Day 10

OK today I will accomplish the four things I've been rewriting on my daily "to do" list since last week. Some day you just have to draw the line and say, "Today is the day I make that phone call I really don't want to make." I noticed I've had to start reaching for things to add to my to do list. Maybe it's because the kids are out of school, or the fact that I have no life, but I like it.

What I Need To Do:

Gym
Homework
Cleaning (living room/dining room)
Organize hanging organizer

I didn't accomplish the four things. I didn't accomplish anything. Mostly from being so busy I wasn't home. So I can either do "normal" life and run around all day or stay at home and get stuff done. But I can't do both evidently. Can you?

Day 9

I originally started writing this blog the night before and then modifying it the day of. I haven't done that in a couple of days (since the mislabeling of days debacle) and it's kind of throwing me off. I am so tired by the end of the day that I can't pretend to be writing about the beginning of the day. See, that makes no sense. So today I was a "good mother" and I took my kids to the zoo. It was roughly 100 degrees out (the car said 94 but obviously heat is different in Japan or something) but on the positive side it wasn't very crowded. I get to the end of the day though and notice I didn't really get much done in the house, which is starting to freak me out a little because I signed up to "Barack the Vote" on Sunday and I have to have strangers over. Better get cracking on that dusting. See, without the added structure of my schedule I just ramble on. If I wanted to do that I'd start another blog about my life. Oh wait, I already have one.

Day 8

My kids are out of school for fall break (fall, hahaha, what a joke) so I'm a little unsure what to expect as far as routine. I don't have to wake up too early but the little one is like an alarm clock so I don't actually get to sleep in. There's no school to distract them so I have to come up with ways to do that. Man, this parenting thing is hard work. So far I have modeling clay and a plan to study Arizona. What else do you need?

Schedule:
7:00-wake up
7:00-9:00-computer
9:00-10:00-homework
10:00-11:00-treadmill/shower
11:00-12:00-work on desert plants/clay
lunch
2 loads laundry
pick up living room and dining room/vacuum
organize kitchen organizer

So for some reason my day got all turned around but I did have time for the treadmill (yeah me) and laundry. I had to leave for school early so I'm sure that didn't help. I have been encouraging the children to clean up their messes but so far it's still a struggle. I'm kind of thinking it will always be.

Day 7

Whoever said Sunday was the day of rest was lying. After the really long day we had yesterday (birthday parties and Lowe's and going out to a bar) who wouldn't want to just sleep in and lounge around in their pajamas all day? Well I did do that but I was working on my project for class all day long so that doesn't count. My eyeballs are burning from staring at the computer screen so you should thank me for having the dedication to post this. Somehow my posts got off by a day and now a couple of days are labeled with the wrong day. I'm trying to not be too anal about it but I really want to change it. Is there such thing as being too anal but needing to be more obsessive? Or maybe it's the other way around.

Day 6

The first weekend of the new plan. I am torn between wanting to schedule everything and wanting to blow everything off. Sounds like a normal weekend. Usually I have this whole list of things I want to get done. The weekend is like this shiny blank slate and I fill it with my dreams of productivity. And then Sunday night comes and I realize my kids haven't bathed in two days and they've watched so much television they're starting to sing commercials in their sleep. Every weekend I have dreams of family outings and DIY projects. Well dream no more. I will bond and spackle if it kills me (it might).

The schedule:

7:00-wake up/computer
7:30-8:30-homework
swim class
10:00-12:00-to do/clean Kate's room/stairs
birthday party
Lowe's
homework
2 loads laundry

We did make it to Lowe's for the first of many buying stuff for DIY trips. But the rod we bought for the laundry room needs another sort of bracket and we didn't manage to put up the curtain rod in Kate's room. All in good time. I'd say all in all it was a good start.

Day 5

360 days to go. It really isn't so bad. I know I need to loosen up a little on the schedule but I don't feel like I can yet. It's like the South Beach diet. As soon as I started adding the carbs back I lost my mind a little. I have some ideas to keep things interesting. Right now I'm just writing for myself because I haven't told anyone about this blog yet. I don't want to waste all the good ideas on me.

The schedule:

6:30/7:00-wake up
7:00-8:00-ready for school/computer
8:00-8:30-homework
8:30-9:20-get ready to go
2 loads of laundry
12:00-2:00-to do list/homework
2:00-2:50-kitchen
dinner
movie night

It's been a long day but I actually finished the kitchen (after only three days). It's times like these when I wonder how people manage to keep their house from imploding around them. I may say this a lot (I do) but while I'm putting out a fire in one place there's a blazing inferno somewhere else. I either need helpful elves or children who will start putting their toys away and not stuff trash in the sofa cushions.

