March 28, 2007 - our schedule...LOL

Just so you all don't think I'm perfect or anything... I know that I posted my schedule and we worked on it for about a week and it was very nice!  However since we started lambing and we now have 28 bottle lambs that need tending to, my schedule is on hold.  I knew it would happen, so I'm not overly disappointed.  But one funny thing is that the girls remember which day is laundry day (they like clean clothes!) and they remember which day is town day (they like shopping!).  So, those two days have remained on our schedule. 

We took a 3-4 week break on schooling.  This is actually our 4th week, and we are starting back, just not full swing as the bottle babies really eat into our day.  Dh says it is just like the old days when the farm kids all had to stay home from school to help with the farm.  Funny to think that we live that kind of life, but I guess we do. 

We are going to officially school year round from this point out.  My oldest has really had to push to get high school studies done and to continue helping with the farm (which she LOVES doing).  And we have always done school stuff in the summer with the youngers, but these high schoolers with all the texts... well, we have approached the thought that we do not like studies to consume our days... so we are trying to keep the study time reasonable each day and we will make up for that time during the summer.   So, at maximum we will do 4 subjects a day (high school subjects) and continue this through the summer.  I haven't really timed it out, so it may waver from that a tad once I get it on paper... just discussing it with the girls right now.  They actually are quite supportive of it ... as long as we don't tell the "locals"... who seem to treat the girls like odd ducks and me like a tyrant for schooling the girls in the summer.  I guess they don't realize what this allows us in our life... a more relaxed state overall.  An ability to take off to the parks, to numerous field trips... camping and small breaks all year round.  Time to stop schooling when lambing, etc.  My girls get their breaks... they just aren't all plopped between June and August.  

And yes we still enjoy summer... Picnics on the deck, school outside on a blanket in the yard.  We even backpack at the local nature center and take a subject or two with us to enjoy nature while doing math or science and still get an outing. 

Anyways, just an update on us, and our school plans. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

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March 5, 2007 - Sunday is Kitchen Day.

Sunday: Kitchen Day

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March 3, 2007 - Friday is Garden Day

I never had a garden day before.  And it was nice to fit it into my routine.  In the winter... I'll have time to plan my garden or catch up on winter projects...like stacking wood!  lol. 

Make garden plans

Plant seedlings

Transplant seedlings

Till garden

Plant seeds

Weed garden

Put garden tools away

Bring in Wood for weekend

Clean up porch

Water flowers, if needed

Sweep drive

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March 3, 2007 - Thursday is Town Day

Thursday: Town Day

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February 28, 2007 - Wednesday: Cleaning Day

Ok, I know that Wednesday is not an optimum cleaning day for most, but as I was considering my schedule, I realized that it was probably best.  Thursday is our town day, and that works out best for us with how the ads arrive so I can plan for that.  Friday, we do alot of baking. Plus, it doesn't mess up the school rhythm as much for us.  So, that's how Wednesday came about.  Which actually we do cleaning each day, just an extra hour of deep cleaning is added on Wednesday. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

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February 27, 2007 - Tuesday: Office Day

I do as much as I can within my one hour scheduled each week.  Eventually, things will be caught up and I know that I can put the work down, because I have it scheduled and I know I will come back to in the next Tuesday. 

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February 27, 2007 - New Schedules and Routines...

I thought I would share my new schedule here as well.  Since having my 4th daughter, I have been running to catch up with life.  I was sick the entire pregnancy and then she was a sick little baby... finding out nearly a year later it was an allergy to soy.  And it taking nearly a year to adjust to that allergy.  Now we are finding that a two year old without a schedule can be a not so good thing.  So, in much prayer, I have sought direction for our little one and for our family in general as we were always running behind. 

I have felt guilty to just take time to make up a schedule and making a schedule for 4 kids wasn't as easy as it used to be.  I was leaving stuff out, like menu planning or shopping, or whatever so that made us behind and I just never felt I had time to devote to creating a new schedule.  Well, we have been run down with sickness the last two weeks and the kids are sick enough to warrant not doing school full time.  This has allowed me "time" to work on a schedule. 

The resources I used for making my schedule was my MOTH book, Managers of their Homes by Teri Maxwell.  And the Large Family Logistic website.  Using the two side by side, I figured out what I was struggling with when working on my MOTH schedule alone.  I knew I didn't have time for everything, so I made slots in the morning for a daily chore... during that time I work on a different set of chores each day... that made sense, but it was hard for me to put it all together.  The Large Family Logistic site helped me with some things that I made some changes to, but most of it was already thought out. 

I now have my daily schedule.  I have a Daily Chore for each day.  I have a deep cleaning schedule.  I now just need a menu plan, but before I do that, I am working on inventory of our pantry and making up a specific pantry list that is usable for our family, hoping that will cause me not to stray too much and then end up with weird foods in my cupboards.  I anticipate sickness to hang around for another week, and maybe, just maybe I will have ambition to work on the pantry list and menus... problem is, that I am sick also. 

Well, here is my daily schedule.  I under scheduled to start... getting much in of what I want to do.  But, my high schoolers do not spend 1 hour on math, it is more like 45 minutes.  That allows them to accumulate spare time during the day for their own desires.  Blank spots on the schedule indicate that they are to do what is in the box above... my table didn't do one hour  slots.  It looks ok on my paper copy, but on here it is a bit weird. 

Time	Mom	Katie	Chelsea	Megan	Paige
6:00 AM	AM Routine
6:30 AM	Steve BF
7:00 AM	Devotions	AM Routine	AM Routine	AM Routine
7:30 AM	Make BF	Farm Chores	Farm Chores	Farm Chores	AM Routine
8:00 AM	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
8:30 AM	Worship	Worship	Worship	Worship	Worship
9:00 AM	Daily Task	Daily Chores	Daily Chores	Daily Chores	Daily Chores
9:30 AM		Spanish	Algebra	Play w/Paige	Play w/Megan
10:00 AM	Paige Time			Math	Learn w/Mom
10:30 AM	Farm Chores	Pilgrim’s Pr.	Reading	Science	Farm Chores
11:00 AM	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise
11:30 AM	Meg/Chels	US Govt/Ec	History	History	Table Play
Noon	Kate				Video
12:30 PM	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1:00 PM	Outside/	English	English	Outside Play	Outside Play
1:30 PM	Projects
2:00 PM	Read Aloud	Math	Typing	English	Story Time
2:30 PM	Read Aloud	Mom reads	Mom reads	Mom reads	Nap
3:00 PM	School Office	Computer	Science	Quiet Time
3:30 PM				Reading
4:00 PM	Aft. Cleanup	Aft. Cleanup	Aft. Cleanup	Aft. Cleanup
4:30 PM					Snack
5:00 PM	Supper Prep	Computer	Music	Free Time	Help ma/play
5:30 PM			Play w/Paige	Music	Play w/Chels
6:00 PM	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper
6:30 PM	Steve	Play w/Paige	Free Time	Free Time	Play w/Kate
7:00 PM	Computer	Free Time			Computer
7:30 PM
8:00 PM	Paige				Bath
8:30 PM	Paige				Story Time
9:00 PM	Next Day Prep	Project	Project	Project	Sleep
9:30 PM	PM Routine	PM Routine	PM Routine	PM Routine
10:00 PM	Sleep	Sleep	Sleep	Sleep

I'll share my other supplements to my schedule on other posts. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

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