a day in the life - emily

So several weeks ago when Ryann was going through her I won't sleep unless I'm held phase, I did lots and lots of clicking through and reading blogs (you can do that one handed... most of the time :o). I'm so happy that I came across Emily's. Now each week I am trying to complete her challenge of embracing the camera. She seemed like such a fun spunky lady, so I'm glad I get a peek into her everyday life!

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well hello there...i'm emily.

i'm a 20-something wifey to mr. anderson. we have 4 little hapa children running around. i may be slightly partial, but they are the cutest kids i've ever seen. i'm trying to document their early years on my blog. one day, they'll thank me for it...right? in our house, we have fun, we laugh, we yell, we go crazy, we fight, we kiss and make-up...but most importantly, we love jesus.

well, if you have young kids in the house, you can relate with the fact that each day seems to feel like the same.

am i really wiping this bottom, again?

am i seriously sweeping crumbs up off the floor for the 12th time today? and it's only noon?

do i really know every word to the caillou theme song? gawl.

yes, tis true that our days can seem boring and uneventful, but hang in there, super women!

i loved this idea by ashley...the thought of getting to peek into other peoples daily lives is a lot like peeking into their windows at night---when they have their lights on (come on, you know you do this too). it makes them feel more real to me. i did, however, want to make sure people didn't feel like our lives were perfect and we did fabulous things everyday.

friends...that is farthest from the truth.

dude. some days, my kids watch way to much t.v.

some days, i yell way more than necessary.

some days, we eat cereal for dinner cause i forgot to thaw the meat out.

some days, i'm just plain cranky and don't want to do anything, let alone deal with children.

so, in spite of my bad days, we do have some good days. my "day in the life" is neither. it's a good mix of the two.

here ya go:

-at roughly 8:00, i roll my sleepy self out of bed. i have the worlds best husband.

he gets up with the children, every morning and gets their breakfast ready. this makes me happy. i really dislike being demanded of, first thing in the morning, so he takes care of it all, while i get up and wash my face and get ready for the day.

i spend the next hour eating breakfast, reading, checking my email and catching up on blogs. the kids are allowed to watch cartoons for this hour as well.

-by 9:00 the t.v. and computer are off (most days).

the next couple hours differ, depending on the day.

-9:00-11:30 i like to use this time for errands, if needed (4 little people + errands = hell, so i try to avoid that as much as possible). if we don't have errands to run, then the baby goes down for a morning nap, and i try to do some housework. i get the big kids involved...they help put dishes away from the dishwasher, put their laundry away, sweep the kitchen and bathroom floors, pick up their toys and clean up their rooms (not all on the same day). and yes, they do whine when i ask them to help...my favorite line to say to them is "well, did i get your undies dirty? no, you're right...i didn't get them dirty, but i'm cleaning them for you. that's what families do...we help each other out". they always like the underwear comment and it usually gets them to help. it's all about perspective. around 10:00, i throw a snack in there. after they are done with their "chores" they have some free time. this particular day, we made a tent.

-around 11:30, we eat lunch. i have the worlds slowest eaters, so it takes a good 30 minutes. by noon, mr. anderson comes home for lunch (yippee!) i take a break from all the madness and usually head to my room and lock the door behind me. some days i might take a quick snooze...some days i might check my email...it all depends on how i'm feeling.

-at 1:00, mr. anderson heads back to work (boo) and i am back on mommy duty. to calm the kiddos down, i let them pick a quick 30 minute show or movie.

-1:30-4:30 is REST TIME in my house. people are always amazed at this, but yes, from 1:30-4:30 all of my kids are in their rooms, resting/sleeping/playing quietly/reading. some days the baby's sleep schedule is a little off, but he's usually in there for the full 3 hours too. i need this time. it's non-negotiable in my house. not only do i need this time, but i use it however i'd like. i told myself a long time ago that i would only do things that i liked, during rest time. some days, that involves posting a blog/surfing the web/editing photos. some days, i pop a gilmore girls in and watch a couple episodes while i eat ice cream. some days, i sleep. some days, i get my craft on. it doesn't matter what it is i'm doing, just as long as i'm enjoying it and it's recharging my batteries for when the littles get back up.

-4:30 kids clean up their rooms and head on out. i start to get dinner ready...we usually turn on the i-pod and dance during this time too. it keeps them occupied while i am in the kitchen.

-5:00 it's a ritual in my house, the kids watch the electric company, every day at 5:00...they love this show. during this time, mr. anderson gets home. we finish getting dinner ready, and at 5:30, we usually always eat.

-the rest of of the night consists of cleaning up after dinner, hanging out, taking baths, and heading to bed. while bedtime is at 7:30 in this house, they almost always don't fall asleep till around 9:00. we don't care too much, as long as they are being quiet in their rooms. this gives mr. anderson and i some time to just chill.

-i usually end up falling asleep way later than i wanted too (around 11:00)...i wake up the next day and start it all over again!

in between all of this, i am changing diapers, nursing a baby every 3 hours and listening to worship music (that really gets me through the days).

not only am i doing those things, but i'm also ALWAYS breaking up fights, putting kids in timeouts, explaining to kids how to deal with their anger, taking away privileges, trying to teach a 3 year old how to poop on the potty (that's a fun one), explaining why we don't get to eat candy and watch t.v. all day...the list goes on and on.

but, those things come with the territory of being a mommy.

at the end of the day, as long as i've loved my kids, then it's been a good day.

and to answer ashley's questions...

1. the thing i found most surprising (since becoming a mama) was how i am able to function with little to no sleep.

i yearn for the days when i sleep again.

2. a tip for new moms...

-establish a rest time in the afternoon, so that you can have ME time.

i'm telling ya, it's the best thing i've ever done for myself.

3. top 3 baby products.

a. cloth diapers

b. a sling for baby wearing

c. a pacifier - actually a lot of pacifiers...in case they get lost :)

thanks ashley!

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Thank you Emily!