Day 4

Will the day ever come that I don't have to do more than three loads of laundry daily? Will I ever be able to keep up with the mountains of dirtiness by doing a reasonable two loads a day? In what world two loads a day is reasonable is anyone's guess. I told a friend I wanted to go to the antique market and she was scared until I explained to her about my new way of life. Then she wasn't as scared but she was confused.

The schedule:

6:30/7:00-wake up
7:00-8:00-Em ready/computer
8:00-9:00-homework
3 loads laundry
Get ready to go
10:00-breakfast
12:30-2:30-to do list
3:00-4:00-Kate's room
4:30-5:30-kitchen/dishwasher
dinner

I am so close to finishing Kate's room but there seems to be multiplying Polly Pockets pieces or another stuffed animal from who knows where. I also cannot seem to finish the kitchen. Tomorrow. This week has been very informative. I have managed to tackle my laundry and start on the kids' rooms but I didn't talk to my friend for almost three days (which is a little unusual). Maybe I'm not as good at multi-tasking as the average woman. Or maybe I just need to start using my Bluetooth. I keep thinking at some point I'll be caught up and only have to work on maintenance. HAHA. On the positive side, I have started a running list of all those things I remember when I see them (clean dryer vent) but then forget as soon as I leave the room.

Day 3

Yesterday I forgot to play with my kids. Damn, I knew I was forgetting something. It's so funny how personal relationships start to slide when you concentrate on getting things done. There has to be a balance. Do normal people plan play time with their kids or making time for friends?

The schedule:

6:30/7:00-wake up
7:00-9:00-Em ready for school/computer/unload dishwasher/breakfast
3 loads of laundry
9:30-10:30-walk to park and play
10:30-11:20-shower/work on Kate's room
12:00-1:00-Gym
1:30-2:30-help Em with salt dough project
2:30-3:30-to do list/emails
3:30-4:30-kitchen counter/floor
dinner
homework

Well my best intentions fell a little short today. We went to lunch after Emma got out of school and that threw everything off. The salt dough project also took longer than expected but I enjoyed it. I hope I get an A. My kitchen floor and counters look like a wreck and I only did 1 load of laundry. The horror! Why do I feel like I ran a marathon then?

Aidan's Room

Before

After

And that only took me two days. He has a place for all of his stuff. Now to teach him to put it back there. One of the things I don't seem to have time for is decorating. Consequently we are stuck living in a hospital-like white world. I really want to start with the kids' rooms since I think they need more encouragement to actually play in there. We have the television and computer on far too much and they only have like thousands of dollars of toys in their respective rooms. When I think about all of the areas I want to improve I get a little woozy. One step at a time.

Day 2

Still alive after day 1. Falling behind on my schedule a little. Damn personal phone calls. Am I going to have to start scheduling "time for friends"?

The schedule:

6:30/7:00-wake up
7:00-9:00-Em ready for school, computer time (blog posts), empty dishwasher
3 loads of laundry-fold and put away
9:00-9:40-treadmill
9:40-11:00-finish Aid's room/start Kate's room
11:00-12:00-Aid ready for school/lunch
Take Aid to school
12:30-2:30-homework
3:30-4:30-to do list
start dinner

I actually finished my schedule today too. The one problem I'm running into is the time for tasks being pushed out. But I guess as long as I get it done and it's not midnight I shouldn't complain. I keep having visions of my life a year from now and my family and I are all smiling and clean in our perfectly decorated house. Maybe it's a dream but it seems attainable. OK maybe not the clean and smiling in our perfectly decorated house part.

Day 1

The first day of living obsessively. When I woke up this morning I was not aware this was the first day of the rest of my year. Sometime during the day the idea for this blog was formed and so here I am.

The dream (the schedule):

6:30/7:00-wake up
7:00-9:00-Em ready for school, computer time (blog posts), empty dishwasher
5 loads of laundry
9:00-10:30-Aidan's room/clean upstairs
10:30-11:00-play (preferably with children)
11:00-12:00-Aid ready for school/lunch
Take Aid to school
12:30-2:30-homework/to do list
3:30-start dinner so family has nutritious food while I'm stuck in class

The reality:

I stuck to the schedule today. I did five loads of laundry (not all folded or put away yet but I'm working on it). I actually played with my children. They even wanted to play Candyland again. I myself was not up to the challenge. I started cleaning Aid's room but how to keep it clean? When I figure this out I will be the teacher and not the student.