Wednesday 8 February 2012

A day in the life of little man and me..

So, I was hanging out over at Aka Muma's blog just now, reading all about her day.  It made me remember what it's like when you have a baby or child who naps.  Ahhh.. naps!  I used to be able to do so much reading/blogging whilst Ethan took a nap.  This is no longer the case.

It's interesting to sit back and actually think about what you've done in a day, isn't it!  I thought I would hop on the band wagon.  So, here we have it.  This was our day:

6:50 am - alarm goes off (hubby has to get up for work).  Ethan not yet awake, so I lounge in bed for a little while trying to cling on to sleep.

7:20 am - it seems that Ethan is still asleep, but I know we have a busy day ahead so I get up, get washed/dressed/make-up on.

8:00 am - Ethan wakes up *Please note that Ethan normally wakes earlier than this.  At weekends he's often awake before 7am.. he saves his lie in for weekdays when we have to get up* .  Take him downstairs where he has his milk.  We sit together on the sofa for a bit under a blanket, all cosy.  Ahhhh.

8:30 am - breakfast.  It's porridge today.  Despite being 2 and a half and perfectly capable of feeding himself, Ethan eats one spoonful and then demands "Mummy can do it!".  I feed him.  At least it saves a lot of mess.

9:00 am - clean up the breakfast things and make a packed lunch for Ethan to take out with us later (sarnies, rice cakes, chopped up pair, orange juice) whilst Ethan watches Show me Show me.  Also write up the shopping list for the food shop later and pack all of the above into the buggy along with reusable shopping bags.

9:30 am - brush teeth and get Ethan dressed for the day.  This is like dressing an eel in a vat of custard.  At some point he escapes and barricades himself in the wardrobe.  I can only get him out by telling him I'm dressing his gloworm in his trousers.  This appeals to his sense of what is his and he is out of there sharpish demanding to wear his clothes.

9:45 am - "play cars" for 10 minutes.  This ends up with Ethan throwing things in a tantrum because his car mat gets slightly ruckeld at the edges.  They are pretty OCD at this age.

9:55 am - begin the attempt to leave the house for our Tearless & Fearless class at the local leisure centre which starts at 10:30.  I end up spending at least 10 minutes chasing Ethan around the house with his coat, hat and shoes whilst he runs around pushing his Trunki yelling "I go fast Mummy! Chase me!".  I try not to think about gin.  I think about gin.

10:20 am - finally I have wrestled Ethan into his outdoor clothing and the buggy.  We can set off.

10:30 am - arrive at Tearless & Fearless.  Remove Ethan from buggy.  He tells me "I've done a poo Mummy!".  Chase him around the sports hall for 10 mins with a change mat.  Finally pin him down, get his nappy changed.  Have a conversation with a Mum about her new babies sleeping patterns whilst holding the stinking nappy in my hands.. Finally remember what that stink is and excuse myself from the conversation to go and stick the nappy in the buggy bag.

11:30 am - T&F class over.  Have got Ethan into his buggy with the mention of rice cakes.  Time to hit Tesco.  Takes 10 mins to walk there.  Have to sing "Lovely" from My Fair Lady to Ethan all the way there.. over and over.

11:40 am - 12:20 am - attempt weekly shop with one basket attached to the buggy and one in the crook of my arms.  This is fecking hard work.  Do it every week.  I cannot express how stressful and tiring it is.  All the while I am keeping Ethan from getting too bored.  He attempts to get out of the buggy but I explain how I will not be able to control a buggy, two shopping baskets and him running around.  Keep him in the buggy using snacks.

12:45 am - arrive back home.  Stick The Very Hungry Caterpillar on DVD on for Ethan to watch.  Unpack shopping.  Remember to drink something (not gin).  Ethan runs in and out of the kitchen as I unpack demanding various things from me such as chasing him, drawing with him, songs... the list goes on!

1:00 pm - Ethan didn't eat his sandwiches whilst we were out, so we sit down together at the table to eat lunch.  Manage to eat fairly quickly.  We need to be at the library for story time at 2:15.  It takes 25 mins to walk there.  For an adult.  Ethan wants to take his bike... we need to eat as quickly as possible!

1:30 pm - clean up the lunch stuff/washing up.  Explain to Ethan that if he wants to ride his bike to the library we need to go NOW.  Chasing ensues.

1:45 pm - still not left.  I need another wee.  Ethan has got on his bike without any shoes on and won't get off.  I try to remove him from the bike to get shoes onto him.  I lift him.  He will not let go of the bike.  He is a limpet.  Prise bike from his fingers one by one.  Bike lands on my feet.  Try not to scream.  Think of gin.  Clamp him between my legs and wedge shoes on.  Leave house in a rush feeling like a mad person...  There is a stink coming from the buggy.. remember that stinking nappy is still in the buggy bag.. Fling it in a bin on the way to the library...

1: 50 pm - 2:20 pm - we make pretty good progress on our way to the library.  I've had to bring the buggy just in case Ethan gets tired and also to carry the library books we need to take back.  Ethan thankfully doesn't lag behind too much.

2:22 pm - we arrive at library, a bit late.  Ethan stomps right through the group of children sitting quietly listening to the story and stands in front of them with his shades on.  One of the librarians becomes hysterical with laughter.  The other keeps stopping the story to say "Hello Ethan! Please sit down!".  I manage to park the buggy and move his bike out of the way (he dumped it in front of the movement activated doors a the front of the library causing them to open and close repeatedly...) and then force him to sit down.  Take his sunnies off him.  We actually have a pleasant story time, he listens nicely for a change.

