Week in the Life - Day 3 (Wednesday)

Wednesday

I noticed that today my documenting went more in spurts.  There were times when I had my camera and was constantly jotting things down, and then there would be a few hours where I got busy/caught up in life and didn't get many pictures.  As I work on the blog posts it is tempting for me to edit my photos, especially when it comes to color correction.  I add words directly to the photos, so most of them will be edited before going into my album, but I'm really trying to keep my focus just on the documentation and paring down material this week.   I know if I try to do any more than that I won't be able to sustain it for the week.  So without further ado, our Wednesday.

My alarm went off at 4:30 this morning, I vaguely remember turning it off.  However it wasn't until 5:30 that I actually woke up to the sound of coffee brewing.  Luke is leaving town for work today, so he was home later than normal this morning.  That means I had company on the couch during my morning devotionals and blog reading.

It is COLD and rainy here today, with highs not predicted out of the 50's my autopilot outfit of shorts and a tank wasn't going to cut it.  Time to dig a little further back in the closet.

The kids were up with their chores done by the time I was dressed.

With Luke home I had more uninterrupted time to get everything set up for the daycare day.  Meaning there were no fights I had to break up, and when I heard what sounded like a herd of elephants stomping around upstairs I didn't have to run back up to check out what was going on.  As I was setting up the pack and plays I noticed Beau's very tidy bed.  He later informed me that he took all of his blankets off to do it and he had to re-do the top blanket 4 times because he kept getting it wrong.

It's not glamorous, but wiping down the bathroom counters and toilets is the cleaning task that has to get done each and every day.  With 9 small children using the bathrooms all day they don't stay clean for long.

Luke keeps Cora company as she continues to check off her chore chart.  She's been choosing her own clothes these last few weeks and it is almost always "comfy shorts" and a t-shirt.  Today I tell her she has to find jeans and a sweatshirt due to our unseasonal weather.

For her hair today she just wants one pony in front.  

She checks in on her brother before going down to change.  She does not have nearly the attention span for games as Beau.  She's just not that interested and has no desire to sit still for that long for anything.

I'm excited to turn off the air and get the windows open.  It's still too rainy and wet to go outside, but at least we can have some fresh air blowing through the house.

Sylvie is up a bit later today.  I get her dressed in jean capri's and a sweatshirt.  She has no problem with the sweatshirt (she usually requests one even when it's 90 degrees) but the jeans she's not so sure about.  She's only worn dresses and shorts since about May and says the jeans are too tight on her knees.  She tried doing some squats to stretch them out.  These capri's happen to be ones that just came out of Cora's drawer.  She was wearing them in the spring, and now Sylvie in the fall.

Cora comes up wearing one of her new school shirts we just picked up over the weekend.  She tells me "Mom I think these balloons are really just circles...".  Apparently they looked like balloons to her at one time.  She makes me smile, I relate so much to her randomness and I love that her presence is a constant reminder of joyfulness in our family.

Today's breakfast was what we call "pan pancakes".  The kids were always requesting pancakes but with 9 kids to feed at the same time I just didn't have time for all that mixing pouring and flipping.  I was so excited when I found this recipe for pancake squares, which are basically just one big pancake in a pan.  The 'real' pancakes we leave up to Luke on the weekends.  

The kids had apples and milk with their pancakes, while I, again, had coffee, a peanut butter English muffin and a banana.

  After breakfast there was one very ripe banana left.  I showed the kids and told them I was putting it in the freezer with the other 2.  You know what 3 ripe bananas means....."banana bread!!!!"  We go through SO many bananas here (at least 3 bunches a week), and we eat them up so fast it's rare we have one get ripe enough to save for banana bread.  And let me tell you my kids really like banana bread.  Not as much as they love Grandma Daskam's banana bread, but enough so that a ripe banana is cause for excitement.  

Beau and Cora both came in to get seconds on their pancakes and Sylvie was quick to state "Mommy I more tutakes too?"  Pancakes, cupcakes, same thing.  My kids eat fast.  For instance if I hand out plates and then go back to cut up food for the babies it is not uncommon for them to be done and want to get up, or have seconds before I even have the babies food served!  Not to mention the mess cleaned, freeing up space for their dirty dishes.  It's been a battle all summer reminding them (especially Beau) that he needs to be considerate and wait until everyone has gotten some before he starts asking for seconds.  So it wasn't lost on me today when I noticed him sitting at the table in front of an empty plate.  And a minute later when Cora asked "can I have some more" he said "Cora just be patient, Mom hasn't even sat down with her breakfast yet!"

On Cora's way back to the table she stopped to show me her pancake.  "I was trying to make a Mickey face!"

Ah Sylvie.  Notice the change in sweatshirt.  This morning's whining jag was because she didn't want a purple sweatshirt.  "Want the heart soff-ee one"  aka fleece.  She almost always requests this specific sweatshirt at some point during the day.  I make a not to get to Kohl's to see if they have anything similar since this one is size 24 months and won't work for much longer.  Unfortunately this is one I got for Cora 4 years ago so finding something similar may be a trick.

