A Day in the life of ME

A look at yesterday, a day as ordinary as they get:

5:00~ Alarm buzzes. I bang the SNOOZE and curl into Matt. Just a few more minutes.

5:30-6:00~ Get out of bed. Brrrr. Matt gets dressed, starts the fire, does chores, and heads to work. I kiss him goodbye three times. And then once more. I make myself a cup of Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea. I sit on the couch under a blanket and read. Corynn comes down and reads also. She makes tea using my teabag and thinks it a great secret.

6:45~ Children stir and make their way downstairs. Except the baby, who cries for me to get him. Andrew asks to learn to make scrambled eggs. So he makes them today. With toast and bananas. We pray the Lord's prayer together. I eat cottage cheese for breakfast and a few spoons of yogurt.

7:45~ Corynn decides to compile a riddle book using riddles from her Spelling Workout books so she sets to work. I have a hard time interrupting productive and creative pursuits in the name of 'schooling' because they too, are educational moments. I make a to-do list for the day:

• send card to friend who is having surgery
• mail two bills and Netflix
• Put away laundry (five baskets worth)
• Make trailmix
  
• wash sheets and re-make Adele's bed (SOMEONE had an accident)
• inventory clothes for a friend

I notice that Judah is waving around a sharp knife and run to take it away. He has pushed a stool to the dish drainer and gotten into the clean silverwear. Again.

8:30~ The children make a living-room size tent~ the kind that uses every square inch, every toy, every blanket, and every piece of furniture available. Read: A BIG MESS.

9:00~ They tidy up the tent and we begin 'formal' schooling. Corynn works on spelling while I work with Andrew on Phonics/reading/writing. Adele' wants to join in so I set her to work tracing lines and coloring pictures.

9:15~ Judah spills my drink and I clean it up. I throw wood on the fire.

10:00~ Corynn begins math. Andrew does some counting/number work. I throw a load of laundry into the washing machine and come back to find that Judah has drawn all over the table with a marker. I thank God for the inventor of washable markers.

11:00~ I read about The Great Composers. Corynn is still working on Math but she has eagle ears. I read a few childrens' stories for Judah and Adele' but I always catch the older two listening too.

11:30~ Andrew and Adele' play together upstairs in the Boys Room. I work on some Grammar with Corynn. I am so far behind in Grammar.

11:45-12:30~ I make lunch. Peanut Butter and Jelly for the children. Each of us prays in turn~ I start, Adele' finishes. While they eat, I read the Bible and discuss what we read and review what we have BEEN reading.

12:30- 2:30~ all the children have rest time. The older ones read, the younger ones sleep. I fix myself a party, take a picture, and blog it. I read a few blogs. I go downstairs and get my rear in gear with Jillian. I hate her. I nearly die. I throw wood on the fire-my legs are shaky. I crochet a bit.

2:45~ Snack time for the children! Trailmix and oranges. The children play for a while.

3:30-4:45~Time for History! Everyone loves history. I read half the chapter and notice that Judah has gotten into the babywipes and pulled every single one out and scattered them throughout the living room. I clean them up and finish reading. The children work together on making a diorama of Beowulf and Grendel.

Matt comes home! SURPRISE! He is usually MUCH later! He heads outside for a walk in the woods.

5:00~ I start supper. Put the wash in the dryer. Head upstairs to put away the laundry. I take Judah with me because a boy who loves to push stools up to places and then investigate is not a good one to leave alone in the kitchen while pots are on the stove. The two older ones go outside to find Papa. Evening chores are done. Adele' plays with playdoh.

5:30-6:45~ Add more wood to the fire. Judah falls backward on the stairs. Only TWO stairs worth of a fall-we are getting better! Corynn sets the table. Matt puts on Mozart. Dinner is served: Ziti Parm and pork tenderloin (we had the pork the night before too), broccoli, applesauce and homemade bread (made the other day).

6:50~ Andrew clears the table. Matt steps right up to the sink to wash the dinner dishes (okay-this was NOT ordinary...but SO VERY PLEASANT A SURPRISE!) and so I take that opportunity to sweep the kitchen and dining room. The children play.

7:00~ I go to the bathroom and, while I am there, clean the toilet.

7:15~ Everyone is waiting for me in the living room for family devotions. But first~ surgery. Andrew gets a huge sliver in his foot. I intend to knit while Matt reads but Andrew asks for me to sit by him. I do. We pray. We quiz. We laugh. We don't sing tonight, but we often do.

7:45~ Matt turns into a bull and starts butting the children. This is one of their favorite games. I know it gets serious when I have to hold Matt's glasses. Then Matt gets out a knot book and tries a few knots.

8:00~ Children get ready for bed. It takes forever. As usual. Matt tucks them in, this night.

8:15~ Matt gets his great-grandfathers diary and reads the entry for today. He gets out our Hopestead Journal and writes in it. Someday maybe our great-grandchildren will read ours.

8:30~ Matt has more work to do for work so he gets out his laptop. I sit next to him and do my own computer "work" har, har. Eventually, I get tired so I head up to bed. But then I remember I have to renew library books so I hop on the computer again and do that. I check on all the children which involves, covering them up tight and stroking their cheek with my finger and then hop into my FREEZING cold bed. I realize I didn't accomplish everything on my to-do list. I never do.

I start writing a letter.

When Matt comes to bed it is 9:45 and he catches up with the doings of Cpt. Jack Aubrey and I catch up with Abigail Adams. I can't recall what time it is we actually turn in, but I do recall how much warmer it is under the covers when there are two instead of one. Even still, I sleep with socks on.

And that is an ordinary day around here. If there is such a thing.