Four thirty-eight.

Week one.

Day one.

I have a pot of emergency chili simmering on the stove.  It's not an emergency, I suppose, but it's a good day for emergency chili anyway.

I have read eleven pages of Winnie-the-Pooh to the younger children.  

I have spent ten minutes drilling phonics with my brand-new kindergartener.  I have assigned a journal entry about our Colorado vacation.  I have administered spelling instruction based on the five misspelled words in said journal entry (our, family, vacation, fountain, too).  I have made the oldest read stories to the youngest while I taught the math lesson to the middlest.  I have listened to recorder practice.  I have gone to the gym and had a yoga class because the pool was closed for maintenance, and did I mention that every homeschooling parent ought to go to a yoga class in the middle of the first day of school?  Highly recommended.

We had tea.  I served packaged cookies and read Tikki-Tikki-Tembo.   I remembered to say grace.

Since we arrived home from Colorado just yesterday afternoon, we've still got some catching up -- the grocery shopping has to be done tonight, for instance.   I am tired, tired, tired.  But pleased with how the day went anyway.  Oscar's not quite done with his math, but I am pretty confident he will finish in time to go shopping with his dad and siblings, and leave me to stretch out for a well-deserved nap after dinner.

Comments

[Kim (in IA)]

Go Erin! Yea for yoga.

We officially started last week by changing our morning routine (get up, get dressed, do a few sit-at-the-table activities). So far, so good. Feel like I'm easing into this with my oldest in Kindergarten.

I will use you as my inspiration to not let the trips to the gym slip down on my priority list with everything else.

[bearing]

Oh, definitely don't let it slip! Enlist everyone in the family to make it happen. One thing that other homeschoolers have said to me over and over and over: if it's going to work out, Mom *has* to take care of herself. There may not be much time, but whatever the minimum is that keeps you sane and healthy, that *has* to happen.

The other thing I have learned is that whatever new and difficult habit you are trying to establish -- that one has to have highest priority and maybe happen as soon as it can in the day. I remember when we were beginning with Oscar, with what we called "table time."

[Alishia]

I'm just wondering how you make it to the gym in the middle of the day?

[bearing]

In my car.

No, seriously, this is an established Monday morning routine by now. I live about a mile away from the YMCA where we are members, and where my three children are comfortable in the child care. We have a music class at 9:15 (it hasn't started yet for the year, so we went to the playground instead) and after that I drive to the Y, sign the children into childcare, and exercise, then shower for the day before picking up the kids. I usually sign them in about 10:30 and sign them out about 11:45. My 4th grader is supposed to do schoolwork, which he brings with him, during that time, but my younger children play. Monday is the only day of the week that I exercise during the school day instead of in the evening.