Easier

I'm not snazzy enough to take my camera to the grocery store with me. But Joia is. So if you want to see a picture of the cool new grocery carts they have at our local Commissary on Base, pop over and visit a past Joia post.

Prior to these new double-seated grocery store carts, grocery shopping was a conundrum for me. I therefore just didn't go to the Commissary. If I went, I went to Publix off-base, where the double carts have long been a part of their repertoire. JB also did the grocery shopping after he got off of work. He'd come home, grab Isaac, and head out for shopping. I hated to see him have to go do more work after getting off of work, but he likes to shop. He likes anything having to do with food and cooking. He likes the way he picks out the vegetables and fruit (more than the way I do). So I let him.

The problem was this. Where do you put two babies and actually shop? Oh I had seen people with twins push a stroller and then a cart. Or I'd seen them take two carts, pulling one and pushing one. Those don't seem like very reasonable options to me. Especially in the Commissary at anytime other than first thing in the morning. That place is packed with a lot of elderly people who clog up the aisles. Another option was to put one baby in a baby bjorn. Have you seen Elijah? There is no way I can carry that boy on my chest. I might as well try to carry Isaac. Lately I think he is the lighter one.

So that left only one option. Put Elijah in his little infant carseat inside the basket. Put Isaac, who can sit up better, in the seat of the cart. Then only get a few items that can fit under the basket and around Elijah's car seat.

That worked okay for small shopping. I did it on many occasions.

But Elijah is growing out of his car seat. As soon as the new one comes in from Amazon.com, we are moving him out of the infant seat. So then how do I go to the grocery store?

If Isaac were older, he could sit in the big part of the cart and Elijah could sit in the seat with the safety strap. However, Isaac is still very little. Too little for this to be safe. He's also too little to walk along side the cart. My only idea was to go to Publix every time where they have these double carts.

But now, they have them at our Commissary on Base. And that has made my life considerably easier.

Easier. That's the theme of this post.

Easier.

If I am being very honest I can say that everyday with these two little boys gets slightly easier. Or at least that has been the case so far. (I am starting to think that Elijah crawling is going to send me, temporarily, on a backward approach, but he's not crawling enough yet to make that the case. And, I think that eventually I'll return to marching forward, and I can be patient while I wait for that.)

While the first few months were hard and overwhelming, lately, I have really felt like I have found my groove. I have figured out ways to do things that make life easier. I thought that I would go ahead and compile them here for me to come back and refer to when I get overwhelmed.

Here are some of my current tips for staying sane with two boys under 16 months old.

• No going to more than one place in the car each day. (Walks and runs or trips to the park or a friend's house via foot do not count.)
• Take at least two days per week that you go absolutely nowhere in the car. (Walks and runs do not count.)
• Lie down at least once a day. No TV. No books. You don't have to sleep, but you have to just totally rest and not have anything on your agenda. (I can only do this if naps time perfectly.)
• Don't get frustrated by diapers -- especially dirty ones. The more times they go, the less bad one particular diaper can be. (In theory.)
• Try to keep the "bewitching hours" (4-7pm) as easy as possible. Don't jam stuff into those times. (If anyone has tips for helping me with this, I am sooo open to them. These hours are the hardest of the day for me everyday.)
• Exercise everyday.
• Attempt to run errands with one or zero children in tow. This may mean doing it on the weekend or after your husband gets home. Or allow your husband to run the errands.
• Do not worry about your messy house. Seriously. Who cares. Stick to the things that have to get done. These include: changing, feeding, bathing, and sleeping. (You and your babies.) There are also some things like laundry, dishes, and bottles that if not done regularly will mean you can't run your house. Get the mandatory items done and let the smaller items wait until the time is right.
• Play offense -- not defense. If I know Scrubs is "in a mood", I keep him in the kitchen. If Isaac seems mischievous, I make sure I stay close to him. If Elijah is cranky, I just sit and play with him instead of trying to do chores. It is easier to prevent problems from occurring then dealing with them after they occur.

Of course I don't always do these things. Many times I forget my own rules. But when I sat down to think about why things have gotten a bit easier for me, I realized it was because I am basically following these rules.

I am far from perfect. My house is not always clean. Dishes often sit in the sink. Laundry often waits to be folded. But I am surviving. And I am enjoying. And I am always looking for ways to make the load a little lighter.

Easier. Like double carts at the grocery store.

All right. So now it's your turn. What are keys to your sanity? Comment away folks! Let's get a good discussion going here.