What does your own day look like?...

[Nan in Mass]

I've been thinking for some time that we should have a thread about our own days and what it is like homeschooling high school. Something more descriptive than just a list of which curriculum our children are using. Something more like SWB's day-at-our-house's. THis might be a good place to start that "honesty" and "nitty gritty" that the mothers with younger children have requested.

-Nan

[choirfarm]

4 ish- Wake up, quiet time, breakfast, enter finances/investments into computer, homeschool tracker, check e-mails and this board

 

7am- Get the three kids up ( 14- 9th, 12-7th and 7- 2nd)

 

8am- Boys are doing chalkdust: oldest Geometry in playroom, middle one prealgebra in study. Many days they are independent, but often I am sitting with one or the other one and explaining something they didn't get and having them redo or going through those harder problems in Geometry with the teacher's guide barely understanding those real life problems.

 

If I am not helping them, then I head to the living room where I do Saxon phonics and/or Phonic Pathways with younges, Singapore Math, timed math etc. I leave her with eithe a Saxon Worksheet to do or math to do or writing her journal entry for vision therapy while I go back to check on brothers.

 

9:30 ish- My daughter does he vision therapy on computer while I take the time to go over Chemistry with oldest of General Science with middle one or if they don't need me, I fold laundry or other housework, call to make appointments, settle dad's estate etc.

 

10ish- boys still working on science- girl has a break.

They transfer over to history and literature for the rest of the morning. Sometimes I am discussing literature with oldest. Sometimes I am going over TOG discussions history or church history with both boys. Sometimes I'm reviewing for a test. It is never the same.

 

My daugher and I are doing ETC, FLL,WWE and I'll read her either history or science or literature books.

 

12 lunch and break for my younger two. I often read a book aloud at lunch.

 

1pm- Oldest does writing, sometimes TOG stuff, SOS Spanish, piano practice and Introductory Logic. I often go over writing with them during this period.

 

My middle one does more math, writing Maevis Beacon Typing and piano and sometimes TOG stuff depending on the week.

 

I practice violin with my oldest one and we finish up whatever we didn't finish in the morning of literature, history reading or science. She reads a book to me.

 

3: 30 ish - My oldest is often still working, sometimes until 5. The rest of us clean house..he does as well. He also is good about doing the kids laundy. He does some nearly every day without being told. We clean up and or do work outside. We eat dinner at 6 or so..7 if dh will be home early. Sometimes people read, listen to IPOD. I grade papers and read to study for the next day. In fall/winter we sometimes watch a Netflix documentary or movie that follows what we are studying: Les Miserables, Swiss Family Robinson etc. In the summer/spring we are outside mowing, fixing the fence row, weeding, tending the garden, etc. At 8:30 everyone gets ready for bed and lights out at 9. That our day.

 

Christine

[JennW in SoCal]

I've been blogging this fall about the nitty gritty of highschool life. Last weekend, for instance, was all about planning for the week.

 

The link is in my signature line.

[lori in tx]

http://sparkshomeacademy.blogspot.com/2009/10/day-in-life-of-sparks-classical-academy.html

 

I just wrote about a typical day for us, my kids work on their own quite a bit and our day seems to be very different from most because we are a family with sleep issues

[AngieW in Texas]

Okay. Here are two different days. We have vastly different days on Tu/Th because those are the days my 16yo has cc classes.

 

Wednesday:

 

I get up at 8:30am. The 11yo is playing on the DS. The 14yo is on my computer. The 16yo is on the kid computer (primarily hers since it's Vista and nobody else wants to touch it). I let the dog out and then feed her and then I do a body test on the Wii Fit. My 14yo gets off my computer, so I get on and check my email.

 

At 9:00am, my 11yo starts her free reading (Bran Hambric) and I go work with my 14yo on geometry. The 16yo doesn't have to start until 10:00. Her brain usually doesn't start to function well until she's been up for at least 2 hours. At 9:30, the 11yo and the 14yo take care of their piggies (clean out the daytime cage, transfer piggies to the daytime cage, and feed the piggies). The 16yo generally takes a shower right about this time. 16yo must shower either before 7am or after 9am because she uses up all the hot water and my dh always showers before work. After her shower, the 16yo eats breakfast and then goes to her room to work (or not work) on school stuff.

 

The 14yo works on her own (except for occasional questions) while I work with the 11yo from 9:45 until around 11:00. At that point, my 11yo does her assigned reading (Brady) for 20 minutes while I work with either my 14yo or 16yo (or switch back and forth between them). I usually work with my 14yo during this time because my 16yo doesn't have much done yet.

 

I go back to my 11yo around 11:30 and we do math together. Around 12:00, my 11yo and 14yo go to their job taking care of a neighbor's three dogs. At this time, I eat lunch with my 16yo and we go over some of her school stuff. I mostly try to get her precal and physics checked.

 

11yo and 14yo are back home around 12:30. I read the Core 4 readaloud to them (14yo listens too because she was only 6yo the last time I did Core 4) while they eat lunch. Then the 14yo goes back to her room to work. The 16yo sometimes listens to the readaloud, especially if it's one that she remembers as a favorite, otherwise she goes back to her room to work on school stuff.

 

I finish up school with the 11yo around 1:30 or 2:00. At that point, I go to the 14yo and see if she needs me for anything. I try to check all the work that she's done so far. I check in on the 16yo, but she likes to make her school last ALL DAY LONG, so she usually doesn't have much for me yet. She gets her homework for Japanese done first because that's a cc class.

 

The 14yo usually finishes sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 Mon-Thur, but around 1:00 on Fridays. This Friday she still wasn't done at 1:45, so we left for parkday before she was done. She finished up after we got back. It only took her another 30 minutes.

 

--------------------------------

 

Thursday:

I get up at 6:55am. I have just enough time to really wake up (and let out the dog and then feed her) before leaving with 16yo at 7:15am to get to her cc class. 16yo gets up at 6am on Tu/Th so she can take a shower, eat, and wake up before leaving. She needs to be up at least 2 hours before her class starts so she can focus. The class starts at 8:15am. It only takes 25-30 minutes to return home, but it takes 45-60 minutes to get there in the morning. She drives us there and I drive back home. I usually get back around 8:30, but sometimes it's as late as 8:45 (like this week when it was raining and it took us 55 minutes to get there instead of just 45).

