A day in the life of a mom of twins

Unknown hour – It’s between 2am and 4am but I’m too tired to figure out what time it is on my analog watch. Girls are crying. I grab my glasses so I can see the 8 oz mark on the bottle. I fill bottles that have the formula already measured out inside with 8oz. of water (bottled water beside the bed). I walk down the hall to the girls’ room. I give bottles to girls in their cribs. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.
5 minutes later – One baby is crying. I get up and go to their room. It’s Leila. She’s dropped her bottle and can’t reach it. I hand Leila her bottle. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.
2 minutes later – One baby is crying. I get up and go to their room. It’s Leah. This time she dropped her bottle. I hand Leah her bottle. I check to make sure Leila has her bottle. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.. I remember that I still have my glasses on from the first time I got up. I take them off and put them on the nightstand.
2 minutes later – One baby is crying. I get up and go to their room. It’s Leila. Again, she’s lost her bottle. I hand it back to Leila. I briefly consider duct taping the bottle to her hands. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.
6am – One baby is crying. Get up and go to their room. It’s Leila. She wants to play. I remind her I have another hour. She doesn’t seem to understand this. I hand her a toy, turn around and head back to my room. I trip on the cat on the way back to the room. He won’t stop meowing for breakfast. I refuse to go down the stairs to feed him. Go to room and get back in bed surprised Leila hassn’t complained right away.
6:15am – I hear Andrew’s door to his room open. I hear the cat meowing. I realize that the cat has resorted to trying to wake up Andrew to get his food. I get up, grab the cat out of Andrew’s room and pull the door to Andrew’s room completely closed so the cat can’t open it again. I still refuse to go downstairs. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.
6:20am – Leila is crying again. I get up, go to her room and try to offer her another toy explaining that it is still too early. The cat is outside the room still meowing. Leila tries to see the cat. She’s quite excited that the cat is nearby. I briefly consider putting the cat in the crib with Leila to entertain her and punish the cat for waking me up. I give Leila a book. She’s quite excited. I leave her room. I decide that the cat has won and head downstairs. His bowl is full of cat food. I mumble a bad word and look at the cat while he is STILL meowing and yell “WHAT?!” I realize the cat wants to go outside. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.
6:30am – I hear the door to Andrew’s room open. Then I hear leaking water. I think “oh great, now something is wrong with the plumbing.” My brain wakes up and realizes that Andrew is awake and is using the bathroom. I say a prayer of thanksgiving that Andrew is independent enough to get himself dressed and clean his room before he wants breakfast. I fall back asleep.
6:45am – My alarm goes off. I hit snooze.
6:something later – My alarm goes off again. I hit snooze.
6:something later – My alarm goes off again. I hit snooze. Andrew comes in and reminds me he wants breakfast. I see that he’s still in his pajamas so I tell him to get dressed and then come get me. I start to go back to sleep but then I get worried that Andrew might now get dressed and might not wake me up which will cause him to miss the bus. I imagine trying to get the girls and Andrew in the car and fighting Moroccan rush hour traffic to get Andrew to school. I get up and go to the girls’ room. I get Leila and see that Leah is awake as well.
7am – I go downstairs and put Leila in the living room and head back upstairs to get Leah. I come downstairs with Leah and put her down next to her sister and then head to the kitchen. I make two bottles. I remind Andrew to hurry up and get dressed and take his breakfast order. Make Andrew’s breakfast. I bring the girls their bottles and see Andrew heading down the stairs. I bring Andrew his breakfast reminding him that the bus will be here before he knows it so eat without wasting time. I check my watch.
7:20am – I open the front door to get Andrew’s backpack to see if the airing out process was successful. I give it a sniff and it doesn’t smell like a dog so that’s progress. I pack his backpack and head to the kitchen. I make Andrew’s lunch and put his lunchbox with his backpack. I check in on all 3 kids. Girls are finished with their bottles and rolling around on the floor watching The Wiggles with Andrew. I ask Andrew if he would like some yogurt since he finished his breakfast. I go to the kitchen, put the teakettle on the stove, grab a yogurt and take it to Andrew. I check my watch.
7:35am – I tell Andrew that the bus will be here in 10-15 minutes. I go to the kitchen to make my morning Coke and take my pills. The tea kettle whistles and I pour the hot water over my oatmeal. I head back to the living room with my breakfast and try to eat as fast as I can while talking to the girls. I finish my breakfast and check my watch.
7:45am – I tell Andrew to get his shoes on because the bus will be here any minute. I change the girls’ diapers.
7:50am – The bus driver honks his horn. I hand Andrew his backpack and go unlock the gate so he can get out to meet the bus. I see Andrew get on to the bus and head to the back of the bus. In the back are 3 girls ages 10-16. They scoot over and Andrew joins them. He looks at me, blows me a kiss and waves goodbye. I smile and give the “I love you” sign back. I then shake my head in disbelief at my son’s way with girls while locking the gate and heading back into the house.
8am – I check my e-mail and play with the girls looking forward to morning nap at 8:30am.
8:20am – I decide that it’s close enough to 8:30am and take Leah upstairs and put her in her crib. I turn on the classical music and head back downstairs to get Leila. I take Leila up and put her in her bed. I turn around, walk back to my room and get back in the bed.
8:30am – I hear my housekeeper unlocking the door. I think how much I’ll miss her when we move back to the states. I fall asleep wondering how much it would be to have Merry Maids come in twice a week if Josh gets deployed.
9am – Josh calls (he’s out of town). On one hand I’m happy to hear from him. On the other, I really want some sleep! I don’t remember what we talk about. . .
