Having two children under the age of 3 has taught me something very important. In the short time that I've been a mother of two, I have learned that my time is very precious. I feel like most of my day is consumed with taking care of my children, which isn't a bad thing, mind you. It's simply a fact that in a span of 24 hours, I nurse Brayden 7 times, prepare and clean up after 3 meals and 2 snacks for Benjamin, change about 10 diapers, assist Ben with potty business about 7 times, dress and undress a squirmy baby and a resistant preschooler at least twice, brush one head of beautiful curls as well as a set of shiny white teeth, buckle and unbuckle car seats a minimum of a half dozen times, retrieve a pacifier or a blankie roughly 20 times, put children to bed about 6 times (2 of which require reading books aloud), and give countless hugs, kisses, and snuggles. (By the way, it's this last item that makes all the other tasks worth it.)
The remainder of my day is spent juggling housework, laundry, meal planning, errands, balancing the checkbook and paying bills, helping Nathan with projects around the house, and scheduling our family appointments and commitments. It's no wonder that most days I don't even get out of my pajamas or brush my hair until noon, when the kids go down for a nap. And make-up? Forget about it.
I try desperately to take naps or go to bed early each night, but I just can't seem to make it happen. When I lay down in the afternoon, it's inevitable that the phone will ring, a child will wake up early, or the neighborhood dogs will decide to hold a who-can-bark-the-longest-and-loudest contest. And once the boys are down for the night at 8:00, I use that time to just veg out on the couch and do absolutely nothing for anyone. So I don't get myself into bed until about 10:00 or sometimes later and by that time I am kicking myself for not turning in hours earlier.
Oh, and add in there 2 mornings working outside the home and 1 morning of church, and it's no wonder that poor Brayden doesn't already have 100 pictures of himself like his brother did at this age, that my house constantly looks like a tornado went through it (even though I just cleaned it 5 minutes ago), and one can usually find me in yoga pants and ponytail sans make-up most days of the week.
I am absolutely exhausted and sometimes completely overwhelmed with life right now, but the fact that I have 2 beautiful children and 1 amazing husband to go through it with me makes it all okay. The simple act of Nathan taking my hand, Benjamin telling me he "loves me too," and Brayden sharing one of his precious smiles with me makes my day perfect, actually.
The remainder of my day is spent juggling housework, laundry, meal planning, errands, balancing the checkbook and paying bills, helping Nathan with projects around the house, and scheduling our family appointments and commitments. It's no wonder that most days I don't even get out of my pajamas or brush my hair until noon, when the kids go down for a nap. And make-up? Forget about it.
I try desperately to take naps or go to bed early each night, but I just can't seem to make it happen. When I lay down in the afternoon, it's inevitable that the phone will ring, a child will wake up early, or the neighborhood dogs will decide to hold a who-can-bark-the-longest-and-loudest contest. And once the boys are down for the night at 8:00, I use that time to just veg out on the couch and do absolutely nothing for anyone. So I don't get myself into bed until about 10:00 or sometimes later and by that time I am kicking myself for not turning in hours earlier.
Oh, and add in there 2 mornings working outside the home and 1 morning of church, and it's no wonder that poor Brayden doesn't already have 100 pictures of himself like his brother did at this age, that my house constantly looks like a tornado went through it (even though I just cleaned it 5 minutes ago), and one can usually find me in yoga pants and ponytail sans make-up most days of the week.
I am absolutely exhausted and sometimes completely overwhelmed with life right now, but the fact that I have 2 beautiful children and 1 amazing husband to go through it with me makes it all okay. The simple act of Nathan taking my hand, Benjamin telling me he "loves me too," and Brayden sharing one of his precious smiles with me makes my day perfect, actually.
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