I read through the comments and thought that perhaps the following would work for you:

Wake when you need to (some of us are not morning people and need to sleep in a bit later than others!) - spend some quiet time reading the Bible yourself and get ready for the day

Put something in the crockpot or prep for an easy dinner (grill chicken for a salad, cut up the veggies or meats you'll need, etc)

School with the kids - lunch and snack when appropriate

Chores - do some training with them and some chores on your own while they play

Off to the gym.  Get there right at 4 when the childcare opens.  Use car time to listen to audio books, narrate, Spanish DVDs, etc.  Lots of free resources on the web and at the library.

Get home and eat dinner.  Clean up and get ready for bed.  Computer time when they're in bed.  I hate that rule but it's necessary for me.  I get sucked into the black hole of the internet.  

Do it all again the next day!

You're going to the gym M/W/F?  On those days you can do crockpot meals or simple dinners that are cooked in under 30 minutes.  There are tons of ideas for freezer crockpot cooking - prep meals in bags/containers and then when you need them toss them in the crockpot.  Lots of ladies say an hour or two can prep several weeks worth of meals.  Perhaps have lunch a bit later in the day so that dinner at 6/6:30 isn't hard.  Or a late snack.  

On a grander scale, spend some time decluttering and getting rid of junk.  Organize.  Perhaps you can set up a 4-day week with the 5th day being chores/cleaning/organizing for a while.  Or a 3-week On, 1-week Off schedule where the Off week is cleaning/organizing/prepping meals for the coming weeks.  Continue with the habit training for you and the kids.  I'm the WORST with my own personal habits so I need lots of habit training.

I'm not a full-time single parent, but when my husband deploys I am.  I find sanity in structure, schedules, decent bedtimes, healthy foods, exercise, and having a place for everything.  The kids are much better able to help when they know what to expect, when and where to put stuff.

Hugs.  it will get better.

Heather

You might be able to find some good deals on audiobooks on CDs or cassette tapes used on e-bay in a lot. You might check Your Story Hour and Jim Weiss. They have dramatized Bible stories, as well as some history stories. Our inter-library system has many audiobooks on CD and some on cassette tapes, too. Check yard sales and thrift stores. Maybe even put the word out on your local hs group that you are looking for audiobooks and they might be glad to give cassettes away to you.
Also, there is another thread on how to use LibriVox if you are able to use this free resource in some way: http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/librivox
The CD's of LibriVox recordings are also sold on ebay by some sellers, if that is something you need to do.
Praying for you to find what works best for your family.

I didn't realize your situation...I apologize for assuming you can just leave the house early in the a.m. I imagine it's hard to find the time you need to take care of yourself as well as everyone else.

I don't have a lot of practical advice, but I'll add you and your family to my prayer list...

Blessings,
Tia

How old is your little one? I am not a single mom, but with 7 children under 12, four under age 5, and hubby gone most days and evenings I've had to come up with some tricks for working out. Honestly, depending on the age of your little one I would either put them in a sling/baby carrier or train them to stay on the couch/on a blanket/out from underfoot while you exercise at home. In the sling the LO gives you extra resistance. In a safe spot they'll at motivate you to exercise hard for as long as you can manage before they reach their limit for staying put. ;) At least that's what motivates me. I know I'll only get a certain amount of time if my 6 month old or 19 month old wake up when I'm exercising. If the 3, 4, 6, 7, or 11 year old wake up I know they are old enough to wait while I exercise. Another idea is to put the little one in a high chair/booster seat with a seat belt and a snack or finger food breakfast.

Leaving the house in the AM tends to derail school here too, though we can get back on track if we must. We often have medical appointments or therapists coming into the home for my baby and so we're slowly adapting to doing more school in the afternoons as needed. Ugh. It used to be all done by lunch. But that's just not possible some days with Mason.

((HUGS)) You're right, you'll have to find what works for you. Just don't toss suggestions out the window until you've thought of creative adaptations to make it fit your life!

Oops, just realized that a link Sarah posted has Bible on it! Thanks Sarah!

