This is the Life
We all get up between 6:30 and 7:00. Ben is usually the first one up. He goes into the game room and plays relatively quietly until we're ready to go downstairs.
The kids do some morning chores before breakfast - they throw their laundry down the chute, Livvy starts a load of laundry or empties the dryer from the day before, and the boys empty the dishwasher - or at least that's the goal.
We all sit down to eat breakfast together. Tom reads the Bible (most days - he's getting better. Thank you my love!!).
When it's time for him to go to work, he walks around the table and gives everybody hugs and kisses. The kids follow him out and race him on their bikes as he drives off to work. After some wrangling, I get everybody back to the table to finish their food and do the rest of their morning chores. Everybody has their table chores to do and put away their clean clothes.
Jon has a habit of bugging Livvy as she's trying to get the laundry done - she picks him up and carries him to different rooms to get him out of the way...he walks right back (did I mention Jon started walking - while we were at the homeschooling convention, little booger!). Finally it's 9am and he's laid down for his morning nap.
The kids and I sit down and do our "Bible Time". Some times we sing a couple of songs, some times we go over verses we're memorizing, and some times we discuss the current Bible curriculum. All the time we try to focus on God's word and how it applies to our daily lives. Today we talk about God giving us armor to help us pull weeds and plant fruit of the Spirit. The big kids help Ben get suited up in his Armor of God costume that he got for his birthday.
We mosey into the school room to get a little something done. I teach Livvy 4 new cursive letters while Sammy does a page from his Kumon cutting book. Ben dumps coffee beans onto a tray to play with the construction trucks; many beans fall to the floor.
We have to eat lunch early because we have errands to run so I tell the kids to clean up. Livvy and Sammy at least attempt a show of cleaning up before running off to eat their lunch.
Ben is daunted by the task of picking up all of the coffee beans off of the floor and decides he can't do it. I try to encourage him. I discipline him. I tell him that worship and worry can't occupy the same heart (in little boy words of course) and tell him to think of things that he can thank God for while he's picking up. He mutters several times under his breath, "Thank you for nothing, God." Finally, after letting him know that he doesn't get lunch until the beans are picked up and that if he doesn't finish lunch before we leave he won't be able to eat anything else until we get back home and the beans are picked up (basically no food until the beans are picked up and we're home) he picks them up. He's smiling by the end.
While we're driving around doing our errands, the kids talk. Somehow the subject of balloons comes up, which leads to letting balloons go for Noah's birthday, which leads to, "How old is Noah?" I tell them that he would have been two. They correct me and ask again, "How old is Noah?" I comply and tell them that he is two years old. With a big smile on his face Ben says, "Noah's grwowing."
When we get home, Livvy plops on the couch and picks up anything to read. Sammy heads out back to catch grasshoppers, and Ben heads out front to ride his bike. Jon plays by the open front door, opening and closing it. I make dinner.
Tom comes home and we all sit down to eat together. There's chatter back and forth. Sometimes it feels like a loud game of ping pong taking place at the table - it gets a little overwhelming at times. When the noise level reaches max or the frustration level rises and the kids are being too silly, Tom and I look at each other and laugh - what else can we do?
After dinner the kids head outside. The weather is perfect and they easily get into a good groove. Pretty soon we're all outside, or at least heading that way. Tom and Ben are in the garage cutting the lattice for the sugar snap peas. Sammy is hunting grasshoppers again, the flying ones with red wings to be specific. Livvy is playing restaurant, or house, with weeds and dirt. Jon is trying to walk around, but his mama forgot to put shoes on him, so he's kinda pussy-footing it.
After pulling some weeds in the garden, I grab my camera and track down the kids. I don't want to forget this. This is the good stuff. This is why we homeschool. This is why we keep our nights free from outside activities. This is the life! I love doing life with these people! We are blessed!!
The kids do some morning chores before breakfast - they throw their laundry down the chute, Livvy starts a load of laundry or empties the dryer from the day before, and the boys empty the dishwasher - or at least that's the goal.
We all sit down to eat breakfast together. Tom reads the Bible (most days - he's getting better. Thank you my love!!).
When it's time for him to go to work, he walks around the table and gives everybody hugs and kisses. The kids follow him out and race him on their bikes as he drives off to work. After some wrangling, I get everybody back to the table to finish their food and do the rest of their morning chores. Everybody has their table chores to do and put away their clean clothes.
Jon has a habit of bugging Livvy as she's trying to get the laundry done - she picks him up and carries him to different rooms to get him out of the way...he walks right back (did I mention Jon started walking - while we were at the homeschooling convention, little booger!). Finally it's 9am and he's laid down for his morning nap.
The kids and I sit down and do our "Bible Time". Some times we sing a couple of songs, some times we go over verses we're memorizing, and some times we discuss the current Bible curriculum. All the time we try to focus on God's word and how it applies to our daily lives. Today we talk about God giving us armor to help us pull weeds and plant fruit of the Spirit. The big kids help Ben get suited up in his Armor of God costume that he got for his birthday.
We mosey into the school room to get a little something done. I teach Livvy 4 new cursive letters while Sammy does a page from his Kumon cutting book. Ben dumps coffee beans onto a tray to play with the construction trucks; many beans fall to the floor.
We have to eat lunch early because we have errands to run so I tell the kids to clean up. Livvy and Sammy at least attempt a show of cleaning up before running off to eat their lunch.
Ben is daunted by the task of picking up all of the coffee beans off of the floor and decides he can't do it. I try to encourage him. I discipline him. I tell him that worship and worry can't occupy the same heart (in little boy words of course) and tell him to think of things that he can thank God for while he's picking up. He mutters several times under his breath, "Thank you for nothing, God." Finally, after letting him know that he doesn't get lunch until the beans are picked up and that if he doesn't finish lunch before we leave he won't be able to eat anything else until we get back home and the beans are picked up (basically no food until the beans are picked up and we're home) he picks them up. He's smiling by the end.
While we're driving around doing our errands, the kids talk. Somehow the subject of balloons comes up, which leads to letting balloons go for Noah's birthday, which leads to, "How old is Noah?" I tell them that he would have been two. They correct me and ask again, "How old is Noah?" I comply and tell them that he is two years old. With a big smile on his face Ben says, "Noah's grwowing."
When we get home, Livvy plops on the couch and picks up anything to read. Sammy heads out back to catch grasshoppers, and Ben heads out front to ride his bike. Jon plays by the open front door, opening and closing it. I make dinner.
Tom comes home and we all sit down to eat together. There's chatter back and forth. Sometimes it feels like a loud game of ping pong taking place at the table - it gets a little overwhelming at times. When the noise level reaches max or the frustration level rises and the kids are being too silly, Tom and I look at each other and laugh - what else can we do?
After dinner the kids head outside. The weather is perfect and they easily get into a good groove. Pretty soon we're all outside, or at least heading that way. Tom and Ben are in the garage cutting the lattice for the sugar snap peas. Sammy is hunting grasshoppers again, the flying ones with red wings to be specific. Livvy is playing restaurant, or house, with weeds and dirt. Jon is trying to walk around, but his mama forgot to put shoes on him, so he's kinda pussy-footing it.
After pulling some weeds in the garden, I grab my camera and track down the kids. I don't want to forget this. This is the good stuff. This is why we homeschool. This is why we keep our nights free from outside activities. This is the life! I love doing life with these people! We are blessed!!
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