{photos by Kate Scott}
We are back with another fabulous “Day in the Life” from one of our SLOCA families! This one comes from the home of Mike and Kate Scott – let’s get right to it:
Wednesday, January 22 at the Scott house
A Snippet: In the Scott house, there lives a half-crazy momma, one hard-working daddy, three boys & a really hairy dog named Wookie. We have one Upper Middle Schooler, one Lower Middle Schooler, & one Intermediate… all on Track B. This is our 8th year at this really really great school. Each of our boys began in Kindergarten at SLOCA & we have been hooked ever since.
Preamble to the day: Our boys are playing in soccer tournaments for the majority of the weekend. Hence little homework was done over the weekend. Monday was not a fabulous homeschool day – mom had a medical appointment for my aging dad, dog had a vet appointment for the stubborn ear infection. So, we are in serious need of completed work!
5:45am
Ballet barre class begins… without me… I’m sleeping.
7 am
Hit the snooze button. All the kids are out cold.
7:05 am
Realization: I have to be at work at 7:45. Make coffee & get ready.
7:30 am
Leave for work. Kids & dog still out cold.
7:45-8:45 am
Play with sweet baby & her family… I’m a pediatric physical therapist.
9 am
Home… 2 kids up, watching movie. They have conveniently forgotten the “no movies until your homework is done” rule. Kid #3 emerges from his stupor. Bagels/cereal with kids, start yesterday’s dishes, give meds to the dog. Start laundry. Call the husband on business trip… ”I miss you!!”
9:30 am
Go over day’s schedule… this is really important. Otherwise the kids imagine they have days & days to finish their work. Ack!! No math grid in my school binder for my Intermediate kiddo… and somehow I have angered Google Drive & it won’t print. We write down the assignment & move on.
Toothbrushing & chores also happened here.
10:30 am
Everyone does Math…
The LMS-er had a glitch in his math brain during a word problem so we busted out the Cuisenaire Rods which helped but didn’t quite clear the glitch. We got out the meter stick & measured out the amounts of the multiplication problem… this was super helpful for him to actually SEE the numbers. As we were on the floor… I got to watch one of the dog’s hairballs drift by… ah… the things that will have to wait until tomorrow!
For the Intermediate & UMS kiddos… I helped a little, then stepped away. Then helped a little more.
11 am
Dog barking & running towards innocent bystanders on our street… leading to conversation about dog handling & not assuming someone else is handling an issue.
11:15 am
LOTS of staring out the window & stealthily migrating towards the music instruments. I really love hearing my boys play, but they would really play for the entirety of the day so…. we revisited the schedule – the reality of the day passing & work undone. The Intermediate student is mad about school… life is terrible, can’t decide on what to do for his Greek Myths Packet, & he would really rather just play guitar or soccer or blocks. Attitude repaired by some hot chocolate. We have just a few minutes until music lessons! I pack our car lunch & reading for music lessons. Phone call from the husband on business trip… he wants to chat & I’m in “Ahhh” mode… getting ready for music/finishing AM school.
Noon
Leave for music lessons… boys split a 60 min. lesson… 20 min each.
We have picnic lunch in the car: hot dogs from TJ’s, Edamame, lettuce, carrots/hummus, & berries. While the UMS kiddo is gone, we read history reading specific to Intermediate, and so forth. Must, must, must read Black Ships together… there will be sadness and calamity if this is not so. Chat about ideas for Greek Myths Packet on the ride home for the Intermediate kiddo (yes, the one that was due last week).
1:30 pm
Get back from music. Wide open space for little boys… running, pogo stick, soccer, skateboard, various scooters, etc. General testosterone release!!! Mom does laundry for the cooking class at school, & washes more dishes from yesterday. Victory!! Dishwasher loaded!!!
2-4pm
UMS/LMS writing. Intermediate works on his Greek Myths Packet (GMP)… making progress… hooray!! Kids take music or ruckus breaks when the brain cells are fried. Snacks are consumed when the bellies grumble.
Pull out Art book for GMP & find old letter… take a moment to be thankful.
Dinner prep: brown the Rice with Orzo from TJ’s (boys have dubbed “awesome rice”), measure out the water for rice, prep baking dish with salmon/butter/lemon. Preset oven to preheat at 5:30.
4-4:30 pm
Leave for Karate. The LMS tells us he wishes he were back in Kindergarten. We reminisce about all the books we read/outing went on, paintings we did… such special memories!
4:30 pm
Karate/errands. Hug my boys!!
4:45-5pm
Latin with UMS, GMP with Intermediate. Phone call with the aging parents. Phone call from the husband to plot navigating tomorrow’s carpool/work/soccer practices with a car in the shop.
5:45 pm
Make dinner, more dishes.
6:15 pm
Spelling with LMS (he points out flaws he’s learned from IEW from the dictation section of All About Spelling)
6:30 pm
Eat the dinner!! Mom reads Black Ships Before Troy after she finishes… while the kids are still eating. Love love love the rich wording. Kids are sucked in.
7:30 pm
Dinner clean-up while kids finish writing assignments, GMP. Victory again!! Dishwasher loaded… again!!! Spelling with Int. Daddy comes home from business trip… reads history readings with LMS & Int.
8:30 pm
Toothbrushing/get backpacks ready for school.
9:-9:30 pm
UMS still working on writing assignment… LMS/Int reading in bed by flashlight. Daddy snoring. Mom snuggles with kids… time with each kiddo. Mom preps for work tomorrow.
9:30-11:30 pm
Mom writes report for work.
Thoughts on the day: This was a full day, and so many things didn’t get done. My sink needs cleaning and that Wookie hairball has a friend lurking under the counter. It’s so very challenging to figure out which things win for the day and which things wait for tomorrow. If my little boy is running out of brain cells… which is more important… the spelling lesson or reading the literature for the day. I so appreciate our school’s emphasis on a love of learning, character, and family. I love that our whole family can have an insightful conversation about an Ancient Greek war and the fact that yogurt is bacteria pee. I went to bed tired, but it was a day spent doing the things of lasting value… reading great literature, using the teachable moments, taking time to hug my kids. I have a little chalk-board reminder in my kitchen…”cherish every moment.” I’m sure I missed a few, but I sure enjoyed the ones I caught.
Thank you Kate – wow, you are one busy momma! We are so encouraged by your words to cherish every moment, and can relate to the challenge of deciding what has to wait. With 8 years at SLOCA, we know you have done more homeschooling days than any of us would want to count! But your passion for learning with and loving on your kids is evident. We appreciate you sharing this day with us!
Aren’t these great? Email Down Home if you would like to share a day in your life on the blog… we love connecting with each other like this!
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