Life as a zoo keeper...

...I mean a home schooling mom, wife, and animal keeper

Schedule:

6:30 - rise and shine (me) - fix husband's breakfast/lunch, let out the horses to pasture, fix my breakfast
7:00 - wake kids, eat, exercise, devotions
8:00 - school begins - reading out loud for an hour to an hour and a half (A World of Adventure)
9:30 - start laundry (Mon., Wed., and Thurs.), check e-mail/facebook, answer questions, check schoolwork
11:30 - lunch, laundry, check schoolwork
12:00 - chores, round up the horses (they are being kept in a pasture free zone in the PM due to weight and foundering issues), laundry
1:00 - reading time (kids), and sometimes me, but I NEED to work on my book, so I have quit requesting books at the library :-(  , laundry
2:00-5:30 - free time (kids); me: laundry, check schoolwork, sometimes read/work on book and then fix dinner
5:30 (generally) - dinner
6:00 - 8:00 - kitchen clean-up (kids); me: do animal chores - check water/food, gather eggs; then go to whatever activity is scheduled for that particular night
8:00 - kids bedtime - regardless of age (older ones are allowed to read); me: tv time with my husband
9:30-10:00 - my bedtime

Of course this is just a general overview of what gets done in my home. Things change, of course, and we just go with the flow. Fridays we have off for now, but on Sept. 9th we will start our homeschooling co-op and we will get out of the house by 8:15 or so and return between 2:00 and 2:30.

Sacrifice is the word of the day/month/year/life. When I had child three or four (I don't remember which it was), I sacrificed my perfectionism on the altar of sanity. I want a "Better Homes and Gardens" house, but when there are at least seven of us home all day, everyday, I had to realize it wasn't going to happen. Happiness and sanity were more important. So while my home is picked up and vacuumed/swept daily (almost), it is not BH&G perfect and that's okay.

How's your schedule? Do you sometimes get frustrated, like me, with how much there is to do and not being able to get it all done? What have you sacrificed?

School is in session...

The joys of homeschooling are endless:

• I get to choose when we start.
• Curriculum is also my choice - what works for one does not necessarily work for another. I also try to arrange my high schooler's work toward what his/her interest is.
• My children can go as slow or as fast as they (or I) choose. If he/she is better at math, then we can work ahead.
• We can take breaks when we feel like it. Is it a super nice day out? Let's go play.
• School can happen in pj's or sweats  :) I don't have to buy certain clothes to keep up with the current trend.
• Wake up time can be whenever I deem it to be. Bad night? Get up later.
• My kids are with me ALL the time.
• PLUS more.

School? What's school? Oh, let's study the effects of sliding down the hill and falling on our backsides.

The headaches of homeschooling (and I'm sure public school, too):

• Bad/late night? People tend to get grumpy.
• Hard work? Would you like some cheese with that "whine?"
• Questions? I have to answer them all, even when I don't necessarily know the answer. Thank God for Google.  ;)
• My kids are with me ALL the time.
• There are probably more...

So today was the first day of school for us. I know it's a month early for some of you who read this blog. North Alabama schools will start either next week or in two weeks depending on where you live in this area (no they're not all the same). We started early because we are taking a mini-vacation next week, which was the planned week to start. In order to stay on schedule, we started a week early.

The normal grumbles happened. More, harder work causes little mouths to protest. On the first day, I choose to ignore them - actually for the first week. After that we are getting used to the new work load. For the first week, I usually need the afternoon reading time to regroup. I am one who thrives on peace and quiet to recoup my sanity. With seven children (all of whom still live at home), I NEED that afternoon time. Today I needed it more than ever. Shew, what a day!

But you know what? I would not stop for anything. God has called ME to do this; He will give me the grace to continue it.

Crystal growing experiment

Unfortunate spill from crystal growing experiment

This is my fourteenth (14th) year and every year I experience what I call the "back to school blues." We don't WANT to go back to school, but we have to. It's time. The fun of summer is over. My marathon reading is done. I get back to one book every two or three days like normal people instead of one to three books per day (depending on length).

Ahh, the joy of doing the best you can for the ones you love. Just like God does for us - everyday.

As always, under HIS wings,
Ginger