Hmm how to socialize when you have kids

Let me give you a visual of my week.

I get up. I take a shower. I wake up kids. I make lunches. I make sure kids got up. I turn the TV on to distract the younger kids. I get the preschoolers up. I put Sonny on the potty. I get Sonny dressed. I put waffles in the toaster. I get Declan up and dressed. I give Declan a waffle. I remind the older kids to put their homework in their backpack. I turn on my car .I load Declan then Sonny in my car. I yell good-bye to everyone jump in my car and drop Sonny and Declan off at Bright Stars Learning Center. (AWESOME PRESCHOOL) I listen and hug and kiss my boys while they hang on my leg crying. They are offered breakfast and I walk out the door. I stop to wave at their smiling faces at the window complete with kiss blowing. Then I'm off to work. I check my navigator for an ETA and choose my route. Once I'm on the freeway I make calls I need to make. Blue-tooth :-) I'm in traffic any where form 40 minutes to an hour. I get to San Ramon with time to spare. Starbucks is calling me. Into Safeway where the line is shortest. Order a Grande Pikes Roast room for cream. Doctor my coffee up and off to work. I park far from the door for a quarter mile brisk walk. Set my coffee on my desk, fill up my water bottle and sit and wait for the clock to change.

I'm on the clock taking one call after another, solving and selling my little heart out. First break I call my Mom. She needs to be checked on. It's a daughters job. Back on the phones then lunch. I eat a bowl of streamed fresh veggies no salt no oil every day. I by a diet Coke. Sometimes I chat, or make a call I can't make before or after work. Then back to the phones. SELL SELL SELL. Last break I touch bases with Warren. He's usually getting or have the kids by then. One more hour or so on the phones. Then one of 2 things happen. Physical Therapy or pick up the boys. I get in my car. Evening drive is my social call to one of my girlfriends, sister or parents. Withing 45 minutes to an hour or so I'm at Bright Stars picking up my boys. Stop long enough to see how their day went and collect their art projects. Then it off to home. We sing songs on the way home. Twinkle Twinkle Traffic light is a favorite.

We are home by 7 at the latest. We walk in the door Warren says Hi Baby Cakes. The boys run right to him for hugs and kisses. Joey is at the door waiting to tell me he's hungry and how awful his life is. Warren is either making dinner or working. When I have to make dinner. I walk straight into the kitchen wash my hands and start cooking. Usually something most of us will eat. The kids eat and I do the dishes. Then bath. If homework is done I sit, if not we finish it. This on some nights can last until 10pm. Declan is put to bed at 830pm. Joey at 9pm and the girls we're still working on it. Sonny is a creature of the night. In addition to our regular madness on any given night, depending on the season we could be at a basketball, soccer or baseball game or practice or lessons.

Then it's the weekend. Relax. HAHA! Laundry,laundry and more laundry. Pick up the house, vacuum, mop, wipe down counters and clean what ever I can Saturday morning. Again depending on the season I might be at a soccer game as a Mom chasing toddlers or is the game referee. I could be at a baseball game again as the Mom chasing toddlers. These events take up most of my Saturday. Saturday night we might have a playdate, a birthday party, go bowling or to the drive-in. Sunday lets hit the park, the zoo, Chuck E. Cheese, one of the cousins, church, the water slides, walk around the Lafayette reservoir or any other family activity you can think of.

So when do I have me time.........? I don't. I have to plan it. Luckily I have friends that are just as busy as me and get it. I have professional friend, single friends, and friends with kids. Some are all three. I try to make plans way in advance so I know not to plan anything else and can book a babysitter. Sometimes I go out with my friends and their kids and mine combined. Talk about a parade. I love my girl time. Talks with other grown ups about anything. Sometimes I even go out with my husband.

The interesting thing about my social life is I have one I got after I had three kids and no free time. It became easier to meet a friend in a park we routinely go to or a friend of a friend I clicked with. I have very few "old" friends from high school. In the begin of regaining me time I became friends with co-workers. I quickly learned unless you want to live in a rumor mill keep your business at home and your co-workers at work.

I routinely go out on couples dates. This seems to be the best social outlet for me. Get one babysitter. Have a lovely dinner with my husband and see my/our friends at the same time. It also great for those times you plan a date and one of you just isn't feeling it. There is always another person to distract and improve your mood. I have a few couples we try to do this with often. Other ways I've been able to get out is go with the kids to a casual party. My sweetheart and what other Dad is around then watch the kids while me and the girls exit to a kids free fun. The last trick is my sweetheart just watches the kids for a few hours and a thought out lunch or shopping trip is planned with a friend. My favorite me time is when Grandma and Grandpa who live 3 hours south of me come to visit and mention Warren and I should go out. Any one of these social dates requires planning way in advance. I use Google calendars to tract everyone social life to find the best time for me to have one. That way I still get to be Mommy and Mary.

When I'm dying to just hang out with Warren we have a late night sofa date. Kids snug in their beds. Snacks, and drinks and a movie alone with my honey. He even lets me pick the movie sometimes.

That is a nut shell is how a super busy working Mom can too have a life.