As Oliver has started crawling, he has become very self-entertaining--he loves being able to crawl around (as long as his sisters will leave him alone long enough for him to actually play). It feels like a whole new stage with my kids and I'm loving it! Our routine has changed with it and I just wanted to record what our day to day looks like right now.
I've changed up how we do homeschool. Each child now has chores and school stuff that they do each morning, Monday through Friday. I decided that because we don't do a lot of school each day and because I don't want the kids to lose their momentum with what they're working on, we aren't going to take a "summer break". We have taken short breaks (like the week we traveled to West Jordan) and we'll do that as needed throughout the entire school year.
I wake up around 6:30 each day. I get up and clear out the dishwasher (Ben loads and starts it before bed) and put a batch of hot chocolate in our hot chocolate maker for everyone. Then I exercise (it usually takes me 5-10 minutes) and Ben and I shower. Then I get dressed, make the bed, and straighten up our room.
I'm done with all that around 7:30, about when the kids come down. The girls come down already dressed and start getting themselves breakfast while I nurse Oliver. While I nurse, I do things like the Wordle, scriptures (on my phone), and Duolingo.
After nursing, Oliver plays on the floor while I drink my hot chocolate and write in my journal. Then I get up and put bread in the bread machine before I make eggs and spinach for Ben and me (the girls often eat eggs too and Oliver LOVES scrambled eggs). While I eat breakfast, Oliver sits in his highchair and eats too, which gives me the chance to work on my novel writing. Right now, I only work on it each day for a few minutes, mostly doing brainstorming or outlining stuff. Then on Saturday mornings, Ben watches the kids for an hour while I write distraction-free.
The kids and I have started doing a morning walk right after breakfast. We quickly do our breakfast dishes, I start a load of laundry, and then we all put on shoes and walk around the block. Ashtyn and Parker often ride their bikes or scooters and I push Oliver and Rylee in our double stroller. I love this time of day. There have been times when I or the kids have woken up super grumpy, but then getting out in the sun and moving turns our day around.
When we get home from our walk, the kids start on their list, and I help. Oliver usually goes down for his first nap pretty soon after the walk. They first do some chores (each child has a chore they rotate through--washing the table, picking up three things, or sorting the laundry), and then they also put away their clothes and do their hair. Ashtyn is pretty independent with all of it, but Rylee needs help with pretty much everything still and Parker needs my help with some.
Then we do school. We mostly use a program called Reading Eggs, which has both reading and writing programs. Ashtyn also uses a typing program we've found and Duolingo to practice Esperanto. Each child has things they can do independently and then they also have things that I help them with, so I kind of rotate through the kids and help them one-on-one while the other two work on independent stuff. After we're done with school, they get to do whatever they want on Reading Eggs (there are different games and videos that the kids like). I set the timer for 20 minutes and then we turn the screens off (Rylee uses my phone, Ashtyn uses my computer, and Parker uses our homeschool tablet).
While they are doing what they want on Reading Eggs and Oliver is still asleep, I try to get some stuff done. I work on putting away Ben and my laundry, move the laundry to the dryer, and do my weekly chore (bathrooms, vacuuming, etc.). I think of it as my "put my house in order" time. I can often continue working on this kind of stuff after the kids are done, if they color or play independently, but I don't need to.
Then I get the kids' lunch ready and nurse Oliver, then eat lunch myself. Ben also comes out for lunch and while he's out of his office, Ashtyn practices piano (that way Ben can help her if she runs into issues).
Afternoons, we often go places because it's when Oliver is awake. On Mondays, we do our grocery pickup. Tuesdays are Ashtyn's piano lesson. Thursdays, we go to story time at the library. When we're at home in the afternoon, it's pretty laid back--we play with neighbors, the kids can get out their DS, Rylee might play in the tub, we can read picture books together, we sometimes do Family Silent Reading time (the kids like this because I let them have a snack during it), or we just hang out. Right now, because it's summer, we rarely go outside unless we get out our kiddie pool.
Oliver usually naps around 3:30. Once I put him down, Rylee and I can do something together if her sisters are playing with friends or on their DS (she really likes me to read stories to her and she really likes to help me in the kitchen). I also usually make dinner (or at least start dinner) while he takes his nap. It's usually a shorter nap and I feed him around 4:30.
We usually have dinner around 5 or 5:30 and then we try to spend time together as a family until bedtime. On Mondays, we have a "no Dad party" while he goes to his Super Smash Brothers practice and on Wednesdays, they have a "no Mom party" while I go to Young Women's. I also sometimes have a meeting on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, we like to sometimes go visit Ben's family or sometimes Ben and I do our date night. On Fridays, we do a family movie night with breakfast for dinner. Somehow, those two hours between dinner and bedtime can still feel like the longest hours of the day.
We start the bedtime routine around 7:45. Ben brushes the girls' teeth and gets them to sit on the toilet while I get Oliver ready for bed. Then I nurse Oliver while we do family scriptures and prayer. Ben then starts on the dishes while I finish nursing Oliver and read to the girls. The girls lay in bed while I read out of a chapter book (right now we're reading Heidi, next I want to read Fablehaven). Rylee often falls asleep while I'm reading, which I love because when she doesn't, she doesn't stay in bed very well.
We try to have all the kids in bed by 8:30 and then Ben and I get to spend time together. On Tuesdays, we have writing group. The other days, we usually have ice cream or popcorn and snuggle up on the couch together to watch an episode of whatever show we're watching (and on Fridays, we often stay up late and watch a movie). We try to be in bed by 9:30 so we can get to sleep early enough, and then we don't have an alarm clock for the morning. But when I go to sleep early enough, I wake up naturally by around 6:30.
Weekends obviously have a little bit of a different routine. We usually sleep in a little on Saturday mornings. I still hurry and clear out the dishwasher and put in the hot chocolate before feeding Oliver. My Saturday list consists mostly of planning my week (which I love to do) and getting everyone ready for Sunday. I work on planning my week in the morning until Ben is up and going and then he watches the kids while I write in my room.
When I'm done writing, I put Oliver down for his nap and put a movie on for the kids while Ben and I shower and have some kid-free time together. Then I pick up our room, get dressed for the day, and finish planning my week.
Our Saturdays are the most variable in how they go. We get yardwork or cleaning done as a family, Ben mows the lawn, and we do baths for all the kids. We might go hiking or to a park, or we might hang out with family. Sometimes, Ben and I do our date night and leave the kids with his parents. I also like to pick up the house and vacuum again for Sunday, though that doesn't always happen. Saturdays are a weird mix of lazy/relaxing and getting a bunch done.
Sundays start with getting the kids ready for church (always a challenge when you have four little kids) and getting to church. After church, we talk with my mom on Facebook chat and grab some food. Then we get to relax while Oliver naps (his first nap is on me at church, so it's never the greatest) and make/eat dinner. Sunday evenings, we do Meet for a Treat with family, which is always fun. Then it's home for bedtime and the week starts over!
This is basically my ideal, and sometimes it goes just like I planned and I get everything done. Sometimes we're sick, or we sleep in, or I'm just not as motivated. But we generally get the most important things in (we have pretty good systems for that) and I am really liking our current phase of life.
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