Our Homeschool Schedule, 2015-2016

This morning as we were walking out the door to church, my husband turned to me and said, "Am I imagining things, or does this one (referring to the 6yo) feel hot?"

After whipping out our trusty thermometer, we discovered that yes, we had a fever on our hands, showing that the bug that attacked the 3yo last week was not yet done with our home.

Thus, while the rest of the crowd headed to church, I am now unexpectedly at home with the baby and the 6yo (who, despite his fever, is quite cheerful).

With a bit of extra time on my hands, I thought I'd publish this post that I've had sitting around for a while.

Please note:

• Homeschool mamas out there, don't fall into the "oh no, if she's doing such-and-such, I should be too!" trap. This schedule can give you ideas, but each family's schedule will be different. Ours changes constantly. In fact, I had to come in and make changes just since I started this post last week. We are constantly adjusting.
• And no, we don't keep this schedule exactly. Usually we are off by 30 minutes or so, even more in the evenings. This is our ideal, but reality is usually different.

Every schedule has problems. Right now, here are some of ours:

• Not enough school time. This isn't too much of a problem right now, but it will be in coming years. As always, God is gradually stretching me and growing me in the stewardship of my time. We will just have to tighten the ship in coming years to make more time for lessons.
• Not enough outside time. There are several factors leading to this, but it's definitely a problem - and one that we want to fix. We're working on it.

There is very little free time for me, and very little time that is not challenging in some way or another. Homeschooling isn't an easy calling! Right now I have to be very intentional with discipline (due to a certain 3yo) and tomato-staking (due to a tendency of the 9yo and the 3yo to start a fight if I am more than six inches away from them). It's definitely a challenge.

However, having a basic schedule has helped, and I am definitely learning and growing. I pray every day that God would change and grow me into the mother, homemaker, and educator that He wants me to be, and that I would be willing to learn the lessons that I need to learn (rather than digging my feet in and putting my ears back, like I normally do).

(Phone call from my husband: "Um, another one has a fever, so we're just coming home now.")

Okay, so much for free time! Have a wonderful Sabbath, everyone!

Our current schedule:

5:45/6:00 a.m.

 

Mama - Wake, dress, exercise, devotions, prep laundry.

 

6:30 a.m.

 

Mama - Start breakfast, pack Daddy's lunch, eat breakfast, get baby's breakfast ready, nurse baby, dress children, see Daddy out the door.

Children - Wake, dress, spend time with Daddy.

 

 

7:30 a.m.

 

Breakfast

 

 

8:00 a.m.

 

Chores
Piano practice for the 9yo

 

 

8:45 a.m.

 

Baby down for nap.
Couch time for Mama and children.

 

 

9:30 a.m.

 

Independent study for older children, play or preschool activities for littles.

 

 

11:00 a.m.

 

Baby up. Toy pick-up. Lunch and clean-up.

 

 

11:30 a.m.

 

Silent history reading time, 30 minutes.

 

 

12:00 p.m.

 

Mama - Eat lunch and work on to-do items.

Children - Free time, help clean up.

 

 

1:00 p.m.

 

Quiet Time:

Babies and Toddlers - Two-hour nap (more if they want).

Older children - Quiet seated play, reading, books on tape, finishing lessons.

Mama - Nap.

 

 

2:00 p.m.

 

Read-alouds and history-science-literature-geography with older children.
Grade and review schoolwork.

 

 

3:00 p.m.

 

Children - 30-minute video and free time.

Mama - Lunch dishes, grade school work, cleaning projects, to-do items.

 

 

4:00 p.m.

 

Children - Baths and afternoon chores. Free time.

Mama - Dinner prep, oversee baths and chores, finish laundry, go over school work with 9yo if not done already.

 

 

5:30 p.m.

 

Dinner and clean-up.

Devotions with Daddy.
Free play or outside time.

 

 

8:00 p.m.

 

Children's Bedtime: Teeth, pajamas, books with Daddy, then books with Mama.

8:30 p.m.

 

Mama - Chores, time with Daddy, shower.

 

 

Goodness-Knows-When

(should be 9:30, usually at least 10:30 p.m.)

 

Bed

 

 

 For those of you who plan to post schedules this year, I look forward to reading them!

