A Most (Un)Typical Day

So what is a typical day like in the life of the Padilla familia these days? So glad you asked!! Well, for those of us that stay home we get to "sleep in" until about, oh say 6 or 6:30am (daddy's usually out the door by 6am, smart move honey). My dreams slowly fade out as the lead heels of Reece's feet quickly pound down the hall to the bathroom. Then I hear the littlest Padilla (Jo) saying in his softest voice 'Ma' or 'Shay-yay' from his crib.... aaahhh, the begining of a new day! So first things first, dirty diapers, oh yah. Breakfast is no small matter anymore for 2 little eaters, oh no... it's lining up four plates, four cups, four forks and filling them for four hungry mouths (sound familiar Grama?). I do let my profession get the best of me when it comes to meals, so chances are all food groups are represented at each meal. Ama eats most of what we put in front of her(Fanta being her favorite). Jo is our work in progress :-) He still picks anything green, yellow, red, or any vegetables for that matter, out of his dish and puts it in the pile labeled 'what were u thinking mom'. After breakfast, it's time for dishes, feeding the dog, maybe some time on the treadmill(wishful thinking), take a shower, get the kids stuff ready for swim lessons, make a morning snack for hungry kids, more dishes, make beds, check email (if I'm lucky), turn the sprinklers on, answer a few emails(if I'm REALLY lucky), turn off the sprinklers, check Jo's diapers especially if a strange smell is wafting thru the house, prep a few things for lunch and then pile the kids into the car for swimming. And it's only 10:30am. I guess I forgot to list all the other stuff in between like, breaking up sib spats between Reece & Jo, calming the crying toddler whose toy was taken away AGAIN, asking over and over again for the kids to make their beds or go potty or put their dishes on the sink.... yes, we really are a normal family. Ama, Shayley and Reece are progressing well in swim class. Reece swims circles around the other 3 kids in his class while Ama and Shayley swim freestyle with no assistance!! Ama does an amazing job considering the limited amount of times she's even been in a pool and Shayley has made so much progress compared to last summer. Jo and I watch the kids from the sidelines, cheering them on. After the kids are all showered and changed into dry clothes (mommy is dripping wet b/c she helps shower them) it's back into the car and home for lunch. After lunch it is Jo's naptime. While he drifts off into La La Land I finish the dishes, unpack the swim bag of wet stuff and then hang out with the kids for awhile. Our afternoons have been filled with beach days, playing outside in the yard, and frankly just getting to know each other if you know what I mean. It has been exactly one week since Ama and Jo joined us here in California, but it really seems like much longer. The four kids are having so much fun together and are very affectionate with one another. Reece has surprised us with how 'motherly' he is with Jo, it's very sweet to watch him take care of his little bro. But they do compete for trucks and toys a lot of the time too, don't get me wrong. But there is an acceptance and love for one another amongst the kids that we are so very grateful to God for. And when daddy gets home from work you should hear how excited these kids get, yeah "excited" is probably an understatement. Dinnertime is a full table (and a few more plates too) with Jo keeping us laughing and Ama keeping me up getting her seconds, and thirds. Some of the favorites for evening entertainment have been hide-n-seek, tickling, games, walks around the block (Tux's favorite), and reading books together. Lights are usually out by 8pm (yes it's still light outside) when mommy will plop down in front of her computer to just stare at the screen for awhile, seriously. Lately Mo has been going back into work in the evenings after the kids are asleep to play catch-up on the work he missed (and about 500 emails) while in Ghana for a couple weeks. Jury is still out whether he ever WILL catch up. As my head hits the pillow at night I smile and thank God for this amazing life and family I have because of Him. Life is good, real good.