Today was the first day since the twins were born that I was home alone all afternoon with four kids.

Kristen the sitter, lucky girl, is on her way to a bachelorette party. Adam took the morning off but had to work in the afternoon.

The day started badly. Sam was up every 45 minutes last night. I was beat.

Still, at 5:45 am the twins were awake but the older boys and Adam were still asleep. I packed up the twins and headed to the grocery store. Logistically it is quite a feat to do with twins.

I pushed the double stroller in front of me while dragging the cart behind me. I actually said yes when they asked if I needed help out to my car. Okay, I said no but they insisted. And I was grateful.

When I returned Adam and I held a baby each while juggling the care of the older kids. Both of us were pushed to the limit with requests, crying and reprimands. I turned to Adam and said, “Are you nervous for me this afternoon by myself?”

He answered, “A little.”

Then he laughed uneasily and said, “I love you.”

Adam took the boys out in the morning and returned around 1pm. I was able to get a nap in.

In the afternoon I expected the worst. So I decided my parenting standards should be dropped this afternoon to just try to keep the kids alive and fed. Otherwise don’t worry about baths, healthy foods, or keeping a clean house.

I used everything I had. The swing for the babies. The TV for the kids. It was definitely going to be pizza delivery for dinner. Wine for me.

Freshly Washed Twins

Surprisingly the afternoon passed quickly and without much incident. I was even able to empty the dish washer and refill it. Before Adam got home from work I had all four kids fed. The twins were bathed. The bath for the older kids was running.

Perhaps I was just lucky. There were moments when both twins were crying. There were time outs for misbehavior for both boys. There were TV shows to put on, boo boos to kiss, drinks to get, snacks to prepare, dinner and dessert to dole out. But none of these happened all at the same time. It was all quite manageable.

Even though this afternoon gave me confidence, I couldn’t live like this. With the kids at this age there is no way I could leave the house and cover everyone in a park, store, or on the street without another set of hands. Take out every night would be a terrible thing.

But for a short amount of time I did it! And lived to tell my tale.

Ironically it's the Older Kids with Matching Outfits