Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

organizing school papers

The school year is in full swing now that's November. In fact, the first grading period is officially over for my kids. I feel like the older my kids get, the quicker the time flies.

This past weekend, I found myself among mountains of paperwork. Not my own, but my kids. I wish I could say it was just limited to art "projects," but there are journals, weekend updates, letters and science tests. Some I want to save and some I have no idea whether I should save or not. One of the side effects with Baby Bunching is all your kids' stuff comes in bunches as well.

We're into second grade with my oldest so I figure this is only the beginning, but since we're living in a small house, we need to find a way to get this in check sooner rather than later. There are probably lots of solutions out there--binders, crates, filing, bins, drawers--but I need one that involves very little effort on my part since I have very little extra time and very little space.  I found this fabulous idea through one of my mom's online groups from iHeart Organizing, and I'm proud to say I managed to get it all organized in one afternoon.

Supplies:

1 crate/large document box per kid

13 (or more if you want to include preschool) hanging folders + same number of file folders

Jen from iHeart Organizing's cute downloads for labels and cover sheets

Photo of your child for each year

And happily, that is is all you need. I hit the Container Store and picked up two clear crates as I find if I can see what's inside I do better and colorful file folders (green for my son and turquoise for my daughter). The kids had a great time looking through all their old papers, report cards and letters from the past few years. Best of all, I am relieved to have a place for everything now.

How do you organize all your kids' school work?

baby bunches bunking up - how to handle sharing rooms

When my Bunch was very young, we had the luxury of separate bedrooms for each baby and this was a LIFESAVER in the early days.  But once their younger brother came along, they were forced to bunk together due to a shortage of bedrooms.  We've moved three times in the three years since The Caboose was born (long story) and each time, the bedroom configurations have necessitated room sharing, but the roommate configurations have actually shifted due to a variety of factors (ages, sleep schedules, child's propensity to goof off and rile his roommate, etc.).

We're now in what we hope will be our "forever" (or at least long-time) house and while we have the space for each boy to have his own room, we opted to reclaim our study/office and our Bunch is back to bunking together.  My guess is in a few months, The Caboose will realize he's being cheated out of bedtime shenanigans with brothers and the eldest will be sick of his little brothers in his stuff, and we'll play musical beds once again.  But 2 of the 3 will always be roommates.  

Now, room sharing with bigger kids is one thing, but room sharing with babies and toddlers and all of their various special sleep needs is a whole 'nother ball of wax.  I will admit that the only time we shared rooms in the early years was when we were forced to while traveling (and even then, we would literally stick a pack-and-play in the bathroom to ensure that each baby had their own separate 4 walls).  But lots of moms do it and make it work.  Here are a few tips we've picked up over the years for roommates of all ages.

• Always put your two best sleepers together OR the ones that are on the closest sleep schedules (dictated by nap or school schedules, usually), to minimize the accidental wake-up calls.
• If you've got babies/toddlers rooming together, get a white noise machine so one doesn't wake the other with crying.  Many little ones tend to sleep like logs - once they're down.  It's getting them down that's the tricky part...
• Speaking of that, stagger bedtimes and get the easiest or youngest child settled first (depending on the temperments of your kiddos).  Get one out like a light, crank up the white noise, and slide the other in.
• Daytime is a little harder because it tends to be light out, which encourages goofing off.  Darken as much as you can with darkening shades and stagger nap times like bedtime.  If all else fails, consider letting the oldest child nap somewhere else - either in mom and dad's bed or a pack-and-play or in a baby-proofed room with a baby gate across the door.  Too-few bedrooms mandates flexibility on everyone's part, including mom.
• If you've got more than two kids, be flexible on configurations.  Depending on ages and genders, while your first instinct may be to put all older kids in one room or all girls in one room, that may not actually be what makes the most sense.  And as kids get older and sleep habits/needs change, consider revisiting roommate arrangements - they're not set in stone forever.
• Finally, be patient.  Even if you have superstar sleepers, introducing a change in any routine is going to involve patience.  But keep in mind that kids have shared rooms since the beginning of time, and many of them are closer for it!  They'll survive and you will, too!

baby bunching Q/A: resetting for the morning

Q: Can you provide some tips on routines or what I should be doing the night before to make for smoother next day for two-under-two?

