A Day in the Life of our School

Well even though school is almost over for the summer I thought I would post how it has been going lately.  Which by the way has been AWESOME!!  I have been very happy with my kids learning this year.  Obviously I have learned a ton and am going to switch some stuff up for the new year, but all in all it has gone really well!!

We don’t start too early around here.  I like to be up and doing personal study at 7:15 and my kids wake up around 7:45. 

8:00 – Family Devotional/ Breakfast –Prayer, Song, Poem, Flag, Scriptures, Worksheet pages, and Weather {Cowboys favorite part of the day}

8:45 ish-  Get dressed, Hair, Clean up Rooms and do one job

Lala usually always switches the wash and folds one batch of laundry, or cleans her bathroom

Cowboy either does trash or helps dad with dishes {if dad is home}, or wipes the door knobs and light switches.

Jack Jack still doesn’t have a job yet, but helps out with the garbage’s when he feels like it. Today I had him empty the dryer and put all the clean clothes on my bed!

9:15 ish- LaLa practices her Piano/Violin and I finish straightening the house.  The boys play in the backyard or with toys in their room.

10:00 – 12:00 School starts

• Language Arts
• Art

We usually do 2 subjects in the morning {either Language Arts and Art, or Language Arts and History} We also spend a little bit of time with Jack Jack on his colors and shapes and animals by showing him Bit Cards. {cardstock with pictures glued on the front with information about in on the back!}  Cowboy is still a preschooler, but he usually likes to join us, if not he and Jack Jack play in their room with educational toys and legos. 

12:00 – Lunch and Recess

12:30 –1:15 Quiet Time

1:15-2:30

• Math
• History
• Phonics
• Science

In the afternoon after lunch and putting Jack Jack down for a nap we do quiet time and then Science, Phonics and/or Math depending on the day.  Cowboy and LaLa both take part in this time of day.  LaLa is very good at Phonics and Cowboy LOVES math.  He could play the Math games all day!!

Right now we are almost done with all our our lessons for K12! Yeah!!  Next year I am not sure I am going to do as much K12 as I did this year.  I really liked most of it, but I think next year I will just do the Language Arts and maybe Science.

I did History this year and Art and as much as LaLa likes the subjects I feel like there are better ways to teach these subjects.  So I plan on purchasing Story of the World, which I am excited about.  And doing my own things with art, by teaching prints, and types of art and then once a week pulling out the craft box and letting them go to town for an hour while Jack Jack sleeps

Lots of people ask me how in the world my house stays clean and I have time for me. 

Here are my secret tips…

• In the morning we spend a good 30 mins making sure the house is clean before school
• During school we pick up after each subject or toy played with.
• The kids can’t go outside after school until all things are put away.
• I have time in-between or sometimes during to get on the computer in the morning {which is usually on for school stuff} and type or blog or read blogs.  The morning work my kids do is pretty easy for them, I just have to assist them with it so I sit by them at the kitchen table while they work.  They do most of it on their own.  So I can also dinner prepared, or make bread, granola or clean a bathroom
• I turn off my computer after lunch and keep it off so I don’t get distracted by email, facebook and blogs.  I don’t turn it on until after the kids are in bed.  This has been huge in giving me time and also focusing on the important subjects with my kids. 
• I don’t answer my phone until after school.  Sorry for those that call, but if you leave a message or a text I will call you back.  I do look at my phone, but I don’t answer it. 
• We have 30 to 45 min of quite time after lunch and I actually sit down and budget, calendar my week and read a good book. 
• The biggest secret to keeping the house clean is just picking up after yourself, and same for the kids.  It only takes a quick second to clean it up now, then when there is a bigger mess and you feel overwhelmed!
• As far as time for me, my husband helps out a lot when he can, but usually I only have about one day where I can get out and get errands done.  So I make sure to schedule that with my husband and have a night out where I can run my errands and he is in charge of dinner and kids. 
• Also my boys are in bed by 7:30 ish and LaLa is in her room at that time reading and writing in her journal and her lights out are at 9.  So I get a lot done at night also!!

Have a wonderful day!!