Thanks for all the input! I know some of you may know/remember & others not...I'm a single mom so that complicates things a bit as far as being able to get out of the house without the kids. I had to do the gym b/c exercising at home just wasn't happening. If I tried to do anything that involved getting on the floor, my LO was climbing on me, they both would get up under my feet or try to exercise with me which meant I was having to avoid crashing into them, dropping a weight on them, etc. My friend & I tried walking at one time but just doesn't accomplish anything with kids involved. I'd love to say I'd get up early to do things but two things complicate that #1- I would motivate myself every so often but fact is it just wouldn't happen b/c I'm not a morning person & have already been quite sleep deprived (starting to improve now that I've managed to get one of the girls out of my bed & #2- the LO winds up in my bed every night despite my best efforts & would wind up getting up with me at 5:30 thus defeating the purpose & leaving me with a cranky child lol. So, while I know that works great for people, at this point, that will not be a solution for me. I could potentially try going to the gym in the afternoons just haven't decided if that will work either b/c the childcare doesn't open until 4pm for the afternoons so could create a rough time for the evenings but could be ok & possibly work better. I do usually have them watching a Spanish video or give some copywork/handwriting to do during the car ride but the post about narrations gets me thinking so going to see about maybe recording some readings on tape (yeah, my vehicle isn't so up to date & not sure I even know how to burn something I read onto a CD) for listening & narration.  On that note, does anyone know of a website that has audio of the Bible that I could use for doing the Module 1 Hx/Bible/Geo like this in the car? We are definitely getting things done...I guess I just feel like it should be smoother, more organized or something. I did hire the babysitter to come up today so got the schoolroom largely pulled back together--Yay!! Just the reminder to that school is priority helps...I have to intentionally shut things down that aren't about educating during the time that is for school.  That's hard but things definitely flow more smoothly when I set aside ph calls, internet, etc., which ultimately makes my life more pleasant & easy. I do think I'm going to basically cut back to the 3 Rs for a bit & slowly build up into more...I tend to set up the "perfect" plan then not carry it out b/c it may be perfect but not realistic (at least yet  ). I do appreciate everyone's feedback as it helps me process & come up with what may work for me even if the specific things others do will not necessarily work in my life.  And y'all are always so kind & gentle in anything you say. Thanks!

Yep don't leave the house in the morning or it just doesn't get done here either.  I get up at 5:30; do my prayers, and exercise and then have about 30 minutes to clean my inbox on the computer and such.  If I left that would be it.  

Well, I only skimmed through the other responses, but one thing that first jumped out at me from your post was the 40 minutes drive time. This can easily be 40 mintutes of school time by using audiobooks. You can do a short 15 to 20 minute reading each way and briefly talk about the story as a way to start getting the 6 YO into. some beginning narration. Just have a brief conversation about the story you just heard. You can do lots of history, Bible and literature, and there are some science audio as well as classical music stories. You can check out many of them from the library, join audible.com or get them free at LibriVox.
http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Recordings_of_Books_on_the_Ambleside_List

I also suggest doing the basics of the 3 R's and Bible to start off (plus the audiobooks?), and ease into other subjects over time. I have finally gotten into a regular routine for the day, but it used to be hard for me to keep up after 1 1/2 hours into our paper schedule. I suggest this link about adding in more topics one at a time until it becomes a habit:
http://simplycharlottemason.com/basics/started/transition/
Another option is to buy some inexpensive, used piece of exercise equipment. There are always many listed on craigslist. Your kids can watch an educational video while you exercise or just play with their toys or blocks during this time. If you don't want the equipment, there are many exercise videos to do. I understand the need for exercise and that it must be a priority and that if it does not get done early in the day, it rarely ever gets done because I am too tired at night to even think about exercising! Yay you for taking care of your health and body.
As far as the housecleaning, there is a lot to do with habit training, but I'm not sure exactly what you are facing. There was another post about that and might help you:
http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/anyone-else-looking-at-a-terribly-messy-house/page/2
I checked into flylady and printed her 31 beginner baby steps. I'm working on it. A friend of mine recently told me about a site she likes to use:
http://www.messies.com

I have to get up at 5:30 too or my day just seems to encounter more problems and I feel like I'm starting out behind schedule. I wish I could run (or walk) then, but my DH is out the door at 5:30. I just can't get up any earlier. Wish I could, but what I do at that time is my quiet time (when I don't get it done, boy is the day less peaceful all the way around!), but anyway, little DD is ususally up by 6 or 6:30, and what a difference even that half hour of QUIET before everyone is up makes.

As for the mess, I try to get a few things going early. Like I'll throw in laundry first thing (it is the getting back to it where I struggle). But anyway, I always make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed; nothing worse than coming into a mess. It just depresses me! And sometimes irritates me too.

