How do you do it "all"?

This time of the year, it's a rare day that I can even start supper before 9!

JuliaAnn... know what you mean about windows. Last week I was working over the sink, and the dogs were barking at something and I kept going over to the door, looking out, and hollaring at them... did this several times, and realized I had a "window" right in front of me, but couldn't see out it... It was like a Christmas Gift in August! Got some vinegar, cleaned it inside and out, and shazam!!! Hallelujah, I saw the light! And the dogs, goats, chickens, and all the old buckets that need to go to dumpster school.

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Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

There are days when I get so busy that I tell my kids it is cereal night. I wish I was the type of mother who cooks a wonderful meal every night, but sometimes (often) I just don't.
Sometimes having the kids and all the animals fed just has to be enough.

Like Spinner said, the priority list is a BIG help. I found it to be absolutely required for my years as a Process Engineer, Farmer, Machine Shop owner, and now, a Homesteader again. Sometimes, when there are too many #1 priorities, help is required, but the list will tell you that. You get help if you can , or you work overtime and do your best, and devil take the hindmost.

The most helpful for me has been to improve time-efficiency of what tasks I have to do. We all try to do this, but some things slip through the cracks, and we end up doing something the hard way for too long, so those things need to be addressed. Just putting a larger waterer in the henhouse saved me 10 minutes a day, 2 days out of 3. I still have to carry water farther than I'd like, but next year a rain barrel at the henhouse will help that, at least until it gets too cold.

I only clean the henhouse twice a year, which is a lot less trouble, and has the manure and litter ready for the garden at the right times for me--Spring and Fall. When the floor gets too dirty, I add litter, and redo the nests at the same time. I trim vegetables on the way to the house with them as I pass the henhouse, tossing th etrimmings to the hens. Saves a trip back later.
I try to apply my mass-production experience anywhere I can on the homestead. We plant more than necessary of everything, and throw the culls to the hens. What veggies get to the house are only the best we have, so less time trimming out bad spots and more time for canning. I grind our own chicken feed, which saves both time and money, since I grind enough to last a month at a time. The hanging feeder holds enough for a couple weeks, so I only have to fill it twice between grindings. Just give it a shake when I colllect eggs to make sure it the feed isn't stuck in it. I can "feed" the hens, collect eggs, and clean out the waterer in less than a minute.

I make 2 trips a year for feed--one to the farmer where I buy grain, and one to the feed mill to buy supplement. My wife bakes bread, 6 loaves once a week, and usually has something in the canner on another stove at the same time. Have a big burr mill that can grind 200+ lbs. and hour, where I grind flour fresh on baking day--about 8 pounds in less than 5 minutes, 3 times through the mill to get it fine.

We do the usual stuff of making a trip to town do many things to save trips, but we also plan our life ahead to get rid of unwanted trips. Do we REALLY want to go to that family reunion? One of them is yes, the other, no. Saves a whole day.

And, like others said, LET THE WEEDS GROW!

Hey Ernie, I thought you were goin' fer the wilderness look on purpose! I like it that way and it provides hiding places for the hens...not to mention food for the butterflies!

Ok...how about putting an old table next to the road and put all the veggies you don't have time for out there with a can for a "serve yourself" stand? Dehydrate the beans too, they are good in soup...I think it is a bit easier than pressure canning.

Let the goats eat the lawn if you can. Sell the non-productive ones if you can or rent them out for eating other people's weeds.

When I am pressed for time, the HT reading and posting is the last on my to do list...sorry, but I gotta make some sacrifices!

The special needs child needs your attention...life in the future will be so much better for him or her, since you have been caring for the child. Children first, cleaning last.

Good luck with everything!

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS YOU DON'T , YOU CAN'T
are all of thi kids working chores , have the 16 year old drive dad to work for his driving practice i know you will still have to be there for the ride home but maybe you can get somthing doen in the car while your husband watches the boy drive.

9 year old can do alot , and don't i know about the behavior thing , can the 9 yo milk while you are near by getting other chores in

canning maybe a freind would like to have a canning afternoon can get some talking and canning done at the same time

and some things just have to take a back burner but the more you can get the kids to do the better , also prioritizing , maye there is another boy in golf that drives that goes close to your house anyway , a few dollars gas money may save you the running

it is hard to live both on and off the homestead while we have the benifit of some modern conviniences like cars , running water and appliences that don't need the tending they once did your talking about doing all the chores of milking and maintaining your homestread while your husband is at work 12 hours a day off HS(home stead)
and playing soccer mom to kids running hear there and everywere for school and activities and such it is the modern / traditional conflict we all face trying fo do parts of both.

the work of many hads makes light the labors of the day

I think giving up on 'getting it all done' is the best thing I can do on a daily basis. I will never get it all done. Never. Oh well.