It's not magic

I really thought I could do it all, before I was a Mom.  My house was clean (by me), I cooked nightly, I sent birthday and anniversary cards to every person we know on time, I baked, I worked, I did it all. At one point in time I told myself I would bake bread and make cookies every weekend so that we never had to buy store items - my child and family would be the envy of the block.  This is totally possible, right?  You've all seen TV - there are always baked goods in a glass dome on each sparkling countertop...this could be ME!

I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but heck, maybe a little.  I consider myself a pretty organized person.  Not in the paper work sense, but in the "hey we get a lot of things done around here" sense.  I, my family and I, have a pretty busy life.  My husband and I both work outside the home, A's in preschool, dance and cooking classes, I teach two classes for two different schools at night/online and we have a large extended family with something always on the calendar.  Knowing all this, I will often get the question (often from my single or married friends without kids) - "how do you do it all?"  It's simple, really. 

I accept that I can do most.  I can do most things, not all things.  I can prepare treats for school, make lunches, send cards, check in on a student, fold loads of laundry and toss in the next load - all before 6am.  Yes, that's right, the only way I get most things done is to wake up at the crack of dawn and just start working.  I'm not at all touting that this method is a good one, but things have to get done. You have to make the most of your days.  Our day, my day starts M-F at 5am.  I get out of bed, wash my face and wet my hair (showering at night saves me on time), get ready for work and hit the kitchen by 5:30.  At 5:30 I whip together breakfast and lunch and head to my home office and work on my classes and other things till 6am.  At 6, I wake up A, get her ready for school and we are out the door, I kid you not at 6:20am.  Mind you at this point, I have likely screamed at someone once, dropped a curse word and started to sweat with frustration.  Yes this is all a far cry from my dreams of baked goods cooling on my countertops.

We work all day, rush to the train, head to the sitters by 5, whisk in the door at 5:10 and start dinner.  On most nights by 6:15 A is in the tub and I am catching my breath.  It's a whirlwind I tell you.  Once A hits bed, I work on a class or two, write out some cards, fold some laundry, wipe down a bathroom, or do whatever needs to be done.  The trick really is to stay on top of things.  If I miss a beat, the deck of cards tumbles.  Train delays make me cry, a failed dinner sends me in to a panic, and sickness cripples me. 

I am an over programmed overachiever with a menu of dinners scheduled 30 days in advance, volunteer time is scheduled on my google calendar and every stinking thing we do is based around the attempt to live a Stepford-like life.  I know we'll never get there, and that's okay...but damn it, I am going to try.

While this may seem to some as chaotic or crazy, or a foolish waste of my time.  Believe it or not, I am a good friend, a good wife, a good employee, a contributing member of society because I like it this way.  I love the schedule, the structure, the breakdowns and all.   I don't rest well, believe me, if I am slowing down, it is only because I am preparing for the next marathon of life.