Hey everyone,
I sure do love the world of blogging, especially when I need advice. I am so glad we are all here to help each other out!
I know I have seen the odd post about this, but I need to hear from you!
Are all you mom’s super busy? Do you feel there are not enough hours in a day?
I am going to be completely honest here and share with you what our week looks like, then i would love any ideas and tips you can offer.
Monday -
Little G here from 8-4
9-11:45 Montessori work with Snow White & G
Supper with grandma 5-7
Hubby Judo 8-10
(I usually try to do my planning for the week on this evening)
Tuesday-
Snow White French Preschool 9-1 (20 minutes drive each way)
Little G here from 1:30 – 7:00
2-4 Montessori work
Wednesday –
Mini-Franco fun classes for me & Snow White & Belle from 9:30 – 11:30 (20 min drive each way)
6:45-8:30 awana clubs for Snow White
Thursday –
Snow White French Preschool 9-1 (20 minutes drive each way)
Little G here from 1:30 – 8:15
2-4 Montessori work
Friday –
Little G is here from 8 – 4
9-11:45 Montessori work
5pm We go out to visit friends or have company over
One Sunday a month we spend with my parents, one Sunday a month with Prince Charming’s parents
(The girls also have swimming lessons each winter and dance classes in spring)
One of my dear friends (Thanks so much C!) sent me this in an e-mail awhile back. I found it quite encouraging. Here is what she wrote:
“The most important thing is to get to enjoy your children…just remember, Dr. Maria Montessori did not get to enjoy her own son until he was an adult.
The children she worked with were orphan children and she made their world very peaceful and lovely for them, but because of the times, she did not get to kick back and have fun with her own son as a baby, toddler, or child. Nor to she get to marry the man of her dreams.
She did some fabulous things but never got to have the pleasure of being surrounded by her own little family.
But the reverse of that was true, too…what she did for the orphan children was her work.
It became her life calling, but she did not have to juggle trying to do things in a household while trying to have a beautiful prepared environment with her own little ones running around and wanting her attention.
She did not have to clear the table she used for a presentation to make room for dinner plates and glasses. She did not have to check on a roast, put in a load of laundry, pick up the dry cleaning, take a child to the dentist, feed the dog, bathe the kids, strip and wash the sheets, re-make beds, fold laundry, clean out the fridge., take her dog for a walk, answer the phone, check email, write a blog, try to repair a piece from a puzzle that the puppy has just chewed, send off packages, make flight plans, comfort her own children when they are scared in a new surrounding, organize a field trip, drop off things to Goodwill, go to her husband’s job to pick him up from work, talk to her husband about when t-ball practice is, pack for a family vacation, go shopping for clothes for her kids as they have shot up overnight, etc.
She had one main focus and purpose and we all can thank her for all that she did…but our lives are much more complicated and require sooooooooooo much more multi-tasking.”
Now my question is, how do you all do it?
When can i do Montessori lessons with little Belle?
helping others
housework
laundry
shopping
cooking
planning
preparing work/lessons
organizing
husband/wife time
family time
friend time
me time
one on one time with the girls
going to library
running errands
volunteer work
blogging time
everything else…
Maybe this does not seem like much to all you super Montessori mommy’s out there, but sometimes i feel like pulling all my hair out!!!!!!!!
Advice? Please?
Life in my house this year is crazy, too, and I have just my kids (but there are three of them…ages 5, 3 and 2) We too are trying to juggle Montessori work with going places and doing things. Gymnastics on Monday morning for my daughter, swapping kids with my sister in law and field trips on Tuesday, Atrium (a catechism class Montessori style for kids) on Wednesday, and that leaves Thursday for one block of school time in the morning. We do school part-time the other mornings. I have found that I just have to watch my kids this year and see how they're doing. I try to work with my oldest during the other's rest times, and teach them things on the fly. That's how they've learned things over the years in general. My two youngest tend to learn more out of school than in school, because we talk about things and learn things all the time. But I do have shelf-work out for them to do when I'm working with the oldest. So, I don't know about advice, other than stick with it! And enjoy what you CAN do this year, with your kids. Don't stress too much:) And thanks for the quote- that will be great for me to ponder!
Hannah,
I want to take some time and respond to this appropriately at a later time, but wanted you to know I'm right with you. Here's an old post of mine on a similar topic, and in that post I don't even GET TO the rest of the stuff we have to do like you've listed:
http://whatdidwedoallday.blogspot.com/2009/07/not-enough-hours-in-day.html
ooops, I addressed that to Hannah and I meant to address that to you…sorry!
Yikes! Talk about a busy schedule! The worst thing about it is I don't see any time for you in there at all!! Very important. At least it looks like you have Tuesdays and Thursdays to work with Belle a bit in the mornings. I would reccomend not having any more kids at the moment! : )
Hey MB,
Yes it sure is busy!
I would love to work with Belle on T & T mornings, but she still naps during that time. I guess that will change yet too though,
Thanks again!
Oh, i forgot that Prince Charming and I have French classes on Tuesday evenings from 7-9 too!
I spotted this post today on another blog I read and thought you would enjoy it:
http://blessedamongmen.blogspot.com/2009/09/come-see-me.html
Wow, you pack a lot in. I am in a phase of life at the moment where we are doing less. A jouralist friend of mine got me to keep a journal for two weeks of everytime I made life 'harder for myself than it had to be', and then look at what was truly necessary/values based and what wasn't. I was amazed how often I was motivated by guilt, pride, or dumn habit. Its a good exercise … but only you know what you need to do! I am suprised how little I miss some of the things (like our Waldorf playgroup that was a 20 minute drive away) that I thought I 'needed' and how well my daughter has responded to the peace around home.
Unfortunately, that's what the weekends are for… but I use the boys to help as much as I can. There is no super power one has to get it all done. So some days it has to be messy..but the clean for me is a relief (short lived). As for serving others, it usually comes at times when it's less convienent, but the rewards are great for both parties. With your busy schedule I'm sure you are serving or get prepared to…I agree with your other comments. Take a moment of peace & quiet for you.
Montessori said that a class functions in the same way if she were there or not (paraphrasing). So If there are moments of peace..enjoy them. Arent we suppose to be great multitaskers, anyways? Just know you are not alone..women always do more, that's what my mother-in-law said before I married her son.
Good Luck
Agreed that there are never enough hours in the day, especially with more than one child! Tonight is the first time I am reading your blog, but so far, it looks like you are doing a fabulous job, so don't let it overwhelm you.