(In)Effective Time Management

Time flies..but I have yet to figure out whether I'm having fun! So I decided to write out what I do during the day and see just what's happening that sucks my hours into a time vortex. Let's see:

5:30 am - 6:00 am- wake up, wake kids up, pray and answer Mother Nature.
6:00 am - 6:15 am- wake kids up again, yell at them to be ready for breakfast in ten seconds, get dressed, fold laundry, refill empty baskets with the dirty stuff everyone tossed into the hallway, yell- er...gently remind the kids that they better have their teeth brushed, else they'll have no teeth by the time they want to get married, and toss cats off of the clean laundry they just disheveled all over the bed.
6:15 am - 7:00 am- Kiss husband goodbye, try to kiss the kids and faint from the combination of morning breath and breakfast, make them brush their teeth and do chores before school- including putting away their semi-folded clothes.
7:00 am- 7:30 am- Make lunches and have kids pack them, I go through emails and play a game on the computer while the kids finish up, then we pray before the bus comes for my son, all the while tripping over hungry cats that were supposed to be fed by my daughter at 7:00.
7:30 am- 8:00 am- Peace and serenity wafts over the house since it's just us girls- she goes to play in her room, and I finish my computer game.
8:00 am- 8:05 am- Run around like mad people because she forgot to pack her schoolbag, make her lunch and feed the cats- who made my life miserable when they practically sat on my computer mouse and meowed in my face for thirty minutes begging for food, then feeling guilty for thinking they were just being greedy furry ogres who just love me for my kitty treats. 
8:05 am- 8:30 am- walk my daughter to school, then walk back towards the house, looking forward to playing another computer game of two. Unless I'm going to the gym.
8:30 am- 10:00 am- I walk to the gym and work out, chat, then go home- if it's an off day from the gym, I usually spend it playing computer games, watching videos, or facebooking.
10:00 am- 12:00 pm- on rare occasions I get some baking, cleaning or writing done, but never all in the same day. There are just too many games to play on the computer.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm- scarf something semi-healthy down while I play a new computer game.
1:00 pm - 2:45 pm- make calls, do errands, and other homemaker stuff- including playing computer games if I don't have anything else scheduled. I try not to schedule anything.
2:45 pm - 3:30 pm- Walk to the school to fetch my daughter, and greet my son as we make it to the door just as he is dropped off by the bus. They go relax in their own ways for a half hour, while I...well, I did see this neat looking game I wanted to try....
3:30 pm- 4:30 pm- totally engrossed in games, I forgot to remind the kids they had to start homework at 4:00. They count on this and always put on a movie, then claim it's not over yet. Wrenching myself from the computer, I have them turn the TV off, while I try to figure out what to make for dinner, because I completely forgot to defrost anything.
4:30 pm- 7:00 pm- I become a woman of miracles- not only did I manage to make something for dinner that was healthy, edible, and well-cooked, but the kids got their homework done and the house is in some semblance of order- even the cats were fed on time tonight. I go celebrate by playing a game- I needed to finish the last few levels anyway.
7:00 pm- 9:00 pm- dishes get washed (sort of), and when we aren't playing cards together we're often in our own little worlds- the kids are playing the computer (theirs), my husband is on his Nook...as for me? I hadn't really played anything much all day- I think I'll play a computer game!


After having looked this schedule over, I could definitely see a pattern. I could see where most of my time went, and I made a plan to rectify the situation. 


I'll be putting the kids and the cats up on Ebay next week.







Addendum:
Just so people don't start sending me hate mail and telling me what a bad mom I am, I'll have you know a few things- One, this was a half serious post- yes, I do play way too much on the computer (that's what I'll really be rectifying, by the way), and Two, I would never put my kids up on Ebay. Not only is it illegal (I looked), but there would be no one here to feed the kitties or give me stuff to laugh about (and write about) a week after it happens. 
God Bless, and remember the most important thing of all is to not take yourself or others too seriously!