Seriously, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

For those who are moms who work, how do you do all of it? Just over two weeks and I just can't get it all done! Like now I need to be cleaning and baking for everyone to come over tomorrow. Most days I come home exhausted! I can barely get a load of laundry in. Forget folding! The family has really stepped up to help me, but there is so much I need to do on my own. I just feel like I am not getting there. Chores need to be done, I really need to be studying to catch up with all the people who have been in the pharmacy for years and with those who have gone to school for it. So many, including my boss, think it's better to learn from working. But no one prepares you for how much there truly is to know. Not for a lack of trying. It's just once you've been there for a while it's all second nature.
And you can forget me time! I have a book over due I want to finish reading before I return it since there is a huge wait list for it. It would be forever before I got it again. It would be a fast read if I could just get the time with it. I also fear my newly learned knitting skills are running away due to no practice. And there is so much I want to sew.
I know it would all be easier if I had a steady routine worked out, but m y job is one that has a different schedule almost daily. And being part time and putting down you would work any time just to get the job makes it even more likely to have an unsteady schedule.
I just need to plan it all out as best as I can, but how do I do that?!
The other thing I hate is I don't feel as involved in my kids lives anymore. I still stay on top of grades and work to find out what they are doing in class, but it just doesn't feel the same. I will keep an eye on things. Maybe the more independence will be good for them, but they know if it makes it worse I will quit and there will be no happy campers here!
Ok, time to get to it and try to get all the cleaning done and hopefully some baking too. Hopefully I can schedule in blog reading/writing in too!

Adjusting

Yesterday I had my first day of work. It is the first I've worked other than a little substituting in 7 years. That means I haven't worked a steady job since before I was wife and mom. I was only doing training, but it was still a long tiring day.
It is a bit overwhelming to adjust to working and still doing all I do around the house. The family did great yesterday and stepped up to give more help. I just hope they keep it up. And I know I have to really work on delegating work and not trying to do it all myself. Things will get done even if it's not MY way.
The nice thing about it all. I am too busy to watch much t.v., to waste my time, or to eat much. Yay! That means weight will fall off.
I do need to find a schedule that will leave me lest frantic and will allow me time to do the things I want like my knitting and sewing.
I also need to find a large collection of do ahead meals that the family will like and that will be easy for the girls to prepare when I need them too. Such as lots of crock pot meals and meals that can go from fridge/freezer to the oven. So lots of research for recipes we will all like that I can do ahead. Suggestions welcome. I got tonight's meal from A Year of Slow Cooking.
Ok, not much time left for me to get dinner in and ready to go...I will catch up on reading soon I hope!

This morning I was "That" Mom!

I had one daughter about to walk out the door to catch the bus and the other one already gone. Hubby had just left. I was sitting on the couch still in my PJ's waiting for everyone to leave so I could go lay down for a bit since I haven't gotten much sleep the last couple nights. Hubby has been up a lot at night due to being sick and he is rather noisy when he is sleeping right now since he is so stuffed up (poor guy!). So with all that I'm not sleeping well either. But just minutes before the last to leave was to walk out the door, the phone rang. It was my other daughter upset telling me she forgot her belt and if she didn't get it before the 8 o'clock bell she would be in trouble.
The school district the girls attend has a uniform dress code. For the most part it's good, but at times like this it is ridiculous. Who cares if they have belt loops and aren't wearing a belt as long as her pants stay up.
So I told her meet me outside her door and I would get it too her. So I quickly threw something on and ran out the door to get it to her before all the traffic made me too late. I got there a little before 7:45. Plenty of time! And I waited. And waited. Finally I decided I better drop it off in her class room. Reluctantly I got out of the car. Why reluctantly? I had my hair still pulled up the way I sleep with it. I had my bright blue PJ shirt on with my favorite sweater jacket thrown on over it with only 2 of the 8 buttons done trying to hide that I had no bra on. I had found my brown wind pants that are too large on me now. My black slide on shoes that are covered in neon flowers (fun in the summer and comfy to wear around the house). My teeth weren't brushed and I had had a couple spots this morning of dry skin I had scratched at. Obviously stupid so I had bloody spots on my face.
I peeked to see if she was in the office in case they had made her wait there. Nope. So I went in the door to her class hallway, and proceeded down the walk of shame. Teachers being kind and saying good morning trying not to give me a funny look (they only half succeeded). I found her room and with all the kids was overwhelmed trying to find her. She was at her desk cheerfully calling out "Hi Mom". SHE loves it when I come to school. And since she doesn't have a great sense of fashion herself, she thinks nothing of the crazy lady at the door who is her mom.
I handed her her belt and hissed why weren't you outside? She made a good point: I had said "your door". I didn't make it clear the door outside that I drop her off at. But I did say OUTSIDE your door and she wasn't there either.
So I couldn't gripe at her too much but did hiss I looked like an idiot and didn't want to come inside. So no normal hug this time as when I have had to come to school for other reasons. I couldn't turn and get out of that room fast enough!
She won't be in trouble when she gets home, but we will have another explaining of when she can get away with not wearing a belt. And what the plan is if I ever have to bring her something at that time of day again. Anything to avoid being "that" mom again!

Can't think of a title, but it looks so much nicer with one

I need to be cleaning my room and getting chores done before the hubby comes home. He is sick and went in for just a half day. But I have the itch to get a post done and with how bad I've been I better jump on it.

I still need to get to work on my sewing machine, one of the reasons I need to get my room straightened up. Good news though, I HAVE A JOB! I am just waiting for the drug test and background check to come in, but I am going to start part time for now at the Walmart pharmacy. It is not at the store I shop regularly which is perfect. It is only a 20 min drive due to all the stop lights (it's about 10 miles away). So it helps to keep work separate from life but won't guzzle my gas. I will be a Tech in Training while I work on my certification. I am very excited. I didn't want to mention it till I started, but I know I have the job just waiting on all the formal stuff.

Also I forgot to mention my fairly new hobby. I finally have learned how to knit. And I mean with needles and not my knifty knitters. Joann's offers various classes and I have been wanting to take the knitting one for a long time. I was told by the cashier at Michaels in September about a promotion Joann's was doing. From then until Christmas, yarn and needles were provided by the store. I decided it was the perfect time to go and I would make it a birthday treat. My friend Tina joined me at the class. I told her it would be a good thing for her to get a hobby she could do when she needed to relax. I am super glad she went because we ended up being the only two in the class. I will not post a picture of my knitting from the class. It is pitiful, but I will treasure it. :) It was a 2 1/2 hour class and apparently there is so much still to learn. We learned the basic techniques but have no clue how to really make anything or read patterns. Anyone who knows how to knit have a suggestion on how to learn all that on your own so I can spend my money on supplies instead? :D

I did finally get to practice for the first time on Sunday since the class back on 10/17.



It took hours just to get this much done (granted I had to take a lot of breaks so I wouldn't get frustrated). So my next questions for knitters. How long did it take to be able to really get some speed on your knitting? And what gets you there? Just lots of practice? Suggestions and advice greatly appreciated.
Ok, need to get to work. Will post about birthday and Halloween soon.

*I had to add this: I have been dealing with some rather frustrating things involving the kids and school lately. I like to keep things positive and let the kids keep their dignity, so I rarely mention it. I am rather frustrated. I am making progress with one with only an occasional set back. But as usual I stuggle with the other. Anyway....I just found this blog post and it was great! It made me laugh and hits so close to home. It helped me to feel better about myself and to relax and know if I keep working at it and praying I will get them there! They are great kids just hard headed.