A glimpse into our windows

Wouldn't you just love to be a fly on our wallpaper for one day?

I remember well before I was a mother of so many, perhaps just with 4 or 5 children, and I watched the mothers with more children with great interest. I wanted to know if they were like me; did they have days that were struggles, how did they get their children to behave so well, etc.

One family in church in particular used to interest me. The children always sat so attentively during service, and I often felt I could never talk to the mother because she was so much farther ahead than me.

Then one Sunday in the hot days of summer I noticed her little toddler was standing up on a chair wearing snow boots--and I just had to chuckle! The mother really was just like me, with children who lost their shoes just before church, so they had to wear anything they could find (her husband was a doctor--no shortage of money to buy footwear).

So here I will share with you just how the rubber meets the road at our house.

Someone recently asked me how I am able to have time to "kiss the boo-boo of my toddler" while homeschooling and everything else in my life.

First I have to say that it isn't easy. I don't just lilt out of bed and waft lightly through the house, drinking tea and eating bon-bons whilst my children laugh delicately and smile constantly.

My husband, dearest and most sleepless man I know, wakes me up gently with a hug about 4:30 AM. He goes and starts his bath while I lay in bed and pray and nurse the baby, trying to decide if I really can roll off of my soft, wonderful mattress.

Sometimes the baby takes a bath with her daddy--how she adores him. He has a special way he bathes her, making her feel secure. It is these moments that keep him happy during the work day. We both ooh and gooh over her while she is being dressed.

Then I wander down the hallway to wake the other children--usually about 5:30. They don't automatically jump out of bed and come to attention--it takes a few attempts before they make an appearance down the hallway to get their "personal hygiene" done. We bathe the little girls in the morning every-other day, their clothes being kept in our huge closet.

After almost everyone is ready for the day, we all sit in our huge master bedroom and watch a little show together while everyone wakes up. Lately we have been watching The Waltons. I sometimes sit on my bed and blog while everyone else is otherwise engaged. At a specific time, Daddy shuts down the TV and he reads to us, sometimes the Bible, lately a chapter from Tozer's book, "Man, The Dwelling Place of God". Then it's kisses and hugs and Daddy is on his way to work.

The children and I sit around and talk together, each taking turns holding the baby ones, sometimes we philosophize a little, and all they have to do is to get me off onto certain topics and the discussion can go on and on...

...but this is important, too, isn't it? We usually rope ourselves in in time to get some stretches in, especially for those of us who have posture problems. Then I send the children off to make beds and come back with their chore clipboards. Special instructions are given for the one who makes breakfast, and then we're all off to start the day.

While everyone else has their specific assignments, I am all over the place. I make sure the babies are dressed and clean, including hair. I am trying to get the 8 and 9-year-olds to brush their long hair, but I usually have to help them as well.

Along the way I have to get myself ready, deal with bickering, bad attitudes and emergencies, and any business I may have, such as paying bills, etc.

As soon as everything in the house is "ship-shape", which means after I have inspected all areas and like what I see (this can take as long as it takes--the children understand this is the foundation for our whole day, it means a lot that we get it right), we start our "table time"--concentrated academics at our dining room table.

The little ones color or use cheap water color sets while I take care of the older kids. Bible searches, copy work, dictation are all a part of what we do each day. We also have a timed math test using Calculadders, which I bought about 18 years ago, and I have used it over and over, not always as timed tests, but as a wonderful resource much worth the money. I have other plans as well.

Right now Monday and Tuesday are our Language Arts days, Wednesdays are our Math/Geography/Science/History days. Thursday is our "create" day--no plans, just time to fill with creating and exploring. I sometimes use this time for sewing, lately it has been to revamp my home binder.

At a certain point I have the older children take turns reading aloud to the babies to keep them practiced at reading out loud and give attention to the little ones. Everyone gets attention from me in one form or another.

I don't try and teach my children everything they need to know; I give them the tools for learning without killing their own desires and inclinations, and encourage them along the way. A lot of their education is done during the other parts of the day, especially since we don't have video games, etc. to distract them, they tend to read dictionaries, encyclopedias and the like just "for fun".

Sometimes an older sibling will drop by just when we are finishing. I try and keep everything going, but the kids just love the extra attention they receive.

Daddy calls off-and-on during the day, wants to know what's going on, reminds me of things I need to take care of (I can get scatter-brained and forget the little details such as remembering to get the trash out!) and reminding me just how much he loves us all.

Lunch can be simple or complicated, depending on what we are in the mood for. We make pasta with sauce, or PBJ's--the kids and I take turns cooking it. The little ones run around in circles during this time--they think our main floor is an indoor track, or play in the basement play room, if the weather is bad. Otherwise they try and play outside.

Noise is part of our lives everyday. We don't really notice until someone else comes over who isn't used to it.

But there is a time for quiet--after the kitchen has been cleaned and, hopefully, I have thought about what I am to make for dinner (I try and have a plan, but sometimes forget, or the plans have to be changed). Everyone has time for reading, writing, or sleeping for 1 1/2-2 hours every afternoon. This is my time to cuddle the baby and the toddler, and after they are asleep I spend time with Jesus, reading the Word, etc. I play a CD of recorded water over a brook or thunder storms on my stereo to create a veil over the outside world during this time--the little children are trained to fall asleep to these sounds. The older children sometimes go on nature hikes close to our house while the little ones rest.

Somewhere along the way I am sitting shotgun while my son drives himself to work--I am teaching him how to drive in small increments.

Our activities after quiet-time are varied, sometimes an extra chore around the house, sometimes errands, sometimes activities outside. Always we are fixing dinner (we also eat and clean up before his arrival--he comes home a little late due to the long drive), always we are making sure the house is clean and orderly for Daddy's return.

Daddy comes home, the little kids greet and hug him, then our time with him in the evening begins. Everyone spends time with the family; no teen-aged isolation allowed.

Bedtime takes about 1 hour, with teeth-brushing, cuddles, kisses, etc. Daddy's clothes, lunch, etc. are readied for the next morning.

This is our lives right now--it is constantly in flux, never in concrete.

Our times are in His hands...