Friday, February 5

Less Mom is More

So what do you do when you and the kids have a trip to the library, a playdate at a friend's, and a quick trip to Giant Eagle planned all in one day?

You stay home and take no less than six baths and four naps!

Lots of snow + me pregnant= get nothing done.

Oh, who am I kidding. Me pregnant = get nothing done.

But I'm starting to think maybe that isn't such an awful thing! At least in some cases.

Every morning, the first thing I do is round up the three girls who just woke me up and plunk them in the tub. For some reason, there is always one bath toy prized above all others, and curiously, it is never the same toy the next day. I try to wash my entire face before the first argument breaks out and then sit on the toilet next to them to referee. At least two kids are always wailing, and from start to finish, bathtime is usually not as fun as it used to be.

Today, I had a chance to see what bathtime would be like without the ref. We forgot to drain the bathwater. After breakfast Mia went back upstairs and said she wanted to take another bath. The water was still warmish, so I added some hot water and in she went. The twins decided to get in, too. I was in the middle of nothing a project, and so I left them in there to play alone.

Not a whine.

Mia got out on her own, and then the twins continued to play quietly for a good half hour before I got them out for lunch.

They don't need me in there. Refereeing is one thing on my "to-do" list I think I will permanently cross off.

By the way- I wasn't exaggerating about the six baths. I noticed the water was still warm and hopped in while a couple of them were napping. Then Mia got in with me and stayed after so it didn't get drained again. I had added even more hot water before I left her in there, and so this evening while I was downstairs getting nothing done busily being pregnant, they snuck upstairs, announced they were climbing into a super-full, still warmish bath, and played happily for almost an hour before I got them out for bed. No, that's not gray Jell-O they're sitting in... it's sixth-bath water. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to skip the soap and just use the film left on them from tonight.

7 comments:

Kell's Belles said...

Baths are definitely a big part of our winter entertainment. And I totally count sopping up all the water on the bathroom floor as mopping.

I am the EXACT same way when I'm pregnant. I can't do anything. Or leave the house. Too sick and exhausted. And I don't snap out of it until the baby is a year old!

Lisa said...

That's cute! It is so true about the refereeing; they can usually always figure it out better without me there ;-). Too funny! Being pregnant is hard work;-) so keep doing what you're doing!

Breezi@ Not Your Average Fairytale said...

Love it.
When I was pregnant with Maggie, the only entertainment that Alli got was in the tub.
I say the scummier the kid... the better :)

Rhonda said...

All I can think about is all the dirty bath towels. Maybe you reuse them like we do. I get anxiety thinking about laundry apparently. lol

That picture is SO cute!

Summer said...

Are you kidding? Same towel for everybody, all day. ;)

The twins actually still used their hooded towels- nothing cuter than a couple of chubby two-year-olds fresh out of the tub with duck heads.

The Garber Family said...

Way to stick it to that water company! Who needs to pay for so many separate bathtubs full!
I get the refereeing....
It's nice that Hannah is old enought to shower herself, so at least I only have to cut the fights between the two kids. And I'm usually only able to get half my make-up on before fights blow up.

Samuel said...

Wow you should get a tax credit for being so environmentally friendly! How funny!