Several people have asked if I would do a "day in the life" post, being unable to fathom how I handle the house, homeschooling four kids, plus parenting another two, and now adding in writing a blog. Some days I'm not sure how I handle it all either, I suppose it's just one of those situations where you find a way, because there isn't another option. I would say that this was a fairly typical day for us, only with six children no day is really typical, is it? So without further ado here is "A Day in the Life of a Homeschool Mom of Six."
4:34 am I am awakened from a dead sleep by the bedroom door slamming shut, I hear the shuffle of tiny feet and the metal straw rattling around in my cup as someone slurps the last of my water down. Little hands reach for me, and there is a 90% chance Jon is getting in bed with us. I put him in the middle roll over, and before I can go back to sleep he is snuggled up under my back.
7:28 My alarm is going to go off in 2 minutes, I turn it off to avoid waking Jon, and try to sneakily slide out of the bed. I wedge a pillow next to him and start my morning routine. Bathroom, teeth, get dressed, take meds, something will inevitably be forgotten so I never give myself credit for getting my morning routine done.
7:42 I move around a load of laundry, grab a Dr. Pepper and sit down to look over today's schedule. I lay out school materials for our first group subject history. Thinking I have time before anyone else gets up, I get out my Bible and my sermon notes to do some studying. Only to have Kate and Britt wander into the room. Cancel that.
8:02 Will wakes up and insists on being held. Jon wakes up screaming furious that I am not still in bed. Neither wants a clean diaper, neither wants breakfast, neither wants anyone but me. I am now holding two small kids, impatient to get anything done, I scroll facebook since I don't have enough hands for anything else.
8:37 I sit the boys down and they begin screaming to be held again, in order to go and wake up Ruth and Rebecca. I tell Britt to get off the Nintendo to start his morning chores. I remind Ruth to make the boys breakfast and change their diapers. Then finally point out that Rebecca and Kate's morning chore, as it has been for over a year, is to straighten up their bedroom.
9am I am ready to start school but no one else is. Ruth drags into the kitchen looking like an electrocuted cat, and starts on her's and the boys' breakfast. Britt finishes the dishwasher and decides he wants something for breakfast. Only Rebecca is almost done eating breakfast. Kate never started as she got back on the tv in the living room. I attempt to herd kids through jobs, eating, and teeth brushing, all over crying twins and while cleaning up the kitchen and moving around laundry.
9:36 I am holding two boys and attempting to also hold and read from a history book as we start school for the morning. Eventually the boys decide they want to color too, so they get down and we get them a piece of computer paper and some color pencils. For 4 minutes life is perfect, I'm reading history, explaining things, answering questions, all while they complete their work that goes along with today's reading. Then Jon and Will start running around and getting into things in my desk.
10:27 History is done, I send Kate to play with the boys in the living room and tell her to turn on Cocomelon to buy us some time. I set Rebecca to work on her math, after quickly grading yesterday's. I start Ruth reading her history text and Britt writing his history newspaper article. Then I grade their math from the day before. Ruth comes back with her book, and I give her the day's math assignment. I go to check on Britt and run him off the ipad and when he finally finishes his history writing he gets his math book. I spend the next hour or so balancing the checkbook, and helping Rebecca with math questions. I also spend time breaking up arguments between the twins and Kate.
12:47 Britt and Ruth are finally done with math, so we sit down at the table for science. I do the reading out loud while they record fascinating facts that they learn. After reviewing what we've talked about, and the directions for the day's work I leave them to complete their science. I move around and fold laundry.
1pm Lunch time, as kids finish up with school work and come trickling back in they make their own lunch. Rebecca is always done quickest so, I have her put the boys in their seats and start on their lunch while I move more laundry around and straighten up the rest of the house. Monday is laundry day after all. By 2 everyone will be done eating and it will be on to writing for the day.
1:30 I take the boys out of their seats, change their diapers and lay them in bed with a cup. I then proceed to lay by them for around 30 minutes until they fall asleep, or I just have to leave. Will is always out quickly. Jon is the wild card, will he pass out or will he scream and get up and have to be spanked to make him stay in bed when I leave, you never know.
2pm Lucky day, Jon is asleep. It's time for science with Rebecca and Kate. I read their science to them and walk them through their directions. If Kate forgets or gets stuck, Rebecca helps her before they ask for me. They are usually done by 2:20. I sit down to grade papers and lesson plan the next week. Meanwhile Britt and Ruth are working on the day's writing by drafting the last part of their 5 paragraph essay for the week for their online writing class. When they feel like they have it complete, they bring it to me for us to edit together. Around that I do my desk work for the day.
