Our busy days...

Here's a bit about our busy days. It's not so much go go go from start to finish, but it's definitely a new atmosphere the last week and a half!

Our days are starting around 6:30 but before that time anywhere from 3:30 to 5:30 Micah is waking up and fussing for a bit. Today it was 3 and again at 3:30 and I finally got up and went to quiet him (or see if anything was actually wrong) and he was fine. I laid out on the couch for an hour then went back to bed. He was fine, just woke and felt like fussing!

At 6:30 or so Kristopher comes to our room and says good morning. Except today, when he decided instead to let our little friend out of his bed. When we hadn't exactly 'set up' the house to be ready for him yet. Luckily I was walking in to the room right at the same time and was able to 'catch' them and close the bathroom doors and such :). Kristopher also showed our little friend how to lift the ladder to the bunk bed and get out of bed that way! So last night as I sat down to eat a delicious lamb dinner (brought over by Mike's parents- THANKS!) by myself... after I'd fed all 5 kids, dressed them in PJs and got them off to bed... I heard a "whack, giggle, slam" and then had a little boy running into the family room giggling! The whack- the ladder falling back against the bed... giggle would be little boy... and the slam was him closing the bedroom door behind him! I'd left the baby gate open by the bedrooms so he bolted right out... right to where I was sitting :) He got sent back to bed with a verbal reprimand and he stayed in bed after that. He realized it wasn't such a good idea. Mike will be fixing that issue with a bungee or a screw he said :)

So... when the kids are awake they get clean diapers and clothes... x4 and Kristopher either gets a shower or goes straight to get dressed. When everyone's dressed we move to the kitchen and all eat breakfast together. Usually it's cereal but sometimes cinnamon rolls or eggs or toast or... whatever :)

While the kids eat breakfast I usually try to get the dishwasher unloaded and sometimes re-loaded if I have time. On school days I sometimes don't have time and I make lunches instead.

Mike usually turns up around this time from his shower and I have my chance at the shower and a few minutes of 'peace'. :)

Then we're usually out the door for prek drop off- Mike with Kristopher and me with the rest of the crew (on some days my mom comes over to keep E and M so they don't have to ride along).

Each step along the way we've added one little thing- both baby gates must be closed at all times, and the gues room/bath have to be closed! :) We have a little explorer that likes to go in rooms and close himself in them. My door stoppers have come in but I haven't installed them yet!

Also, when going to and from the car I have to make two trips, one with Emma and one with Micah. Kristopher and Brianna will walk and Brianna's good about going straight to the car now so that's VERY helpful! Our new little friend requires a hand-holding or a hand on the shoulder to get where we're going a lot of the time or he'll go sit in the grass :) Luckily he's not TOO quick and even if he starts to wander there's plenty of time for redirection!

In the morning while some kids are at school there's always Emma, 2 days Micah is with me, and our little friend stays with me as well. Some days we've gone grocery shopping, some we come back home and play a bit, and some we've had other things to go to like a doctor's appointment or therapies.

Around 11 I do a run of diapers, shoes, and head out the door to start preschool pickup. We usually eat with Mike at the church and even with a 5th kiddo this has still been doable :) Today we ate up there with all 4 little ones while waiting to get Kristopher and they were all very good!

When we get home around 12:30 or 1 the three youngest go down for a nap while Kristopher and Emma play, watch a short movie, or work on a project. Hence my ability to blog right now :)

I've been waking our friend up from naps 'gently' by turning on lights and waiting for him to come around because he was h aving a harder time falling asleep at night when he slept his nap as long as he wanted to. He's done better with that :) :). Micah will pretty much sleep out a 'full' nap and then go to bed good at night as will Brianna... within reason.

In the afternoon the kids have a snack, play, sometimes we go to a therapy and grandma comes to keep K, B, and M while I take E and our friend with me. Unfortunately, our playground has ants right now and our lawn people didn't receive my last payment... sent a while ago... so we're waiting for them to schedule the May treatment to get rid of the ants! So we can't go out to the playset right now :(

We eat dinner around 5:30 and when Mike is home, we all sit down and eat together. When he's not... I feed the 5 kids (3 or 4 of them requiring some degree of help) and then I eat after bedtime :). By 5:45 or 6 we clean up dinner, get baths in for 4 of them, pajamas on, teeth brushed, stories read, prayers said, and a little more playtime between these things since it takes some time to get through 5 kids one at a time! Then around 7 or 7:30 they are all headed to bed...

Except Kristopher.

We've decided to let him have a little extra playtime and special one on one time with us as well as letting the two younger boys get a jump start on sleep before Kristopher goes to bed. He's been sitting in my bed with me and watching a movie for about an hour. Sometimes with the special treat of popcorn and water :). It's important for him to have some extra one on one since he's probably the most affected by our friend's arrival. But he is doing great with everything and this seems to be working well! Of course... last night it was just the treat of 'staying up' because I decided to sit down and eat my dinner about the time he started his movie. He didn't mind so much tho!

By 8:30 everyone is in bed, hopefully headed toward sleep!

Yes, we keep busy. Yes, some days I'm tired :) Yes, I love every minute with the kids (ALL of them!) and NO, I wouldn't change it for the world :)