Schedules

If you were to go back and read my first posts (which I recommend NOT doing), you would find that they were filled with "ideal schedules" and then lamentations that I had not followed the schedules. Rather than break from that boring tradition, I figure I'll continue it at least one more time.

Here's my ideal schedule:
5:00 wake up
5:00-5:30 study scriptures
5:30-6:30 do contract work
6:30-7:00 get ready for work
7:00-7:40 get kids ready for school
7:40-8:00 take kids to school
8:00-4:30 work, taking 1/2-hour lunch (or less*)
4:30-5:00 pick up kids, go home
5:00-6:00 make/eat dinner
6:00-6:30 clean house
6:30-7:30 have fun! play! read! do errands!
7:30-8:00 get ready for bed, set out things for tomorrow
8:00 go to sleep (me too - I need my rest)

*nearly every single person at my company eats at their desk, like hermits. So I would not be unusual if I did this.

Here's my REAL schedule (semi-worst case)
5:00 alarm goes off
5:00-5:42 hit snooze 10 times
5:42 stumble into bathroom, look at clock, think bad words
5:30 time goes back because alarm is set ahead
5:30 think - "Ok, if I start working now, I can keep on schedule. But maybe I could quickly check my email, blogs, and news sites"
5:30-7:10 - 'quickly' surf internet. keep putting off working until it's too late to get anything done
7:10 - suddenly think "CRAP!! we're going to be way late!"
7:10-7:30 get ready as fast as humanly possible
7:30-7:40 try to get kids up and ready in 10 minutes. kids fall apart when you do this. freak out because the kids are "making us late"
7:40-8:20 get kids ready, get breakfast ready, try to calm down because we're already late anyway, what difference will 20, 30, or 40 minutes make?
8:20-8:40 get kids to school
8:40 get to work. Take at least 20 minutes to "check the news" and calm down. Don't get started working until 9, which means I have to stay AT LEAST until 5 or use vacation time.
6:00 leave work
6:30 get home
6:30-7:30 sit around like a zombie, eat dinner, etc.
7:30 decide to do something - errands, cleaning, etc.
10:00 notice that it's way too late and we're going to repeat this over again tomorrow

Sometimes I actually do pretty well and keep on schedule. Other times the whole day is just bad. If you are a working mom, especially a single mom or with a traveling/military spouse, you know how it is!