How do you do it?

Ridiculous, yet awesome tattoo weirdworm.com

At least once a week someone makes a comment like 'I don't know how you do it' or 'I couldn't do all that you do'.  They are commenting on the fact that I work part time, parent two children (a 4 yr old and a 5 mo old), go to grad school part time, keep up with a regular exercise routine and whatever else they think I do with my time.  I am not saying this to be boastful, quite the opposite.  I think I'm pretty average.  I know women who run their own businesses and raise a family.  I know women who have special needs children and work full time. I know women who care for an elder, parent their own children, work full time and volunteer regularly. Millions of women do much more than I do.  Many of them without a supportive partner.

So in the interest of full disclosure here are some things I don't do:

• Keep up on popular culture (I only recently figured out who this Justin Bieber character is)
• Watch much television (I have a few special programs)
• Iron clothes
• Get manicures/pedicures/waxing or even regular haircuts
• Talk on the phone with my friends and family (except my mom)
• Go to the mall
• Entertain friends and family
• Keep up with Oprah
• Go on date nights with my partner (wish we did more than a couple times a year)
• Gossip (about real people or celebrities, except maybe Project Runway-related gossip)
• Read magazines or newspapers (except NYT and the New Yorker on occasion)
• Volunteer
• Keep a tidy house
• Remember to feed the cats
• Stay up past 10pm
• Gardening, even though I have a garden
• Wash the car

You get the idea.  It's all a matter of how you choose to spend your time.  I remember reading once that how you spend your time shows your true priorities.  So in that case here are my priorities:

1. Children and partner

2. Interests, including exercise, internet, reading, television, crafts

3. Employment

4. Social network (friends and family)

5. Schoolwork

6. Housekeeping

I realized the other day that having your priorities straight doesn't mean having them written in stone.  From one day to the next my priorities shift.  Some days the goal is to write a paper.  Some days the goal is to clean the bathrooms.  Some days the goal is to survive the day without tears or shouting.  Every day is its own adventure with its own challenges and rewards.

So how do I do it?  I get up in the morning and do what needs doing.  Just like all the other super and not-feeling-so-super moms out there.  How do you do it?