What is a typical day of homeschooling like? I get this question quite often from homeschool onlookers. I don't believe homeschool and typical should be in the same sentence, but none the less people want to know what we do all day. First off let me set you straight lest you think I speak for all homeschoolers. There is no typical day for our homeschool and as far as other homeschoolers, I'm sure they all have their own untypical days. In an effort to answer the question though here's how our Thursday unfolded hour by hour.
6:15 - 7:30 - Warren and I are awoken by Little J's cries, quickly we realize it's recycling day, jump out of bed and get the bins out in the nick of time. Warren and Little J make coffee and watch news and eat breakfast. I run a 5K.
7:30 - 8:30 - I shower, Warren starts mowing cranberry dikes, the four older kids get up and I remind them numerous times to get their morning jobs done including practicing instruments, feeding animals, collecting/washing eggs. Samuel stapled his thumb, screamed for a long time and took a couch break to relax.
8:30 - 9:00 - Emily, Nick and Amber did Spelling. I worked with Samuel on Phonics and Reading. Joseph tears the house apart, literally. We all take turns redirecting him to pounding toys and books, without much success.
9:00 - 9:30 - Emily read us a Bible story and we practiced memorizing the Memorare.
9:30 - 10:30 - Emily worked on Language. I got Samuel started on Handwriting, realized Nick and Amber were gone and began a search for them. I found them hunkered down in Nick's bed secretly making birthday gifts for Emily. I shagged them back out to the table to do their written lessons. They both started on Language. I taught Emily and Nick their Math lesson, started a load of laundry and did a quick pickup of Little J's toys.
10:30 - 11:30 - Hung out a load of laundry. Strongly encouraged Sam to continue with his Handwriting. Emily finished her math assignment and handed the book over to Nick. Sam finally finished his Handwriting and did a Math page. I read a quick story about trees to Little J and Sam and then got out the pizza rolls for the kids' lunch. I spruced myself up a bit.
11:30 - 12:30 - I explained the Botany unit to Emily and Nick and gave them their syllabus. Emily put the pizza rolls in the oven, Little J fell asleep on the kitchen floor. I carried him off to bed and Warren and I left for a pre-cranberry harvest lunch date.
12:30 - 3:00 - Warren and I ran some business errands and went to Applebees's. The kids did what kids do when their parents are gone which I'm assuming is eat a lot of snacks and probably watch a movie.
3:00 - 4:00 - I worked on writing. Little J played with canning rings, Tupperware covers and anything else he could get out the kitchen drawers. The older kids were doing a combination of completing their science lessons, making beaded bracelets, reading, playing on the trampoline, playing their computer games, testing their bowhunting safety harnesses and practicing archery.
4:00 - 6:00 - Little J and I took Emily to her violin lesson. While she violined we went to the library and stopped at the grocery store for $33 of fresh fruits and veggies. The other kids stayed home apparently playing computer games and trampolining.
6:00 - 7:30 - We all tidied up the house which took a very long time. I made supper and they made more beaded bracelets. Emily also created a babysitting service brochure.
7:30 - 8:30 - Warren came in from bear hunting, we ate a late supper, read poetry from Where the Sidewalk Ends and put the kiddos to bed.
The End!
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