How do we do this?

Rising at 5:00am to the cries of Ishmael, I slowly drag my limp body from my husband’s warmth, knowing that this was it, the start of my day.

Today my to-do list is overflowing with researching business ideas, completing online masters program orientation, completing fafsa, reviewing 2011 tax changes, house chores, husband’s lunch, then dinner and above all else, tending to Ishmael. The crazy part of this to-do list is the fact that I am better at getting things done when Ishmael is sleeping.

Not so crazy, right? Well just wait a minute, here comes the missing piece of information; Ishmael has recently decided that he will only take a nap at 11:30am to 1:00pm throughout the entire day, and to add to that, my loving husband who cannot have enough of my meals, consistently comes home for lunch at 11:30 to 12:30 each day. So the only time period that I have to accomplish these task, seemingly is between 12:30pm and 1:30pm, now you tell me, how do we do this?

My afternoons are no better because Zee, my eldest son gets home at 3:30pm and now my to-do list has ‘help with homework’ added. Between 3:30pm and 5:30pm I am focused on Zee, his homework and ‘homeschool’ review. Thereafter it is time for dinner and family time, which lasts for about an hour.

You would think that I am now done with taking care of the two lovely boys that God has blessed me with but no, I have bath time, story-time and prayer time coming up and all this takes us to 8:00pm when it is off to bed Zee goes. Ish on the other hand believes that if mommy and daddy are staying up then he too should accompany us until we call it quits. This is normally around 11:00pm.

To the untrained eye, it would appear that my to-do list is untouched and incomplete and many atimes I feel as if that will be the result at the end of the day. But for us mothers and wives out there, our natural instincts and daily experiences have taught us how to maneuver our tasks throughout the day. Even with distractions all around we creatively complete each task knowing that tomorrow has a new list waiting to be found.

We were not trained for this and we oftentimes get frustrated along the way. However we will cook our meals while our babies are safely having fun with our plastic-ware on the kitchen floor,

and work with our computers, telephones and other technologically required gadgets while playing peek-a-boo, I see you.

It is no wonder that my husband oftentimes comment at the state of my office when he enters therein but I am content, knowing that, that area is not just where I work but where my little one plays.

I now understands why Ishmael acts as if he knows exactly how to use the computer keyboard, my blackberry and the printer and why he wipes the imaginary mess from off the kitchen floor. I know why he babbles vehemently with the phone by his ear and why he jumps with glee when he realizes that I am praising his attempt of counting and saying his ABCs.

Each day I look at my to-do list and smile, knowing that it, at the outset seems impossible but with my motherly instincts, I will accomplish, if not all then most of the items within. But most importantly,I smile because I have realized that my to-do list no longer rules me and I am happy.

I cannot begin to explain how we do this but I am glad that I do. How about you?