Not Quite the Old Woman in the Shoe

A lot of parents with one or two children are always asking me how I do it. I have three toddlers right now and apparently my life looks crazy or like I "have my hands full." It doesn't feel that way thought. I'm always telling strangers it looks crazier than it feels. To tell you the truth, it has felt so completely normal.

I only actually had two kids for 18 minutes, and that WAS craziness, but I wasn't the one caring for them at that time. So... I don't even know what it's like to have two, so I can't help you with that transition, sorry. There are plenty of moms out there with a lot more children than I have, but I'll attempt to bring you some insight into my kid craze.

My husband and I are very prayerful with decisions and that includes when to have kids and how to raise them. (3 under age 2 not sounding so insane now right?) I am confident that I would not make it through the day without the Lord's help. He helps me feel peace and comfort when I need it the most. He helps me know what and how to teach my children. He also gives me strength on those tough days (and believe me there are plenty) to press forward and turn it around the next day.

It's not easy to get everyone to look or hold still for a picture though!

That being said, in all honesty it has been a constant assembly line at my house since we brought the girls home from the hospital. Line up to get your diaper changed, your belly filled, your face cleaned, and your cuddles from mom and dad. Even when we try to teach them something new we try to do it one at a time.

They have grown a lot since then and now I have a 3 year old boy and two 18 month old girls. So yes, toddlers can be "crazy", but now they are able to do things for themselves!

First of all, they can walk and I don't have to carry them everywhere. They are all in "big kid" car seats. (No more infant carriers for these three!) So I just herd them out to the car instead.

The girls still take 2 naps each day and on their second nap my son joins them. Yes, they all sleep AT THE SAME TIME! That is a miracle in and of itself. They are all in bed by 8 o'clock at night and sleep until 7-8 in the morning, which gives us some alone time and allows me to recuperate for the next day.

My son is also potty trained and we said goodbye to those diapers over a year ago which cut down on cost as well as one child I have throw through the changing table line.

They are no longer nursing because, let's be honest, that would be weird at this point... (I am all for breast milk, so don't get rude with me.) They eat regular meals with the family which means I no longer have to make baby food or special meals at random times. And for some reason they think breakfast needs to last about an hour, so I use that time to do things I don't want them getting into while they are locked up in their high chairs.

My son is like the most obedient child ever. I am pretty sure that God knew I'd need him to be that way when He decided to send me two sweet and independent girls at the same time. My girls are also learning what is okay and what is not. Don't get me wrong, they still fight over toys and have a hard time taking turns, but we're making progress.

I put these kids to work! It's not child labor, it's called chores. Now this one takes A LOT of patience, because it really is easier to do it myself for now. But how will they learn? Right now they want to help, so why not let them? They help me with laundry, unloading the dishwasher, and they pick up their own toys and books. This requires a lot of supervision, but I am confident that if they learn now they won't be able to say, "I don't know how" later! And hopefully one day I'll have some real help tackling this mess!

As of this week I will have 3 kids in nursery at church. (a big THANK YOU to their teachers!) Which means David and I can actually pay attention in Sunday school, Relief Society, and Young Men's. We have been counting down to nursery for six months. Hopefully they love it.

They LOVE to go to the store. As long as there is a special cart for them. (Car carts, the "blue carts" that have extra seats, or the giant double seat carts like at Costco) I can take them all to the store every couple of weeks to do my grocery shopping, and despite what the nice strangers at the store say, I am not, in fact, pulling my hair out! Unless we can't find a special cart, then it really can become a nightmare.

So as you can see I actually do leave the house! It is nice sometimes to get out of the house and have a change of pace. With a days notice I can go just about anywhere, to lunch with a friend, visiting teaching, or even camping! Sometimes we get babysitters, but I have learned to take them with me a lot more often.

I definitely have to have "me time." Nap time is great for that. That's why I have them help me clean, so I'm not using my alone time to clean up. I do get to shower and I usually do that during the girls' first nap unless we have to be somewhere, then I get up before the kids do. Which isn't horrible when they sleep in until 8:30- this actually happens sometimes.

I'd like to think I have it figured out, but like I said, I'm not alone in this. I have a wonderful husband who rescues me on those tough days and the Lord is always with me as long as I'm trying. I have wonderful family who love to spend time with them and help with the babysitting. I love my life and I love my kids. I am so grateful Heavenly Father has blessed me with these sweet little ones. Good luck to all you parents with any number of children! Just try hard and pray harder! And when all else fails, Little Einsteins is on Netflix :)