Twins Routine

So this post is not so much about our actual routine with twins, but about all the "extras" they don't tell you about when you have babies.  We finally have a pretty good schedule in place, so much so that I am starting to have a bit of free time (what?!?!?).  Still, at any given moment in the day, it feels like there are always tasks waiting to be done.  I have to choose to take time for myself instead of doing the tasks; or else I would never have a moment's peace.  Babies are so much work!  And when I do take time for myself, the tasks are still waiting to be done at the end of the day.  Fortunately, they have become such a part of our routine that we whiz through them and can usually find time to wind down and cuddle up on the couch with a book or TV show before bed. 

For interest's sake (if anyone cares), I thought I'd share what all these extras are that fill the time we are not interacting with the twins.  Oh, and on a side note, I realized that the reason twins are so exhausting is not just all the extra work (I'm used to that), but it is the constant interaction.  I am a true introvert at heart and all day long I am talking/singing/playing with TWO little beings.  That wears me down!  At the end of the day I look forward to the quiet time to clean up, gather my thoughts, and enjoy a cup of tea in silence.  But I do love them to bits!

So, once the kids are in bed, here is what we are doing:
- Clean up bath/towels/clothes
- Put away dinner dishes (or finish cooking/eating dinner if we haven't made it to that yet)
- Clean up toys in the play area (it's nice to have a "grown up" looking home before bed)
- Washing and sanitizing bottles from the day, then putting them back together and putting them away
- Pumping milk for the night feed that my hubby does
- Usually throwing in a load of cloth diapers (I do this every 2 days or so)
- Folding any laundry from the day and *trying* to put it away
- Stuffing cloth diapers to prepare for the next day, as well as refilling diaper baskets for the night/morning
- Finishing any other chores that were started during the day and not finished (cleaning bathroom, mopping floors, etc.)
- Pulling out/prepping any food for meals for the next day
- Finally sitting down with a snack (chocolate) and a cup of tea, celebrating that we made it through another day with twins!

During the day, while the boys are napping, or if they are actually content playing on their own, I am usually making/eating food, cleaning up dishes, prepping bottles, pumping, getting myself showered/ready, putting in laundry, sorting clothes (they grow through things so quickly!) and trying to get to any chores I can.  So you can see why I am kept busy!