A: For the first 18 months or so of the smallest member of your Bunch’s life, your least favorite times of day will probably be early morning and bedtime.  While we know nighttime is crazy with getting everyone cleaned up and to bed, it never seems near as hectic as the morning. To make the morning easier, we always recommend prepping--even a little bit--the night before to help you mentally prepare for the chaos in the morning. (We know this means more work after they go to bed, but we promise it's worth it!)

Before we suggest some routines, we want to remind you that things need a place. It has taken us many years of practice to discover this, but you have to channel your inner preschool teacher and designated places (even better if that place can be a bin or basket) for every thing. Buy big bins (for all floors) or containers and shove your toys in them.  Organizing toys for babies and toddlers is an exercise in futility – spare yourself.  You can go through once a quarter or every six months and pare down/organize, but day-to-day just shove/hide it in a container. 

Now here is our unofficial (and always editable) list of night time reset routines:

• Pick up toys (aka throw in bins)
• Clean the kitchen each night and enlist hubby’s help. We're talking wipe down the counters and put stuff away. Not really clean the kitchen. It is a sanity saver to start the next day with a clean slate!
• Only sweep your floors once a day (but wipe up sticky spills as soon as they happen).  Nighttime seems the best solution for this since it will actually stay clean for 8 full hours!
• Restock dressing/diaper changing areas on all floors. Since it is a pain in the neck to travel back and forth from areas as a unit, try to bring everything you need to get everyone dressed into the kitchen/dining area when you bring the children in for breakfast.  This means diapers, clothes, shoes/socks, toothbrushes (you should already have these at your kitchen sink, per our earlier recommendations).  Don’t forget any combs or hair stuff you might need. 
• Pick out clothes for the next day. Actually, we suggest this so you ensure you have clean clothes. Ironically the person that's likely out of clean clothes is you. Especially if you work, make sure you have all things for dressing everyone in the morning.
• Ensure all papers are signed and bags are packed for daycare/preschool.
• Set your coffee pot to 'go' so you don't have to manage this. Even better if there's a timer that has it waiting for you when you wake up.

We assure you that this lesson in resetting won't be wasted! Because right now that our own kids are school-age, we are spending each evening making lunches, signing papers and restocking back packs for the school rush.

baby in babyland

By Rachel Oslie

If you’re like me, Baby #1 and Baby #2 came one after the other. Baby #3 took (a little bit) longer. This seems to be a trend among Baby Bunchers, maybe because after two babies we realize that our contraceptive choices were ineffective, or because with two under two we were too busy to do much baby making.

Whereas your second pregnancy may have passed in a blur of sleep-training, solids-starting, and milestones that Big Baby hit while attending your prenatal visits, the pregnancy of “Caboose” allows a little more time to reflect. Such reflection inevitably leads you to the realization: “Oh crap. I’m going to go back to Babyland!”

Babyland. That lovely place where your life was filled with diapers, nursing, bottles, infant toys, diapers, naps, pediatrician visits, and diapers. You traveled through Babyland with your Bunch together, many times doubling up on everything. You never took the stairs to your attic, since that swing that Big Baby just grew out of will be perfect for Little Baby in a few weeks. As your Bunch grew older, you didn’t even have to store and sort clothes. You just shifted them over from one drawer to another. That’s one of the biggest perks of Baby Bunching, right? Both children go through the same things at the same time. No cordoning off Big Brother’s LEGOs from tiny mouths. No whining from your elementary school child when the museum trip is cut short due to little one’s naptime. It works out great, except, now you are returning to Babyland. 

Is there a road map for this? What is the smoothest way to return to the sweet place that is Babyland? Here’s a short list of what has worked for me:

1)  Prepare your Bigs for the new baby. When you tried to help your Big Baby get ready for a new one in the family it was a noble endeavor, but for most of us our efforts were useless. Big Baby just saw this as one more thing to add to this crazy world she was trying to figure out. However, you now have two children who can speak, understand, and have definite opinions about the world. Time should definitely be spent talking up the changes ahead, reading good books, watching videos, and drawing pictures (our current favorites in this area are Baby on the Way by Sears, Sears and Kelly, Our Baby by Maier, I’m a Big Brother by Cole, Love the Baby by Layne, and the DVD Three Bears and a Baby by Sesame Street)

2)   Get up-to-date on current events in Babyland. This includes dragging all that baby gear out of the attic and making sure nothing has been recalled. Additionally, take some minutes to chat up a new mom-to-be; she’s probably spent a good chunk of her pregnancy reading magazines and internet articles and may have news of something that didn’t even exist on your last trek in Babyland.