 

I kick my 14yo off my computer when I get back home so I can check my email. At 9:00, we start the same school routine I posted for Wed. Just after 10:00, I set my 11yo up on my computer to do her spelling, proofreading, and writing. Then I leave to go get my 16yo. While I'm gone, the 11yo also does her assigned reading. I drive to pick up my 16yo and she drives us back. We usually get back right about 11:00-11:15. I do school with my 11yo until about noon when my 11yo and 14yo leave to take care of the neighbor's dogs. I eat lunch with my 16yo and go over anything she has for me (mostly stuff she finished late the day before).

 

When the 11yo and 14yo come back, they eat while I read the readaloud. Then my 14yo goes back to her room to do school while I work with the 11yo. I usually manage to finish up with the 11yo just before I need to leave with the 16yo for her afternoon class. This class is at the nearby campus, so we leave at 1:15 for a 1:25 class. I go straight from there to the gym (just 5 minutes from the cc campus) and workout for about an hour. I get back home about 2:45 and help my 14yo with anything she needs. I go back to pick up the 16yo at 4:00. The 16yo often takes a nap after class.

Edited October 24, 2009 by AngieW in Texas

[Quiver0f10]

I get up around 5-6 at the latest. Start the coffee and sort and put a load washing while I wait for the coffee to brew. After it's ready I grab a cup and do my quiet time. Usually by now atleast a few of the kids will have woken and play/read quietly :glare: . After I am done, I wake up anyone who isn't awake ( this is always fun lol) and we do breakfast. DH leaves around this time.

 

After breakfast is when I am supposed to walk on the treadmil, but some days I grab a second cup and check my email, FB and message boards. :blush: :lol: While I shower, the kids finish their chores and we usually start school at 8:30-9:00 AM.

 

We do prayers/Bible together and then I work with my 10 yo and 6 yo alternating between the two. ( the older ones do math and science during this period) . My 4 yo sits at the table with us and does his R&S preschool books. We are usually done around 10:30-11 and we take a quick break ( usually I hop on the puter). After break I do latin, english, writing and spelling with my 9th, 8th and 6th graders. We stop around noon to eat lunch and finish whatever we have left afterwards.

 

In the afternoons I read TOG or do science with my 6th, 3rd and 1st graders, alternating days. We do a read aloud and the little ones we usually do some sort of craft on their own. Generally I am finshed my part of their day around 3 PM and usually am back on the puter( notice a pattern here? :tongue_smilie:). I spend time with my 11th grader in the afternoons as he needs me. We meet on Fridays( light day for the little ones) for literature and to go over his week's work. This is also the time I correct any work and make sure the older kids have finished/corrected everything on their schedule.

 

Tuesdays and Fridays are OT/ST for my 10 yo so I try to plan/start dinner before I leave at 3, if not my 15 yo usually does this. I get home at 6. Every other Thursday we have co-op clases and have to leave around 12:30 so we start earlier those days and we skip the non-essentials. I do my big shopping and SAM's click and pull on co-op days, while we are out anyways.

 

The rest of the week we fold/put away all the laundry, tidy up, vacuum the school room etc around 4 while I start dinner. The remainder of the day is spent reading, puter, TV etc. I live a pretty boring life.

Edited October 24, 2009 by Quiver0f10

[Deece in MN]

We are starting our 2nd year of high school hs. We tried an off-campus option this year, but after almost 2 months we all realized that we would rather be hs'ing as we were before (this is also why I haven't been on these boards in so long). So we are really just starting this year now.

 

We don't have set times for things, but I try to make sure everyone is up and ready to start by 9am so that we can get in as much as possible (kids have afternoon sport activities almost everyday so we try to finish up by about 3 or 4). We don't always start with the same subject everyday either. Unless it is a new lesson (I always teach the new lesson to make sure they are understanding the material), my dc work on math on their own (I am available if they need help). They also do lit. on their own if they are in the reading stage (I introduce new literary concepts and am involved in end of book discussions, etc.). Most everything else I am involved with in some way. I like to know where my dc are and I like to be available to go over anything they are having trouble with or need to discuss. I really don't have a lot of me time during the day. I try to slip in a load of laundry or some dishes or whatever here and there, but most of my day is spent learning with my dc. I only have 2 dc and they generally study the same topics so it is easier for me to do this and not feel stretched too thin.

 

I do have to make it more of a priority to do my self-learning in the evenings, but after a day of "school" with my dc I tend to want to relax and do me stuff in the evenings. Because of this, I rarely am studying ahead of my dc which is why I end up working along side of them so that I know what is going on and can be there to help and mentor them.

 

I don't think this is ideal, but it is working. For now, anyway. :)

[HeidiD]

THis might be a good place to start that "honesty" and "nitty gritty" that the mothers with younger children have requested.

-Nan

 

Here's my "honest", "nitty gritty" typical weekday routine.

 

7:00 AM - Stagger out of bed, throw on ugly green bathrobe, and fumble my way to the coffee machine, waving husband and eldest son out the door. Then, the daily deluge begins. The hungry hordes roar into the kitchen, and once the ensuing chaos passes and breakfast is cleaned up, the younger kids' math books are thrown onto the kitchen table and school begins. We get through as much work as possible to the tune of constant interruptions and inquiries about physics and calculus from older kids mingled with "how do I spell this word" or how to I make the number "8" or the letter "s" from the younger ones, and more than the occasional tantrum or squabble thrown in, until my head feels like it's about to blow off. :tongue_smilie: And I'm still wearing the ugly green bathrobe. I try to schedule one-on-one time with each child, and one of the kids has CAPD and needs to work in perfect silence, so that necessitates a bit of juggling. By noon (hopefully) we take a break and I ride 5 miles on the exercycle. The older kids make lunch while I shower, and then the afternoon routine is a repeat of the morning, except weather permitting, they are able to go out and play before leaving for karate class. While they are at class, I catch up on housework and cooking (although my husband, bless him, does a big batch of cooking each weekend). In the evenings, after dinner and family prayers, I try to take a long walk (wonderful stress release!) although the sound of howling coyotes nearby kind of diminishes the relaxation aspect. :) So, quite a juggling act each day, and relatives and neighbors think I'm nuts to devote so much time and effort to my family, but I'm convinced it's worth it. :001_smile:

[SusanAR]

This is my dd's 2nd year in ps, so with only one at home, my days are easier than in years past.

