I’ve been noticing something lately: the busier I get, the more I fit into my day. What a strange paradox, right? Now with 2 kids, my every moment is spoken for in a way I couldn’t have even imagined 3 years ago. I was laughing to myself and just have to share a typical day in the life:
4am – nurse
6am – nurse
6:15am – meditate
6:45-7am – baby wakes, giggles, grins and snuggles! Change diaper, dress baby, join toddler and husband in living room for playtime.
7:15am – feed veraciously hungry toddler (usually 4 pancakes, yogurt, fruit and smoothie…seriously)
7:20am – feed self if possible or bounce grumpy baby if necessary
8am – MUST play with baby who is now getting sleepy, but not yet ready for first nap and won’t let you put him down. Toddler done with ENORMOUS breakfast and wants to play too. Won’t let you change her diaper, but insists on wearing fanciest dress and tiara.
8:30am – brush teeth and, if hair is too greasy, shower as fast as humanly possible, which WILL throw the rest of your morning schedule off…be prepared to be late.
8:32am – make lunches for toddler and self. Fill bottles with milk for baby.
8:35am – nurse and put baby down for first nap
8:45am – clean dirty dishes from breakfast with toddler on stool next to you trying to help
8:55am – realize you’re still in jammies and race to throw on clothes, brush teeth, comb hair (style if lucky)
9am – off to work. Try not to upset toddler upon leaving.
10am – pump milk for baby
12pm – pump milk for baby
12:30pm – race home to feed lunch to toddler and put toddler down for nap, scarf lunch, nurse and put down baby
1:30pm – back to work
2:30pm – pump milk for baby
3pm – go home to kids
4pm – put baby down for another nap
4:10pm – madly chop veggies for dinner prep because you may not get another chance to put baby down after last nap (he can get grumpy in the early evenings…watch out)
5:30pm – feed family
6pm – playtime
7pm – tubby, teeth, jammies, stories, bottle for baby, songs and bed
8pm – bedtime done, now clean house that appears to have been ransacked by hoodlums…but it’s just your toddler
8:15pm – pump milk for baby
8:40pm – sit for 30 seconds deciding how to spend the next half an hour of precious free time
8:41pm – pull out the yoga mat, cue up a video and practice some yoga…or, make tea and read…or, have an adult conversation with husband or waste time on FB (always regret it)
9:15pm – brush and floss teeth
9:18pm – meditate
10pm – pump milk for baby and then pass out
….do it all again tomorrow!
One fascinating thing that I have found about this life as a yogi mama is that I am now doing more of what I always wanted to do. I floss. I meditate 2x a day. I practice yoga more. There are certainly things that I used to do that I miss…like time with friends or dates with husband or quiet time that I get to do whatever fancies me or, maybe most of all, sleeping in.
But, I’m so grateful to squeeze every last ounce of life in each day. Downtime has been replaced with playtime and who can argue with the awesomeness of that? Playtime means building forts, swinging and climbing the jungle gym, tickling baby toes…I mean, c’mon! Added bonus, toddler reminds me about God every single day. She’s a constant reminder to practice the presence of God in my life. How lucky am I?! UNIMAGINABLY so.
I’m also SUPER lucky that my partner in this domestic bliss is very likely the greatest dad. ever. He shares a fore mentioned chores with great joy and his way of playing with the kids just blows my mind all the time. So creative. So loving. So joyful. So tireless.
Today, I felt inspired to share my gratitude for this life. What I’ve shared here is just the outer shell. The inner life has a sweetness that words cannot do justice. The lessons and challenges are laced with deep gratitude for the person that I will become from them.
Patience. Kindness. Gratitude. Integrity. Love. Joy. Devotion. Attunement. These are the things I have the privilege to strive for beneath the surface of this very busy life. I fail all the time, but as Master says, “A saint is a sinner who never gave up.” And so the journey continues and I seek to find the qualities of my higher Self in the daily duality.
Namaste!
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