School Days

Our school year has begun and quite honestly, it is going quite smoothly.  We had to spend quite a lot of time planning out the school year schedule – as the older kids have quite a bit of things they are involved in and we wanted to accommodate so they can do those things and school work.  We will see how it goes.  They have been given a list of "first things to be taken out" if their grades do not stay up and school work is not kept caught up.  We also have had a summer where there has been a lot of surprises!  So, it feels good to be back on a school schedule again.  Rob does have a cancer treatment and some tests coming up which my causes some changes in our day to day for a little bit; but at least this way we have something to aim for.  :)  

Here is our 2014-2015 school schedules:

5:30:  Rachel and I get up and get around for the day

6:00:  Rachel and I - Devotions / James - chicken chores at a nearby farm / Abbey and James then use this hour to get around for the day, eat breakfast and be ready to start their first class at 7)

6:45:  Littles get up and do their Sunshine Chores (make bed, get dressed, put PJ's away, comb hair)  I eat my breakfast at this time

7:00 I do my house cleaning / Rachel supervise the Littles while they get their own breakfast (a change to the schedule that Zak has dubbed:  “The most exciting part of the new schedule – getting to pick my own breakfast!”) Abbey and James start their first class of the day.

7:20:  Littles do their Morning chores (trashes over to the dump, porches swept off, dog fed, towels changed in the bathroom)

7:30:  Littles do their devotions (Zak now can do his devotions independently working out of his Patch book, Anna listens to the Bible on CD with headphones ).

8:00:  School starts with the Littles  (I work an hour with each one – while I am working with one the other one is in at the dining room table doing seat-work and copy work).  James and Abbey and Rachel leave for work on Mon and Thurs.  On the other days they keep working through their school work.  Each class of their classes is one hour in duration.

12:00:  Lunch break 

Until the weather gets too cold we enjoy our lunch on the front porch.

1:00:  History and Science with the Littles

2:00:  Littles have play time / I do my exercise time  / On the days they are home the older kids do their exercise time now – unless James has been hired by someone, somewhere to work for them then he does those jobs now.  It is amazing to me how many people call for James to come work for them.  I kid you not, this kid could have full time work from all of these calls if he did not have to do school work.  (A fact he has brought to both mine and his Dad’s attention from time to time!)

Zak was wondering why JFK only was president for 2 years.  We took time out of Math to go look up JFK.  I LOVE that about homeschool!  Zak was very disappointed to learn the reason. 

3:15:  Writing / Blog time

3:45:  Anna does Piano Practice

4:00 Zak Piano Practice / Anna – Violin Practice / James and Abbey : Classes (M, Th) Instrument Practice (T,W, F)

4:30:  Littles Help with Dinner Prep

5:15:  Family Dinner Time / Devotions

6:00:  Littles Play Time / James and Abbey - Continue school (M,Th) or Afternoon Chores / Email Check    ( T,F)

7:00 James and Abbey continue school or homework / Littles Play / I work on school work or writing / Rob is working on his Master Classes 

8:00 Shower time / Bedtime Prep / Story time with the Littles (We are currently in the middle of Narnia and the witch has just taken care of Asland and evil appears to have prevailed – I am always begged and pleaded with to read “just one more chapter!”  Sometimes I have a little girl who knows how to blink her big brown eyes *just* right while she begs hoping it will persuade me to read on a little further.  Sometimes it works.  

8:30 Littles- Lights Out / I continue with my school work or writing and the house is really quiet – sometimes I just want to go to bed with the Littles.