Living in the Now..

So I've been told many times to "live in the now"...I always tried hard to implement this but lately it just seems to be a fact of life for me. I don't have 5min. to even really think about tomorrow. My world of endless laundry and dirty diapers seems to pretty much suck up most of my day. I remember the days when a nice bath was a nice luxury at the end of a busy day...oh, now I just think of the hassle of it all and much rather just get to bed.
I also love when people help with the advice of "the house can get cleaned tomorrow". Well, the thing is tomorrow always seems to be busier than the last. I have had to take a step back and realize that the house will really never be "cleaned" to my liking. I guess it's like we tell the kids "we get what we get and we don't throw a fit" ;-)
I often find myself jealous and frustrated with the people who have the 3 kids, clean house, and the full time job. Is it because the kids are gone from the home all day so it doesn't get as trashed? Is it because the mom spends more time cleaning than interacting with her kids? Is it because she has found the one in a million husband that actually does the housework? Or is it because I just simply don't have my act together? I find myself constantly putting down the dishes to do a puzzle with the kids. But at the same time I refuse to be the parent with the kids that can't entertain themselves. As a child my siblings and I used to play alone and actually use our imaginations. So many children these days need to be told what to play or how to play something. I watched the super nanny once and she was appalled that the mother didn't spend all day interacting with her kids. ??? I think there is a fine line and I'm always trying to balance on it but often feel I go one way or the other...I think it mainly depends on what is going on in the day and how much cleaning I need to get done.
I love working at the church the two days I volunteer but lately it seems like such a balancing act that I often struggle with. It seems like lately it gets more and more ridiculous trying to get out the door and my planning and organizational skills are falling short. Example: Cubbies by the front door for shoes and jackets. Very Helpful except when you have a 1yr. old that loves wearing other peoples shoes or a 6yr. old that is very forgetful of putting her shoes in the basket. Which leads to a daily 30min. game of "FIND THE SHOE"!!!
Or another favorite game before we leave the house of "I need to go Potty". This game is often funner if we wait for everyone to get buckled in the car but not out of the driveway...
So back to my "living in the now"...it seems to be all I can do. Being late and forgetting diapers or the all important paci will be inevitable for me. The kids will grow and new challenges will come but for now I will pray that God continues to guide me and I will continue to laugh at the dysfunction I call a LIFE. :-)