New Weekday Schedule

I remember my mother having a board with a grid of days and times, covered with clear vinyl. She would use a grease pencil to fill in the grids the different activities she planned to do during those times. I also remember in a family home evening everyone writing out a morning routine on index cards. I learned that routines and schedules help make life go more smoothly. They are particularly helpful when trying to add new activities or habits to your life. By connecting a new activity to an already consistently established activity in your life, you greatly increase your odds at becoming consistent with that activity, too. So, to help incorporate my new goals and habits I have come up with the following weekday routine:

5:55 am Wake up, prayer, say good-bye to my Seminary Student, laundry
6:15 am Make breakfast, school lunches, iron dh's shirt
6:45 am Breakfast with the rest of the kid's. Vitamins for everyone.
7:00 am Clean kitchen, clean out fridge on grocery day.
7:15 am Cyrus and Elsie in tub, washed and dressed. Wipe down bath during conditioner.
7:30 am My shower and get ready, wipe down my bath, make beds and tidy room. Do Elsie's hair.
8:10 am Read Country Study picture books at bus stop.
8:30 am Laundry, dinner prep, clean kitchen.
9:00 am Fruit snack and read to Cyrus
9:15 am Exercise, then talent practice (piano, tap, draw)
11:15 am Pick up time, lunch prep, lunch with Cyrus.
Have preschool/play time with Cyrus.
Personal Scripture Study time.
Work on projects for the day.
3:30 pm Little kids get home, go through backpacks, mail, kids have snack and do chores.
5:00 pm Pick up, final dinner prep.
5:30 pm Family dinner, then clean up and pj's, family scripture study and a sweet treat, brush teeth
8:00 pm Family Prayer, prayers and kid's reading time in bed.
9:00 pm Kid's lights out, laundry, my bedtime routine and read.
10:00 pm Light's out, prayer and sleep.

So far, even with dh home (cause we all know that can throw schedules off) things have gone well, if not always to the letter time wise. I worked on my talk for Sunday during my scripture study time. Now, I'm off to do some work for my calling...I'll finish this post later.

There are, of course, interuptions for errands day, play dates, gymnastics and dance classes, etc. But, I don't fret if it doesn't all go as precisely as planned. It's more of a structural frame work to bring a background of order to the unplanned chaos that life so often is.