One particular set of books the girls and I really like is Richard Scarry’s Busy Day books. \u00a0I chuckle when I read, “For Mother Cat it was the start of another busy day.” \u00a0Boy can I relate!<\/p>\n
Here is a brief run-down of what today was like:<\/p>\n
7:21 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Kayla wanders into my room while I’m having my quiet time. \u00a0I start reading to her from 1 Peter 4 but then switch to John 1.<\/p>\n
7:24 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Madeline joins us.<\/p>\n
7:30 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 We sit on my bed and read Bible stories and books until Savannah wakes up.<\/p>\n
8:00 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 I snuggle with Savannah (and even manage a 20-minute nap) while big sisters play board games in their room.<\/p>\n
9:15 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 We have steel-cut oats with peanut putter and raisins for breakfast; breakfast discussion revolves around sign language and being deaf. \u00a0Then I do a brief clean up and help the younger girls get dressed for the day.<\/p>\n
10:15 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0We walk to the library for story time; the fresh air feels great! \u00a0Madeline slips on the ice and lands on her bottom but otherwise is fine. \u00a0It was probably my fault for walking so fast.<\/p>\n
11:00 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0After story time we curl up in the corner of the library with some great children’s literature. \u00a0Madeline randomly chose a book about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, which corresponded nicely with our breakfast conversation.<\/p>\n
11:50 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Upon arriving home, the girls want to play outside.<\/p>\n
12:40 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0Lunch is served (penne with meat sauce and cheese, kiwi, and applesauce mixed with plain yogurt.)<\/p>\n
1:20 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Desperately in need of washing dishes, I allow all three girls to play while I work in the kitchen (instead of putting Savannah down for a nap right after lunch). \u00a0The plan backfires. \u00a0Savannah gets all wound up and doesn’t want to sleep!<\/p>\n
1:50 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Kayla and Madeline dive into art: \u00a0markers, buttons, scissors, construction paper, glue. \u00a0They start by making valentines and end up making crowns. \u00a0I work on housework while they create, though I am desperately wishing someone would do my housework for me so I can make valentines, too!<\/p>\n
2:00 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 I call the Isabella County Transportation Commission to schedule a bus pick up for tomorrow afternoon. \u00a0I tell the girls we’re taking the bus to a birthday party and they are thrilled! \u00a0(Aaron is in GR all week starting his new job, but until Saturday we are still a one-car family.)<\/p>\n
2:30 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Kayla asks to make a recipe. \u00a0When she was three-years-old I began letting Kayla make her own “scrap soup” while I was cooking. \u00a0Little did I know that this was the start to my daughter’s culinary career! \u00a0She has been creating dishes ever since and is getting quite good. \u00a0The other day she wanted an egg for her recipe but I wouldn’t give in. \u00a0But when I saw the ingredients she chose for her blueberry bars, I realized an egg would have been the perfect addition to a delicious treat. \u00a0So today when she asked for an egg, I said yes. \u00a0We got out my cookbook and found a recipe for a yellow cake. \u00a0I told Kayla what ingredients she would need, gave her an idea of how much flour, sugar, oil, etc. to use with her one egg, and she mixed up a cake mix! \u00a0We tried baking it in the toaster oven, but it started browning on the top. \u00a0We switched to the regular oven, and minutes later–voila! \u00a0We had a cake!<\/p>\n
3:15 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Sitting at the dining room table with supplies all around us, we continue with “school.” \u00a0Phonics lessons, sight word quizzes, extensive handwriting practice, and continuing art projects from earlier in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
4:30 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Savannah wakes from her nap very unhappy. \u00a0She didn’t settle down until close to 3:00; 1.5 hours was definitely not enough sleep for her. \u00a0Kayla, Madeline and I clean up our school stuff; K & M play “mermaid princess” with one of the crowns Madeline made (the other still has gobs of glue on it and is drying on the dishwasher; Yogi thinks it looks like a nice place to sleep and takes a nap on it. \u00a0Yes, it sticks to her fur.) \u00a0Savannah snuggles on my lap while I sing to her and read her books.<\/p>\n
5:15 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 The girls and I read various parts of a Kindergarten textbook. \u00a0We read about making your own musical instruments and learn the meanings of various sayings.<\/p>\n
5:45 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 K & M clean up toys while I make egg carton dinners. \u00a0Each spot in the egg carton holds something different, such as cheese, nuts, dried fruit, green beans, green onions, pretzels, etc. \u00a0Opting out of the egg carton option myself, I choose green beans with a side of leftover lasagna for my meal.<\/p>\n
6:20 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 I finish my food first (a rare occurrence), so I read a chapter of “Farmer Boy” to the girls while they finish eating.<\/p>\n
6:50 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Girls are off playing while I clean up. \u00a0Aaron calls on the phone—perfect timing!<\/p>\n
7:1o p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 We finish cleaning the girls room and then make chocolate sour cream frosting.<\/p>\n
7:30 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 While we wait on the frosting, I give the girls a math problem. \u00a0I fill a container half-way with Cheerios and let them guess how many there are. \u00a0Madeline guesses 40; Kayla guesses 42. \u00a0Then I let them count the Cheerios by 5’s and 10’s to see how many we have. \u00a0All together there are 248 Cheerios!<\/p>\n
7:45 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 We sample Kayla’s cake! \u00a0Mmm is it good! \u00a0And sugar right before bedtime—what a great idea!<\/p>\n
8:05 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Kayla and Madeline brush their teeth and choose a Little House CD to listen to. \u00a0I put Savannah to bed and then go back and tuck the big girls in.<\/p>\n
8:30 p.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 I take a look at the house wonder how much I will get done before 9:15, when I need to get ready for bed. \u00a0I decide to quickly check my email and end up writing this blog entry! \u00a0Oops!<\/p>\n
As you can see, my little sponges are ready, willing and able to soak up anything I expose them to. \u00a0Sure, it requires a lot out of me. \u00a0(Ok, that’s an understatement. \u00a0It’s utterly exhausting at times!) \u00a0But I’m compelled to give motherhood all that I’ve got—they deserve no less.<\/p>\n
After a day like today, I still find myself thinking, “but it’s been so long since we’ve done Spanish or ballet or …” \u00a0Is it possible that I still think we need more? \u00a0Where does this come from? \u00a0Why this need to do everything? \u00a0I was reminded of all this at the Home Educator’s Conference I went to this weekend. \u00a0Homeschooling is so much more about the heart than what you do. \u00a0So I’m trying, though I’m not even close to being there yet, to let go of the need to do everything, to be just like everyone else. \u00a0My girls don’t need that. \u00a0They just need my heart. \u00a0The greatest gift I can give them is not how many extracurricular activities we can juggle—it’s my walk with God.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow is Friday, and I’m planning a pretty low-key day. \u00a0But you never know what my girls will talk me into!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One particular set of books the girls and I really like is Richard Scarry’s Busy Day books. \u00a0I chuckle when I read, “For Mother Cat it was the start of another busy day.” \u00a0Boy can I relate! Here is a brief run-down of what today was like: 7:21 a.m. \u00a0 \u00a0 Kayla wanders into my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n