The 29 Hour Day

I never realized as a child how time consuming parenting was. Even as a teenager I did not fully understand the extent to which my mother committed her day to me and gave up her freedom (and money) to let me participate in the activities I wanted to. Sometimes I even wonder if maybe I'm just not with it enough. Maybe those organized moms have all of this time on their hands and are completely relaxed and fully content with the way that their days run. I realize though after speaking to so many of you that this "ideal" relaxed mama is probably the exception to the rule. I do still dream about her though, mopped floor, no dishes overflowing in the sink, no piles of mail and art projects exploding off the island, laundry folded and put neatly in the dresser drawers, healthy kids neatly dressed sitting at the kitchen table properly eating their veggies while she knits a sweater..... haha definitely not the case at my house!

So how come I can't just get a few more hours in the day? It's a constant struggle to get everything done and I never feel like I'm actually finished at the end of the day when I force myself to get into bed. I lay there making lists of things that I need to do the next day because I didn't get it done today. Balancing work and children is such a challenge let alone keeping the house clean and squeezing in some time for the hubby! One extra hour at work and I'm an hour behind at home which means kids not fed on time, bathed on time or in bed on time. One extra hour at home and I'm backed up at work.

There's just too much to do. I've been to the doctor's office three times in the last eight days and we have another appointment in Albany on Monday (no joke!). I try not to over-schedule my kids, not just to keep them sane but to keep me sane. But with two kids even two activities a week is a lot especially when one naps twice a day on top of that! Plus then you have school field trips, dance shows, birthday parties, the list goes on. On top of the activities there's buying the outfit for the dance show, the present for the party....ahhhh! I just don't have enough time for it all. It takes me a good hour in the morning just to get us packed and out of the door to whatever we're suppose to do that day. And I'm ALWAYS late. My playgroup friends know not to expect me until 12 even though the play dates start at 11:30am.

Maybe I'm just an overachiever. I'm not fully satisfied until the job is done, the house is clean, home cooked dinner is on the table, and the kids are happy, well educated and socialized. I think as a mom though sometimes we need to just step back once in a while and say "good enough". Kids are fed and not screaming their heads off, good enough. Laundry is clean but still in the dryer, good enough. Mopped the floor last week, good enough. I'm going to start taking one "good enough" day a week and be the crazy, busy, over scheduled mom the other six days. Unless of course we can come up with someway to get some extra hours in the day. I'm not asking for much, maybe four or five. Imagine what I could do with them.....Maybe I could write this blog in less than three hours???


                                                   Thanksgiving:

 

From the mouth of Emma:

"I'm going to beat you in the pants"

(AKA I'm going to beat you at something....)