2:45 pm - story time over, Ethan tries to escape from the library whilst I run after him pushing the buggy and carrying his bike.  He gets back on his bike.  He wants to colour in the picture the librarian gave him at the end of story time so I say we can go to a local cafe to do so (can't have gin yet, but can at least have coffee). I realise I don't have the crayons I normally carry around with me, so colouring will be a problem (yes, I do normally have some on me!).  Check purse.  I have £3 exactly.  We stop off in the cheap shop and find some crayons for 79p.  Thank the heavens.  Coffee will cost me £2.20.

3:10pm - reach coffee shop.  Glasses steam up upon entrance.  Ethan charges in trampling over peoples feet with his bike.  I try to find him whilst controlling the buggy and trying to see through steamed up glasses.  There is one free table.  Finally manage to reach it.  Park up buggy and bike.  Sit Ethan down, hand him crayons and his picture.  Go and order coffee.  Count out my 5 and 10p's that add up to the correct amount for a small skinny mocha.  Smell it's heavenly aroma.  Make my way back to the table.  Ethan climbs all over me and the table.  Most of my coffee is spilt.  He does some colouring.  I draw him a train and a pirate at his request.  He gets bored.  I hand him my iPod which has "doodle buddy" on it.  That keeps him amused for a few mins.  I gulp down my coffee and try to catch up with a few text messages.

4:00 pm - we leave the coffee shop after the obligatory chasing Ethan around getting hat/coat on.  We have to pop into Superdrug to get Daddy some Lempsip.  I teach Ethan to yell out "My Daddy has Man Flu" for my amusement.  The shop assistant thinks he is beyond cute.  I tell her he has arranged most of her stock and most likely pinched a bag of chocolate buttons.  She comments that "somebody needed to reorganise the stock anyway!".  Realise she thought I was joking.  Ah well, they will realise later.

4:10 pm - 5:10 pm -  we make slow progress home.  Ethan and his bike go through a load of dog poo.  I am getting irritable.  Shout out that "if I EVER see someone out with a dog pooping and they don't pick up the poo I will SLAP THEM IN THE FACE!".  Ethan spends the remainder of the journey shouting "SLAP THEM IN THE FACE! SLAP THEM IN THE FACE!".  *Please note, I really wouldn't do this, and I don't condone violence!!*

5:15 pm - 5:30 pm - arrive home.  Spend 15 mins hosing down the bike and buggy to get poo off.  Bung our shoes in the washing machine to make sure they are clean (Thank God we wear Converse!).

5:30 pm - Make Ethan's tea whilst he watches Aladin on DVD.  He shouts about how hungry he is.  Also start a spag bol sauce for our tea, ready to bung in the oven to cook for a while...

6:00 pm - Serve up Ethan's food.  Sit next to him.  He gets bored.. start popping it into his mouth whilst he blabs on about something cute but non-coherent.

6:10 pm - Daddy arrives home!!! Yes!!  I skip off to make Daddy a cup of tea whilst he takes over the sitting with Ethan duty.

6:30 pm - Run the bath.  Ethan and Daddy are sharing tonight.  I pop downstairs whilst they are in there and quickly do a spot of blogging whilst doing more prep for our evening meal (salad, measure out the spaghetti etc..)

7:00 pm - pop back upstairs, help Daddy get Ethan into his pjs and then settled down for his books and milk.  Jump in the bath myself.

8:30 pm - Ethan is asleep, I'm out of the bath.  We can eat!  And relax.... contemplate what is left of the evening, watch a film and fit in a spot of blogging.

1:00 am - Finally get to sleep.

There we go! Few.  It's hard work this Mummy lark!

Anyone care to share their day?  Let me know if you do, I love to see what everyone gets up to...

8 comments:

  1. And breathe ...... I'm exhausted just reading it! You never know just how busy your days are until you actually sit down and think about it.

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    1. That's so true!! But you're Mum of three.. so I bow to you!

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  2. Wow, you win in the busy stakes! It's quite exhausting thinking about what we do. That fact that it even takes us so long to write it all down, speaks volumes! Great post.x

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    1. It really did take an age to write down... we do have quieter days, but most of them are pretty hectic! It's harder when they stop napping but aren't yet in nursery or pre school... x

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  3. Yeeesh! What a busy day.... I cannot believe Ethan didn't crash from exhaustion by 3pm :-) By the way, you've been tagged! If you'd like to join in please read my post at http://housewivesincorporated.blogspot.com/2012/02/tag-youre-it.html cheers, X

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    1. Ooo, I'm off to check that out!

      I wish he had crashed out... some days I push him around in the buggy to see if he'll drop off but mostly he doesn't these days. Even after an hour or more of me walking...

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  4. Hahaha! I would have loved to spend the day with you - SLAP HIM IN THE FACE, SLAP HIM IN THE FACE! Brilliant.

    I wrote about my day over here at the other website I write for: http://off-the-deep-end.net/2033/barbies-hair/ xx

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    1. Oh fab, I'm off to have a look Kerry!!

      Yeah, the slap in the face thing did make me chuckle when I looked back and remembered... xx

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