by Jessica Bauer, Miss July 2016

Today I’m sharing a typical day of life with the Bauer Bunch.

Such a request can range from two boys chasing each other through the house with light sabers to one girl accidentally taking Cookie Monster for a potty swim. There’s not much of a norm around these parts. Instead of giving a play-by-play of what I do throughout my day {which could easily turn into a book}, we’re going to do this snapshot style. This is a peek into a Friday spent at home – on the hour, every hour. Are you ready for this? Hang on, because here we go!

8:00 I roll over in my bed to see Owen chase Nathan out of my bedroom, followed by the sound of one boy laughing and one boy shrieking. Curious, I crawl out of bed and start the coffee.

9:00 I hear the princess call my name from her crib. I open the door and start the “looking for Nora” game. Apparently my voice wasn’t nice enough. I exit, close the door, and start again.

10:00 I tell Nora she looks beautiful this morning. She tells me I’m gorgeous and asks for three more waffles.  Her attitude sours when I deny her request. I count to ten.

11:00 There are laundry, Legos, and tiny Shopkins as far as the eye can see. That coupled with one soggy diaper means it’s time for me to stop working on blog posts and kick it into gear. Also maybe I should get dressed.

12:00 Nora cries because there aren’t any beans, but it turns out macaroni and cheese will suffice. Nathan shows me a skin he made on a Minecraft editor and I once again jot “learn more about Minecraft” in my mental to-do list. Owen asks for a bowl of shredded cheese and Ranch.

1:00 The cleaning bug bit after lunch and my house looks like a whole new world. I even walked outside to give my chickens non-boiling water. I tell the kids it’s time to wind down because we’re all taking a nap. The boys know this is a clever ruse to trick their sister, but I’m wishing it was not.

2:00 Nora finally gave in and is snoring from the crib. I am forever folding laundry. Why does it seem like more laundry comes out than goes in? Is it just me?

3:00 Crayons cover the table and pieces of loose leaf paper fly as the boys draw everything from World of Warcraft characters to Daddy holding a balloon. I use these quiet minutes to catch up on social media and make sure my calendar contains some form of blog plan.

4:00 I get the text that Jonathan is on his way home from work and do a happy dance. This time, I correctly get Nora out of her crib, and we scramble to clean a house that has somehow come undone again.

5:00 Jonathan arrived home about 15 minutes ago and the Bauer Bunch rejoiced. Owen cried tears of joy because he missed his Daddy and I cried tears of joy because he’s willing to open Capri Suns.

6:00 My dear husband is mowing the grass as the heat index reads 99. The boys are jumping on the trampoline and droplets of kid-flavored sweat fly through the air. Nora and I look at our garden for two minutes, then head back to the living room. We perform a jazzy dance to a Bubble Guppies song about coconut water. Who’s winning here?

7:00 Like many summer nights, we don’t realize it’s dinner time until it’s too late. Owen shows me a video of a random kid opening Ghostbusters toys and Jonathan jumps in his truck to round up grub.

8:00 Nora and Owen are making a ring in the bathtub.  The shampoo turns the rat’s nest on my daughter’s head into perfectly spiraled golden curls. It’s not fair, I tell you.

9:00 I offhandedly mention the lightning bug I spotted floating by the trampoline, and now we’re all outside in pajamas.

10:00 Everyone’s asleep in their beds, so it’s time to pop the popcorn and the wine cork and have a little grown up time.

10:03 Owen’s at the foot of the bed.