Getting Things Done
I never realized just how precious time was until I became a mother. Not just in the sense of how fast time flies when they’re growing up, but also time in general.
A comedy skit that I recently watched covered the difference between going out when you’re not parents vs going out when you are. It was hilarious and so very true.
Before kids you decide you’re going out; you get dressed, do your hair and makeup, grab your purse and keys and go.
After kids this is definitely NOT what happens.
The routine entails not only all items aforementioned (that’s IF you decide to even bother brushing your hair and putting on makeup) as well as getting the diaper bag restocked (this includes snacks, diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, etc). It also means getting the kids dressed, fed, shoes on, necessary stuffed animals in the car, water bottles and out the door.
When I know that I have to go out the next day with the twins I try to prep as much ahead of time as possible. On the days that I am just sticking around the house getting things done, it still amazes me how much extra time it takes to do just about everything.
Let me put my day into perspective:
It starts with getting the girls dressed. I’ve tried many approaches when it comes to this; choosing one outfit for them, having them choose their own outfits, putting out a couple of options that they can choose from. Regardless of the approach, they’ll choose an outfit and once I get halfway through helping them get dressed, one of them will pull out a new shirt or a different pair of socks and then progress grinds to a halt.
Putting their laundry away is always fun. They’re very helpful little girls but what should be a five minute job quickly turns into a thirty minute one. They’ll ‘fold’ (or should I say roll up) items of clothing, then pile them so high in the drawers (albeit the correct drawers) that they barely close. Once I’ve refolded the clothing and diverted their attention elsewhere, putting away their laundry is finally complete.
Making dinner is always something that the twins want to help with. They know that knives are sharp and they won’t (knock on wood) interfere in that area, but when it comes to sampling the vegetables I’ve just chopped or rinse ANYTHING in the sink they will jump at the opportunity. Because of my little helpers diverting my attention, many meals have been served a tad over-cooked or entirely different than the recipe calls for.
When it comes to bedtime this is definitely where they procrastinate and think of every way in the book to prolong the process. They’ll need to go pee a couple more times, to the point that I have to tell them “okay, this is the last pee of the night.” Then after daddy finishes reading their usual two stories they’ll sneakily ask me for another one once daddy leaves the room. I distract them off of the story book topic to which they run back and forth cuddling in each others beds. It’s so cute that I don’t want to discourage it, but now it’s been fifteen minutes and I haven’t even sung their goodnight songs. I sing the usual half dozen songs to which they then ALWAYS ask for at least one more…to which I always cave. By this point thirty minutes have passed since putting them to bed. I finally announce the final song, find their soothers that have somehow disappeared in their beds. This is a nightly search. Their beds aren’t huge but finding those things are like a needle in a haystack! I finally say “goodnight, I love you” and call it a night.
These are just a few examples of how my time has changed since having kids. Pretty much everything from the girls using the bathroom to walking down the stairs takes more time than it used to. Every move they make and everything they do is accompanied by a story. They’re excited about everything and more than happy to share it with others.
I love how much they’re learning and that they’re always wanting to try new things. I don’t want life to go by quickly at all, I’m actually really enjoying this stage. But on those days that I have a lot to do and little time to do it, I sometimes wish that my little helpers could move just a little bit faster.
