Next Week

Here are some of our family logistics.  See if you can relate...

IF everyone were to get dressed once each day (and they never, ever do get dressed just once) We would be washing 56 outfits a week.  Those 56 outfits would be in addition to sheets, towels, washcloths, blankets, bibs, dishtowels, underclothes, and the like.  The problem is, no one here wears only one outfit a day!  There are work clothes and running clothes.  There are McDonald's uniforms and soccer jerseys.  There are pajamas and sweatshirts and jackets and socks.  So.many.socks!

We feed eight people three meals each day.  That's 24 meals a day, 168 per week.  Just about the time we get one meal finished up and cleaned up it's time to start prepping the next one.  I've caved in to shortcuts like ordering pizza and eating out but that just ruins our budget.  I could have a full time job just doing the food for this family.  Cutting coupons, planning meals, making lists, grocery shopping, cooking, chopping, baking, serving, tidying up the kitchen, cleaning out the fridge, and cleaning the oven.

All eight of the people in this household have teeth.  Yep, save your Tennessee jokes.  There are a lot of appointments to dentists, orthodontists, specialists, and now add - oral surgeons.  Our appointments take up a HUGE portion of our time.  We have 3/4 of our family in glasses and contacts.  So there are appointments with the eye-doctor, in addition to the pediatrician, ob/gyn, orthopedic surgeon, vascular surgeon, family doctor and more.  I could definitely make a full job from scheduling, transporting to, and following up on the appointments for eight people.

Then there's school...a second grader, sixth grader, ninth grader, and an eleventh grader, (and a two year old!).  There's planning, grading, teaching, ordering books, testing, field trips, co-op, reading, special projects and more.  Homeschooling certainly is a full time job, plus a little.

Over the years our kids have participated in tee-ball, baseball, soccer, football, basketball, AWANA, piano lessons, guitar lessons, and Upward cheer-leading, among other things.  Practices, lessons, games, recitals, team parties, award ceremonies - all take up a good chunk of time.

Add to the above cleaning the house, organizing, decorating, shopping, party planning and hospitality, bill paying, ministry and church activities (my honey recently got involved with prison ministry) giving baths, family bible time, talks with teens, ironing, yard-work and keeping baby-books/scrapbooks, correspondence and more and you just might find a worn-out, frazzled, tired and overwhelmed mom.  Hello.  Some days that is me.

So what do you do when you are worn-out, frazzled, tired, and overwhelmed or want to make sure you don't get that way?

Next week I will be doing a series of posts (primarily talking to myself) on how to avoid that worn-out, frazzled feeling.  Most of the time I begin a post telling my readers that I am no expert but in this case I am an expert!  I know all about feeling overwhelmed because it is a regular battle for me.  I have learned something through the years as God has patiently taught me.  I will be sharing with you starting Monday afternoon.  Please meet me back here.  I would love to hear your thoughts!

*Also coming up soon...Why My No Yelling Challenge was a Fail, The Spring Mantle, and a yummy new pie recipe you are going to love.

Have a great weekend!  Make it cozy!!