 

6:30 coffee:001_smile: visit with hubby and quiet time

7:30 dh and dd leave for work and school

7:30-8:30 laundry/ housework, get dressed/make-up etc

8:30-9:00 check school plans for the day and get papers ready etc.

9:30-10:00 work-out on elliptical

10-11:00 discuss literature with ds

11-12:00 watch chemistry dvd with ds

12-1:00 lunch (dh usually comes home for lunch)

1:00-1:30 watch precal dvd with ds

1:30-2:30 free time for me but I'm nearby to discuss any math issues

3:00 begin preparations for dinner

 

This has been one of my easiest years of homeschooling. Ds takes one online class, does history on his own, and will take a class at CC next semester, so I'm only involved in three of his classes. We are really pleased with Chalk Dust pre-cal, BJU Chemistry w/dvd's, and Home Chem Lab (Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments). Everything seems to be a good fit so far.

We have activities several nights a week, so we eat dinner at 5 or 5:30, and occasionally I help dd with homework/study in the evenings.

 

It's a good year,

susan

[Jane in NC]

The academics are much easier for me this year with my son taking three courses at the CC, one on-line, another is a Thinkwell "check off the box" series of lectures/quizzes. This leaves me only teaching Calculus and acting as counselor.

 

So, my schedule on M/W/F:

 

Up between 6 and 6:30 (farmer genes). I make coffee, look at the WTM boards, glance at the newspaper. I meet up with two friends at 7:30 for a three mile walk.

 

Returning home, I will find my son either working on his Latin or watching government lectures. I tend to hover in the next room--he often has questions or comments on work that he does in his other courses. Sometimes he asks me questions on literary forms for Latin (he is in an AP Vergil course) or he wants to share something for their online discussions. He usually spends some time every morning working on his chemistry assignments.

 

Late morning we open the Calculus book. He has been spending roughly two hours each Monday/Wednesday/Friday on the subject, then another two to three hours on Sunday afternoon. This seems to work better than attempting math in the evening on days he is at the CC.

 

We each grab our own lunch, but usually eat together, often discussing news items.

 

The afternoon consists of more math work. He may disappear to his room to read for a while, so that is a good time for me to vacuum, scrub bathrooms, etc. I do much of the baking for our family, so I might have dough to deal with or muffin batter to mix, etc.

 

We usually eat dinner around 6. In between prepping, I am often back on the boards. After dinner, I often volunteer to wash dishes so that my son and husband can take a walk together. I try to tuck in some reading at this point.

 

Evenings can be spent in a variety of ways: meetings, cultural events, reading, watching television.

 

My son is at the CC all day on Tuesday and Thursday. These are the days when I do my volunteer work, run errands, sew. I like to do all of the Calculus problems that I assign not only so that I have a heads up when he asks questions, but so I can wonder why he is not asking questions on certain problems. "Hmmm...how did you do #53? It certainly is an interesting problem!" When he returns at about 4 PM, he does his online Latin. Again, I hover nearby or do dinner prep.

 

Both he and I spend some time most evenings we are home on college things, it seems. He is working on essays. Most of my stuff is done, but I still read college websites or articles in the NY Times or Wall Street Journal on colleges and the application process.

 

This is all so relaxed when compared to previous years of high school when I had so much prep. I'll have more next semester when we intensify our literature studies. Since he is taking a writing course at the CC and is working on what seems like 1001 essays, I am assigning reading only at the moment. We talk about the books, but he'll return to written analysis in January.

[galtgrl]

Let's see...

6AM wake up ( after the 4y. has been in been with hubby and I since 5, saying : "Mom, it's 5 3 4 now. Mom, time to get up, it's 5 4 3. Mom, Mom, it's 0 0 6!")

6:45 brkfast

7 chores for kids

7:30 tea time with hubby

8 kids walk dogs - a LONG walk

8:45 start school; one dc start their laundry & do the dishes, one plays with 4 yo, one starts math with me ( I always go over the new concept with them); then they switch, til all have their math done. Ususally they also get their Latin or piano or art lesson completed during this time, which they can manage themselves.

11 the 4 yo starts asking about lunch. I take her on a walk. Sometimes hubby joins us ( he works from home).

11:25 I've stalled all I can. :tongue_smilie: We eat lunch.

11:45 naptime for 4 yo; rest/ free reading time for other 3. Sometimes dd13 works on computer for writing class for an hour.

1:30 everyone comes down and we read history (Story of the World) together. Then science ( just finished Apologia Physical Science, starting Biology this week). Anything that wasn't done b4 gets done now, and they alternate playing with 4 yo again.

4 older 3 go take care of chores again. Followed by playing outside (3 of them) while one helps make dinner.

5 we eat dinner

6 sometimes soccer, hubby coaches dd9's team & helps with the older dd's team; otherwise, free time.

7 alternate getting ready for bed, read our current read-aloud (going through Liitle House on the Prairie again now)

8 4 yo to bed, rest can read for another 20 min. to an hour, depending on age; time for yoga with hubby, then couch surfing while we flip back & forth between programa on the Roku

9:30 or 10 Bedtime for hubby & I

That's just a rough look at our typical day! -J

Edited October 27, 2009 by galtgrl
I realized I left my husband out! He said it looked like he didn't exixst, so I thought I'd better fix it!

[Peela]

5am- I get up and have early morning meditation time.

6am- chi kung practice in the garden

7am- kids and dh get up. Dh and I take cup of tea to the outdoor spa and have some time together. Kids have breakfast and do chores- some of which are in the backyard where we are, so we chat and connect with them.

8am Dh and I will often go for a walk, dd15 will also go for a walk (it is on her schedule- otherwise she is rather physically lazy) but she goes separately.

Both kids will also do music practice in this time.

8.30/9ish both kids will be starting their maths and I will be generally in the room with them by now, usually turning on my computer and checking my email. They mark their own math- it is an online program- and redo anything wrong until correct.

They will continue after math with LLATL and then Latin etc until it is time for out "together work". Dd is doing a multimedia course by correspondence as well as her normal work.

10.30ish- the time is flexible. The kids will usually grab a snack. In ds13's case, a huge number of snacks. He will settle himself on the couch, and dd will settle herself with her art in her chair, and I will sit in another chair opposite them. We start with memory work, poetry, then I will read aloud from a couple of books, and we will discuss them as we go. This is our favourite part of the day.

By 12ish- after an hour or so- we are finished together work. I tend to go and make something for lunch- although quite often I will just make something for myself and leave them to get their own, as well. Depends what I feel like. Sometimes its our main meal, too.

Ds finishes earlier than dd, and he will often finish soon after lunch. There is no official lunch break- we have it whenever its convenient, really. Then they go back to work. They only break long enough to eat, usually, and muck around a bit.

Dd will often keep working till 2 or 3 pm.

Then dd often goes to work- which is an accounting job across the road. She also has an art class one afternoon, and piano lesson another. Ds will go and play with kids on the street.

I was napping around 1-2pm but I have postponed it till 3ish now so I can jsut be aorund in teh early afternoon while dd especially finishes her work.

5pm Dh and I have another spa together.

6pm, both kids are coming home usually and we have dinner, and the kids clean up.

7pm we watch a documentary (a recent addition to our schooling, since we have what you call cable TV and so many great documentaries. ) and often a program we are hooked into like NCIS. We dont watch commercial TV at all.

Bed is about 9pm for the kids and I. We all read. Dh works evenings and some mornings.

 

On Wednesdays, I cook a vegetarian lunch for dh's clients- between 15 and 20 people. The kids take turns helping- not usually much cooking, but serving and cleaning up afterwards. I pay them.

I clean house, mark schoolwork and do chores, shopping etc usually in the afternoons sometime, or on weekends.

[Cedarmom]

Our schedule is differant depending on days. M-W-F he has a CC class and Thursday he has debate, apologetics and other various speech classes. This is a typical Wednesday

 

7:30 alarm goes off. I hit snooze. Hit snooze again. Get up sometime around 8:00. Throw in a load of laundry andfew other morning chores

 

8:00 Ds is up, since he drove dad to park and ride so ds could have a car. Ds is on the computer

 

9:00 This is our official start time of school. In theory, son should have showered , eaten breakfast and be starting school. In reality, it is when I notice he is still sitting at computer and I tell him to start moving.

 

9:30 (or 10) Son starts school. He reads his history and economics books.

I excercise, shower, read history, do chores etc.

 

10:30 (ish) We do school together. Discuss literature, history readings, economics. We do some Latin together. We are sort of pseudo doing Latin this year.Meaning we only do about 10 minutes of translation a day . Just enough so he can take the NLE in Feb.

 

11:30 -Our official schedule says 11:00, but because of the later start it is more like 11:30. Ds is supposed to work on SAT prep. Usually, it is me getting busy and then noticing at noon he has gotten distratcted (talking to friends about debate stuff online, or about football) I redirect him, but then he remembers he is hungry and needs to eat.

 

12:30 As we eat, we listen to a Music Appreciation Cd

 

1:00 He's off to CC. I grade papers, yardwork, nap enjoy the fact that I have the house all to my self. I have always homeschooled, so this is a new thing for me-having him gone, I kind of like it!

 

3:15 He's home

 

4:00 He works on debate, science homework, SAT that he didn't do earlier etc.

 

5:00 I fix dinner

 

6:00 dinner

 

After dinner is variable. Ds may do schoolwork, or go to Bible study with friends. We may all watch TV together. If I am super organized I will prep breakfast for the morning. I hate fixing breakfast in the morning and we are trying to not spend so much on cereals.I catch up on my self study. Sometimes Dh and I will go out for a wild date night at Starbucks.:001_smile:

 

 

11:00-11:30 bed time.

[Storm Bay]

Our days vary, but 3/5 days are like this (the early morning part is mostly the same.) This is winter time; I get up an hour earlier when the days are longer. This is not true this week, because I've been letting us sleep in in expectation of the time change because we've had a couple of cold/flu viruses moving through the house and have all been sick at one point or another the past 2 weeks. I like the hour earlier schedule, but with all our evening activities we just can't get to bed early enough to make that work well from Oct-March.

 

8 am wake up, make bed, start breakfast, read Bible, pray. 2 days a week I do crunches, etc first. I usually fit in a few chores as well.

9 am put on loud music to wake up my dd's, do chores, get them up

by 9:30 breakfast

by 10 am start school. Each child is in a different grade, and how this works vary from day to day. I generally shower during the first subject, so it has to be things they can do without me or with a brief overview first. I do any teaching after my shower.

Lunch is usually around 1 pm.

Afternoon is always school, usually at home, but sometimes my younger ones do some of theirs in the van during errands, especially if I'm going through the bank drive through. Sometimes they even do work while I'm shopping, depending on where. Our afternoons are not all as structured as I'd like, but we are doing a group science lab once a week for the younger ones. My eldest often stays home during errands, and I call her periodically to check up on her and to remind her to keep doing her work. Sometimes I take her to the library to work while I'm out and this works better, but only if it's not done too often.

 

Activites start at different times for different dc, but usually by 4:45 pm or thereabouts. Anyone who has not finished, has to work while their siblings are doing their activities. Since most of these are Phys Ed, they rarely miss for not doing all of their work. Most days, my eldest does more work after swim practise because she has lollygagged despite my continual reminding. If I sit with her, it sometimes helps, but often not. She's almost as capable of procrastinating with me sitting next to her egging her on (that's how it usually ends up being) as she is without me there many days, and I attribute much of this to her age and personality combined.

 

Anything not done during the week is completed on the weekend. So far, my ds is the best at getting things done during the week, but my 11 yo is getting better. My 14 yo still does work just about every single weekend.

 

I'm rather vague here because I have to separate my dc during school and there are days when horrormones are running high or for some other reason when my dc are not getting along as well or one is being rather annoying in some way to another (humming or making other noise while concentrating, etc) so some days go more smoothly than others.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Karin

[74Heaven]

I'll take a stab at a typical day...

 

6a I wake up, aware that 17yo adn 15yo dtrs are noisily waking and showering and getting ready for the day. If I hear arguing or worse - don't hear anything - I hop out of bed and referee, wake them up or help them get moving. If all seems well, I will doze until about 645a at which time I get up, wake 12yo dtr and start my own devotions, breakfast making [poss more refereeing], starting laundry, managing chaos, shower if I have time, getting the girls to start some laundry, do 5min room pick ups. I am totally swamped keeping everyone moving and getting all three to eat a reasonable protein/fruit breakfast combination. Wake up two younger boys, get in quick baths, dressed, make beds, start breakfast.,... IN theory, the older 2 girls will have Bible quiet times and made their beds, etc.

 

Yikes, hop in the car to either meet the carpool or ''be'' the carpool to get to the local cc with my oldest/a friend's dtr. 15yo starts BJU Geometry video. 12yo cleans kitchen and manages brothers til I return. Oldest and I try to read a chapter of Proverbs and/or pray briefly in the car - OR I tend to lecture her on time management and study skills instead during this one-on-one time lol.

 

9 or 930a - I'm home again. I'll find the boys half - dressed, beds unmade and prob in the middle of eating. Soon, I will have hopefully herded the 2 younger boys thru breakfast, clean up and teeth brushing. Much order-barking and did-you-wash your face/comb your hair, find your shoes, etc questions from me. Start some more laundry. Glance at dinner menu plans to see if something needs to come from freezer. Devotions should happen now - don't always...working on this... 12yo and 3/4th do indiv. spelling for 20 min. Youngest plays. I finish my personal devotions, check email, pay bills, start laundry etc.

 

10a Now begin the next 2.5 crazy hours. I try to spend 15-20 min on 2-3 subjects with each of the four at home - I do Shurley [levels 4,7] and Abeka math 1-on-1 lessons with the middles, read aloud Apologia A and P with 15yo; try some phonics and cusinaire rods with already reading 6yo. He also does independent A beka spelling book and reads alone.... Many interruptions - I am adjacent to school room in an office my dh made me - but I can --SEE-- the 6yo 12yo and 3/4th grader at their desks. There will be talking, goofing off, he-stole-my-eraser claims, and children disappearing to the bathroom with a book issues. When I start workng 1-on-1, someone will interrupt us with a not-really-an-emergency or I'll notice a child who is not working independently. The 15yo ins in her room and doing well there. 15yo works on Biology til about 11a. Usually gets most of the work done by then for Biology - she'll have math HW tho. 15yo is finishing BJU Geom by Nov 4th when the dvds are due - so she'll do a second geometry lesson from 11-12n. Then we call it mid-day chores from 12-1230 - we do some room clean up, some vacuuming, dusting, laundry, etc. Thinking abour lunch prep. Dtr may call from college, giving me update or letting me know some need/change, etc.... Praying for her, worrying about her...

 

11a - we take a 10min snack /run around break.... IT will stretch into 20 for the youngers.

 

1230p-130p lunch. Usually hasty, sandwiches, fruit, or leftovers - this is a really boring meal. Still the kids linger over it, missing ''recess'' by just sitting around chatting. They love running around outside so they will be bummed with recess is short. My goal is to start school at 130p - often we don't make it back til 2p. I check email, websites, these boards, make a few calls and do everything but eat lunch - unless we have chips and salsa in which case, recess is extended while I enjoy my treat... Kitchen is cleaned by 9yo, 12yo or 15yo - others load woodbox if necessary - usually I do some dinner prep. My mind stays on dtr at cc, praying, wondering about her progress for the day as well as her work ethic vs. her current interest in developing her social skills [smile] Did I mention that one of the children or I start some more laundry.

We have a rotating sked of one child a day assigned to laundry, kitchen or dining room. The 15yo and I do the bulk of the laundry...

 

130p - piano for 9yo; LfC Lev C for 7th grader and I usually do math with 6yo; 2p - 9yo does LfC Lev B [we're in lesson 1] and 7th grader does piano. 15yo does Spanish HW for co op class. 6yo either colors, plays wtih pattern blocks, reads or plays in room. HE is done unless I get time to do WWE and read aloud time. I'm really dragging here - also now I am starting to feel time pressure as I need to carpool or meet carpool for 17yo around 230-4p.

 

230-330p Read aloud time - we're reading both Little House in the Big Woods and Paddle to the Sea. Both books are loved. The 15yo has moved on to her Lit homework for co op and the youngest 3 draw while I read aloud about 20-30 minutes. This time is also where I work in Writing With Ease for the 2 younger boys and the 7th grader write from copywork books We love WWE for the 1st and 4th grade boys. I also might work in some ''thinking skills'' oral or page for hte middles 4/5th and 7th grader. 3p is piano for 15yo. Checking on that laundry.

 

break time around 3p - just 10-15min snack and run around

 

330-4p My energy is gone and I am starting to think about the evening's activities. Soon, I am going to meet the carpool - if everyone is pretty much done then they can play in their rooms or go with me to get older sis/carpool. If they are not done, I just take the youngest and hope/pray the 4th/5th and 7th grader finish strong [or finish at all] for the day. Everyone should be done if there wasn't too much time-wasting, misbehavior. More laundry... Evenings are equally busy...

 

Dinner time and dad arrives home about the time I finish the carpool or meet the carpool about 10min away.

 

lisaj, mom to 5

Edited October 26, 2009 by 74Heaven
error

[Jean in Wisc]

6:30 I hear my college kids up, so I yank myself out of bed to make them some hot cereal and be there in case they have chatter time. I step out on the deck and wave good-bye as they drive out of the drive--I always use this time to pray for them.

 

7:15 Shower, dress, meditation, email

 

8:30 or... Youngest is now up and starting school. I do whatever needs to be done--laundry, make meals for the day, clean, grade schoolwork...unless we have to be to debate (Friday) or go any other place. Do my work as president of an astronomy club. Do my studies for CAP. Put medicine in the donkey's eyes. Clear off the garden. Mend my son's quilt. Feed cats and medicate the Tom with the sore on his back. Grocery shop. Answer emails. Run my mom to the doctor. Exercise. Run to pick up prescriptions. Run to the vets for meds for the farm. Balance the checkbook. Collect cats to chase the mouse in my bedroom. Rake leaves. Clean toilets. Wash dishes. Answer the phone.

 

11:00 Get everyone around for lunch; dishes. Sometimes I curl up for 10 or 15 minutes for a quick nap. School with my son and grading of papers. Organizing his box of materials that I failed to finish last year (still grading the last 4 history tests. Bad mom.) Bring laundry in off the clothes line. Check schedules for the week and make sure I have what I need for groceries, and any other prep. Plan meals for 2 sets of company that will be here tomorrow. Try to get homeschool books priced for a book sale. Get a hair cut.

