Multitasking Mommy

Any one who has ever stood in the playground having a conversation with a fellow parent whilst keeping a keen eye on two children knows the importance of multitasking.

In fact, without this skill, I would go as far as to say that parenting would be nigh on impossible unless you are a hermit who is happy to live a solitary lifestyle for the next 18 years. Mom's, I have discovered, seem to have this skill finely tuned by the time their child reaches 18 months, and certainly it is honed to perfection when a second, third (or fourth!) sibling comes along. 

It is quite amazing how much you can achieve with a baby in your arms or a toddler on your hip. I have been known to cook dinners, wash floors, make phone calls and do multiple grocery shops in this exact position, and when you are sans child your productivity goes into overdrive. Who knew you could prepare the evening dinner, answer emails, write blogs, hoover carpets AND paint your nails in that two hour window? 

I don't think that multitasking is something that is a natural gift bestowed only to women (contrary to popular opinion), however I do think that we have to use it far more often than our male counterparts, and as the saying goes, practice makes perfect! Women are expected to be an awful lot of things, I can switch hats six times a day between wife/mother/writer/friend/daughter/pastor and although I cherish each and every role that I have been entrusted with, I often have to stop and think when do I get to put the 'me' hat on? So this evening, when my boys are in bed and my chores are done, I will be curling up on the sofa with a good book and a hot chocolate to indulge in some much needed me-time. Why don't you join me?

R x

It's you or the house....

Does anyone else feel like managing a family and running a household is an impossible task?

From day to day, I seem to run from one thing to another, with precious little 'me-time', all while trying to maintain the air of coolness and sophistication that accompanies the carefree lifestyle of those who don't have to hunt for lost shoes/dummies/book bags each morning. 

Today's schedule looked like this: get woken up, before my alarm by my eldest, feed the boys, grab cuppa, dress boys and myself, apply bb cream and lippy in half light of dawn, walk to school, walk back, put on laundry load, sweep up breakfast crumbs while playing hide and seek with my toddler, chase said toddler around local toddler group, come home to feed toddler, put him down for a nap, switch on laptop and catch up on emails and articles in between mouthfuls of a hastily made salad, wake toddler, put laundry out to dry, walk to school to collect 5yo, walk home, begin process of entertaining and feeding boys whilst cooking dinner and washing up breakfast dishes before hubby comes home. Upon his arrival, bath kids before dinner, put them to bed, eat dinner, drive to grocery store for weekly food shop, drive home to unpack grocery bags, write menu for the following week, check school bag and change bag and fill water bottles and depleted items, check on boys and iron uniform for next day, finally lock up and check cats are fed and watered with clean litter tray. 

I am exhausted!! In amongst all these chores I desperately want my house to remain clean to the high standard it was pre-children, and I want to maintain a half decent appearance so that my husband will recognise the wife of his youth and not be faced with a dishevelled, tired looking stranger when he walks through the door. More importantly I want to enjoy some quality time with my husband, talking, playing games, watching movies not to mention being close to one another physically.

But how on earth do people find the time to be the perfect wife/girlfriend/mother/friend/cook/housewife?

My hubby is amazing and helps no end in the house and especially with the boys, but I do find myself regularly thinking I just cannot keep up with everything and there is always something that suffers from my multitasking mayhem. I can be the perfect sex kitten wife with happy kids and a trashed house or a house proud stepford wife with immaculate floors, bored kids and a frustrated husband. And that's not even talking into account my working hours!

So my darling boys (big and small), I feel I must say that my attention can only be split so many ways during the day, so you just choose - it's you or the house! ;)

R x 

Mince Pies and Mommy Moments

So the countdown to Christmas is officially on!

Every day my 5 year old asks if Santa has been, which is getting more than a little tedious despite us being only 4 days in to his advent calendar.... I turned my hand at making a fabric calendar this year which was fun as I haven't sewn anything on my beloved machine for literally a year!! Definitely got the bug back and am looking forward to getting a bit more crafty as we wind down to Christmas.

The Christmas presents are sorted (please don't hate me) and the house is decorated so I feel very organised this year! Work is as busy as ever, but I am trying to get a better work/life balance as the past few months have seen a lots of late nights and laptop bound afternoons while the little one sleeps. The only nights that remain untouched are connect on Mondays which is our weekly meeting with fellow Christians who live locally, and Friday night which is our date night! We are very protective of date night, and although we rarely actually go anywhere, we always have a nice meal, some treats, sometimes a bottle of wine and we curl up on the sofa for a movie. *heart melts*

But what about 'me time' I here you ask? My immediate reply would be 'what is that?' Seriously, my days are so jam packed with attending and helping out at toddler groups, going to midweek church services, completing the school run twice a day (usually on foot), running a household, buying groceries and trying to keep up with our pastoral area that we look after at church. Oh and holding down a writing business!

I wouldn't change a thing about our life as I love being busy (although a cleaner or ironing lady would be sooo appreciated to keep up with two boys and two cats!) but I am aware that to be a good wife and mom I need to do things for me too. My perfect day would be a trip to the hair salon or beautician for some pampering followed by a couple of hours of uninterrupted writing in Starbucks or Cafe Nero, then maybe squeezing in reading Hello, House Beautiful or Country Living magazine or one of the many novels on my bookshelf.

Writing my blog and reading all the other amazing blogs on the circuit gives me so much joy, so in absence of my 'perfect day' being possible right now I am making the most of a mince pie and a mommy moment while my boys entertain each other. Life is too short to spend all our time working, once in a while close down the emails, let the dishes pile up or stick on cbeebies (shock horror) and indulge yourself in some you time.

R x