oh - so you don't have a real job then

I was recently talking to someone from my old stomping ground in Toronto who was asking what I do work work out here.  I said I stay at home with my kids and I look after a few others as well during the day.

"oh - so you don't have a real job then."

Excuse me?  don't have a real job?  Ok....for all those who think that staying home with kids is soooo easy, let me paint a picture of an average day for me.  Average meaning in the middle.  I will have better and worse days then I describe.  Some days are insane and I want to pull my hair out and some days are so easy it's laughable.

A typical day.

starts at about 2 or 3am when one of my kids comes into my bed.  (usually Boo)
by 4 or 5 the other one is in bed and I fitfully sleep while I get jabbed or kicked with some limb of one of them while my hubby usually is snoring through the whole thing.  Sometimes he takes one and hugs them and they fall soundly back asleep.

by 6am I've given up on sleeping, so I get up and get dressed etc.

Then kids will either wake up with me then or shortly there after and ask for breakfast.  After they have changed their mind a million times, they still can't agree.  I give up and cook 2 different breakfasts.  They don't usually finish their whole breakfast, so I eat what they don't eat and wash up the dishes.

Then we get dressed.  They pick their clothes and put them on.  Pumpkin will change her mind a few more time and I have to tell her to put all the clothes away that she doesn't want to wear and no they do not need to go in the laundry hamper.

Teeth get brushed and I fight with pumpkin to let me brush her hair.

at 7am we read some books or play a game or do some puzzles.  If I'm super tired, then I put on a veggie tales for them while I read my bible and try to catch at least 5 minutes to pray.

by 8am the first 2 kids I look after have arrived, the 10 month old and the 6 year old.
8:30 the 2 year old arrives and we all go for a walk to take the 6 year old to school and walk back.
The 2 year old cries the whole time for her mommy

I have to harness Boo and the 2 year old together while I push the 10 month old in the stroller and pumpkin and the 6 year old walk.  Once we arrive home, we have snack time and then we go back out side or play in the living room with whatever.  There is usually at least 1 fight over a toy.  the 2 year old is still crying.  Can't get her to stop unless I constantly make her the center of my attention.

10am the other 2 year old arrives.  He runs off and grabs the first toy and yells MINE at the of his lunges.
Boo has to pee but he completely misses the toilet .  I gotta clean that up.  then I have to change diapers.
Next we do calendar time and read some books.

at 10:30 I need to cook lunch so I tell the kids to pick up all the toys - this takes about 30 minutes as they get distracted and start playing.  I run back and forth between then kitchen and the living room, cooking and reminding them to clean up.  and the 10 month old is screaming because i put her down...and she's cutting teeth.
11 we all sit down to eat.  I feed the baby taking mouth fulls in between.
11:30 everyone either naps or has quiet time.  Pumpkin and Boo have out grown their naps so we play quietly in the kitchen while the baby sleeps upstairs and the other 2 nap on the couches.

Lunch and AM snack dishes get cleaned up.

a moment of peace.


by 1:30 everyone is up.  diapers are changed and we get dressed to walk back to the school to pick up the 6 year old.  the two 2 year olds and Boo get harnessed together, 10 month old goes back in the stroller and off we go.

Once we return, we play outside in the back yard a bit.  The first 2 year old, just stands there.  everyone else runs around.

at 3 we come in and have another snack, pick-nick style in the living room.  why not?

Then more free play.  more fights over toys and books.

by 4pm the 10 month old and one of the 2 year olds are gone.  by 4:30 the other 2 year old is gone. and by 5:30 the 6 year old is gone.

Boo and pumpkin help me cook supper and eat.

at 6:30 we usually go for a walk.  once we are back, they have a bath and we read books, then it's off to bed.  And that is usually a battle that takes about 20 minutes for me to win.

by 8:30 they are sleeping in bed.  I'm back down stairs to clean up dishes and sweep (again) and mop the floor, vacuum the carpet and tidy up.  by 9:15 my work is finished and I can finally take a shower. 9:30 my hubby comes home and I fix his supper and talk with him while he eats.  now it's 10pm and after washing up (again) I can finally get to do what I want to do.

Oh wait....I'm usually too tired, so I go to bed for 4 hours of solid sleep until Boo comes into bed at about 2 or 3 am.

And if that doesn't sound like work, then I donno what is!