 

5:00 or maybe then again as late as 7:00 Get supper going--make enough for anywhere from (most likely) 1 to 6 people or head out to Civil Air Patrol or run ds to cross-country practice or a meet. Drive into town to visit with mil/fil while ds is helping with AWANA. Read my college kids' papers and give them suggestions or corrections if asked. Listen to my kids' stories about life. Spend time with kids until they all go to bed or wait for them to get home so that I can chatter with them before they head off to bed. Go to give astronomy programs at the observatory or teach a class of astronomy to homeschooled kids or go outside to find a few deep sky objects with my telescope or just vegetate in front of the TV with family when the energy level has run dry. Or curl up with a book (novel idea).

 

11:00 to 1:00 (depending upon the kids and their needs)Pray for the family and go to bed.

Edited October 26, 2009 by Jean in Wisc

[Colleen in NS]

Just so you all know you are not posting in vain, I have really been enjoying reading this thread over the past day or so. Thank you!

 

:bigear:

[Michelle in AL]

Here's my day: Wake up at 7:30

Usually I work 7:30-9am doing medical transcription for my husband, Mondays I don't have any sooo...

7:30-8 eat breakfast and read dd's science for the next 2 days.

8-8:30 check email

8:30-9:15 Start a new Beth Moore online Bible study. Got 1/2 through one Video session.

9:15-10am Watch Hotmath PreCal video with dd, who has an online course, but the teacher isn't teaching effectively. Grrr.

10-11:00 Algebra 1 with dd 2

11-11:30 Took a shower. Laundry

11:30-12 lunch

12-12:30 Physical science with dd2.

12:30-1pm help dd 1 with pre-cal homework.

1-1:30 computer time for me.

1:30-2pm spanish with both dd's

 

2-3pm art. My own. I'm going to start an abstract mixed media piece titled "STOP The WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF!" The left side will have a traffic light, the upper rt corner will have a picture of the world. the background will be greys and blues. There will be a picture of an old pocket watch and some random formulas e=mc^2 and r=d/t to represent speed and stress (energy). The meaning is the world is going to quickly, I want to slow it down or at least get off for awhile so I can breathe.

 

3-4 review pre-cal with dd to prepare for test.

 

4-5 perhaps grocery shop. Take dd1 to band practice.

 

5-6 breathe

 

6-7 prepare dinner

 

7-7:30 eat/clean up

 

7:3-9:30 More work for hubby medical billing and transcription

 

9:30-10 watch trashy reality TV (That's all the energy I'll have to expend at this hr)

 

10-10:30- read and have a glass of wine.

10:30-bed

[Nan in Mass]

My older two are at college this year, leaving me with only the youngest and the cat and dog, but what spare time I gained when the middle one left has been sucked up by my parents. It isn't so much that they need me as that I need them, although it will probably evolve into helping them more and more.

 

My husband and I wake up between 5:30 and 6:00, start the fire and the oatmeal, make tea and coffee, and then climb back into bed to drink it while we listen to the weather and discuss the day's doings. At 6:45, we wake the 9th grader and eat breakfast while he gets dressed. I feed the cat, dog, and birds. At 7:00, my husband leaves for work and we sit on my bed (warmer) and do math until about 8:30. Then we take a break; my son gets something to eat and I check the computer and if I'm good, swipe the bathroom and start the breadmaker. Next we do Latin (sketchily) and French (which includes history) in front of the fire, which is warm by now. Then we move someplace sunny (like the dock if it is warm) to do great books. We take turns reading aloud while the other person does a project or brushes the dog. My son is trying to build himself some boots at the moment. Then we take lunch break. By now, it is about 11:30 or 12:00. We both get our own lunches and tend to eat in front of the computer. I usually deal with the laundry here. So far, I have been working with my son, reading textbooks aloud, doing the questions orally, and correcting homework. After lunch, he does science, tech stuff, and piano on his own until two. That sounds very peaceful and organized, but in practice, during the morning we have constant interruptions dealing with the dog, cat, fire, phone, bread, laundry, strange bird noises, and weather. And in the afternoon, I need to help with everything or come see or something. In the morning, I am constantly fighting whatever project he is currently doing, and in the afternoon, he has his own ideas of what constitutes science, tech, and piano. Take piano, for example. He mostly improvises, which is very cool, but I can't help being worried that after nniinnee years of piano lessons, he cannot correlate the notes to the keys without counting. *I* can do that and I don't even play piano. Well, ok, I have to count a little for the bass clef, but not much. Every year he does flashcards or I quiz him or something and it doesn't stick. Ug. He takes everything there is to learn and turns it and twists into whatever he feels like. I can't tell whether this is a bad thing or a good thing. It probably varies. I can tell you that as a teacher, it is ...interesting... In a way, it is a joy to teach someone who has their own ideas but in other ways, it is worrisome and frustrating. But getting back to our day. I usually managed to do a few dishes and check the computer again while he is working. At two, he heads for his laptop and plays games. I put pizza dough in the breadmaker (we, too, eat a lot of pizza - sigh). If I am good, I spend a little time with the dog outside. Otherwise, I read with a cup of tea. Sometimes I study. Then I throw pizza and carrot sticks into a tupperware tray, add a cup of milk and a piece of fruit, and shivy my son into the car to eat it while we drive to gymnastics. I drop him off and go do yoga with my parents. After that, I go home to give my husband his pizza. (I've eaten mine standing up in the kitchen or driving.) Then we go do errands or get a cup of tea and do the crossword together while waiting for the coach to drop our son off at the shopping center (which saves me driving time). We come home, do a few more chores or possibly watch a video while our son does his homework (usually math problems, some French writing, and Latin flashcards), and then we all go to bed with cocoa and a book. We're usually asleep by 10. The house would look a lot better if my husband and I didn't need to spend so much time together, if our extended family didn't spend so much time together, and if we didn't go away almost every weekend. We don't really do meals. I spend at least an hour and a half in the car every day, sometimes more. As I said, written out like this it all sounds very peaceful and routine. What you aren't seeing is that everyweek something (usually something-s) happens, like the dog gets attacked by another dog and has to go to the vet, or a car breaks, or a child gets braces, or a tree lands on the house, or someone flies somewhere, or the driveway washes out. It isn't just bad things. Sometimes it is brothers getting married. In this last week, we had a crisis over a research paper with possibility of dropping a class and an unavailable advisor, visits to the eye doctor, a pumkin party, a business trip, a boat to be hauled and covered, a broken car, and two days of sailboat racing at BU on the Charles. And this was a fairly quiet week, compared to some recent ones. I am almost always worried sick about someone, not the same one. Vacuuming is low on the priority list. Surviving is high on it. And yet, there are so many happy spots. This week, I spent a happy hour doing the crossword puzzle and eating sushi with my middle son and husband. I spent several hours on a sunny blanket under spectacular trees watching little sailboats. I spent an hour covering my father's boat while the dog chased the ropes we were tossing around, just like when I was little (with dog added). I spent an hour watching the tribbles Star Trek. My husband had a brilliant game of disc golf and the doctors liked his most recent invention and he managed to get our oldest's truck running again. I spent four hours reading Gilgamesh in front of the fire with the dog on my feet. I spent an hour motoring through a canal. I spent several hours painting with my mother. I spent another hour walking the dog with her. I carved four pumpkins while my 3 year old nephew "helped". The research paper looks like it is going to be ok. Our eyes are ok. The car is ancient and doing ok for ancient. Nobody died, although we spent some time comforting mil because her best friend is dying. We survived. It is all rather wearing, though. By the time we reach Monday, we're usually pretty tired.

-Nan

[Nan in Mass]

Me, too.

[Michelle in AL]

Oh Nan, you day does sound fabulous! A day fully lived and enjoyed! I think I have the fully lived part down, but get too busy to enjoy the little moments of wamth, yoga, parents, children and sunshine.

 

I also wish I had more special moments with my husband, sounds like a few people here do that each day.

[Nan in Mass]

I like your painting idea! And I am in awe of anyone who can actually think after early afternoon.

[Cedarmom]

[quote name=Nan in Mass;1284775.. As I said' date=' written out like this it all sounds very peaceful and routine. What you aren't seeing is that everyweek something (usually something-s) happens, .

-Nan

 

After I wrote my schedule, I thought wow that looks so easy. But it's all that other stuff good and bad that happens too. Life keeps going on. We have older parents that sometimes need help, extended family that we go see, sickness, etc etc etc...If it could all just go as planned it would be easiy wouldn't it?

[Kareni]

I've enjoyed reading all of the "typical day" reports. I will admit a particular fondness for this one ...

 

 

7:00 AM - Stagger out of bed, throw on ugly green bathrobe, and fumble my way to the coffee machine, waving husband and eldest son out the door. Then, the daily deluge begins. The hungry hordes roar into the kitchen, ...

 

Regards,

Kareni

[justamouse]

This past month it's been a downright utter disaster. ER visits, surgery, family troubles, house showings.

 

We're all trying to get used to a new schedule because my oldest Dd is share timing tech courses and the hour drive daily is a time suck on our schedule.

 

We are muddling through. I do know that there are seasons in this, and hopefully my crazy season is over.

 

So far it's something like this

 

an alarm goes off at 5 am and I pray that tomorrow is Saturday.

 

If he's feeling especially loving, Dh will let me sleep and walk both dogs while the coffee brews. Most of the time we share the chore.

 

Dd is up, showering and curling up on the couch with the dog, praying for Saturday.

 

6:20 Dh and Dd leave.

 

6:30-7 I stumble around on the puter, drinking coffee and seeing what I have to do. I've been trying to write int his time but my brain is miles behind my ambition.

 

7-8 the tribe wakes up. Chickens let out, parrot fed, kids fed.

 

8-9 see if we can cram spelling in. I get in the shower.

 

9:15 leave to pick up Dd, kids bring books.

 

10:45 we get back and after the usual insanity that is us getting home (dogs walked, potty breaks, drinks, snacks) we try and sit down to work. It's like herding cats.

 

12:30 lunch

 

1:00 more cat herding.

 

2:00 make more coffee and wonder what's for dinner.

 

Ask Dd if she has accomplished 1234

 

no, only 1,2

 

I try not to freak too hard, but I do. Get. It. Done.

 

Sulking ensues.

 

3:00 I consider doing schoolwork after dinner. depending on their flea jumping, I may just send them out while I go over it all with Dd.

 

Dd is trying to do homework now for tech and I go back to drinking more coffee.

 

4:00 start dinner/watch news/ go over work with Dd.

 

5:00 eat dinner.

 

5:30 Bring out what the littles didn't do/Dd goes back to getting her work done.

 

7:00 we wrap it up because I have to write and I'm tired and brainless.

 

8:00 littles in bed.

 

9:00 I try and stay awake but it's a losing battle. Dh comes home and I'm upstairs typing as fast as I can to get some word count in.

 

10 Pass out.

Edited October 27, 2009 by justamouse

[lllll]

Hmmm. A typical day. I'll see if I can conjure up one ... :) just kidding. I'll try to describe one, but it can vary greatly depending on what's going on. For example, the last week and a half we were housesitting for a neighbor and I got the brilliant idea to clean up his house for him while he was away. :001_rolleyes: (He lives alone and all he wanted us to do was take care of his VERY timid cat while he visited his son in Seattle.) Weeeelll, this house turned out to be a nightmare! It took 6 of us a full 11 days to clean and organize everything. And some of the days were 12 hours long. I never knew one person could collect so much STUFF. :blink: :eek::blink::ack2:

 

Various ones were spending the nights at his house (19yod and I never did) and driving back and forth. A couple of us would go home to cook every so often. Some of us would haul off bags of garbage/stuff down to our house to burn it. 2 dd's had to get out the rifles to do some target shooting when we heard hunters getting just a teeeensy, bit too close to our house. Meanwhile, dh was on vacation and avoiding installing the new hot water heater at our own house; so I got him to fix a few things at neighbor's house (a toilet, water softener, mailbox, stereo antenna ...) until he finally decided to bite the bullet and go do our hot water heater while we had a free place to take showers. And that was last week.

 

This week we're actually taking a vacation (at home, as usual). We're at the library now and have to shop for a birthday while we're in town. I told dc to whatever they wanted to do and only do the chores which absolutely had to be done - cook, laundry, clean kitchen, ... after all the work we did last week.

