Here’s a peek into my day…
It started with chocolate chip scones (for the kids, that is). I made some the night before for my husband who every now and then, gets a hankering for these. The kids were very grateful he left some for them to eat the next morning. (I regularly bake in the evening and leave a portion for breakfast on the counter in a sealed container for the children to find the next morning.) We aren’t morning people, so they all just straggled into the kitchen to find their own breakfast, and then started on their morning chores.
After I had my breakfast, I made Vitamin B water and some orange iced tea. The Vitamin Water contains lots of great fruit and has become my favorite way to get my water in for the day – something I sorely need. As it runs low, I fill it up from the Berkey. It does take a few hours to “steep”, but it is so worth it! (note: we reuse the fruit for several days)
The orange iced tea is something I learned from a convenience store near a home we lived in several years ago. Every morning, they would put out a huge glass container with iced tea and oranges. It was the most wonderful tea in the world, and we started making our own at home. I squeeze a couple of slices into the pitcher and throw it in the fridge.
From there, we started out the school day sitting around the dining room table doing our PictureSmart Bible.
This is something we do 1 day every other week. It takes a while to do, but we all really enjoy it. The other days of the week, we start out with this story Bible. They always beg me to read more – and I always oblige.
Next, I did the ABC series from Rod & Staff with my 4 and 6 year old boys. I find myself reminiscing a lot as I sit on the floor alongside them and work through the pages. I’ve been doing this series with my little ones since my oldest was 4, so I have fond memories of these fleeting times.
My 9 year old is learning his times tables, so he loaded the YouTube Kids app on my cell phone and watched several multiplication shows to help him. My 14 year old spent the morning on her math, science and Sign Language. On my morning rounds through the children, I caught her sketching, and had to redirect her. There’s time for that later in the day. The finished product… My 17 year old is preparing for a Man Trip camping and hiking at 11,000 feet with his dad and some old friends of ours, so his morning consisted of setting up a new 2-man tent, and getting it waterproofed. He also managed to squeeze in some Chemistry, math, and blogging before lunch. Lunch was sandwiches. The children had their sandwiches on hamburger buns because I bought too many for a cook out we went to. My lunch was rye bread and cheese with a square of dark chocolate. The children did their Table Chores, and threw in another load of laundry, while I took a moment to downloaded some more of the Photography Bundle that ends today. After I got that going, I prepared for an afternoon of Tapestry of Grace lessons. My 10 year old daughter had been hurrying me along all morning because we are studying Victorian England, and she has declared history to be her favorite subject. (Actually, most of my children would say history is their favorite subject!) I started with a lovely link from Jane Austen’s World blog on what the servant’s quarters would have been like. We looked over blueprints of Victorian homes, watched an episode of Manor House (viewer discretion advised on this), and I printed off Victorian paper dolls for my 10 year old. I also printed off coloring pages of Queen Victoria, but we didn’t get to that. We ended with tea and Chopin. To see more of what we are doing in Year 3 of Tapestry of Grace, click on the Pinterest board below: Follow Amy Roberts {Raising Arrows}’s board Tapestry of Grace Year 3 on Pinterest.
After school, the air-conditioning guys showed up. Only half of our house was cool. Here’s why:
Thankfully, it’s been fairly cool here due to lots of rain and overcast skies, so we haven’t been cooling the attic for too long. *sigh*
The rain has made moss grow in the streets and flooded a lot of areas, but I have enjoyed the coolness it brings.
For supper, I made a very quick meal called Meatball Gravy. It consists of sautéed onions and turkey meatballs from Aldi, covered in brown gravy, spooned over noodles. It was a hit, and I was thankful for an easy meal after a busy day of schooling.
That evening after the children were in bed, I ordered some squeaky shoes from Zulily for the toddler (he’s hard to find at times!), and placed an Amazon order. Here are a few of the things I ordered:
You guys must have bought out all the Seeking Health B vitamins I recommended a couple of months ago! This was recommended to me as a possible alternative, so I decided to purchase them – so far, so good.
We bought some of this coconut milk creamer in Colorado recently, and loved it! It’s only 10 calories per Tablespoon and a much better alternative to my beloved coffee creamer.
We needed some new HDMI cables to hook our computers up to our television. This is the main way we watch movies and our old cables were shot.
Ty and I sat up talking over our day and the day to follow, then I took a warm bath and headed to bed. Just another day in my world – Raising Arrows.
Would you like me to periodically share my day here? Let me know in the comments section!
Rébecca says
Yes! I love reading what other homeschooling mamas do during their day. Although it often leaves me with many questions because, obviously, everything can’t be recorded (like, when did she find time to nurse the baby?)
Amy says
I will try to take into account the questions posted and add in more about that in the next installment. 🙂
Tracey says
I really enjoy these posts where you give readers a peak into your day!
Lisa says
I also enjoy this style of posts. It was a fun read to start my morning!
Andrea says
Yes, please share your day regularly! Fun, I laughed out loud at the schooling with fake rats caption and the toddler is hard to find at times comment. Could you also share what time you go to bed? You personally, as I am struggling with that stay up late and get things done or get up early, trying to do both and that isn’t going to work for long!
