I can not even begin to describe how wonderful today was. I stuck to my goals and got up early this morning, (super early 5:30!) I ran three miles, ran the dishwasher, folded some laundry and showered all before the kids were awake. I got them up at 7, fed them breakfast with no tv and no complaints and we were dressed and out the door by 8:30!!! We played outside for a few minutes then walked to school. Victory!!!
Today's task: to make a plan for the laundry.
More than one person has recommended the one load a day policy, great idea. I just needed to fold and put away all of the clothes that were already clean and laying randomly around my house. So that was today's big project during nap time. I have a dirty load already in the washer waiting to be turned on in the morning and an empty! basket to put it in. Can't even believe it.
Something funny, I probably put away about five loads today and can't even believe all of the single socks I still have. crazy.
Sweet Heather puts in prospective:
Also, I always try to keep in mind that the time I have at home with my littles is truly just a blink. Time spent with the kids, truly engaging and playing with them is NEVER a waste of time. I've had to sort of accept the fact that for now, my house is going to be cluttered, the closets aren't always perfect, the dust may pile high... BUT none of that matters in light of the time I spend with them. Sometimes as moms, we're just too hard on ourselves!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The really terrible horrible day.
Yesterday was bad. Really bad.
It began with a screaming match in the hallway with my almost four year old, continued as we were 20 minutes late for school, and when I picked him up he had bitten his friend and busted his lip.
Then he peed on the floor....are you kidding?
The night ended with my baby running happily and crazily around the house until almost three in the morning.
Is it any wonder that I didn't get something posted yesterday?
Being late for school isn't unusual. Even on a "good" day we're late. This is particularly embarrassing because school doesn't start until 9 and we live 200 yards from the front door.
School mornings make me crazy and I think I begun to identify the problems.....
1. I sleep until the kids wake me up usually between 7:30 and 8.
2. The kids watch tv, so they are like zombies and getting them to do anything (get dressed, brush teeth, put on shoes) is nearly IMPOSSIBLE!
Here's the goal...get up at 7 and make lunches and get myself ready before my darlings rise...and dare I say, no cartoons on school mornings? We're going to give it a shot.....
Here's a great idea from Brittany, I already got my calendar and its getting all marked up.
[I use] A planner that I write all the important activities...playdates/doctors/etc. I also keep notepads next to the phone for messages, on the fridge when I run out of something it gets put on the notepad, or I don't throw the container away so I'll see it later and remember it. I don't plan too much for one day because it sets me up for failure. But if the boys are being good after playdate, I can sneak in a post office trip and save it from being a project the next day. I write everything down. Get it outta my head. "Call Mary. Kareem is being cranky. Anas has Bball tomorrow. Etc."It may sound crazy but t works.
It began with a screaming match in the hallway with my almost four year old, continued as we were 20 minutes late for school, and when I picked him up he had bitten his friend and busted his lip.
Then he peed on the floor....are you kidding?
The night ended with my baby running happily and crazily around the house until almost three in the morning.
Is it any wonder that I didn't get something posted yesterday?
Being late for school isn't unusual. Even on a "good" day we're late. This is particularly embarrassing because school doesn't start until 9 and we live 200 yards from the front door.
School mornings make me crazy and I think I begun to identify the problems.....
1. I sleep until the kids wake me up usually between 7:30 and 8.
2. The kids watch tv, so they are like zombies and getting them to do anything (get dressed, brush teeth, put on shoes) is nearly IMPOSSIBLE!
Here's the goal...get up at 7 and make lunches and get myself ready before my darlings rise...and dare I say, no cartoons on school mornings? We're going to give it a shot.....
Here's a great idea from Brittany, I already got my calendar and its getting all marked up.
