How DOES she do it??

I get asked this question ALL THE TIME! Family, friends, and other parents of multiples are always asking, "How do you do it?" So welcome to a day in the life of Mandy! Life at my house is actually not as chaotic as one might think! I'll let you in on my secret: Jonas & Nolan are on a pretty strict schedule! I've had them on it since they were born. I have always made them nap at the same time & eat at the same time! I found that they do better with structure! I am here to tell you the honest truth- they are the best babies I've ever seen! They rarely cry, and I'm not stretching that at all! They go down to sleep without being rocked, they've slept thru the night since they were 2 1/2 months old, and they are always laughing! Chris Griffin calls me the "bionic woman"...I guess it kinda fits with raising very active twin boys, taking 7 hours of graduate school this semester, taking a photography class for fun, keeping my husband happy, taking care of the house, having time for friends, and working a few shifts here & there to keep up my skills in the ER! So here is how my typical day at home with the boys goes...They wake up around 8am. I carry them downstairs, put them in their high chairs, turn on the ipod, and sing while I make their breakfast. They drink their bottles on their own. Then we move to the living room...

This is the Cage! They don't mind it one bit! They play, crawl around, and pull up on the couch while I do laundry, dishes, and other stuff around the house. This will last until 9:30...I found that its very important to have different areas to go to in order to keep them happy :)

Playing in the cage!

At 9:30 we move to the basement and into their playroom. They play in there until 10 when they come out and play in their jumparoo or ride their cars. We stay in the basement until lunch at 11am. I get work done on the computer for school (my desk is a mess in the picture!) and they are happy playing!
At 11am, they eat lunch and drink their bottles...then its back to the cage!

This is my diaper changing station on the couch! I change their diapers and we play until 11:30am, and then I put them down in their cribs for their nap. They will sleep 3 hours! During this time, I get most of my homework done, eat lunch, and shower! When they wake up at 2:30, they eat a snack and then I take them on a stroll. On rainy days, we draw or have some kind of activity. Then I put them in their walkers for a while! This will last until 4:30pm! Jonas- just look at that smile :) Nolan in his walker roaming in the kitchen! At 4:30, the boys lay back down for a short nap.
During this nap, I wash all the dirties! I'll finish up homework and start dinner. The boys wake up about 5:30. I make them dinner, feed them, and put them in the cage while Chris & I eat! After dinner, we spend some time with the boys until 7:45- then its bath time! The boys play until 8:30. Then they eat and are tucked in their cribs by 9pm! They will sleep until 8am and we do it over again! Don't let this fool you, we do get out of the house, but I make sure if I have errands to run, we do it as soon as they wake up so they don't sleep in the car and mess up their schedule! Hope this helps those of you who ask! Twins are twice the blessing and are a joy to watch grow!