I was inspired by a couple of friends to write up what our typical day looks like. I'll give the same disclaimer everyone else does, though: rarely does a day actually look just like this. It's just the general plan.
7:00 We're mostly up. This varies widely. Usually Caris is the first one up, but that varies, too. When we wake up we pretty much serve ourselves breakfast. Dad watches the news or kids watch a cartoon. Mom rolls around in the bed wishing there were a few more quiet moments. Kids join Mom in the bed and we tickle arms, talk about the day or what we dreamed about.
8:00 By now we're pretty much all awake and ready to begin our day. Sometimes Malachi is still in bed, and I happily leave him there until he's ready to get up. I shower, throw in a load of laundry and have the kids do their morning chores. I eat breakfast and check my e-mail/message board/facebook.
9:00 This is our official goal-time for starting school. We do an opening time and then off we go! AWANA first, then whatever each child's schedule is. I sit at the table or on the couch helping as needed. I'm needed almost constantly.
10:00 Time for a break! The idea is for us to all get outside for half an hour. I usually don't go. I need a Mom to make me go.
10:30-12 More schoolwork
12:00 Time for lunch and then playing, reading, whatever until quiet time
1-3 QUIET TIME! YAAAAAAAAAAY! Everyone but Malachi has quiet time in their rooms. Malachi reads, plays his video games, whatever is quiet and doesn't require me to have a conversation with him. I know, I am mean. I play online, clean, do my Bible study etc.
3:00 The Afternoon Blur begins. It's a total mishmash from here on out. There are afternoon chores that take us about an hour, usually at 4:00. There's play, schoolwork to finish up, dinner to start, laundry laundry and more laundry, Mom's cleaning time etc.
6:00 Wouldn't it be great if this was dinnertime? In my mind, it's dinnertime at 6. In reality, we're usually in the car at this point on our way to soccer, AWANA or some other destination. If we're home, this is when I would like for us to eat.
8:30 BEDTIME for everyone under age 12! Of course, half the time we're actually eating dinner or we're still at church or soccer or wherever, but if we're home, babies are in bed at 8:30. Bedtime routine goes: bath (not every day), story (not every day), praying, kisses, hugs and I love yous.
9:00 BEDTIME for Malachi.
And then it's Mom and Dad time. We watch TV, talk about our day and what's coming up, talk and talk and talk some more, and then when we're absolutely exhausted we finally go to bed. Usually I go first because I require a lot more sleep than he does.
Aren't we thrilling??
