Routines

A mom of a large family, Kerri, asked me to blog about some organizational details...which would assume that I'm more organized than others, which is bull.

First of all, heck with organization, it's humor that gets us through. I can crack a joke in a heartbeat and it's contagious. Big Joe gave me this picture of him from Halloween. "Check it out, Mama, I'm a white boy now."

He told me a funnier story, as well, that I'll relate later when I figure out how to replace a perfectly acceptable cuss word that he used

But daily...I fight an uphill, losing battle that frustrates me enormously.

My children are PIGS. I totally understand their need to recreate chaos, as that's all they knew. I get it that they never learned to take care of things, and I comprehend the destructiveness born out of their deep frustration over negative life events.

BUT I have broken windows and it is cold outside. Finally a handyman is coming today to replace windows but, duh, I'll need him over and over again.

Kerri wants to know how I get 20 something kids out the door each morning looking presentable. Honey, it ain't easy...

I insist on collared shirts for my sons, they don't even think about doing otherwise, now after years of my bellowing and nagging, it's a non-issue, they get up and get dressed. I work the kitchen, making sure everyone eats something appropriate, I'm usually signing agenda books, guzzling coffee, and reminding different kids of schedules and obligations.

Chores suck for us, it seems as if we no sooner get the house straightened up, then it is trashed again, 20 pairs of shoes strowed everywhere, stinky socks hanging from the ceiling fan, a pile of dirty laundry close to the machine if I'm lucky, smelly bathrooms constantly, trash making a perfect circle around the trash can rather than in the trash can, holes in the walls for artwork along with psychotic crayon drawings, and a couple of long thin lines of as yet undetected poop smears. I'm always dumb enough to smell it first so I can then make the culprit clean it up.

We have several bathrooms and several hot water heaters, I supervise baths of the 15 younger kids, middle school and up like mornings showers. I do all the laundry until a kid gets to the age that they'd rather do their own due to the fact that I don't sort by color, or get all hot and bothered if stuff isn't perfect.

I cook, but right now I need older kids to lift the heavy pots for me. Everyone washes their own dishes, we have two dishwashers and one seems to always be running. No one just helps themselves to whatever they feel like eating as I cook real sit down meals, that may seem like a huge undertaking, but truthfully I believe it is easier than the chaos that would ensue with a couple of dozen people rummaging and helping themselves to whatever.

Everyone is supposed to keep their own rooms clean, and I think they do a terrible job at it, I nag and withhold computer time until it is done, and it usually stays clean for 90 or so seconds. I'm not joking.

It's getting somewhat easier now that the kids are getting older and due to the fact that we haven't had any new arrivals in nearly two years.

I get up early, I'm old and can't sleep, I enjoy my coffee, it takes me all of five minute to pound out a blog post or two, in many ways it is beneficial and quite therapeutic for me, but now I have 6 dentist appointments to get to, my high school kids and older, the phone keeps ringing, and I gotta get more groceries...