In preparation, I've been busy finalizing our schedule, and I'm excited to say its complete! Our week has some variations - Wednesdays we go for a Nature Walk, and Fridays we go to the Library and don't do as much "academics" but have Art and leave time open for things like cooking, extra projects and other things that might pop up. Here's a preview of each day (M/T/Th, Wed, Fri):
If you want to see it in "real time", you can check it out on Google Docs here!
A few notes about it, however. First, Judah is not really on a tight schedule like this. I just fit in the average day with him (nursing every 2-3 hours, napping every 2 hours or so) just to see how everything else would fall in to place around it. Thankfully, nursing is easily mobile, and he naps well in my Ergo, so even if we're on the go during a time to eat or sleep, he'll be just fine!
Also, I'm not strict about the times. Actually, the only thing that really happens on time is my wake-up (ummm... most days...) breakfast, lunch, and (sometimes) dinner. Everything else flows as best it can, and we roll with whatever each day holds in store for us. Again, the times are just a basic guideline to make sure I'm able to fit in what Michael and I have decided to be important.
It feels good to have a plan for how I'd like our days to flow, and also know I'll be able to fit in all of my priorities, plus a few extra!
Another thing I've gotten in place for our year is Activity Bags for the Littles. I organized a swap with some other awesome homeschooling mamas and now have a nice collection of fun, educational activities for Joel and Nathan to do independently, or with the help of an older sibling! They're really excited about them, as am I!
In doing the Activity Bag swap, I came across a website they recommend, and am in looove! Discount School Supplies has things I've always wanted, but didn't know where to get, as well as things I've never thought of but now am sure I can't live without, lol! Where has this been all my life?! ;-) Its nice to find a resource for bulk school items at a good price. Hooray!
One final exciting preparation is that Michael and I have agreed to change our basement into the homeschool area. Its going to have couches and bookshelves for all the reading we do, a table for seatwork, a preschool area, and an arts and crafts area. The computer will be moved down there as well. The best part? The only thing I'll have to spend money on is a few lamps (right now the lighting is hideous, buzzing fluorescent lights)! I was inspired by so many of the pictures from the "Not-Back-to-School" Blog Hop on Homeschool rooms and got creative in my thinking. I've been so worried about storage space and then the thought came to me - I have an entire set of kitchen cabinets in my garage! Those can be set up just in the basement for some free, functional, and decent looking storage! Another hooray! Once I get things set up, I'll be sure to post pictures. It will be a process and I doubt it will be all the way finished before we're ready to start, but I'm excited about the challenge!
Phew! See what happens when I don't blog as frequently? I've got alot to say when I finally come back! We're excited to get started on our new year!!!
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10 comments:
Great! Congratulations on your new homeschooling area! That's exciting to have a new place, new organization! Hats off to you.
Wow Erin! Your plan looks great. And how exciting about the basement!!!! I can't wait to see it when you are done...I wish we had basements here.
Two questions on the schedule - What is ETC? We're doing MFW too, but I couldn't figure it out. And What do you do for child training time? I could use some ideas.
wow erin thanks for sharing ... you inspire me! any tips on how to make that wake up time (for me) consistent?
be sure to post pictures of your new homeschooling area!
Lydia, ETC is "Explode the Code". We're using the "Ready, Set, Go!" books before we start Kindergarten, just for some prep. Child training is whatever issues I see they need work on - like this week, its been "how to close doors without slamming them" - so we take some time to practice, practice, practice. I've got a running mental list of things like that to go over.
Heather, is Luke in the bed with you? The only way I can get up consistently is because Judah's in his own room now. When he's with me, I just sleep until he wakes up ;-) But really, for me the motivating factor is knowing when I get up early, I have time to exercise, shower, and most importantly, be with the Lord, before all the interruptions of the day start. I know I need it desperately, so I really try to be diligent about getting up when I need to. If the baby's been up alot through the night, though, I give myself a break. He's nursing only about once through the night now, though. (Hopefully it stays that way, lol!)
Ooh, thank you for sharing! I've been trying to think of how to schedule everything I want to do into our fall days, so thanks for the inspiration. I'm doing the same thing with waking up around 6 to work out! So - if you don't mind my asking - when do you get laundry done? Do you take the children outside during the day? How do you get all your morning chores done in 15 minutes? Are you making bread every day? When do you go grocery shopping or do other errands? And do you ever find that nursing, diapers/pottying, and discipline takes up most of the day? Thanks in advance, lol! Oh and you'll have to post an update with how the Activity Bags work out; they sound neat!
Manda, I love the book Managers of Their Homes from titus2.com (I know I've mentioned it before ;-) ). Their system of how to create a schedule is so good, and they give so many helpful ideas for good ways to fill your day.
When I have laundry to do, I throw it in the wash during my morning chores, and then switch it out during snack time. I'll fold and put it away during my afternoon chore time.
I'll go ahead and plan on another post addressing chores so you get an idea of how those go and how the morning ones are only 15 minutes ;-)
I'm only making bread when its needed (usually every other day), but that was a request from Michael that I fit in. Now that I have my mixer, its way easier!
Main grocery shopping I'm hoping to accomplish Sunday afternoons, so I can leave everyone but the baby home with Michael. During my organization time on Friday is when I'll do menu planning and grocery lists. If there are other smaller errands, I'll do them in the afternoon after chores are done. Or squeeze them in somewhere, I'll figure it out once we put things into motion. My goal is to really not leave the house for errands much at all. I want to become super efficient in that area! (ha ha ha, stop laughing now, please)
Oh, and the kids get outside time aplenty. Their whole afternoons are free for time with Daddy, which almost always includes some form of outside time. But I send them outside as often as possible. Sun and air are good for growing boys! :-D
And yes, there are days where nursing, discipline, and pottying and diapers DO take up the whole day. And I try not to get frustrated - afterall, my job title is "mommy", not "crazy OCD homeschool meanie". Notice I use the word "try" there. ;-)
This is definitely not my forte, so it is amazing to read all this. Do your days *really* look like this (in general, I mean, not down to the letter). It's so hard for me to balance things and when I think about trying to balance and fit in more children with all of their needs and subjects, it seems so overwhelming.
Does it happen more naturally than it looks on paper? :)
How much of this did you learn from MOTH and how much is just natural scheduling talent? :)
Brianna,
It definitely flows pretty naturally once we get the hang of it. It takes a few weeks to really work the kinks out of a new schedule and get everyone used to "what happens next" but once we do, it becomes pretty easy.
Reading MOTH really helped bring out my scheduling enthusiasm, but I've always been an organizationally "gifted" person (aka: OCD, lol!) - one of those "Born Organized" people FlyLady talks about. Although my house doesn't always reflect it ;-) but my mind is always spinning - organizing, categorizing, planning, making lists... it drives me crazy sometimes! But it does come in handy for these sorts of things, thankfully!
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