Monday M.o.M. Review : Help

I know I review things on Mondays. But I've received lots of e-mails saying "everything ok??? You're so quiet lately"

I feel like I've been up to my eyeballs in work. Homeschooling 2 is much busier than homeschooling 1. And 5 kids is busier...especially since the baby has decided she's a mover and a shaker... oh and an eater? Everything goes in her mouth. Everything.

In fact, if you wonder if she has something there's one quick way to find out. Say her name. She does this little laugh she only makes when she has something in her mouth, and she then tries to crawl away quickly as she can. I know, I'm in trouble already.

So in an effort to always let you know "The How" of being a Momma of Many..... my review today is on Help. Yes. Help. Every so often, we get to a place where we all need it. And since we started school a month ago I'm really needing it.

Last week my lovely sister-in-law watched my 4 big kids so I could get in some power cleaning it is amazing what you can do when you aren't stopping every 5 minutes, and my mother in law washed a basket of the kids clothes too! Talk about help!

I finally decided I needed to get serious about having a mother's helper around. A girl from our new homeschool co-op is going to start coming on Mondays - starting today! She'll play with the kids for a while so I can do the same power cleaning. I'm hoping that this is going to keep us up to date with all my other time spent on homeschooling.

It used to be really hard for me to ask for help. I guess I felt like I should be able to "do it all." I think that I have to recognize the limitations of being only one person and that no one expects me to do the impossible... except for maybe myself, I expect that of myself quite often.

However, one of the many key points I took away from the retreat I went on during the session on creating a peaceful home is that "Clutter is worse than dust." Amen and amen to that. I've always known it, and I'm always trying to find ways to be more organized. I think the key is to finally just start getting rid of things. If we don't use it, give it away. If it's been broken and not been fixed for more than a month - throw it out.

I'm slowly working on the clothing situation. I really liked Brietta's lists she shared for approximately how many clothes she keeps in the house for each child. A very practical list. I also liked the suggestion of having things in outfits. Too many "mix and match" items suddenly creates a closet full of clothes - lots of possibilities yes, but also lots of laundry.

So... maybe you don't need help getting back on track, maybe you need help with a project, or a question. Today, make an effort to reach out for what you need. I know that friends and loved ones love to help, I should have realized that a long time ago.