How a Night Owl Homeschools

It seems a popular thing to do right now to blog a typical day in the home or homeschool.

Typical. I take that to mean that of all the ways my days can look, this day is most common; which is not to say it is actually common as in often, but that maybe it happens this way at least 2 of my 5 days each week--the other three taking on completely unique descriptions of chaos, and looking as only a foreshadowing of a better day to come.

*exhale*

It is good to reassess. But I reassess a lot. In fact, I think this year I reassessed the amount of time I spend on assessing. In the past, I've spent way too much time making, but never successfully implementing schedules that would make Mary Pride proud, way too much time looking at (aka comparing) other homeschool blogs, and too much energy beating myself up spiritually for not having that perfect coffee-with-the-sunrise Bible reading moment. Because I hate coffee. And I haven't arisen for a sunrise since people stopped paying me to tell them the morning news on your FM dial.

So first, a disclaimer...

Sometimes I stay up too late, and then I lay asleep a little longer. Sometimes there is a dental, orthodontist, orthopedist or other doctor's appointment that throws the morning off. Occasionally, we choose to enjoy a field trip or play date with friends instead of book work. Sometimes it feels like all I do is chase a runaway dog or bark at her to stop barking in the backyard. And sometimes, if we dawdle during the morning, I don't get around to the gym until after dinner.

So, here it goes--give or take an hour...

7:50 a.m. Awaken and wait for my extremities to get the memo, under the guise of watching the news headlines--local and national.

8:10 a.m. Get up, make bed, dress in work out clothes, start reminding the girls about the dirty socks, too many books and toys, and lights on in their bedroom. Start praying to retain my joy in the midst of dirty socks strewn, too many books and toys and lights on in the bedroom.

8:30 a.m. Everybody is downstairs making their own breakfast concoctions: mostly buttered toast with fruit for the young ones. They love to do it themselves! I'll start my cinnamon (good for glucose) oatmeal and check e-mail while it's mushing.

8:55 a.m. I am finishing my oatmeal and wondering aloud why the girls take sooooooo long to get to this point. Then I give them the 2 minute warning and tell them to go upstairs and brush their teeth. I clean up the breakfast dishes.

9:15 a.m. Bible time: either our One Year Bible Blog Proverb and Psalm with discussion, or our Pictures from Proverbs; memory work; prayer time; sing together. It is the single most important way we spend time in our busy schedules; I can't recommend diligence in pursuing the mind of Christ enough! And when we neglect devotions, we starve. Spiritually speaking.

10:00 a.m. Fifi does independent assignments (creative writing, vocabulary, math practice); Cuddlebug and Dumpling take turns with Mommy at the piano for music practice while the other practices copy work (spelling, grammar, handwriting--all in one exercise).

10:15 a.m. Little ones switch.

10:30 a.m. Fifi gets the music room for piano and violin. Reading lessons/practice for Cuddlebug and Dumpling.

11:15 a.m. A little bit of early elementary math. Skip counting, game playing, etc. (Right now each girl is building flashcards toward memorizing all her addition facts through the 10s table.)

11:30 a.m. GO PLAY! I make and eat my own lunch before preparing food for the girls.

12:00 p.m. Lunchtime with a read aloud novel. This week, we're finishing up Around the World in 80 Days.

1:00 p.m. Lesson time with a brief activity (timeline notation, narration, exploration, etc.): History or Science...with an emphasis on History

1:45 p.m. Young ones PLAY! Fifi's lesson time: grammar or math

2:15 p.m. Head for the gym. Fifi's works out with me; little ones play in the nursery before the after-school rush arrives. :)

3:45 p.m. Shower

4:00 p.m. Chores or errands

5:45 p.m. Start worrying about dinner

6:00 p.m. Husband arrives home; gets clobbered by the kids; checks mail; pays bills

6:30 p.m. Dinner

7:00 p.m. Tell Dumpling, "less talking, more eating" for the 20th time as everyone else has already cleared their place and is beginning their evening chores (animal care and laundry duties)

8:00 p.m. Brush little teeth

8:15 p.m. One Year Bible Blog reading with Husband, nighttime prayers

9:00 p.m. Bedtime negotiations for "lights out" begins. All three girls read in bed for a time before sleep. Mom folds a load of laundry and starts a load of laundry (this is a great time to hear the Bible--I'm currently listening to Jeremiah).

9:30 p.m. Lights out for the girls; laptop time for Husband and me. Background noise usually consists of good music for the first half hour or so, and then recorded episodes of our favorite cooking shows or occasionally an old movie.

11:30 p.m. Husband makes first inquiry, "Do you want to get ready for bed first?" I always say, "No, you first."

12:15 p.m. In bed, lights out.

Hey. That's not so bad lookin' when you write it all down like that! You should try it, too.