[I use] A planner that I write all the important activities...playdates/doctors/etc. I also keep notepads next to the phone for messages, on the fridge when I run out of something it gets put on the notepad, or I don't throw the container away so I'll see it later and remember it. I don't plan too much for one day because it sets me up for failure. But if the boys are being good after playdate, I can sneak in a post office trip and save it from being a project the next day. I write everything down. Get it outta my head. "Call Mary. Kareem is being cranky. Anas has Bball tomorrow. Etc."It may sound crazy but t works.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
make a list, check it twice
On Sundays I've always been pretty good about changing the sheets and taking out the garbage, but I decided today to make a grocery list.
Some other moms I know decide what they will cook each night of the week and make a list to get those ingredients. GENIUS!!! I also got the paper and cut out all of the coupons. I used to do this regularly, but have gotten out of the habit. I also checked the flyers....33% off goldfish! I am stocking up.
I'm taking baby steps here, so I am really glad that I only need to make three meals this week because we've got so much other stuff going on. Maybe I'll eek out five next week.
Here's a great tip from Melissa, guess I'll add freezer bags to the list.
"Making casseroles in a double batch is a big time saver, just freeze the half that you don't eat and it's ready for the next time you don't wanna cook (or in my case, ready when a friend has a baby or surgery and needs a meal and you don't feel like making anything.) Buying one of those ready-cooked whole chickens is great too, just shred the meat and freeze it and then it's ready to stick in whatever casserole you want. I have recently become a big fan of slow-cookers, it's so awesome to come home from work and the dinner is done! (You just have to remember to stick everything in before you leave, or the night before so it's ready to go.) "
Some other moms I know decide what they will cook each night of the week and make a list to get those ingredients. GENIUS!!! I also got the paper and cut out all of the coupons. I used to do this regularly, but have gotten out of the habit. I also checked the flyers....33% off goldfish! I am stocking up.
I'm taking baby steps here, so I am really glad that I only need to make three meals this week because we've got so much other stuff going on. Maybe I'll eek out five next week.
Here's a great tip from Melissa, guess I'll add freezer bags to the list.
"Making casseroles in a double batch is a big time saver, just freeze the half that you don't eat and it's ready for the next time you don't wanna cook (or in my case, ready when a friend has a baby or surgery and needs a meal and you don't feel like making anything.) Buying one of those ready-cooked whole chickens is great too, just shred the meat and freeze it and then it's ready to stick in whatever casserole you want. I have recently become a big fan of slow-cookers, it's so awesome to come home from work and the dinner is done! (You just have to remember to stick everything in before you leave, or the night before so it's ready to go.) "
Saturday, March 6, 2010
clean it up kids!
My husband once asked if it were possible to ban eating in the car. I looked at him like he was crazy. While my eventual goal is to stop going through the drive thru three times a week, to stop eating altogether is preposterous.
Inevitably my car gets filled with the toys we had to carry with us, socks my daughter pulled off while driving, lollipop wrappers and sticks from the dry cleaners...sound familiar?
This morning the weather was nice, so we walked to breakfast. Afterward, the kids wanted to play in the driveway, so I took the opportunity to empty the backseats! Sounds like a great goal for day 2!
My goal on Saturdays: Empty the trash, put all of the little toys back into the backseat organizer I had monogrammed for Christmas and take all of the sippy cups to the sink! Whew! Now we'll drive to church without so much chaos and start the week of fresh. hmmm, maybe we'll even vacuum.
Recently I enlisted the help of other moms I know, picking their brains for any tried and true inspiration. Here's a great idea from Christy. Her kids are a little older than mine, buy I think I can do it....First I have to make sure I have five clean outfits :)
"As much as it pains me LOL on Sunday evening I will get 5 outfits together for both kids and put them all on one hanger so in the mornings I can just grab a hanger and all we have to run around and locate is belt and shoes. We wear uniforms so I make sure we alternate pants colors. That we never put a navy shirt WITH navy pants and that our turtleneck (on cold mornings) is not the same color as out outer polo. I have the hangers with the pants hanger on them so I put EVERYTHING on one hanger. Even socks so we don't have to do the diving thru hampers game with one eye closed because the lights are too darn bright!!"
