My Dream Schedule

In my fantasy world, I would LOVE to start my day with a glass of OJ, some fresh fruit, & quiet time with the Lord on my front porch while the sun rises. 

Reality.  I wake up to a baby who needs a diaper change, a 3 year old who is completely recharged, & 3 others that need a little morning motivation. 

So, as I post my “dream” schedule, know that it is partially just that – a dream.  Or perhaps a goal.  This is not something I plan to implement all at once or immediately.  And as I attempt to ease our way into resembling something like this – I am sure things will change & it will continually be tweaked.

 

• Workout, Devotional, dress (like actually look cute & have my hair & make-up done), & get my morning chores done before my kids are up.

I would LOVE to wake up before the kids & have an hour to myself.  This just isn’t possible right now because I have babies in bed that have mommy sensors & if I make the slightest movement – they are up.

• Breakfast 8 a.m.
• Bible/Spanish
• Calendar time & Character
• Story time with 3 younger boys, Tyler start independent work (Devotional, Grammar, Writing)
• Preschool (about an hours of guided activities), T & T FIAR activities
• Snack & Group studies (our Winter Promise studies)

This is probably doable & my goal is to have this done by 12:30

• Lunch (tutoring/free time “catch up time”)
• Truman quiet time, Tyler Reading & Math, Tucker & Trevor rotate stations (one-on-one with mom, independent work, educational activities)
• Tucker & Trevor group work:  Generations of Virtue/Math/Writing /Language
• Tyler one-one-one

My goal is to be done with school by 4:30

• Kids outside, Me – laundry, dinner, kitchen
• Dinner 6:30
• Pick up the house
• Kids outside/inside electronics
• Bedtime 9/9:30

Each day this will look a little different.  Mondays I will devote more time to Tucker & Trevor’s schooling, Tuesdays & Wednesdays will be Preschool, Thursdays focus more on 1:1 with Tyler &  I will go over his weekly work, & Fridays will be our review & project days, along with a nature lesson.  Also, I’m not planning on doing every subject, every day.  Both our Bible & Spanish are DVD based, so we will rotate those (on the days we do Spanish I will add a character trait to our calendar time).  Other than Mondays, I will be rotating Language & Writing with T & T. 

What is your dream schedule?  Do you have any tips for homeschooling multiple ages?  Please feel free to leave a comment with any helpful tips – I am desperate!!

Home-business

I love organization, planning, & scheduling!

I need a game plan.  I’ve made some darn good schedules in my motherhood/homeschooling journey! 

The thing is, my kids (& husband) don’t always follow my perfect little schedule.  They all have plans of their own.  You know, like “honey, I need your help out here.” (in the middle of a math lesson) or “Mom, the goats are in the watermelon patch.” or “mom, did you know Truman was playing in the potty?”   Then there are the lovely moments where I have to veer off my plans to deal with character issues ALL.DAY.LONG! 

…. Over the years, I have learned that I have to kinda go with the flow of things. But a plan on paper just looks so pretty, so I still make one.  Making a schedule is easy as pie.  Stickin’ to it is a whole other story!  A couple of months ago I listened to a good friend of mine speak to a group of homeschool mom’s about organizing their lives.  She described a Homeschool as a buisness.  Yes, a family buisness!

“Homeschool is a business – all successful businesses need STRUCTURE”

I have learned that keeping things simple is a little easier when trying to establish structure with a house full.

When making my schedule or “structuring” our school days for this year, I realized I needed to PRIORITIZE! 

1. God. 
2. My family (husband & kids)
3. Myself
4. Our homeschool
5. Our family & friends

I had to ask myself where everything I was doing all day fell among this list.  Then I was reminded that if we expect our children to take school seriously, then we must as well. 

What am I at home?  What are you at home?

Each school year brings a different season of life, & each season brings new priorities & schedules.  After experiencing some major struggles with Taylor, last year my goal was to bring the fun back into our school days.  I wanted to do all the things homeschoolers can do because they are homeschoolers.  Mission accomplished!  We went on several field trips & made wonderful memories together.  This year, my goal is to become slightly more consistent & academic focused.  More than anything though, I must make teaching my kids God’s word a huge priority – & I don’t mean just by doing Bible studies & memorizing scripture.

