Our Five Ring Circus: The Real Life Post

Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Real Life Post

I'm not sure about everybody else, but sometimes I log onto Instagram, and immediately feel defeated.  It seems like everyone is leading picture perfect lives.  From the outfits of the day to the pretty centerpiece arrangements to the elaborate child crafts to the posed "real life" scenes to the gourmet meals to the perfectly applied makeup to the model-like selfies to the ridiculously expensive shoes that cost more than my seasonal clothing budget...everything seems so perfect.

Life can't be that perfect, right?!? Or am I just doing it wrong? We're all guilty of only posting the perfect moments.  I'M guilty of it. However, I try to add a bit of realism to my feed, too. 

I'm not ashamed to admit:

*I'm blogging at 12:51 AM because it's the only time I have to blog.  I have 4 little humans demanding my attention from 7:15 AM until 9:30 PM, then my husband needs (and deserves) my attention.  That doesn't leave much alone time for me.  So I stay up way past my bedtime.

*I finally scheduled Liam's 12 month ENT appointment/hearing screen today.  He's 14 months old.  Partially because I kept forgetting, but also because I do worry his adenoids will need to be removed or that he has some sort of hearing loss.  We have been SO lucky so far, and I keep waiting for something to come up. 

*I just realized my cable bill is a few days late.  I'll pay it tomorrow.

*I'm waiting for the antibiotic poos to begin.  They happened when Liam was on his first antibiotic last winter, and now that he's taking one again, I'm anticipating the same reaction.  Just in time to kick him back off the growth chart. You know, because he FINALLY made it on.  Under the 3rd percentile, but he's ON it.

*Oh yeah.  Liam has an ear infection.  One great thing about having a child who is so happy and content is that you absolutely know when something is wrong.

*Lily has been throwing epic tantrums at home the past 3 days.  Dylan and Lexie didn't have tantrums, so this is new territory. I mean, she cried for a half hour over the fact that we didn't have spaghetti for lunch.  What is up with that?!?

*I tried to take a picture of my dinner so I could post a recipe.  I'm so not a food blogger.  I prefer taking pictures of children! But here's a crappy picture of a really yummy meal that my entire family loves.  I'll share the recipe, too. Not a precise recipe, because I don't measure everything!


Easy Chicken Fried Rice:

1. Cook your rice and set aside.  I use a 1 lb bag.

2. Steam a bag of carrots and peas.  While I would love to use fresh vegetables, I prefer quick and easy, so frozen it is.  If you prefer to use fresh, by all means, do it! Once steamed, mix in garlic salt to taste.

3.  Cut thawed chicken breasts into tiny cubes.  Mix with 2 TBSP sesame seed oil and 4 shakes of garlic salt (shakes is my measurement). Cook chicken in heated oil (whichever you prefer), in a big pot, over medium high heat until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Push chicken aside and scramble 4 eggs in the same pot. Add a tiny bit more oil and mix in the veggies and rice by the spoonful.  Add a bit more garlic salt if necessary. 

5. Enjoy!  Add some soy sauce if you want.  I don't, but my husband does!

*I get semi-dressed to take the kids to the bus stop when it's cold outside.  I pull on jeans and boots, and put on a coat over my sweatshirt.  It looks like I'm completely put together, but don't look under the coat!  This obviously doesn't work when it's warm out.

*I do put on makeup before the kids go to school.  My entire hair/makeup routine is approximately 5 minutes long.  I figure get it done then before Lily and Liam want all the things.

*I try to love coffee, but I just can't drink an entire cup.  I start gagging halfway through. I think morning sickness with Liam ruined it for me. So no pumpkin spice lattes for me!  Pass the hot chocolate with whipped cream!

*I didn't leave the house today.  I didn't want to.  I came in from the bus stop, changed back into my pj bottoms, changed back into jeans to get the kids OFF the bus, and immediately changed back into my pj bottoms.  I require days like that!

*I bought a new diaper bag over a week ago, and it's still sitting on Liam's bedroom floor, with the tags still on it.

*I have a bag of items to exchange in my car.  A sweater for me with too short sleeves (darn long arms!), a 9-12 month winter outfit that Liam will never grow into, and newborn sized shoes and a one piece outfit that are just a bit too small (from Liam's birthday...in August).  I'll get around to it.

*I didn't buy Halloween costumes for Liam or Dylan yet.  SLACKER!

*Our dog is really old and her health is declining.  I know her end is near, and I know we need to visit the topic of assisting her, but I don't want to deal with it until after Christmas.

*Speaking of pets, I haven't made it to the stable to visit my horse in weeks. I feel awful.

*I don't like crafting.  I want to love it, but I just don't. I prefer to have things made for me!

*Grant and I haven't gone out on a date since our anniversary.  Which was September 9th.

