Co-Captains of my Heart

It’s a whirlwind here. I barely have any time to log on the internet and it takes me about a week or two to respond to emails (or even read them). The babies keep me quite busy. I live my life in short increments. Apparently, an 8 week old’s attention span is about 4 seconds, which explains how the babies can manically go from smiling (finally!) and cooing to screeching at the top of their lungs in less time than it takes to change the channel. It is hard, living through a day in ten-second chunks.

The babies are okay for most of the day. Nanny Annie and I divide and conquer them, which seems to work. When they both sleep I slip into my gym clothes and rush off for a quick workout. We take them for Bjornwalks in the afternoon. And then when the sleep later in the afternoon I run out to do errands (dry cleaners, grocery store, drug store, etc.). In between, there is the day-to-day tasks that need to be accomplished.

Today, Annie and I had the babies smiling and cooing in their little seats while we sat at the table flipping though catalogs and talking with them. It was a blissful respite from the walking and bouncing and soothing and carrying that we normally do. Then Nicole came home, Annie left and the babies switched into Psycho Mode. I kept saying they won’t be like this all night and, well, not all night but for three hours it was rough.

I managed to make dinner while Nicole soothed a savage Maddie. I had Avery and she was quiet as long as I talked to her. By quiet, I mean she moaned, but a soft moan that I could dominate with a shrilly high voice. So I narrated what I was doing (making a big salad) but you begin to feel like you are dancing on the fringe of sanity when you start saying things like “Now I am chopping up carrots. Hi carrots! How are you doing? Welcome to our salad! These are orange. Isn’t orange a fun color? I like orange. The carrots are good to eat. Rabbits eat carrots. Now I am cutting up a tomato. Hi Tomato! How are you today? Do you mind that I am cutting you up?” You get the picture. And if my kids end up talking with vegetables we will know why.

Nicole and I spent some alone time on Sunday while Nanny Annie and Nanny Nan babysat (Nancy will be taking over Annie’s job in mid August). Of course it was pouring rain, but that was okay. It was great to be out, and alone, and in white pants, which apparently turn transparent when wet. I’m too tired to care.

Actually, I’m still tired but I feel more energetic than I did a month ago. My body is still adjusting to everything, but I had a massage and that did wonders to work some big knots out of my shoulders and back and calves. And as long as I can have my ice cream at the end of the day, it was a good day.

This past week Nicole’s mom stayed with us so it was a much easier than normal week. Not only does she help a ton with the babies she also cooks! We had a full week of home-cooked meals. If only she could stay for another 51 weeks, then I might feel like I will be able to do this whole mother thing. This morning, for that brief two hours I am alone with them, during the chasm between Nicole leaving and Annie arriving, the had two meltdowns and one hungry fit. I finally got them to sleep (in separate rooms) and they woke up at the same time. By the time Annie arrived I felt like I lived a thousand lives.

This week I discovered that basil lemonade is a delicious alternative to water. And that if I don’t make a list of things that have to be done, it won’t get done. My capacity to forget details is alarming. And I never used to be that way. Nicole called me when she was on her way home and asked me to turn on the espresso machine (it needs to heat up before it is used) so that she can make herself a latte as soon as she walked in the door (because waiting even three minute for a caffeine fix is Out of the Question). I promptly said yes, hung up, and promptly forgot.

Pictured above are Captain von Fussypants (Maddie), who is called Pretty Princess by her other mother, and Captain von Wigglesworth (Avery), who is also know as Sniffles the Flat-eaded, White-Tongued clown. I’ll just start the therapy funds now.