At this same time in LIFE, I believe the Lord is opening a door in photography for me.  I’ve become almost overwhelmingly blessed with lots of photoshoots, but with this opportunity also demands even more of a necessity for prioritizing.  My God, My family, Myself, & My homeschool all come BEFORE this “work”.  So, as I pray about all this God keeps whispering one word in my heart - “BOUNDARIES!”  Okay, yes, He has to scream it at me, but you get the point.

Yes, I need more boundaries for ME – NOT my kids!  I need to make sure I am starting each day with God not my e-mail or blog reader.  So, boundary #1:  God FIRST!  I’m kinda an over achiever, but I’m realizing that this time doesn’t always have to consist of an hour long deep Bible study.  This time can be quick & simple, it can be just a little chat with my Father, or it can be a heartfelt prayer.  I trust the Lord will allow the time for me to take advantage of this priority, if I really make it one.

Boundary #2 – No computer.  My blog will feel this & although it is a great release for me, by kids will also feel this.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m not banning myself from the computer entirely, just during “school hours” or times when I should be “Living today” and not blogging about yesterday or planning for tomorrow.  Basically, I am allotting an hour a day to blog, work on pictures, & make phone calls.  I may sneak more time in while the kids are in bed though.  Which leads me to #3 . . .

Boundary #3 – Bedtime.  For my kids & myself.  I am a night owl.  Not always, but there have been times I stay up late into the wee hours of the next morning.  Which in-turn whether I want to admit it or not, also pours over onto my family the next day.

Boundary #4 – Only “work” part-time.  I truly feel the photography thing is a God thing.  I haven’t taken a photo class in my life, I don’t have any fancy editing program, & honestly I have a nice camera, but I haven’t even read the manual or watched the start-up video.  :)  I tend to be a little OCD & when I have a project going it is hard to walk away from it.  Ex.  editing pictures!  I have to set some boundaries for this.  I will not be “working” on pictures just like I won’t be blogging or surfing the internet during times of the day that I should be LIVING.  I also will not be available for photoshoots every day of the week.  I’ll spare you the details, but for the most part I will work on pix a couple nights a week when everyone is in bed & only do shoots a couple days a week.

All that to say, “Here is my pretty little schedule:”

I am sooo not the morning mama, but I realize I kinda need to be.  So, I’m “planning” on getting up & dressed (yes, Big Daddy, I am going to try to actually get dressed each day!!) by 7:30 in the morning.  I’ll spend my time with God first thing. 

I plan on draggin’ my outlaws outta bed by 8ish & we will eat, dress, & make beds then head over to the schoolbarn hopefully by 9am

Our morning work will be:

Pray, Memory Work, Calendar time together for about 15 min.

Then Tyler will do his Winter Promise (WP) Bible work & I’ll do Bible with the Mustangs (also WP)

Next Tyler will work on his math while I do language arts with the Mustangs.

While I go over Sequential Spelling with Tyler, the Mustangs will be at a center, then I will do a short spelling lesson/activity with them while Tyler gets started on his LA.

The Mustangs will work on their workboxes or centers while I spend some time reading with Tyler.  Once reading is done we will break for LUNCH!

Lunch will be an hour.  At least during the fall it will be.  My boys need plenty of outside time, so I’m sure the food consumption will take about 5 minutes & the play time will be about 55 minutes :)  After lunch I will lay my Lil’ Buckaroo down for a nap (about 12:30ish).

After lunch I will spend about an hour with Tyler working on his WP History & Science while my Mustangs work on math & K/1 skills independently.  Then I’ll switch & Tyler will finish his WP independent work while I work on the Mustangs WP work. 

My goal is to finish school by 3:30.  From 3:30-4ish we’ll pick up & I’ll work on a little planning for the following day.  My kids will be free from 3:30-6:30.  During the fall this means outside time:  4-wheelers, nature walks, frog catchin’, goat chasin’, cowboys & Indians time.  During the winter, this time needs to be scheduled with more detail for them, but I’m not ready to even imagine cold weather yet.

While the kids are outside I will take an hour to myself to unwind & blog or work on pictures or return phone calls – This will be my “desk work” time (while Truman hopefully takes another short nap).

I hate to admit it, but I am horrible about having dinner ready at a reasonable time.  Big Daddy doesn’t get home until 8pm & we have gotten in a terrible habit of waiting for him.  So, I am really going to make dinner by 6:30 a priority. 

