How do they do it?

Ladies and even Gentlemen,
In the past few years have you found a new respect for your mother? Are there times in your day when you say, "How the F did she do all this"?
That is what has been going around my head for a bit now. Grant it, my life is nothing like so many of my former classmates. I have a dog, a sometimes needy dog, but that is it. Oh, and a hubby and a sweet little kitty, but nothing like a CHILD. How the F do people have children and go about their days? I sometime resent my dog for having to be let out of his crate and walked. But, I don't have to worry about much else with him.
Over the weekend the Bert and I traveled to DC for some friends and a few adult beverages. On Sunday we met with Bert's cousin who has two precious little girls. Well behaved city girls. (city children are different then any other kinds, but that is a different post) The little ladies had plenty of things to keep them occupied and patient parents and second cousins to listen intently. We ate, we chatted, we were interrupted who knows how many times and it was a lovely brunch. I walked away from the experience even more befuddled. How do they do it, this whole parent thing? Where does the energy come from? Here were two super successful DC folks, with bilingual (and well behaved) children and there were Bert and I ready for a nap.
For the Bert and I, it is a daily chore to get everything done in a day that needs to be done. How do people throw in children on top of those needs? How is it all done? My mother did the following - a mother, a wife, a college student, a cook, a caregiver, a taxi driver and still found time for herself (precious little). But she did all of this things and I can barely manage to finish the laundry. It isn't like I am watching 5 hours of tv a night. Most nights it is none and I am crawling into bed wondering where my day has gone and adding more things onto the "to-do" list for the next day.
I marvel at women who take on so many roles. If women ruled the world, everything would be accomplished by noon. We have a knack for organization and world peace. I'm not sure how my mother did everything and I am grateful she passed down a bit of her womanly abilities to do everything.