My Day

My day:
- Jamie wakes up at 5 am. This is after a night of getting up every 90 minutes because Simon is going through a growth spurt.
- Simon has two explosive bowel movements requiring complete clothing changes and baths. The second one also requires a complete clothing change for the defenseless mommy he exploded on.
- Clare falls for the thousandth time. This time, however, she splits open her lip again (after doing this already on Saturday). Shawn walks in from work to find Simon screaming in the playpen, Clare screaming and bloody on my lap, and Jamie frantically following my orders of finding diaper wipes and tissues to staunch and clean up the blood.
- Clare pees all over the bathroom floor after she is done with her bath. More laundry to throw in with the poopy and bloody clothing. Might as well make it a whole load.
- Shawn and Jamie call for me to come upstairs. Clare has a stomach ache from eating too much chocolate and almost throws up. (Both Shawn and I allowed Clare to have two big pieces of a Hershey's candy bar after dinner, not realizing that the other parent had done the same.) I sit with Clare and the "spit-up bowl" for a while.
- I return downstairs to find the kitchen sink overflowing with scalding water. It seems I forgot that I was running water to soak some dishes prior to being summoned upstairs.
- One last huge temper tantrum from Jamie because, by the end of the day, he is so exhausted from being up at the crack of dawn.

On the other hand, this is my day as well:
- Simon has his four-month photos done at the photographers. All the kids behave beautifully and Simon's photos come out gorgeous.
- Both Clare and Simon take a 3-hour nap at the same time. I actually am able to scrub my shower, do some laundry, concoct a marinade for steak and shrimp kabobs, and bake banana chocolate-chip bars.
- Jamie and Clare receive packages of stickers in the mail from Grand Dad. The only thing more exciting than mail is mail that comes with stickers.
- Jamie, Clare, Simon, and I take a walk on a sunny, breezy early fall day. Jamie and Clare love riding in the wagon, and Simon takes in the view from the front carrier.
- Shawn makes s'mores on the grill, which we all enjoy after a fabulous dinner outside.
- Jamie and I make homemade Cherry Garcia ice cream. Yummy!
- Clare stands up from the middle of the floor all by herself. She is proud to do it again and again for everyone.
- Jamie and I get his backpack ready for his first day of school tomorrow.
- Jamie, Clare, and Simon are all fast asleep in their bed. Now it's my turn.