What chores to do with 4 & 1 yr old under feet

[bacon]

Most of the time I'm ok but what chores can you complete with mad 4yr old and 1yr old following you around, under ironing board, baby wants to be picked up etc etc. 4 yr old only want to help when in mood and thats only occassionally.

i currently do a lot of winding the tiolet paper back on the roll and clearing a path throught the living room so i can sit down. too tired to remember much else.

Getting the vac out works quite well. I have 3.7yo and 21mo dts, they 'vacuum' whilst I am doing other things. The key I find is to a) not look like you're doing anything and b) expect to be interrupted every 2 minutes! I have accepted by now that getting anything done above basics (putting washing on in 2 mins flat, cooking meal, emptying dishwasher maybe) is not going to happen during the day really.

Can you do stuff when 1yo having nap and 4yo busy with puzzle/tv/book whatever? I do have to be quite sneaky with my 3yo but he's quite happy pottering a lot of the time.

Yes accessorizequeen, accepting much doesnt get done is correct apart from hubby who cant understand that nothing gets done.

Emptying the dishwasher has to be done on the hush hush otherwise the baby always wants to climb in.

Thurs and Fri are great days as they both go to nursery all all day. However I am supposed to be helping the OH run his business but that only happens between catching up on the chores.

The household helper (cleaner) has gone AWAL but she was never reliable currently seaching for a replacement as I am not getting much done. Cleaning the kitchen windows 10pm last night.

Vacuuming is ok for a few minutes then he loses interest.

Since the baby has really become a toddler I'd forgot how inefficinet the days have become, I also get very fustrated.

It is very very frustrating, I agree! My older 2 are 3yrs apart too and I remember this but it will get better soon when 1yo starts being more independent!
Are you expecting too much of yourself - do kitchen windows have to be cleaned? Or is it dh who's expecting too much? Reading between the lines,are you getting any time for you during the week?
Tell hubby to stay home with the 2of them and see how much he gets done! dp much more understanding once I did that, house is a tip when he's in charge (albeit we do have 4 dcs).

Dusting, wiping of things generally (give them a bit of kitchen roll to "help" with), putting clothes away, tidying surfaces (OK maybe not the floor as they untidy it again even faster, but I often potter around decluttering for example the computer table, hall table, coffee table, bedroom surfaces while my two play. Definitely not ironing!