A Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Mom

Here it is again! An annual minute-by-minute record of my day. I try to do it each year around this time, and it's so interesting to see how things change from year to year. As always, I'm completely honest about how much TV we watch, how much time I spend on facebook, and how terribly we eat. Haha. I think this is a fairly accurate representation of how most of our days go. Levi's schedule was a little off. He usually takes his long nap after lunch, and so do I. This day I didn't get a nap. I also think I watched more TV today than I usually do. I'm on an Office binge. It was good for me to see this all written out, though. I feel like I get nothing done all day. But this shows that not only did I get some stuff done (dishes, laundry, dinner, pick-up), I have a good excuse for not getting more done. You will notice that Levi is not the easiest baby. Haha.

To see past years, check them out here: 2013, 2014, 2015

Monday, May 2, 2016

6:11 Levi starts fussing, I put the Binky back in his mouth and rock the rock n' play

6:18 Give up on him going back to sleep, go get my Boppy from the living room

6:19 Nurse Levi in bed while watching The Office and checking facebook on my phone (not much has happened since I checked it at 3 am)

6:30 Levi pukes while I'm switching him to the other side, drenching the boppy, my bed, and my phone

6:38 Levi's being fidgety, so give up on nursing and lay him on my bed to watch him smile and coo

6:40 My alarm goes off. I finish my episode of the Office while playing with Levi

6:42 Go upstairs to get Lucy. Lena's awake but doesn't want to get out of her bed yet.

6:43 Get clothes for Lucy

6:46 Come downstairs and get Levi off my bed, notice he puked all over it again

6:47 Change Levi's diaper

6:48 Lena is calling for me. Go get her. Sit in the rocking chair while she picks out her outfit.

6:53 Back downstairs. Change Levi's pukey clothes while he smiles at me.

6:57 Use a baby wipe to clean off my sticky phone

6:58 Brush my teeth, put my contacts in, throw my hair in a messy bun

7:04 Move a fussing Levi to the bouncer and carry him to the kitchen

7:05 Put a waffle in the toaster for Lucy, set out some chicken to thaw for dinner

7:06 Help Lena with my Kindle

7:07 Make coffee

7:08 Help Lena again

7:09 Get Lucy's waffle out of the toaster, pour her a cup of milk

7:10 Put half a bagel in the toaster for Lena, pour her a cup of juice/water

7:13 Cram a lunchable in Lucy's lunch box, pack her snack

7:14 Butter Lena's bagel, put mine in the toaster

7:16 Butter my bagel, put cream in my coffee

7:17 Bring Levi and my breakfast back into the living room. Give Lucy a 5 minute warning.

7:19 Put Levi's binky back in his mouth while scarfing down my breakfast

7:23 Binky again, tell Lucy to turn off her show and get dressed

7:25 Lucy turns off her tablet and sits in a chair staring off into space. Tell her again to get dressed.

7:27 Lucy has her pants off, but is still staring aimlessly. Remind her again to keep moving.

7:30 Tell Lena to get dressed, check my email

7:33 Get a fussing Levi out of the bouncer. He falls asleep on me immediately.

7:35 Lay Levi on my bed to help Lena with her shirt. Get dressed.

7:37 Girls climb on bed with Levi.

7:38 Levi wakes up screaming

7:40 Put Levi in his carseat

7:42 Help Lena find her boots

7:43 Zip Lena's boots

7:44 Chug my coffee, help Lena with her coat

7:45 Buckle 3 helpless children into the new van

7:47 Hit the road

7:53 Get to Lucy's school. Get all 3 kids out of the van, walk Lucy into her class, help her get situated.

8:01 Buckle 2 kids back into the van. Hit the road again.

8:08 Home.

8:11 Hang up Lena's coat. Pour myself a glass of water.

8:12 Carry a sleeping Levi in his carseat into the living room. Help Lena with the kindle.

8:13 Sit down at computer. Facebook, blog reader, Words With Friends.

8:35 Levi starts crying. Get him out of carseat, he falls asleep in my arms.

8:36 Check Pinterest for “Teacher Appreciation Gifts.” Get distracted by funny memes.

8:58 See something on facebook about Jen Hatmaker. Decide to look her up and go down a rabbit trail about “false teachers.”

9:05 Tell Lena to turn off her show. Pin an article to discuss in my Saturday 7.

9:16 Notice Lena playing with Lucy's research project. Take it away.

