Do you ever have those times in life when you know you are just treading water, hoping not to drown but knowing you don't have anywhere really to go? You assume that there will be an end to the madness, but you really don't know when or where. And it isn't bad treading water, but it is totally exhausting and not really fun.
That's where I am right now. I'm probably making it sound a bit worse than it is. Matt and I decided it was important for the kids to not be in day care full-time. We can't afford it, and kids should get to spend some days at home. So Monday, Wednesday and Friday the kids are at the on-campus day care, Tuesday and Thursday they are home with Matt and Saturday and Sunday they are with me. In a lot of ways, it's great. Matt gets to spend more one-on-one time with the kids, and we are equally involved in their daily lives and care. On his work days, Matt has a lot of evening shifts- great for the kids because they don't usually have to get up early with me for work. But it means that when I am home, he's not.
I love being with the kids during the day. I really miss it. I miss things like playgroup, library story time and meeting friends for lunch. At night, regardless of where they have been all day, kids need extra attention, and I have to make dinner, feed them and still try to find some time for play with both of them, all while they are tired, hungry and not at their best. I also miss Matt. Sometimes we don't see each other at all under after midnight. On most days, we don't see each other until after 10 p.m.
It seems like survival mode, but I'm still optimistic that we will find our rhythm. I just hope it's soon! If you have any make-ahead recipes, send them my way. I'm realizing that even cooking quick meals when I get home is an uphill battle.
In the meantime, we have had some fun this fall. We went to Yellowstone earlier this month. It was bitter cold, and the roads were closed for snow everywhere but West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, but we still had a great time! In her mall-girl ways, Anne Marie says her favorite part was staying in the hotel. I have no photos of the hotel, but here were the highlights according to me.
Our new van on its first excursion:
Post-nursing van party- Anne Marie requested this photo:
Day 1 was only a little cold:
Day 2 was colder:
But the sun came out eventually:
The van handled ice like a charm:
Also, some fall hike photos. We were a little early- the leaves hadn't really changed yet.
Anne Marie hiked with her "unca." She knows how to say uncle, and all her other uncles are uncle, but for Alex, "unca" is the only real name.
This is the butt tree. Our family poses by it every fall.
cute photo:
Anne Marie helped her unca over the log:
Anne Marie showing unca and grandma how to do it:
