Schedule Schmedule: What Our Days Look Like

First let me share what our week looks like, then I’ll break down a school day for you. Of course, you know that we rarely follow this to the letter, right? (Because phones ring and skinned knees happens and math books get misplaced in places where they never should be placed if someone would have been really thinking when they placed it there.) 

(Not written in the schedule is the fact that if I’m walking by the computer, I usually glance at it to see if I’ve received email. It’s an addiction. Sigh.) 

(Also not written in the schedule is the fact that I pray almost constantly and spend time reading the Bible most days…usually in the evening. I didn’t put it into the schedule because there is not a consistent time I have set aside for reading.)

Here’s a basic week at our house:

Monday – Thursday –  “normal” school days
Friday – P.E.; library; field trips; house cleaning
Saturday – planning for the upcoming week for school and meals; cooking and baking ahead; figuring out the blog plan for the week
Sunday – Church; sometimes company after church; small group fellowship in evening

Okay, now, here’s what our Monday through Thursday school days sort of, maybe, kinda look like:

• I get up anywhere between 6:30-7:30…check email, moderate comments, start breakfast. Oh yes, and sometimes I even take a shower (aren’t you glad?).
• Matt eats and leaves for work around 8.
• Boys get up and come down for hugs, mess around and waste time, get hollered at gently reminded by me a few times to get the show on the road, then finally come eat breakfast.
• I read Bible to the boys while they eat  (I usually eat earlier with Matt or I eat on the fly).
• I clean up dishes and the breakfast table, the boys get dressed and ready for schoool, I throw in laundry.
• 9:30ish  Boys bring down and set up an “activity” (usually something like legos or knex or magnetix) to work on in the living room while I read.
• I read history to the boys while they do their activity. This works SO much better than asking them to “be still and listen”. If all is going well…I also read from whatever “read-aloud” we’re on at the time. This is probably our favorite part of the day.
• Asa starts his math on the computer; Justus and Elias go to the table to work on math, handwriting, spelling, phonics, other language arts (On Mondays, the boys also write in their journals about the weekend);  Malachi does “school work” at the table too, or just plays until it is 11:00 and time for Caillou, then he goes to watch that. After Justus and Elias have finished their book work (usually takes about 45 minutes), they go play with Malachi.
• After Asa finishes his math (which takes usually around 30-45 mintues depending on how focused he is) he does spelling with me and language arts, then goes to play. I work on lunch.
• Lunch time is usually around 12:30, depending on when Matt gets home. We work on memory verses around the table and sometimes I read more from our read-aloud book.
• After lunch, we do our science lesson and experiment if there is one. We also work on any writing assignments at this time. (Last week the boys wrote Haiku poetry. Even Malachi learned what a syllable was!)
• At 2:00, the boys have reading time. They usually all sit in the living room reading, while I go upstairs and read to Malachi. Malachi LOVES this since I’m usually giving so much of my attention to the other boys in the morning. I tuck Malachi in for a nap after I read to him (most days).
• 2:30, the boys go watch Fetch with Ruff Ruffman and Cyber Chase while Malachi naps. After their shows are over, they play (somewhat) quietly. I hit the computer and work as hard as I can during this time.
• 5:00 The boys have computer time and play (usually) educational games. I work on dinner.
• We pick up the house and eat around 6:30.
• Each evening is different, but now that soccer is over, we’ve been able to spend time playing games together, which all six of us LOVE! Yahtzee anyone?
• Start getting boys ready for bed around 8 or 8:30. We have prayer time together either in one of the boys rooms or in the living room.
• Matt and I play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets the computer :)  take turns working on the computer (he on writing out price quotes and bills for his construction work, etc…me answering emails and working on website stuff) and try to get to bed around 11. We are reading a book called Spiritual Disciplines for a Godly Life by Donald Whitney. We try to read it together before falling asleep. Usually Matt gets through about a page and a half before he says, “Are you falling asleep or should I keep reading?” 

So there you have it. Did that answer any of your questions, or just give you more??!