Posted: Aug. 8, 2017 9:49 am Updated: Aug. 8, 2017 9:58 am

Don't mind me. I'm just taking a bath/cleaning the tub. I just flipped the camera for a picture to illustrate something we moms do every day. Today it's the bathtub but sometimes it's using the toilet while scrubbing boogers off the wall and reviewing the words of the week that I've taped up. I bet they haven't even glanced at them twice. Maybe the booger on the wall is some sort of protest.

And this my friends, is why we are tired. We think about everything there is to do and then multitask as much as possible. Why? Because it just makes good sense, and I think deep down we think the quicker we get all our jobs done, the quicker we can get some me time. It's fun to make believe. I mean I'm holding a disinfecting wipe and chipping away at spilled nail polish while taking what's meant to be a relaxing soak. Maybe I have a problem. Let's review. Every day I combine looking for missing items with cleaning the mud room. I still use baby wipes. First to clean faces, and then clean up the spilled cereal. I listen to reading assignments and stories of who touched who while tying shoes and packing backpacks. I've perfected drinking my tea (aka my sanity in a cup) while physically running my people to school. I spill a lot but it's a big cup.

None of this should wow anyone because we all do it. Every day we try our best to do as much as we can until it's safe to sit down, and by the time we get there, a lot of times all we can do is quietly stare into the distance. Sometimes I black out while doing the dishes. This glazed over spaced out stage can unknowing last long periods of time.

I call it the sock zone.

My dad used to sit on the edge of the bed half asleep and put one sock on, then take forever to put the other one on due to the lack of ambition to get out of bed. I feel like I've gone off on a tangent here and possibly wondered onto another blog subject. Stay tuned for sock zone

Anyways, I feel this spaced-out time is very much needed. It's us part recharging and part having a planning period for our next hour, day, week considering everything that needs to be organized to make it all happen. Me time. It looks a little different with four very different children firing different problems my way, requiring me to respond in different ways. I space out a lot these days.

So yeah, I'm taking some me time and having a bath. There are no candles -- don't want anyone to get any ideas. There's no relaxing music. God knows, I can't play music or the children might find me. Also, I need to be able to hear what's going on, in case all hell breaks loose. What I am doing is Cloroxing grubby fingerprints and cleaning up my bath salts that one of the minions has spilled all along the perimeter of the tub. I will then review my bathing situation. Do I have time to shave before someone needs me or will I be very rudely interrupted with one leg in the air? Ugh! Whatever. I'll go for it. I can always combine this with a good healthy body image talk or any other overly informative talk that makes watching the TV downstairs seem like a better option.

Because I can multitask like a mother!

Jen Reekie was born and raised in Quincy and received a communications degree at the University of Kansas, which has come in quite handy as she communicates every day with four children who don't hear a word she says. This stay-at-home mom enjoys the challenge, though, and shares her experiences in this blog, "Mum's the Word." She welcomes your feedback, questions and stories about staying sane while raising kids.

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Multitasking me time - Herald-Whig