OK this is not an excuse buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut...
here's what the morning is like in our house (and god knows how it will fall apart even more when I go back to work in 2 months...)
2am (yup, that's when it officially starts): stumble out of bed to feed the screaming baby. Lately this has involved 1-2 hours of screaming afterwards for no apparent reason (teething?) We are exhausted.
4am: see 2am
6am: baby and 3yo wake up. Feed baby again. Fall back into bed to catch up on an hour's sleep. DH gets up with little ones. DH sorts out breakfast for 3yo, changes baby's nappy, unloads dishwasher, makes himself a cup of coffee, get them dressed. This all takes about 45 mins. Once that's done he makes himself some toast.
7am: 8 year old wakes up and comes downstairs in a strop (every day. Without fail). DH spends half hour cajoling then shouting then threatening privileges removed to encourage breakfast because until he eats, he is a monster.
7.30am: I get up as can no longer sleep for the shouting. DH goes to have shower/bath. Between now and 8am I hold the baby and give him another feed; sort out DS1's school uniform (yes, i know I ought to have ironed it and put away and then he gets out night before but...); most of this time is also spent refereeing the two older children who will either kill each other or smother the baby if left in a room on their own.
8am onwards: more shouting and cajoling as we persuade DS1 (who you may have guessed by now is a real handful) into his school uniform. Shoes and coat become a further warzone. Much sending to bedroom and banning of games/grounding/ imposition of early bedtimes ensue... If there's a break between the battles, I try to squeeze in time to have a shower and brush my teeth before DH leaves the house. Usually there isn't, so I have to make do with a wipe down with a baby wipe and furry teeth for some time.
8.30am DS1 is shepherded up to the 'walking bus' for school and either DH walks DS2 to nursery or he stays with me. DH then either comes back to drive DS2 to nursery or I bundle baby into the pushchair and walk with him taking DS2 to nursery (3 days a week)
9am: if DS2 is at nursery AND the baby decides to have a long nap, I may get a chance for a quick shower, but usually he doesn't
9.30am: various other chores impinge: shopping, buying curtain material, unpacking boxes (moved house), sorting out paperwork, or, if baby still asleep, I sometimes just ,er, sleep for half an hour because I haven't had a full 6 hour period of sleep for 9 months or so. He then either requires playing with (will scream if left on his own in one place for too long), feeding (many times), changing, bathing (because he usually poos up his back at least once a day), putting down to sleep again (which takes a good half hour) or just holding cos he's unhappy (teething again?)
IF the rest of the day allows and I haven't got other stuff to do, then I might fold laundry or tidy up or clean the kitchen. It isn't too bad at the moment because I'm off but it will get worse if the baby continues to wake for long periods in the night.
The evenings are pretty much the same as you can imagine with lots of refereeing. In addition to this however there is then dinner to make, plus baby is particularly cranky and goes on nursing strike at the moment since my letdown doesn't happen fast enough...
...so the idea of just squeezing everything in while the children are playing happily and quietly or while they're eating is a non-started in our house.
And then the rest of the time (and for 3 days a week I do have a small amount of 'free' time between jobs) I find that my priorities are simply sleep and me-time (MN, bath, catching up with friends on the phone or out for coffee, reading etc).
Feel no failure or moral ineptitude at this choice, but do wish there were more hours in the day to be able to prioritise housework as well... Would be grateful for discipline/fitting it in ideas from WOHM who have 3 VERY demanding children also AND manage to run the house!