inspired by Claire's post
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The yelling starts before 5. Kevin has obviously fallen asleep downstairs, as he is usually the one to get up with her. I curse under my breath and haul my tied bones out of bed to pad down the hallway to their room.
She won't go back to sleep, so she is brought downstairs and deposited with her father. Keeping mutterings and swear words to a minimum, I climb back in bed with Theo. His breathing has been terrible over the last few days, particularly at night, so I watch him for a few minutes before I fall back asleep. As my lids droop heavily, Ellis comes in. I look at him and can guess what he's going to ask. "Can I have a boy's movie?" we say in unison. Before I can answer, Georgia returns, having escaped her father and bringing me a bar of soap and a squeaky toy. The racket, plus Georgias new found ability to climb up on the bed, wakes up Theo and he decides he's hungry.
After surviving the extreme torture that is breastfeeding and 8 week old whilst being jumped on by a 14 month old, I lift both babies to carry them downstairs, one over each shoulder. Ellis has already settled into his spot on the sofa for a morning of cartoons. I feel guilty about the amount of TV he is watching at the minute, but I can't handle the fighting. From the minute he wakes up until the minute he goes to bed, when he is at home, he whines for the TV.
I stumble into the kitchen to begin the endless round of cooking a meal, eating a meal, cleaning up after a meal. I resent it, but there is no changing it, so I have to get on and cook. This morning its Gluten and Dairy free crepes. I can't stand the things, but as Theo needs a feed again anyway, I miss my chance for breakfast. Kevin finishes off the cooking and makes a pot of coffee that I glug greedily while I feed the baby, watching the 5 minutes of news before Ellis realises I've changed the channel.
After breakfast, I nip out to the post office to collect a parcel. Alone. Its bliss, this whole not being touched thing. When I come back into the house, it all begins again. Someone is hungry, always hungry. A baby is tired. Siblings are fighting. They all need to get dressed and nappies need changing. Laundry, always laundry. If I don't do at least 2 loads a day, I start to twitch.
After a quick round of chores, we settle into the playroom. I am trying to be more present with them, because they must get tired of hearing I'll play with you after I've done the dishes/cleaned the kitchen/made lunch. We play recycling. Theo watches his siblings and laughs. He even laughs as Georgia tries to strangle him gives him a hug. We laugh. The three of them are so funny and loving. Theo laughs until Georgia throws a wooden tomato at him.
After tears all round, both of the babies are taken upstairs for naps. Ellis has wandered back to the TV and I do a quick round of cleaning. Ellis is hungry. Again.
Cheese on toast is made and eaten and cleaned up. More laundry. Theo is awake. A replacement for a faulty mattress is delivered. Ellis is allowed to play with the small lego, a treat saved for when his little sister can't destroy his lovely creations. I add more to this post and take some pictures.
A cry announces that Georgia is awake. I realise its noon and the mad dash for lunch then nursery run. I am always late. Sometimes, its not too bad and I can see the other mums going into the building as I near the gate. Other days, like today, I am the subject to the sad and knowing smiles of parents who have already been inside, dropped their children off and crossed the wide school grounds to get to the gate.
Once Ellis is safely at school, I head down the hill to the other post office to post parcels and letters. Theo will not settle in the buggy, so he is placed back on my chest in a sling. Town is the usual battle of pushchairs versus pedestrians, but ultimately the errands are run, a wool blanket is purchased at a charity shop for £2 and we head home.
The walk back up the hill takes about 15 minutes. As I open the back gate to let us through, I notice that Georgia is missing a shoe. I was supposed to meet a friend today, but the shoes were expensive, so its back down the hill to collect it. By the time we return, its 2:30pm...and we have 25 minutes to do a round of nappy changes, give Georgia a snack and feed Theo before I head off to collect Ellis again. I notice a break in the clouds and a load of washing is hung out in hope. Georgia spends the time playing the timeless game of stones and rain water. I realise she is soaked as I load her into the pushchair to go.
Needless to say, I am late. Ellis is once again the last child in the classroom. Its a terrible walk of shame past the other parents and teachers to collect him. I sewar under my breath. I am not technically late, it is 3:12pm and the session runs until 3:15pm, but everyone collects early here.
The evening routine begins in earnest after school. Ellis starts the incessent pleading for the television, Georgia does her rounds of unloading drawers and cupboards. Theo naps, cries and feeds, over and over.
Its Tae Kwan Do night, so dinner needs to be early. It tacos. Ellis eats his, Georgia bathes in hers. I manage one and realise that I've only eaten chocolate and this one taco today. Oh and coffee.
As we wait for a friend to collect Ellis for his class, Georgia begins to lose it. She follows me around the house throwing her cup at me with all of her might, over and over again. I try and offer her a drink, but she is too blind with rage. I make a bottle and sit down with her, Theo in the sling, sucking hungrily on his pacifier.
Georgia is happier and toddles off to play. Now its Theo's turn. He has fed every 2 hours all day and night. I use the time he feeds to browse online, visit Twitter and blog. I am exhausted and starving. Once Ellis goes, Georgia and Theo are taken up for baths. Theo will not settle, so Georgia's bath is quick before she is thrown into bed, past exhausted.
Theo spends hours fretting tonight. He won't settle for long, so I put the finishing touches on this post and edit the photos in between the up and downs of trying to calm him. Its only 7:30pm, but I am ready for bed. I know a long evening awaits me, so I make a conscious decision to get off of the computer and get my work done so that I maybe I can work on my crochet, rather than walk past it and look wistfully.
Kevin comes home with a sleeping Ellis and takes Theo, making him smile. The new energy in the house gives me the oomph I need to get things done.
Number of nappies changed: 9. Number of cups of coffee: 4. Number of grams of Dairy Milk chocolate consumed: aprox 100 (maybe more). Number of loads of laundry: 3. Numbers of hours awake a the time of posting: 15. Number of hours till I can sleep: at least 3.
Its not a bad day, or a fantastic day, but a normal day. And then I push post.