One of the scrapbooking challenges that I’m doing this month is to capture and scrap “A Day in the Life”. I planned to take pictures for this yesterday, the most “normal” day for us this week.
I also received a comment basically asking me about what our homeschool day looks like.
So, I thought that it would be fun to actually blog our “Day in the Life” before scrapping it. Stay tuned for my Scrapbook Saturday post this weekend to see how this gets scrapped!
I have to warn you that this post is long and FULL of pictures!!!
Our alarm clock goes off at the incredibly insane time of 4 am. I struggle to get up at this time, but I’ve found it’s the best way to get off to a good start. My husband usually gets up before me and brings coffee up to get me moving…so, I’m actually rolling out of bed and settling into the recliner to have my quiet time of prayer and Bible reading around 4:20/30-ish.
After my quiet time ideally, I head downstairs to the treadmill to walk a mile or two, but yesterday I decided to forgo that in favor of finishing up week 52 for my 2012 Project Life album. I was able to finish up that last spread and blog it before going upstairs for a shower.
My little ones begin waking up around 7 am and the day gets moving quickly after that!
Jenny and Will were the first ones up yesterday morning. Jenny begged for juice before breakfast with pleas of, “Juice first…” I didn’t deny her.
Would you just look at that crazy morning hair of hers…it cracks me up!
My girls were on the ball yesterday morning and actually got dressed and began some of their morning chores before breakfast! Their morning chores include making their beds, getting dressed, brushing their hair and brushing their teeth. Just basic self-care things.
We picked up a new package of Eggo waffles at the grocery store on Monday afternoon, so that’s what everyone except Jenny requested for breakfast. Jenny had oatmeal. I had my typical breakfast of an english muffin topped with grape jelly.
After breakfast I sent everyone upstairs to finish up their chores and I began working on laundry. I spent most of the day on Monday trying to get the mountain of laundry that had piled up in our laundry room folded and put away. I was still left with about three loads that needed to be washed, a load needing to be folded and one needing to be transferred to the dryer. Laundry is a never-ending battle with a family of six!
The girls occupied themselves with playing in their kitchen in the playroom while I worked away on the laundry.
With the laundry tamed a bit, we were ready to begin school just before 9 am.
We begin our day with prayer and Bible reading. I read Numbers chapter 13 yesterday…the account of the spies that went into Canaan and their report back to the Israelites.
Three verses into our reading, Jenny fell out of her chair and needed some comfort.
Yes, you will notice that she is still in her pajamas…she’s the only one that can’t dress herself yet and I was occupied with laundry. We’re fully embracing pajama days!
After our Bible reading, we worked on some memorization work.
We’re memorizing Psalm 24, using a song. This is our last week for that scripture.
For Geography we’re memorizing the countries of East Africa. We’ve been working on all the African countries over the last few weeks of school. This is also set to song.
Next, I got my girls (2nd grade) started on their assignments for independent work and began reading instruction with Will. I’m using All About Reading with him and it has been wonderful. His face isn’t showing that in this picture…but it he loves the activities and he especially loves the days that he gets to read out of his readers.
His favorite is math and yesterday he got to work with the geoboard, a new math material for him. Look how proud he is of the little house he made using a square, rectangle, and triangle!
After I finished direct teaching with Will we took a short snack break. Goldfish! (another grocery store purchase from Monday)
I sent Will upstairs to play with Jenny and began Math with EA & MC. We begin our math time with calendar skills.
They also got to work with geoboards yesterday. They were very excited about this!
As we were finishing up our math lesson, my husband called to tell me it was snowing at Ft. Bliss (where he works). I looked out the window and could see the snow clouds coming over the mountain. We all ran upstairs to the balcony off of my bedroom to get some pictures.
It was amazing to watch the snow come our way from over the mountains. Flurries even began to fall while we were out taking pictures! We didn’t stay out long, though, because the kids were freezing!
