'I have two sets of twins under four. This is what a day in my life looks like.'

As a mother of two sets of twins under four, I am always asked, "How do you do it all?". The truth is, I don’t. Something always must give.

If I take the kids out for the day, I’m sacrificing housework. If I’m doing housework, I’m sacrificing playing with the kids. 

Some days we are baking cookies, dancing in the kitchen, and playing at the park. Other days we are all still in our pyjamas at 10am, I’m microwaving my coffee again, and washing last night’s dishes because I was too tired to do them after dinner.

I have my super mum days, the days that I feel like I’m on top of everything and I have it all together. And then there are the hard days, the days where I’ve accomplished nothing, and I question myself as a mother.

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You don’t have to be an expert to agree that my life is busy. 

"Got your hands full there," as strangers like to remind me. Between changing up to 12 nappies a day, bottle feeds, mealtimes, dishes, reminding my older twins that they aren’t invincible as they jump off furniture, and folding the worlds largest pile of washing, there’s not a great lot of time left.

Every day is an early start in our home. I wake up when the kids wake up, which is usually between 5.30 and 6am. Spencer, Billy and Aria are always up bright and early. 

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We often wake up to find Spencer in between us, who has snuck into our bed in the middle of the night (we secretly love it). Hugo is always the last out of bed around 7am, just as my husband, Ben, leaves for work for the day. After the babies have their bottles, they have a play on the floor, and I try to sneak in a hot coffee before the breakfast rush. Sometimes I’m lucky. Other times, not so much.

Hugo and Spencer go to daycare two days a week and have swimming lessons on a Monday morning. 

So, three days a week, we are all up, fed, dressed, and out the door between 8am and 9am. Getting everyone and everything into the car is a marathon of its own.

Thankfully, our oldest boys can now buckle themselves up, so that helps immensely. Packing all the bags for the day, loading them into the car, buckling one baby into the car, going back inside to get the next baby, checking that the boys have buckled themselves in correctly, and doing the final checks to make sure we have everything. It’s a hell of a process, but we get it done.

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On our slower days, we love getting out and heading to the park, pump track, or the river when the weather is nice. It seems like a lot with four little ones but to be honest, our kids are the best behaved and happiest when we are out and about. 

Just a few hours out of the house, timed around the babies' naps, is enough to break up the day. It also usually means rest time when we return home. (Winning!) 

Billy and Aria are super flexible when it comes to their day sleeps, I believe that’s because as the 'second child' (or third and fourth), they are just so used to having to nap in the car or pram when we are busy with their brothers.

One thing I am very particular with is bedtime. A schedule is probably the best way to describe our evenings at home. Ben gets home between 5pm and 6pm and everyone is always very excited when he walks through the door. 

Usually, he will help with the older two whilst I’m busy with the babies (in between wrestling, of course). It’s always such a breath of fresh air when he comes home - both for the extra set of hands, and to be in the presence of another adult.

Here's how our night time routine usually goes:

• 4.30pm - Prep dinner.
• 5pm - Feed Billy and Aria dinner.
• 5.30pm - Bath time. Billy and Aria will bath first, followed by Hugo and Spencer. (To be absolutely real and honest with you all, some days we don’t get around to bath time. We do our best. But if things aren’t going to schedule, it’s a quick wash and clean and then a bath the next day. Pick your battles).
• 6pm - Billy and Aria’s bottle, followed by bedtime.
• 6.20pm - Dinner time. We love dinner time and chatting with the boys about their day.
• 6.50pm - Hugo and Spencer brush their teeth and go to the toilet (tactical wees, thanks Bluey).
• 7pm - Bed time for Hugo and Spencer.

I rely heavily on an early bedtime for our kids. Knowing that I get to somewhat take off my 'mum hat' at 7pm is what helps me through the harder days. 

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I can clean up, watch Home and Away (yep, I love it!), have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband, enjoy a shower, and catch up on social media. It’s my time to wind down and enjoy a little stillness before the morning ahead.

This current season of my life is busy, chaotic, and overwhelming but it’s also amazing, fun, and beautiful. It’s a mixed bag of emotions and I love it.

Gabby is a mum to two sets of twins, a wife, and a blogger of all things motherhood and beyond.

Feature Image: Instagram/@fourlittlewildlings.