Wow, I have missed blogging! It has been way too long since my last post…
Things have been hectic at best lately and I feel like I am lucky to have enough time to sit down and eat…which does not always happen by the way! So I am busy, tired, hungry and I am sure just a “joy” to be around lately…hahaha!
In all reality though, I really have been struggling lately with juggling working full time and being a full-time parent as well. I know that sounds funny…full-time parent…aren’t we all parents all the time?! I guess what I mean by that is the opposite schedules my husband and I work so as not to have to pay for daycare for our kiddos. So I work full time during the day and then come home and “parent” full-time by myself at night while he does the same, but opposite…parenting by himself during the day and working full-time at night. (I think he got the worse end of the deal because he actually gets up with the baby overnights more than I do too…thank goodness for my amazing husband!!)
It is exhausting! And I know that it will only get worse in the sense that as the kids get older, they are going to have busier schedules with school and activities and friends, etc. Currently my husband takes our oldest to preschool in the mornings and I did it while I was on maternity leave. It is quite the task to get everybody loaded up into the van to drop Logan off and then pick him back up again. This fall will be even more of a challenge with one in preschool and one in kindergarten at different schools! Same with baseball this summer…will have two of them playing instead of just the one.
So the reason this is all on my mind right now and I am rambling on is because next Monday is Logan’s 5th birthday…OMG it is less than a week away! I have been meaning to schedule his birthday party for over a month now, but just keep getting too busy to actually do it. So I finally sat down and looked at the calendar and tried to map out the party this morning and make the call to the YMCA to see if they have any openings for the date that would work best for us…and of course the person that books the party is not there. So I left a message and am hoping for the best, but realize that there may be a possibility that my son’s birthday party will be pushed back to April since we have to work around Easter weekend too.
I must be busier than normal too, because little Liam will be 5 months old on Monday the 18th as well and he is still wearing 3 month clothing, which by the way is too tight for him! I really need to go through the boys’ old clothes and find the 6 month outfits for him. The bad part is that I know there are 3 month outfits that he has never worn once…what is wrong with me?! Geez! I am slacking… Can somebody please put more than 24-hours in a day for me?! Apparently that is just not enough for me to get everything done!
So long rambling nonsense in short…I think it is time for me to try to “re-organize” my time management system again!
I am currently using the Cozi website (www.cozi.com) for our family calendar so we can all (well my husband and I currently) see what everybody has scheduled. It is nice because it also has a shopping list feature so we can both add to the same shopping list and my husband can access it via his phone and pick up groceries after work. We just really need to work more on actually using it!! I also have a neat magnetic organizer that has 3 different tabbed clear “folders” that we keep on the fridge. Currently we are only using one of the “folders” for my son’s school calendar, but as the other ones get into school too, the rest will fill up with their calendars!
If anybody has any awesome tips/tricks/resources that you use to help keep your family organized please feel free to share! I know I would appreciate it and I am sure other parents reading this would too! “Help a mother out!” Haha! 🙂
Compassion Bulldog 
Lori – girlfriend I wish we lived closer together… Can you guys move! haha I know I will never get my husband too.
We only have 2 children so far – however our lives seem to sound very similiar. This past few weeks I have been struggling very much so. I think we need to talk more regularly and maybe that would help both relive the “stress” we all feel as parents because we need someone else to say hey MOM you are doing a good job even when you are feeling like you are too tired or there is not enough time in the day!!
Do you do a meal plan? This is one thing I have noticed really helps. I used to cook big meals – meat – potatoe – veggie and much more for every meal to hit every piece of the food chart…. I no longer do that. I try and do much easier things as that is how my husband prefers so we can have that extra cooking time with the kids.
Then I am trying really hard to have the kids help with the pick up so it goes much quicker to have more time. I now focus on doing the stuff with the kids after diner before bath etc and then I do a very “fast” clean the kitchen – laundry etc. What used to be a lets make sure everything is spotless it is now – ok throw in dishwasher – fast wash counters – strip kids to start a load of laundry – let them play in their skibs for a bit before bath at least I was able to get their clothes washed and then I felt I had more time to play and still relax and sit down with them. I don’t know what help that is… if you want some Idea for quicker meals and such – let me know… I have never heard of that on-line list where you both can add to it!! how awesome is that!! I am going to check that out.
You are doing great -keep up the good work!!!
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Oh Rachel, I wish we lived closer too! I told Logan we would try to plan a weekend trip out to see you and your brother and your families this summer. He really wants to come play with the kids!
Meals are definitely hard. Todd and I actually just talked about trying to sit down every Saturday and do meal planning for the week. We just haven’t done it yet! LOL! Thanks for the tips!
You are doing a great job too…hang in there and keep it up super mom!
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I will try and write down some of mine on a piece of paper that I think are quicker and easier and delicious and pass them along to you.
I will try and FB message you or – do you have an email address.
Then I could send them over how I prepare them too!
I actually think reading your blog is so uplifting. I have been having a rough few weeks and for some reason listening to others talk (aside from the people I see on a weekly basis) it is super helpful… we are not near each other and don’t see our parenting styles nor judge b/c we don’t see and I think listening to what you say and not seeing it gives me a different understanding.
I think I want 4 children… I am in no rush for my next child so I wonder why that is.. I don’t know if it is I am enjoying the 2 I have right now before more come or what the hold up is. Did you plan to have all 4 of your chidlren close together? I know “planned” always makes people think it is a bad word…. I think baby surprises are great as well as planned so to me – neither is a good or bad word. They are all the same. 🙂
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The only child we “planned” for or tried for was our 2nd one. The rest were all happy “surprises”! 🙂
But we are ones that believe that everything happens for a reason and that were simply meant to have our 4 little ones.
I am so glad that you are enjoying reading my blog and that it is uplifting for you…that is exactly why I wanted to blog!!
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I too feel very much the same regarding the birth of children. They happen at a given time for a purpose and a reason and for that it is truly a miracle. I think as parents we all struggle our own battles day to day with our parenting styles and our free time and the time we share with our children and for that matter our spouses. I am the fisrt to admit I said I would always make sure I put him first and foremost make that an effort and a point. Well I am absolutely the biggest liar ever because my chldren are my number one and my everything. Not that Tony doest not matter but by no means do I put him first… and vice versa. I am not saying that is a good or bad thing at times but the role of a parent to me is so amazing and full time that I become consumed sometimes. I praise you for doing it with four because there are days with even just 2 it is very overwheliming wondering if I am doing enough – doing it good enough or this and that!
I want to commend you through everything you have had thrown your way in the last year or longer you have surpassed what many could not. You still have faith – you still have love and you still proceed on even when the days are difficult. Someone needs to make sure you realize that you are amazing and that you are doing an amazing job.
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Thanks Rachel!!
Your amazing comments mean so much to me! So blessed to have a friend like you!!
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