9:24 Put Levi in the bouncer to change Lena's diaper. He wakes up immediately.

9:27 Lena helps me give Levi his Zantac.

9:33 Feed Levi, check Timehop on my phone

9:35 Read books to Lena

9:43 Levi's getting fidgety. Burp him and catch a bunch of puke. Switch sides.

9:50 He's being fidgety again. Sit him up and he pukes all over.

9:53 Change Levi's diaper. Talk with him and try to coax out some smiles while Lena gets in his face, shows him her braid, then starts to hop around the house. Watch her do some “gymnastics.”

10:03 Put Levi in the bouncer in the kitchen.

10:04 Take away an open packet of Crystal Light from Lena. Turn on some “Donut Man” music per her request. (Amaze myself at how well I remember these 90s songs!)

10:05 Make brownies with Lena.

10:11 Lick the spatula.

10:14 Empty the dishwasher while replacing Levi's binky every few minutes. He's getting fussy.

10:21 Turn on the oven light so Lena can see the brownies cooking

10:23 Help Lena open a yogurt

10:27 Get Lena some grapes

10:31 Levi's screaming. Scoop him out of the bouncer and finish the dishes one handed.

10:36 Rock Levi while eating a yogurt.

10:38 Lena stands next to me eating candy and calmly tells me, “I'm choking on my candy.” Confirm that she is, indeed, breathing without difficulty.

10:43 Selfie time!

Levi is thrilled

10:44 Put Levi on the floor to get the brownies out of the oven.

10:47 Pick Levi back up and pace with him

10:50 Yell at Lena for pushing buttons on my computer

10:52 Levi is asleep. Sit down and open a Word file for Lena to type to her heart's content.

10:56 Check facebook on my phone while holding Levi.

10:59 Turn off the computer when Lena starts getting wild.

11:00 Catch Lena as she almost falls off the arm of my chair

11:02 Lena starts typing on my phone. She figures out swipe. Then talk to text. Laughs hysterically at herself.

11:21 Put Levi in the swing and go to my room and sort my laundry. Lena tries to climb on my bed, falls off and says, “I'm ok!”

11:24 Lena helps me carry the laundry basket to the bathroom. I put her on the dryer so she can pour in the soap.

11:28 Lena drags the laundry basket to the living room to fill it with toys.

11:29 I pick up the kids' dirty pajamas off the floor and throw them upstairs.

11:30 Levi is awake in the swing.

11:32 Take the mostly-thawed chicken out of the sink and put it in the fridge. Get Lena a lunchable.

11:33 Open Lena's lunchable and turn on the TV, get Netflix started for her.

11:35 Put Levi's Binky back in his mouth.

11:36 Find Lena's empty breakfast plate on the floor. Brush off the crumbs and give it to her for her lunch.

11:38 Put Levi's Binky back in his mouth. Find Lena's empty candy bowl on the floor.

11:39 Cut up some peaches and put them in the empty candy bowl.

11:40 Bring the peaches to the table where Lena's looking at me sheepishly.

11:41 Get a paper towel to clean up her spilled juice box.

11:42 Levi's screaming in the swing. Get him out.

11:43 Sit down with Levi as Lena runs in to the room with a mini Crunch bar from her lunchable saying, “There were two in there! So you get to have one!”

11:44 Eat Crunch bar while jiggling Levi.

11:47 Open the sauce packet for Lena's pizza lunchable

11:48 Hold Levi while searching the kitchen for lunch and humming “Growwwn ups come back.”

11:50 Crack open a can of Dr Pepper and bag of Cheetos

11:51 Put Levi in bouncer so I can make my lunch: turkey, provolone, and ranch in a spinach tortilla. Applaud myself for eating spinach.

11:54 Carry my lunch to the living room while Levi screams in the bouncer

11:55 Eat one handed while jiggling a fussy Levi

12:01 Levi is asleep in my arms. Facebook, Words with Friends, Email, Pinterest.

12:17 Put Levi in the bouncer so I can cut the brownies. Get one for Lena and two for myself.

12:19 Pour myself a glass of milk.

12:20 Switch over the laundry.

12:22 Sit down to eat my brownies. Give Lena a bite.

12:24 Take advantage of the baby sleeping somewhere other than my arms to read a little bit of Psalm 119.

12:30 Tell Lena to turn off the TV.

12:31 Change Lena's diaper. Tell her she can't have cheese until after her nap.

