Is work life balance a myth or a real option?

Hi, I’m Dan, the Duke of Chaos. (yes, I claimed my own title). I am an independent contractor, with clients all over the spectrum, from individuals who have issues with the government to large businesses that need help with running their offices and corralling the processes that keep them solvent on a daily basis. I also have five children from 11 years old down, living at home, and a wife who’s amazing but who also has a full time professional job. When we started out on this crazy rewarding [maddening?] Catholic family journey together, the plan wasn’t to include children (it wasn’t supposed to be possible medically, but eh, doctors vs. God). Not to diverge too far, but we discussed our future, and with what things look like now, work life balance is a myth. I work full time, I’m a dad and husband full time, she works full time and still managed to make my parenting efforts look mediocre at best.

Realize that nothing 100% perfect all the time

I’m human, my kids are mostly human, my wife is super-human. My house looks like a zoo was dumped into it on a regular basis. Trying to keep everything perfect is an impossible dream. Let me give you an example from yesterday. I made boxed mac-and-cheese. You know the story. I had five hungry kids at lunchtime, we just walked in the door, there’s nothing handy, and everything is chaos. I grabbed two boxes of Annie’s Pasta Mac and Cheese. This one here: