Routine? Yeah right.
We parents know the drill: Every day is a circus. Every day is a carnival. Every day is a prison break wrapped in a mutiny dipped in dirty socks, cracker crumbs and lost homework.
Welcome to parenthood.
Everyone’s flavor is a little different, the smells wafting from the kitchen aren’t the same, and although the noise levels are probably pretty consistent across the board – with decibels that make a Concorde jet sound like a nose-hair trimmer – it’s not a life I’d ever, ever change.
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s assertion you can tell any story in a six-word sentence, I again asked bloggers, friends and strangers (and a few strange blogger friends) to sum up a typical day of parenthood in six words. As if one existed. You gave me everything from sacred to profane. As suspected.
Here’s the collection. And during this busy holiday season, keep counting to six on your fingers, because you’ll get another prompt, starting today. Hint: It will post on Christmas.
Thank you everyone for your contributions! Enjoy.
1. Always busy balancing everything, need wine.
Cynthia, of You Signed Up for What?!
2. Eat, clean, play, clean, sleep, repeat!
Jamie J., of Kreyv
3. Pour the wine it’s gone 7 p.m.
Fiona, of Coombe Mill
4. Running practice drills leading to independence.
Michelle N., of A Dish of Daily Life
5. HOLY SHIT, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?
Kathy G., of Kissing the Frog
6. Every day is a new adventure.
Michelle S.
7. And now, I do the Zumba!!
Lesley B., of Time out for Mom
8. Balancing sanity, insanity and indescribable love.
Blair F., of Baby for Scale
9. When does this roller coaster stop?!
Rabia L., of The Liebers
10. Love and hugs mixed with attitude.
Melissa P., children’s author
11. Answering a thousand questions about nothing.
AnnMarie G., of Tidbits from the Queen of Chaos
12. Parenting teenagers: pulling hair, gnashing teeth.
April P., of My Bizarre Family
13. Kisses, laughter, tears, memories. Always learning!
Toni P., of A Daily Dose of Toni
14. Drive kid here, drive kid there.
Dana H., of Kiss My List
15. Worry, laundry, homework, tantrums, love, repeat.
Ilene E., of Fierce Diva’s Guide to Life
16. Parenting has been a rewarding experience.
Jessica, of the Wondering Brain
17. Do my best – and drink coffee.
Kim, of Co-Pilot Mom
18. I’m going out of my mind!
Marcia D., of Menopausal Mother
19. Two kids, only the strong survive.
Tiffany B., of Gladiator in Heels
20. I consume a lot of chocolate.
Amber M., of Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock at a Time
21. Not enough coffee, never enough time.
Alison L., of Writing, Wishing
22. ‘Typical’ isn’t in the parenting vocabulary.
