time saving
Ever think of little ways to save time?
I remember when Lyla, Ange and I used to work at the Portage Mutual together. Lyla used to have these little "systems" where she'd do things a certain way and we'd laugh at her, probably because she used the word "system" a lot, and with complete seriousness. She was so cute. And very good natured.
Okay - note here. When I end a sentence with a period and then continue a sentence afterward that would really be considered part of the same sentence I'm doing it intentionally. I know it's wrong, but I sort of think this way. Consider it an afterthought. Although if any of my students ever did it I'd shame them, publicly question their upbringing and have them sit in the corner with the pointy hat. I on the other hand am an adult, capable of individual thoughts and decisions and am above reproach. After all, it is my blog. Just wanted you to know I'm not grammatically inept.
She was so cute. And good natured. Lyla has always been someone you could tease and she took it exactly as it was meant to be taken - as friendly gestures and terms of endearment. Anyway we'd make fun of her "systems" and then we'd secretly adopt them and find ways to make them even quicker. The corporate machine oiled and running smoothly by the grunts at the bottom. This led to 25 minute coffee breaks. And you thought it was because we really really loved it there.
Any of you have any systems? I totally do. Sometimes I wonder whether I over think the systems. For instance - getting home. In Portage there are many ways to get home when one is out. I have routes that I take, which involve watching in the distance for trains. I then gamble whether to take fisher because it's a little quicker, or to take lorne because it gets me to the overpass. Then I weigh the risks and benefits of my decisions. Honestly! I'm driving home and actually putting thought into this.
Another driving one? Okay! Steven and I drive home from Winnipeg. When he drives he leaves the highway early and heads way North and then west to come up sort of behind portage. He argues that it's because he can drive faster until we get home. I'm convinced that it's probably quicker to go into town and home because it's more straight and narrow. Now, one may say "who cares, what's 40 seconds either way?" That would be the rational thing. Or, one (mainly myself) may play out this whole test in one's head where we each go home and get a car and then head back out to the highway. Of course we'd have to start a mile before the turn-off so we could get to proper highway speed before having to slow down and turn. Then we'd each take the separate route home. Of course it wouldn't be a race - we'd have to stay within 5km/hr of the speed limit. Then there are variables - red lights, trains, etc., so we'd probably have to do this at least 3 times and calculate the average time it takes to get home. Of course I don't tell this to Steven, but I think about it in the 6 minutes it takes to get home after we leave the highway.
Then there are the people with no systems. Not to pick on him, but let's choose Steven. And bath time (again, intentional broken sentence). This is how I bath the kids in 80 easy and simple steps:
See? Pretty seamless. Still seems like a lot of steps, but really this works well.
Let's talk about Steven's "system." Seriously, he has none. It aggravates me to see the work that he has to put into getting them ready for bed because of his lack of preparedness! If his doing the bath didn't mean that I didn't have to I'd totally scold him for it. It's utter chaos! And I don't blame him personally, I know it's a man-flaw (sorry Tom and Tim if you guys are reading this. Argue, but you know it's true). I'll be in the kitchen doing dishes and cleaning up (don't even get me started on my systems here), and Steven baths the kids. Suddenly, naked bodies spring forth from the bathroom, trailing towels on the floor behind them. Maybe part of my issue here is that I have this thing with towels touching the floor. Towels on floor = instant laundry pile. Then here comes Daddy chasing kids while wielding various diapering agents, combs and mismatched pjs. The wet, squealing, naked children laugh with glee as Daddy chases them and tries to get them to sit still and allow him to brush, dress, diaper, etc. He thinks it's all cute and fun (depending on the day), but many times it ends up with him using his "Daddy voice" on them and me thinking if only he'd have finished this all up before freeing them from the bathroom. Don't even get me started on the way he combs Jordan's hair. He knows. I tell him. Still does it wrong. Okay, now I'm started - he combs it like she's a 70's teenage boy with long hair. He just combs it right back and it waves funny and flops forward of its own accord. Nothing cute about it.
One could argue that it doesn't matter whether he does it his way or I do it mine. Ha! Except that mine takes like .8 seconds and his lasts considerably longer. Not to mention that when I go into the bathroom later I have to pick the sopping bathmat from the floor and all the toys from in the tub and all the soggy cloths from in the cups also in the tub. I have to then gather towels from various bedrooms and bathroom locations and hang them too. So yes, make fun of my system but it rocks!
You know, I had some sort of idea when I started this blog, and then I got entirely side tracked by all these little examples.
Oh yeah - I know where I was going with this. Lately I've been lazily ignoring my typos and speeding along with my thoughts and then going back and right clicking the typos and correcting them after. Of course, the way my mind works, I find myself wondering whether I'm saving time by doing this, or whether it would be quicker to fix the mistakes as I go . . .
ps - this is my 2nd blog of the night, so if you're interested, keep scrolling.
I remember when Lyla, Ange and I used to work at the Portage Mutual together. Lyla used to have these little "systems" where she'd do things a certain way and we'd laugh at her, probably because she used the word "system" a lot, and with complete seriousness. She was so cute. And very good natured.
Okay - note here. When I end a sentence with a period and then continue a sentence afterward that would really be considered part of the same sentence I'm doing it intentionally. I know it's wrong, but I sort of think this way. Consider it an afterthought. Although if any of my students ever did it I'd shame them, publicly question their upbringing and have them sit in the corner with the pointy hat. I on the other hand am an adult, capable of individual thoughts and decisions and am above reproach. After all, it is my blog. Just wanted you to know I'm not grammatically inept.
