Mama-mode

Weekends are busier than weekdays for me, but I'm ok with that. Time is flying super fast with so, so much to do and I certainly don't want to look back and feel that I missed important moments. But, boy, am I ready to get through with school already! I want it to go by at a nice clip like this, full speed to graduation! 

Most of my days are spend with long stretches of not thinking about school at all because I am in mama-mode 100%. If I get distracted by thoughts of school or -heaven forbid- try to work on school, the kids pick up immediately that I am disconnected from them. And then they act out. 

But if they get my full attention, it's smooth sailing. Like today, so far. They are learning constantly and it is mostly because James and I take the time to answer all the many questions. "Mama, talk about tornadoes." I hear that about 15 times a day. (I was going to say a hundred, but 15 is the literal average.) Mama-mode time is mostly spent sitting at eye level with Bea or Am a foot or less away from my face intently explaining all kinds of things about our world and partly spent teaching them how to do chores. 

(Having chore help was definitely a factor in deciding to have kids!)

It's funny to think about all my friends at school* who think they really know me, but haven't seen even a glimpse of who I am as a mom, who I am primarily.

*excluding Beth of course

Turn It On Around, Mama

Sometimes being a mama gets overwhelming. There's so much going on and the constant interruptions when I'm trying to get a thing done and somebody needing me. I feel worn out by 9am. And the first nap isn't until 9:30! Well, I was definitely feeling like that today.

Beatrice has reached a very challenging stage. Sometimes I think she is testing every boundary to see how far she can push me. But mostly, I think she is just really wonderstruck by this crazy, huge world that is new to her in almost every way.

There are so many things she doesn't understand yet and so she gets in trouble for not even realizing what she did was wrong. (For example, I'll put Ambrose on the floor and a few minutes later I might move him from sitting to lying on his tummy so he can get around. All she knows is that he got moved by a bigger person. So why can't she just knock him around any old way she might want him to be?)

So the day was going fussily along and I was ready to sell at least one kid. But I took a step back and decided to turn the day around. I stuck Bea in the bath (her favorite place, and good thing because she always needs one) and Ambrose in his excersaucer.

I moved furniture and folded/put away/organized laundry. I sang and made my babies laugh. I read them stories and cuddled them. I chased them and tickled them. Then, I gave them naps.

While they were napping, I found this inspiring blog post and decided that when Daddy got home and after dinner, we would go downtown to play in the fountains. We did it and it was so much fun. I think we will go all summer long! Came home and barely had time to get them out of the bath and jammified before they were long gone to dream-land.

Tired as I was by 8pm, this mama still forced her butt to the gym. Because now that my beautiful yellow swimsuit is here? I'm going to be a more dedicated gym member. At least for the butt machines.

Listing

This week I have felt pretty hemmed in. I've been stranded because we have one car and James usually drives it to work. The kids and I have plenty to do, but sometimes all the activities run together in the endless-endless of mamahood.

But today was better. I made a list. I get so much more done and end the day with a sense of accomplishment when I go by a list. And I find that I do a lot more than I set out to do because a schedule makes time. Out of thin air.

My list had some revisions through the day, but it basically went like this:

I got a bit side-tracked in the afternoon when Lucy and Isobel came over. They saw that I only had 1 chapter left in the last HP book and offered to watch the kids while I got through. I needed that! AND Isobel made cookies!!

As always, there were random chunks of time throughout the day when I was on the floor being silly with my babies. :)