A Day in the Life: Homeschooling 14, 12, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, 2, and pregnant!

Today I am joining up with sharing "a day in our life" with the linkup over at Simple Homeschool.  

Welcome!!  This blog is very much an old school "mom blog", so nothing too fancy, and nothing is sold, here.  

It's funny, I think I'm in the running for "most kids home schooled" on the link-up. . . but I know I'm not alone.  And as I always say, it's having those three little ones that makes super heroes out of us moms.  Honestly, two little ones is enough.  So, if you are a mom with less than, say, 5 kids, and you're wondering  "how do you do it??"…just remember--I'm not dressing my 14 year old! (Even if I still braid her hair for her in a pinch:)).  Actually, my 9 year old will dress my toddler half the time, so--there's encouragement for you!  On to the homeschool!

We used to do school in the basement.  Then, after a good decade of homeschooling, we were able to put on an addition.  I blogged all about it last summer and fall.   

 

I really really love being on the main floor and having the natural light and windows to lift the spirits as we tackle our work every day.  Truth: we still use our dining room table and couches, but at least at the end of the day the books and clutter all end up in here (mostly).

Newcomers may not know that we have rabbits.  Lots of really cute mini-holland lops (well, just four), and we let them visit us in the schoolroom to add to the chaosmess fun.

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and of course Miss Reina, our ten month old labradoodle who tries to come in and steal fallen crayons

On to the brass tacks:

This is a curriculum overview (and I'm never very precise about these things).  Skip it if you just want to see what our day looks like:

I use Catholic Heritage Curriculum materials heavily.  I like their pre-K and primary grade workbooks because the lessons are short and to the point.  I use MCP math for primary grades because I really struggle with mom-intensive and manipulative-dependent math.  At 4th grade we switch to Saxon.  Not a program with a lot of bells and whistles, but solid.

I've gone "down the history trail", "alphabet path", and "science" with Elizabeth Foss over at Serendipity.  I love picture books for science and history for younger children.  When my big kids were little I'd read to everyone at once and group everyone together.  Then I discovered the excellent, glossy-paged, history texts over at CHC and let my, now, big kids do those for history on their own.  Occasionally, I have to get involved and read to the big kids out of a more serious history text.  I'm a Christendom College grad, so I'll pull out Warren Carroll on them (yes I will!).  They love history, so it's easy.

I've used Apologia science books, which are explicitly creationist in viewpoint (I've heard others get tired of this strong mantra throughout their books).  I'd rather have creationism than evolution, and I love the glossy pages and pictures.  Science texts can be so dry.  I think these are very appealing.

Did I forget much?? Those are the big subjects, right?

And now it's time for… "A DAY IN THE LIFE":

(I'll try to be honest)

6:00 alarm goes off.  I might be up before this because I'm a morning person and I can never get enough of a jumpstart on my day.  (On the other hand, I might sleep through it and not come down until 7.  Keep in mind that I am pregnant.)

Make coffee, turn heat up, grab prayer books  (I try to say the Morning Office, read the Bible, and journal.  Then I try to check my e-mail and blog.  Given that the kids trickle down about 6:15, I might be reading Dr. Suess at any given point instead).

I wish I could say that at 7:00 I exercise.  Reality is that on a good day I hop on an exercise bike at 7:30 and pedal for ten or fifteen or maybe 20 minutes while yelling at the kids to get ready for Mass.  If the weather is beautiful, I might not be able to resist a quick walk with our dog.  I'm such a morning person, and I cannot ever get over the fresh morning air and sunshine.  However, it's late winter 'round here…and sunshine doesn't always happen.

At 7:50 (more on my awesome timing below) I'll hop into the shower for three glorious minutes (if I haven't exercised, I might just skip the shower--sorry, trying to be real here) and slick my wet hair into a bun.  Throw clothing on myself and whatever toddlers are ambling around in pj's and in need of dry diapers and shove everyone into the van.

8:15: leave for Mass.  Mass starts at 8:15.  We go daily.  We are hopelessly, always late. (Huge sigh).  Someday we will do better.  We know this is not ok.  We try.  We fail.  But we do always go!

Going to daily Mass gives us the obvious spiritual strength for the task of our day ahead, but also ensures that our big family is up, dressed, and out the door at an early hour.  School kids have to be at school at 7:30.  Some people like being in pj's at noon.  For me, in a family this size with a lot of work to do, it's just chaos.  Did I mention I'm a morning person?

9:00 head home.  Pray "Anima Christi" and "Seven Sorrows of Mary" on way home.  If it's not Lent, I often make my husband get me coffee on the way home.  The kids might get to split cookies if I get coffee.  Not a great habit, but it is a nice reward for the huge effort to get to Mass, and it gives me the courage born of coffee and sugar to face the morning ahead.

