So I'm going to start posting every Monday something about life with multiple kids (not necessarily multiples as in twins, triplets, or quads...I'll leave that up to my dear friend Lindsey) but about having several children. People are genuinely intrigued by moms who have multiple children. Just follow me for one day and see how many comments I get from random strangers. It's almost worse than when you are pregnant, and everyone comments on your impending due date and size! So for those of you interested in what life is like with four tiny kids...sit back and enjoy the ride!
Todays' Post: Getting out the door!
One of the hardest daily bits of being a mom of four kids ages 5 and under is physically getting out the door to go somewhere. I start 2 hours before we have to leave the house to get everyone dressed, fed, diapered, and ready to go. This morning...here goes. Abby and Isabella had a dentist appointment at 8:15. I woke up at 7:00 (note: I did get up with Abby at like 3:30...so I was tired!). I woke up in a panic when I saw that 7 on the front of the clock! YIKES! Thank goodness that Matt was staying home with Grant and Ali Kate. (We don't take all four to the dentist...recipe for disaster...another note about having several children!). So I rushed into the kitchen to prepare lunches and backpacks for preschool (which I normally do the night before but neglected because I was designing some incredibly cute stationery last night). I grabbed every easy-go food available...juice pouches, bananas, bag of chips, and PBJ. Then I rushed into the shower and showered at Tazmanian devil speed. Then I scrambled to get milks poured, teeth brushed, clothes out, and backpacks finished. While I finished getting myself ready, Matt jumped in to tie up loose ends. Our morning went something like this:
Matt: Who needs teeth?
Wendy: Abby and Bella now...Ali can wait.
Matt: Abby wet her bed.
Wendy: Bathe her.
Matt: Didn't she already have a bath?
Wendy: No, she was dressed up in a princess gown and missed bathtime last night. It's ok...it'll only take 2 minutes to whisk her through the bath.
Matt: Why didn't you bathe her? I thought you bathed her.
Wendy: No, I didn't. You could have already bathed her in the 2 minutes we've been talking (all said in a loving voice of course).
Matt: (Goes and bathes Abby who does NOT want a bath)
In the meantime, Grant's playing in the crib with his toes. Bella and Ali Kate are chasing one another around the house while I put on my makeup. Matt gets Abby bathed, and I come back for a status update. Status updates are KEY in the Stine household. You have to know who has done what and what hasn't been done!
Wendy: Abby needs her insulin at 7:30.
Matt: Ok
Wendy: Open a new N.
Matt: How much insulin does she get for 330? I can't find the sheet.
Wendy: We don't have protocol for a number that high. Give her x. That should do it. Well, I don't know since we have a new bottle.
Matt: Well, what do you think?
Wendy: Go with x. Get it in her now please.
Matt: I'm headed that direction.
Wendy: Don't let her eat for at least 25 minutes.
Matt: Did you pack their lunches?
Wendy: Yes..on the counter.
And so the morning goes with teeth brushing, kid dressing, bow matching, lunch packing, backpack packing, lovey gathering, dentist office preparing, feeding, and diapering activities until Wendy, Abby, and Isabella finally leave for the dentist at 8:05.
The dentist visit was wonderful. I dropped the girls off at preschool to find out that today was picture day. I thought it was Wednesday. Well, Matt dressed Bella in a not-picture-taking outfit. Abby's would have done except that it was a spring picture and she was in a floral corduroy. So I rushed home to grab the girls matching spring dresses and hairbows before making a mad dash back to preschool to hand off the garments (hoping they fit since they were new and we haven't tried them on)! Now...that was just a snippit of one morning when I only had to get 2 kids out the door. You can only imagine the other days when we go to dance, MOMS, and preschool when Matt is already gone to work! Maybe I'll relay one of those days one day.
And somewhere in the middle of all those status updates we did talk about Matt's work, my day, and my new website. And we did kiss each other goodbye...
Todays' Post: Getting out the door!
One of the hardest daily bits of being a mom of four kids ages 5 and under is physically getting out the door to go somewhere. I start 2 hours before we have to leave the house to get everyone dressed, fed, diapered, and ready to go. This morning...here goes. Abby and Isabella had a dentist appointment at 8:15. I woke up at 7:00 (note: I did get up with Abby at like 3:30...so I was tired!). I woke up in a panic when I saw that 7 on the front of the clock! YIKES! Thank goodness that Matt was staying home with Grant and Ali Kate. (We don't take all four to the dentist...recipe for disaster...another note about having several children!). So I rushed into the kitchen to prepare lunches and backpacks for preschool (which I normally do the night before but neglected because I was designing some incredibly cute stationery last night). I grabbed every easy-go food available...juice pouches, bananas, bag of chips, and PBJ. Then I rushed into the shower and showered at Tazmanian devil speed. Then I scrambled to get milks poured, teeth brushed, clothes out, and backpacks finished. While I finished getting myself ready, Matt jumped in to tie up loose ends. Our morning went something like this:
Matt: Who needs teeth?
Wendy: Abby and Bella now...Ali can wait.
Matt: Abby wet her bed.
Wendy: Bathe her.
Matt: Didn't she already have a bath?
Wendy: No, she was dressed up in a princess gown and missed bathtime last night. It's ok...it'll only take 2 minutes to whisk her through the bath.
Matt: Why didn't you bathe her? I thought you bathed her.
Wendy: No, I didn't. You could have already bathed her in the 2 minutes we've been talking (all said in a loving voice of course).
Matt: (Goes and bathes Abby who does NOT want a bath)
In the meantime, Grant's playing in the crib with his toes. Bella and Ali Kate are chasing one another around the house while I put on my makeup. Matt gets Abby bathed, and I come back for a status update. Status updates are KEY in the Stine household. You have to know who has done what and what hasn't been done!
Wendy: Abby needs her insulin at 7:30.
Matt: Ok
Wendy: Open a new N.
Matt: How much insulin does she get for 330? I can't find the sheet.
Wendy: We don't have protocol for a number that high. Give her x. That should do it. Well, I don't know since we have a new bottle.
Matt: Well, what do you think?
Wendy: Go with x. Get it in her now please.
Matt: I'm headed that direction.
Wendy: Don't let her eat for at least 25 minutes.
Matt: Did you pack their lunches?
Wendy: Yes..on the counter.
And so the morning goes with teeth brushing, kid dressing, bow matching, lunch packing, backpack packing, lovey gathering, dentist office preparing, feeding, and diapering activities until Wendy, Abby, and Isabella finally leave for the dentist at 8:05.
The dentist visit was wonderful. I dropped the girls off at preschool to find out that today was picture day. I thought it was Wednesday. Well, Matt dressed Bella in a not-picture-taking outfit. Abby's would have done except that it was a spring picture and she was in a floral corduroy. So I rushed home to grab the girls matching spring dresses and hairbows before making a mad dash back to preschool to hand off the garments (hoping they fit since they were new and we haven't tried them on)! Now...that was just a snippit of one morning when I only had to get 2 kids out the door. You can only imagine the other days when we go to dance, MOMS, and preschool when Matt is already gone to work! Maybe I'll relay one of those days one day.
And somewhere in the middle of all those status updates we did talk about Matt's work, my day, and my new website. And we did kiss each other goodbye...
2 comments:
I love your conversation with Matt; especially how he could have already had the bath done in the two minutes ya'll were talking! Sounds like me and Robby! No questions just do it!
Great post! I don't know how yall do it. I saw my parents do it and I know I don't want the job.
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