Less Crazy, More Routine

I need to stop with the craziness, the insane schedules, the taking on too much, making too many plans and freaking out when things don't go as I dreamed they would.  Of course they don't, I am trying to fit a mountain into a mole hill - trying to do too much. I need less crazy and more routine.

Our lives are hectic with a capital H.  Brad is usually gone 2 nights a week, but rarely is it the same two nights, so we don't get in a good rhythm, everyday is different and the girls don't know which end is up, which parent will take them to school and which parent will pick them up day to day and for a while that worked for us and maybe it will again in the future, but for right now, it isn't working.  I need less crazy and more routine.

The one on the left is me, the one on the right is Molly...

I want to work out - can't seem to find the time - need to build a schedule so I can schedule workout time.  This one is actually a lie. I don't want to work out, rather, I NEED to work out, even if that means taking a walk in the evenings - of course the evenings when Brad is home, those Child Protective Services people would frown on me strolling the hood while my children are being supervised by a 7 year old hound.

I want to plan meals better - so that during the week we are eating healthy and at home every single night, so that I am not realizing at 6pm when I am rushing to pick up the girls that Brad is out of town and I haven't planned a meal.  I need to plan meals even when he is out of town and it needs to be healthy for all of us, not just kid friendly. And by planning better, it will likely structure my grocery list a little better, which will reduce the overspending and waste, and will also make it so my pantry doesn't invoke a panic attack every time I open it, I want a clean, organized pantry but I just have too much food in it, I want to have on my shelves what I need...not what I might possibly need.

I want to get to work and leave work around the same time every day - come Fall, we will have to be on a better routine because Olivia's schedule is now going to be less flexible, she is going to need to be at TCH by 7:50am every single morning so she can catch the bus to school.

This morning - I think Avery changed her clothes 3 times, cried 7 times and managed to get into at least 3 fights with Olivia, oh wait, and I forgot, she changed her shoes 3 times.  It was a tough morning for Avery, but I was proud of myself, I didn't fuss at her once, I let us take our time, I helped her find shoes that would bring her voice down into the normal range, and helped her take them off and put them on several times until her socks here lined up just right.  I helped her pick out the donut she wanted to take for snack, and despite the fact that she changed her mind 3 times, we got out the door with shoes on and a donut in hand.

I am hoping that routine reduces crazy for everyone involved - that it helps the girls and adds a little structure to their lives, most kids need structure right? I don't want them to be tied to a schedule, I want them to be able to go with the flow, but right now I am not going with the flow very well so I can't imagine its easy for them since I am acting like a crazy person trying to go with the flow and failing miserably!