lyn/ava
no, i don't hv a maid. not comfortable nor used to having a stranger living with us (plus all the attendant issues with hiring one). i just hv a part-time cleaner who comes in once a week. she does all the heavy-duty cleaning - wipe everything down (incl. toys), wash toilets, sweep & mop floor, etc), while i just upkeep it for the rest of the week (clear mess at end of the day, do the laundry, try to mop once more per week). thing is, my threshold for dirt is quite high. i'm not really one of those moms who're obssessive abt cleanliness and must mop the floor everyday. occasionally, the twins will pick crumbs off the soles of their feet and hand them over to me to throw away... keke ;P
laundry - washing machine & dryer. very easy.
childcare - MIL comes in twice a week, on tue & thu to help out for the entire day. she does some cleaning as well, but not really necc.
meals - we order tingkat dinner mon-thu. fri, hubby buy or i cook something simple. my hubby does grocery shopping once or twice a week so my fridge & larder are always well-stocked. MIL also buys my meals when she comes over. sometimes FIL will drop by during lunchtime to bring me lunch. so, that takes care of my breakfast & lunch. when i get desperate, i occasionally pop down to the nearby coffeeshop to buy lunch during the babies 11am naptime.
for babies' meals, my MIL helps to do the mktg & stocks up on the meat & veg for their porridge meals. once a week or so, i wld prepare and freeze a week's worth of their mashed fruits & veg.
actually, it all boils down to expectations. if you're the kind of mom who expects a sparkling clean & neat home, hot home-cooked food for every meal and strictly no tv for the kids and only parental engagemt, well... i think it'll be hell for you coping alone. for me, as long as my kids are healthy, well-fed and clean, and i get my 3 meals and one bath a day, i'm quite happy. plus, it helps to hv such supportive in-laws (altho i'm pretty sure i can also cope without their help in a pinch).
the main problem for me is psychological/social. i live a very insular existence since i'm cooped up at home all the time. i can count on the fingers on one hand the no. of times i've seen orchard rd the whole of last year. i only get to get out of the house on weekends. that's why i come online frequently, so that i'd hv some semblance of a social life, even if it's only virtual.
anyway, all this is temporary. babies grow and their needs will change. very soon they'll be going to playgroup, then preschool... and my own life will change accordingly. i just adjust.