 

However, when we start back with school next week, this is how it usually looks:

 

Monday - Thursday

 

4:30 - dh leaves for work and I try to go back to sleep (usually unsuccessfully); 19yod gets up to do her Bible study

 

4:30 - 8:30 - somewhere in here, rest of us up and reading Bibles, doing faces and teeth and morning chores like laundry, dishes, animals, etc.

 

8:30 - Logic

 

10 - all radios tuned in to McGee while various ones do different things like art, stretches, eat, laundry, dishes, etc.

 

10:30 - all doing school independently, myself included

 

12noon - all listen to radio news

 

12:30 - back to school/chores

 

1:30 - some of us listen to Grace To You

 

4 - gather at table for hermeneutics, prayer. Then, sing hymn (dc take turns choosing the song and playing the piano while we sing.)

 

4:30 - Blast a MacArthur tape for all to hear.

 

5pm - All off in different directions. I usually walk with my dog and whoever else wants to go.

 

Evening - showers, more chores, more school for some (esp. me), and other interests. Dh returns home somewhere between 6-8pm and he and dc usually talk to him about various things for a while. Bedtimes vary according to their schedules which they make for themselves. I try to be asleep by 9, but that rarely happens of late.

____________________________________________________________

 

Fridays are days for them to work on longer projects, usually writing and library books. We still listen to McGee at 10am, but we only gather from 2-4pm to check some math, a Russian Circles problem, a grammar sentence diagrammed. At 5 we listen to a whole MacArthur tape. Then, they're off until Monday when we begin it all again.

 

I should add that there is constant discussion going on all around the house during these times. Esp. later in the day and into the evening. It's not really a very quiet, library-like atmosphere. These discussions can be short or long and can be about anything; but usually something we're learning or something spiritual or practical (how to handle specific situations and such). Also, we don't sit down for meals. The cook for the week makes the food and leaves it out for all to eat whenever they get hungry. The kitchen person puts whatever's left away at night. And, finally, we have no outside activities. Not a single one. :)

Edited October 27, 2009 by ksva

[Nan in Mass]

LOL

This sounds rather familiar.

"Some days are like that. Even in Australia."

I always think of that saying about life happening while you are making other plans, and think it isn't quite right - life happens while you are trying to do something else. Forget the plan part GRIN.

-Nan

[Storm Bay]

LOL

This sounds rather familiar.

"Some days are like that. Even in Australia."

 

-Nan

 

 

That's one of my all time favourite quotes from book I loved to read with lots of expression. But all my dc have outgrown it.

 

What amazes me, and impresses me, is how many of you get up so doggone early. I've had times in my live where I've had to regularly get up at 5 or 6 am, but would never, ever choose to do it if I don't have to. I'm just not an early morning person. In fact, it was a huge learning hurdle for me to learn to wake up and not be grouchy first thing. In the summer, I get up at 7 am, but I need my beauty (I mean personality beauty at my age) sleep, and if my kids are up late with activities, I like to schedule 7-8 hours a night in bed. However, I have to admit that one of the many reasons I have never signed my kids up to play hockey (as a Canadian, if there is no adjective before the word, that implies it's on ice ;)) because there was no way I was going to drag myself out of bed in the middle of the night to sit in a freezing cold ice arena. Not very sacrificial of me, I know, but my kids have survived relatively unscathed ;).

[Nan in Mass]

I don't have much choice. I just wake up. I may not want to get out of bed, but I wake up.

 

We know people who do hockey (shudder - or perhaps that should be shiver). The father signed his son up, despite the mother's protests, promising he'd do all the driving. He's a fireman, though, so he isn't always there. She was not a happy camper.

 

We told our children no sport that requires lots of protective padding. And then they did gymnastics and broke toes and fingers and noses and knocked themselves out and began flying around a bar up by the ceiling, letting go and regrabbing or even worse, swinging between two bars... Ug. A little protective padding wouldn't come amiss.

 

-Nan

[Storm Bay]

I don't have much choice. I just wake up. I may not want to get out of bed, but I wake up.

 

We know people who do hockey (shudder - or perhaps that should be shiver). The father signed his son up, despite the mother's protests, promising he'd do all the driving. He's a fireman, though, so he isn't always there. She was not a happy camper.

 

We told our children no sport that requires lots of protective padding. And then they did gymnastics and broke toes and fingers and noses and knocked themselves out and began flying around a bar up by the ceiling, letting go and regrabbing or even worse, swinging between two bars... Ug. A little protective padding wouldn't come amiss.

 

-Nan

 

:lol::lol: My sister always said that gymnastics is dangerous; she kept her dc out of it for years, but let her kids jump off of her shed roof, took them kayaking, biking, etc. I'm with you on the no sports that require protective padding, but now have one that has started Judo, which is a full contact sport. But she longed for a full contact sport and loves it, and apparently it has one of the lowest injuries of full contact sports. This is my dc who always needed the most physical contact, time wise, when she was a baby, too, and this will hopefully help my ds whom she wrestles to the ground or couch regularly (she's older).

 

Some people do just wake up early, but so far I'm not one of them (well, once in a while I do). That will probably happen to me, too, when I hit my 70s or 80s, since my dad now wakes up at 6 or 6:30 without trying & he's 76. My mil wakes up earlier, but she's 84.

[Nan in Mass]

always woke early, and now he's waking at 4. Ug.

 

I hear you about the body contact. I've always thought that was something we did wrong with our oldest - never found a good way to provide parental body contact well into the teens. I've done better with my youngest, providing back scratches or shoulder rubs whenever requested. Having a loveseat instead of a full sized sofa doesn't hurt, either. My very cautious cousin married someone who did judo. I watched her try out her nephew's rollerblades, fall, and before you could blink, roll back up and continue on down the street. I would have been pretty broken. Gymnastics let my oldest fall from a second story roof and land on his feet, avoiding a large copper bird bath, a windshield, and the lady holding the ladder. Physical training can have its advantages.

 

-Nan

[Jen the RD]

Wow, you guys! This has been a great thread. My oldest is 6th grade and the wheels in my head are already turning as I think towards high school. You all are incredibly organized with your time and have built great independence in your children. It's also good to read how real life can really be. From all of us with younger kids, thank you for your candidness and transparency in talking about your days. I am inspired!

 

Love to you all,

Jennifer :grouphug:

[Nan in Mass]

Oh - and a broken toe.

[Nan in Mass]

Yup. But I'd probably be bored GRIN. We seem to live rather successfully on the edge of chaos.