Desperate to be organized and eating my words

I want to be organized so bad but something always always always falls by the wayside...so on to a new plan..

When school starts, it always gives me the bug to get organized, be a better mom, wife, and super woman...

I started this book Managers of their Homes by Maxwell.  She is like a mother of 7 or something like that and home schools and pretty much seems like the most organized person on the planet...I envy her! 

She has her day set out in 30 minute increments as well as her 7 kids..

It seems like they do everything in 30 minute increments.  She schedules in everything!  They don't leave the house much from what I see.  I'm actually surprised that going pee is not on her schedule..I am making fun but it does make sense.  When I am not organized, I am not happy...I can't stand getting up late, rushing the kids around, everyone is unhappy, no dinner is planned, laundry is everywhere, and I yell at everyone. So while one may think that a schedule is boring and predictable and "not so fun"...the other option is "no fun" at all either.  So in my valiant effort to start the home school year off right I have written us out a schedule.

It includes getting up at 6:15...UGHHHH!!!! but it also includes a 1 hour rest time in the afternoon where I can nap, read, or do whatever I want!  It also includes a period of 1 hour to do projects...sewing, crafting, organizing, or scrap booking..And all the chores are done before dinner for the most part and laundry is done each day and all the kids are busy and being helpers..

This is where I eat my words..

John and I always said, if we have more than one or two kids that the older ones were not going to HAVE to be responsible or play with the little ones..that I didn't want to constantly ask them for help or make them "work" for me all day long....well here I eat my words...I HAVE to HAVE their help!  It is a must.  I cannot possibly do everything by myself and I have noticed, if I'm not keeping them busy helping, they are just fighting and getting into trouble.  My vision of my children playing nicely side by side..one with barbies and the other with cars does NOT happen.  When left to fend for themselves and play by themselves for too long....all falls apart.  Maybe its just my children...but they do not play by themselves imaginatively very long without trouble...so why not put them to work, right?

The cool thing about the author of the book is this...every child has a purpose and a "job" all during the day...if they aren't schooling, then they are doing  chore, playing with a younger sibling, quizing a younger sibling on site words, helping with dinner, having one on one mommy time...its all in her schedule. When I wrote mine all out after looking at a friend's and getting ideas from the book...it seems daunting and I have to admit..I looked at it and thought to myself, Is this what my life comes down to...3 pages of 30 minute increments written out to follow every day of my life?  But as I have said before, the opposite of being organized ain't so great either and I never ever ever ever feel like I have enough time in the day!  So we are flexible and we do get out of the house, but when we are home, if we can follow this schedule, I think life may flow better!  I haven't followed the schedule to a tee yet since I just wrote it like two days ago but I have tried a few of the ideas so far and it has been awesome!  The kitchen is clean by 7:00 every night...and all the laundry is put away before bed.  And the kids have had fun doing it all.  I can't tell you how many times my bed is full of folded laundry when I go to get in bed at night and I pile it all up to put away the next day and it sits all day long AGAIN!  So my schedule is going in my handy dandy notebook and we will follow it...maybe :)