Anacondas,Attentivness,Apples and some beautiful rain

So, we started school yesterday. The girls have been anxiously waiting and these past few days they have been enjoying themselves immensely.

I have finally tackled my schedule and realized that I need to be up at 4:30 and asleep by midnight in order to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Today is my second day following that routine and I am already about to crash....so, back to the drawing board to figure out what I can do.
Here is a look at what our day is like without having to leave the house (I am gone Tuesday and Wednesday nights and Wednesday mornings I coordinate the childcare at my church for their women's study)
I am up at 4:30 to have some tea and quiet before Kevin wakes up...he is a big talker and I am not a morning person. So this is my attempt at being somewhat happy in the morning. I wake Kev up at 5 to go run. I make his lunch and go have my devotions and prayer time, when he gets back I am trying to leave for a run myself, then get back to make his breakfast and try and start all my morning chores. The girls are up by 6:30 and I start them on their chores and go get breakfast ready for them for 7.
For schooling this season we are doing everything in half hour time slots, starting the morning with a devotional at breakfast, then a morning walk to train the dog on the leash. After that we are doing character trait studies and doing games through the week to help tough habits stick....we are also memorizing a few bible verses a week and learning some new songs...we are using egg shakers so they also learn to keep the beat. After that we work on our Calendar, learning months of the year, days of the week, season, etc....and then we are recording the weather and then learning how to graph it. We are practicing all letter sounds for H&N with songs from Sing Spell Read Write. Hannah and Nora are having individual play times so I can work with Emma--quietly--on her phonics (she is doing Sing Spell Read Write), soon after that we have a letter of the week activity that we all do together....we are learning about many different animals/insects that start with that particular letter, this activity usually involves art as well. Then I am alternating individual time with Hannah and Nora to work on their letters, and counting and while I am with them Emma works on a phonics activity and then writing...this year I am having her keep a journal. She is drawing a picture and writing about that picture daily. After that is finished we have been taking a small nature hike to collect leaves from tress (in the spring we will do wild flowers). We are keeping an album recording what we find to make it easier for them to learn the different types of trees, etc...Then the girls have free play while I make lunch with a helper and try to work on some more of my chores. After cleanup from lunch I work on Math with Emma while Hannah and Nora color. Then together we read our 5 in a Row book...which is a great program from those that may be interested. After 5 in a Row I split them up between rooms for quiet time where they can read books on their own. I have my time to play catch up... get dinner started, pay bills, try and keep up with kevin's business stuff, do laundry, listen to voice mail and try and return calls, write e-mails, blog, do prep work for tutoring bree (if there is any), and hopefully have time to take a 15 min cat nap. I let the girls down at 2:30 and give Emma time on the computer and H&N cuddle time...then snack at 3 and then Bree is here from school. Then it is chores, dinner prep, etc...I have been trying to have dinner ready by 5 so I can have things cleaned up and have them ready for bath by 6 and asleep by 6:45 so I can start working with Bree and be done by 9. Then my time is scheduled to be with Kevin from 9-11. Then at 11 I am doing final cleanup, next day prep work, and hopefully READING--(this schedule is for M, Thurs, Friday---Tuesday and Wednesday is worse).

So, I am just going to have to give up activities with the girls....I just have too much planned and not enough time to do it all. I am going to continue this for another week and see how it goes before making changes.

It is raining today. I LOVE the rain, and wish we had more of it. I know I have blogged about that before so I won't mention it again, I know it bothers some of you.

Camera is in the shop. We hope it won't be much longer.