Do as I say, not as I do, or something like that.

"You are soooo busy! I just don't know how you do it!"

I hear this a lot, usually when I'm in the middle of buckling the baby into her car seat, instructing her sisters to help each other into the school-bus-sized Suburban without fighting, telling my lovely and priceless daycare provider what the schedule is for next week and talking to my sister (whose kids go to the same daycare - awesome!) all at once. My gut instinct is almost always to think I don't know how I do it either.

So I decided to think about it while I had 45 seconds of relative quiet in the car. That's the real beauty of the Suburban, a.k.a. The Refrigerator On Wheels: when you put the loudest kids in the third row seat it gets a lot quieter. Here are the results of my deep thought, in no particular order.

1. Go to bed early.
I know, you feel like you won't have any time for yourself to read a book, take a bath, paint your toenails, stare at the ceiling, whatever. But getting to bed on time is critical to your ability to cope with whatever is coming your way tomorrow and you know it.

2. Get up early.
This is only possible if you also do #1. I mean, you can get up early from a late night once in a while, but not on a regular basis. Especially if you're over 30. Plus, the quiet time in the morning, where you can put on your make-up without interruption or whatever it is you need to do, is - without question - worth it.

I should clarify that I do not do either of these things on a regular basis, but I regularly try. A girl's got to have a goal.

3. Do as much as you can the night before.
Make lunches, load the car with the sports gear, make your logistical plan with your husband/mother/sister/teacher/whomever in your village will be roped into your plan for the next day. This will dramatically reduce your stress the next morning.

4. Do one load of laundry a day.
Any more than this and you can't realistically be expected to get it all folded and put away. I learned this little trick from FlyLady, who has many other great ideas that will make your life easier.

5. Don't feel guilty about pancakes for dinner.
Or hot dogs. Or pbj. Or cereal. Some days dinner is just impossible, but everyone still has to eat. Make your life easy and make something fast, filling and that everyone likes. Don't guilt yourself about the lack of a green vegetable.

6. Have excellent child care.
This one is hard. Really hard. And can be expensive. But having your children in the care of someone you trust completely, who is patient and loving, provides structure and meals, and generally allows you to focus on what you need to do during the day is priceless.

7. Get a great husband.
One that does laundry, makes breakfast for everyone while you're upstairs running around looking for the shirt that's plain but with two flowers and the pink bows mama, who patiently shuffles car seats and strollers and sports gear from one car to the next, makes you laugh every day and always makes you stop for a hug and kiss no matter how big of a hurry you're in.

That last one is critical.

And now that I've put this down it turns out the list is not so long after all. Maybe doing this - juggling three kids, a full-time job, a husband, a house and a life - is only as hard as you make it. Me? I'm just trying to make it fun.