Noticing the Happy

Pooh Bear was a silly old bear, but he definitely had a pretty good approach to life. How incredible – to look at today as your favorite day.

I think about my day today – it’s been pretty good so far, although I don’t know if I’d say it was my favorite.

We had an appointment at the chiropractor, so I had to get both girls and myself fed, dressed and out the door by 9:45am. At least that was the plan.

Mabel had other plans today. Usually she wakes up around 5am, eats and then goes right back to sleep until around 8:30/9am when her sister gets up. Now this is pretty good for an almost 5 month old and I know I’m lucky to get those extra hours of sleep… but it didn’t happen today. Mabel woke up at 6am and decided it was time to party. She was calm (thankfully) but noisy as she chattered to herself in her crib. Dan had to go to work around this time, so I was on my own for managing the girls. Now it probably would’ve been okay, except for the fact that I stayed up until 1am the night before cleaning and organizing the house. In hindsight, this was a bad choice.

Now the extra hours of sleep missed felt like even more of a hardship. I longed for more rest and was feeling a little irritated. My alarm went off and I had to stop trying to sleep and actually get out of bed. I changed Mabel and started getting her ready so I could get ready. Well of course, she didn’t want me to get ready – that’s when she chose to start fussing. So I fed her, tried again to get myself at least decent to leave the house (even though I looked like a hot mess) and then went to get Ava. Got Ava up, changed and in the kitchen. Got myself and the toddler some food and tried to get everything ready to go. Look over and Ava has decided that half of her yogurt should be on her body, not in her mouth. Cleaned her up, tried to let her keep eating.

Mabel is playing with a suction-cup toy in her high chair, but keeps pulling it off the tray and crying. To which Ava informs me: “Mabel sad.” … yes, kid, I know. Help Mabel with her toy, somehow manage to bounce back and forth enough to get stuff ready and hear an audible sound that tells me I’m gonna have to change Mabel’s diaper before we go. At this point it’s 9:45am already.

I go to Ava, help feed her the remaining yogurt and clean her up, only to smell that she also needs a diaper change.

Now, I’m someone who hates to be late. Really the 9:45am time was a goal so that we would have buffer time in case something out of the routine happened. Like ten million diaper changes. I’m trying not to be stressed but I am tired and I am stressed. I change Mabel and get her in the car seat, change Ava and start packing everything in the car.

At least I managed to get something to eat. It was a microwaveable breakfast sandwich that I ate too fast so I burnt my tongue and got the hiccups. Ava thinks it’s hilarious when I hiccup, so at least I got some giggles out of it.

I finally get everyone in the car and pull the address up on Google Maps. We are definitely going to be late.

Nothing to be done about it, other than texting the office so they know we are coming and then jamming out to the Frozen soundtrack with the toddler.

I feel like the chiropractor appointment helped turn the day around. We weren’t so late that we held anything up. Ava played quietly while I got an adjustment (so now I feel much much better) and then giggled while she had hers, saying “Tickles! Tickles!” It was infectious and made me smile too. Mabel waited calmly (silly peanut still hadn’t fallen asleep) and then when I changed her diaper she giggled at me too.

On the drive home, we listened to Judy Garland songs (one of my favorites) and Ava said “Judy!” and smiled big, which warmed my heart. Mabel finally passed out in the car.

When we got home, we put on the “Judy Garland Songbook” bonus feature on TV, which is just series of songs from her movies and Ava sat next to me while I fed Mabel on the couch. At a certain point, Ava saw Judy wearing a hat and wanted to get hats from her dress-up bin. Both me and her Elsa doll got to wear hats while we watched.

I put Mabel in the pack n play while I got lunch ready for me and Ava (leftover pizza and bananas was all I had energy for). Ava danced and sang until the food was ready, then sat in her high chair and watched the songs and ate. This time I had time to eat without hiccups.

Mabel started getting sleepy so I managed to get her to sleep in her crib, and then had time just me and Ava for our quiet time routine. Milk on the couch with a story, brush teeth, diaper change and cuddles in her room. Lately she’s been adding “sit” to the routine- I sit next to her big girl bed and stroke her hair for one song (of her naptime CD).

I got back out to the main space, so excited I got both girls down and might have time to work on blog stuff. I quick cleaned up in the kitchen, texting Dan that “yay I got both girls down!”

Literally two minutes after I sent the text, Mabel woke up. I went to get her, and she gave a big burp, so then I sat on the couch with her and cuddled until she fell asleep.

So now I’m writing this on my phone, pinned under a baby. Was today my favorite? You know, even at the beginning of writing this I was going to say no. It wasn’t perfect, I’m tired, I still haven’t had time to myself.. and yet… I think of the giggles at the chiropractor. I think of the image of Ava dancing to some of my favorite Judy songs. I think of how Ava hugged me so hard when I was putting her into the car. How Mabel wants to be held and close to me. How it’s not perfect but somehow that makes it sweeter.

This time in life is so brief. They are only this little for such a short time. So was today my favorite day? Maybe it is… at least until tomorrow. Then it can be my favorite all over again.