 

 

Tidbits and Snippets for August 29th

Books Unhealthy for Children (Recent Newberry, Caldecott, and YA) - Sadly, this has been true for many years - and parents need to be aware of this. (Deep Roots at Home)

Seven Times the Son of Hell - "Here are some things that I see among those who are producing converts who are perhaps not just twice, but seven times the sons of Hell that they are." (Get Along Home)

Why Pregnancy Before Marriage Isn't a Sin - "We tend to use words like 'unwanted' for a pregnancy that is unplanned. But every baby is wanted by God. He/she is knitted together in a womb, and Jesus has died for that child." (Single Matters)

Being Intentional With Our Words - "I remember years ago telling a close friend, “I should just yell at him the first time.  He only listens when I yell anyway. Why not just get to it?”  I was 21, my first child was not quite 3.  I’m so thankful I didn’t take my own advice and just yell every time I wanted my sweet boy to obey!" (Raising Homemakers)

Decluttering: The First Steps to Organization - I'm looking forward to catching Erika's video workshop on this subject. (Large Families on Purpose)

Rest for the Weary - "It’s that time of year. Other parents are sharing their success stories, whether with homeschooling or getting the kids back to school so they can have some fun-happy posts all over your feed, in your friends’ Facebook statuses, in your neighbor’s faces, in conversations at church. But you are in a slump. You are not having successes. You feel like a total failure. You read those words and silently talk back to me, 'I don’t feel like a failure, I am one!'”  (The Common Room)

The 5 Tiers of Homeschooling - Funny! And for us, accurate! Which tier fits your family? Can you guess which tier fits our family? (My 32 Cents)


From the Recipe Box

After reading "Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia!" the children wanted to make popcorn balls. It sounded like fun, but I had no interest in wrestling with boiling sugar syrup and candy thermometers (an activity which has resulted in guaranteed disaster every single time I try).

Thankfully, there's a better way! Try these popcorn balls, which are basically a popcorn-variant on Rice Krispie Treats. Total time from start to finish was less than ten minutes. I made a half-recipe, which was perfect for one adult and the two voracious critters also known as the 9yo and the 3yo.

 Dear readers, have a wonderful Sabbath!

Happy Thanksgiving! (Time to Party Like It's 1599)

Our homeschool history period of study for this year is 1600-1850, which means... Jamestown, and Pilgrims, and Indians, oh, my!

Of course, one of our activities for the week covering the Pilgrims was a First Thanksgiving Feast. We served turkey (okay, it was a chicken), mashed potatoes, "stewed pompion" (pumpkin), succotash, and Indian cornbread.

It was great!

Stewed pumpkin is not at all sweet. It's spicy and a bit tart (from the vinegar). Actually, it wasn't too bad - and thankfully, it was super-easy to make.

Succotash was great! We chose the kidney-bean option over the lima bean option, being that we had the former but not the latter on hand.

 

The children had a great time. (Sorry for the blurry picture - it's all I have.)

We were supposed to end the night with Indian Pudding, but unfortunately a limiting ingredient (no milk!) put a stop to those plans. It's on our to-do list for this evening.

Instead, here's a picture of the butter that we made for our recent study of the state of Wisconsin.

Do you know how insanely easy butter is to make? I'd been afraid of trying it for years, and after all that, it was a cinch. One cup of cream. One hand-mixer. Ten minutes. Bam.

It was delicious, too! We had homemade bread that night, and both it and the butter made a fast disappearance.

I have found consistently that one of the best ways to teach history and geography is in the kitchen. Not a bad way to do school!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Tidbits and Snippets for August 27th

The Home Atmosphere We Crave - Great reminders and encouragement here. (Raising Arrows)

Ashley Madison and Who You Are Online - "One of the great deceptions of the Internet is that it allows us to think there are two parts to us, the part who exists in real time and space, and the part who exists in cyberspace. But... who you really are will eventually find you out. God will not be mocked." (Challies.com)

I Survived Roe vs. Wade - "All of America needs to don sackcloth and ashes. Pray for these mothers; pray for these doctors; pray for every lover of death who clamors for “choice”; pray for every politician with blood-soaked hands; pray for every fornicating man and woman who risks bringing into existence a life that they are unwilling to nurture; for every married couple that wants to have their fun and career, regardless of the consequence to their souls when they reject the natural blessings of their union." (Get Along Home)

Rivalry and Unity: Getting Along With Siblings - "If you have siblings, you probably have rivalry." Why, yes. Yes. We do. (Raising Real Men)

Mama, This Is YOUR Homeschool - Five years in, I still find myself struggling against the beast of homeschool information overload. Good words here. (My Joy-Filled Life)

Dear readers, have a wonderful week!

Prayer Request, Update

Dear readers, thank you so much to each of you who prayed for my husband's mother as she prepared for her mastectomy!

She came through like a champ. Despite her age and her other health challenges, my MIL left the hospital the following day looking like a million dollars and headed for home. They even stopped for lunch on the way out. What a woman!

The situation afterward was complicated when my husband's grandmother suddenly and unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, health-wise, going from "fine" to "not so good" to "really, really bad" over the course of 72 hours. She died this afternoon.

Due to the fact that my mother-in-law just got home from major surgery, she cannot travel back east for the funeral. This is a great grief for her. However, she has her daughter with her, and that is a big comfort.

We are also grateful for such a mercifully short and easy passing for my husband's grandmother, and we praise the Lord for her beautiful, faithful life. She was an amazing woman and was much loved and very much admired.

