A Day in the life

Do you remember the last time I did this creativity challenge?   Elliot was a baby.  Lucy still slept in a crib.  It was almost exactly 2 years ago.  This was back then:




And this is a day in our life as of this month:



A quick side-by-side comparison reveals a notable increase in the level of chaos, amount of stuff, and number of kids.  And in case you're interested in bigger pictures and the play-by-play (as I know I will be in 10-20 years), this is what it's like.




The day starts between 5:30-6:30 am, when the big kids wake up and begin complaining.  Common first complaints/statements include "he's touching me" (they're currently sleeping on the floor beside our bed), "I need to go potty," "I need to eeeeeeat," "I want to snuggle with you," and, "I can't find my water.  You took it."



Next comes the daily, much beloved ritual of watching the coffee miracle happen.



The kids alternate getting to push the button, but they both get to watch the wonder of fresh coffee poured by a machine whose ability easily beats any barrista's. 

Next is breakfast.  Yogurt, eggs, cereal, bacon... it varies.  This particular morning Lucy enjoyed feeding Oliver yogurt. Note the rat's nest in her hair.  That is there every. single. morning.


The rest of the day is taken up with outdoor play, reading books, nap times, fighting over toys (with mandatory hug time often following), trips to the grocery store, and dinner prep.

We had sweet newborn bunnies for the first time.  They lasted 5 days before some crappy predator got them.  Next year we'll try chicken wire to keep them safe.

Dinner time is often very pleasant, with the kids asking about each person's day.  Sometimes--on nights like tonight--dinner is far less pleasant and actually reminds me of some terrible SNl skit where the mom is driven completely crazy by every-2-second-interruptions and toddler-warrior-cry-like screaming that there aren't enough noodles in the soup.



Mostly it's really nice to sit down together.  Tonight Oliver (after his own share of screaming) signed "more" again and again for more soup.  And that was amazing.



It all ends when the kids crawl into our bed (yes, that's where they fall asleep nowadays) and close their precious, tired eyes.  Daniel and I do our best to recover our strength and mental fortitude in those brief hours before they begin waking for mid-night-potty trips and water-stealing accusations.



This stage of life is wonderful in so, so many ways.  It also somewhat reminds me of the war zone scenes I've witnessed in movies.  But even in those scenes, there is the understanding that the soldiers are fighting for something good.  I suppose it's that way for me, too--when I stop and think about it.