Some Things I Have Learned

I've been a SAHM for about 7 months now.  There's a few things I've learned while being home every day.  Some good, some not so good.
1) It gets hard to get showered and ready for the day.  If you really don't go anywhere like we don't, there isn't much of a reason to get ready for the day.  It's super easy to just stay in our jammers all day, especially if Grant is gone for a night or two.  Who's going to see us? 
2) Routines can turn into ruts.  During the week when Grant's working, the girls and I have established our little routine. Since Kensi has decided to stay awake an extra hour at bedtime, she usually sleeps about an hour longer than Isabelle does.  So Izzy and I will get up, brush our teeth, come downstairs, I'll make coffee and breakfast while she watches PBS shows.  Then we cuddle on the couch and watch Daniel Tiger Neighborhood, Peep and the Big Wide World, and Pocoyo before Kensi gets up.  There are other things we seem to do the same every day, and it could very easily turn into a rut if we don't shake it up a bit.  I've been playing with the idea of taking the girls to that indoor dinosaur playground thing in the mall tomorrow, just for something different.
3) You have a ton of time to plan.  From mealtimes or birthdays that aren't for months yet to photo albums to what I want in our new house when we buy one.  I have so much time to sit and think about it.  I'm not talking about sitting for hours on end just thinking.. It's more so just thoughts that pop into my head and I sit and think for a few minutes.  I've got so many plans, but not a whole lot of ways to execute them.  But when I can do them.. I'll have a plan for it!
4) You fall into a routine really easily.  Being home day in and day out, you start doing things the same way every time.  For the most part, I didn't seek out the routine, it just happens.  But the big part is that it can be varied if need be, well except bedtime.  You don't mess with my bedtime routine unless it's warranted.  I worked hard to get the girls to go to bed relatively peacefully.
5) Home remedies start to sound really good.  I started making my own laundry detergent a while back.  I would still be doing it but it started giving me a rash.  I've been looking online a lot for household ways to do it myself instead of buying products at Walmart.  Not all of them work either; the rubbing alcohol for sharpie on hardwood did bupkis for me.  But I tried! 
6) You have a lot of time to think.  That can be good or bad.  Good because it gives you time to reflect on how awesome your life is and how much you love being at home.  Bad because it also gives you time to think and worry about everything.  Am I doing a good job?  Are the girls learning what they should be at their age?  Should I be taking them out to socialize more?  Are they getting enough fruits and vegetables? (probably not)...the list goes on.  I'm a worrier by nature and sometimes it can overwhelm me.  But I just take a deep breath and remind myself that I'm not perfect and I'm doing the best I can.
7) You get reminded daily what's important.  It's easy to worry about things that don't really matter to our life.  The girls remind me daily what's truly important.  Keeps me grounded and thankful for everything.
8) You can quite possibly run out of things to putter around with.  I ran into that yesterday.  I got the house back in order after Isabelle's 3rd birthday party.  Then I got laundry caught up, put up curtains in the spare room so we had something up there, figured out what we were going to have for supper...then I ran out of things to do and it wasn't time to start supper yet.  It was a very odd feeling for me since I love to putter and always find things to do.  It does happen, but tomorrow is another day and I'm sure I'll find more things to do.
9) You find other things you didn't know you liked doing.  Before all this, I wasn't a huge fan of cooking.  Every once in a while, sure, but not all the time.  Now that I'm home, the cooking has fallen on me, and something kinda surprising happened.  I found I really liked it.  That, and baking.  I look at recipes a lot and have a lot of fun figuring out what I can make.  Who knew?? Oh, and by the way..storing my home made bread in a paper bag dried the bejesus out of it!  Did not work for keeping it fresher, longer...
10) Each day is the same...but different.  Even if we do the same things we did yesterday, there's always something different about that day.  Kensi saying "cookie" for the first time, Izzy talking way better than the day before... the list goes on.  It's those little changes in our days that just amaze me.  They make the days where we may get sick of each other or the days where I'm so frustrated that I want to scream all worth it.  I'm always honest about how my life is with our girls..the good, the bad, and the messy.  But at the end of each and every day...it's worth it!

Ya, I miss my pre-kid days

I'm sitting on my couch drinking some wine, and watching NCIS while my girls are peacefully asleep.  I'm drinking the wine that my cousin brought me last time she was here.  Was thinking of inviting her over again for some dinner and wine, but I'm always hesitant.  It's mostly because I think who would want to eat dinner with a couple of toddlers.  They're messy and loud, and usually mealtimes end with a threat or negotiation.  That doesn't always sound like fun.  Makes me miss the pre-kid days.  The days where I could invite someone over on a whim and not have to worry about how my kids will behave.  We could have some supper, then open a bottle of wine with music on and just talk and not worry about the time.  It was fun and it was so much easier to keep up with friends and family.  Or if I didn't want to stay in, I could call someone up and see if they want to go out.  But now I cant do those things anymore.  Having the girls really make me appreciate how free I was.  I'll be honest.  I'm so totally tied down.  I'm a wife, and a mother.  I have responsibilities and I cant just do what I want anymore.  One day I'll get better at keeping up with friends and family, I'm sure.

*DISCLAIMER* I don't, in any way, wish I didn't have the girls...or resent them..or anything like that.  I wouldn't change my life in any way, shape, or form.  Just thought Id put that out there.