3:39 Jon wakes up mad, because I'm no longer in the room with him. He wakes up Will who is now also cranky. Both insist on being held, so that's the end of productivity for the day. I hold them for around 20 to 30 minutes before telling Rebecca to take a turn with them for a little bit. They are totally uncooperative, and Kate is called in for back up.
4pm is about the time that I realize I have to pull out supper from the freezer, this has happened so often I try to pull a few days meat to the fridge ahead of time when I do remember. Fold more laundry. Ruth takes the two boys outside in the driveway to play on their ride on toys, Kate decides to go outside too. Rebecca escapes to her room with her ipad. I sit down with Britt to go over his writing assignment.
4:42 Britt is finished up with school for the day, so he gets the boys and puts them in his lap while he plays Nintendo, Ruth grumbling brings her writing to me to work on editing. Kate begs Britt to let her play, so he sets up a computer player and tells her that it is her character, she cackles like a hyena when she beats him.
5:19 Ruth is done with her editing for writing. She despawns in her room. I call for everyone to put away their laundry, while I move another load of towels around. It's finally Rebecca's turn for us to work on her writing together. The boys have gotten completely unruly alternating between running around like crazy heathens and pitching a fit over nothing.
5:47 Rebecca is finished up with her writing, so I can pack up school for the day. Sometimes we take a long afternoon break and do all the writing in the evening while Daddy cooks supper and afterward, but for today, we are done with school. I remind myself only 8 more school days left. Daddy puts the little boys in their high chair with some sort of snack while narrating supper prep to them. He usually picks out a supper helper, and I have the others complete a few miscellaneous cleaning chores; today is bathrooms.
7pm Supper is ready or all but. We sit down together to eat at the dinning room table. Everyone takes a turn sharing their favorite part of the day. When Kate says math blocks, everyone shouts you didn't do math blocks today. When it is Daddy's turn he says his favorite part is 10:30 after everyone is in bed, and Rebecca protests, that hasn't happened yet, you have to share your favorite part this far.
7:20 Some people are done eating and start on their after supper chore, others take 45 minutes or more to eat. I am frazzled and ready to pull my hair out with the pokey speed at which night time chores get done. Gary vegs out in front of the tv, while I try to get some work on the blog done while I direct after super chores. Tonight I have to call Britt back to finish his work 4 times.
8pm Ruth finally done with supper and putting away her dishes, takes the twins for their bath. Britt is off for free time in his room. Rebecca is still washing dishes. I get some editing done on this post for tomorrow's blog.
8:36 The boys don't want a long bath tonight and after pitching a fit, get out and get dressed for bed. They go into the living room to hang out with Daddy. Ruth has to be reminded to go back to the bathroom to clean up the twins' mess. Rebecca is still washing dishes. After an argument, Kate has to take out the recycling, she forgot after supper.
9:15 I supervise all the bigs getting their night time medicine, and the three littles getting their vitamins. Gary then takes the twins to bed, and sits in their room for the next 35 minutes till they go to sleep, otherwise they will not stay in their room. Monday is Kate's cuddle night, so I climb up into her bunkbed with her, and spend a little time talking with her about whatever is on her mind, tonight it is about tv shows that Poppy (her bunny) likes to watch. Then go back to my desk to work on something at least a little creative for a little bit.
9:49 Gary comes out of the twin's room and heads back to the tv to unwind some more. I tell the 3 oldest it's bedtime. Britt complains that it isn't actually 10 pm yet. By 10 after 10 they are all in bed. I spend another 30 minutes or so either working on whatever creative thing I pulled out to work on earlier, or planning and going through tomorrow's schedule. Tonight that is continuing to prep next year's school planner, by doing our yearly planning.
10:30 I sit down with my Bible study notes and either recopy old sermon notes and study them, do a little reading, or run a bath and turn on a sermon to listen to. Tonight it's a bath and a sermon, at 11 my phone alarm goes off to tell me to get ready for bed, but I ignore it because the water is still warm. Eventually I get out and head toward the bed.
11:42 I go and wake up Gary from his chair to ask if he is going to come to bed. He obliges me, but has to turn on the MLB channel and check all the baseball scores from the day before we can cut out the lights. I piddle on my phone to wind down after I take my medicine
12:12 We cut off the lights, but lay in bed talking.
12:37 I put the phone away, as my medicine has finally started to kick in making me sleepy. And that's my day.
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