Day 26.............. Wow! I was so tired last night I was in bed by 8pm! Yes..... on a Friday!

An average weekday for me is getting up at 6am to make sure I'm showered, dressed and make-up on........ god forbid I leave the house without it! I make sure I'm ready for when Darcie wakes up and Fin arrives. It's spent getting breakfast, making a packed lunch, ensuring we have the supplies for dinner, packing her school bag, reading her school book usually because we forgot to do it the night before and the night before that ?

Crap, nearly forgot to feed the cat who follows me around constantly because he wants attention too. We then spend 5 minutes on a shoe hunt because it's disappeared from where we left it (usually because the cats been playing with it!). Throughout the morning I'm stopping Darcie and Fin from arguing, stopping them from jumping on my sofa and no it's not ok to pretend to fight but sneakily push or kick each other!

Asking both of them at least 3 times to put they're coats on...... no your own coat, not each other's ? Shock we're running late, AGAIN and I'm rushing to the car in heels might I add, carrying 2 school bags, 2 lunch box's, a handbag, a laptop and whatever we need for after school whether that's gym kit, snacks, toys etc.

It's then spent arguing about who's going out the door first or who ate the most at breakfast, who got dressed quicker, who's the fastest runner, the meltdown as we realise her favourite toy has been left behind and finley has his and is waving it in her face saying "I remebered mine" which means even louder wailing from my 4 year old banshee in the back of the car........... there is ALWAYS a point in the morning where my patience runs out and I loose my shit completely.

They both look at me innocently because they're 4 year old brains can't comprehend why I might be upset or angry and that pang of guilt, that every mum experiences starts to creep in.

The walk from the car to school is just as fun because they're usually running, jumping and playing, completely ignoring me who is standing there, in heels, with all the bags desperately trying not to loose my mind whilst begging them to listen or at least walk in a straight line and stop running around that tree because we're going to be late.

Every other parent in the playground seems to have it nailed and all their childrem walk in beautifully, which leaves me standing there wondering what the bloody hell I'm doing wrong! I finally get them walking towards the school calmy, which quickly turns into a competition of who is going to walk in front of the other. So we are gradually speeding up until we are all running (me in heels) and one of them falls over because they've been accidentally tripped up the other. I am relieved to drop them off and wish the teachers "good luck" under my breath before heading to work.

I walk into work trying to compose myself. None of the team have kids and must wonder why I come in like a whirlwind and need 5 minutes to calm myself before I can even focus on what they're saying to me! I have 15 - 20 minutes of adult conversation (Not sure you can always call it that with us lot ? ) catching up with the team and making a coffee before it's head down and get some work done!

School pick up is at 3.05pm and it's back home and this routine is not much different to the morning one with the exception of washing the school uniform because it's covered in paint or mud or food or whatever fun she's been having at school. We only have one school jumper left due to kids being kids.... lost one, ripped one etc. I'm waiting until payday to get another, oh wait a minute, my outgoings are more than my incomings so I'm weighing up whether food or a new school jumper is more important... I decide on food and continue to wash the incredibly faded more of a pink, than red school jumper 3 times a week or as much as is needed navy blue bridesmaid dresses short ?

We have Fin until between 5 and 6pm most evenings and bedtime is at 7.30pm. The hour or so we get alone is usually spent doing the bath/bed routine and a quick cuddle on the sofa staring at whatever cartoon Darcie wants to watch because we're both too tired to do anything else ?

So this is why I was in bed at 8pm on a Friday ?

My point is it's very easy to spend the week on autopilot and just doing the do. We get so caught up in the daily routine that we miss some of the important things. Like when I collect the kids from school and one of them is trying to tell me about what they've achieved that day but I'm too busy watching the other run off ahead because they're too close to the road. By the time I've caught up or reined them in the moment is gone and the excitement on their face is no longer present.

I'm still learning every day how to do this.... how to be a mum, a good friend, a good employee and manage my time whilst trying to ensure the important people in my life take priority and get the attention they deserve and need.

It's so rewarding but boy it can be hard....... I know everyone has their own daily battles and I salute each and every one of you. Keep going you're doing a great job!!! We all need to cut ourselves some slack and celebrate the small things and little acheivements. We each accomplish so much in a day and do you know what, no one is perfect.... all ANYONE is doing is they're best and best we remember that ?

Hope you all have a fab weekend ❤ ❤ ❤