cardwell living

Your house is really messy.  Is it always like this?

That question was asked to me by a 5 year old neighbor girl.  But she asked it at the wrong moment.  I have been working all day, it's late in the afternoon, and the kids are going a bit crazy.  John is screaming at the door to go back outside and is desperately clinging at the doornob.  James is begging for the ipad.  Eli is running around.

I know that she is 5 and a kid and doesn't know what it's like to be a Mom of 5 kids, especially with 3 aged 2 and under.

I feel like I am running crazy through the day.  Just to get us all by.  I do basically all the cleaning and almost all of the cooking and planning and paying bills, and 3 kids in diapers all day.  At night I still help.  I do 1-2 loads of dishes every day.  I take out trash every day.  I sweep and or vacuum everyday--or ALMOST everyday. :)  I wash counters everyday.  I make food everyday.  I wash three boys off after meals and snacks throughout the day and that counts with them trying to run away from me.  I try to get the kids to put their toys away, but sometimes the twins bring stuff up, and I pick up the family room a few times a day.  I do a lot of laundry.  A lot.  I have to get the kids to WORK and that MAKES me work and repeat things all the while while someone is running around and I am trying to clean.

I still try to eat things myself.  The twins ran outside in the garage yesterday when I was changing Eli's diaper and opened the garage door up and started off to play outside.  I couldn't catch them for a minute because I was changing a kid.

I am trying to get the kids to pick up their shoes and backpacks and jackets and towels and dirty clothes in the bathroom.  I end up doing a lot of that in the bathroom.

I don't really get a break.  The twins don't take their naps anymore hardly ever.  And I am almost screamed at, whined at, begged at for something, almost all day long from somebody or multiple somebodies.  That is not, indeed, an exaggeration.  My kids can be loud, active, and you bet, wonderful, too. :)

But I am sorry.  Even though the kitchen is USUALLY clean all the way once a day, it is not going to stay that way all day because I am not super woman and I have 5 kids.  So my house might be messy.

You are five, I know. :)  But I am 29 and working my guts out I feel like and I am tired.

P.S.  This does not have to do with the five year old's comment exactly, but it has to do with feeling like there is so much to do, I am worn out a lot, and I feel like I can't get it all done no matter how I try.  I know that's okay, but sometimes it's hard to have things needing attention all around you and you feel like you don't know how much more energy you have to give.

hashtags #Idon'tthinkmylifeisharderthanyoursIamjusthavingamomentandneedtowriteitout.  #Ihavemanywonderfulblessingsbutitcanstillbehardsometimeswithkids.

Those are awesome hashtags I believe. :)