A Typical* School Week

*Typical as in this is how it is supposed to work on week's when there is nothing else going on...

School is different this year than in year's past (every year is different but this one seems really different). Rush started high school so he has a more structured curriculum but only 4-6 subjects per semester. Because he has more independent work I'm moving everyone to work independently. It really has made my job easier but it doesn't seem like as much fun. For the last 7 years we've used Sonlight Curriculum and I love the living book approach to history and language and science. This year Rush is doing composition, WA State History, math, general science, and PE. The history and science courses give us the opportunity for plenty of field trips. Everyone else is doing Pathways Reading, Math-U-See, Italics, Apples spelling, and Bible. For science I work with what they need to complete in their scout books and fill in with videos, books, and field trips. I'm missing the read aloud time but haven't figured out when or where to work it into our day.

The morning is supposed to start with them getting up, dressed, make their bed, eat breakfast, and do their chores without being reminded. That hardly ever happens. By 9 we usually are ready to start school. They work all morning, we eat lunch when everyone is done, sometimes lunch is very late. When Jonah and Tovah are done they go downstairs for music and art with Grandma. Jonah is learning to play the piano and Tovah is working on the piano, fiddle, and cello. Then she's ready to paint or embroider or just have a tea party. I've learned to stay close and available for help, if they have to look for me then they get distracted and find something else to do that seems better than their school work.

After lunch we have time for Boy Scout projects or cooking projects or everyone just scatters to do their own thing. We have lots of afternoon and evening activities this year: Monday is Cub Scouts and I go to knitting if Ryan doesn't work that night, Tuesday Tovah had soccer, Wednesday we head to town around 3 to go to the library and start dinner at church for AllStars, Thursday Rush and Arin had a writing class and we have Boy Scouts, Friday is CAST (ChristiAn Student Theatre) rehearsals. Saturdays we have to stay quiet so Ryan can sleep but this fall we had lots of Scout activities and we were gone most Saturdays. Sunday is church. Saturday night after Ryan leaves for work seems to be our down time.

Like I said, this year with Rush doing WA State History there are a lot of field trip opportunities. I don't mind going and doing something every other week or so, it keeps me from getting cabin fever. This winter we'll have a couple of weeks of swim lessons and 3 or 4 of the kids want to play baseball in the spring so we'll have to rework our schedule to accommodate practices and games. Isaac is also hoping to be in Chess Club again.