School's In!!!

Well school is definitely underway around here. We are up at 7:00am. I take a walk with my 20 year old daughter while our 13 and 14 year old kids do math. The little girls(5 and 6) are still sleeping. Our 16 year old boy is starting at the community college this fall while keeping his part time job. He will be out of the house each day by 8:00am just as I am returning from my walk. After I am home it is shower time for me while the older kids get breakfast and practice the piano. At 9:00am the little ones eat and get ready for the day with our twenty year old. She helps out around the house until she has to go to work. Also at 9:00 I start Bible with the older kids and then read to them. At 10:00 the older kids work on science together, while I work with the little ones on math and phonics. At 11:00 the big kids finish English or foreign language, and history while I do Bible, Wee Sing America, math facts, science, and read aloud with the kindergartners. Lunch time for everyone is 12:30pm. After lunch it is recess for all the kids, even the big kids go out to do laser tag or swim while the weather is still good. When the weather changes the kids love to listen to Odyssey or old time radio dramas. (Yes, it is true, if you take away all television and video games your kids will actually resort to old time radio, books, playing with each other, board games and 1000 piece puzzles!!) The little ones are done for the rest of the day. We have quiet time from 1:30-3:00, this gives the older kids peace and quiet for them to work on their American Literature class(I take a nap). Once quiet time is over I go lift at the club or clean house (depending on the day), the older kids take a break and watch the little ones. Afternoon activities include soccer, ballet, or gymnastics on various days and with various kids. I try to do once-a-month cooking so I only have to heat up our dinner from the freezer. It allows for a variety of meals and is less stressful with our big and busy family. Our schedule changes on Wednesdays due to piano lessons and Lit. Circle class, but for the most part it is like this and it works pretty well. Although with two new children on their way(11 months and 10 years) flexibility is always the name of the game.