A Day in Our House (2)

When I read about Angela’s ‘Not Quite Average Day’ I decided to share in the fun. As it turned out the day I picked; Wednesday September 2nd wasn’t quite average as some of the children have colds and are rather miserable, others are recovering and not quite as miserable; and life is not quite ‘normal’ as we prepare for camp. But upon reflection, perhaps this is ‘normal’ as life is fluid.

6:00AM Jem and I arise, surprisingly PC is already up and preparing to leave for work. It is audit week and this has meant very early morning starts and late nights, as PC is not a morning person this is difficult. PC leaves and Jem and I settle down in front of the laptop. Today I quickly check google reader and emails, so I can finish loading up saved August links to Faith Filled Days.

7:00AM Some of the little ones start wandering out for a cuddle.

7:30AM All the children are awake (now this is unusual!) Breakfast begins. The phone rings, it is my friend Rebecca offering costumes for the Homeschool Camp concert.

8:00AM Morning chores are started; Koala puts a load of washing in the machine, Michelangelo clears and wipes the table. PC feed the chooks as he left.

8:30AM We gather for prayers.
Afterwards we settle into our first morning block, most of our structured learning takes place in the morning. My energy is highest then;)
Koala sits with Jack Jack and teaches him how to hold a pencil and write, he is keen, Jelly Bean joins them. Koala leaves them with ‘work’ and goes out to hang a load of washing and then starts her Geography. She is creating an impressive project book of the American states, including pertinent facts and beautiful hand drawn maps. She works in her room.
Carpenter returns to his book that he was reading before prayers, Angel’s Command by Brian Jacques (Koala’s birthday present). He quickly finishes and then settles to the laptop to start work typing and editing his novel. Carpenter has been working on a novel for a few months now and is very dedicated.
Einstein sits at the table working on his maths, as he has a cold he is pushing himself.
Michelangelo snuggles with me on the lounge. We complete the third volume of ‘My Bible Story’ by Arthur Maxwell, published by the SDA’s there are some ‘tangents’ on which we differ but they really ‘tell the story.’
Princess lies on our bed in the sun, she listens to the times table tape memorising her 6s. PC has challenged all the children to recite each table in under 30sec, most have completed the challenge and Princess is joining in.

9.15AM Koala continues with her Geography.
Carpenter leaves the typing and lies on his bed writing fresh installments to his novel.
Einstein is re-reading ‘The Story of the Church’. He then starts work on his novel and realises he is too sick to continue.
Michelangelo works on his Singapore Maths.
Princess plays with Jem and attempts a little of her Singapore Maths. They start building cubbies in my bedroom under the cot. They are then joined by Michelangelo.
Jelly Bean and I revise her phonic cards, we add 2 new ones which she loves!
Jack Jack has moved onto coloring and is concentrating so diligently.

9:30AM Michelangelo takes the three little ones outside to play outdoor cubbies and Princess and I begin her dictation. We lie on the bed in the sun but Princess is failing fast, her cold makes her feel unpleasant. We then enjoy reading some of Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories, great for virtues and then call a halt, she just feels too miserable. She joins the children outside in the sun. Jem goes down for a sleep but unfortunately he wakes after 10 minutes.

10:00AM Koala works on her Wordly Wise.
Carpenter takes a break and kicks the soccer ball around outside.

Einstein is pottering in the garden transplanting strawberries and is joined by the younger children. They then all drift across to play soccer.
I head inside to quickly gather links and print pages for a butterfly lapbook. Princess has just told me she would like to learn about butterflies for her ‘Rabbit Trails’ today and she would like to do a lapbook.
Carpenter drifts back in to read more of Angel’s Command.
Koala takes a break and catches up on the ironing. (Needless to say I’m thrilled) she also hangs the washing on the line.

10:40AM Carpenter starts work on his novel again.
Einstein has the little ones in the kitchen with him and they are making lemonade with lemons from our tree.
Michelangelo and Princess start working on their lapbooks. (Michelangelo decided to join in)

11:15AM Koala starts work on her ‘English for Australian Schools’. She starts the final tests, almost completing the book. She has thoroughly enjoyed the program, it is a pity it is out of print.
Carpenter is still writing.
Einstein makes plans, he is going to transplant more strawberries, he will dig a trench like the Diggers in WW1. He does neither, instead he plays soccer with Jack Jack and Jelly Bean and Carpenter who comes out for a short break.
Michelangelo and Princess sit with me in the sun and we read picture book ‘Butterflies Fly by Yvonne Winer’

11:30AM Carpenter goes back to his writing, he has started a new chapter.
Einstein wanders of to the shed to find something suitable for a butterfly net. He meets with success and takes Princess and Co. off to chase butterflies.
Michelangelo and I read some Australian History from Our Sunburnt Country.
Koala continues with her English.

11:45AM Einstein comes in and starts writing on his blog. The little ones are playing outside.
I start reading Penderwicks on Gardam Street, we are so close to completing this, only three chapters to go. Michelangelo works on an Australian puzzle map as he listens, Princess ‘repairs’ our Sacred Heart Statute. We recently read about repairing statues with air drying clay, well we couldn’t find our clay and Our Blessed Lord now sports blue plasticine fingers! Somehow though I think He doesn’t mind.