Karen B., of Baking in a Tornado
23. Always fear long periods of silence.
Delia J., of Confessions of a Semi-Domesticated Mama
24. Quiet, stirring, chaos, panic, joy, repeat.
Gina V., of The Glamorous Life of the Modern Day Soccer Mom
25. Advice and love replace wiping bottoms.
Renee H., of Rendezvous with Renee
26. Get Dressed. Eat. Hurry! We’re late!
Jenn S., of Jenn’s Midlife Crisis
27. Early morning quiet, late day chaos.
Kim T., of Day with KT
28. Early mornings, late nights, indescribable joy.
Sara L., of Sweet Silly Sara
29. Never fry bacon without your shirt.
Suzan D., of Welcome to the Nuthouse
30. Mix love and patience, add giggles.
Tracie N., of From Tracie
31. Wake up and smell the drama.
Toby S, of Real Dumbass News
32. Sniffed an armpit that wasn’t mine.
Ashley M., of Surf and Sunshine
33. Fun adventure mixed with hectic routine.
Leah D., of Raising Flowers and Skids
34. Go shoot your brother somewhere else!
Colleen S., of Mommie Daze
35. Love with a smart heart, be present.
Michelle A., of Tell Me About It
36. A battle of good versus evil.
Allie B., of Vita Train 4 Life
37. Do you have to go pee?
Raine V., of Pursuit of Peace
38. Constant surprises, usually the good kind.
Rivki S., of Life in the Married Lane
39. Walking by faith, I lead them.
Columba Lisa S., of Susanna’s Apron
40. Loving support in all ways, always.
Carrie, of Lead Our Lives
41. Millions of little surprises await me.
Tricia, of Raising Humans
42. Chauffering all day. Snack crumbs everywhere.
Gina T., of Full of It
43. Didn’t I just change that diaper?
Rebecca D., of Diz Mommy
44. Not certain we did that right.
Leanne S., author of Writings and Ruminations
45. Beautiful chaos sprinkled with bear hugs.
Christine Y., of Love Life Surf
46. Extreme joy while also watching clocks.
Tamara B., of Tamara Camera
47. Parents give you wings and chores.
Shawn B., author of the book Grace Awakening: Dreams and Power
48. Get in the car, we’re late!
Lisa, of Notes from the Shallow End
49. Teary tantrums turn into fierce hugs.
Nicole G., of Work in Sweats Mama blog
50. Hardest, most rewarding job in life.
Jennifer B., of Mommy B Knows Best
51. I love you more than sleep.
Jenny K., of In Somnis Veritas
52. Kids! I am only one person!
Kari G., of Miss Bloggypants
53. Good luck. Nice try. I’m sorry.
Amanda, of Mommy is Coo Coo
54. I love you! I hate you!
Kristi B., author of The Blacksheep Mom
55. Constantly worried and second guessing yourself.
Elena, of Cropped Stories
56. Parenting is exhausting but so rewarding!
Natalie, of From Corporate to Domestic
57. Chaos, beauty, exhaustion, peace, joy, love.
MaryAnne K., of Mama Smiles
58. Why I am wet? Oh shit.
Kara K., of It’s a Dog Lick Baby World
59. Chauffeuring, cooking, nagging, guiding, role-modeling, loving.
Carrie R., author of The Write Transition
60. Meltdowns, whining, laughter, rinse and repeat!
Janine H., of Confessions of a Mommyaholic
61. Wipe butts, playtime, never-ending mess, sleep?
Emily K., of Our Knight Life
62. Life on repeat, yet changes everyday.
Stephanie R., of So I’ve Been Thinking
63. Focus on love, encouragement, and helpfulness.
Amber H., of City Girl on Hicks Farm
64. Drop off, wait, go home…repeat.
Lynn K., of For Love or Funny
65. No such thing as perfect parenting.
Angela K., of Writer Mom
66. Oh God – they’re just like me!
Eli P., of Coach Daddy
67. Sometimes frustrating, repetitive; always amazed, rewarded.
Janna T., author of Janna T Writes blog
What would your six words be?
Just a dad ... 
Very fun blog.
Thanks – it was a blast to put together!
What a fun idea! Thanks so much for linking up too! Hope you’ll come back?? 🙂
Thanks Meredith! Glad I found your link up. I’ll definitely be back. And I’m going to send you the prompt for the next 6 words post, in case you want to join in.
Sure! That sounds fun (and easy). 🙂
It’s not so easy, so I’ve been told – 600 words is easy, six is not.
Yeah, I’m pretty verbose most of the time. So, it might be hard for me too, but I like your next prompt. So, I think I’ll join in the fun.
Bring it!
Hahaha this is hilarious! I remember when my brother and I would fight, my mom would send us outside to duke it out : )
Who came out on top, Megan?
These are great, as always. I swear I sent mine…maybe I dreamed it.
Hello Eli! I’m a late-comer to your blog, as my children are grown now and I’m busy lovin’ on the grandchildren. However, since parenting is a life-long commitment, here is my six-word description: a lifelong, life changing, breathtaking adventure.
Hi, Christie! Great to see you here. You couldn’t have said it better than that!