Homeschooling

A normal day On the homestead. Alarms start going off in the all parents rooms. It is time that I get spoiled. I normally turn over and know that I have almost an hour longer to sleep. The married couples get up and dressed. They stumble off to the kitchen in pairs. The mother's will start breakfast and if I am awake I can tell that my son's are about ready to go to the table when their shavers all turn on in their restrooms. It will be minutes before the mother's are off to get the little ones up for breakfast. On the way to the table, I will hear each father say something to who ever is left still tagging behind. That is my clue that Dad and I need to get to the table.

I know it might be nice if I would get up to help, however, I remember when I was younger. I always loved those first few minutes in the morning alone with my spouse. So I started staying in my bedroom to let them all have that special time.

During the morning Breakfast, If you would look at the table you would notice that it was divided up into groups. This is how the families have it set up in the Brunch room. Its them a time to be their own family and not a large group.

After Breakfast is done, The men head out the door. Each on goes their own direction and this is because they have all grown up to have different likes and dislikes. This has brought on different talents. The guys slowly did this over the years. I have one that is in charge of milking. He has always had this as a special place in his heart. Another one is into wood working with large and small projects. Another one of my sons does all the odd jobs and also is in charge of the bookwork, computer, advertising to the public and running all trips to town for everyone. He picked up this desire during all the times he had to have surgery to keep walking.

In the home, The children will dress and make their beds. Then Normally it is Grandma(me) that rings the bells for gathering in the main classroom. I normally do the morning devotional as the mothers are present but normally feeding the babies. After I am done, I return to the Kitchen and clean up after Breakfast. Sometimes I am done with the dishes before the first child arrives. I always have a helper. Sometimes we work on sewing, making soap, gardening in the greenhouse, helping with the babies. Then once that child is done the children normally are all back in the main classroom working on their assignments. One of the mother's stay with them and the other mother's come in to help in the home. Every day we have at a min. 5 loads of wash to do. This means wash, hang out on the line and then fold and put away. The one in charge of putting away clothes will take the married couples clothes to their room and sit inside the door.

After Lunch, The babies go to bed and some of the younger children go down for a nap. Then we bring the children in to work on things that they do not learn always in a book. Sometimes it is quilting, mending, measuring recipes, yard work, making candles, soap, working in the store, Etc...

As the little ones start wakening up then some of the children go outdoors to play, some will remain in the house and play. About 3:30 we start getting food around for supper. Evening time is most the time all eating together, unless one of the families is gone for the evening. We use our Sunday table but our normal everyday dishes.

It is a time that we all have time to share about things through out the day. Sometimes it does get a little noisy, but trust me, I would not change anything.
After supper, Evening chores are done, the men seem to end up with mostly all the boys working with them and the girls are with all of us females.

Shortly after dinner time, I am off to my own part of the house. Dad and I are ready for some relaxing times. We are getting older and this is a way we keep our brain together. I always joke at this time of night that I know why God has decided to stop females at some point when it comes to child birth. Those little babies and loving grandchildren, make us females think about babies, but God knows what is best, even when we would have chosen differently.

Sometimes, Dad will open the door to our part of the house and that means it is open to any visiting. I love this part. Sometimes I end up with the little ones coming with a book or just to tell us they love us, and those times they just need some grandparent time away from everyone else.

Of coarse there is those times we will end up in the main family room and you might be out their with everyone or just one family. Every family group has their very own family room. Around about the children's bedtime, I will notice a group of children missing. This means their parents are having Bible reading and prayer. Then sometimes the parents will wonder to our part or to the large livingroom to visit with just the adults.

I remember the day I had my first baby. I could not wait to hear the first words. Then those first steps. Those things came but the house has not been quite sense.
Well, I think that I rattled enough and I have got to look up some children's Sunday school crafts. I will probably post that before I get of here, So I will probably be back