Where Oh Where Does All My Time Go?

Seriously....my days are gone and usually I have nothing to show for it.  This week, my days off are Tues. & Wed.  I try to cram in the things I NEED to do (laundry & grocery shopping), but the girls consume any available minutes while we are at home.  They try to be good little helpers, but sometimes create more work instead.   I was folding clothes today and Sarah was all too eager to jump right in.  "I help mommy....I help you!"  And she did -- I folded a huge basket of whites in about 35.2 seconds because she was pulling everything out and handing them to me for me to fold and was very impatient when I did not take her items fast enough!  You know, for a 2 year-old she is quite opinionated and demanding.  Okay - I guess all 2 year-olds are demanding -- I'll give her that.  Her big thing right now is that she MUST be dressed first thing in the morning.   There is no "lounging" around in her pajamas....oh no.  As soon as I go into the girls' room to get them up , she is telling me, "Mommy, I want my clothes.  I want my orange shirt (or pink, or purple, etc.) and pants."   There is no tricking her either.  She knows her colors so if I don't produce the requested shirt, I have to convince her that the one I have in my hand is better.  Good thing my college degree is in psychology because she is already making me use it.  I'll have to go back for my PhD. before she hits the teenage years or I won't make it!  Let me just add that while she can push me to the brink of insanity, she also has the ability to charm the socks off me.  Everything is "please" & "thank-you mommy".  How can you resist that?  She can see it on my face when I am counting to 10 on the inside and she will pat my arm & tell me, 'You o'tay mommy....you o'tay."  I sat down on the couch one night and she came running across the room saying, "I comin' mom...o'tay...I comin'."  I didn't really know what she wanted, but she just crawled up next to me and sat there -- holding her blanket and patting my leg.   She is so free with her hugs & kisses.  She & Ava are both like that.  I could just eat them up sometimes! 

I digress...this is supposed to be about where my time goes.  Yesterday I had a dr. appt., took Ava to the grocery store with me (that alone is a whole other blog -- why can't my kids actually ENJOY riding in the basket?  I know it is possible...I see other kids doing it without shrieking!)  We picked up Sarah & the boys from school, had dinner, then went to the Collierville mall to get some pants for Zachary.  We were in Children's Place about 10 minutes and I sent the brood over to the cookie place b/c I could not think.  Charles had Ava, the boys were showing me hats and big winter coats that I had to convince them I was not buying at this time, and Sarah was running amuck thinking this was some new cool playground.  I must admit, I got some sweet deals and everyone did come home with at least one thing!  Today I knew it would be just me & the girls all day, so I decided I would take them to the park after it warmed up.  I planned my strategy -- I planned to get there about 2:00 thinking little kids would be home taking a nap and we would be gone by 3:15 in case mommies wanted to let their little darlings burn off energy after school.  It was a great plan -- no one was there and we had the whole place to ourselves for about 30 minutes!  

Now - let me tell you the events leading up to our little outing.  I decided to "jump" in the shower while the girls were engrossed in Barney, or some "Sprout" show.  Normally, I have to get up at 5:45 a.m. (working or not) in order to get completely ready for the day (b/c I also have to get the boys up & ready and Charles needs to be in the shower by 7:00).  Today, I knew I really wasn't going to have to see anybody, so I decided to sleep in until 6:45 and try to work in a shower later.  Big mistake on my part.  Fast forward....I had just started washing my face when I hear the bathroom door open and Ava's little voice - "Momma!"  I'm talking to her, trying to get the soap off my face & out of my eyes.  When I open them, she has pulled the shower curtain totally out and is standing there -- water hitting her face -- just looking at me.  It's Josh all over again!  (If you don't know the Josh & the shower story, go back & read one of my earlier postings!)  I yank the curtain back but it is too late.  Water is all over the floor.  Ava can't even walk because she keeps slipping on the water like ice...her butt is soaking wet (I had JUST put her clothes on her!)  I had only had one towel in there b/c I was washing all the others.  I had to use my one towel to put in the floor to start soaking up the water.  Sarah tried to go get me towel, but she does not know where I keep them (not really important info for a 2 year-old to retain!)  Poor little thing tried to go find one, but as soon as she left the room I hear, "Mommy, I can't find it!"  So, I had to run to the other bathroom (where the linen closet is) dripping wet and get a towel....both girls all up under my feet like this was some new game.  So I get the water cleaned up (only a 1 towel job this time!), change Ava's clothes, finish getting myself ready, get everyone's shoes on, THEN we are ready to go!  The topper would have been if I had gotten everyone in the car and someone had a "stinky" - but that didn't happen.  If it had, I think I would have just cried!  It did end up being a good day though.  The girls had fun.  They were exhausted because they didn't get their afternoon naps, but that just meant an early bedtime.  I did manage to wash and change our sheets, dust a little, and do 3 other loads of laundry, so I was a little productive.  I just hate when I run myself ragged all day and have nothing to show for it in the end (that isn't true - I usually have at least one load of laundry as evidence).  I let the girls help me fold, or dust, or pick up.  I'm trying to loosen up and not turn them into neurotic cleaners like me!  I let them do what they want and whatever they don't clean up, I take care of when they go to bed.  After all -- it's just "stuff", and they are babies!  I'll crack the whip when they get older...just ask Zachary & Josh!