Enjoy it all you can - don't let those precious moments pass you by. And don't forget the wife part. That is very important.

There was a sign on our church nursery when mine were small, "The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother."

That goes the other way too.

I went back to nursing school with 3 kids so I understand how you feel. My best advice is to make things as easy for yourself as possible. This is just not going to be a time of gourmet home cooked meals or a perfectly clean house.

If you can afford it, hire someone to come once/week to give the house a scrub and do your laundry (I have a coworker who only pays about $40 for her maid). Buy meals that are frozen or super fast and easy to prepare. It is completely OK for your daughter to eat chicken nuggets 3 nights/week until you graduate. Try to get some studying time in while you are at work or on lunch break. As far as the weight thing, stock up your desk at work with 100 calorie pack snacks and take a healthy choice meal for lunch. Try to take a walk when you can. Only do what matters most... you can catch up on the other things later. I actually didn't do crafts for a long time while I was in school because, when I did get a change to stop studying, I just needed to take a nap or veg in front of the tv.

Can't say that I have a set schedule where every task has a time, it's a slight schedule. My kids are old enough now (they are 6 and where they have household chores, that really helps! Our days are usually - get up, have breakfast, take time to wake up (i am not a morning person), let the kids play then start our day. We try to get about an hour of school in before lunch, then lunch, then back to more schooling until it is time to make dinner. while they are doing some of their written work then i usually work on laundry or dishes. Monday and Tuesday nights are free nights for me. dd dances on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Ds bowls on Friday. We also have AWANA at church on Thursday after dance. I am in charge of our Church's AWANA ministry along with making sure the craft cabinet for all other church ministries. The kids and hubby know that I need my me time,I usually have that when they are in bed. I scrap some nights, but tend to scrap on the week-ends, when dance is done and the house looks good. I have my own scraproom, so I go in and shut the door so I can't be bothered.

I know how it can be for all of us. Throw activities for the kids when they're a little older and church into the pot its a little chaotic.

I don't know some how I make it work for me I take Friday nights and anytime I can get in after kids stuff on Saturday. The kids are usually in our craft room with me doing an activity and as long as they're content that helps. When it gets hot or a lot going on in a particular month. I make kits with papers,embellishments,pho tos and lay the bags on a long table. I try and take 15 minutes some where and do something to them and with in a couple of days to a week you might have a page or two completed. Relax and get a smash book for now and just jot down what you'd like to do once you get the time?

DS is old enough to clean up his own stuff so he does it every night before evening hygiene. Takes 3 minutes if I make sure he does it daily.

Kitchen and bathrooms are the cleaning priority and everything else is... not. Running and cross training are high priority.

I rarely scrap on weekdays. Too mentally and physically tired! I abuse the caffeine on the weekends so I can stay up late. Like tonight I took a long nap this afternoon so I won't need caffeine tonight. A cocktail would be nice.