Homeschool Edition

One of my favorite homeschool websites, Simple Homeschool, is doing a day in the life series and I thought it would be fun to give an example of what our day looks like.  While I would love to say this is typical, I simply cannot make any of our days look like the next one.  There is just too much variability with 3LittleWees.

6:33~My eyes open and I wonder if I will be able to get downstairs to enjoy a cup of coffee before anyone else wakes up.  As I gather my glasses, iPad and tiptoe out the bedroom door, I note Emmy’s gate is open and Lily and Ollie’s light is on.  I do start to brew my coffee and take a quick look at my email before I surprise Lily as she comes into the kitchen.  She gives me the rundown of her morning so far, taking care of Em, and says she will settle them in to watch an Elmo while I drink my joe.

6:55~I get that coffee, check in online, and since I set out our breakfast things last night (eggs and english muffins with cheese), we are ready to get everyone fed.  Quick, quick, everyone is eating, I’m having another cup of coffee and then the kids clear out, into the playroom to play until going up to get dressed.

7:15~While two different kids have asked me to read something, I have yet to eat and so ask for 15 minutes to clean up the kitchen and eat my yogurt.  Please.

7:30~I sneak down to the basement classroom to gather up some things we will need to school today.  I am writing down L’s assignments day to day so she can begin independently, if she is in the mood.  Today we have art, math, word work, reading and copy work to do.  She did her math right away.  I got to see her make meaning of “half past” and rock out on counting money along with set up a subtraction word problem correctly.  Go, girl!

8:00~They comply and I can get things put away before heading upstairs to take a shower.  I yell out to dress for snow, since as the day has dawned, we’ve noticed it is snowing again (and it snowed overnight, too.).

8:20~We have said goodbye to Sam.  Kids are dressed and sound like they are playing together in O’s room.  I pick up our room, make the bed, check on laundry, and head back downstairs to register everyone for their enrichment classes.  Our co-op begins again in February.  It has been a nice break but we are excited to start back.  The class L is most excited about taking is Chess Club…sadly, later in the day I will find out that it is totally full 😦

9:20~Everyone is back downstairs to have some blueberry muffin bread and watch a short video clip I found on Discovery Education about the artist Henri Matisse.  I explain that we are going to be inspired to do some art today and we will even go on a hunt in our own house for this artists’ work.  Art with Mati and Dada is fabulous and I will be using it to introduce artists the rest of the year (and beyond).

9:30~Ready to start our art…and what they created is awesome.  To listen to their conversation and witness their cooperation was inspiring.  They really do get along so well {sometimes}.  Every piece was unique, and each person could create something independently…even E, although her puddles of glue will take a long time to dry.

10:10~Whoops!  I’m hustling everyone out the door to make it swimming lessons on time.  E joins us today as her Wednesday program is cancelled for the day.  The snow is really coming down and we have to be careful as we make our way.

10:30~We made it!  Today O walked in by himself!!!!  A huge deal.  Tears and clinging to my leg were typical before.  E amuses herself with the hair drying station.  L swims by herself!  O does an octopus!

11:30~Back home and ready for lunch.  E has remained awake for the drive so I want to feed her quickly and put her down for her nap.  We eat a thrown together buffet of meats, cheeses, buns, veg and fruit.  While I attend to E, L and O finish up and ask to listen to Ramona and Beezus on Audible.  They cheerfully listen for 30 minutes while I clean up the kitchen and prepare some hot chocolate for an afternoon {caffeine boost} treat.

12:15~The kids are still listening so I am lucky to have a free moment to talk to my mom and sit down.

12:40~Ready to begin our read aloud time.  If we can work it out, we try to do this either first thing in the morning (on days O doesn’t go to preschool) or during nap time after lunch.  We had to decide on a new book to start; either Indian in the Cupboard or The Horse and His Boy.  C.S. Lewis won out since they enjoyed The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe so much.

1:30~We are still reading but I need a short break.  We will reconvene in 15.

1:45~Another chapter and then I hear E wake up.  Snack time for her and L requests another bit of Ramona.  I oblige and clean up the art bits all over the dining room table and floor.

2:20~We do some spelling and decide to push the copy work off until tomorrow…since we already got through more than I expected in Language Arts this week.  We have the time.  We will do it tomorrow.  No biggie.  Lily gets the art stuff out to finish up the projects.

3:00~There is talk of getting bundled up for playing outside.  The boys are home.  All three get all their stuff on.  I’m reminded of the scene in A Christmas Story where the kid can’t move because of all the layers.  That’s E, for sure!  Everyone tumbles out the door in time to join up with Bryce and Owen and they are off to sled.

4:15~Emmy lasted about an hour!  Now she is inside helping me throw together chicken enchiladas for dinner and picking up the playroom.  The kids will probably be out until it begins to get dark around 5:30.  We will eat, we will get ready for bed, we will all fall asleep quickly and without protestations {HAHAHAHAHA}.

Since I am publishing this in the afternoon, I’m not going to bore you with the night time goings on.  It was a good day.  We accomplished most of what we wanted to and had some fun and made some art.  Did some calculations.  Read a lot.  All good!