Being a Busy Iron Family

The primary part of the weekend is centered around my children, and I have to be flexible.  To call an audible is to be liquid enough to understand that at any given time you have to be a chauffeur or a chaperone, especially for my 12-year-old and whatever her plans are. -- Lyor Cohen

Now that I'm up and running - no, really up and RUNNING! - things are busy again at home.  Iron Sherpa is in the taper for his first marathon (go Hubby!), the elder IronKid is about to enter multiple weeks of soccer tournaments, and the younger IronKid has had multi-sports weekends (running races and volleyball) on top of all of our other wild and crazy activities.  It feels crazy busy again - which is good, since some of the crazy is me getting to do stuff.  Plus we've had a gorgeous Indian summer the last few days and I've enjoyed it.

Someone on the FB page for IMMD 2015, when I mentioned that IronSherpa & I were both doing IMMD 2015, asked "how do you do it all with kids"...and I answered her.  IronSherpa thought I was being defensive, but I was really just trying to help.  It takes a lot of logistics.  It takes the ability to overlook the dust bunnies and the unmatched socks.  It takes the history of having your kids do chores since they were little, so this isn't an added burden (or at least they don't notice as much when you put a little more on their plates).  It takes the willingness to eat crockpot meals and casseroles (and even boxed food on occasion).  But it can be done.  To be fair, I have a flexible job, so I can work some of my long training days into the week, leaving the weekends free for IronSherpa, but it still takes some juggle, since IronKids are involved in different activities and (as Murphy's law would have it), they are inevitably scheduled for the same time on different ends of the county or state.

I think what it comes down to is the ability to be flexible if crap comes up and the ability to work with your IronSpouse (especially if he's doing it too) to share the free time and the responsibilities.  But this isn't really just about doing an IM or a marathon or any endurance activity - it's kind of about life.  How do you do it all?  You have help.  I'm not a big "it takes a village" person (but I do like the Village People).  We don't have family nearby, but we do rely on the kindness of soccer carpools, etc.  Mostly it's about making it work - the four of us.  If it's important, it can be done...even if you have to call an audible now and then.