Sometimes we'll hit Target or Trader Joe's on the way home.  The stores are so wonderfully empty on a Monday morning at 9!  And I can stock up on important things we need for the day without having to load everyone up again later on in the day.  I do NOT bring all of the kids in with me.  I make my daughter (or husband if he's just letting me run in) tell the kids a story.  Yep.  I'll tell a story if he's running in for me.  We tell all kinds of ridiculous tales.  The kids love it.

I need to mention that my husband is with me for all of this.  Yes, I loose all superhero status by admitting that.  I am happy to admit that everyone who does anything remotely close to the above on their own is WAY better than I am.

9:15 (or 10 if we've done errands) home.

Breakfast:  I make a huge breakfast every day.  Eggs.  Pancakes.  Oatmeal.  Smoothies.  Buttered toast. Some combination of the above.  I have the kids do chores and get started on school while I cook (dog out, etc).  I do not make lunch!  By the time we've eaten a huge, hearty, and late breakfast, we are ready to work.  My kids are free to make pbj's or throw together a ham sandwich in the afternoon, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm done in the kitchen until dinner.  (I might make a snack, like popcorn, in the afternoon.)

9:30-11:00 School!  (11 is too late, but in reality, if we do lots of errands, it happens from time to time.  We might have morning dentist/doctor/orthodontist appointments).

All kids in desks (big kids might move out for more quiet).  I float between desks and get kids started on lessons.  I check little kids' math work, I praise 3-year-old handwriting, I praise 2-year-olds' scribbling.  I work through spelling and english workbooks.  I do reading lessons with my 5 year old on the couch.  Usually I start loosing the little kids around 12:30 (think whining and crying).

At this point I will read storybooks to my 2-and 3-year old (or turn on Curious George if we're really desperate) while I set the kids over 4th grade to finish math with their dad.  I am going to admit right here that I'm good on math through 3rd grade.  Yes, I am a college grad.  An English major.  Judge as you will. ;)  (My husband's really good at math).

If I'm really lucky, my dad will fit us in on his lunch hour and come read a classic work of literature to my kids from 12:30-1.  Over the years they have read Adventure Isle, Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Where the Red Fern Grows, Robin Hood and on and on.  "Poppy" is our "classics program"!:)
Before my dad started to come we did more books on tape in the afternoon to give me a break.

1:00 Big kids finish reading history, science, writing projects, scripture copy work, religion (Faith and Life series), on their own.  They typically finish by about 2-3 pm, other than maybe my 14-year-old who has the biggest work load (and maybe gets side-tracked by her artistic instincts aka doodling in the margins!:)).

Galadriel- age 9- scripture copy work

By the time the neighborhood school kids are home from school, we're done.  If the weather is good, my kids will run outside and play with their friends.  Winters are long, though, and we're all pretty cooped up by March. Basketball season brought lots of practices in the late afternoon and evenings.

2 or 3:00 I start vacuuming, doing dishes, getting started on dinner.  I might have a sister drop by to have coffee and let the kids play.  Once in a while we have co-op from 2-4.  When the weather is good we meet friends at the park once a week from 2-4.  When weather is bad I have a friend who hosts an "open house" from 2-4 once a week.  We try to make what we can.  However, I'm going to say that if I'm out or entertaining during the afternoon, the house suffers.  I have to find a balance as best I can.

I'll run to the grocery store for last minute items needed for dinner.  Have coffee, check e-mail/blogs/shop on-line.  I like to take my dog on a walk if I can get out.  I might have a few along in a stroller or walking with me.

3:00 hour we pray the Divine Mercy chaplet. (Unless I'm at co-op or a friend's house).

4:45/5:00 I usually have a pre-dinner clean up session for the family.  We take out trash and sweep and pick up the main floor.  If the kids have been outside they get called in to clean up the yard (bikes and balls in, etc).  I'm just finishing dinner and probably getting it served too.

5:30/6 dinner

any evening practices or games

7:00 read aloud with Dad.  We're currently going through the Narnia series (third time through, and it just keeps getting better!)  We've done Lord of the Rings, Little House books, and lots of historical fiction from the Bethlehem book list.

8:00 family rosary

8:15/30 bed!

My older kids have a "lights out" time so my 14-year-old can read/draw/journal in bed until 9:30 (or  ten, because, well, she's 14).  I'd usually stay up until ten-ish myself, but as I mentioned, I'm pregnant.  So, lately…I'm in bed before my kids are asleep.

That's it! A pretty realistic "day in the life".