I secretly(not so secretly now) love reading posts by my favorite bloggers of a Day in the Life… everyone’s days are so different and it’s refreshing to see just how “they do it” with their families. When Emma Marie was first born I wanted to write a post about this topic but all of our days looked so different that I just didn’t think it warranted a post. Now looking back I wish I would’ve taken the time to put some of our days in writing- that time with them so little was so fleeting-the lack of sleep with two under two got the better of me.
Our days still tend to change here and there with little ones getting sick, doctor appointments and such but I will be sharing what a typical day looks like for us now.
6:30-7AM
I wake-up before the kids to check email, brush my teeth(shower sometimes), and change into whatever outfit warrants the days activities. Most notably that would be compression pants, tank top, and light running sweater.
Emma Marie picked out this outfit… before we had figured out where we were going. Girl’s got good taste.
7:30AM
Both or one say good morning and I’m off to rescue them. Raymond(3) is now fully potty-trained and he marches straight to the potty first thing when he gets up. He definitely wakes up slow… so no real talking to him until after his teeth are brushed and clothes picked out. Emma Marie wakes up with the biggest smile and points expectantly at the ground waiting for me to pick up her “Pup-Pup” that she ‘let free’ sometime in the night. She starts talking about her night and runs over to read one of her books. We brush her teeth, pick out her outfit and all head downstairs.
8:30AM
Don’t know why it takes us that long to get downstairs now… especially after re-reading the above paragraph-it just does.
I ask them what they would like for breakfast, they always get two choices, and set about making it. They greet their toys and run amok as I make coffee and plate their breakfast along with a big cup of milk. So glad that Emma Marie now LOVES milk. She easily eats and drinks as much as Raymond who is literally twice her size(weight). Our grocery bills attest to this.
9AM
Get them dressed for our activity of the day. Activities depending on date/temperature/kid’s temperament… I swear I could make a spreadsheet. Our go-to activities are: Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix Children’s Museum, Ride Bikes to Local Park, Rec Center, National Geographic Kids, Splashpad, Story Time, Schnepf Farms, and just playing in the backyard.
I pack up the diaper bag with all the necessities. Mostly now I just need to bring enough food- there are only two food safe places that we could stop for food if they got hungry so I usually bring the kitchen with us. I make a massive amount of Allergy-Friendly Chex Mix, bring pouches full of goodness, water bottles, and fresh fruit(bananas, apples, pears). I also throw in my back pack, double stroller, two swaddle blankets, make sure the obnoxious(but necessary) musical instruments are packed, and then load up the kids.
9:25AM
On this particular day we were headed to Schnepf Farms– one of our local favorites and completely kid-friendly. The drive out is about 25 minutes and we pass by tons of other farms which is perfect for two little kids on an adventure to “The Real Farm” as it has become known. As soon as we make it to the farm I pack up the backpack with the epi-pens, food, keys, water and we head out to check in at the bakery! Of course we stop and smell the flowers by the entrance.
After saying “Hi” to all of the people in the bakery and checking out their local goodies(the cinnamon rolls and brownies are amazing-along with their dinners-chili YUM). We(I) grab two goat cones and we take off toward the goats. Along the way we stop and say hi to the peacocks, play on the playground, say hello to the pigs, jump off a couple of stumps, and of course check both ways when crossing the train tracks. A real train went by on the other side of the road and BLEW THEIR MINDS. Til this day they had only ridden on small trains and I guess they look a lot smaller from the window of a Prius(how could that be?) than I thought. Seriously, BLEW THEIR MINDS. With their minds efficiently blown we set-off to see the goats. Both of my little ones love animals. We say hi to the chickens, roosters, sheep, and commence feeding the goats. There was another toddler that slid down this slide into the goat pen and until that day I had convinced both of my kids that it was the goat’s slide and that kids were not supposed to go on it. Not trying to be the un-fun mom but the slide is covered, COVERED, in feces and urine and well? Our Prius is small with tight quarters and I didn’t want to bring that smell all the way home each time. I mean our feet get covered but I toss those bad boys back in the trunk.
So today they saw a REAL LIVE TRAIN AND- AND THEY SLID DOWN THE GOAT SLIDE. Emma Marie nearly toppled over(don’t worry I was right there) and Raymond was at the bottom telling me, “Momma I got this”. I’m not even kidding. So instead of letting Emma Marie take him out, I save them both the pain(ignorance is bliss) and caught her at the bottom. We were then surrounded by goats. Kind of the point. But notably we have been to the farm probably 15 times at this point for hours at a time and had never, ever seen a kid go down this slide.
The goats were intrigued.