As I was cleaning up the table from breakfast I noticed she was taking a long time washing up in the bathroom.  I knew this meant she was playing in the water.  This has been her thing the last week or so, there is almost always a sopping wet paper towel laying on the counter or in the sink after she's been in there.  Usually I call in "finish up and come out Sylvie" or just go in turn the water off and bring her back out.  Today (thanks to this week in the life project!) I found out what she was really doing.  Instead of calling in first I grabbed the camera and snuck over hoping to snap her picture.  I found her cleaning!  Getting her paper towel wet, wiping the counters and the sink, just as she sees me do each and every morning!  When she sees me standing there with the camera she says "I cleaning, don't need to see me".  That's just one of the many reasons I love this project, it forces you to slow down, to be aware and in the moment.  To take note of the little things that seem mundane, but so often are hiding a bigger story just waiting to be revealed!

After breakfast I told Beau he could go work on his Lego's "sweet!" he says as he runs downstairs.  He worked on his for a bit, but when Cora expressed that she wanted help building a car he switched gears quickly.  Beau helping Cora build something with Lego's usually looks a lot like him telling her to find and hand him certain pieces while he does the building.  I'd like to see her go through the process of understanding and following the directions, but she doesn't seem to mind and they are interacting without fighting so I try to stay out of it.  I set up an area with pipe builders for the younger kids, which holds their attention for all of 5 minutes.  They quickly move over to the kitchen set and play a version kitchen mixed with doctor.

At about 9:30 one of my 3 year old's comes out of the bathroom and says "Lindsay, the toilet flow".  At first I didn't understand as it actually sounded more like "Dindeedatoietwhoa" as he ran by.  After a few repeat attempts I jumped up and went into the bathroom, fighting the urge to hold my hand over my eyes.  Sure enough the bowl was FULL of water and there was a puddle on the floor.  You know that "keep calm and carry on" saying.  Yeah.  I told myself it could be worse, at least there were no floaters.  In the end there wasn't as much water on the floor as I had originally thought and my floors got bleached again (my floors get bleached a. lot.).

Between bathroom cleanup duty, putting babies down, activity switching, refereeing, getting babies up and diaper changing I tried to get some lesson/room planning done.  I wasn't very productive.

After her car was built Cora spent the rest of the morning sorting through her Lego's to find the jewels (from the princess Lego sets).  After she found all she could she decided that there weren't enough and set in on looking for any of the small clear pieces because "they look like jewels too".

We head up for lunch at about 11:30.  As I'm getting it ready I notice that I didn't put my sticker up from yesterday!  Yes I'm 31 years old and am motivated by stickers.  This is a print out of the half marathon training plan I'm following.  When I complete the workout I get a sticker.  This is what happens when you've spent the majority of your life for the past 6 years figuring out ways to motivate small children.

I have a moment of overwhelm as I'm getting lunch ready.  The kids are being loud, and my brain is bouncing.  I think of one thing I need to do reminding me of another and another.  I once compared my thought processes to those If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books.  I still think that's a fairly accurate depiction.  My solution is almost always to make a list, just get it out of my head and on paper.  So in the middle of lunch preparation that's what I did...grab the post its.  That's the final cup of coffee from this mornings pot sitting cold on the counter, as it almost always is when it comes to lunch time.  Sometimes I warm it up and drink it, sometimes it gets dumped, today I drink it cold.

As usual, once Sylvie is done going potty before nap she retreats to her room to change clothes.  Today she wants shorts because the jeans "hurt her knees".  I tell her no we're not getting another pair of shorts dirty, but let her sleep without the jeans.  That's a battle we'll fight after nap.

Beau goes down to read and I help Cora with her workbook.  We both take notice that there is only one page left!  One page, and then she'll be Kindergarten bound!!

Her workbook today included a mini book for her to cut out and staple together.  When she is done we sit down and work on reading it together.  She goes downstairs to read, and at 1:30 I give them the go ahead to work on their Lego's.

Sylvie gets up at 2 while I'm working in the kitchen.  I notice that this is becoming a trend and getting earlier each day.  Today I put her back to bed and tell her that she needs to rest.  She isn't happy and is whining "don't want to take nap".  We compromise and I tell her that I will leave her door open a crack but she has to lay down and stay in her bed.  She does.  At 2:40 our neighbor comes over to return a stick of butter she borrowed the other night.  Yep that's the kind of neighborhood we live in.  We don't think twice about running over for butter, a cup of sugar, or a few eggs.  It's awesome and I love it.  Sylvie gets back up and joins us in her underwear as we chat in the doorway.  I get snack ready and Sylvie joins me as we go downstairs to get the rest of the kids up.

By 4:00 Beau has finished his Lego kit.  He's pretty proud because he made up his own work around for the missing pieces so the semi would still open up to reveal all the cool stuff he made inside.

