A Day in the Life...

Every now and then around the blog-o-sphere, people whose blogs I read do 'a day in the life' post.  So, as we are now nearing the end of this academic year already, I thought I would do one before we wind our activities down too much, or the sun starts shining more and we simply move everything outside (and become seriously slack) as we are apt to do!

So here goes... a dull, rainy day in the life of Frog Academy...

About 7am the small boys wake up and play. They head downstairs about 8am and have their breakfast ~ just cereals or toast usually ~ and they make Chip's too. I am not a morning person so they have learnt to be fairly self-feeding... they could wait for me, but they usually choose not to!

I come down about 9ish (or a bit before if I've not gone to bed too late), put the washing machine on and make myself my morning smoothie. Chip scrounges a bit, and has a second breakfast!

 

At this point most of the younger children are getting on with something and some of the more able-to-get-out-of-bed older ones are too. As my children get older I am less strict about start times, as I consider they should be allowed more freedom to shape their own day ~ so long as they do what they are supposed to do by the end of it (which mostly they do). For the younger ones I still consider them to be 'in training' for good habits and they are simply less able to manage their own time wisely.

This particular day Chip has succeeded in persuading Lilo to play with him for a bit before school started, and she has built a Happy Street village in the lounge. This means that Chip happily plays for a a while...

until he gets bored and comes to see what we we're all doing...

By then it's almost 11am ~ snack & break time. I know he's STILL in his PJ's, but getting dressed is often not his favourite thing and it's really not worth the battle until he's ready. 

Over snack break Chip goes back to the Happy Street, this time joined by TP as a playmate, and decides that PJ's are best worn on his head!

After snack, Chip attempts a rather challenging (too busy) puzzle, so while trying to help him, I simultaneously work with Stitch, DD and Lilo, doing Bible Study. Stitch follows Bible Study with some time on Explode the Code (online) and I do All About Spelling with DD and Lilo, whilst still trying to help Chip with the puzzle. I think Taz is doing some maths and TP is trying to do a science experiment about 'inclined planes' (or rather trying to avoid doing it and dithering about a fair bit). Chip sheds a few tears over the puzzle (because he hates being helped), but eventually he gets there.

This particular day is Monday, which means DD has gymnastics in the evening, so Minnie cooks lunch.

Today is meatballs and pasta, with Swedish gravy ~ easy and delicious!

I forgot to take a picture of it all dished up nicely, but this is Dad's or Jake's portion of meatballs saved for when they come home later.

During lunch-break DD listens to his music & plays on the Wii for a bit, as he is out tonight and doesn't really get any other down time,

and Stitch plays with the Happy Street...

while Minnie and Taz clear up the fall-out in the kitchen, which is their job on a Monday ~ fortunately, as Minnie is a messy cook!

I spend my lunch break catching up on a few emails and printing out a new literacy study for both Minnie and Taz. Taz has just completed 'Dracula' and is now going to do two short ones on Abraham Lincoln and Atilla the Hun to get him up to the end of term, but Minnie has decided to take on a second 'big one' (she's currently also doing a similar study on Pride & Prejudice)...

About 2.30pm we regroup for a group session of Geography. Everyone except Stitch and Chip do Geography, so Stitch goes in the study and works with Kudo (an animation Windows app). I hear a few shouts of frustration, but leave him to his own devices and he gets past it. Chip stands and watches him for a bit then goes back to Happy Street!

Geography today is about the EU and some interesting discussions ensue about the 'ideals' of EU policy and the reality of how they actually effect people. They all have big opinions! I like that :D

By the time we are done it's about 3.45pm. Daddy walks in minutes later :D

Stitch grabs his swim bag & me my crochet bag (to keep myself busy while Stitch swims), DD throws on his gym stuff & makes himself a boxed tea, Chip is helped to throw on some clothes because he now has the motivation of a ride in the car, and by 4.30 we are heading out to activities! Thank goodness for older teens to babysit those left behind ~ and while we're out they also have chores to get done.

By the time we get back from swimming it's tea-time (crumpets tonight for TP).

and bedtime for the youngest ones. DD won't be home from gym until 9 though, so there's still that pick-up to do, but by then even the big girls are on their way up to bed. 
I head into the study then to upload all these photos and catch up on the outside world!! Paul opens up the laptop and starts working on something he needs to do for church this week, Taz has turned he telly on, or gone upstairs to call his girlfriend (in Scotland) and Jake, who is home by now of course, is studying on his computer ~ or playing on Facebook...

And that's it ~ that's how we roll - on a Monday! Laid out like this it all sounds so calm, organized and relaxed, but if you were a fly on the wall of our reality, you would of course know otherwise ;-)