10am – Leila wakes up. I take her downstairs and make 2 bottles. I give Leila a bottle and leave her in the living room eating while I go upstairs to get Leah. I wake Leah up trying to keep the girls on the same schedule. She gives me a dirty look. I tell her it’s Leila’s fault. I take Leah downstairs and give her a bottle. While the girls are eating I grab a granola bar and a coke.
10:30am- I put in an Elmo DVD for the girls and run upstairs to grab the girls some clothes for the day. I grab some outfits and head back downstairs wishing I had a 1 story house.
10:50am – The girls are dressed with fresh diapers. I put them in their exersaucers and start reading this week’s reading assignment for my class.
11:20am – I take the girls out of their exersaucers and put them on the floor to play. Leila pulls Leah’s hair. Leila steals Leah’s toy. It’s a typical day.
12noon – Make 2 bottles and give the girls their lunch. Continue reading assignment for class.
12:30pm – Change diapers, and start wind down time for nap.
12:50pm – Carry Leah upstairs and put her in her crib. I head back downstairs to get Leila and take her up to her crib. Turn on classical music, turn off lights and make sure the girls have their bears that they sleep with.
1pm – Take a quick shower hoping the girls aren’t crying and I can’t hear them because the water is on.
1:10pm – I come downstairs fully dressed needing to go to the commissary at the embassy. I wait until the girls fall asleep so I can leave them with the housekeeper but they won’t be in her way. I read some more for my class.
1:20pm – I start to wonder why Baby Bear’s parents (Baby Bear is on Sesame Street) won’t get him into speech therapy. I then realize that Elmo is STILL on and I’m watching it! I turn it off and wonder how far gone I am to be watching Elmo and not realize it! I also think that maybe Baby Bear’s parents are just sleep deprived and don’t notice that he can’t say his “r” words correctly. I remind myself that they are not real. I go back to reading for my class.
1:30pm – All is quiet from the girls’ room. I tell my housekeeper in broken French that the girls are asleep and I’m going to the embassy.
1:40pm – while at the commissary I realize that I have not eaten lunch. I grab a coke and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups convincing myself that peanut butter has protein so it’s ok.
2:10pm – return home to find the girls in the living room with the housekeeper. Apparently they were NOT asleep. They also know how to manipulate the housekeeper.
2:15pm – The girls are crying and rubbing their eyes. What a surprise. They are tired. I take Leila upstairs and then Leah. They look at the housekeeper and start crying hoping she’ll rescue them!
3:00pm – Leila is asleep. Leah is not. I take Leah downstairs. She plays on the floor while I read and check e-mail. Starting looking at my next class’s textbook and am getting really excited. The text is about Integrating Technology and digital media in the classroom.
3:45pm – hear the bus horn honk letting me know Andrew is home. I let him in and we start homework. Leah is excited to see Andrew. She spends some time in the exersaucer while Andrew finishes his homework.
4:15pm – Andrew finishes his homework and someone is ringing the intercom outside our gate. My housekeeper tells me it’s for me. It’s Andrew’s friend and his mom wanting to take Andrew to the playground at the embassy to play. HALLELUJAH!
4:30pm – Andrew leaves with his friend. Girls play in their exersaucers while I prepare their dinner.
4:50pm – Girls finish their carrots, applesauce and rice cereal mixed together (I can only get them to eat the veggies when I mix some applesauce in!). I wipe them down (Leah decided to finger paint with her food . . . on the side of Leila’s head.
5:10pm – dress the girls for bed and start wind down time. I discover that Leah’s belly is ticklish and she FINALLY laughs for me (she laughs for Andrew all the time). Leila steals a baby wipe and shoves it in her mouth. I have no idea why, but she likes the taste of them!
5:30pm – call my mom
6pm – the girls let me know by screaming their heads off that it’s time to hang up and put them to bed. I carry them both up the stairs b/c they are so mad. My back regrets that. They go to bed without protest. Andrew is still not home. I wonder if his friend’s family is going out to dinner as well? I start dinner for myself.
6:20pm – Search the internet for something to watch. The cat shows back up from this morning. Apparently he has forgiven me for taking so long to let him out. I start downloading a tv show to watch later and think about dessert but realize that if I’m having dessert when Andrew gets home then I’ll have to share. Josh calls to check in.
6:30pm – Buzzer rings from outside the gate. Andrew is home and he’s been fed. YES!!! He’s also quite filthy. I send him upstairs to take a bath. He loses his lightsabers for 2 days for misbehaving when he was dropped off.
6:45pm – Andrew returns all clean. I send him upstairs to clean his room and get ready for bed.
7pm – I put Andrew to bed and make a dessert.
7:15pm – I watch TV for a bit while the cat cuddles on the couch with me.
8:15pm – Work on homework.
9:15pm – check e-mail
9:30pm – prepare bottles for the nighttime feedings and head upstairs to bed. I have learned to put the formula powder in the bottles and keep a bottle of water by the bed. That way when the girls wake up I just add the water and I don’t have to go downstairs!
9:45pm – Girls wake up for their feeding. I change their diapers and give the their bottles and head to bed.
1am – I wake up and can’t get back to sleep. Hooray for insomnia.
2am – put in a DVD and crawl into bed. I fall asleep before the hour long show is over.
Well, that was 24 hours of my life. Sometimes I make it out of the house with the girls during lunch to eat at the embassy with Josh and/or girlfriends. You can see why I’m so tired by the end of the day. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!!
--Rachel