Lightening The Load

Yesterday my sisters-in-law came and helped me put 21 meals in the fridge for the upcoming month.  As a homeschooling mom of 3, foster mom of 1 (who is of course doing "school" with the rest of them) I have a lot on my plate.  I also cater lunch for 3 to my husband's office.  And keep the budget balanced.  And do the housecleaning, laundry and chauffeuring.  You get the idea.  I'm not superwoman. With that being the case, I have one of two options:

1. Wear myself to a frazzle trying to get it all done. And fail.
2. Get some help.  And still don't get it all done!

So here's what I'm doing.

1. Started paying my sisters-in-law $10 each to come clean for one hour a week.
2. Committing to meal planning and major preparation once a month to help lighten the overall load.
3. Making my two oldest kids (6.5 and 8) responsible for their own clothes and  their little siblings.  I wash it and deliver it to their room.  They fold and put away.
4. Set up a schedule for washing sheets and towels once a week. (this is required by law for foster homes anyway, I'm just implementing it housewide.)
5. Committing to school scheduling once a month so that I know what we're supposed to do and when.

As the month goes by we'll see how this works in practicality.  I also want to:

1. Start exercising 15-20 minutes each day.
2. Start tracking my Weight Watcher's Points again.
3. Practice my guitar 3x a week.

These are things that have fallen by the wayside lately.  Things that take care of me.  If I've learned anything in the last 9 years of marriage it's that if I don't take care of me I eventually fail at everything.

Here we go

So.... We've had a placement for two weeks now and I find a need to connect.  To know that I'm not the only one out here bowled over by this experience.
Our Miss Pink is 4.  She has two brothers who have been placed elsewhere.  She calls us Mommy and Daddy, loves our kids, loves our home, demands every scrap of attention we have, does things simply because we told her not to, loves to sit in my lap and be read to, gets into the gum every chance she gets, tries to eat stuff she shouldn't, throws fits when we take it away, sings twinkle twinkle little star like an angel, lives for play-doh time and is thoroughly loved by all of us.
I have little time to sit and update this but I hoped I could use it as an outlet for thoughts and emotions.

"Come on Mom.  In the other room.  Come sit"
 She's watching a movie with the family and I'm needed. :-)