Organised time vs. free time

[emkana]

I was wondering how other people organise their week with the children. Over time my days have filled up more and more, so that now there hardly seems to be any time left when I'm just home alone with the children (dd1, nearly 3, and dd2, 9 months), just playing. It's going to get even "worse" from September, when dd1 will go to three preschool sessions instead of 2.
Just to bore you all to tears, let me just outline our week:
Mon am - Mother and Toddler
Mon pm - dd1, and now dd2 as well, at MIL's house
Tue am - dd1 preschool, me and dd2 swim
Tue pm - regular meet-up with friends at soft play centre
Wed am - nothing, from Sep dd1 preschool
Wed pm - Mother and Toddler, but only till 2.45
Thu am - dd1 preschool
Thu pm - free
Fri am - regular meet-up with friends at each other's houses
Fri pm - as Mon pm

So we really only have one and a bit afternoons from Sep where we're 'free'. Sometimes I think "What a shame", sometimes, like now, when I've had a week being stuck at home because dd1 has chicken pox, I think it's a good thing...
I feel so aware of the fact that dd1 starts school in a year's time, so I want to make our last year at home as good as possible...
then again I might just be a bit obsessive...
tell me straight!

I don't do much organised stuff with the boys but I think it's down to the individuals' personalities. Your list looks good -- it doesn't seem like there's a lot there that's inflexible (like preschool), so even though it is a lot, you still have time if you need it and don't seem to be frantically running from place to place.

Hope that makes sense.. just my take on it. (I'm slowly trying to ramp up our activities, esp things like regularly scheduled meetups with friends.)

I suppose having dd1 at preschool is important a)for her but also b) for me and dd2 as we get "quality time" together...
it's difficult as I don't really want to give up any of the activities... would just like to add another day!
Just talking to myself...

Sorry JJ, that's a bit rude of me...
thank you for your answer!

Emkana - your routine sounds very much like mine when the boys were that age. I felt some structure to the week helped me and the boys a lot, and you still end up being around at home a great deal anyway - before and after organised activities, and at the weekends, and in school holidays, ...

The only thing that strikes me from your routine is that you could choose to send only dd2 to MILs once a week or once a fortnight, to give you a chance for some one-to-one with dd1. Or to give her chance to chill out at home and play with her toys without a little sister interfering. (You may find this gets more important this year. Is dd2 mobile yet?)

But I don't think it's at all necessary - it's great for you to have that support and have a break yourself.

thanks for your answer roisin
Good suggestion about sending only dd2 - she's very mobile already and dd1 can't do any puzzles etc. because dd2 will destroy everything.
BUT dd1 loves it so much at MIL's house (because she's spoilt rotten there...TV, choccie on tap) that I doubt she would want to stay with me while dd2 is "allowed" to go to Nanny's house!