The kids will clean their rooms & take baths around 7:30 & then we will all meet in my bedroom at 8 for our Answers for Kids Bible Study.  At 8:30 ALL kids better be in bed!!  I’ll usually let them listen to an audio book or music & lights go out completely at 9. 

Once we get started I’ll share how things really go :)

Schedules

Since we began homeschooling I have attempted to find the perfect schedule to fit our day.  At times I succeeded, but like everything it had its season – usually about the time it began to work well is when it stops working.  You’re not going to believe this, but I have pretty much crumpled up all my pretty schedules & tossed them. 

Every day in our house is different – I can’t pinpoint it to just one specific schedule every day/week.  Nothing ever seems to stay the same for even 2 consecutive days.  Daily life is constantly interrupted by a teething baby, dentist appointments, doctor's visits, Bible studies, extra curricular activities, etc.

So, what do we do all day?  

Rather than following a strict minute by minute schedule we have established a bit of a routine . . .

On Mondays I usually let the kids sleep in to insure they start the week out well-rested from the weekend.  Normally, they are all up by 8:30ish.  Typically, I lay in bed with Trevor sprawled across my bed, Truman snuggled up to me & I lay as still as can be & check my e-mail & read my favorite blogs from my bed with my iPhone.  Truman has been waking up around 6:45 each morning, but he is such a happy, snuggly baby he doesn’t disturb the others.  Trevor has a mommy sensor so he is up within moments of the slightest movement I make.  Once or twice a week I will wake Tyler up early & try to knock language, writing, & reading out before his brother wake up.

Once we are all up we have breakfast together.  If Big Daddy is home or the boys sweet talk me in just the right way, I will make a big breakfast (especially in the winter).  Otherwise we just have a quick breakfast.  Before we start school Tyler tends to our goats & if Big Daddy is home he will help him feed the cows. 

I try to start school by 9-9:30, but it doesn’t always go as planned.  We almost always start our schooling together with our Science – which includes a devotional most days.  We spend about 30 minutes together on this, then I send the Mustangs to a center & work with Tyler on his science supplements. 

Next, Tyler will do his independent work (math, handwriting, spelling, explode the code, & any science activities he needs to finish).  While he is on his own I will do a craft, math activity, story, & phonics with the mustangs.  This time frame varies from 30 minutes to an hour.  About half way through we break for about 15 minutes to have a snack & Art appreciation study.  Then I will lay Truman down for a nap.  I’m working on getting him to nap around 11:15 for at least 45 minutes.  If Tyler needs help with any of his work I will just send the boys to a center or give them something to do quietly while I help him.

The mustangs are pretty much done with school at this point & are begging for something to eat.  Lunch lasts about 20-30 minutes.  This part of my day is my weak point – I’m ready for a break!  Often I will send the boys outside to get a some fresh air.  Other times they will have quiet time & watch a movie.  While they are on their own, I will school with Tyler.  If we didn’t get up in the morning together we will work on language, writing, & reading first.  Then we will finish with our Tapestry of Grace studies.  This is the part of the day that my HELP, Heidi, arrives so that Tyler & I can enjoy our time together with as least interruptions as possible.  What a difference this has made! 

I chose for Heidi to come on Mondays & Wednesdays – Mondays for the simple reason that if we get off to a great start at the beginning of the week it usually sets the tone for the remainder of the week.  Wednesday – because it is the middle of the week & after that I have just one more day :)  Heidi is very flexible though, so if something comes up & we need to switch days I can.  I’d really like to have her every day, but financially that isn’t an option for me. 

Here is a glance at our week:

Monday – Heidi comes, Taylor has tutorials after school, I pick all the 3 B’s up from school, take Tyler & Bannon to guitar, take the little guys to the park while the other boys are at guitar lessons, then the 3 B’s come over for a play date.

Tuesday – I have a women’s Bible Study with women from our community.  The boys either stay home with Big Daddy, go to my mil’s, or the church childcare (which is also Heidi). 

Wednesday – Heidi is back!  I pick Taylor up from school & this is her day for a play date.  The kids have church in evenings & Big Daddy & I go to our pastor’s house for a group Bible Study. 

Thursday – It is almost over.  This is usually the day Taylor has counseling (Tuesdays if the Bible study isn’t happening).

Friday – Enrichment classes!!

Saturday – Horseback riding during the winter.