12:33 Transfer a sleeping Levi to the Rock N' Play

12:34 Haul a protesting Lena upstairs

12:35 Read a page of Elmo's Look and Find, sing a song, pray for Aunt Kaley and Persephone, scratch and soft Lena, put her in her bed, tuck the blanket around her just right, say “Good night, sweet dreams, don't let the bed bugs bite. See you later, alligator!” Start walking out the door as Lena screams “Say it again!” Repeat the good night mantra.

12:45 Go downstairs to hear Levi screaming in the RNP.

12:46 Change Levi's diaper

12:48 Feed him while watching the Office.

1:04 Lay Levi on my bed to swaddle him. He pukes all over. Jiggle him until he falls asleep. Put him in the RNP and go back to the Office

1:16 Look over to see Levi wide awake and smiling up at me. Rock him until my episode finishes.

1:31 He's still smiling away. I take some pictures and play with him.

1:38 Give up on naptime and put Levi in the bouncer while I restart the dryer (it's 100 years old and never fully dries a load on the first try). Start a new load.

1:41 Levi's crying. Get him out of the bouncer and pick up the house one handed.

1:54 Lay Levi down on the playmat so I can clean faster. He cries the whole time.

2:03 Pick him up again and go back to my room. Might as well watch some more Office since I can't get anything done.

2:15 Levi's asleep. I don't even try putting him down. Just enjoy my show.

2:41 Put Levi in the carseat.

2:43 Wake up Lena and haul her back downstairs (amid much protesting)

2:45 Levi's screaming in the carseat. Put Lena's boots on her.

2:46 Carry Lena out to the van. Buckle her in. Go back inside for Levi. Put him in the van. Lena reminds me I said she could have cheese after her nap. Run back inside to get her some cheese.

2:49 Hit the road

2:56 Park in the pick-up lane at Lucy's school, notice 2 missed texts from Niki.

2:57 Help Niki with grammar

3:01 Climb in the backseat to give Lena some fruit snacks.

3:05 Leave the school

3:14 Home (got stuck behind a bus)

3:16 Text my sisters about graduation invitations and job interviews.

3:18 Levi's sleeping in the carseat. Go in the living room so Lucy can show me her schoolwork.

3:23 Switch over the laundry. Set the girls up with their Kindles/screen time.

3:27 Scoop myself a bowl of strawberry ice cream as Levi starts crying in the carseat.

3:28 Stand in the kitchen jiggling Levi and shoveling ice cream in my mouth.

3:33 Add crushed up graham crackers to my ice cream. Not as good as Coldstone.

3:38 Change Levi's diaper

3:40 Feed Levi while watching another episode of the Office (this is getting embarrassing)

4:08 Swaddle him and put in the rock n' play again. He has to take a good nap today!

4:11 He's screaming again. Pick him up and bounce him until my back can't take it anymore.

4:15 Go upstairs to rock him in Lena's rocking chair. He falls asleep immediately.

4:21 Cross my fingers (figuratively) as I lay him back in the rock n' play.

4:22 Help Lena find her baby.

4:24 Get Lena's baby dressed. Put one of Levi's diapers on it.

4:25 Tell Lucy to turn off her show.

4:26 Help Lucy with her homework.

4:31 Type some of this stuff up.

4:49 Look up a recipe for dinner.

4:50 Find Lucy some mini toothpaste to pack for the birthday party she's going to in 11 days.

4:51 Make "melt in your mouth chicken" while the girls play upstairs and Levi actually sleeps!

5:00 Throw together some cheesy potatoes without measuring anything! (That's a big deal for me.)

5:08 Put the potatoes in the oven, tell the girls to stop screaming.

5:09 Text my sisters again.

5:11 Lucy says, “Mommy come look at what we did to the steps.” Go see their dirty laundry spilled all down the steps. Instruct them to pick it back up.

5:12 Turn on some music and do the dishes

5:23 Send Niki a snapchat and notice my hair is sticking up weird. Fix it.

5:24 Check the girls' progress on the stairs. Check on Levi.

5:25 Give Lena a washcloth and tell her to scrub the toothpaste off the bathroom wall.

5:26 Clear the table. Notice Lucy's unfinished homework. Tell her to finish it.

5:29 Check on Lena – she's moved on to scrubbing the sink.

5:30 Lena's done, so I take the washcloth and finish washing the walls and sink.

