Gym Day and Getting 2 Kids and a Baby There.

I have made it my goal to lose 40 pounds before the pool opens. I even bought the most adorable swimsuit ever. It only came in a Large and after consulting two friends who took forever to answer I just bought the damn thing. I took that as a sign that it was meant to be. 

I was going to get a bikini. Dead set on it.

Then I remembered. I am 33 and have had 3 babies via C-Section. Maybe next summer...

Anyways, I am on week 2 of eating good and working out. I'm not letting myself go more than one day without doing cardio. I figure if I do...I'll fall off the train right into a Dorito bag.

I am using MyFitnessPal as a tracker and I absolutely love it. Add me as a friend!! pamelam2. Hit me up.

Thane has started teaching Code Class. Which means twice a week for 2 months he gets home at like 930. Yes..at night.

My max of being a single parent is about 12 hours. After that..I lose my shit.

So thankfully I still have my gym membership!! On the nights he has class, I pack up the kids right after nap and head into Madison to work out. The process is insane.

First...I need to time it correctly. We have to leave about 5 minutes after I'm done feeding Camden. I have a 3ish hour window between feedings and I don't want to waste a second.

I usually aim to leave between 230 and 3. So before I  feed C I need to pack our bags. I take 3 of them. Yes...3.

1..the gym diaper bag.
2. The main diaper bag for the car
3. My gym bag

I have to pack 2 snacks for the kids. One for the car ride in and one for after I'm done working out. I pack something for me too so I don't straight binge when I get near food at home. 

I mix up my Spark...and 2 bottles with water for Cam and put everything in the car.

Oh don't forget the water bottles for the boys to drink from on the way home...because if you do shit will hit the fan and our evening is shot. 

Also, before nap I have to grab clothes for Camden so that when I change his diaper before we go I Can get him dressed for the day. Because let's be real...if we don't go somewhere he stays in jammies all day. Stay at home life. 

Jensen must be dressed in real clothes before nap time..and socks and shoes in the bathroom ready to go.  Parker too.

So, once all this is done, I go start to wake up Parker (yes start because if he fell asleep is like a 25 minute process to wake him up), I wake up Camden, feed him, burp him, hold him upright so he doesn't puke for a bit, I go wake up Parker again, put Camden somewhere where he isn't laying flat. 

Usually by this time P is kinda up? Maybe sitting up in bed? I get Jensen up. Do the potty. Put on socks and shoe. 

We head to the kitchen. Tell Parker to put on his shoes as I'm getting Cam in the car seat. Once all kids have shoes on we load up.

The key is to make sure the boys don't have too much time to play after nap. If they start building something or rolling something along the kitchen floor...its ridiculous to get out of the house. I have a veeerrrrry tiny time frame here. 

I get all kids in the car. Give the 2 with teeth a snack and pray they don't demand water. I refuse to pack 4 water bottles damnit. 

We get to the gym. 

Parker gets his coat on and grabs the gym diaper bag. I get Camden out and put his carseat on the passenger side seat. Get Jensen out..have him focus on shutting his door while I snag Cam quickly so I can grab Jensen's hand and he doesn't bolt in front of a car. (Yes. This is my life. Every time we go somewhere.)

I navigate the kids through the parking lot..haven't lost one yet!!! Get in, hang up coats and take off shoes. Check them into the Kids Place. Put Cam in a swing. Kiss Jensen goodbye. (He is the only one that cares I'm leaving. Parker bolts.) and RUN downstairs to start my workout. 

If the Kids Place needs you while you workout, like your kid poops or is going crazy, they either page you or text you. The first workout with all 3 there I obsessively checked my phone. I do not want to be that parent that they have to come down and get.  

I rush through my workout hitting all the important things first because I know that at any moment I'll have to go upstairs. And we all know..once my kids see me there is no going back. 

So far so good. I haven't been called back up. It seems every time I get back though Cam  was "just starting to get fussy." By time we get home he is losing his mind screaming. So far I have been timing it perfect.

We now wash our hands with soap before we leave...and I don't let them touch anything. I forgot to mention that before we leave I have to have dinner done so that when we get home we can just eat. While they eat I shower quick. Sometimes if it is too late or I didn't have time to prep we hit the drive through. 

Either way, I guess I'm writing this so in a year I can look back and laugh at the gigantic process it was to get the kids to the gym. It will be worth it though cause I'll be reading it sitting in that swimsuit top. 

Ya I know in a year it will be January again, but I'l be looking so good in it I'll want to wear it all the time. 

First Outing with Three

At this point I don't remember how old Camden was but I still was in some pain and not able to lift his car seat.

So I was beyond anxious to drive. To get out of our house. To be around other adults that weren't trying to diagnose why I was in pain.

So I had this huge plan. Thane gets done with work at 3:30 and he would meet us at Target to help me get the kids out of the car, into the store, and just survive shopping in general.

