routine of exhaustion

I may not have a "normal" job like my sister, my husband, or anyone else that I may come in contact with. But I sure am exhausted by the end of the day.
I have two little girls that seem to like to wake up lately between six thirty and seven a.m. Alona like most mornings came in this morning and told me what was on her agenda, usually its "I'm hungry", but this morning it was "I'm cold". So I folded her up in my blanket with me and of course about ten minutes later Abbi screams "mom, mom, mom" I feed them breakfast, get them dressed and brush their hair. And then with Alona still in her room I insist on helping her make her bed, even though by now I am quite hungry and of course Alona takes 10-20 minutes of cohersing to pull up one to two blankets to the top of her bed and tuck them in. One morning after I asked her to make her bed she layed on it and claimed, "I did make my bed!" with the funniest smurk on her face. When I actually get to eat breakfast after this they both come up to me Abbi with her little "num, num,num" and Alona "I want some". No matter what I feed them they want my breakfast. Then even before I have the chance to put shoes, makeup, or sometimes clothes on they are out the door, up the stairs and ready to play. I atleast get dressedbefore running after them. Then I find Alona down the sidewalk her sister in tow. Alot of the time Abbi is pushing Alona on her little "bike" that Alona got for ger first birthday. When Abbi attempts to ride it she pushes her feet backwards and doesn't end up getting to far, Alona was the same at that age. We usually end up playing with the neighbors until it is time to make lunch, which is a little difficult. Their five year-old knows how to pedal very well and when we are at one house playing she decides to go back to the house that we came from. She does this about five or so times before her mother tells her if she does it again they won't be playing anymore, which usually happens. And that is the end of that, we get to find other things to do throughout the rest of the day.

So we have lunch and I put Abbi down for her nap. On a good day she sleeps two hours and on a not so good day she may sleep thirty minutes. This is my break! I usually get to lunch uninterrupted, the one meal that I usually get to really enjoy. Ocasionally Alona lets me watch the last ten minutes of Family Feud, I like to guess the answers.And I try effortlessly to get Alona to take a nap when I am soo tired. And it never works, so she gets to watch Sesame Street. Then of course when Abbi wakes up they just have to go outside. We go for walks around the block or dig in the dirt, play on the swingset or any other activity that can keep them entertained for two hours before we need to cook dinner.

On Thursday the maintenance man was here fiddling with the sprinklers, it was just what the girls wanted. We had just been on walk hunting for sprinklers that were on that they could play in since we don't have a hose and sprinkler. Abbi ran out into the middle of the yard when he had turned them off and then a few seconds later they got turned back on, she was surprised! Alona picked one sprinkler and just squatted right next to it and actually got quite wet.
It takes me a little more than 30 minutes to fix dinner and then of course they won't eat it. Abbi lately has decided to pick off pieces of food one by one and lay them on the table and just refuse to eat. She has tried to combine her food as well. She put her carrots in her yogurt the other day, thats definetly how you know they are done. They wont eat it after that! And then Alona of course..."I don't want thaaat". So after the meal is fixed I get to find them other things: hot dogs, bologna, fruit cocktail, cucumbers, graham crackers, whatever I am lucky enough to find. Then I get to eat about 20 min later (when Abbi is finished eating it usually seems)

We usually find something to do between then which is about six o'clock and seven when I get tham ready for bed. We read stories, listen to or sing music. Then they get baths and clothes on, blow drying of the hair then we say prayers together, read scriptures (about one page) and then brush their teeth. Alona says her own prayers consisting of about two things that she is thankful for, and then I put her in bed. Abbi then takes anywhere from five minutes to an hour to get to sleep. Usually just rocking her works. But on Thursday after the power went out It took over an hour and a half of trying to rock her in the chair, rocking her in my arms,laying down with her and even pushing her in the stroller. Then at about 9:45 I put her in the play pen and just let her scream for ten minutes. I went back in the living room she was standing up hanging up over the side of the enclosure still screaming...Mom, Mom, Mom. I took her and held her laying down in the bed, and finally the lights were out(she was asleep!). I finally get to sleep after midnight!

Then of course the next morning Alona wakes me up at 6:30, "Mom I'm hungry!"

And on Saturdays we both get to share!! I shared my pop tarts and two hours later when Paul woke up he shares too!