What I Do All Day

For over a month now, I have meant to write a post about a big change in my life. For some reason I just can't seem to find the right words. So I'll keep it short and sweet. In September I made the difficult decision to leave my job and become a stay-at-home Mom. It's something Jeff and I have talked about for a while, but when the time came I found that it was so much harder than I anticipated. I spent a couple weeks in tears as the realization and finality of it all settled in. Now I'm over a month into my new "job" and I'm much more at peace about it. I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to stay at home, and I'm definitely enjoying the time I get to spend with my kids. Just like my former job, I have good days and bad days.

Everyone I talk to admits that having a good routine is key, but I admit I'm still struggling with that one. It seems like there's always something interrupting my day -- illness, doctor appointment, trips, visitors, etc. In a perfect world I would wake up every morning, get the kids fed and dressed, work out, get my errands accomplished, and still be able to have structured activities for Connor and Kaitlynn. Like I said, still struggling with that.

I was talking to my brother Ben the other day and he asked me, "So what exactly do you DO all day now that you're at home?" Hmmm, good question. This is what I came up with.

• Wake up at the first sign of daylight when Connor comes downstairs ready for his day


• Fix Connor his snacks/meals and feed him several times a day


• Feed Kaitlynn a bottle and change her diaper every 3-4 hours


• Pump 4-5 times every day


• Hand-wash the bottles 2-3 times a day


• Work out each morning at Jazzercise (OK, I admit, I'm slacking on this one lately ever since the kids started getting sick; need to get my lazy butt back on track!)


• Visit the doctor 1-2 times a week (this has been our pattern so far, I'm hoping it doesn't last)


• Play with Connor (singing, dancing, coloring, football, soccer, etc.)


• Play with Kaitlynn (talking, cooing, working really hard for a laugh)


• Wash and fold about 5-10 loads of laundry a week


• Take Connor to preschool twice a week


• Grocery shop 1-2 times a week


• Try to keep the house relatively picked up
• Take the kids outside most nights to play with friends in the cul-de-sac (when the weather is nice)


• Prepare a big dinner 2-3 times a week, usually when the older boys are with us (when they're not, we usually feast on cereal or sandwiches)


• Take the kids for a playdate with friends once a week


• Keep in touch with friends on blogs and email (I admit I spend too much time on the computer some days)

The funny thing is, looking at that list I realize that I used to do most of that AND keep a full-time job. So it's amazing to me that the days and weeks are going by as quickly as they are.

Gee, what DO I do all day??