Somehow, we all managed to stay in bed until at least 7:30 this morning. Claire until 8:00. Now we are all up, fed, changed, coffeed, and playing. One of my goals for this year is to have a less chaotic life. Going from one child to three has really put the C in Chaos for me. Most of the time, I relish it. It is what I've wanted for a long time. I see it as my job to take care of these kids and keep this house. However, going from one to three was kind of like being promoted to a Ph.D. level position with only a Bachelor's degree. But I am learning on the job and getting better all the time.
So, today my house is cleaner that it has been in months. That's because I had the lady who has cleaned for us come yesterday and help me while I cleaned/watched children/purged clutter. She cleaned. I cleaned. I purged and took things in boxes out to the garage. It was great. And I feel lighter! The house looks better. And there's more to go. We will most likely put our house on the market soon, to move to a better school district, so there is work to be done. And I am really feeling motivated and pressured to get it done.
One thing I have learned is that I need to be diligent in my upkeep. I cannot get behind on laundry, dishes, picking up...any of it. I used to have that luxury, before kids, and even with one child. But now, I do not have that luxury. There is not alot of down time. One load? Takes a long time to get from laundry basket to put away. I did not keep track, but there was a pretty long lag time on the couch for a certain load. We wont talk about it any longer.
I will take any and all suggestions. I have dusted off the crock pot and am going to put it to good use. I have GOT to get more done at night but dang. At night? I am so tired. Waking up early? Before the children? Hard to do. They are roosters. I think I need to get the majority of it done during the day. It will work out. I will keep you posted.
So, here it is, 8:30 p.m. All are in bed, but me of course. I have the kitchen halfway cleaned up and will finish before I go to bed.
So, ladies...how do you keep up with the house work? What are your tricks and secrets? Help a sister out.
Big Boo Cast: Episode 380
9 months ago
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I FINALLY admitted defeat on the "do laundry all in one day" idea. What I do now (and it works MUCH better). I created a chart (go figure) and have a laundry load for each day (Monday: kid 1, Tuesday kid 2, etc.). Each day, I only do one (maybe 2) loads - that's it. Then it has to be folded and put away by the end of the day. I usually end up forcing myself to fold it during rest time. Watching taped crap tv while i fold helps tons.... This makes me feel a little less like i'm not BURIED in laundry.
ReplyDeleteI do laundry a lot like Mama Bear... 1 load a day of "light" laundry. I have a seperate laundry hamper specifically for "heavy" laundry that I do on the weekends (jeans, slacks, sweaters, shirts). During the week I do kids' clothes and under garments. I invested in a heavy-duty rolling clothes line from Target. As laundry comes out of the dryer, I hang it up and put it on the clothes line. Then I wheel that thing all over my house, taking the laundry to the appropriate closets. On a cleaning note, I tackle cleaning my house in the same way as laundry, because I simply can't get it done all at once. I clean 1 room at a time and save the big cleaning jobs for the weekends. Cooking... I cook a lot on the weekends, doubling up on my recipes, then freeze it and wait to use it later in the week so that I'm not having to cook dinner every night.
ReplyDeleteI think you are doing a fantastic job, Christie! I have one less kid than you and I still have a hard time balancing everything. I do laundry every day. I usually do the boys clothes together. I "clean" (dust, mop, vaccum, etc.) on Fridays. I get a lot of household things done on Tuesdays and Thursdays while both boys are in school. I realize you do not have that luxury yet. What about during their nap-time?
ReplyDeleteLove the Bachelor's to Ph.D. level analogy. Very vivid. And I love the way you put things...this is the job I wanted, too...but sometimes it's really hard (not to mention thankless). Sounds like you are doing an awesome job of trying. And to me, that's what matters most.
ReplyDeleteI try to put in a load of laundry in the morning...before or after breakfast. That way, I have the rest of the day to get it dried, folded, and put away. Sometimes the putting away doesn't happen until the kids are in bed at night, but if I do a load or two a day, I don't get too far behind. As for the house, I try to make the kids clean up a little before nap time and before bed time. They do what (little) they can and then it doesn't seem like a mountain to be climbed after 8 pm. Cuz we need our sleep, too!
Hugs,
Robin
Love your blog. You have a great way of describing life with kids. I have a husband out of work and his job is the laundry. He job searches and washes.... not glamorous or fulfilling. You have 3 kids under the age of 5 and a husband who travels. The fact that you get anything done seems like a miracle to me. If I travel a couple of days then it takes us a week to catch up. You are doing great.
ReplyDelete