Sunday – Preparing to do it all over again :)

 

You see, with all this, a schedule is near impossible.  Looking at it all typed out makes me proud that we are able to get done what we do. 

So what about you, are you holding tight to a well mapped day or are you learning to just go with the flow of things?

The day of an outlaw . . .

What in tarnasions does a bunch of rootin' tootin' Outlaws do all day?

I'll tell ya, they drive their sweet, beautiful, happy all the time, never raising her voice, loving, smart, fun, momma CrAzY! Here's how . . .

On the days Big Daddy works, his alarm goes off at 5:30 am. I wish I could say I get up then, but I don't. I hit the alarm give him a shake & go right back to bed until a mischievous little blond headed outlaw or a sneaky little curly bald headed outlaw crawls into bed with me & my little buckaroo. With 4 in the bed, the mommy says, "LET ME OUT!!" I'm up, I hit the computer to check e-mails, turn some christian music on & start draggin' the bigger outlaws out of bed by their feet! Rise & Shine Sunshine!!

8:30 is our goal time for breakfast. We eat, talk about the day & go over memory work.
9ish the boys start their chores & I prepare to start our day of school.
9:30 we should be starting school: Momma's boy does his independent work (Explode the Code, Spelling & Grammar). The Mustangs get a lesson in Phonics & do their HWOT activities)
10:15 I'll probably be breaking up a fight over one of the HWOT manipulatives & sending the Mustangs to a center for a break. At which point I will give Momma's Boy a quick lesson from First Language Lessons.
10:30 I feed them a snack from their "saddle bags" & we do an art appreciation activity "Come Look With Me" series.
11:00 Momma's boy works on his math & the Mustangs & I do Little Hands to Heaven
12:00 They are already hungry again so we take a break & eat lunch & appreciate some good ol' country classical music.
12:30 We will all do science together
1:30 I'll have story time with the Mustangs while Momma's Boy does his handwriting
1:45 The Mustangs are having a much needed quiet time & watching a very educational movie. This is Momma's Boys "Mommy Time" we do reading & then at
2:30 We do our Tapestry of Grace work
3:30 They are racing outside like a bunch of WiLD MuStAnGs!!!

I let my boys play A LOT. The above is an ideal day - which is feasibly, but not always attained. I try not to stress over time (*unless we have some where to be). If they just aren't feeling it that day & need to release some boy energy I turn them loose. If I'm just not feeling it - they escape! :) My goal is not to raise the smartest Outlaws on this country hillside. I just want happy, well-rounded, God lovin', outlaws kids. Their biggest job is to be a kid - there is plenty of time to work & really, playing is their work too. I am total Type A, & I do tend to allow distractions (I might be an ADD mom too!), but we get the job done; however, All work & No Play makes mommy have a CrAzY day!! I try to meet the balance between the two & pray diligently!!

We school 4 days a week & spend the 5th day at Enrichment Class. When we are on break from EC I try to make Fridays fun. Sometimes that means field trips, outside time with me or Big Daddy just hanging out, or just a free play day. Somehow our days get filled rather quickly & we have to use Fridays as our catch up day & actually do schoolwork, but for the most part it is Friday Fun Day. We also do Spirit Days on Fridays.

Winter 2008-2009 Schedule

Our Schedule - The honest truth

Well, we made it 3 weeks sticking pretty close to our schedule until THIS WEEK!! I really want to be honest about our schedule with other homeschool moms & thought this would be the perfect time.

First of all, I rarely follow the schedule to a T. In fact, I haven't had 1 day in the past 3 weeks that looked like our schedule. It is more of a goal :) I make it to TOG & fall apart!

This week I decided to take a little break - not completely though . . . I had a great idea (that was inspired by uncontrollable circumstances the first 2 mornings this week) to only do Reading & TOG this week. We took a break from Math, Handwriting, Spelling - all the busy work.

I am so thankful this week happened this way & I think I am going to do it every 5 weeks. I was really struggling with starting back to our Enrichment Classes (EC) because it takes our FUN DAY away from me. Fridays are the days we work on projects, go on field trips etc. Now every 4-5 weeks I can be a fun mom & have a little break from the bogging down of our daily routine. It was a nice change for all of us!

Our 2008 Fall Schedule

Our schedule seems to change with each season. Here is the plan for this fall.



P -- Preschool (Tucker & Trevor)
LG -- Lower Grammar (Tyler)
UG -- Upper Grammar (Taylor)