clarification: I have so much respect and am in awe of working mothers the following blather is in no way meant to insult them or make anyone feel bad, I know I have been so lucky being able to stay home with my boys for so long. As I contemplate going back to work next year I am overwhelmed just thinking about how I am going to fit in what I do now and get myself to work each day.... but sometimes I am just as overwhelmed staying home and coping with the day to day..end edit

I am a SAHM, I would just like to know when the staying at home bit is going to start, I only have 2 more terms of Riley at kindy then I have to suck it up and go out and get a job!!

There is no staying home.. it is a lie

From the time you wake up and reach for something to prop your eyelids open with you are on the run. If I could stand to leave the house without showering I would forgo this luxury just to get that extra 15 minutes, although now after 6 years I do actually get a shower before 2pm, but now I am in there making lists and trying to remember what Alec has to take today, is he in sports uniform? is it library day, and if it is where is the library book. Do I have juice boxes for Riley's lunch or do I have to stop at the petrol station on the way to school (see my great forward planning at work here)

When they were little it was different, I could be dressed and ready to leave the house.. for anywhere!!!! at 7am, only because I had usually been up since 4am entertaining Riley, then they hit school and there are places you must be at a certain time. I remember Alec's first day of kindy, we were almost late because we stopped to chat with the neighbours, no more of that now, out the back door and into the car, because if you don't get to school by 8:12am you are out of luck if you wanted a parking spot. Once you are there there is reading, puzzles and impromptu teacher parent meetings to contend with. If it is a non Riley kindy day then I am left to amuse him for the day, if not I have that luxury all women live for.. grocery shopping without the children, because we all just love grocery shopping don't we girls. You get that done, run a few more errands and you are home in time to eat some lunch while you put away the shopping while watching Dr Phil, then you realise there are no clean school uniforms so you are off to your next least favourite place... the laundry.

Then there is school pick up, Riley finishes at 2:30 Alec at 2:45, I am on play equipment pack away roster so on Wednesdays and Fridays I am there at 2:15 packing away, I collect Riley then we wait 15 minutes for Alec, at the moment we are being health conscious (like the boys have a choice) and we are walking home from school. Today I think Riley actually enjoyed it instead of begging me to go and get the car.

Then it is home to make afternoon tea, catching up on the day.. what did you do today sweety, oh nothing much followed by that perplexed look of why on earth do you want to know what I have been doing. I know what Riley did because I did some kindy helping today, we made masks, Riley was a tiger and he made a tail and painted a stripy picture and came out the door at home time in his tiger outfit looking gorgeous.

So now it is 4pm, afternoon tea is done with now I have to think of dinner.. I have the potatoes sorted, have a look at these crash hot potatoes from the pioneer woman's blog, I almost wish I had a steak to go with it but as I lacked any kind of ideas or inspiration when I did the shopping last week I bought 6 chooks and the fixings for a super sized pot of bolagnaise sauce for the freezer so we could alternate chook spaghetti chook spaghetti chook spaghetti for 2 weeks, Michael didn't look too thrilled at the prospect, not me as I could happily eat the same thing every day.

So tomorrow is another day, the usual school scurry then errands, a trip to buy some more bread mix and then home with Riley, we might ignore the grotty bathrooms (Michael will make that scoffing noise now because I always manage to ignore the bathrooms, it is true readers, Michael cleans the bathroom) and the pile of laundry to fold and watch a movie, only as long as I get to pick.

oh and before I go, I wanted to share some 4 year old wisdom with you, the oven timer is going off and I hear Riley call out.. I will get it for you mummy... thank you Riley... I am being very helpful aren't I mummy.. you are being very helpful thank you.. yes... something helpful came over me