Life as a single parent

Victor's been traveling a lot this fall.  Not super enjoyable but definitely easier on me than any other time in the past 5 years.  (Solo parenting with a newborn or while pregnant = bad time)  So, while I don't find the travel super enjoyable I am thankful it's happening during a time when I feel like a normal human.

I thought I would write out today's events before I go to bed as life with three, on your own, is busy and messy!!

**Everyday in our house is fairly busy. Saturday due to poor extra curricular activity scheduling (not completely within my control), is the busiest.**

6:45 Up for the day (late wake up call!)
7:00 Start getting breakfast ready, unload dishwasher, put away breakfast dishes/clean up kitchen
7:30 Prompt kids to go get dressed -help Erik find his soccer clothes, dress Carson
7:45 Fix Lainey's hair for dance
7:56 Discover that Lainey's dance barrettes are missing, call Victor and ask where they might be
7:59 Run upstairs and dig through V's duffle bag - find them
8:00 Start to get Lainey dressed and discover huge whole in her dance tights
8:01 Call V again, just to complain this time
8:05 Dig through L's closet and look for a back up pair of dance tights (the studio is quite strict!)
8:10 Have the kids brush their teeth, go to the bathroom, and get in the car
8:20 Leave for soccer

8:38 Arrive at soccer, 8 minutes late, hit every stop light possible
8:45 Find neighbor and ask her if she can watch out for E while I take L to dance (kids can't be without a chaperone at soccer)
8:50 Leave for dance
9:00 Drop L off at dance, rush back to soccer
9:10-9:33 Watch Erik's soccer game, pull him out 10 minutes early so I can pick up Lainey on time
9:45 Pick up Lainey
10:00 Get to my gym so I can get in some exercise for the day (besides driving)
11:00 Get kids back in the car, hand them all water/milk and a snack
11:15 Stop for gas
11:28 Arrive at swim class
11:38 Enter swimming class, 8 minutes late
12:15 Swimming ends, get everyone showered and dressed (all 4 of us were in the pool - me with Carson, other two in their own class)
12:30 Leave for home
12:50 Carry a sleeping C up to his bed
1:00 Feed E and L a snack
1:15 Read books to L
1:25 Read books to E
1:40 Thankfully, all 3 fall asleep (first time in 2+ weeks)
1:50 Walk around the block for 25 minutes (house is in view at all times) so I can get outside (it's 70 and sunny) and chat with my cousin
2:30 Decide to make apple crisp (wheat free) for the halloween party instead of  beer cheese soup so I don't have to take the trio to the grocery store
3:15 Carson wakes up.  Crisp is prepared but kitchen is a mess still
3:20 Read books to Carson and give him milk/snack
3:30 Lainey and Erik wake up
3:40 Let Erik use his leap pad - I had bribed him with this to keep him in his room for nap time
3:45 Clean up kitchen
4:15 Stick crisp in the oven
4:20 Head outside and clean/vacuum the van while keeping a close eye on L and C (E was using his computer)
4:30 Computer time over, requires some discussion
4:50 Take crisp out of the oven
4:55 Clean up living room and vacuum it (vacuum was out already)
5:10 Have the kids get changed into their costumes
5:30 Head over to neighbors for a party
8:00 Bring 3 tired kids home
8:05 Milk x 3
8:10 Stick kids in the shower
8:20 Carson pees on the toilet for the first time!  Initiated it himself.  So cute!
8:25 Get all 3 in their PJ's (Erik and Lainey are pretty self sufficient)
8:30 Go to put C to bed and realize blankie is missing
8:31 Head downstairs for blanket search
8:34 Teeth brushing/book/bed for C
8:45 Repeat for L
9:00 Repeat for E
9:15 Come downstairs, kitchen is still a big mess
9:20 Call V and talk for a couple of minutes
9:27 Sweep kitchen, wipe counters, and finish remaining dishes
9:45 Still grossed out by kitchen floor so decide to scrub it on my hands and knees
10:15 Kitchen much better
10:16 Blog about my crazy Saturday
10:32 Head to bed!