It's exhausting being a kid

"Moooooommmmmmyyyyy!  I'm just whining because I'm so tired!".   This is the cry of my exhausted almost-four-year old on a Thursday afternoon on the way home from daycare.  We had a long week.  

Thursday night was our first evening at home all week.  

It's times like this, that I realize how important routine is in kids' lives.  

It's a busy time of year for us.  November is full of deer hunting and all that goes with it, and Thanksgiving, and then we're pushed right into December:

Christmas is approaching.  

It's basketball season. 

Tyson has surgery.  

I have my school Christmas program.

We need to process all the venison from deer hunting.  

I need to shop, wrap presents, bake, and shop some more.  

Life is nuts.  I struggle, because there's so much I want to do, but with 3 kids under 4, it's not always that easy.  

My sister plays basketball.  We took all three boys to her first game this year.  Mistake.  The games don't start until 7:00 or later, so by half-time, we've lost Tyler.  He's ready for bed.  He's crabby.  He doesn't want to sit still (well, he doesn't EVER want to sit still).  So, I decided that whenever possible, I will get a sitter during basketball games for one, two , or even all three boys.  So, there will be games I miss.  There will be games where, we'll try to take all three boys again.  We'll see. 

I'm looking at my planner for next week.  There are basketball games on Tuesday and Thursday night.  I asked Amazih which I should go to, if I can only go to one.  She says Thursday.  Rhonda is available to babysit during either one, but, I don't want to over-use her either.  Monday night is pre-school/volleyball night, so Mike will have Tyler and Tyson......and the cycle continues. 

A day in the life....

People ask me all the time, "How do you do it?", "How do you have time for everything?".  So, I thought I'd just give a little snap-shot of what a normal weekday looks like in our family--

6:15--I get up and start getting ready.  I shower at night for two reasons:  1.  To save time in the morning and 2.  so that I don't have to make lots of noise using the blow dryer, etc.  This way the kids can sleep a little longer.  

6:55--I wake up the boys.  I usually just have to change Tyson's diaper.  I take them all to daycare in their jammies.  Kayden and Tyler always get juice or milk for the car ride, and by 7:05, I'm buckling kids in the car.  Mike is home during this time most days.  If the kids happen to wake up before I'm ready for them, he'll entertain them while I finish getting things ready to go.  

7:10--We need to be leaving the driveway!  

7:25ish--we arrive at daycare.  I get the boys out of the car one-at-a-time.  Kayden is first.  Then Tyler and then Tyson.  I usually don't put shoes on them in the morning, so I have to carry them in when we get there.  

7:30/7:35--I'm on the road, headed to work. 

7:50--I arrive at school.  

around 4:00--I leave school to head to daycare.  I usually pick the boys up between 4:30 and 5:00.  

5:15--We get home.  I get Kayden and Tyler a little snack and send them to play while I make supper.  Tyson often falls asleep on the way  home, so he naps in his carseat while I get supper ready.  

6:00ish--We eat supper.  

*Mike usually gets home anywhere from 4:00 to 9:00.  It changes every day.  

6:30/6:45--Supper is finished, but Tyson needs his cereal/babyfood.  Once this is done, I start the dishes.  If it's bath night, and Mike is home, he puts them in the tub while I do the dishes.  After baths, it's jammies and then they usually play for a while.  

By 8:00 we are picking up toys and then reading books.  After a few stories, Mike usually rocks Tyler, Kayden lays on his pillow on the floor or the couch, and I get things ready for the next day.  (Since I take them to daycare in their pajamas, I need to pack their clothes, etc). 

8:30/8:45--One of us gives Tyson his bedtime bottle, and if all goes well, by 9:00 all three are in bed (this is rare).  

9:00--I shower, and if Tyson is still up, when I'm done, I work on getting him to sleep while Mike showers, etc.  On a good night, I'm in bed by 10:00.  

The end? Oh no.  Tyson usually wakes up sometime around 2:00, and then often before 5:00.  We are working on this =)

There are certain nights and times of the year that are crazier than others.  Mondays I play volleyball and Kayden has preschool, so things tend to look a little different.  Every-other Thursday night, I bar-tend, so Mike is on his own on those nights.  Weekends are crazy.  Basketball season gets a little hairy, since we like to go watch Auntie Mazih play, but she plays varsity basketball, so the games don't even start until 7:00 or 7:30, which makes for LATE bedtimes!  

Needless to say, life is crazy.  This is why I really try to take advantage of my days off, and weekends without plans.  I also REALLY appreciate being able to work part-time in the summer(one of the perks of being a teacher).