Image by Nina Matthews Photography
On Friday I had the opportunity to head into the publishers to talk about me, the blog, the book etc. It was lots of fun and pretty exciting. I am in the editing phase now and am lucky to have a fab editor who is tightening and fixing things up for me.
A pretty frequent question I am getting at the moment is how have I managed to write a book, blog and look after five kids? Obviously planning has played a big part in my ability to do so, but I have learnt something over the last couple of months – there is only so much space in my head and when it gets full, stuff does get missed, mucked up and confused! I have managed to keep on top of all the basics, the essential stuff that makes family life hum along, but outside of this, there has been a moment or two of chaos.
I was describing some of these moments to my friend Lou last week and she said they would make a great post. So today I share with you some of the stuff that hasn’t gone quite right over the last couple of months while I have been busy working on the book:
- While shopping for my daughter’s birthday present (3pm the day before her birthday!), I couldn’t remember where I parked the car in the car park. I had my sister’s car and I didn’t even know the number plate. It took me about 10 minutes but I did eventually find her car. Tired, hot and frazzled, I may or may not have got a little teary over this!
- I had presents for everyone outside our family unit organised well before Christmas, but not much for the kids. Two days before Christmas you found me at Doncaster Westfield until midnight. Then at Kmart Burwood until about 2am. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute!
- At said Kmart, I bought my canine obsessed 4 year old a dog movie on DVD. It wasn’t until he put it on after Christmas I realised its M rating. That DVD has somehow now been lost……
- Focused on submitting the manuscript before we left for Mildura for Christmas, I did no packing preparation at all. Mr I took care of everything else and I threw my stuff into a suitcase, only minutes before we left. Luckily I wash daily when I am there, so the two pairs of undies that I packed, were just on high rotation.
- I booked tickets to see Don Parties On for our wedding anniversary. Due to a clash, I had to then change the tickets so we could still make it. I did forget however to change the baby sitting arrangements, something I didn’t realise until 45 minutes before we were due to leave.
A very, very big thank you to our lovely neighbours, Michael and Colleen and their son Tom, who helped us out and looked after the kids. Big thanks to my husband too, who went straight into problem solving mode and didn’t even get cross at me. - I turned up to the kinder interview without any of the completed paper work.
- There have been a number of phone calls and text messages, that I listened too/read but never got back to so I could respond. So sorry about that!
I know there were many more chaotic moments, but there just wasn’t space in my head to remember them! Things I would have ordinarily have sorted, I just missed. But as the editing process begins winding up, I can feel routine and sanity starting to creep back in to my life. Looking forward to that 
.
How do you react when you hit peak busy mode?
28 comments...read them below or add one
Much like you. Something has got to give. So many ups and ups the downs are only little dips for you right now
I think I owe you an email. Congratulations at getting the December Index Out.
I find Christmas hard enough without anything extra on top of it.
These moments can be challenging at the time but funny when you look back later.
After Heidi was born I would stand next to my husband and Annie had gone, I was so tired I couldn’t even recognize them.
I am sure I will find them funny once the book is finally finished!
How is it that our lives become so frantic? If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t get done. This includes telling the kids I will help them do something when we get home. Thank goodness for the large white board we have by the front door!
So true about writing down even things that you commit to the kids – otherwise the day ends for me and I have completely forgotten about it.
Thanks for sharing and being honest. Makes all of us feel very normal!
Your welcome! Thanks for being such a great supporter of the blog Jackie.
I too, don’t have the space in my head either! Thanks for an honest and humbling account of day to day life.
It feels good to share and know that I am not alone.
I have to say, it’s nice to know you are a normal person as well as a super person too!!!!!!
Just normal Katy!
I had exactly the same thought as Katy!
My wife and I have been married a while now and we both have started to forget our wedding anniversary. All good though, it has developed into a contest to see who can call the other first sometime throughout the morning to wish the other a happy wedding anniversary. I won this year!
Congratulations on your win! Sounds like a fun contest.
