Typical day

Before I continue on with this blog, I thought I would share what a typical day looks like for me.   To me it is just another day of my life, to others they always wonder how I do it.    Everyone has busy lives and when it becomes an every day routine, you learn how to get through it successfully.   If you don't figure it out, you will end up getting in your car all alone, driving a million miles away, all while crying your eyes out wondering how you got yourself in this mess.   But that's not me.   I love the challenge of trying to live my life, staying in shape, working, being a wife and raising 5 wonderful kids.  

During the school year, I start my day at 5:45am.   This is the only time for me to get ready before the twins wake up.    At 7am, I leave to run Kylie to school , go to work, run Ryan to school at 9am.  Then it's back to work.   Lunchtime is always spent at the gym working out and if things work out correctly, I squeeze in a run around 4pm before heading home.   At 3:30, I pick up kids from school and run them to their sporting events.    Then it's home by 4:45, cook dinner, bathe the three little kids, read books, put twins to bed at 7pm.    After twins go to bed, I do my chores - laundry, clean house, pick up toys.   At 8pm, I put the 4 year-old to bed.  Normally I have to run back to Lake Oswego to pick up older kids from their sport events and grocery shop which is usually every day!   Back to home with them and then help with homework and feed them dinner.   By 10 or 11pm, I finally get to say hello to my husband before passing out in bed only to start it all over again the next day. 

Now our 4 year-old will be going to preschool in the Fall 3 days a week, gymnastics on Saturday and dance on Wednesday so that will get thrown into my mix as well.    Ryan starts football and Kylie starts soccer.  I also volunteer at a local Credit Union and have monthly meetings and audits to attend.    I cannot wait for the boys to start doing extra-curricular activities!!!    Oh yea, Kylie is now taking driver's education classes so I get to run her to/from those classes.   The good news about that is she can help take Ryan to his events once she gets her license.    Finally I get to run back to Lake Oswego on Friday nights for my softball games.

How do I do it?    Lot's of drinking.   Just kidding.   The only way to do all of this and be a good person to them is to take care of yourself first.   I always try to squeeze a workout or personal time for me each day.  It is a necessity to feel good about yourself and what you are doing.   Everything you do and feel reflects back on your kids.   I feel it when I don't work out and my stress level gets to high.   Even if it's taking 20 minutes to go on a motorcycle ride or a walk alone, do it!   

Then second tip that has made this all possible is to find really good help.    We have a wonderful Nanny that comes while I work and takes care of the Twins and Brooklyn on Friday's.   She is the reason the boys are so good natured and always smiling.   She is one of the best decisions we have made since the birth of our twins.  She takes them to fun places every day, teaches them new things all the time, has a loving family herself that has also taken in the twins.   She is always willing to stay late if necessary and watch them for us overnight if we want to go out of town alone.   If I get in a jam, she picks up my older kids too and shuttles them around for me.    My kids all love her and it's such a huge relief to find someone like her.   She has become part of our family and I could not do what I do without her.   



Madisen with one of the twins



Madisen at beach with twins