I get asked daily how I do it. (I also get asked daily if I run a daycare but that's a different topic.) How do I manage five children, four dogs, a husband, a house, and church callings (I teach Sunday School every other week for a class of 12-13 year olds). How do I manage to keep my house clean or to have a social life? How do I manage to take care of myself?
My response? I don't know.
I don't know how I manage it all. I know for certain that I couldn't do it on my own though, and I think that's the secret. I grew up with a mom who worked (and still works) harder than any other person I know. There were times when I woke up at 2AM to the sound of her vacuuming the hallway outside my bedroom. I have literally eaten off the floor in her house; it's THAT clean! Of course, my home will never be as immaculate as my mother's, but she did teach me how to manage a home and to delegate tasks. Hopefully, I can teach a little of that here today.
My life used to revolve around cleaning. I felt like I was doing nothing but cleaning from the moment I woke up until I went to bed, and my kids were stuck with more chores than they should have had. One day I'd had enough. I was sick of spending my day getting nowhere. I sat down, made a list of all the rooms in my house, and I assigned each room to a specific day of the week.
Monday-Laundry Day
Tuesday-Front Entry/Music Room/Toy Room
Wednesday-Bedrooms
Thursday-Living Room
Friday-Bathrooms
Saturday-Yards/Any extra tasks
Sunday-REST!!!
Notice there's no kitchen on my list? I sure do!
A couple of months ago I had a conversation with my husband about the difficulty I was having accomplishing all of my above tasks, and I asked if he would be willing to be responsible daily for one chore...the dishes. I DESPISE dishes. I loathe everything about them. I use plastic ware and paper plates whenever possible to avoid dishes. To my surprise, Zach agreed and (almost) daily for the last few weeks, he has changed my life by being responsible for that one chore. I sweep, I mop, I deep-clean toilets, I do laundry weekly for seven people...I do just about all the house work around here. But I don't do the dishes, and I can't tell you how much more I actually enjoy my days now!
I know I'm a special case. I know there are single, working moms and dads out there who can't always delegate a task they hate to someone else. I realize how lucky I am to have the support I do. Regardless of our differences, I have a LOT on my plate, and being organized has really been a help to me, along with having some extra hands around the house.
How do I manage? I don't know. But WE manage by helping each other and by being consistent with our work.
I couldn't do all of this by myself. I would be lost beyond belief if it weren't for the support system I have been blessed with in my life. I'm a lucky girl to have such a wonderful husband, and I'm so happy that he and I have built a home where we are able to manage five crazy kids who need us! Life is good!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Well well well, blogger, we meet again. I might just have to keep up with you this time!
Recently, I was asked by MetroFamily Magazine to blog about foster care and the effects it has had on my (not so little) family. Of course, I was thrilled to share my story and as it turns out, I've learned a few things about myself in the process of writing. I've received feedback from a network of people effected by foster care who have requested I blog about specific topics they are passionate about, which is what brings me here! I've got lots to discuss!
First, a little background:
My husband and I became foster parents in 2011. We had been married two years. Our first placement was a baby boy who was with us for 18 months. Just before he was placed back with his birth parents, two little girls came to live with us, followed by their infant brother a few weeks later. Ten months after that, our children's biological newborn sister was placed in our home.
Can you guess what happened a year later?
YEP!!! Another baby! Have you kept count? (That made it 5, just in case)
So there we were with five small kids, all of them 5 years old or younger, and four dogs (yes, 4), creating chaos in our lives. It was crazy. It was nuts! We were going insane! Our car was maxed out, our house was a mess, our social lives perished!
....There was only one thing we could do....
We ADOPTED them!
Yep! Our family has grown by five. It's busy, there are lots of tears, yelling, and barking, and I'm lucky if I get to shower, let alone get out of my pajamas every day.
But I love it.
Would I be lying if I said I loved every second? Absolutely! There's plenty I would change in my life if I could (the first of which would be winning the lottery and hiring a housekeeper) but the fact of the matter is, these kids are my life! And my life is amazing! I can't wait to share the ins and outs of how our family came to be and what we know about foster care. Hang in there with us while we journey together!
If you have a topic you would like to see discussed, feel free to comment below!
Recently, I was asked by MetroFamily Magazine to blog about foster care and the effects it has had on my (not so little) family. Of course, I was thrilled to share my story and as it turns out, I've learned a few things about myself in the process of writing. I've received feedback from a network of people effected by foster care who have requested I blog about specific topics they are passionate about, which is what brings me here! I've got lots to discuss!
First, a little background:
My husband and I became foster parents in 2011. We had been married two years. Our first placement was a baby boy who was with us for 18 months. Just before he was placed back with his birth parents, two little girls came to live with us, followed by their infant brother a few weeks later. Ten months after that, our children's biological newborn sister was placed in our home.
Can you guess what happened a year later?
YEP!!! Another baby! Have you kept count? (That made it 5, just in case)
So there we were with five small kids, all of them 5 years old or younger, and four dogs (yes, 4), creating chaos in our lives. It was crazy. It was nuts! We were going insane! Our car was maxed out, our house was a mess, our social lives perished!
....There was only one thing we could do....
We ADOPTED them!
Yep! Our family has grown by five. It's busy, there are lots of tears, yelling, and barking, and I'm lucky if I get to shower, let alone get out of my pajamas every day.
But I love it.
Would I be lying if I said I loved every second? Absolutely! There's plenty I would change in my life if I could (the first of which would be winning the lottery and hiring a housekeeper) but the fact of the matter is, these kids are my life! And my life is amazing! I can't wait to share the ins and outs of how our family came to be and what we know about foster care. Hang in there with us while we journey together!
If you have a topic you would like to see discussed, feel free to comment below!
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