What does a week day morning look like? Any tips to make it easier?
"A typical morning starts off with the kids up before me and me pulling myself out of bed at 7:30. I throw on some clothes and begin making their breakfasts and packing their lunches for school. A little after 8, I'm getting the boys on the bus and then get our daughter ready for preschool. After Alaysia is dropped off at preschool, I breathe, answer texts/e-mails in my car in the parking lot of the preschool and then go run errands until I pick her up!"
"Prepping the night before helps me so much! I try to have the boys set out their clothes for school the night before and make sure I have the right foods on hand to make their lunches in the morning. I also make sure my coffee is ground the night before and my coffee pot is ready to go for the morning...that is a must!"
Can you think of any activities your children do that give you a moment or two of free time? If so please share!
"After the boys get home from school I send all the kids outside to run around and burn off energy! They play great together and the fresh air is good for them and I get a few moments of quiet to start making dinner."
Does your husband have any duties with the children that are strictly his?
"No, we really try to be partners in parenting and balance each other out. Days that I'm tired or grumpy he steps up and does more with the kids and takes care of bedtime and days he's worn out I let him rest while I take over kid duty. Each day we see what the day brings and adjust our roles as needed to help each other out."
What did you do on your last date with your hubby?
"We do a date night swap with another family so I dropped the kids off at their house and Michael and I had an at home date! I picked up fish and lobster that I found on manager's special at Kroger and it was an adventure to figure out how to crack open the lobsters since we didn't have the proper tools! It was so fun and we really enjoy getting to be in the comfort of our own home. It was restful and quiet and we had the 2 hours to talk without interruption!"
Can you share any of the funniest things your child has said or done?
"When one of our boys was 3 1/2 years old, I walked into the bathroom to find him wiping the wall with toilet paper. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he was wiping off the wall. I asked him why he was wiping the wall and he said "because I peed on it." I said, "Why did you pee on the wall?!" He said "Because it needed to be cleaned!"
How do you make quality family time?
We try not to overwhelm our schedule with activities so that we can have fun as a family. We want to instill in our kids that we are all each other's best friends and we will always be there for each other. So we try to prioritize our family time both by having quiet times together reading books or fun family date nights of bowling or mini golfing. We also try to find activities that really speak to our kids's hearts and what really speaks love to them. For one child it's going out on special date nights with Dad or Mom, for another it's curling up and reading together and for another it's doing an activity with Dad or Mom at home.