You know the type- the mom whose kids are sometimes dressed in mismatched or even (gasp) slightly dirty clothes. The mom whose kids don't always have their homework done. The mom whose kids sometimes are late or even miss events like birthday parties, after school programs, etc. It happens more often than I'd like to admit. People assume that because I'm a stay at home mom that I have all the time in the world to do all the things they wish they had time for. Some may even think that I'm a flake, but honestly nothing could be further from the truth. News flash- I wish I had time to do everything to! (well, at least to do more of the things I like doing)
Lets forget for a moment that I have 6 kids as compared to the parents with only 1 or 2. Lets forget for a minute that I work 3 jobs from home.
Actually, on second thought, lets not forget those facts and let me instead share a glimpse of what a day is like in my shoes.
My alarm goes off at 6am, depending on my denial on starting the day snooze may or may not have been hit a couple times. I head out to the family room to check on the kids getting ready for school, is everyone awake? if not wake them up. The baby and 3 year old are still sleeping? good. The older 4 kids are usually awake closer to 5am so by this time they have got ready for school and are playing on the wiiU or watching a show. However, their version of ready for school and mine aren't always the same.
Inevitably someone is wearing the same shirt they wore the day before- lets hope today I notice or at least remember to ask and verify so they can be reminded to change. After all, kids have no sense of what other people think, if it's their favorite shirt they want to wear it all the time- dirt (and smells) must be invisible to them. (gross) I say this only because it has to be the only explanation for this situation to happen as often as it does. That and the fact that I have 3 boys.... they seem to care even less about fashion if you can believe that.
The younger ones wake up as I'm still trying to go over the checklist of things with the older kids before they head out to school.
Did you eat breakfast?
Are those clean clothes?
Did you shower?
Do you have your homework?
Where's your backpack?
No, I don't know where your shoes are, did you put them on the shelf where they belong?
It may seem redundant to ask these questions every day to the same kids, trust me- I agree. But without them who knows what my kids would happen if this checklist was left up to them (see above mentioned lack of priorities for them)
It's 7:05, time to go to the bus. Kids scatter to grab the last minute things they need and head out the door. Inevitably someone is bound to be missed. One of the 4 kids will have missed something on the list and it will go unchecked as they trot off to the bus for school.
The dogs get let in the house to make sure they don't follow the kids to the bus stop (we lost a dog last year to that end when she followed the kids to the bus then got hit by a car). The lab who is generally a outside dog, although well behaved, is sometimes like a bull in a china shop. He has no concept of his size as he happily comes into the house to say hello and see what objects are now scatter along the floor throughout the house. "No, you can't chew on the kids' stuffed animals" "that's not for you" "put it down" all phrases that I say to both the dog and the baby more often than I'd like to admit.
7:15- ok it's safe now, the bus has picked up the kids and I can let the dogs out. Now that myself and my couch have been used as a scratching post the dogs are happy to go outside and be fed. Time to wash my hands before my allergies kick in.
Oomie Zoomie, Backyardigans, Blues Clues, Toy Story, Cinderella, Finding Nemo, Little Einsteins, what will be on the TV today? Although I would be completely ok if the TV was off all day sometimes it is the only way I can get anything done.
Pick a show, any show, oh boy a show with multiple episodes.... ok pick a episode. Too long, you get this one. You can watch that one next.
The baby's hungry and ready for breakfast. Into the highchair she goes. Feed her, and pour cereal for the 3 year old.
Go to the bathroom (if I'm lucky).
Get on my computer in the hopes that I will have 5 minutes to catch up with all my emails, facebook updates, and maybe even get a little work done.
Blogging is about more than just posting, there's social media, marketing, status scheduling, advertisers to find or communicate with, products to review, data to be checked, new apps or programs to learn about, content to find for future posts. It's enough to keep me busy.
More cereal? ok. Just as I was starting to get into a groove.
Sitting back down, where was I? oh yea, replying to facebook comments for the items I posted for sale in a group.