I forget stuff too. Last night it was locking doors when I went out and this morning I’m sure I left some celing fans on. Thankfully nothing too major yet.
You just reminded me of another one, leaving the front door wide open when we went out for a number of hours!
I once sent the girls and their dad off on a beach holiday with what I assured them was a carefully packed suitcase. Problem was, all I had packed was four dresses for each girl. That’s right – no undies, no toothbrushes, no swimmers, nothing else! And nothing AT ALL for him.
That’s hilarious Amy. Did he just go out and buy more stuff?
Thank you SO much for this! Like the other commenters, it’s great to see that I (previously obsessively organised working mother of 4 under 7) am not alone! I am wondering whether anyone has experienced the 10 day timetable, as my 2nd daughter has just started prep and they do this. My older daughter is at a different school, where each week is the same, and I have laminated posters on cubbyholes for each day of the week (eg in Monday’s cubby is “Swimming” so we remember to pack her swim bag for school). However, my 2nd daughter has just started at a different school, and they have a fortnightly timetable, so for example every 2nd Thursday they have music; and have to wear sports uniform to school on Tuesday/Wednesday in the first week and Wednesday/Thursday in the 2nd. I would LOVE hints on how to manage this – I have enough on my mind and am SURE I’ll forget which week we’re in and send her in the wrong clothes!
Wow that sounds very tricky! I have never experienced that at all. Hopefully another mum might come up with an answer. My initial thoughts would be to write it out on a calendar and teach your child to read the days of the week, so eventually (this would take time) they can check the calendar themsleves.
Good luck with it!
That is insane! If you negotiate all of that you deserve to patent your system.
My thoughts, for what their worth: Maybe each girl can have a set of cards on an O Ring (10 for your second and 5 for your first) with each day in their timetable and the corresponding activities written/drawn on each card. In the morning they flip over to the new day/card and hang it back up on a hook to refer back to as they get their gear ready.
Hope you find something that works!
Great to hear I am a little like you, Nic!! Congrats on the book too – fabulous news. Nx
So glad it is not just me who has a mental load caoacity. after a year involving a house move from city to country, commuting to work, a mojor medical procedure, starting a new kinder amongst other things I
-went to make breakfast only to find the milk put away into the cupboard and the tin of baked beans in the fridge
-after getting a present, hyping up the kids completely missed our first invitation to another child’s birthday party by turning up in the arvo (was a 10am party!)
This all led me to think that there is a brain overload point!
You sound like you just described my life! lol. I got asked just before Christmas to write a book as well. We had recently moved house and had started renovations so I had been organising all of that as well as my blog, my book, looking after my 2 daughters (so not quite as many as you) and the general house stuff.
There have been so many times I felt my head would explode from all the info from every angle. Thankfully it is all coming together now.
I do think it seems to be a common trait amongst women, trying to do it all, that is.
I found your blog as one of the attendees for the blogging conference and will now be following.
In moments of chaos – and there are many of them! – I tell myself that the kids will not care nor remember whether Tuesday night dinner was delicious, whether they got to swimming on time, whether their clothes were ironed and whether all the lego pieces were together. As long as they remember that I was there – even 90% there! – that’s all that matters!
Oh babe! You do such an amazing job…any lesser person would have lost the kids at the supermarket and forgotten xmas altogether
And if it makes you feel any better I bought 3 boxes of zhu zhu pet tunnels for Monkey, and then lost them, and then had to re-buy them, and just found them again the other day! (will now have to take them back to target and exchange them for Monkey’s b’day presents!!)
xxxCate
It is so nice to know I’m not the only manic mother out there!!! Life just …. well…. takes on a complete life of it’s own with kids doesnt it!
Busy moments and not enough space in my head – my family know when I raise my hand up and say ‘stop, too many words’ that I’m at capacity for a wee while. Sometimes there’s just no more room!
Love the blog and love the ideas everyone shares for various situations. You have an avid reader here!