7 am Mom wakes up. DH has left home two hours before to go lobster fishing. I let out the puppy and feed the cat. I transplant sunflowers now that the snow seems to have finally decided to allow spring to reign.

8 am Time to wake the children. Vitamins and breakfast. Dressing and chores. We use the PEGS chore chart. www.familytools.com

9 am DS(12) is working on "alone work"...devotional book, Canadian Handwriting Book F, logic (The Fallacy Detective. www.christianlogic.com), vocabulary (Pathway Publishers), and reading (Swiss Family Robinson).

DD(9) is working on her language arts...Pathway reader and workbook, copywork, and Canadian Handwriting C. 

DS(8) and DS(6) are playing nicely in their bedroom. Oh, I spoke too soon. They are now in time-out. I need to work out some alone time for them in the early morning. I shall get out the "art box". I have five rubbermaid boxes filled with various items. Each boy can sit in a designated area with an art box for 30 minutes. If they do not like what is in the art box they have to remain in the area doing nothing. They always find something to do.

Box One:  ruler, scissors, tape, glue, pencils, crayons, markers, stampers, dominoes, paper, stencils, paper dolls, abacus, color wonder, stickers.

Box Two: ruler, scissors, tape, glue, pencils, markers, paper, stationary, stickers, pegboard, yarn buddy, multiplication wrap, pattern bugs, puzzles

Box Three: fancy scissors, scratching tool and paper, tape, glue, pencils, hole punch, paper, counting bears, number chips, geometric shapes, smelly markers, memory game, stickers, watercolor crayons, mazes

Box Four: paper, fraction tower and cards, scissors, glue, tape, pencils, barrel of monkeys, fashion plate doll, I Spy puzzle, lacing buttons, stencil, 1-2-3 Draw books

Box Five: paper, stickers, stencils, Think It Through Tiles, trivia pursuit

10 am: snack and outside time

11 am:  Family devotions, Sonlight literature, Story of the World vol 3 history. Literature: The Phoenix and the Carpet by Edith Nesbit. History: We read about Samuel de Champlain two weeks ago. I am trying to add some Canadian content...not as easy as I thought. Last week we learned about the coureurs de bois ("runners of the woods"). Today we will read about Maisonneuve and Montreal.

12 noon: lunch and DS(8) clean-up.