Baffled by the Old Testament

I keep getting hung up on the kings. King of the Ammonites, King of Judah, King of Babylon, and so on. I just don't get how they're all connected, the relationships between them. Especially the King of Israel/King of Judah - I thought the tribe of Judah was part of the kingdom of Israel. So that's a bit confusing. But what I really don't get is how God (through Jeremiah) TOLD them what would happen if they left Judah and went back to Egypt. He told them they would be destroyed, and they went anyway. They didn't trust him, and they went their own way. Again.

Did you hear that? That's the sound of me heaving a great sigh. Because I just don't get it.

I'm trying to get back into the habit of starting my day with God's word. I think that's a vital first step towards finding this elusive rhythm for which I have been searching. Getting up at the same time each morning, having that little bit of time for reflection, I didn't realise how much I'd been missing it - even if I am reading the Old Testament! It puts me in a different head space, and I feel better equipped to face the day's challenges.

The other things I'm doing are:

Getting back to using my diary, to keep track of what we're supposed to be doing.
Preparing more things the night before - lunches, clothes, snacks, nappy bag, etc.
Not leaving dinner dishes for the next morning - I do this way too often!
Preparing dinner early, instead of in the evening.

What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions? How do you all stay focused and organised?

XO,
Sarah