A Typical Day

5:30AM I force my body out of bed to make that heart-thumping, mind-numbing, blaring noise STOP!

Then I head downstairs to start the coffee. I basically stand there and wait for the coffee to brew since I absolutely can't function without it. A few sips is all I need as I head back upstairs, coffee in hand, to grab a shower. On mornings when my husband has morning basketball, he and my son are out the door by 5:40AM and I have the sole responsibility of getting the girls to the sitter.

6:30AM By now I have makeup on, am dressed, have the kids' bag packed with diapers, juice, snacks, and an extra change of clothes, have figured out what the girls are going to wear, and head back upstairs to wake them up. If you noticed that I didn't say anything about my hair, well, these days I comb it out wet and go.

6:55AM Hopefully, I have loaded the bags and the girls in the car and we are on our way. Really, I need to leave my house by 6:45AM to make it to work on time. I'm just being honest...

7:45AM I have dropped off the kids at the sitter's house and fight downtown traffic to get to work.

8:05-1:00PM Working the JOB.

1:00-2:00PM Lunchbreak. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I pick my 3 year old up from preschool, drive her to the sitter's house, and go back to work. The other days I take about 30 minutes and run errands or just sit in my car.

2:00-5:00PM Working the JOB.

5:00-6:30PM If I leave work, fight the traffic, pick up the girls, and go straight home I can be home by 6:30PM.

6:30-8:30PM Immediately I start throwing dinner together, while simultaneously starting laundry, unloading/loading the dishwasher. The girls usually "help" Mommy in the kitchen and then go off to watch cartoons, color/paint a picture, take off all of their clothes, and spread toys and books all over the house. My husband and son arrive home by 7:15 and we all usually eat dinner between 7:30-8:00, depending on what time I actually get home. After dinner, my husband and I usually rotate the job of cleaning up the dinner dishes and giving the girls a bath.

8:00-10:00PM The girls are in bed by 9:00PM at the latest. If I have time I will briefly check email, check out friends on Facebook, maybe watch a favorite television show, like Fringe, 24, or Hells Kitchen. If I find the energy, I pick up toys, do more laundry, or maybe share a bowl of popcorn with my husband. My son comes out of his room occasionally to share a story or beg for cookies. Most nights I try and get to bed by 10:00PM.

Of course, this typical day doesn't highlight the evenings of basketball or baseball games. Just know the laundry does not get done, the toys don't get picked up, the girls get a quick shower in the morning, and concession stand hotdogs are dinner.

And when HECTIC LIFE and EVERYDAY STRESSES OF LIFE meet and threaten to overwhelm me, I take a time out. Whether it's a good cry or a long bubble bath where I threaten everyone for 30 minutes peace, I remind myself how lucky I am to have a great husband, three beautiful and healthy children, a supportive family network, a nice home, and a job.

While I was writing this post, I had to clean up "Number 2" off the bathroom floor thanks to my youngest, potty training angel.