The days are long and the nights are short.

The coffee is brewed but often never even makes it to the cup until the kids are down for their morning naps. 

I love this life but I’m also exhausted by it.

I am a stay-at-home mom with two under two.

I love waking up every morning being greeted by my toddler with his wild excitement to start a new day. I equally love walking into my little one’s room and peeking down into her crib to see her beautiful eyes looking back at me.

But . . . 

Being the one to make breakfast every morning, juggle booty changes, and meet the demands of little people constantly at my feet is also, at times, very exhausting.

Daily I am searching Google for indoor creative activities in order to keep the TV from coming on. Sometimes the activities are a success but often end in meltdowns because the new textures were a little overwhelming or they just want to eat everything.

Often my toddler would rather eat the crumbs from under the table that is last night’s dinner but won’t eat the homemade gourmet lunch I placed in front of him (peanut butter sandwich with bananas and yogurt. So not gourmet, but not bad . . . right?).

The baby needs a nap but is going to require a little snuggle time; I hear the toddler’s feet running across his bedroom floor after I have told him to stay in bed for the millionth time.

I spend my free time crawling under all of the furniture in order to find the pieces to each toy.

We own a thousand pacis but somehow I cannot find a single one.

I try to introduce a new bath activity by purchasing finger painting soap but all my toddler can focus on is the fact that the water is too cold for his toes but too hot for his booty. 

Is Dad home yet? 

It’s dinner time and we are back to eating the crumbs from lunch that are under the table. (I thought he didn’t like his lunch?)

My husband walks into the home as jolly as an elf at Christmastime. He walks up hoping for a kiss but in turn is handed a screaming child with a plate of leftovers that have been in the fridge for a few days now . . . I hope. Sorry, babe.

I often retreat to the car for a few moments of silence so I can return 10 minutes later in a better mood for my poor husband.

Once the kids are down I am depleted. I’ll take a glass of wine over a kiss, a clean house over quality time, a moment of silence over chatter.

This is motherhood for my family sometimes, but it doesn’t mean I am not absolutely in love with my family and grateful for my life. 

It’s OK not to be picture perfect. I am no less a loving mother or wife. 

It was a stressful day—but a life I would choose all over again.

You may also like:

My Seven Momtras As A Stay-At-Home Mom

The Nights Are So Long

This is Stay-at-Home Motherhood