Then & Now

I think of habits and things that I used to do that I thought I would NEVER change!  Well, things have to change when you are taking care of 2 very busy toddlers!   Here are some examples

1. Showers.  I used to take showers in the morning only, and was very adamant about that!  I don't like night showers because I feel like I go to bed with either wet hair or frizzy hair and I also feel like I look more tired in the morning with no shower.  Can you guess what I do now.? Yep, showers at night and they are glorious because it is a few minutes to myself! I don't mind wet or frizzy hair at night, as long as I am clean!

2.  Shopping.  I have always taken Maya shopping with me wherever I go.  Target, the mall, Old Navy, Starbucks, everywhere!  It's not that hard with 1, and most places you shop can accommodate 1 child.  Ok, shopping with 2 toddlers = breaking out in a sweat!  Most places do not make it easy to shop with 2 young toddlers!  Even Target, my favorite store and frequent stomping grounds.  Yes, they have those big carts that 2 toddlers can sit in,  with those seat belts.  Have you seen them?  Ok, with 2 toddlers sitting in them and a cart full of groceries, they are IMPOSSIBLE to push, they way about 500 pounds!  They are So heavy, incredibly awkward and I end up just ramming into the aisles, while I am sweating, trying to check my grocery lis,t and have 2 toddlers escaping from their seat belts.   Suddenly I love the shopping carts at Costco more than I ever thought I would because 2 toddlers can sit in the front facing me (plus they get snacks).

3. Cleanliness.  Having a clean house is huge for me! I get really stressed out when things are messy.  This has been the hardest adjustment.  I will clean something up just to have something else destroyed.  I can't keep up.  I am learning it is ok to keep things a mess (for a short time), but I am also trying to teach the girls to clean up before they move on to the next activity.  This has been a VERY big battle this week!  But I know that if I always pick up after them they will always expect it and never learn to clean up after themselves.

4. Eating.  It has always been important for me to cook most meals.  I still do that, but have modified things to make them quicker.  Lots of crock pot meals.  Leftovers that can be eaten in more than one way (chicken enchiladas one night, chicken nachos the next).  Brett is also extremely helpful with meals on certain nights and makes home-made pizza, spaghetti, tacos, or any recipe I give him (isn't he the best?)  It is also ok to have macaroni every once in a while, our life is not always very organized. 

5.  Sleeping.  I love to get my 8 hours of sleep and I like naps (or at least getting things done during nap time).  The girls both sleep awesome at night!  It is the naps that have been hard.  I have to go in their room about 50 times to settle them down and then by the time I get them to sleep they wake up in 45 minutes and I haven't gotten anything around the house done.......sigh.

but when they are sleeping, it is the most precious thing ever

On another note, my friend Celine came over to do my hair on Friday.  She has 2 boy, ages 1 and 2.  We had 4 children, 2 and under, it was a bit chaotic! but fun!

Lane

Gage

Norah

Maya

The only way to get my hair done was to try to do it during nap time, so we put 4 toddlers down for a nap (3 in the same room)  and at one point they were ALL sleeping at once!  Celine and I were amazed, it was such an accomplishment!

and somehow we got my hair done, color and all.

Even though I have had to change some of my regular habits, even ones I enjoy, I would't change the way life is now.  Maya and Norah bring so much joy, so many giggles ,and so much love! It makes it worth every mess, sweaty shopping trip, and frizzy haired night.