Just an Ordinary Day of Circus Life

Jessica over at Farm Fresh Iowa is sponsoring another It's Real Life carnival this week.  The assignment this time is to do a post with a photo tour of "an ordinary day."   So, step right up and come see an ordinary day in the life at the circus...

Our day begins here typically around 7 am or shortly after.  My son is usually the first to wake, followed quickly by our middle child. They often come into our room and snuggle with us for a few minutes.  Then the kids watch one TV show (lately it is either Syd the Science Kid or Curious George)  while my husband and I get ready for the day.  It's then a quick race to get everyone fed, dressed, and my husband lately is out the door by 8 or 8:15.  3 days a week we begin the LOOOONG adventure of going from the upstairs, to the downstairs, get shoes on and all 3 kids buckled in their car seats so we can drive the 2 minute drive to drop my son off at preschool.

The girls and I are home by 9:10 and I typically put my baby down for a nap by 9:30.    I then take a shower while my 2 year old watches either Little Einstein's, Word World, or Mickey Mouse.  Then my 2 year old is my precious shadow for the next hour and a half while I tidy up the house, do laundry, or some other chore with baby doll in tow.  It is a nice, quiet time for the two of us.

We almost always have to wake the baby at 11, to get ready to pick up my son.



Sometimes she is happier than others about this.



Today was a "not so happy day."

After the carpool pick up line, today we headed home for lunch.  Sometimes we run some errands on our way home.



It's then potty and diaper time.  (I only have 2 in diapers, but baby doll often requires a change as well).



NAP TIME!!!!



I love the clean and quiet of nap time.  It's when I eat my lunch (in peace) check blogs, do some writing, and catch up on other tasks.... like laundry, or MOPS e-mails, dishes, or cleaning... depends on the day and what is most urgent that day.  Today was a blog day.  :-)

After the kids wake up from naps, we typically do something fun... be it a bike ride to the soccer fields, drawing, playing on the deck, story time.... today we did some fun art and crafts with fall leaves.



Then it is time to get dinner ready.   And my usually easy going baby, is not typically happy at this time of day.  On an ordinary day, this is the view I get when I look down at my feet while prepping dinner.  Typically dinner is prepared one handed while she is on my hips, because I don't enjoy walking around the kitchen with her clinging to my legs.



I have found that other than dinner prep, I can't really multi task at this time of day because we are all tired and impatient.  Today my daughter passed the time waiting for Daddy to come by by standing on her head and perfecting her flips.



DADDY'S HOME!!  Our current homecoming greeting for Daddy, is quite loud.  As we chant, "Yea Dad-dy Yea...Yea Dad-dy Yea.  Wo-he-who-he-who" and play our drum, tambourine, and maracas (with Maggie's enthusiastic barking accompanying the noisy greeting)!



We eat dinner as soon after Daddy gets home as possible.



Clean up time!  Don't ya love my little helper? She seems to have lost her clothes somewhere between dinner and clean up...



Daddy makes a great jungle gym... the kids love to climb, stand, sit, whatever on him and he lets them.  This is the cool kind of play, that they never get from Mommy.  Daddy told me tonight he thinks this is is the easiest way to play with them, because they have a blast and all he does is literally lay there.  I am not sure how easy it is though to have a child standing on your face, another sitting on your lap beating a drum and a third pushing off of you as he attempts to scale the wall.



Time to get ready for bed.  You can not put the baby to bed without her getting enthusiastic hugs and kisses from her brother and sister.  Sometimes she welcomes this love and attention and other times her face seems to say, "Love hurts!"



My older two get a big thrill out of carrying the bathroom stool to the hallway so my son can get his toothbrush off of the mirror.  They literally beam from ear to ear as they carry it out and back and say, "We make a good team!"  (If only they always worked so well together)!



And after the teeth have been brushed, water drunk, and fluoride taken, it is time for the special Bible story and lullaby.



On an ordinary day, the kids are typically in bed between 8-8:30.  Then my husband and I talk, watch TV, surf the Internet, and I of course do my blogging.  We typically go to bed between 11:30-12...sometimes later if I am staying up to post on a carnival.

So......there you have it Jessica.... that was a glimpse of an ordinary day in the life at the circus.  Was it what you expected?

Check out It's REAL Life to read about other bloggers ordinary days.