Clone me

I'm frequently asked how I manage it all and I invariably respond with a flippant "if I don't do it, it doesn't get done". Well, there are plenty of things that don't get done, usually my hair and makeup, quite often I also miss out on breakfast and lunch...

My days as a single mum look like this:

4:30am First wake up call
5:30am If I'm not already up, I'm going to be late! Wake the kids, going them to dress
6am Make the boys lunch, chase them to the car
6:15-6:30 Drive the boys the 10 minutes to their bus
6:40 Back home to wait for Baby Girl to get ready. Do laundry. Clean up kitchen
7:10-7:30 Drive Baby Girl to school
7:30 Back home, workout for 30 minutes
8am-3pm Online for work interspersed with random bouts of cleaning while on conference calls, paying bills, catching up on miscellaneous tasks
3pm-3:30 Pick boys up from bus, home for snack and homework
3:30-5pm Finish working while simultaneously refereeing the kids
5-7pm Depends on the season, football practice, band practice, chorus... gym, grocery store run
7-9pm Cook dinner, check homework, clean something... Chase kids to shower and get to bed
9pm-whenever Pour some wine, check to see what didn't get done and make a note to do it tomorrow, fall asleep watching tv...

Yeah, I'm tired. And days like today when I can't sleep make it even more challenging, but I'll get up and do it all again anyway. I don't do anything that any other single mum doesn't do.

I keep five calendars just to keep track of everything, but sometimes the logistics just don't work out.

I make multiple lists and still forget things.

I don't have friends and family close enough to help. Migraines and sick days are a nightmare, but lately Baby Girl has stepped up and is even looking forward to getting her license in a couple months to help with more!

Last September I took a week off work and was just a mum for a week. That's when I realised that my paying job is actually the EASIEST part of my day! Vacation to me means a beach, a bar and a bed! But I don't get vacations.

So I need the following clones:

Mum for teenage girl
Mum for pre-adolescent boys
Housekeeper
Accountant
Chauffeur
Legal specialist

And I'll handle the SharePoint architect duties as well as the shopping. :-)

Of course, my life would be just a little bit easier if Douchebag would get bored and stop his shenanigans. Keeping up with attorneys and court dates and paying for it all... I keep wondering when he will just let go, but he won't until he feels he had "won" (I wish I knew what the prize was).