How We Do Mornings

So, Vitafamiliae is starting a series on Tuesdays called, "How we do..."  I thought I would join in, if anything, to record what our life looks like now so we can laugh about it later.

I'm a week behind.  Nevertheless, I'm here.

Last week, she posted on how she does mornings.  And here is our take on mornings.

I am usually up around 6:30 or sooner.  The sooner being if Malachi is standing at his baby gate whispering for daddy.  Daddy, however, is out the door early in the morning before the crew gets up.  It's not fun not having daddy home in the mornings, but he has a long commute and we decided early on in our parentage that we would much rather the kids see him in the evenings and get a longer uninterrupted time with him than for an hour or two in the mornings or an hour or two in the evenings (FYI, his job is flexible enough that he could go in later, come home later if that's what he wanted...cool job.  I know).

So, I'm usually up and at 'em and well on my way to preparing breakfast as the kids get up around 7.  Breakfast is usually different every day of the week.  We changed our diet about seven years ago and with that change, we added a more substantial breakfast to it.  Usually, we have muffins (from scratch), biscuits, or something relatively healthy with a protein.  Since we are usually up late on Wednesdays (church), Thursdays are cereal day.  The day I took pictures however, was a Wednesday.  Wednesdays are Awana.  Not a big deal, except that Malachi woke up at 6.  That's not good for a little one who has to take one nap and be up until much later.  So, I rocked him.  For almost two hours.  And he slept in my arms and was content.  And I snuggled close while Emmie kicked the fool out of him for invading her space.  It was nothing short of sweetness.  Because of all that, we got a late start which led to that day being a cereal day.  Flexibility is the key my friends.

Once breakfast is out on the table and kids are dressed (very important in our house...otherwise they spend two to three hours getting dressed after breakfast), we sit down and eat.  Then, we have a bit of school to start the morning off.

We always start with our Biblical worldview course (found this from Apologia and am thoroughly enjoying getting the basics of what we believe and why set up) and then either History or Science.  I read and we discus.  Sometimes it's a lot of discussion and sometimes it's a lot of correction on how to sit and listen.  The kids have Science journals, worldview journals, and History worksheets that they can work on while I read.

Zoe didn't realized I was trying to get action shots of her working.

After breakfast and Table Time, we do our chores.  Chores are set up on our chore chart and I have dreams that one day the children will do them without having to be reminded a 100 times.  One can dream, can't they?

Our morning chore chart.  Sometimes it's just the basics (sweep, wash dishes) and others it's this.

Anyway, after chores, and general grooming...teeth brushing, hair brushing, changing a diaper...the kids sit down for school.  It takes me a good two to three months to get in to a routine for the new school year (especially since we keep adding a kid a year or so), but what works this year is that I do math drills with those that need it (usually, Ace, Liam, and Josiah) and then work on or go over school with Zoe and Ace.  Ceili Rain and I can usually get in some flashcard practice or crtical thinking sheets in the morning too.  I work with Josiah and Liam in the afternoons.

Some days it's easy peasy like this...others...well, it looks like this:

Just a note, this picture was taken Monday after a week of trying to heal from "the virus."  It was a tough day all around.