After the conference, we rushed back Saturday night, arriving home around midnight because Chris had a business engagement starting on Sunday.
The kids and I before Mass (even with John's strange smile, this was the best photo of the bunch)
The weather is gorgeous today, so the kids spent some time outdoors. Lately I've had our yellow wagon (generously handed down to us by our friends the W----s, who were moving away) filled with dirt and parked in the back yard. The kids have spent countless hours simply scooping that dirt! (And they've been going through about three outfits per day.) Then it rained, so now the wagon is filled with muddy water, which is even more satisfying to them than dirt.
The kids and I before Mass (even with John's strange smile, this was the best photo of the bunch)
The weather is gorgeous today, so the kids spent some time outdoors. Lately I've had our yellow wagon (generously handed down to us by our friends the W----s, who were moving away) filled with dirt and parked in the back yard. The kids have spent countless hours simply scooping that dirt! (And they've been going through about three outfits per day.) Then it rained, so now the wagon is filled with muddy water, which is even more satisfying to them than dirt.
oh my, lots of baths!
ReplyDeleteooooooh, what a good use for that wagon! How ingenious of you.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I enjoyed your post not too long ago about "your day" at home with the children. However, I noticed that you never mentioned when you shower (or take a bath, if that's your preferred method). Peter is five months old now and I am amazed that the old dilemma has never really been resolved, since my oldest is 9 now. I'm curious to know what you do.
Alicia W.
Alicia: I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean how do I manage to get a shower in for myself while caring for kiddos? If that's what you're asking . . . I shower at night (just preference). For the first year or so, I bring the baby into the bathroom and close the door so she's in there with me. I do this because with both newborns so far, they screamed bloody murder if left with Daddy, so I'd take them with me. I've discovered that my newborns would rather sit in a swing on the bathroom floor and gaze at Mommy than be left with Daddy (as wonderful as he is) for all of three minutes. By six months old, I feel the baby is robust enough to bring with me into the shower without my being terrified of dropping him or him slipping on the floor. After about a year old, when I take my shower either I leave the baby with Daddy or I bring her into the shower with me.
ReplyDeleteNow, Chris travels out of town often for work. If the children were at an age that I didn't trust them to be safe even while I shower for three minutes (and that is about how long they last), then I bring them both into the bathroom or into the shower with me. For example, there were ages when I'd have felt safe leaving my 2-1/2 year old alone (locked in the master bedroom) while I showered (with the master bathroom door open to better hear him), but it was *not* safe to leave him alone with the six-month-old, so I had to bring them both with me.
And, still, I don't shower daily because it's tough while caring for little kids. When Chris is out of town, I'm more likely not to make the time to shower. Or I take a shower even quicker than three minutes and wash my hair every other day.
How do you manage it, Alicia? I recall that your husband travels often too.
Katherine, I'm just curious, if you prefer to shower at night why not shower when the kids are in bed? I prefer to shower in the morning and when the babies are under a year or so I just put them in their bouncer on the floor of the bathroom. Once my kids were around 14 months I would let them stay in the living room and play. It's funny, I have never had any one of the three get into serious trouble or hurt one another while I am in the shower. Of course with Will the girls (at 8 and 12) were old enough to look after him for five minutes if they were home, I just told them not to pick him up out of his swing or cradle when he was really newborn and to come get me if he cried. I shower every other day, because it is better for your hair to have a day in between.:)
ReplyDelete