3)  Enjoy yourself. First pregnancies are full of unknowns, overachieving, and worrying if you’re doing everything right. With the second pregnancy of your bunch, you were probably lucky if you had clothes ready and a name picked out before 40 weeks rolled around. This is your chance to truly take advantage of pregnancy. You know what is normal, and can take each month as it comes. You no longer feel that you have anything to prove, so feel free to let everybody help the poor, helpless pregnant lady. Spend time learning more about gestation and delivery, and tweak the decisions you made for the past two babies. Buy some new itty-bitty clothes, treat Caboose to things all his own. Take the time that you now have, with two children acclimated to a bedtime routine, to dream a little and rest a lot. Because, I suspect, you’re going to need quite a bit of both when you arrive in Babyland.
 
Rachel is a happy mother of a daughter (3) and son (2), who both like dancing in tutus and playing with trains. Baby #3 is a girl who is due in three weeks. 

adding some structure to your summer fun

 
Summer has been in full swing at Cara's house for a few weeks now, and Linda's starts this week!  If your kids are in preschool or school, the start of summer marks a (usually welcome) change in the routine.  But even if they aren't, somehow summer implies permission to take things a little slower - put your feet up with a cool drink, blow off cooking dinner in favor of sandwiches and salads, hit the pool, or just watch the kiddos run through the sprinkler.  

Having said that, y'all know that Bunches of all ages do better when they have A) structure and routine and B) things to do!  A little bit of freedom is good, but a too much of a good thing will be your undoing, we promise!

To that end, at the Fox household we kicked summer off with a two-pronged approach to structure.  One is a daily/weekly schedule that lays out things like who's at camp, when we have swim team practice, playdates, etc.  Although we're flexible on scheduling, we try to stick to a routine that involves swim practice/swimming the am when it's cooler, lunch, quiet time while the baby naps, and then playdates/indoor arts and craft, library, children's museum, or a little tv/computer in the blazing hot afternoon hours.  Bedtime is a little later than normal, but generally speaking we are *trying* to stick to some sort of regular routine and keep structure in our day.

The other (much more fun) thing we did was come up with our Fox Family 2011 Summer Fun list.  These are all the things we want to do this summer!  On weekdays or weekends when we've got a gap in the schedule, we consult the list and pick something to do!  I wish I could take credit for this brilliant idea, but I totally stole it from a Baby Bunching friend and it works like a charm - AND works with kids/families of all ages.  So get out your calendar and list-making materials and schedule yourself some FUN over the next few months.  Happy summer!

Q/A: baby gear essentials: avoiding big gear in a small house

Today's Q/A comes from Beth on our Facebook page.

Q:  My husband and I are adopting three boys, a 3-year old and two 18-month old twins.  We are currently childless so this is a HUGE new adventure for us.  Any suggestions on what you've done that works well?  I would also appreciate knowing what doesn't work.  I would also be interested in knowing what type of baby gear works best in a small house with lots of kids.

A:  First of all, WOW and congrats!  Nothing we can tell you is going to prepare you for how much your world will be rocked - and how much you will absolutely love it!  The blog and the Facebook pages are chock-full of do's and don'ts from seasoned Bunchers, so it's worth taking the time to scroll back through the years and load up on information.

To skip ahead to part 3 of your question, you're actually in luck.  Seven years and multiple children into parenting in *very* small houses (Cara holds the record currently, with three children and 1,400 square feet), we can both say that we know quite a bit about parenting in limited space.  The good news is that with your youngest boys being 18-months old, you can bypass some of the stuff we are tempted to get with newborns and infants (swings, Jumperoos, high chairs, etc.).  

In lieu of highchairs, get booster seats strapped onto regular old dining room chairs.  There are any number of hard plastic boosters with trays and straps that are portable and travel to restaurants, Grandma's, etc. easily (your wee ones are probably old enough to even do away with the the tray and pull right up to the table).  For bigger kids, we love soft boosters.   This will allow your oldest to climb up and down independently without you having to strap in/out while your hands are full with the little ones.  

For a bunch of kids this size, a "nice to have" if you have a little corner is a children's table and chairs - both for eating as well as for arts and crafts.  My all-time FAVORITE is Ikea's Mammut line.  Hideously colorful? Yes.  But oh, so convenient.  Lightweight and easy to move/pack/store away when grown ups come for dinner.  Waterproof so you can hose it down in the backyard.  Compact so you can throw it in the back of your van and take it to a friend's house when extra seating for children is needed.   These must be the reasons that everyone we know has this set.