Oh, and the boat "don't forget to get a picture of the boat Mom!".  My three kids play in Cora's room to finish out the daycare day, and I spend some time rearranging the baby gates (so they can't get to the fireplace!).  Wednesday is grocery night so I also go through next week's daycare menu, plan our suppers, and get a grocery list made.  One of my daycare Mom's brings some outgrown clothes for Sylvie to try on when she picks up.

Daycare leaves at 5:30 and the girls are at it again.  Tonight they have made a fort using a Frozen blanket, and are using Beau's reading lamp to shine it on the different characters creating what they are calling a "puppet show".  It was a short puppet show because they ended up spending more time fighting over the light.  Frustrated and ready for a break I told them I was taking the light since they couldn't play nice.  

With Luke gone tonight we opt for leftover ham, cold veggies, and watermelon for supper.

Speaking of ham the kids continue to ham it up in from of the camera.  They've never looked twice in years past when I've done this project, but this year they definitely want in on the action. 

Sylvie wouldn't touch her ham.  I reminded her that we were going to get ice cream at the grocery store, but she could only have some if she ate some ham.  She didn't care.  "Don't like it, want chicken".  For the record she rarely eats chicken either.

It was still cold and rainy outside as we got ready to go to the grocery store, and had me feeling the fall vibe.  So much so that I decided to switch over to a more fall like purse while the kids were going potty and getting their shoes on.  I try to keep my purse contents fairly minimalistic because I know that it will soon be overflowing with receipts, notes, and random pieces of garbage the kids hand me.

We get to the grocery store around 6:30.  The kids and I take a picture, just before I realize that I forgot the list (which I still make on paper).

I'm immediately furious at myself and trying to contain the 4 letter words streaming through my head.  I debate going back home but know that that will make for such a late night for everyone.  With a few deep breaths I told myself that I'm a master at this game.  I've forgotten grocery lists many times and still managed to remember almost everything on it.  The act of writing it down is often enough to slate it in my head.  I have, however, never done this with the distraction of all three kids in tow.  Once in the store I'm not sure which would be a more accurate description...the crazy dictator Mom who apparently likes to shop in silence because she keeps shushing her kids OR just a crazy loon in general who keeps stopping in the middle of the aisle with a far away look in her eye (how else do recall ingredients for 21 meals??!).  In the end it worked out just fine.  We got home and checked the list.  I forgot ONE thing.  String cheese, I think we'll survive.

Beau wanted to help by pushing the cart through the store.  Now that he's tall enough to actually see where he's pushing it he's much more helpful.  Once it was heavy and loaded down I kept asking if he wanted me to take it.  "No Mom, I got it.".

As usual when we got to the bread aisle it was nearly empty.  I let out a grunt of frustration and Beau just shook his head.  "Mom we really gotta switch our grocery night!"  Something he's heard me say many times.  He will often repeat what he's heard adults say and pass it off as his own ;).

Everyone was very helpful getting the groceries brought in and put away, as they always are when there is ice cream waiting.

Even Sylvie managed to carry up a few bags.  Luckily tonight we didn't buy any eggs!

Luke called while we were putting groceries away and the kids each took a turn talking to him.  We finished up about 8:00 and the kids had their ice cream cones.  Sylvie was feeling a little more sad that she didn't get any at this point.  I asked her if she wanted ham and she said "No I want chicken!".

Bedtime for the kids is usually 8, so as soon as they were done with their ice cream it was jammies and tooth brushing time.  It was supposed to be bath night, but I decided it could wait until tomorrow, especially since they'd been cooped up in the house  (no sunscreen, sand, dirt, etc).  Cora has always been one to entertain herself in the mirror.  Here she is checking to make sure her teeth are sparkling.

Sylvie has recently gotten the whole spitting part of tooth brushing down.  It has increased the amount of time it takes to brush her teeth as she needs to spit frequently.

You never know with these two, they can go from clawing and fighting to being silly and goofy in a matter of minutes (which was the case tonight).

I saw two pairs of very tired eyes tonight.   "Baby song" (Hush Little Baby) for Sylvie, and a few minutes of reading for Beau.

Cora on the other hand was wide eyed and full of energy.  She was "sooooo thirsty" so she ran up to get her water bottle.  When she came back empty handed I asked her where it was.  She said "I just wanted to take a drink".  We talked about how she needed to work on cleaning up her room tomorrow, and she asked "in school if you lose something will your teacher help you find it?"

With the kids in bed I finish cleaning up in the kitchen and sit down with intentions of going through pictures and working on school forms for the kids' teacher appointments on Friday.  In reality  I got the forms printed but spent most of the evening doing mindless Internet wandering.

I don't get up and get ready for bed until after 10, and then as is typical when Luke is gone have trouble falling asleep.

Sylvie wakes up crying around 1am.  When I get to her she is in a semi-awake state.  When I ask her what's wrong she says "twinkle song".  I cover her up and in a groggy half asleep haze whisper the lyrics of Twinkle Twinkle before stumbling back to bed.