Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Home education - the first week

Here's some basic updates thus far....

EARLY MORNINGS
Nope, this just isn't happening for me. I go to bed around midnight and get up about 8am. I just need those 8 hours, and I can't seem to get to bed any earlier. I'm a total night-out and am able to get things done after the kids go to bed. If I got up earlier, they would just get up earlier too - which wouldn't help my getting-stuff-done issue, now would it?!

I just let my little ones have their play/cartoon/game time in the mornings. I take a shower, make my coffee, get breakfast together, etc. Once we get breakfast, then a basic schedule starts.



SCHEDULE
Very basic at this point:
8am - up, shower, coffee, try to open my eyes fully
9am - breakfast, quick toddler Bible story, then Daddy off to work
kids dressed, teeth, clean rooms, chores
break time for the kids, Momma gets some Bible time

*then we do whatever we need to do. Playing, organizing, computer time, some pre-school fun stuff, coloring, painting, playing outside.....I try to do some house stuff too. I bake bread, prep the rest of the day's food, go over school stuff, etc.

12:30pm (or so) - lunch and memory verses
1:30pm - read aloud for all kids
2pm - little ones down for naps
2-5pm - learning time. At the end of this time, I work on dinner and a quick clean-up.

5:30pm - Dean gets home and ASKS WHAT HE CAN DO TO HELP ME!!! Seriously ladies, if you can have a serious, heart-felt talk with your dh's and they want to know how they can bless you - that little phrase is a sanity-saver! And sexy too ~ seriously!

So we work on dinner together. The little ones get up sometime between 4-5, so sometimes they are cranky when I'm pulling dinner together. It's great to have two sets of hands to handle stirring food, hugging boo-boos, changing diapers, dealing with behavior stuff, etc.etc.etc.

6:30pm - is usually about dinner time.
8:30pm - is usually about bed time for the littles.
9-9:30pm - bedtime for Isaac

the rest of the evening is planning, emails, laundry, catch-up housework, and I honestly try to make sure Dean gets some of my attention too. Doesn't always happen...

Midnight - bedtime (but it's 12:30am now, so I'm behind again)



CURRICULUM
I have all my curriculum listed in the right sidebar. We haven't started the Math-U-See yet, but we are diving into the Weaver Vol. 1 and keeping up with 100 easy lessons for phonics. I also want to grab some piano books for the kids music time. I'm trying to go slowly, introduce all this into my kids' days one step at a time.


CHORES
I just got Word on my computer - we were without any word processing program all summer - so I need to make up new chore charts. Right now, I'm just picking a chore and they do it. But we will have specific chores for 2 months at a time once I can get it together. I'm trying to keep things easy on myself - so no really hard chores that require my constant attention. For the first few months, I'll give them chores that they already know and are comfortable with - again, to EASE us into this new phase of our lives.



ME TIME??
Hmmm......I'm trying not to forget this part. I have a Ladies Bible Study Tuesday mornings (childcare for the littles, Isaac does school work in Daddy's office) and I'm in the Choir on Wednesdays. I go out with my girlfriends once a month (or so). I'm debating going to the homeschool group this year. It's mostly just support meeting once a month, with ladies speaking on specific topics each time - so we'll see if I can fit it in.

I have my coffee each morning, I take my time waking up. I'm not a morning person and I've completely given up becoming one. We will do what works for us. And for now, school happens in the afternoons. It's what works for Momma. And since I'm the one honestly doing the most work, pouring all the drinks, changing the diapers, you know - GROWING A BABY - we're catering to me. As the kids get older and can help even more, things will change, of course. I'm trying to remain flexible.


Ok, I'm exhausted - I just wanted to give y'all an update. What do you think??
How is your fall schedule shaping up??





p.s. The Palin issue in the online, conservative Christian women blogs/websites is killing me. I can't believe how divisive this is. I'm tired of clicking NEXT on my reader - it's not that I don't want to read about the upcoming election. I'm just tired of hearing how awful one side thinks the other side is and vice-versa. I know you feel strongly, I know it's your blog, I know you think what you believe is Biblical. Got it. It's just horrible to see how it's dividing so many Christian ladies who should be supporting and loving one another. *big sigh*

and yes, for the record, I like her. But if you don't, I don't mind.

13 comments:

Blended in Texas said...

What? No nap time for you?! I'm also growing a baby and I need my naps in the afternoon. I haven't been able to take one all week ad it's killing me! How do you do it? Other than that your schedule is very similar to ours. It's nice to be flexible when you have littles and your growing a baby. By the way, I really 'like' Sarah Paline...I'm also sick of the controversy among conservative, Christian women in regards to her also. Just not necessary! Well, I'm off to make myself a pot of coffee! ;) Take care!

team gesink said...