As a fellow mom of all boys, I can tell you that our train table gets major mileage.  But for other families it might be a workbench or a play kitchen.  Depending on your space/configuration, consider limiting them to one "big" toy (or if they MUST have several, buy them secondhand so you don't care if they get weatherized and toss them in the backyard so the kids can play there).

The most important piece of big equipment you need, HANDS DOWN, is a stroller.  With this many small boys running in different directions, you need a way to keep them tethered down on occasion, for their own safety.  We're thinking your best bet is the Joovy Big Caboose (a Sit-and-Stand with double seats and a standing board).  We *think* that this may be superior to the Double Graco Sit-N-Stand, which we're not sure can accommodate two kids sitting AND one standing.  Readers, please chime in if you know.  Biggest cons to these strollers are they're bulky (need a good-sized trunk) and can be heavy/unwieldy at times, but it is SO WORTH IT to know that you can have everyone strapped down at once, should the occasion/need arise.  

And, of course, the cribs.  You are right on the borderline of being able to bypass cribs if you don't have them already.  A fully baby-proofed room with regular beds and a gate across the door that keeps them from wandering the house could possibly do the trick.  However, if they are used to sleeping in cribs, you may want to keep them in cribs since they are already making a big transition to a new home - I would feel that out with the current caregiver.  Skip the changing table altogether (18 months is right around the age where you have to start wrestling them to the ground to change diapers, anyway).

What have we missed, readers?  

tips to getting the chores done

By Erin Brazofsky

Do you ever wonder how you’re going to get anything (housekeeping, bills, cooking, personal projects, even a shower, right?) done during the day when you have two (or more) super inquisitive and growing little people running, crawling or singing around your knees? Me too.

In my limited experience, I’ve come to some solutions to help me get things done and not rely on PBS Kids to interact with my kids. Hopefully some of what I’ll share will give you some encouragement that you can get “things” done.

#1. Get your wee ones involved in what you’re doing. It might mean taking a little more time to accomplish something, but where appropriate, let them actively participate in what you’re doing. Whether it be switching the laundry (let them throw the clothes in the dryer for you; I guarantee if you have a boy, he will get a HUGE thrill out of it), dusting (give them a clean rag and let them go to town), or making cookies, they will love being Momma’s special helper.

#2. Structured playtime on their own can be your best friend. Between my 6-month old and my 23-month old, taking a shower can be an Olympic speed sport these days. If I don’t get up and shower before they rise, I will take advantage of Seth’s morning nap and let Levi play in his room with a few select toys.

#3. A “SHOW!” (as Levi calls it) is not always a bad thing. Despite what I said about PBS Kids above, I think letting your kidlets watch a 30-minute program so you can get something done that you can’t let them help with can be a saving grace.

What do the rest of my fellow Bunchers do to get things done? Please share your thoughts; I would love to have some other tips!

baby bunching Q/A: getting back on track; staying on top of it all

Q:  As a Buncher of an 8-month old and a 21-month old, the level of control and organization needed in our household to survive each day is comparable to that of the military. But what do you do when you feel it all falling apart? I feel like I'm behind with everything in the house so don't know where to start, the youngest is teething and the oldest is showing signs of needing to potty train. How do you take stock of it all and get yourself back on track - any advice?

A:  As we all know, Baby Bunching at its best is a finely oiled machine (even thought it may appear to the average outsider as sheer chaos).  This requires a Buncher to bring her A-game every day and there is ZERO margin for error.  In order for my household to run smoothly, each day must include children napping on schedule, at least one (sometimes two) loads of laundry, at least one dishwasher cycle, and a clean sweep of the kitchen and toys in the living room.  At a minimum!  And that's before I even factor in the job I get paid to do.

Heaven forbid you should deicide to spend one naptime hour simply watching General Hospital instead of folding the day's laundry while doing so - you will feel the tidal wave of housework begin to creep up on you.  If, by chance, a child gets sick, there is an out-of-town house guest that generates an extra load of sheets and towels or requires a home-cooked meal, or the family decides to go on vacation (usually defined for mom and dad as taking some time off work so that they can Baby Bunch in a different location), all bets are off and you will find yourself consumed by mess.  Or even worse case scenario - if you yourself get sick, forget it.  You may as well lay there and die because by the time you come back to reality your house will be unrecognizable.

