A Day in the Life

Here's a day in the life of our new normal as a family of six!

3:15am- Katherine wakes up to nurse. She's good about going back to sleep right after she eats, and I just feed her in my bed.

6:15am- Nathan comes down and gets in bed with me. Katherine is about to wake up too, so I feed her enough to hold her over until I can get ready and get a few things done and then get up for the day.

6:45am- Our morning officially starts. I get ready for the day, make breakfast for all the kids (Nathan has pumpkin muffins, Samuel eats cereal, and Elisabeth eats cheese toast, cut in the shape of a heart), pack lunches for Samuel and Nathan, feed Katherine again and get her dressed, pick out and bring down clothes for the kids, fix Elisabeth's hair, and supervise everyone getting dressed, chores finished, teeth brushed, and faces washed. Somehow I also find a little time to eat a quick breakfast too. I'm super lenient with screen time in the mornings and let the kids watch their kindles when they're not busy getting ready for the day. It works for us, and I don't feel bad about it.

Thankfully, Baby Sis is usually an angel in the mornings after she has her breakfast. She's content to chill in the swing while I take care of everyone else.

8:50am- Everyone is fed and ready and we load up in the car. I drop off Nathan at school and then drive to Elisabeth's ballet.

9:20am- Elisabeth's ballet class starts. Once she's in her class, I run Samuel to his school and then head back for the rest of Elisabeth's class.

10:00am- Ballet is over. We drive to the doctor and I feed Katherine in the car while Elisabeth eats a snack.

10:40am- We have an appointment for Katherine's two month well check. We read a book in the waiting room before we get called back.

Our sweet baby is a tiny peanut but perfectly healthy and a rock star for those awful shots.

11:30am- The girls and I are back home for the day. Daddy is actually home sick, so I check on him and make lunch for Elisabeth. She requests soup for lunch. I eat lunch too.

12:30pm- We head upstairs to play for a few minutes before naptime. Elisabeth pretends to build a house on the couch.

1:00pm- Elisabeth goes down for a nap. I usually put her down closer to 12:30 on Mondays since we have to pick up Samuel for school, but since Matt is home, she can stay with him when I get Samuel.

While Elisabeth naps, I feed Katherine, and then she has some tummy time while I tackle laundry.

2:15pm- Elisabeth and Matt are both asleep, so Katherine and I slip out and pick up Samuel from school

2:40pm- We're back home and Elisabeth is still napping. Samuel asks to play with play doh.

3:00pm- Elisabeth wakes up and the kids play until we have to leave to pick up Nathan

3:50pm- We leave to get Nathan from school. The kids always like to do ninja tricks in the car while we're waiting on him.

4:05pm- We're back home. I feed Katherine and then make dinner.

5:00pm- Dinner time- I just reheat a freezer meal (enchiladas) that I made before Katherine was born.

6:00pm- I take the kids upstairs for baths. Nathan and Samuel always get out as soon as they are clean, and Elisabeth likes to stay and play for awhile.

6:30pm- Nathan does his homework and Samuel and Elisabeth play downstairs.

7:00pm-Nathan asks to play Monopoly Jr. I supervise while I feed Katherine.

7:30pm- The kids get their kindles for night night shows

7:50pm- We head upstairs for bedtime. We always brush teeth, read a Bible story, read books, practice AWANA verses and then I tuck each person in bed. Nathan and I read a chapter of Charlotte's Web in his room, and Samuel likes to pick out an extra book to read when I'm in his room. The whole process takes FOREVER, but I know those bedtime moments are important, so I try not to rush through anything. Matt takes care of Katherine while I finish up bedtime.

8:45pm- The three big kids are in bed. I do a few things to get ready for bed and then feed Katherine and snuggle her until she falls asleep. She the best little cuddler after her bedtime feeding, and I always have a hard time letting her go and laying her down.

9:45pm- All four kids are asleep. Sometimes Matt and I will stay up a little later and watch a show, but he's exhausted because he's sick, and I'm exhausted because I've had to be single mom while he's recovering, so we both go straight to sleep.

I heard a quote once about how "These are the best days of our lives, and we don't even realize it," and I have a feeling that's what these days are. They are busy and tiring and stressful, but they are also full of the sweetest moments and memories, and I know I'll look back on them with fondness when they're gone.