A Day in the Life 2017
Wednesday May 3rd was a typical day here in the Nelson home, and yet, it wasn't either. But for some reason I want to write it down and share it. That day encompassed all the emotions I often have as a mother, from frustration to pure joy. I even happened to take quite a few pictures too! So just in case I don't get around to putting together my typical annual "day in the life" post this month, this juuust might stand in its place.
*****
Bron was out of town that Wednesday as he typically is just twice a month or so. It was one of those rare times this year when I had to get both Jed and Levi to school with a nursing baby in tow. It takes more effort than I'm willing to admit to get the big boys there on time, especially if I have to make myself look presentable too! However, I don't think it mattered what time I got Jed up that day; he was determined to be late.
That morning, Jed was limping around with his sock on. He had gotten a blister between his toes the night before from wearing flip flops for the first time this season. I asked to look at it just to make sure it was okay and slapped a band-aid on it. There. Good to go. Then he complained about his hand. So I inspected that too: a sliver. It was festering but Jed didn't want me to touch it. We were running late, so I told him we'd get it out that night if it hadn't worked itself out by then. Finally, Jed needed some eye drops before we headed out the door. (His eyes have been gunky from a nasty cold.) Jed ran away from me. Twice! Curled up underneath the washer and dryer with all the shoes, I dragged him out. I actually pinned him down right there on the tile floor. Not my best or most mature motherly move, but seriously kid! If you know Jed, he can throw some epic fits. He struggled and cried and said he'd let me put the drops in, so I helped him stand up and sit on the stool. It only kiiiind of worked. We got ourselves buckled into the car at 8:15AM. The first bell rings that very minute. Oh well.
I tried to recover from the trauma of the morning with a happy attitude and talking about all the fun things Jed was going to do that day on the drive to school. It seemed to work. I dropped him off and kissed him goodbye, still feeling slightly guilty about pinning him to the floor.
Then we headed off to Levi's preschool where I was a few minutes late to take his class graduation pictures. But no matter, the kids were still putting on their cute caps and gowns and Conrad was as happy as a clam in his car seat, content to watch the commotion. The photo shoot went as smoothly as it possibly could with a bunch of excited four and five year olds. Hey, one lucky success for the day!
Afterwards, since Levi said he wasn't feeling well, I loaded both boys into the car for a quick trip to town. We needed to pick up a few items at Target (My nursing pillow died! A new one was definitely a need.) and then we swung in to Alpine Jewelers to get my wedding ring resized. When we got married, I wore a size 4.5. Now I'm a 5.75! I guess that's what 10 years and 3 kids does to a woman. Our 10th anniversary was coming up in two days and I wanted to get Bron a little gift: a silicone ring he could wear all of the time, from working on farms to climbing rock walls. Of course, I didn't have the foresight to just order one online a week before. My mommy of three brain just can't quite plan that far ahead. I'm hoping that with time I'll get my brain function back and be able to do those kinds of things again. Unfortunately, the store didn't have exactly what I was looking for, so I wound up ordering one from my phone in the parking lot anyway.
After a quick drive thru at the bank, it was time to head home for lunch! Halfway there, Levi told me from the back seat that he felt like throwing up. I quickly pulled the car over, opened his door, and he did indeed puke all over the asphalt. I rubbed his back and handed him a baby wipe for his mouth. Poor kid. And such a good kid to tell me!
I carried a sleeping Levi into the house and tucked him in to bed. He slept for hours! Meanwhile, I grabbed some lunch and folded laundry while intermittently nursing and entertaining Conrad. Or was it entertaining Conrad and intermittently folding laundry? It was probably the latter. Haha.
Finally, Conrad went down for a nap in his crib. I felt exhausted so I laid down too. I passed out for a little less than half an hour. Then I was up and back at folding the laundry.
When Levi woke up, I got him settled on the couch in front of some cartoons with a soda and a throw up bowl... just in case. Jed arrived home from school about the same time Conrad awoke from his nap. I fed all the boys a snack. Levi seemed to be feeling better, so I suggested we all go for a walk to enjoy the sunshine. I needed to get my steps in for a little weight loss competition!
Levi and Conrad rode in the double stroller while Jed walked beside me. Levi wanted to go a certain route so he could wave at our neighbors who were out in their yard while Jed wanted to go another route. I suggested we do both. Of course, that was NOT what Jed had in mind and he started to whine. I proposed that he sit down on "that rock" and wait for us; it would only take a minute for us to walk the length of two houses. That's when I heard a wail concerning our dog, "Tyke just peed on my rock!" I couldn't help it. I laughed out loud. The irony! Jed was so upset. It was just too funny. I tried to get Jed to see the humor in it too. He didn't. He stomped off on his own walk ahead of us.
The ornery child beat us home, but I really enjoyed my walk with Levi. He got out of the stroller and walked beside me. He was showing me his imaginary bow and how he lassoed the moon up in the sky in less than two seconds flat. I asked him to pull the moon closer for me. He did. And then we pretended to swing from the moon. Just seeing his little body enthusiastically pull that imaginary rope in my mind's eye and remembering his voice jabber on and on brings a smile to my face. That was a fun walk.
The rest of the evening is a blur. I somehow had to feed the kids dinner (grilled cheese sandwiches and raw veggies with ranch dip for the win!), put the baby down for a short evening nap, do some dishes, feed the baby his rice cereal, help Jed with his homework and practice the ukulele, and get the boys ready for bed--all while keeping the chaos at a minimum. It feels like a lot to juggle during the witching hour, especially without my main man home to help, but we somehow seem to pull through every single time.
During this flurry of activity, Levi had an accident in the bathroom. Poor sick kid. So I quickly set Conrad down on a blanket in the living room to go help Levi out. When I came back just three minutes later, Conrad had rolled halfway across the room and was in the process of dismantling Jed's Lincoln Log fort and tasting it, log by log. Conrad can't even sit up and he's already on the move! But he sure is a happy baby, especially when his busy hands are occupied. Fortunately, accustomed to wrecking and rebuilding his own forts, Jed wasn't bummed at all. Instead, he sat down to play with Conrad. And naturally, I grabbed the camera.
Since Levi had slept most of the afternoon, I knew an early bedtime was not going to work out. So after the big boys had gotten their jammies on and brushed their teeth, I let them watch some recorded episodes of Paw Patrol. While they chilled, Conrad and I snuck out the back door to enjoy the last of the warm sunshine and the peace and quiet. I also wanted to experiment with my new-to-me 50mm f/1.4 lens that came in the mail a day or two before. Now you know my real motive!
That half hour was one of the best parts of my whole day though. I wish I could share the look of awe on Conrad's face as I let him touch soft green leaves and white blossoms for the very first time. After a few minutes exploring, I then placed him in the baby swing--the swing I almost gave away because I nearly lost hope that we'd ever have a third baby--and he giggled and grinned as I gently pushed him back and forth. Those moments are my motherhood joy. I wish there was a way to bottle up and relive the most tender of life's moments.
As the sun set, the boys and I read some scriptures and knelt down to pray. Then I tucked them in bed with a song and blew them kisses. In return, Levi said as he does nearly every night, "Mom! I have to tell you something: Merry Christmas. Happy mother's day. Sweet dreams."
One more busy but productive day done and over with three little boys.
No comments
Post a Comment
I love hearing from you! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a message.