She was so cute. And good natured. Lyla has always been someone you could tease and she took it exactly as it was meant to be taken - as friendly gestures and terms of endearment. Anyway we'd make fun of her "systems" and then we'd secretly adopt them and find ways to make them even quicker. The corporate machine oiled and running smoothly by the grunts at the bottom. This led to 25 minute coffee breaks. And you thought it was because we really really loved it there.
Any of you have any systems? I totally do. Sometimes I wonder whether I over think the systems. For instance - getting home. In Portage there are many ways to get home when one is out. I have routes that I take, which involve watching in the distance for trains. I then gamble whether to take fisher because it's a little quicker, or to take lorne because it gets me to the overpass. Then I weigh the risks and benefits of my decisions. Honestly! I'm driving home and actually putting thought into this.
Another driving one? Okay! Steven and I drive home from Winnipeg. When he drives he leaves the highway early and heads way North and then west to come up sort of behind portage. He argues that it's because he can drive faster until we get home. I'm convinced that it's probably quicker to go into town and home because it's more straight and narrow. Now, one may say "who cares, what's 40 seconds either way?" That would be the rational thing. Or, one (mainly myself) may play out this whole test in one's head where we each go home and get a car and then head back out to the highway. Of course we'd have to start a mile before the turn-off so we could get to proper highway speed before having to slow down and turn. Then we'd each take the separate route home. Of course it wouldn't be a race - we'd have to stay within 5km/hr of the speed limit. Then there are variables - red lights, trains, etc., so we'd probably have to do this at least 3 times and calculate the average time it takes to get home. Of course I don't tell this to Steven, but I think about it in the 6 minutes it takes to get home after we leave the highway.
Then there are the people with no systems. Not to pick on him, but let's choose Steven. And bath time (again, intentional broken sentence). This is how I bath the kids in 80 easy and simple steps:
- Stick kids in the tub. Fill the tub up to Jordan's bellybutton. Wash hair, bums, all necessary-to-wash parts.
- Let them play while I talk on the phone or just watch them. Try to keep Jordan from drowning Tennyson with cups of water poured over his face.
- Decide bath is over when I get annoyed at him trying to climb out (he can you know) or the incessant splashing.
- First I take Tennyson out. I warn Jordan that I'm coming back in a minute and she's next. Remind her not to splash too much and make mommy mad.
- Completely dry, diaper and dress the baby. He is now done. Finished. No more baby to worry about.
- Take all tub toys and put them in the sink to drip dry a minute. Wring cloths and hang neatly on the little posts. Pull plug. Leave nothing in the tub. Grab slippery, somewhat compliant little girl.
- Wrap little girl in a towel and place on the counter. Dry her hair and brush her teeth. Let her brush her own teeth for a minute while brushing her hair. This distracts her from trying not to let you brush her hair. Then put on her jammies that have previously been set on the counter waiting for this very moment. I either put her pjs on while she is sitting on the counter or I put her on the floor and dress her depending on the type of pjs. For those who are not parents - don't worry, you'll know about all the "types" soon enough. I then free the child who runs happily away and is ready for bed. Notice that she is completely ready before leaving the bathroom.
- Close shower curtain, hang towels, hang floor towel, put tub toys in bucket under sink. Done.
See? Pretty seamless. Still seems like a lot of steps, but really this works well.
Let's talk about Steven's "system." Seriously, he has none. It aggravates me to see the work that he has to put into getting them ready for bed because of his lack of preparedness! If his doing the bath didn't mean that I didn't have to I'd totally scold him for it. It's utter chaos! And I don't blame him personally, I know it's a man-flaw (sorry Tom and Tim if you guys are reading this. Argue, but you know it's true). I'll be in the kitchen doing dishes and cleaning up (don't even get me started on my systems here), and Steven baths the kids. Suddenly, naked bodies spring forth from the bathroom, trailing towels on the floor behind them. Maybe part of my issue here is that I have this thing with towels touching the floor. Towels on floor = instant laundry pile. Then here comes Daddy chasing kids while wielding various diapering agents, combs and mismatched pjs. The wet, squealing, naked children laugh with glee as Daddy chases them and tries to get them to sit still and allow him to brush, dress, diaper, etc. He thinks it's all cute and fun (depending on the day), but many times it ends up with him using his "Daddy voice" on them and me thinking if only he'd have finished this all up before freeing them from the bathroom. Don't even get me started on the way he combs Jordan's hair. He knows. I tell him. Still does it wrong. Okay, now I'm started - he combs it like she's a 70's teenage boy with long hair. He just combs it right back and it waves funny and flops forward of its own accord. Nothing cute about it.
One could argue that it doesn't matter whether he does it his way or I do it mine. Ha! Except that mine takes like .8 seconds and his lasts considerably longer. Not to mention that when I go into the bathroom later I have to pick the sopping bathmat from the floor and all the toys from in the tub and all the soggy cloths from in the cups also in the tub. I have to then gather towels from various bedrooms and bathroom locations and hang them too. So yes, make fun of my system but it rocks!
You know, I had some sort of idea when I started this blog, and then I got entirely side tracked by all these little examples.
Oh yeah - I know where I was going with this. Lately I've been lazily ignoring my typos and speeding along with my thoughts and then going back and right clicking the typos and correcting them after. Of course, the way my mind works, I find myself wondering whether I'm saving time by doing this, or whether it would be quicker to fix the mistakes as I go . . .
ps - this is my 2nd blog of the night, so if you're interested, keep scrolling.
Comments
don't worry, I won't tell Quinn. In another 4 months there won't be anything he can do about it! lol.