We roll in at 3:27 and I call him excitedly to see where he was because usually he was early........he hadn't even left his left job yet. He was just finishing up a chat with a co worker...

Livid.

Juuuuuuuuuust livid.

He was at least 10 minutes out and I had 2 hyper kids and a newborn in the car. What the hell was I supposed to do?

I couldn't lift the car seat.

 I couldn't lift Jensen into a cart when we got inside.

I did toy with the idea that maybe there would some sweet stranger standing there that I could ask..but decided against that one. #momoftheyear There is no way I could just hold Jensen's hand in the store. He would run...and I would have to send Parker after him. They would wrestle on the dirty floor...screaming...Jensen would bite Parker...Parker would dramatically scream...I would yell loudly. People would judge.

 I had to figure something out.

So I sat there angry for like a minute and then started to form a plan.

It was super windy and cold. Cause ya know..it's November. It was colder then than it is today. January 12th. But whatever.

So..here we go.

I tell Parker to unbuckle and get his coat on because I will need his help.

I sit in the car putting on the wrap that I will need to wear Camden. I get it on as far as I can without a baby in it...get out...get Camden out and put him in the wrap and pray to god I did it right. I throw a blanket over him and head to Jensen.

I manage to get his coat on while he is sitting in his car seat and then send him to the back of the car with Parker. Where they promptly start laughing, screaming, and jumping around.

I go grab a cart, which we had parked right next to a car corral (perfect planning on accident), open the hatch to the extenda car, put the cart as close as possible to the back of the van and instruct Jensen to climb in the big part of the cart.

I was nervous that once he stepped over the side of the cart that the bottom would be to deep and he would fall and I would obviously reach out quickly to catch him..which would be one of the top 10 most painful things for me to do. Thankfully,  it was perfect. So I held the cart tightly with one hand... Jensen's hand with the other..and prayed I had Camden wrapped right.

Jensen was in the cart, Parker was climbing out of the car to close the door, and then we were running in the store.

Mind you, I had this illusion that Thane would meet us there on time and I would be able to get a Starbucks to enjoy while shopping with my family.

We got in the store and I bravely eyed up the Starbucks line which was about 2 people deep. I decided that after we gathered in the aisle behind the carts and recombobulated I would be brave and stand in line like it wasn't my first time in a store alone with 3 kids.

So we walk past the carts and I bend down to grab 2 baskets to put under the cart so I can actually get groceries; they make those carts so damn small you can only fit a car seat in them and this time...a 2 year old. So that took what? 9 seconds? I look up...no Parker.

The first of many times I mumbled "are you fucking kidding me?" and I say his name..and then I say his name again....and a third time I snap his name.

"HA!!! HAAAA!!!  Mommy I was hiding!!!!"

Ya. That didn't go over well.

I make him come stand by me while I check my work on the wrap, drooling over the thought of Starbucks, stressed to the max because Parker won't stay by me and I have this stupid need for my kids to act perfect in public. (I'm slowly letting that go..don't lecture me)

I look up and Thane is walking in the doors. There is a light shining from him...like the Angels themselves sent him. Pretty sure I heard music. All my anger and anxiety melts away...and then he point to the left and mouths "Bathroom" and is gone.

Cue anger and anxiety.

I stand there staring at the spot he was just standing. I took a deep breath and tell myself I will not take it out on my kids. I will not be an anxiety ridden stressed mom and we start to shop. I got this.

I have Parker helping me pick out cans of soup when Thane reappears. I gladly shove the two children who aren't attached to me at him and tell him to go check out the toys..Parker has money to spend. I'm off to grocery shop.

I got all my groceries and met up with the boys...who were still in the toy aisle. P had approximately $7 to spend and was only looking at the things that pretty much cost $70 and up. He was inspecting every toy veeeeeeeeeeerry closely and taking his sweet time. Mind you a 7lb baby was starting to feel like 70.

Some things he would point to and I would sadly inform him that he would be 6 by time he had enough allowance to buy that. An idea he quickly caught on to.

He stood staring at a giant gorilla Hot Wheels track, practically drooling. "Mommy..I would be like 100 before I could buy this." So matter of factly.

Thane and I laughed because he was right. By time he earned enough money for it he won't care anymore. Maybe when he is 100 he will come across it on EBay...or whatever site it is in 100 years..and buy it because he is being nostalgic.

Then he will play with it for about 5 minutes and move on..just like the 4 year old version of himself would do.

So anyways...we successfully survived our first errand as a family of 5. I got lots of those "been there" smiles from people. Zero judgey looks that I'm aware of..and that makes me happy. Don't judge a mom. You haven't witnessed her entire day..her week...you don't know what is going on.

I'm learning this stay at home mom job is legit hard. I am currently sitting in the playroom on the floor typing because at this level I can only see the floor that is slightly covered in toys. If I turn around I see hoooooooours of things to do like dishes and sweeping.

I'm going to stay unaware for just a few more minutes.