The story became so gripping that the older ones started drifting in to listen, the younger ones came in and the noise level rose, so did my voice. Children moved around making sandwiches, drifting back in, I could hear Jack Jack making lemonade in the kitchen, I bravely ignored that and thought “Later, I’ll clean up later.” We all stopped to clap and cheer Jem who drank from a cup all on his own!! Holding it by himself! Jelly Bean started teasing him and their noise rose, so did my voice once again. Jack Jack smashed a glass on the verandah, a quick clean up and we kept reading. Gripping, so well read, this time Jem smashed a cup, another clean up, I’m starting to feel frazzled but battle on. Is it always this crazy and I only notice today because I record it? I’m sure that is so;)

12:45PM I can ignore Jelly Bean’s pleas for pancakes no longer. I ask Koala to continue reading and Jelly Bean and the little boys and I make banana pancakes together. I can hear the children laughing.
They enter the kitchen to tell me all about it, “I must read it! It’s so good Mum!” They have left the final chapter for me to read to them.
Children eat and head out to play soccer, the older two head back to their rooms to read more of the Flying Dutchman books.

1:30PM I eat and clean up the kitchen, then mop the loungeroom floor as it is so sticky from lemonade. Rescue Jem who has is not pleased with the sandals the girls insist he wears.
Einstein starts writing his novel again.
Older two are still reading Flying Dutchman.
Michelangelo and Co play cubbies in my room and then head out to play cubbies outside.
Koala continues with her English test.

2:00PM Clean Jem, offer him a feed, he has only had a brief sleep this morning. He wants to be off.
The four boys play soccer, the girls are back in the strawberry garden.
Michelangelo comes in for a cuddle, he has been hurt. the boys follow him in to have a ‘discussion’ on slide tackles.
Snack time in the kitchen, a discussion on selecting a dragon name for Carpenter’s novel.

2:30PM Phone rings, call is regards Confirmation Mass next week at camp. I still have details to take care of.
Start Boggle game with the children. Play several games.

3:00PM I make a quick phone call to council regards our extension plans. Play some more Boggle. Try to feed Jem, he is really not interested. Jack Jack is busy cutting out whilst we play and Jelly Bean tries to join in, writing all sorts of letters.
3:30PM My sister rings. We conclude the game. The children head back out to the garden.

4:00PM Jem has toddled after the children and ends up with a bucket of dirt on his head. Mmmm. I shower him off, this necessitates shampoo, Jack Jack comes in needing a shower too, wonder why;)? He won’t get in though, we leave him cleaning his teeth(?)
I snuggle on the lounge with Jelly Bean and Princess with my ‘commitment of three picture books a day.’ Offer Jem a feed but he is not interested, he so needs a sleep but is not co-operating.
Koala is taking the washing off the line.
Carpenter is reading again.
Einstein and Michelangelo are jumping on the trampoline.

4:30PM Girls and I are still snuggling, I wonder just what Jack Jack is up to when he emerges from the bathroom with his hair plastered to his head, he has tried to wash it. I leave Princess to finish reading the book to Jelly Bean and run the shower for Jack Jack. The bathroom is a disaster, dirt and mud everywhere the dirt on Jack Jack didn’t make it down the drain that is certain. I resolve to clean it later the girls are waiting.
I head back out detouring on the way to start the water boiling for rice, fried rice tonight.
I continue reading, Koala comes in with the washing all folded (she is an angel) and gets Jack Jack out of the shower and dressed.
He then heads over to hear the last picture book and cajoles me into re-reading it. How can I resist.
The children then all head out for another game of soccer.
Koala starts work on her Geography again.
I start a quick clean up before tea time prep. Jem is sitting at the foot of the stairs watching the soccer game, I think all is well, I continue cleaning. The children then call out to say that more dirt has been tipped on his head. Clean up routine again.

5:00PM
The girls come in to play cubbies under the cot again.
The mail is collected and a very special friend has sent a care package:) She is a sweetie, she knows I have been feeling low. Homeschool Blues, and of course chocolate goes a long way to making a girl feel better{{{}}}
I continue cleaning the loungeroom, re-organising our book display, tidying the book box and gathering library books as I go.
The phone rings, camp details to be discussed with my co-organiser.

5:30AM
I have the rice cooking, I feed Jem who finally crashes into peaceful oblivion.
The children come in; the older children to start reading again, the younger ones watch a DVD, Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

6:00PM The boys clear the table, Koala is playing boggle, versing herself(?) Carpenter is on the internet, he wanders into the kitchen where I am making the fried rice, we discuss the release date of the new Ranger’s Apprentice book, he goes back to check the website.
Younger ones are still watching the DVD. Jack Jack is keeping me company chatting away.
Daddy surprises us by walking in the door at 6.20.

6:30PM Girls set the table. We gather for tea. Jem wakes and joins us. The main topic of conversation continues to be suitable dragon names for Carpenter’s character. We give lots of suggestions he considers suitable for dwarves, finally we suggest a suitable name.

7:00PM Table is cleared, children go back to the DVD, PC keeps them company. (Not much choice in a house this small) We start showers, I now clean the bathroom. Then I feed Jem back to sleep.

7:30PM Jem is back in bed, asleep for the night. I snuggle with Jack Jack who is tired, he decides he wants to write and so gets his ‘second wind’. Not a chance now.

8:00PM I give up on coaxing JJ back and join the family. the DVD has concluded and now all are playing boggle. PC tries to pass outrageous words by us, with dictionary at hand he occasionally scores a ‘new word or two.’

8:45PM We Pray the Rosary.

9:10PM We finish prayers and I put the JJ and Jelly Bean to bed, I hear their prayers and they are both asleep in 5 minutes. The older two girls are in bed immediately after with their lights out.
The boys pack the diswasher and start showers. Einstein heads out to feed the dog.
They then head to bed.

9:40PM PC heads to bed and sleep, the early morning takes its toll.
Princess comes out, she is feeling scared, I bless her with Holy Water and she goes off reassured.
I hear the boys talking, I go in to remind them to ‘wind down.’ Einstein is writing again and they are having a discussion on ‘whether money is the root of all evil,’ they have some interesting points to ponder. They then move on to a word association game. I return to writing.

10:00PM The boys are asleep. I continue writing. Then head off to bed.