1. Stay organized.
2. Let things go.
3. It is a team effort.
I spend most of the weekend prepping for the next week. We have a schedule board that we write on so we can keep track of who is going where and when. I found the idea on Pinterest. I figured if it was pretty I would use it.
I also plan all our meals for the week. I get as much done as I can on Sunday so all I have to do is pop it in the oven after work. This week we will be having chili, pot roast, meatloaf, crock pot chicken, and PIZZA. I also have food precooked for breakfast. Once a month I cook and freeze enough breakfast burritos to last for four weeks. Since A1 and I take a lunch I have started premaking PB&Js on Sunday night. We make enough for the entire week and freeze them. It is nice in the morning to just have to grab a sandwich and throw it in a lunch bag!
The biggest help has been planning the girls' outfits for the week. I pick out five outfits and lay them out the girls tell me which day of the week they want to wear each outfit. After the decisions have been made the clothes go in to the hanging organizer and we stick with it, no changing our minds. :)
Since we have started doing this we have fewer fights in the morning. A2 still complains that things don't "feel" right but we are able to work through it without temper tantrums.
This is what they are wearing this week.
We also have a schedule we stick to every night. From the time we all get home we work from our schedule. Snack, homework, play, dinner, dance (2 days) play, bath, read, brush teeth, bed. This schedule is something our girls need. They really seem to function better with a routine. Sometimes during the summer I get lazy and we get off our schedule and then life really takes a turn for the crazy!Now even with all this organization things will happen and I have to let things go. I have to be ready to alter my plans and to be ok with it. Last week I planned on making hot ham and cheese sandwiches only to find mold on the Hawaiian rolls. BOO! I ended up subbing in the next nights dinner and later when Mac had to leave for a meeting he stopped by the grocery store and got new rolls for the following night. Also I wasn't smart enough to check the weather forecast when I planned outfits. I figured it was safe to say it would be cold in January in central Illinois. Wrong. By the end of the week it was 60*s. I had to do some minor subbing in clothing; a long sleeved t-shirt instead of a heavier thermal shirt. As luck would have it we are back in the 30's this week so I just threw that shirt back in the rotation. Can't sweat the changes, just adapt and go with it.
I absolutely don't do all of this by myself! Mac has been known to jump in and make all the PB&J sandwiches or brown the hamburger meat when I need extra hands in the kitchen. I also have a great team that works together to help out with the girls. We have the best babysitter, J! She has been a major part of our lives since A1 was 5 months old. She is an amazing lady that would do anything to help us. And I do mean ANYTHING! When A1 was about 18 months old we were all plagued with a horrible stomach virus. As if that wasn't enough our basement als flooded and we couldn't do any laundry. Without asking her, our J came over bagged some of A1's sheets, blankets, and sleepers and took them to her house to wash them. She returned them a few hours later with some food. She really is an amazing person and I am happy she has the chance to influence my girls!
Not only do we have J in our lives but we also have tons of friends and family who jump in and help any way they can. When I was 8 months pregnant with A3 Mac was working on a show and I had a group of friends who took turns coming over to my house at night to help with the other 2 girls. This was an amazing gift!
How do I do it? With a lot of planning, praying, and friends. Oh and laughing, laughing helps too!
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