It's been quite a week. But we are praising the Lord for His faithfulness in all situations - in death as well as in life.

Thank you so much for your prayers, dear readers!

Tidbits and Snippets for August 15th

Encouragement for the Stressed-Out Bride, or, the Secret to Happy Wedding Planning - This material is just so, so, so good - even if you don't have wedding planning in your near (or far) future. (Like Mother, Like Daughter)

Our Family Deserves the Best of Us (Avoiding a Leftover-ish Generation) - "How and why did we lose sight of the importance of our own families? When did it become “oppressive” to pour out our best on them, but emancipating to pour it out on strangers?" (Generation Cedar)

The Sin of Bathsheba - This is probably the most direct and hardcore post I have ever seen on the topic of modesty. Regardless of differing perspectives, I think each of us can take something away from the author's honest words here. (Pilgrim Ministry)

Forgetfulness - Beautiful. (Ready to Be Offered)

Hoffman Academy - Piano lessons? Online? Free? Mmmm.... Yes, please! We are going to try this with our 9yo. (Hoffman Academy, hat tip to The Modest Mom)

Dear readers, have a wonderful week!

How Our Homeschool Year Is Going!

Two weeks ago we completed the first third of our 2015-2016 school year. (And we're now five weeks away from the half-way point.) I thought it was time for a quick update!

What's Going Well

History - The history program that we're using is going really well. I promise to update on that soon.

Reading Aloud - We are managing to get 1-2 hours per day in, which is really up my alley. I believe that an awesome education can be found primarily in the hearing and reading of great literature, and it is my desire to get in as much as is humanly possible. My husband is helping the cause by reading to the children at night and listening to audiobooks with them.

Math - Our 9yo is something like a math whiz. I have no problems teaching math to this child. I think I'm going to be in for a rude surprise when I encounter a child who struggles with math (something I hear about often on homeschool forums), because this subject has been so blessedly easy (at least since we moved to Christian Light math!).

Memory work - This year we have started into full-scale memory work, and it is going so well. Children really do having amazing memories. The 9yo puts me to shame. Even the 3yo is picking up a lot of memory work just by listening in! We are memorizing Bible passages, poems, historical documents, and character trait definitions.

Character Work - We are using the free materials at Character First - character definitions and videos. These have been great for both the children and for me (I learn what I need to be teaching!).

Language Arts - While the 9yo isn't crazy about formal English, he's doing well. I don't think it will ever be his specialty, but that's okay! We are using Christian Light English. While it's very good, I'm not as crazy about it as I am their math (which rocks!). In other words, I'm content... but I'd also be open to change for next year. We'll see.


What's Not Going Well (Or Going at All!)

Piano Lessons - Yeah. Still haven't started those. It's both a matter of feet-dragging (I really am not crazy about doing this) and having NO EXTRA TIME.

Catechism - This one has really fallen off the map this year.

Science Experiments - Ditto.

Art Study - Ditto, possibly due to the resounding lack of interest in a certain 9yo. I hope to pick this up again soon.

Arts and Crafts - Never my strong point, and definitely not happening (much) this year. My efforts have really been poured into history and reading aloud, and the extras haven't been emphasized. However, we will be doing some arts and crafts projects with our history curriculum, and hopefully that should take care of this area. (Some mamas hire tutors to teach calculus. I would hire one to do arts and crafts.)

Field Trips - It's been pretty quiet this year with field trips, but our homeschool groups are about to start up for the year and our fall calendar is already filling up. I am in the middle of organizing a field trip for one of our groups!

Spring Cleaning - Spring cleaning was axed in favor of some reorganization projects, but my spatial skills being what they are, those projects are taking months rather than minutes. I think Spring Cleaning is just going to have to wait for next year.


Conclusions

* Homeschool decisions are never final. There are always things to investigate and questions to answer. Here are some of the questions I have begun to formulate regarding the 2016-2017 school year:

• Is our language arts program working well? Or should I look around?
• Which piano curriculum should I use?
• Which science curriculum should we use next year?
• Should we start Latin? Or Spanish? Or both? And at what grade level?
• Extracurriculars - Which to pick? How to afford them? How to accomplish this without tearing our family into pieces?

* There is not time enough in any day to do everything that I would like to do. It's not possible. Thus, trade-offs are necessary. This year, science experiments and crafts have been minimized in favor of history studies and read-alouds. Every homeschool will have different trade-offs which will vary by season.

* Again, as I mentioned a few months ago, for the most part, the hard part of homeschooling is not the actual homeschooling. It's managing the babies and toddlers underfoot. It's dealing with relationships, attitudes, discipline issues, character, time management, and (my) self-discipline. It's making the decisions about day-to-day issues, keeping up with the housework, deciding which trade-offs to make and how to make them, and dealing with the million-and-one items on my to-do list.

Speaking of which, dinner dishes call!

Have a wonderful evening, dear friends!