The only thing you can plan on for sure is that one of these things WILL happen to you.  The good news is that you can also pretty much assure that eventually, you will get your footing back.  Here's a few suggestions for how to get started regaining control:

• Settle the kiddos.  If everything's gone to hell in a hand-basket, cut yourself some slack and give yourself permission to do whatever you need to do to get the kids settled long enough to think for a few minutes. Don't be afraid to pull out the big guns:  Elmo DVD's, fruit snacks, maybe even a juick box or a cookie, or even a new toy you've been saving for the next birthday.  Find something that will keep both kids occupied for a bit.
• Clear a spot.  The next thing you need to do is get control over ONE (don't get carried away and start doing multiple rooms) room or even area in your house.  Start with a clean kitchen/counter or a tidied dining room/table, or even a straightened living room/desk.  Find one area where you can clear the physical clutter enough to feel like you can clear your mind.
• Brain dump.  I am a huge pen-and-paper list maker.  For those of you techno junkies, there are also apps that you can use.  I like to make categories - mine are usually: House (chores, fix-it projects, yard stuff, etc.), Home To Do (things like bill paying, Goodwill drop-offs, make Dr. appointments, put away hand-me-downs, etc, and Work To Do (I work part-time in theory, and frequently from home, so my to-do lists are always getting intermingled).  The point here is to make a list of every item you can think of that is hanging over your head that needs to be done.  This way you have a master working to-do list.  Keep in mind that if it took you a week to get behind, it may take you a week to catch up - that's ok.
• Outsource.  Quickly (italicized because it is the operative word in this sentence) go through the list and see if there is anything you can get someone else to do - your husband, a friend, a babysitter/house cleaner, etc.  Zip the person an email right then, if possible, and ask them if they can do it.  Then it's (at least temporarily) on their to do list.
• Prioritize. Get a weekly calendar.  Pick the top FIVE (no more than five, b/c you know even that's ambitious) things that need to be tackled THAT DAY ONLY.  This way, you know in the morning what your daily goals are.  As soon as the kids go down to nap or bed, you can tackle those items instead of running around like a chicken with your head cut off feeling that there is so much to do you don't even know where to start.
• Call in reinforcements.  This is a biggie.  Have the hubs, a grandparent, a neighbor, a babysitter - anyone who will say yes - take the kids for just two hours so that you can run around and make as much progress on that to-do list as possible.  If it's your husband, we recommend that you push for four hours/a half day.  After all, the predicament you're in is half his fault.  You will be amazed at how much progress you can make without your little assistants in tow!
• Check off.  When you complete an item, don't forget to check it off.  We all derive satisfaction from that little positive reinforcement of progress.  It'll keep you motivated. 

I try to use this system on a weekly basis and try to make Sunday night as my "take stock" night to prioritize and get geared up for the week.  My mother-in-law even got me a nifty personalized notepad where I jot my daily priority items for the week, but a plain old calendar will do too.  No, it doesn't always happen every Sunday, but it always happens post-crisis and gets me back on track every time.  

baby bunching Q/A: organizing/storing the clothes

Q: Any suggestions for organizing/storing baby clothes - who knows when the next one might be coming along.

A: Over the years we have both learned that organizing is a very personal thing. What works for one person may not work for another. However, there are a few things that will determine how you store clothes after a child has outgrown it, and help make it easier for you to organize in that way that works best for you.  

1) Are you planning for more babies after this one? If you're planning for more kids, keep the item if it still looks wearable. If you're on the fence about more kids, we recommend you still save it for a little while if you have the room, especially for items that look almost new.

2) Is your next in line the same gender? If the child is the same sex, keep the item even if the seasons may be off as you never know. If the child is a different gender, make a determination. My daughter was perfectly happy to wear all her brother's overalls and even some of his jeans/shorts. (In the future, you might try more gender-neutral clothing for big-ticket items like coats or even jeans.)

3) Does this article of clothing look like it could be reworn? (i.e. Does it have sweet potatoes stains all over or does it still smell like vomit even after you wash it?) Yes, keep it. No, toss it

Here are a few of our tips to help you organize your clothes:

