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dawn2006
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Hi. I've got four kids. The oldest is doing 1st grade work and the youngest is a a very mobile 10 month old. I just want to say that I am amazed at how much work (school and house) goes into our days. Also, if we spend an unplanned afternoon away (or two) then I get really behind in the housework. It's really and truly amazing.
I'm just awed. Does anyone else remember waking up and feeling this way??
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Dawn Farias | wife to Ariel | mom to Gabriel 9, Daniel 7, Elizabeth 5, and Michael 3 | blogger at Be Absorbed | native Texan but currently living near Seattle
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monique
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Yes. I've got 5 and it seems after him everything became "work". And like you, it seems to have happened overnight!? Things I used to not even think about as a "job" has suddenly become one--even things like changing diapers and getting little ones dressed.
I also used to love to go places and travel but like you it puts me too far behind now. I don't enjoy going out like I used to.
I figure a lot of it is my attitude so I try to remember why I'm doing this. All for the glory of God! :) Having a schedule and knowing what needs to be done and when helped me tremendously. I can relax a little bit now because even when we are gone I know what I need to do before hand, and if I can't do that, then I know what I need to do to catch up when we are back. I use iCal and it so enlightening to see how much actual time it takes for us to complete things, from schoolwork to chores.
Anyway, this is way longer then I was planning on writing but just wanted to say, yep, totally agree with ya, Dawn! :)
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Monique
mom to 5
Raising Saints
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Angel
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Um... remember? I'm living it, too! 
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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LisaD
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It never ends. My oldest is 9 1/2, and is learning to cook and she can operate the washer and dryer. That is some help, but it's the cleaning that kills me. Even with kids helping, it just never, ever ends. My dh sometimes looks at me and says, "I am so glad I am the one to go away to work, your job is too hard!" LOL! It's a tough job, raising saints!
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~Lisa
Mama to dd(99), ds(01), ds(03) and ds(06)
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CKwasniewski
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You should look at this blog post...
Mother Letter
It really made me pause and re-group today after feeling down about the very same things!
Thanks to Elizabeth for pointing it out.
(Lots of great stuff on Ann's blog...)
hang in there
ck
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Marybeth
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Yes! Yes! Yes! I think putting up our Christmas tree about topped me out for the year.  We are in the midst of a huge remodel and our weather is bitterly cold these past few days. Ugh!
I really want to ask God if dust was some punishment because of Adam and Eve because really does it ever end!!!???!!!
Hang in there!
Prayers for us all.
Marybeth
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Marybeth (Mb)
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melanie
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Oh my goodness, did you wake up in my head?, lol...
I'm having a really hard time this month...just feel like I'm wandering around and not getting much done. What's that saying? The hurrier I go the behinder I get? I let myself get behind on stuff and now I'm having a really hard time getting caught up again.
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Sarah M
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I only have 3 and I totally feel like this! This thread has cheered me some, though- I'm not alone!!!
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Sarah M
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I just found this entry at Kim Fry's blog and thought I'd share it here. I've been feeling really frustrated lately with the amount of work to be done each day, feeling like many days I wake up and go through the motions, checking each task off my list, only to go to bed, wake up, and do it all again tomorrow  . I love how Kim describes the importance of what today brings, of what is "normal" for today.
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Lisbet
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Sarah, Thanks for linking to that. I read that late last night and was very very encouraged and it has shaped my frame of mind so far today. Kim is awesome!
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
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dawn2006
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Sarah: there was so much I related to at that post. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing everyone.
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Dawn Farias | wife to Ariel | mom to Gabriel 9, Daniel 7, Elizabeth 5, and Michael 3 | blogger at Be Absorbed | native Texan but currently living near Seattle
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juststartn
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Oh yes! Count me in!
Five 8 and under...the oldest can run the dw, washer/dryer...thank goodness. She can haul trash, boil water, use the microwave, and run the vacuum (now if I can just get all of my children to flush the toilets!)...
I put the tree up last night. DH got on me cause I didn't WANT the children helping me--I *wanted* to do it myself because I did not want to have the children underfoot while I was climbing up and down off a chair, wrestling with lights, moving ornaments here and there, etc. I had a living room full of decoration boxes (I found six of the 10 or so we have  ). And he wonders why I don't want the children underfoot because of that....
No. It doesn't get easier as long as there are so many littles. I don't think. I'm still not thru this part, although I may be seeing *some* light at the end of the tunnel...lol. I actually have some time/energy to use for other things...
Rachel
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Pamin OZ
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I was going to come to the boards and ask everyone how they deal/cope with things being left undone all the time. (Things I want to do, not things the kids do!)
I think I am a big project person and a perfectionist and I hate not completing things in the first throws of enthusiasm. I know I need to fight against all these tendencies but how?
Because there is so much work, and I've found that it's either daily work or projects. I don't seem to be able to keep up with both.
Does this sound familiar?
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Philothea
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Pam in Oz, that's my story, too. We recently moved into a new home and I have found that I can either work on unpacking and settling in, or do the daily chores, but I cannot do both with the children underfoot. So after 10 weeks here, there are still boxes everywhere. My husband is frustrated with me and I don't blame him, but I just can't get it all done!
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Dawnie
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Dawn,
Yes, there is A LOT of work involved in caring for a large family and homeschooling.
I can't really take a day off either, without getting seriously behind.
My sister had her first baby last Thursday and has needed a lot of help with breastfeeding. I went up to the hospital twice a day for a couple of days to help her...I wasn't even gone all day and I got behind. I think it was worth the sacrifice, though. 
Just keeping up on "the basics," which for me means cooking, keeping the kitchen cleaned up, laundry, keeping the kids fairly clean, and some schoolwork takes pretty much all day. Now that my oldest is 9, though, she is able to help out a lot more and that is lightening the load *a little*. She can wash the dinner dishes while I start bathing the littles at night.
I have found that when I start feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do, it really helps to make a list of what really needs to be done that day. Then, I write down time estimations for the tasks and the time I plan to do each task. That helps me to see if I'm being realistic about getting all my "to-do's" accomplished that day. I often can see that I've written down more than is physically possible for me to do in one day, so then I need to move some tasks to another day or kindly ask dh to do some of it.
Dawn
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Topic: Amazed at volume of work.