*Grant has a bit of a commute, so I'm on my own with the kids from the time they wake up until 7:00 at night.  By the time he walks in the door,  I feel like my eyes are bulging out of my head.  SO MUCH NOISE! SO MUCH CHAOS!  To be honest, they really aren't bad, but when you don't get a break, it seems so much worse!

*This means that I take them out in public. Alone.  And often. Dentist, doctor visits, grocery shopping, errands, all with four in tow. Thank God they're really well behaved in public. And when I go alone?  It feels like a VACATION.

*I miss Dylan and Lexie like crazy when they're at school, but the after school rush is a lot to handle at times. Homework times two, cooking dinner, straightening the house, cleaning up dishes, packing lunches,dealing with a cranky toddler and a tired baby, and making sure all 4 kids are clean and ready for the next day is a lot of work!

*I have too many toys in my living room. And my kitchen. And my basement. And my attic. And my sun porch. And the bathroom. And the bedrooms.  Heck, my house is a toy store.

*We still need to finish our basement and our bathroom.  No time. NO TIME!

*I'm slacking on my exercise routine.  I need to get back into it.

*We need a bigger house.  Like yesterday.  But we make it work.

*The street we live on is getting way too busy. I hate it. I really really really want to move, but the thought of saying goodbye to the house that all my babies came home to makes me want to cry. 

*We can't get out the door on time.  No matter how hard I try or how much I prepare, I can't do it.  It really is like a traveling circus.

*It's now 1:45 AM.  The alarm goes off at 7.  UGH!

Even though I said all that, I love it. I love (almost) every moment.  I have an amazing family, wonderful friends, and the best people living under this roof that I could ever ask for. 

Here's to all the perfectly imperfect real life moments!

11 comments:

  1. Oh, I don't know...I think the Chicken Fried Rice looks pretty good! :-)

    You have a full plate right now, but you're handling it wonderfully! Life happens. Roll with it!

    On another note...I thought this was really good.
    http://www.bringingthesunshine.com/2014/10/buddy-walk-2014/

    (My nephew has DS so I read some of the Mommy blogs.)

    Have a wonderful day! Some day it will be quiet and the toys will be gone...and it's not all it's cracked up to be! Lots of Love!

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  2. I had a super long reply typed out and my computer went crazy and deleted it. Grrrr.

    Mommy time to ourselves and so needed but so hard to get!
    Date nights are so needed and so few and far between. Before my birthday, Gary and I went out on his birthday in August. lol
    We need to do girls night once a month like the guys do for gaming. It needs to be a thing on a Saturday like they do. It is only fair.

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  3. (My apologies if this is a duplicate - I didn't know if I was logged in the first time)

    First - thanks for the recipe! I will definitely make this and may try it with shrimp, too!!

    Second - I love this post! This is a real post and real is where we live. This is my life, but with only two little humans that demand all my attention plus a full time job that keeps me away from home for 40-50 hours/week! We don't live in the Good Housekeeping magazine, but that is the only side that many people want to show to others. I'm guilty of only posting the good stuff, but if you notice how much less I get to post these days it's b/c all that real stuff is keeping me busy the rest of the time! I need to give myself that blogging time back, though!!

    You're an awesome mom! You're inspiring! You're a mom that your daughters will aspire to emulate and your sons will be proud of!! And sounds like you're a great wife, too! We often forget to still be a wife once we become mothers. Something I was definitely guilty of for a long time!

    Thanks for sharing your real life with us!

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  4. What time do your children go to bed?

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    1. On weeknights, Liam goes to bed around 8, Lily goes to bed around 8:30 and the older kids go to bed at 9. Sometimes earlier, especially for Lily, if she skips her nap. Tonight, it was 6:00 for her. I try to keep them up so they can spend a little bit of time with their dad!

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  5. With the exception of the fact that I HAVE to get dressed to go to work, this is my life. I feel like my kids are the only ones that never do anything fun. I haven't blogged consistently in months, and feel like a 24/7 feed bag. Someday it'll all be over and I know I'll miss it....

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    1. I understand the feed bag! Haha! But, I agree. It goes by so quickly!

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  6. I'll have to try the chicken fried rice. =) Let me tell you, I have lots of days where I look at people's social media and think the same thing. I hope that you have a better day today!

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    1. It definitely feels like a competition at times, doesn't it?!?

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  7. Nice to hear that you have a normal life! lol I feel the same way most days! With my husband gone for 48 hrs straight every week I try to get out of the house but don't always make it. Shower... um not always. hahaha Cole has been throwing those epic fits your Lily has, maybe its the moon! You are doing a fantastic job!! Don't know how you do it on the little amount of sleep you get but you are a superwoman! :o)

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    Replies
    1. Awww, thank you! So are you if you're on your own for that long. Yikes!!!!

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