Amy says
Hmmmm…I am a night owl and always have been. I’m never in bed before midnight. 😉
Nikki says
Wow! I am not the only one who does that?
Melissa says
Thank you for this type of post. I love reading it! Best wishes from fellow Homeschoolers.
Suanna says
Thanks for the peek into your day! I’m glad I’m not the only one who has a child to redirect occasionally during school. I like the evening baking idea, it seems like baking much has been put on the back burner, with good intentions. I usually head to bed around 10:30, but would have plenty of time to bake something at least once a week. Right now we are on break from most school as we await the arrival of our new little ones and visit with my Dad and Mom.
jody says
I love hearing about your day!
Marybeth Ferrie says
Thank you for sharing and YES please keep doing so…it is very helpful, when you feel like a lone wolf homeschooler ,to hear the way others order their days.
LORD bless you,
Marybeth
Amanda says
Thank you for mentioning about the vitamin water. Only this weekend gone I said to myself that I wanted to start taking something like this to work during the week, but I wasn’t sure how to go about making it. Now here you are talking about it and there is a recipe too!
Yes, I enjoy reading about how you fulfill your day.
Amy M says
That sounds like a wonderful (busy) day! I’m just at the beginning of the childrearing journey, so right now I’m at a stage of loving toddler-dom and trying to map out a rough plan for setting up a homeschool.
Patsy Staub says
Amy,
I LOVE reading about what a day looks like in your home! I get some great ideas and I love the way it seems to connect us somehow. You seem like someone that I would love to hang out with!!!
Patsy
Gwen says
Yes, that would be interesting to hear, and also, thank you for mentioning the picture smart Bible – it looks like something our family would enjoy 🙂
Pat Morse says
Amy
Another quick meatball recipe. Heat jam or jelly with Heinz chili sauce. Equal amounts of jelly and chili sauce, depending on how many you want to feed. Add meatballs and stir together. Then serve over rice. I usually use grape jelly but my husband likes it with blackberry jam. When feeding a crowd I use a whole jar of chili sauce (12oz) and the same amount of jelly.
Loved reading about your day.
Audrey says
My little ones have those same Rod & Staff workbooks! So cute to see your little boy thinking so hard. Yes I would love to read more “day in the life” of your family. Very fun, thank you!
Nikki says
I LOVED reading about your day. I think you should blog them OFTEN! 🙂
Dana says
I loved reading about your day! As a new homeschooling mom, it’s really helpful to read of an example of how you school multiple children during the day. I’m already wondering how that will go next year with just kindergarten and preschool to do – along with all the other work of our household.
Isabel says
Same here,Dana! We’re in the exact same boat, and this blog gives me hope and inspiration 🙂
Alissa says
I love to get a glimpse of other’s days! Also, what kind of things do you use to teach your children sign language? I want to start doing that with my children this year, but don’t really know where to start with it. Thanks!
Isabel says
I was wondering the same thing! My oldest is in Kindergarten but he’s really into learning SL 🙂
Amy says
She got started with ASL by taking a class at a local church from a Deaf woman. I highly recommend this way of learning. There are a couple of things you can try – find a church that has either an interpreter or a deaf service and attend and then ask the interpreters is they would teach. Or look into iTalki – it’s an online class with a real teacher via Skype. The only problem you may in encounter is a bad connection on Skype. You really need to have interaction with sigh language, and that comes from signing WITH people. My daughter also attends a Deaf Coffee every week and a Silent Supper every month to work on her skills.
Isabel says
Thank you so much for sharing! I greatly enjoyed reading what a day in your home is like. Feel free to do posts like these anytime! They edify the Lord and give us readers encouragement. God bless!
Peta says
Hi Amy,
I’m from Australia, I enjoy reading your blog and check it regularly. I’m very interested in what you get up to on a daily basis, so thanks for sharing. I’m writing a blog to but struggle with being inconsistent, I only post every month or so, any tips for me? Blessings,
Peta – mum, of two boys and two girls, 5,4,2, and 10 months. I began home educating my 5 year old this term too 🙂
Leah says
Yes, I would love to read about your day. I love the way that you have always reflected Homeschooling, not just as a certain time of the day, but as a lifestyle. I’m still learning, but it’s awesome to have women like you to learn from. 🙂
Katherine says
Yes, please! Absolutely enjoyed reading this and even got ideas for my home schooling kids.
Thanks for sharing your day! More please! Cheers!
Corli says
Love to hear how your family’s days go!
Kim says
I saw you mentioned Tapestry of Grace. Is that something you’ll continue with? I would love to do it but am nervous about how to fit in all rhetoric discussions!
Amy says
We really enjoy TOG, but we do not use it the way many people do. I hope to some day write a post about it so others can see how we do it. 🙂
Sherry says
Thank you for the peek into your day! I’d love to see you do these when you can….a great way to have perspective about what is important and what it looks like in the day to day of real life 🙂