Our Day

We are working hard to get our master schedule up and going with the MOTH system. It's no easy task and really takes awhile to complete. After spending an hour on it last night I woke up this morning and decided while brushing my teeth that I wanted our day to go quite different than I had planned the night before. Instead of spreading out school throughout the day and inserting recess 3 times I decided we should try to start school at 8 and be done by 11:30, which is when I begin lunch prep. It actually worked out well this morning. This is how it went.

7:00 -mama wake up and get ready(should have been 6:30, but we're easing into this whole thing)

7:10 -7:40 -Prayer and bible reading

7:40 - Check email and various business on the computer while eating breakfast - Have Q get up and start getting ready

8:00 Wake A, L and T, Get them dressed and make breakfast. Q does his morning chores

8:30 Breakfast. I read a book about Native Americans while they ate and then clean up.

9:00 Read to A, L and T while Q does his writing assignment

9:30 - Dance to a few songs to get the blood moving and sing some preschool songs such as ABCs, days of the week/months of the year and counting songs. Then Q reads aloud to me while I nurse Thea, A colors and L plays with blocks on the floor

10:00 - Bible lesson at the table with all boys, T napping

10:30 - Q does his math lesson on the computer (we're using Switched on Schoolhouse) while I play trains/blocks/Lincoln logs with A and L on the floor and help Q as needed.

11:00 - Wake Thea, have A and L pick up and get ready to leave, fix snack. Q is still working on math

11:30 - Get in the car with snacks in hand. I chat with a neighbor for several minutes and then we're on our way to the Goodwill. Q reads "The Pilgrim Fathers" while in the car.

1:00 -Lunch and cleanup

1:30 - nap

I feel like we've managed to mix things up enough that they're not feeling bored or overworked. Q loves doing his math lesson on the computer and feels like it's a game. It's a big relief to me to know that he can do it almost independently. I'm planning to wake Q up from nap around 3 to do some "homework". Writing his spelling words, finishing coloring a picture for his grandpa and doing a drill sheet for addition facts. I'm hoping that if we can get the core subjects out of the way in the morning we can use the afternoons and evenings for fun science projects and history read alouds.

One cute story...we were doing our bible lesson at the table (I let them color a picture related to what we were learning) and was reading from the bible to "love one another." I started to go on talking, but Landon was singing. When I listed to what song it was I was so happy. He was singing "This is my commandment that you love one another that your joy may be full". I was amazed because I really didn't think he was paying attention to what I was reading. It sure is great that they can pick up so much from just listening and being close by. However, that does warn me how careful we have to be about the radio and TV and what they hear when we think they're "not paying attention".

Thea didn't cry when she went to bed for her second nap. PTL!!! We've had to let her cry a little (or a lot) at nap time because for two days she did not nap...AT ALL...and then crashed when I was holding her at dinner time. Talk about a fussy baby! I'm trying to be consistant with nap time and I pray that it's paying off. She's doing great at night time. Except for last night, she's slept until 6am every morning and then gone back to sleep until 7:30 or 8.

If anyone has any Christian book suggestions for studying the Native American/Pilgrim/Mayflower/Colonial life subjects please let me know! Q loves this topic and I'm hoping to do a lot with it.