Hellobee Boards

@Becksabee: ahh, that's not nice re: the Facebook thing. I work about 55 hours a week and have an additional 10 hours commuting, and I don't even have any kids yet--I have NO idea how anyone manages their life after kids. kudos to you for trying to keep the house clean

already, I say no much more often than I say yes. for the most part, the friends I'm saying no to work much less than I do, don't commute, don't have kids, don't exercise, send their laundry out to be done, and have cleaning ladies--guessing that maybe you have a similar situation if you feel like you're disappointing people?

the way I manage to see people is basically by seeing them at brunch on the weekends, which I love to do, and it's the only time slot that's realistic for me. otherwise, if it's a very special get together I try my best to come, but I constantly turn down birthday dinners for people turning 31, destination bachelorette parties, weddings on the other side of the country, etc. likewise, I don't get offended when people don't come to my (rare) events.

It is really, really hard to have illness in the family, too, and it puts all that crap in major perspective. I hope you can just be easy with yourself, feel better, and get some rest

I feel like you have a TON going on! Being a full time working mom is hard enough, add a second kid and two seriously ill family members, that is a lot.

To answer your question-- I'm not sure what "things" you're really talking about. With work and commute I'm out of the house about 10.5 hrs/day. I only have one toddler but she is super clingy, especially since she started daycare a few months ago, so once we get home at night she needs my 100% full attention until she goes to bed. By the time we do dinner and get her put to bed and pack for daycare and whatnot its 8:30 at night and I go to bed at 10.

So... I don't do much during the week. We have a house cleaner so we don't have to worry about cleaning much. We do tidy up every night (DH does that while I put LO to bed). Laundry is a bit of a constant struggle. I can usually get it washed throughout the week but then it all needs folded/put away on weekends. Weekends feel like they're about 75% taken up by errands and chores but we try to do one fun thing at least every weekend. We invite friends to do stuff when we're able (usually just lunch/playdate). We almost never see friends outside of hanging out as family units. Like... the last time I did anything with a friend without LO present was a pedicure with a friend (gone a total of 1.5 hours) 4 months ago. Before that I did a girl's night with friends ummmm like last Sept or something maybe? lol