5:34 Pick up the living room

5:37 Justin gets home

5:39 Help Lucy play Words with Friends against my mom

5:40 Put Lena's babies to bed

5:42 Check the mail Justin brought in

5:43 Clean some more

5:46 Take the chicken out of the oven.

5:47 Make the girls some hot dogs. Pour their drinks. Get them some bananas. Set them up at the table.

5:55 Take the potatoes out of the oven.

6:00 Sit down with my dinner. My back is aching!

6:11 Get up for seconds. Make Lucy another hot dog.

6:15 Family devotion – while Lucy shows us how she can cross her eyes and Lena randomly takes off her pants.

6:24 Get myself and Lucy some brownies. Tell Lena she has to finish her banana.

6:25 Open Lena's banana for her. She runs around the house while eating it.

6:29 Check email

6:33 Get Lena a brownie, check on Levi – still sleeping!

6:35 Words with Friends

6:39 Look up what I want for Mothers' Day on Amazon

6:45 Read some books to Lena

6:53 Send Justin an email with a link to what I want from Amazon

6:55 Check facebook while Justin takes the girls outside to play

7:05 Fold and take care of a load of laundry in my room while watching Wheel of Fortune

7:19 Restart the dryer with the second load of laundry that I forgot about

7:20 Levi wakes up, change his diaper

7:25 Feed Levi while watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy

7:39 Levi has an explosive poop

7:41 Change his diaper as the girls come in with a bouquet of flowers

7:43 Lucy holds Levi

7:46 Lay Levi on my bed to finish watching Jeopardy

7:50 Get Lena a drink

7:54 Read books to Lena on my bed

8:02 Turn off the TV, snuggle with my littles, take silly pictures

8:12 Justin and Lucy join us. More silly pictures.

8:16 Girls brush their teeth

8:19 Look for Lena's puppy

8:20 Clean ketchup off Lena's face

8:21 Give Lucy some belly medicine

8:24 Go upstairs with the girls while Justin snuggles in bed with Levi.

8:25 Take care of the clean clothes in the girls' laundry basket.

8:28 Change Lena's diaper and put her jammies on. More silliness ensues.

8:33 Sit down to do Lena's ridiculously specific routine: Read one page of Elmo's Look and Find, sing 5 songs, draw a prayer stick and pray for Grandpa Spoelstra, rock with no songs for 10 seconds, scratch and soft while rocking, turn on her CD, stand next to her bed holding her and swaying while scratching and softing again, hug and kiss, put her in her bed, cover her just right, say the magical phrases, scratch and soft her while she's in her bed, turn on her Dreamlite, edge my way out of her room as she screams, “Mommy! Mommy!”

8:44 Lucy goes in to give Lena a hug and kiss while I fill the laundry basket with dirty clothes

8:46 Tuck Lena in one last time and leave her screaming my name.

8:48 Go back in and use my angry mom voice to get her to stop screaming.

8:49 Read a chapter of Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake to Lucy. Pray for Levi. Snuggle in her bed and talk about her birthday.

8:58 Take 3 empty cups downstairs. Get Lucy's Kindle so she can listen to her audio book.

9:00 Bring the audio book up and go back down to get Lucy a drink of water. Bring it up to her.

9:01 Start down the stairs as Lena starts screaming my name again. She wants me to change her diaper.

9:02 Change Lena's diaper and tuck her in again.

9:04 Downstairs again. Put water cups in dishwasher, clear girls' dinner plates off table, put in dishwasher. Pick up toys.

9:10 Pour myself a glass of diet cranberry pop. Sit down at the computer to type this up.

9:14 Justin puts a sleeping Levi in the swing and goes to bed.

9:39 Go in the living room to watch some more of The Office.

9:40 Copy and paste this into my blog and add pictures.

10:14 Levi wakes up. My mom gets him out of the swing and brings him to me.
10:20 Give Levi his second dose of Zantac, change his diaper
10:25 Feed Levi
10:41 Burp and snuggle
10:50 Levi's being a fuss bucket, so figure I might as well stay up and watch the finale of season 2 while I try to get him to sleep.
11:18 Show's done. Levi's sleeping. Swaddle him.
11;20 Put Levi in the RNP, go upstairs to check on the girls/turn off their lights.
11:23 Take my pills (anxiety meds and prenatals), take out my contacts, take my hair out of the messy bun - notice how greasy it is and realize I forgot to shower today
11:28 Put on my pajamas
11:29 Plug in my phone, turn on the baby monitor (for Lena), go to sleep!