24

I haven't done a 'Day in the life' post for a while, so here's how my Monday went...

6.30am - wake up. Well, I say wake up, I've been awake half the night anyway. Get up is what I mean.

7-9am - usual morning madness. Tidy, get kids breakfasted, showered and dressed, get kids off to school. Only two minutes late today - win!

9.15am - get home, take dog out, empty and reload dishwasher, clean kitchen, bleach sink, sort washing, general housework. Monday is my catch up with housework day, as we have no baby clubs. Should be relaxed, right?

10.20am - Oh crap, I have the dentist at 10.30, and have been warned that it's a half hour crown prep. Lots of drilling. Eek! Feel nervous.

10.30am - at dentist. He's running late. Continue to be nervous.

11am - finally get called, and spend the next half hour trying to pretend I'm a big brave girl while wishing I could be anywhere but in that chair. On the upside, it's half an hour of child free lying down, so can't be all bad.

11.40am - get home, haven't seen Amelie for ages, so spend the next 20mins cuddling her and thinking about how sore my mouth is.

12noon - start making soup for lunch, while running through to Amelie every 2 minutes because she screams the whole time.
While soup is cooking, tackle ironing pile, while loudly singing to Amelie, because she screams the whole time.

12.45-1.15pm - have lunch with Amelie, and take a video of her giggling, because it's adorable.

1.30pm - suddenly realise I've only got an hour to do housework before school run, because I need to leave at 2.30 to get money from the bank. Take Amelie upstairs and spend half an hour trying to get her to sleep.

2pm - give up, take her downstairs and try feeding her to sleep on the sofa.

2.30pm - she's asleep! Yay! Unfortunately, I should be leaving the house now, but I can swing by the bank after school, so will quickly do some housework before leaving at 3pm.

2.31pm - phone call from school. Charlie's had what sounds like an asthma attack and needs to be picked up IMMEDIATELY. Panic. Remember not to panic. Phone doctor, receptionist tells me duty doctor will phone back. Leave Amelie with mum and race to school for Charlie.

2.50pm - get in with Charlie. Doctor has phoned, appointment is at 3.20. The exact time I have to pick up Daisy. Panic. Remember not to panic. Frantically try to find someone who can pick up Daisy. Nobody can, so phone school and say I'm  picking her up early.

3.10pm - get to school for Daisy, who takes FOREVER to come out. Run back to car to find Charlie slupmed and unresponsive in the front seat. Shake him and shout his name. He looks at me all confused and says "What? I was just sitting quietly"
Swear that these children will be the death of me and race to the doctors.

3.25pm - arrive at doctors, use electronic check in. Get a message saying "YOU ARE VERY LATE. YOU MAY HAVE MISSED YOUR APPOINTMENT. PLEASE REPORT TO RECEPTION WHERE WE CAN SHOUT AT YOU IN FRONT OF EVERYONE."
I may have made that last bit up.
Get to reception, snippy receptionist says that someone else has gone in front of us and we'll just have to wait.

3.40pm - after 15 minutes of Daisy repeatedly asking "How much longer? How much longer? I have cheerleading at 4pm. How much longer?", we're seen. Charlie appears to be fine, but is given an inhaler. Stand in world's longest queue at pharmacy waiting for inhaler, then return to doctor, who shows us how to use it.

4.10pm - get home, already 10 minutes late for cheerleading. Race upstairs to get Daisy ready, but trip over Charlie's schoolbag on the stairs and hurt my shoulder. Swear a little bit. Realise I've never been to the bank yet. Panic. Remember not to panic. Mum gives me money, and off we go, only half an hour late.

4.45pm - get home, give Amelie a feed, start dinner, tidy up as best I can.

6.15pm - Steve comes home with Daisy, and we have dinner with minimal drama, the only little drama being when I drop a fork onto the table, and it smashes Daisy's plate right in front of her face. She's ok but got a scare. Try not to cry.

8pm - settle both girls and enjoy cuddles with both of them.

8.30pm - both girls asleep! About to sit down when I realise I've left my phone upstairs, so nip up for it, only to meet Charlie on the stairs, coming down for a snack. I whisper I'll be down in a minute but he calls "SHOULD I TAKE MY INHALER TOO?"
Piercing scream. Amelie is awake. Go in to settle her.

9.30pm - Steve comes looking for me, I'm still trying to settle Amelie, who is wide awake and joyfully pulling my hair. He goes and switches everything off downstairs, and we decide to stay upstairs for the night. Have a nice couple of hours chatting and cuddling, while Amelie snoozes between us.

11.30pm - close eyes, I'm so ready for a sleep. Which is Amelie's cue to wake up. Spend the next couple of hours dozing while Amelie uses my boob as a dummy, which basically means she wakes every 20 minutes and I have to contort myself into a position where she can 'feed' while lying down.

2am - wake to see Daisy standing over me. She's had a nightmare and no amount of negotiation will get her back to bed. She squeezes in, and I lie uncomfortably in tge middle, with Steve on one side and both girls on the other.

4am - have had enough, can't get comfy. Move Amelie to her cot, where miraculously, she stays asleep. Get back to bed and try to enjoy the extra few inches of bedspace, but it's no good, Daisy is already stretched into the space Amelie had been in.

5am - still awake. Ask Daisy to go back to bed, which she does. Luxuriate in the now masses of space in the bed. Ahhh, finally!

5.01am - Amelie wakes up, take her into bed and contort myself into an awkward position so she can use the boob as a dummy.

6am - alarm goes off.

6.30am - wake up. Well, I say wake up, I've been awake half the night. Get up.