Inevitably my car gets filled with the toys we had to carry with us, socks my daughter pulled off while driving, lollipop wrappers and sticks from the dry cleaners...sound familiar?
This morning the weather was nice, so we walked to breakfast. Afterward, the kids wanted to play in the driveway, so I took the opportunity to empty the backseats! Sounds like a great goal for day 2!
My goal on Saturdays: Empty the trash, put all of the little toys back into the backseat organizer I had monogrammed for Christmas and take all of the sippy cups to the sink! Whew! Now we'll drive to church without so much chaos and start the week of fresh. hmmm, maybe we'll even vacuum.
Recently I enlisted the help of other moms I know, picking their brains for any tried and true inspiration. Here's a great idea from Christy. Her kids are a little older than mine, buy I think I can do it....First I have to make sure I have five clean outfits :)
"As much as it pains me LOL on Sunday evening I will get 5 outfits together for both kids and put them all on one hanger so in the mornings I can just grab a hanger and all we have to run around and locate is belt and shoes. We wear uniforms so I make sure we alternate pants colors. That we never put a navy shirt WITH navy pants and that our turtleneck (on cold mornings) is not the same color as out outer polo. I have the hangers with the pants hanger on them so I put EVERYTHING on one hanger. Even socks so we don't have to do the diving thru hampers game with one eye closed because the lights are too darn bright!!"
Friday, March 5, 2010
Don't go to bed with dishes in the sink
I long for the day when all of the laundry is folded, my house is clean, I have fed my family three balanced meals and two snacks, I have done 30 minutes of cardio and have played make believe with my children. (and done the grocery shopping, picked up the dry cleaning, bathed everyone......)
Instead I usually dig through the laundry pile for two socks that match, wash a pot so I can cook, feed the kids McDonald's in the backseat as I go from one errand to the next and stand before the fridge at 5:30 hoping ingredients to an edible meal will jump out at me.
Inspired by the revelation that some of the moms I know actually plan their days/lives/ meals I am on a quest to get my act together.
Did you know that Barnes and Noble doesn't carry a book on how to be an organized stay at home mom?
So, inspired by that gal who cooked a Julia Childs recipe every day I have come up with a plan. To do one thing every day that will make me a better mother/wife/self in the hopes that I never again look at the clock at 1:30 and realize I have forgotten to feed my children.
Today's goal...
Do the dishes before I go to bed. We eat dinner late, so its very easy, after putting the kids to bed to just put everything in the sink. It happens more than I like to admit, and its not pretty in the morning. So, I will try very, very hard to load the dishwasher and wash the pots (who registered for hand wash only pans?) before settling onto the couch to watch tv.
P.S. Do you want to hear the best idea for a new invention?
A machine that converts recipes to shopping lists! And scans your pantry for the items you are missing! How great would that be!
Instead I usually dig through the laundry pile for two socks that match, wash a pot so I can cook, feed the kids McDonald's in the backseat as I go from one errand to the next and stand before the fridge at 5:30 hoping ingredients to an edible meal will jump out at me.
Inspired by the revelation that some of the moms I know actually plan their days/lives/ meals I am on a quest to get my act together.
Did you know that Barnes and Noble doesn't carry a book on how to be an organized stay at home mom?
So, inspired by that gal who cooked a Julia Childs recipe every day I have come up with a plan. To do one thing every day that will make me a better mother/wife/self in the hopes that I never again look at the clock at 1:30 and realize I have forgotten to feed my children.
Today's goal...
Do the dishes before I go to bed. We eat dinner late, so its very easy, after putting the kids to bed to just put everything in the sink. It happens more than I like to admit, and its not pretty in the morning. So, I will try very, very hard to load the dishwasher and wash the pots (who registered for hand wash only pans?) before settling onto the couch to watch tv.
P.S. Do you want to hear the best idea for a new invention?
A machine that converts recipes to shopping lists! And scans your pantry for the items you are missing! How great would that be!
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