I also have a new thought on the "junk" that collects (like little pieces of paper or "art"--you know the kind that they had fun doing but is not something you will keep forever?). Well, if I find it on the floor or a table untouched for days--round file. With 6 kids, the "junk" can just pile up fast.

Chores like cleanng toilets, sweeping floor, feeding pets, wiping counters, etc. we all do right after breakfast for 30 minutes. It really does lead to a lot getting done. Then at 3:45 we have another round of chores for 15-30 minutes, ideally picking up and following up on earlier chores (e.g. that laundry waiting on me!) from the morning before Daddy comes home.

As for leaving in the AM, we can come back and do school but it is HARD. I think you can do it but it has to become routine if that makes sense.

Everyone has some wonderful ideas and I understand how you feel completely; I"m sorry you're feeling this way. When I'm like this (and I have been since the beginning of this year, really kicking-in in April), I decided to downsize our schedule to just basics. Then for summer I went down further to schedule a hand-ful of things Sun-Thurs. and then longer schedules on M, W, TH.

With this schedule, I've been able to slowly get my motivation back, recharge and start concentrating on my eating habits and getting up earlier, as I had begun to get down and started sleeping in late.

I, too don't get school accomplished if I don't do it in the morning as I just keep putting it off for other things that also need doing.

I thought about going out to a gym, but couldn't justify the expense (I could buy TTAPP just for the cost of signing up!). Outside is beautiful, so I'll be walking and riding abike. SO now I'm trying to concentrate on waking early, getting dressed earlier, following a simplified schedule; next is begin an exercise routine. But I had to make a list first and get my thoughts down on paper.

Does it help you to write your thoughts out and make plans/goals on paper?

I hope you can reorganize your schedule to suit this time in your life as it is now. It won't always be like this and you'll develop better habits and then there'll a new season and you'll adjust then, too. Show yourself some grace, simplify your life, organize your way and persevere and you'll start feeling better!

We go to the YMCA twice a week at 10:00 in the morning. It works well for us. I have some things anchored around breakfast like scripture memory, hymn, memory work, poetry reading. Then they finish up chores and we start our "sit down" school no later than 9:00. That gives us time for copywork, narration from a short passage (such as an Aesop Fable), her reading aloud to me, spelling, and a sweet little circle time to end our time together with things that involve the younger ones. Then they take a snack to go in the car at 10, I workout for an hour, we are home for lunch and a short free time while I tuck the youngest in for nap. Then we tackle the rest of school like history/Bilbe/Geography, math, read aloud while little one is napping. Sometimes I still have a little bit of quiet time to myself before he wakes from his nap.

Hope you can find something that works for you. I do belive taking care of ourselves is important!

I agree with everyone else. That is too much disruption in the middle of the day for us.  I get up at 5:30 (eek!) and run.  It was hard to do at first, but I, too, needed the endorphins to help keep me sane.  The lack of sleep I get is more than made up for by the exercise...I am more tired the days I sleep in and DON'T run.  And it is early enough, I can actually get in my car and go somewhere to run...it's nice to have that change of scenery first thing in the am.

It's true, if we leave the house, the school day is pretty much DONE! Now when your kids get older, they can take a few readings with them. But even then, this should not be often.

I've had to learn that home exercise is my best bet. I start it early after my morning coffee, and JUST DO IT! I have found that if I put things that I dread in the very start of my day (such as excercise, starting house chores, and even teaching math), I will follow through.

Following a schedule isn't really hard if we look at our day realistically. Developing the habits of consistency is the hard part. I think this is the toughest area of being a homeschool mom! Hang in there and tweak your schedule until it feels right. :) You can do it!!

Ditto on the never leaving the house in the morning.  I don't know what it is, but school just doesn't happen around here unless it happens first thing. 

And I LOVE< all the advice that Jen gave you - I second her ideas wholeheartedly!  With my internet issues, it's best if I just don't even turn on the computer until later in the day, the later in the day I turn it on, the less time I spend on it and the less I desire it.  Obviously failed in that area today, as it's only 7:42 am here. 

I second what jeaninpa said. If we leave in the morning, there is no regular school routine after, it just doesn't happen. I try not to leave during those hours except for our co-op day, but that is our school for that day. Home exercise works better for me too bc of this. Just a thought.