One Smart Cookie

Once upon a time, I was a fairly organized woman. Hard to believe, I know, but it's true. When I was in the workforce (and only had three children, who were all in public school) I was known for my organizational skills, efficiency, and serious attention to detail.

It's stunning how much can change over the years, isn't it.

When I first became a stay-at-home mom, I had (I thought) no need for making a schedule. Get up, get the girls off to school, do what needed to be done around the house, fix dinner while the girls did homework, and so forth. Simple.

And then, I started homeschooling.

Well, that wasn't too hard. I only had one of the three girls at home with me, we did our work in the morning shortly after everyone else was gone, and I still had plenty of time in the afternoon to do whatever I needed to before it was time to pick up the other two. No problem!

And then I started homeschooling her younger sister.

Okay, now I've got two kids to teach. No biggie, they're both in grade school so it's still pretty easy work. I mean, it's not like we're learning Algebra or Biology or something advanced and time-consuming like that, right?

And then, I started having more children.

Ummmm...........

Yeah, I admit it. Juggling infants and toddlers with housework and schoolwork hasn't been a cakewalk. And every time I thought I was starting to get a handle on it, something new popped up to throw me askew. Things like getting pregnant again, moving into a bigger house (more rooms for me to clean, oh yay!), getting chickens to raise (and not just a few chickens, but thirty of the silly little cluckers!), and the shocking realization that, somewhere in the midst of all this, my sweet little easy-to-teach third grader is now a high school student learning.......

(duh duh DUHHHHMMMM...)

ALGEBRA!!! (insert high-pitched scream here)


For the past eighteen months (eighteen months, people!), I've been beating my head against the wall trying to come up with a daily schedule for me and the children that's realistic and doable. This week, I finally got it!

Unfortunately, I left it on my kitchen counter. Just close enough to the edge for my two-year old daughter to reach it.



Considering how many times I've tried (and failed spectacularly) to put this family on a schedule, and considering that said schedule means early, consistent bedtimes for little ones so I can have some "me" time, I have only one conclusion.

My two-year old is one smart cookie.