• Bins, bins, bins! Invest in a few plastic bins with lids to stash in your kids' closets. Linda prefers these from the Container Store because they are all see through, fit on the top shelf of the closet and vary in size a bit, but they all still stack. All her kids out-of-season clothes now rest in these because they are easy to access on the off chance that it's hot or cold mid season. Find bins that work right for your closet and household needs. 
• Label everything. You must label them by size (0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc.) even if it's with Post-In notes. Toss clothes in there for the next child when they become too small for the oldest.  Don't worry about neatly folding the clothes, but labeling the bins is critical – even if it is just with a marker or piece of masking tape.  Be sure you have washed the clothes and removed stains. 
• When the bin is full, store it elsewhere--if you like--so it's not taking up excess room.  In Cara's case, as her kids got older she found there was only a few months gap between when they got tossed in the bin and worn by the next child, labeled “Next Season’s Clothes, Both Boys." Toss all hand-me-downs, as well as any end of season sale purchases for the next year, in the bin and pull it out at the beginning of each season to inventory what you have for each kid and what you still need.  This also provides easy access to the occasional jacket or shorts needed in the off-season.  
• To keep it all under control, use a little system called 'Purge and Pass.'  In addition to the hand-me-down bin, have another bag for give-aways or consignment items. 

The trick is to develop a system that works for you. Be ready to change as kids get older and you find they are able to wear shorts for three summers. Yes, that day will come. So you'll be less purging and more rotating things. That is the time when you can spend a bit more to get clothes that might actually last through more than one season.

tips for a successful baby bunching outing

By Amanda Wright

I am definitely not a Type A buncher, and even with three little ones (3, 2 and 8 months) my fundamentally laid-back personality chafes when our schedule becomes too full and our commitments turn burdensome.  As much as such an existence is possible in the bunching world, I strive to maintain a stress-free approach to our daily lives.  However, my desire to not be a drill sergeant has at times backfired and mornings can become a whinefest when we are trying to arrive on time to an event - be it a playdate, lunch with Daddy, church, or so forth.

Therefore, it became necessary for this bunching mom to create a routine to ensure that I could maintain my cool on mornings when we must leave the house by a certain time.  Through trial and error, here are my tips to achieving stress free pre-outing preparation with your bunch:

1. Tell your bunch - yes even baby! - the night before what the game plan is for the following morning. “Tomorrow we have a playdate with the Jones crew, so that means in the morning we will eat breakfast and then right away get washed up, dressed and our hair fixed.  After those things are done, you can play until it is time to go.”  Now when they wake up, they will already know what to expect.  I am sure that I do not have the only 2 and 3 year olds who lay in bed in the morning and think about/discuss what they want to do after breakfast, and letting them know the night before eliminates a lot of potential whining or arguing (“But Mooooommy, I reeeeeally wanted to play baaaaabies after breakfast!!”).  I also strongly advocate for the approach of getting the kids fully ready first thing - that way when it is almost time to leave all that remains for them to do is have a last bathroom trip and put on shoes/coats.
2. Have the diaper bag and/or lunch bag packed and ready to go the night before. Somehow when I restock the diaper bag at night while the house is quiet and my attention isn’t being pulled elsewhere, the task takes me approximately 90 seconds - occasionally up to 5 minutes if I need to run to the laundry room for extra back-up clothes or bibs.  Yet when I try to tackle it while the kids are running around it takes me no less than 15 minutes and I *still* forget things. If there are lunch items that have to stay refrigerated until right before you leave, jot down a list and stick it where you will see it before you leave the house!  This will help ensure you aren’t needing to turn around right as you leave the neighborhood because you suddenly realize the fruit salad you’re supposed to bring for everyone in playgroup to share is sitting forlornly on the shelf in the fridge.  
3. Have your own clothes laid out, and if possible wake up just 15 minutes before your bunch does.  This is not always a possibility, whether from sheer exhaustion or because you have a baby whose current wake-up call beckons you from slumber at the unholy hour of 5:00 a.m.  And since I shower at night, if I am up 15 - 20 minutes before my bunch I can wash up, put on my makeup and straighten or style my hair and be all ready to go.  Trying to do those things with 3 little ones intent on dismantling my bathroom drawers is NOT conducive to a stress-free morning.  
4. Great!  Now you’re all ready to go but you’ve been so efficient that it’s 40 minutes prior to the time you need to depart - what to do?  DON’T make the mistake that I have made so many times and become caught up in a few last minute chores, or reading a few too many books and wind up later than if you hadn’t been so prepared!  Instead, enjoy the fact that you can avoid rushing, that you don’t have to bark at the kids to “Just GET YOUR COAT ON already!!”,  and load your bunch up so that you can hit up Starbucks on the way to your destination.  Now that’s a great start to your day!

Amanda is an uber-buncher who survives and thrives with her three (3, 2, and 8 months) by means of family, friends, Starbucks and prayer - but not always in that order.