Day 29 - Home day

Apart from a quick visit to the GP to check out Elisabeth and secure a medical certificate, we stayed at home. Poor Elisabeth is still suffering from her tummy bug. So my day consisted of frequent nappy changes, washing the dirty bedlinen from a midnight vomit in her cot, and trying to make sure she was getting enough fluids. The GP recommended any form including diluted cordial, jelly and icy poles!

She's been in remarkably good spirits despite it all.

Day 28 - One of those days

Today was a day when we should have looked at the teeming rain, wind gusts and snowy mountain and stayed in bed.
After a week off care the girls were keen to head back. So we braved the weather and headed off. Didn't start well when Elisabeth trampled fresh wallaby poop into the family day carer's living room.
Or the hour that Rob and I spent in banked up traffic due to an accident.
When I finally rushed into work and downloaded emails, I'd only just started working when I got a text from the carer giving me a heads up that Elisabeth wasn't feeling the best. We agreed to see how she was  after her morning tea but suspected we'd need to come back and pick her up. Elisabeth didn't perk up but fell asleep so we came and picked up the girls after her nap around lunch.


She seemed happy enough at home, so Rob set about baking Anzac biscuits to keep the girls amused. But then tummy cramps set in and multiple nappy changes over a short space of time, and then a double melt down by the girls over dinner meant that we're all feeling a bit frazzled, and to be honest a little nauseous!


Let's hope one day all I remember is the baking.

Day 7 - Life

Alarm.

Grab phone before it wakes the others.

Ease out of the firm grip of Maggie.

Shower.

Let dogs out.

Espresso machine on.

Heat pump up.

Unpack dishwasher.

Wash bottles. 

Pack lunch and snacks for girls and Rob.

Lay out breakfast. 

Pack bags.

Let dogs back in out of the rain.

Go back and encourage the others to wake up.

Wrangle girls into high chairs.

Look away for a moment and find they are painting with their yoghurt.

Clean up.

Offer them bananas.

Pick them off the floor.
Get them back out of the chairs.

Pay bills online.

Thankfully sip the coffee my dear husband makes me everyday.

Herd girls into bedroom and change nappies and dress them with Rob.

Brush my teeth, encourage them to do theirs while Rob showers.

Watch them play hide and seek in our wardrobe.

Dress in work clothes.

Cajole girls towards the car dragging bags and baskets. 

Say bye to dogs and lock them up.

Drive to family day care.

Drop girls in, laugh as they greet their baby friend and wave us happily goodbye.

Spend 20 minutes alone with my husband as we drive to work.

He drops me in Battery Point then heads to uni to give a 9am lecture.

I visit the post office and buy 1kg of coffee beans.

Walk down the road to work.

Computer on.

Email open.

Greet open plan cubicle mates.

Catch up on a week's emails.

Walk across the road for a coffee.

Wish I'd walked a bit further for a better one.

Wrestle with our website content management system.

Walk across to Salamanca to buy veggies and bread for dinner, and soup for lunch.

Catch up with friends as I eat.

Start planning my timetable for the rest of the work year.

Realise that it is only 24 work days.

Feel tired thanks to the change to daylight savings.

Check and see a Facebook update from their carer.

Laugh as I see Maggie covered in paint.

Melt as I see Elisabeth's sweet smile.

Count the minutes down until home time.

Head out the front and wait in a cool spring breeze for Rob. 

Head to care.

Rush in to see them.

Hear about their great day.

Cuddle them as we head to the car.

Drive home.

Unpack car.

Let out joyous dogs.

Rush girls in through the rain.

Unpack.

Amuse girls with Shaun the sheep on my phone while Rob cooks stir fry noodles.

Eat.

Drink wine.

Clean up girls.

Remove their dinner covered trousers.

Police the trike riding.

Practise their yoga moves.

Run their bath.

Wash the girls.

Dry shivering girls as they stayed in their bath too long.

Convince them to put a nappy back on.

Teeth brushing.

Sleeping bags on.

Bottles.

Sleep.

Move them into their cots.

Smile as I watch them sleep.

Blog.

Chocolate.

Whisper goodnight to dear husband.

Sleep. 

Well for 3-4 hours at least.

Day 2 - Mr Duckie

Sometimes life with twins leaves me feeling a little bit like our friend Mr Duckie. A little flat.

Today was one of those days. The girls are still getting over a little bug, which has left them a little grumpy and short tempered. I had tried everything to get them to nap. Warm milk. A walk outside. Reading books. Lying down with them on the window seat. You could see they needed it. Yawning, eye rubbing, but our girls can fight sleep! After a few squabbles over toys and books, I took them into their bedroom and put them in their cots. I can count on one hand the number of times I have done that during the day. At first they thought I was joking and even smiled at me, so I went and sat in the next room. They realised then I was serious and so I sat gritting my teeth through the wails of abandonment. I snuck outside and looked through the windows and watched as they continued to cry with their eyes shut, heads resting on the cot rails. Eventually sleep won, they slumped down and they are still asleep (when I say still it was only 45 minutes ago).

I'm not proud of doing it. But sometimes I just need a few moments. To clean up the living room, wash the dishes, put away the washing and make the bed. Just a few moments to myself.