A few things this working mom wants you to know

Hi there. I'm Katie. Devoted wife and mother of dragons (well, two little boys, but that's basically the same thing). My husband and I both work full-time outside the home. 

Lately it feels like there aren't a whole lot of people in our inner circle who are in the same situation as we are. Many of our friends either don't have kids yet, or have one parent who is able to stay home with the little ones.

Here are some things I'd like those friends to know:

1. Even though it may not seem like it, I really DO want to spend time with you. It's just that my daily life is so hectic that I'm not left with much free time at all. This is how I spend a typical week day:

That's about 6.5 hours of sleep, 8.5 hours at work, 1.5 hours commuting, 1 hour for meals, 3.5 hours as a family, half an hour for housework, and about 2.5 "free" hours to spend with my husband. This doesn't include the time it takes to shower, pick out the kids' clothes, change a diaper, or any of those other little things that may come up.

2. If you want to make plans with both my hubby and me, we will probably try to include the kids. See #1. Simply put, we're away from them all day Monday through Friday, so we miss them and want to keep them close through the weekend.

3. I'm so tired. Getting up around 5:30 every morning to dress and feed sleepy children (and with any luck, myself), getting them to school by 7 and ourselves to work by 8 is exhausting.

4. Our house is often messy. Once upon a time, we tried to keep it tidy. Now and then we still do. But when we've worked all day and the kids are begging us to come outside and play... the house can wait.

5. I've pinned so many awesome recipes on Pinterest that will I will probably never make. I have such good intentions when it comes to feeding my family home-cooked meals and doing cutesy crafts with the kiddos, but once again, there's just no time. We have so few waking hours together as a family each day, and #sorrynotsorry, but I don't want to spend half of that time cleaning the kitchen. Meals in our house have to be quick, easy, and require as few pots and pans as possible.

6. I'm thankful for you. Yes, you. Church acquaintance, fellow daycare mom, colleague, family member, lifelong friend. I see you, and I know that we're all in this together. When I'm feeling burned out and like there just isn't enough of me to go around, you're still there for me. You don't judge me for feeding my family Taco Bell on a Thursday night when I just can't even. You see me smile at church through gritted teeth as one of my kids pulls my shirt down and the other soaks himself at the drinking fountain, and you give me a hug and a knowing smile back. You don't say anything when I wear the same pants two days in a row because I forgot to put the laundry in the dryer. You see me, and you show me grace. So thank you.