I’m going to time myself to see how fast I can write this out. It has been a busy day, partly because I am trying to keep the little ones off the computer and keep myself off too. Their daily routine changes when there is no computer time so it’s a bit difficult for everyone and right now, I have a headache!
7 am
- I was awake and busying myself around the house. SO tempted to get on the computer since I fell asleep last night before I got a chance to spend any time on there. But I didn’t! Aidan and Kieron were up at the same time as me.
8:30
- Making breakfast, household chores (everyone)
- Sean wanted to do his math so we worked on it while I flipped pancakes etc.
- Phone rang — I talked to a friend for a few minutes, meanwhile helping Sean by hand signs : )
10 am
- I gave Ides of April to Sean since it fits in with the early church time period he is studying (well, it’s a little before but that’s all right, I guess).
- I worked on Bible History with Kieron and then we started Famous Romans (I think that’s the name but don’t have time to search right now). He looked at the map. He asks very good questions and we talked about what a peninsula was. Tomorrow I will try to find a bigger map so he can see Italy in the world perspective.
- Meanwhile, Paddy was bouncing around, still tired, wanting to rest on the bed and read.
- Aidan was on the bed “reading” to himself.
- Clare came out of her room and fixed herself breakfast. She usually works in her room for a little while before she comes out.
11 am
- I read to Aidan and then to Paddy. Aidan didn’t like Paddy’s pick of books, I guess, and had a meltdown, and went into my walk-in closet to get away from all of us.
- To cheer Aidan up, I gave him a bath and told him we could go outside. I am trying to get out more often.
- Meanwhile S, K, P were wrestling on my bed and K & P played with Legos for a while.
- I got another phone call (from my mother in law) and then made a phone call, to make sure Aidan’s meds are at the pharmacy since Kevin is going into town to run errands and pick them up.
noon
- It took forever to get us all ready to go outside, partly because I was trying to rush around doing little household jobs like get the laundry in.
- Then we went out and they sledded on the driveway — Sean too, and then Clare came out just as I went back in to help Aidan make himself something for lunch.
- Then we had lunch.
- Kevin was getting ready to go to town so I got the shopping list. He asked Sean to go with him.
- I made a protein smoothie for Sean and Brendan, who was up and around by now.
1 pm
- I read some more to Paddy. No computer translates into more reading time for him.
- Kieron and Clare convinced me to let them watch Junior G-men of the Air, since it is our tradition to watch a video when Dad goes somewhere. What was I thinking!
- 2 pm
- Aidan brought 2 oranges upstairs for me to peel for him and Paddy had some too. Paddy and I played a rhyming story game.
- Kieron and Clare hung up laundry.
- Paddy watched a bit of Jr G-men, and I tried to say my Angelus — rather late in the day! and then fell asleep for about 15 minutes. I woke up to Aidan crawling on me. He found his Handwriting without Tears book and wanted to work on it. I couldn’t bear to let him do it on his own, so I helped him…. then Paddy came and wanted to get in on it. That was not working for us at all.
4 pm
- The little ones were both stressed and aggravating each other. I dumped a basket of toys I rotated out from a hidden place, to try to keep Paddy busy. He wasn’t into it then but is having a great time now with them.
- I told Aidan we could make a cake. Sigh!
- So I made one with him. Kieron just got it out of the oven a minute ago.
- Then the little ones had chili and granola and the mood changed quite a bit.
- Clare took a bath.
- Kieron and Brendan read books.
- The ambience is much calmer now, though I’m still in a rush because I can see the house is getting trashed and I don’t want to be on the computer too much today.
- Kieron got on the computer for a few minutes and did his Latin and Math Quia
- That brings us up to the present moment. Looks like I spent 20 minutes writing this!
I see that afternoons are a trouble spot. Partly because I’m wiped out by then…. need a nap, but the little ones are ready for Mom time and are also a little bit tense by that time. Maybe saving some particular toys for that time period would help.
Also, we didn’t get to everything that was on my list. Kieron didn’t really do math. The Bible History went well though. I’m thinking of putting math FIRST on the order of things after breakfast, just so we get to it. Everything else seems to happen more spontaneously around here.