Raymond was smitten and immediately made it his mission to make sure that each and every goat got tended to.
Emma Marie tried desperately to find a place where goats were not(impossible in a goat pen) and frantically ran in circles with her hands in the air. I need a Go-Pro attached to my head. Hands-free and family memories. WIN-WIN.
Raymond is now known as The Goat Whisperer. He is a kind and gentle soul. All of the babies clamored around him, perhaps(BIG perhaps) they were trying to escape other over-eager toddlers and felt calm and safe around the gentle giant… or he has a true gift. Either way, the babies stayed around him and fled all of the other kids.
This was the worst case scenario for Emma Marie and she made it her mission to break the record for climbing up me. She won. And my little girl clung to me for the remainder of the visit. Goats need to be tended to and appreciated from afar for Em. Lesson learned.
We made another loop through the barn, feeding the donkey, giving the sheep a good back rub, and saying hi to the new baby goats. NEW. Like brand-new National Geographic NEW. “Mom, why is the goat covered in red? Is that blood?” followed quickly with, “Save that baby goat mom he is hurt! Save him RIGHT NOW!” After a quick lesson in how baby goats are born, they were both led away from the scene.
I asked them if they wanted to go for a hike today. Sometimes we just start to go back to the Prius at this point, but it was a beautiful day and I wanted to give them both a choice. They both agreed and we set-off.
We hiked back toward where the corn fields are, past the peach blossoms starting to bloom, following the train tracks(not on the tracks) back toward the edge of the property.
We collected rocks, mud, sticks, and pine cones.
Emma Marie collected pine cones and kept picking out ones she liked better(for whatever reasons) and replacing the old ones. So much fun to just explore nature.
12:30PM
After three hours at the farm we were all hungry, hot, and tired.
We made it back to the Prius and I quickly got them in their seats, took off their shoes, and gave them their pouches, chex mix, and water. Both of them ate all of the food I brought and right before they were about to pass out I hand them the dreaded musical instruments that they adore. I only dislike them because they are literally a foot and a half from my head(tiny car) and LOUD. But this stops the dreaded car nap.
1PM
We get home and it is GO-TIME. Critical moments before nap time. Raymond goes to the bathroom. Everyone washed their hands, gets new clothes, white noise machines are turned on and both are tucked in. Emma Marie likes to be rocked(sometimes) so I get in some extra sweet cuddles with her.
1:30PM
Freedom. This is the time I usually un-pack the car, clear up breakfast, put toys away, change, eat lunch, tend to work contracts, and sometimes-just sometimes I sit outside with an iced-coffee. This is one of those days, plus it was a Friday. They rarely both nap and I took the time to sit and just soak in the quiet after a fabulous time on the farm. Of course I sat outside after all of the above was completed… but that was still a glorious 30 minutes of ME-Time. Glorious.
3PM
Both of them wake-up and we eat a snack at the table. Usually something with protein so they got “Scooby Sandwiches” which are turkey rolled around cheese. Kid-friendly and non-messy.
3:30PM
We head to the backyard for bubbles, playing on the castle, chalk, and sand turtle time. I weeded the yard as they played together. This age is so much fun to watch them grow as siblings and friends.
4PM I prep dinner. I wash and cut veggies, and prep chicken kabobs.
4:30PM
Kabobs go on the grill and the the kids continue to play outside. I get the table ready and clean-up downstairs.
5PM
Dinner is ready. Both kids come in, take off their shoes, put them away and wash their hands before sitting at the table. Chicken Kabobs with yellow onion, and veggies on the side are for dinner. Both of them gobble down two plate-fulls of food. We talk about our adventures of the day and share our favorite parts. SO much fun watching them recount their days.
6PM
Clear plates and we are headed upstairs. Pajamas are out, books and toys are put away by each of them. Shower time for both. After playing with cars, foam letters/numbers/sea animals, both kids get toweled off and brush their teeth.
7:30PM
Lights out for both!
This means clean-up crew in the kitchen. I work-out and then work on contracts(if need be), but since this was Friday I relaxed(after working out) and caught up on some television shows I missed during the week. Big Bang Theory and Suits.
10PM
I call it an early night and it is lights out for me. Sometimes Raymond wakes up in the middle of the night and needs to use the restroom I take him… this happens probably 1-2 times a month. But I am just SO SO SO excited to be done with diapers(pull-ups) for one of the kids. And Emma Marie is already asking to use the real potty… WOOHOO.
The last time I wrote about our daily routine was for a Day in the Life of a Toddler and a Day in the Life of a Six Month Old.
Cue Mom Alligator Tears. Time. Never enough time.
