Any Tips for Dinner Time and Evening Activities?

First - don't stress yourself out because that defeats the purpose of going! Have you thought about going in the morning by yourself? I found when my kids were very small 3 things worked for me: drop in care at the gym right after breakfast when they are ready to play, running with a jogging stroller or taking them to the park (toddlers play and I run sprints/ do squats, pushups etc...) Stroller Strides is a great program that incorporates kids and all you need is a stroller and shoes! If you want to do the evenings with hubby you will need some prior planning to make it go smoothly and even the I know my little ones would never make it anywhere past 4:30PM. It's the witching hour!! A babysitter as suggested before would be ideal. I know until my kids were all 1 year old I spent a lot of time with them in a stroller to get in shape. After that drop in care at the YMCA was a God-send and I went every day by myself and dropped those babies in! It was great time for myself.

is it possible to get a babysitter at home? Then gym time might actually feel like a "date"!

I don't have advice, but I want you to know I'm in the same situation! I've yet to figure out how to work out smoothly, since no time seems to work for everyone. Good luck!!!!

Like Sue said a babysitter would be very helpful and it could give you and your husband a little extra time for each other.. but Crock pot meals seem to be the easiest way to make dinner when I have a busy day ahead. I throw it in the night before or morning of and then wont have to worry about the stress of "What's for dinner?". (pork chops and gravy, meatball subs, stew, roast carrots & potato's, etc.)

I have to go to the gym as soon as I get off work or I'm down for the count. What I do is run by the house to grab them a healthy snack b4 I pick my kids up... crackers, apple slices, gogurt, string cheese. They eat on the way to the Gym. I do my 1 hour class and then we go home and have a light dinner. Sometimes dad meets us there. I try to set it up so I have quick throw together stuff, like cold cooked chicken and rice to make a quick chicken fried rice or tacos or something. Kids eat, bath, and bed.

When I took my preschooler to mommy and me class one evening a week I fed him an early dinner (sometimes it was different then what we had later, scrambled eggs, grilled cheese or chicken nugget) and then packed a good size healthy snack, a cookie and drink for the car on the way home. I had his pajamas and toothbrush layed out to make things easier when I arrived home.

First, you can do this, and it will be so worth it. I love the idea of the crock pot and having pj's all ready layed out, you could do that early in the am just to have it done.

I know you don't need a babysitter, but a mother's helper like an 8 yo or something like that that could walk over or get dropped off just to entertain the older ones might be helpful, you might not even have to pay if theyjust enjoy kids.

These would be nights that i put in a kids movie while nursing or plan on having dinner at 3:30 and a snack at 5. it would be do what ever you can to survive.

i will be soooo worth it though!!