Now the baby is crying and ready to get out of her highchair. Get her out, give her a bottle. I'm so glad she still takes naps! It's morning nap time!
Back to work.
The episode is over? ok, time for another one. More cereal? you still have some in your bowl on the table. No you can't have chocolate, it's breakfast time.
Guess I may as well make breakfast for myself while I'm stopped. Eggs, yogurt, or cereal, what will it be today? One of my worst life habits is not eating breakfast so it takes a conscious effort as I work to break the habit and change to a more healthy lifestyle.
Hubby is up, may as well make breakfast for him too.
Walking through the house picking up a few things here and there- but it's a task that seems futile most days. Dirty laundry to the laundry room. Oh dear, looks like clothes were left in the washer over night again. Oh well, wash that load again. Sometimes the same load gets washed 3-4 times before someone remembers to put it into the drier. You'd think our whites would glow by this point.
Back to work or take a shower & get dressed for the day while the baby is still asleep?
Note: it's 8:45am by this point.
Shower & get dressed for the day. Forget make-up, that gets put off until I know for sure I'm leaving the house. Otherwise I'm putting it on for the audience of my 3 and 1 year old that love me no matter what :)
Baby wakes up.
For the next 2-3 hours I try to get some work done, Blog posts, pay bills, website design, logo design, sending out emails, scheduling school assemblies, and occasionally cleaning the house. All between kid interruptions. Depending on the day this time is also sometimes when I have to go to town to take the 3 year old to gymnastics & run errands.
Then it's lunch time. Fix lunch, wipe down kitchen counters, then pick up a few toys around the house. Inevitably someone will call in need of help with something about this time. Otherwise I squeeze in a little more work, then close the laptop hoping to be done with online work for the day.
Afternoon nap time! The baby goes down for her afternoon nap, if I put on a movie the 3 year old will also take a nap. By this time I'm pretty tired myself, sometimes I'll lay down to take a nap with them, but usually not until I've done a list of things so that by the time I actually lay down exhausted I get maybe 10-15 minutes of rest before someone wakes up.
The first batch of older kids are starting to get home from school now. Get a snack, do your chores and homework.
Dinner.... hummm I guess I should start thinking about what to make. Insert Pinterest for a little inspiration.
Do your chores. No you can't have soda. I said no games until after chores. Do you have homework?
Then the second batch of older kids gets home.
Depending on the day there is always at least 1 of my kids with a after school program, gymnastics, scouts, or other activity so I'm driving to pick up/drop off. All while trying to make sure chores and homework get done and figuring out what's for dinner while making it. This is a window of time from about 4:30-8 depending on the day.
Hubby gets home about the time dinner is ready. We eat dinner as a family, then relax a bit playing games, watching Studio C or funny youtube videos until bedtime.
Kids go to bed, and I scan the house that looks like it hasn't been cleaned in days although at one point each day it is clean- maybe not all at the same time, but as the clean rooms rotate so do the messes.
Hubby and I watch a show together, then he reads and I read or check out pinterest then go to bed exhausted.
Tomorrow is another day.
In all this chaos however, I am one of those people that try to constantly evaluate my own priorities. Family, Friends, and Relationships with both are what's most important. If something is important enough you will make time, otherwise you will make excuses.
So cleaning my house can be delayed- or not be done perfectly all the time, blog posts are sometimes delayed, events are sometimes missed, homework is not always done, and kids are not always dressed in clean or matching clothes. (not because they are not available however)
But we are happy. Our home is full of love. We always welcome visitors as long as they don't mind the possibility of mess and chaos, because you just never know what you're going to get around here!
On top of everything else I am a very creative type personality- so that means when my creative bug takes over I eat/sleep/breathe the project until it's done..... BUT, it is also very rewarding (and tasty) for others.
My hopes is that someday we will be able to afford a maid that can clean for me so I can focus all my time and energy on my kids and projects while living in a clean house. But until then, it's a trade off- clean house or projects or time with kids..... one that is constantly a juggle at our house :)
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