Who has time to Blog?

Every kid has a color. Ashlyn is green, Cameron is blue, Kenley is hot pink, Maddy is Yellow and Nikki is Orange and/or baby pink (this color changes with her mood and as a teenager, this can happen hourly at times). This color depicts which cup is used, bowl, folder for school notices and sports schedules, markings on the monthly calendar and the cubbies in the foyer closet for backpacks and although I hate to write it....winter hats and mittens. Color coordinating kids. It sounds wrong really, but it is the only measure of organization I could think of during my melt down of not knowing where anything was. I am typically and alphabetizer....as you can see above.... but I've learned after nearly 3 months of having 5 kids that they just don't file well! :)They are never in one place at a time!

Mondays we have Ashlyn's volleyball, Tuesdays we split up for Maddy's soccer and Kenley's dance, Wednesday is also shared with Maddy's dance and beginning today we have Awana at church for Ashlyn and Nikki. Thursdays are the soccer games and then Saturday is filled with Volleyball, Flag football and cheerleading practices. Yup, so on top of being back to school we're also back to sports. I know everyone keeps asking me why I would continue to coach cheerleading when I have my own home team to cheer for, but honestly, I can't sacrifice the two hours I get once a week to jump up and down, screaming at the top of my lungs and it actually being appropriate rather than considered psychotic! So there you go. Rah! R-a-h! RAAAAH!

So with this schedule, who has time to blog? Seriously, who has time to socialize?!?! This is our only shot at venting, communicating and keeping in touch with the real world from time to time so we're blogging away!

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG!
-God's Blessings and Love to you and your families!

J.B. N. M.A.C.K. Pack
Joe and Brandi N MACK (Nikki, Maddy, Ashlyn, Cameron and Kenley)

The Sunday Shuffle -9:22

Packing snack bags, making a loaf of PB&J sandwiches to freeze, laying out clothes for the week in the sweater organizer, making menus and chore lists for each day for all 5 kids. This is the traditional Sunday shuffle and has been in progress for the last 3 Sundays now. Every kid gets to pick their dinner and laundry day, organize their freshly washed clothes for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and make their sandwiches for the week. This is the routine for Nikki, Ashlyn, Cameron, Maddy and Kenley - The Fab 5! We shuffle to get all of this done before bedtime, along with baths, washing faces, brushing teeth and homework (and an extra BONUS today; a lost tooth to put out for the tooth fairy). How long should this all take?

Well on a day like today, we were up and out of the house by 10:15 for church until noon. Then we met the Grandparents for a quick after church snack and coffee before we ran to the mall to exchange 3 pairs of shoes, a make-up kit and use a Claire's coupon for jewelery (that also expired today -this was the real motivator to get this all done). Then, it's a scramble to get 5 kids to decide on where to go for lunch and all agree -Arby's, Arby's!!!!! Easy, RIGHT?!?! "What of the 4 Arby's Jr. meals would you like? Curly fries or regular? Ketchup or BBQ sauce with that? Soda, Juice or Milk? Cash, check or credit card?" AGHHHH - okay finally, let's eat! With 20 mins to spare, it's a mad dash to Target for a gift card for the birthday party we're off to next...and yes, it's 20 mins away until the start time AND from where we were (late again - always late)! Of course, it's also raining so we literally run into target and then ARBY's is baaaaack, "Tia, I have to go to the bathroom!" - okay, quickly please! And it figures........NO TOILET PAPER! We're in TARGET PEOPLE how can this be?! Here's where you have to get creative -- 5 mins later and we solved the problem. Now hurry, quick find a card and buy a gift card then stand in line. We thought this would've been a quick in and a quick out ----WRONG-O! Just 2 lanes open for check out and the slowest people possible working them (the same people on bathroom patrol I'm sure, who failed to stock the toilet paper!).

Now we're at 8 minutes until start time and yes, still 20 mins of drive time to the final destination before our return to home! After singing Happy Birthday and eating birthday cake, by 7:30-ish we're on our way home with homework yet to be done.
FINALLY, 9:22 is the magic time and fairly impressive considering all of our travels!
Hopefully we can condition ourselves to get a head start to the Sunday Shuffle and be in bed by 8:30, or even better yet...8! Should be an easy enough task, right?

Peace, Love, Patience and Endurance to All!