when the clock struck eight

I cut a deal with my daughter last night.  She could sleep in our bed if she would lay down and go to sleep-- no playing.  Though I know that I never sleep well when she's in our bed, I just couldn't resist when Katie looked up at me with her big blue eyes and asked so sweetly.  Besides, it was really late and we were all tired.  John was nearly falling asleep and I didn't want to wrestle with the bedtime routine.

Katie doesn't normally stay up until 10:30 or so, but we went swimming at the Rec Center last night and didn't get home until after 9.  She needed some Daddy-time.

I tossed and turned all night.  Katie woke up crying several times.   I do not know if she does this in her own bed or not, since we got rid of the baby monitor ages ago.  But, she does it in our bed.  Maybe it is just being in a different place and being startled?  I don't know.  At any rate, I had less than a peaceful night's sleep.  But, I got bedtime cuddles, so they kinda cancel out.

This morning, John quietly got ready for work.  Katie woke up and he put a movie in the bedroom dvd player so I could sleep a while longer.  I really appreciated it.

I snuggled down under the comforter and thought about the day.  Suddenly, I sat up and looked at the clock.  7:55!  On a Tuesday!  Crap and double crap.

Jump out of bed.  Throw on some jeans.  Pull Alex out of his bunk bed.  Jeans. shirt. shoes. socks. viola. granola bar.  New diaper for Katie.  Out the door.

Alex goes to strings class at the neighborhood school every Tuesday.  He has to be there at 7:55 so that he can check in and get to class by 8.  Today, he arrived at 8:03.  8 minutes after I cracked open my eyes.  Not too shabby.

Time Management

Being a multitasking mama can be quite a heroic feat if one is disorganized and sporadic in the way in which she goes about completing her chores. It is difficult to balance family, work, volunteerism, hobbies, and household tasks when a plan is not in place. Just ask me, I know firsthand!

My typical day currently consists of getting up around 7 am, ensuring that the children have eaten a (semi)nutritious breakfast, swigging a coke or coffee, and logging on to check my many "sites." Between gmail, facebook, twitter, etsy forums, roanoke.com (I am totally addicted to Kevin Myatt's Weather Journal blog), cnn.com, and more, I can easily lose half a morning or more to the computer.

Baby Kate goes down for a nap around 10:30. At that time, I have fallen into the habit of taking a nap with her. Remember the tips from the nurses, doctors, and family to sleep when the baby sleeps? Yeah, I'm kinda still there-- nearly 16 months later. It is so cozy to cuddle up with a sleeping babe in the bed and dream the dreams of the innocent. So, naptime typically comes next.

If I should happen to stay awake during Kate's sleepy time, I'll catch up on my favorite dvr'd shows, take care of laundry or dishes, or sew a bit. Simply put, I follow my whims. Afternoons are then an whirl of lunchtime, picking Alex up from school, chores, homework, dinner, and (if I'm lucky and the kids go to sleep in their own beds), dessert (and I don't mean the sugary type).

All in all, my days are relaxing and enjoyable, but I don't accomplish a whole lot. I can easily become jealous of those moms who post at 10 AM "dishes done, kitchen clean, laundry put away, floors vacuumed, etc etc etc." Why can't I be that organized? Moaning, I realize that the answer lies in scheduling, or the lack thereof.

I need to make a schedule for myself that includes all the things I must do each day and all the things I'd like to get done. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with little ol' me, that's the easy part. I can plan and write and schedule all day. I can even type it up into a fancy spreadsheet to be posted with color-coordinated post-its on my fridge. But, to follow a schedule? Well, that's a bit more work. A bit more determination.

So, I'm going to try it. I'm going to attempt to be a more productive, sane person. I'm going to channel my spurts of motivation into consistent productivity. Right after naptime.