Sometimes I Forget I Have Kids

Every morning actually. Don't get me wrong, no later than 6:15 every morning I am reminded of the fact that I have kids. It's not that I am literally unaware of my children's presence, it's more like I forget the unpredictable nature of life with children. Everyday. Weird. You think I would learn by now, but let me explain.

Every day we wake up to the sound of one of our children, shortly followed by the other. Although I would be super happy if my kids could sleep in later, there is something adorable about kids in the morning. So we all wake up, make our way to the kitchen, get breakfast, and our day has begun. As my husband is getting ready for work and we're finishing breakfast (and I've come to terms with the fact that there is no possible way for me to go back to bed), I start to mentally plan my day. I may have a couple of activities planned- story time, the park, grocery shopping, play date, a walk, the zoo- something along those lines. Then my mind shifts to the house work that needs to be done that day. My thoughts usually go something like this:

"K, after breakfast I'll empty the dishwasher and put the dirty dishes in. I'll stay on top of that today and not let the dishes pile up. Yeah, that'll be good. And after I do the dishes I'll sweep. And mop? ...No, maybe during nap time...maybe. But I should probably do some work from home during naps. One day I'll organize the pantry. But let's be honest, probably not today. What else? Laundry. Yes I need to do laundry. The kids laundry for sure. I think there are some poopy onesies that need to be washed. I'll just do all the laundry today- probably like 5 loads. Yeah I can do that. And then, I'll put it all away, I won't let it sit this time. Good. Check. Okay and...the bathroom. Today's the day. I've been meaning to clean it for a few days now. It needs a deep clean. Especially the floor. Why do I shed so much? And then maybe later, when the kids are playing with Daddy I'll vacuum. And I need to go through my clothes and get rid of the stuff I never wear. I'll just organize the closet and do that at the same time. Yes. I'm going to get so much done today."

Riiiiiiight. See what I mean. I forget I have kids. Small kids. Who are at home with me all day.

So our day starts. I try to check off my to do's and I need my play time with the kiddos too. (Who, by the way, are suuuuuper cute) I get some messes clean. Some messes get worse. That's just the way it goes. But don't worry. In the morning I'll be ready with another list...

So the lesson I'm trying to learn is to set different expectations for the day. Here's what I'm working on:

I try to do whatever tasks I can with my toddler. She loves being Mom's helper and has actually gotten pretty good at completing some small tasks. (Helping put the laundry in the dryer, putting some laundry away, putting trash in the garbage). Most tasks, however, take longer with my toddler. I'm learning that that is okay.

I am trying to remember that I'm not going to have much free time during the day. I need to pick one "kid-free" task for the day and focus on getting that done during naps or other moments of free time. (Some days I decide that what I really need during my kid free time is a break...like a nap, time to read or to watch some Jimmy Fallon, or did I mention a nap)?

And lastly, I'm learning to remember what really matters most. And it's definitely not house work!

About the blog

Hello friends! Welcome to our Mother Monologues blog- where you'll read about anything and everything related to motherhood. We (4 sisters) are starting this for a couple of reasons. First, we think it will be a fun way for us to do something together that will create a journal of sorts for us and our kiddos. The four of us live in four different states and don't get to see each other nearly enough! Second of all, we hope to provide positive and entertaining support for mamas everywhere. Being a Mom is super rewarding, but also super challenging. We want this blog to be a bit different than all the other fashion, fitness, food, decorating, renovating, hairstyling, cleaning, do it yourself, build you own house and look great while doing it, blogs out there. Don't get us wrong, we love those blogs too. There are just so many awesome ones that you don't need another one. We may even share some of those types of things on this blog, but mainly we want to focus on the ups and downs of being a Mom and help support each other as we all try to survive make the most these precious years with our babes!