Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 -- Freedom Academy

I'll call yesterday Day #1 in my project of describing a "normal" week in our busy homeschooling family. Please remember that what I say here works for my family very well, but I can't promise you that it will be perfect for your family, too. Sort of like those medical or legal disclaimers that come at the end of all the ads, eh? ;-o No, it's not that bad... ! I do stand by our relaxed philosophy and methodology. I firmly believe that how we handle our daily living and learning can work for many other homeschool families as well, if they approach things with the right attitude.

Have you noticed that our lives -- not just the results, but also the experiences along the way -- are greatly affected by the way we think and behave? I have seen a direct link between my perspective and what happens each day... between my perspective and how others react to me... between my perspective and how my kids treat each other. Wow -- that realization throughout the years has caused me to guard against being too uptight or set in my ways. Maintaining the eternal and compassionate perspective I should have has also forced me to reevaluate my priorities regularly. So what we're doing this month might evolve into something quite different by next month in order to better emphasize whatever God wants us to learn at that time.

Ok, enough preface already. On with the show.

Mornings at our house:

Yesterday morning was much like any other weekday morning. The older three girls get up between 6:30 and 7 am to get ready for their days, and the three middle kids usually wake up about 7 am to get their own breakfast and do their chores. Sometimes an older girl will sleep in until the last minute (7:30 am), and I have to hustle her out of bed, but not normally... and not yesterday. Often one or both of the boys will get up early (even 5:00 am!) to play their educational "Civilization" computer game before breakfast and chore time. Yesterday, Ben did this and enjoyed the quiet time to himself.

Audrey's crib is in my room, so she wakes me up every morning around 6:30 am. (My husband is often gone before this time -- either running or to an early prayer meeting or to work.) After changing and dressing Audrey for the day, I start an educational DVD for her (an animal one from the San Diego Zoo or a Musical one w/ great classical music and counting and such). The TV is in my room, so Audrey remains in her crib during this time. My 4yo Megan usually joins Audrey within a few moments. They much on cheese sticks and bananas while I get ready for the day. I start coffee and read my Bible a little.

At 7:4o am, I leave to take Caiti to her job at a law office in town and drop Deedee and Shannon for their morning music, art, and Advanced Math classes at the community college that is just 1 mile from our home. While I'm gone, Ben, Ellie Rose, and Jim finish their chores. Megan and Audrey either come with me or finish their movie, as I am only gone about 20 minutes.

Since this is the way things go every weekday morning, I won't repeat the description every day. You can just assume all went as usual unless I mention something otherwise. ;-) I will say that until the last couple of years, I did **not** get up and moving this early. I mean, babies and toddlers always have you up early, but that doesn't mean you're necessarily functioning in any real way! ;-) But I do admit that the early start has been a positive change overall. I think I will continue with it even if the need to be out the door fades. I just seem to have a more energetic attitude towards the day when I start it this way -- which actually is a big surprise to me as I have never considered myself a "morning" person at all.

So after I returned home yesterday morning, I took my two little girls outside, and they ran around while I transplanted tomatoes and such. The middle kids (that's how I refer to Ben, Ellie Rose, and Jim-Bob in shorthand) were in the dining room and kitchen with the windows open, facing the front yard, so we could talk back and forth when necessary. They did some free reading, and thenJim worked on a story he's been writing, Ellie Rose copied some poetry and did some music theory on the computer, and Ben finished up some map work (he was actually studying the major roads in the U.S. at the time of the War of 1812). After a while, Jim came out to join me and helped me with the gardening, while Ellie Rose and Ben practiced their instruments (flute and clarinet).

At lunchtime, some friends delivered two cute Birman kitties to us, and the kids played with them while I threw together some sandwiches and fruit. My aunt arrived with her boys (13 and almost 15), and I ran over (well, drove) to the college to pick up the girls. Back home, I put Audrey down for her nap and settled Megan with some puzzles and art supplies and her little dollies and cars and such in the front room. Ellie Rose and Jim and their 13yo cousin went outside to play, while Ben and his older cousin and I sat down in the dining room to tackle algebra for an hour and a half. My two older girls would usually go off to their rooms at this point to work on their own academics and reading and art and such -- they are almost completely independent learners. However, Shannon was distracted by the kitties and took them to her room to cuddle, and Deedee went outside to help Jim paint his Awana Grand Prix car -- he wanted it to look just like a giraffe. ;-)

After Algebra, the boys played "Civilization" for 20 minutes or so (since Ben can't play outside at the moment due to the fact that he cut his hand with the saw a few days ago, and I don't want him getting it dirty....). After their break, the older boys called in the others, and we did our weekly unit study in American History. We are, as mentioned above, currently at the War of 1812 and finding it all very interesting. The kids shared their artwork and stories and maps and such, and then we discussed Tecumseh and W.H. Harrison and Napoleon and the British and Washington D.C. burning and generally had a great time. During this time, Shannon was playing outside with Audrey and Megan, and Deedee had been picked up by a friend to go back to the college for a choir practice.

4 pm! Plans for a Pampered Chef party for last night fell through when the hostess called to say the "party lady" had a family medical emergency, so the show was cancelled. My aunt arrived to pick up her boys, and I watered the liquid amber trees as the kids rode bikes and/or played with the kitties. At 4:30 pm, I went over to the college and grabbed Deedee and her best friend, dropped them at home so they could make some quick burritos, and then went to pick up Caiti from her job. I had Megan and Audrey, of course, and they enjoy running these late afternoon chauffeur trips with me. I bring them a snack, and we listen to K-Love (a Christian music radio station), and we usually stop and get a raspberry tea or an Italian soda somewhere along the route...

When I dropped Caiti at home, I asked her to put some water on to boil, and I took Shannon to her ballet class and Deedee and her friend to their Orchestra Dress Rehearsal for this weekend's performance.... Then I brought the little girls home and made some spaghetti. It was about 6:15 pm at that point...

Ok, I'll have to update the rest of this later when I have a little more time. ;-)


Blessings,

Kim