They immediately began making plans for snowball fights, snow angel making and snow man building. I had to be a downer and remind that that it may not actually stick to the ground since it was oh…70 degrees yesterday. It didn’t stick.
I let Jenny and Will watch an educational program (Sesame Street) while I finished up math with the girls and started spelling. I love, love, love All About Spelling!!!
Spelling was followed by lunch and some free playtime.
I had hot chocolate because I was cold!
And then I began working on the pile of dishes on the kitchen counter. I really hate dishes being piled up like this, but I wasn’t feeling well Monday night and went to bed at the same time as the kids, forgetting to run the dishwasher. I ran it all morning and cleared everything away after lunch.
At one o’clock I got Will and Jenny settled in for quiet time and finished cleaning the kitchen. The girls read together while I finished up the kitchen.
After the kitchen was all clean, the girls and I finished up school with some reading time, First Language Lessons, history and science. (no pictures of that)
When school was finished for the day, the girls went upstairs for some quiet time themselves and I sat down to scrap a layout for yesterday’s challenge at The Lilypad.
EA spent her quiet time working on her typing skills. (she loves this typewriter!!)
Since it was too cold and yucky outside (no more snow but the wind was ferocious!) I decided to go ahead and start baths after everyone’s room was clean. I try to have the kids clean their rooms and the playroom after quiet time each day.
Yay!! All clean…
After everyone had their bath or shower, I got back to the laundry and housework. EA and MC helped to put away folded clothes.
And Jenny chased Will around the house with his pirate sword!
My husband came home from work around 5:30-ish while I was preparing dinner.
Daddy’s home!!!!
Dinner was a big hit last night. We had quesadillas from the chili pork roast I made the night before along with refried beans and tortilla chips.
We often follow dinner by allowing the kids to have one cookie. They take turns with who passes out the cookies…it’s an incredible treat for them!!!
After dinner, the kids watched the Goodnight Show on Sprout while I cleaned the dishes and my husband and I input our Weight Watcher points from the day into the computer. I joined WW here a couple of weeks ago and my husband is back to the online program.
EA came in to get us because Jenny snitched the bag of tortilla chips off the counter and was helping herself. When we went in she declared with the most innocent expression, “I sharing!”
Everyone headed up to bed after Nina sang the “goodnight song” promptly at 6:45 pm.
Will got a piggy pack ride up the stairs from his Daddy. And I had to give Jenny one, too.
I spent time reading to each of the kids before tucking them into bed at night. This is a time that we all cherish. It’s also a great way to fit read-alouds into our day.
EA read her Bible while she waited on me to read with Will and Jenny.
Will loves The Boxcar Children books. We’re currently on the forth book in the series.
I just started A Cricket in Times Square with EA & MC. We’ve been reading on the window seat in their room. They were so excited that our new house had a window seat…it was something they’ve been wishing for!
After everyone was tucked into bed, my husband and I had a “hobby night”.
He blogged and opened up his new camera that arrived from Amazon today and I scrapbooked and edited pictures for this blog post.
These days of homeschooling little ones are busy, some days are full of excitement, and some days seem monotonous. Some days are full of fun and delight and some days are so very hard.
I try to cherish them all…these moments that I have with my children and my husband are precious to me.
I hope you’re not all bored to tears after this detailed look at a day in our lives, but I thank you so much for joining me here and allowing me to share my life with you!
Laura C says
I enjoy it when bloggers post these day to day posts. Maybe I am just nosy 🙂 My almost 3 year old wears pj’s a lot. She would wear them all day every day if I let her. If we dont have to go anywhere I usually just let her, its easier than fighting about it! And usually when we get home from going somewhere she wants to change back into them!
Shanna says
I loved seeing a day in your life! Although it makes me tired…very similar to my own! Well except for the 4 am part. 🙂
MarcyKay says
Love this post! Your little one’s hair – omg haha! My girls have some really rough bed head in the mornings too 😉 It’s pretty funny! (Found you on SSD Forum)