So how do you travel to 22 states in 3 months with your kids and still stay on top of the school work, house work, ranch work and business work you ask?
Well, you don’t.
You see, there really is no way to do it all. Something has to give. In my case, several somethings.
Yes, we did the travel. Yes, we learned a ton. Yes, we met interesting people and saw our nation’s landmarks. Yes, we combined our business with fun. Yes, we are behind in everything else.
Ahhh, there it is. I’ve admitted it. I am not super mom.
You see, week 33 in our school year just ended and my 5th grader is somewhere between week 27 and 32 on his lessons depending on the subject, and the kindergartener, well, he hasn’t fared as well – we are still slogging through week 26 with the hopes that we will finish it today and then cram a shortened version of weeks 27 and 28’s lessons into these next few days as we hit the road again. Am I worried? No, not really. He can read over 100 words, adds numbers like 63 plus 5, has almost finished his first handwriting book and is soaking up facts about history, science, and geography from his older brother and our travels so I think he will be just fine.
Oh, but my house? The dining room resembles a holiday shop in the middle of a “Going Out of Business Sale” more than a place to eat meals. The decorations are stacked up on the table and the buffet from various holidays all the way back to Christmas. It’s a jumble of Snowmen, Valentine’s Hearts, and Easter Rabbits all collecting dust and waiting for their turn to make the annual trip to the attic.
My yard is in various stages of chaos; dead, almost dead, terribly in need of pruning, in full bloom, desperately in need of water, and “Wow! Where did all those weeds come from?”. And I have to wonder every time I go outside, “Do I start with the weeds, the water or the winter dead stuff?”
Ranch work, well, let’s just say that it’s a really good thing R.W. does most of this or it would be in the same fix as my yard. But I still have a few mares that need to be bred, a filly that needs handling and spring is quickly getting away from me. The desire to go ride with the kids and R.W. is certainly there, but do I really have the time?
Business; well there are CDs to ship, bills to pay, invoices to create and send out, bookwork to balance, blogs to write, new projects to work on and papers to file… the list never ends, even without the travel. Eventually it will all get done, unfortunately not as quickly as I would like.
So how will I ever get caught up? I probably won’t. I will work at what I can, I will stay up late and get up early, I will try to put my family first and my house last and somewhere in between I will attempt to get to all of the rest. We may have to do some of our school lessons over the summer or even try a “year-around” system, especially if we decide to homeschool again next year. I am probably going to have to look for help with the office work or with my yard, or I may have to just skip some of it altogether.
But, what I HOPE I won’t do is drive myself crazy with guilt about not being super-mom and worrying about what I haven’t finished, because in reality we have done a lot and the weeds will grow and the dust will gather whether I’m here or out on the road with my family.
So I am curious, how do you fight the “super-mom” guilt trip? Do you have any secrets about how to “get it all done” without losing your mind?
Sure wish I lived closer, I’d definitely apply for the job. Sounds exactly like what I do around my house… office work, yard work, general ranch work, whatever needs done, my names on it. 🙂 I don’t read blogs & Im not quite sure how I started reading yours but Im really enjoying it. Nice to know there are fellow “Do it all” moms trying there very best to be Super Mom! Take care
Dear Lisa,I have been enjoying reading,and hearing,RW’s songs.My son is a War Veteran.I tried sharing,RW’s 4th of July song,with Josh, and this vermin ridded internet system,would not allow me to do so.Could you please add another, Cowboy, to your list,please? Joshua Kosola,Facebook.As I am not sure how I found you folks, but The Lord sure blessed me when I did,Mary Mikkelsen.As for the clutter on your counter,dont worry about it,if you wait long enough,dust it off and it will be there ready to use again.Tell Folks its your knic knacks.
Lisa – Happy Mother’s Day.
I’m not a mother, I don’t have children, I have worked at jobs outside the home, had to prioritize and be a great time manager. I learned a long time ago, if it doesn’t matter for all Eternity, it doesn’t matter today. What does matter today is our relationship with God, family, and friends. So continue to do what you do best. Be an awesome wife, mother, manager of a great business and ranch. Hope to see all in Enid, OK when RW sings at cowboy church. Keep up the great work. Enjoy the blogs.
Diana,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I think I enjoy writing about things of the heart and my family and life here on the ranch are certainly my favorite subjects. Some people are definately better organized than me and like a lot of ladies I know, I envy those who may appear to have it all together better than others of us but in reality I think any mom who puts her family first and still manages to do anything else is a Super Mom! It is always so nice to hear from others like myself that end up with a touch more on their plates than they can really do by themselves. But as I am prone to saying – It’s easier to fly over the moon if you shoot for the stars!
Mary, as you know we have a soft spot in our hearts for our veterans. Please give your son a hug for me and I would love to share some music or the video with him. Send me an email or call me and we will get something to him, I think the song you are referring to is R.W.’s song – Not For Sale.
Our office number is 1-800-392-0822 and although I’ve been traveling a lot I try to get back to everyone as quickly as possible if you miss us. Or you can email us at: rw(at)rwhampton(dot)com (sorry for not writing it out but the spammers have gotten wise and now pick up emails from websites…
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Lisa
Thanks for the encouragement Janice. I am sure there are lots of non-parents out there who can identify as well. Thank you for the Mother’s Day wishes, it can be a tough holiday for many women who either wished they could have had children or have lost one or more. It is a day of mixed emotions for me. Hope we get to go to Enid as well.