Hello, we wanted to thank you for mentioning and supporting our Alpha Mega Publications Weaver Curriculum. We would appreciate so much if you would please post a link from our website (http://www.aop.com) to your blog. Thanks again and have a fantastic day!!

AOP

Unknown said...

Hmm...I *do* have a link back to AOP, in my sidebar where I have my curriculum listed. Maybe my link is too specific (just goes to that particular curriculum, not the home webpage for AOP). Or maybe they want a button....

I'll check it out.
Thanks~
Lori

Micha @ Cookin' Mimi said...

Wow, you have your hands full. I thought I was busy, ha, I don't do 25% of what you do.
BTW, I love your header.

Micha from the BW message board.

Anonymous said...

I'm the opposite. We school in the morning, earlier the better! I'm up at 4 each day. I get my shower, exercise, Bible reading/prayer in then. My husband wakes around 6. My children are up by 7ish. I start breakfast around then. I have juice or whatever to tide the children over.

School starts at 8 ish goes till about 1130 or so(in our school room, yep, we have a separate room just for school). My husband leaves around 830.
The baby goes down about 930-10-12 for her nap.

Our afternoons are reserved for down time, naps, lessons (ballet, music etc) independent study etc.

I start on dinner about 430 or so. Husband arrives home at 530. Takes the children off my hands! Dinner at 6!

Our older children 4 and 5 have fun time w/daddy until about 8. then off to bed. Baby goes down around 7.

After 8...mommy and daddy time, cleaning, pc time etc. We go to bed around 12.

My husband and I both work, I work from home, and tend to work from 10 until whenever on the pc. As a case manager for a health insurance company it gets crazy! But who else can get healthcar!e for 5 people for $40 a month! (PPO no less)

I use a mix bag of school stuff. I find I don't like stuffy curriculums, so I make up my own!

I just heard today that in a local Catholic school they teach addition, subtraction, multiplication/division, and fractions in kindergarten! I was ok...I guess I need to get on the ball here!

Anonymous said...

Eileen: to above commentor anonymous: 4 hours of sleep PER NIGHT? Whelp....I'm sure you know you are rare!! I'm up at 4 a.m. everyday also....but I'm hangin' with the sandman by 8:30 - 9 p.m. (hubs gets home around 10 p.m.). Coffee is wonderful, vital and esteemed. ;o)

Tereza said...

Well my schedule is not the way I like it I'm afraid!! It's hard to get much done between nursing and the baby being fussy!
I'mtrying to find our rythm.

Anonymous said...

Babe, I'm proud of what you were able to accomplish this week!!! Truely. And if YOU got up at 4 AM, I would drag you back into bed...THAT'S CRAZY! Welp, to each his own (at least as far as schedule goes).

Hope your headache today has subsided.

Blessings,

Your DH

Anonymous said...

It's my choice to be up at 4. I get a lot done. My husband respects that fact I like to get up at that time.

Definitely to each his own. Some of us are morning people. And whose to tell me when I do my praying and exercising?

Unknown said...

Sorry ladies, I truly did marry Mr. Wonderful!!

*big sigh*
~Lori

Unknown said...

Oh Anon, I don't think anyone is trying to tell you when to do your exercising and praying - no way! But you have to admit, not many people could survive long-term (post-college days aside) on only 4 hours of sleep! And that's when the little ones don't wake you up in the middle of the night - whew!! I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Anyways, no one was attacking you - just expressing amazement at being able to function day after day on only 4 hours a night.

And the Kindergarten teaching division and fractions - that's *crazy*! Those little ones don't need to be stressing about such things quite yet.

There's another example of why we homeschool - the ability to choose our own curriculum and our own pace. Awesome!!
~Lori

Tereza said...

Lori...in answer to your question on my blog yes they are all mine:) and no twins just close together:)Yes I am young:) hopefully I'll look like that when I'm 50!!!! I feel 99 right now:):) Been a busy day!
Loke I sai...havent found our groove yet and that wears me out!!

Anonymous said...

OH good Lori, I guess I was a *little* touchy. So I apologize.

I get the only 4 hrs of sleep from my mom. I'm 33 now, so I'm definitely past college lol.

Oh I definitely am not trying to do fractions and stuff so early..I was floored when I heard that the other day. I don't want to go too slowly tho either. we're doing normal stuff now, reading and writing.

I'm one of the few christian women NOT a fan of Sarah Palin.