whole time. She kept telling me she loved me, my little firecracker.
7:40 pm- we were on our way home when Briana stopped the car to take a picture of the coolest clouds with her IPOD.
8:02 pm- we pulled into Papa Murphy's for pizza....they closed at 8, seriously. We turned around and ran through Taco Bell and grabbed a 12 pack of tacos. Gabe was not impressed. He wanted pizza.
8:35 pm- we are home and put on the movie (We bought a Zoo) rented from the Red Box at the grocery store. I didn't even cry until the end of it, I thought I would make it without crying, oh well.
10:36 pm- Gabe and Shelby asked several questions about mommies dying. They both laid their heads on my lap and we talked about appreciating everyday we have to breathe here on this earth. We also talked about the importance of telling those you love that you love them.
11pm- everyone is in bed (except for Briana who facebooked that she was at the theater with friends for the midnight show) I decided to write a blog to help me stay up until she gets home.
12 midnight- I am feeling like today was pretty ordinary. My mom visited a few months ago and said that she is exhausted just watching me. I understand after looking at this list, but I prefer to think that I am just a 'high capacity' person.
The truth is that we are all busy in our own way. We place value on what we love and we invest our time accordingly. I adore my family. I have a lot of people to invest in. It takes up most of my time and I wouldn't have it any other way.
When I look back at my childhood I don't see piles of laundry or dishes I see Candyland and Chutes and Ladders in the basement, sledding down the hill with my brothers, singing with my daddy and shopping for the perfect dress for a dance with my mother. Relationships are what we carry in our memories, the good, the bad and the ugly. Sometimes it is good to stop and think about where our time is being invested.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
Wow. Apparently I am much more capable than I realize. After reading your list, I am much more motivated to pick up the basement and love on my kiddos (even when their sick and driving me crazy with how much laundry and Lysol cleaning I've had to do in the past three days). Thanks!
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