A Day In The Life

                                                                                

Impossible! I tried so hard to do a photo journal of our school day. It. Just. Is. Not. Going. To. Happen.

Most days I get up at 5:00 a.m to be able to greet my first child. Two children arrived today at 6:00 a.m. It was their first day!!  At first it seemed that the day was going to be a whammy, but all of a sudden they calmed down, fell asleep, and our habitual routine was able to kick in

I wake the three kiddos up at 7:15 and tell them it is time to start our day. The first one ready is Michelle we start reading and the day unfolds.

 They rotate while eating breakfast and reading to me. This has worked out really well. Everyone is enjoying the stories that they are being read. I know this because they all comment on each other's read aloud.

They know that once we complete reading I head up stairs to see if the beds are made, the sink is washed in the bathroom. This all takes about ten minutes if done right! We all do the same morning chores everyday! We have learned that cleaning everyday is better than cleaning once a week. I am border line OCD. I got it bad!! If there is disorder it feels chaotic to me. This goes for everywhere in our house, except my junk drawer:) LOL

 DJ is to feed our dog Coach in the morning and also take him outside to do his thing. This allows DJ time to run before things require deeper concentration.

About 8:45am after breakfast, reading, and chores are completed they refer to their planners. This is preparing them for what they are going to work on during their three hour uninterrupted work period.

Ken chooses to start with completing her introductory Write Shop I lessons, writing concrete sentences.

     Michelle is working on her project to make a Ball Jointed Doll.                                                                                    

   DJ is working with his Lego Robot Invention Kit.

Yeah, it is 9:00 and my assistant arrives.
           

In a matter of two minutes other children arrive and now my basement accommodates 11 children ranging from 10 months to fourteen years old. I take a potty break, because coloring is occupying most of  their time for the moment.                                                

After everyone has been busily working to about 12:00 we prepare for lunch and then outside time is where the rest of the afternoon was spent. We are not starting out Fall schedule until next week, that goes for the preschoolers as well.

If this was a school week on Monday....
Ken does a lesson of Write Shop 1 required
DJ does a required Math Lesson
Michelle would of completed a lesson using Teaching Textbook.
All of them would of did a Latin group work lesson with me.
These activities would of taken place after lunch break and they would of continued until 2:30pm, again just like reading rotating the kids except for group work.

Tuesday ....
DJ  Write Shop Junior required
Michelle Language Arts/Teaching Textbooks
Ken required Math Lesson
 Unit Study/Elections group work
            *** It is a pattern so on Wednesday Ken would do Write Shop and DJ would do math lesson,etc
The same day of the week is when group activities and  presentations that follow the Montessori Method take place.

Wednesday is Botany/Zoology day
Thursday is History/Geography day
Friday is Art/Music day

At any given time during the uninterrupted work period they may choose from any subject to work, also request special lessons from me.

Today we still had to pick up the four elementary children from school at 3:00pm
We ate fast food:(
They did their afternoon chores for Michelle this is sweeping and mopping. Ken cleans the toilets and bathroom sinks. DJ takes out the garbage and runs the vacuum.

The day is over at 6:30p.m They go to bed at 9:00 how they spend their time between afternoon chores and bedtime it is all up to them.

Today they played outside with the schoolagers until 7:30pm. I brought the schoolagers in for quiet time. Everyone but one child left at 8:00p.m and my last child just left at 10:44 p.m.

What a day! It all happens all over again tomorrow. It is definitely the same schedule, but it will look totally different.

Friday nights are grocery shopping day because my memory serves me best. I am able to know exactly what we ran out of, and the list was made on Thursday night. I won't lose the list !!
Saturday we sleep in and go to a movie or have movie night at home. I may stay up later working on upcoming lessons if I didn't get to them during the week. Every other Saturday I work 10:00a.m until 3:30p.m we go to the library on those Saturdays and come back home for a nap with our preschooler friend. On Sunday it is early morning church service, play games, and then I strongly encourage everyone to spend alone time with themselves!  We always enjoy a restaurant dinner, they need to practice etiquette skills in public. Plus I don't want to cook !!

To see other home schoolers'  A Day In The Life post please visit the "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop: Day in the Life