Changing Schedules

Over the summer most school kids go through the change.  Lack of school means later nights and sleeping in.  They go from a regular routine of school every day to a chaotic time of freedom.  Some kids go to summer camp, but for most, it's just lazy days of summer where they can play, rest, and do whatever they want.

For homeschool kids it's a little different.  There isn't necessarily a rigid school schedule, so summer creates less of a break.  Some parents even continue homeschooling straight through the summer, something I'd thought about time and time again.  In Texas summer is too hot to enjoy, so we might as well just take our break during cooler weather.  It would only make sense.  However, the spring, summer, and fall season transitions in and out of the school year don't have much impact on our family most years.

This year things are different.  We've got someone new living in our house.  His work schedule and my partner's work schedule conflict just a little, and since he doesn't drive, that leaves me to play taxi.  It's only going to get more complicated when the kids start the homeschool co-op in the fall.  I feel like my lie is falling into a predictable schedule, something I'm not used to with my chaotic, free life.  I'm used to coming and going as I please and not holding to any real routine.  This is a huge change for us, especially as it means changing nap times and bed times.

First thing in the morning my partner gets up with our friend and drives him to work.  When he comes home he falls back into bed and sleeps for a while longer.  I sneak out of bed, get up with the kids and somewhat supervise breakfast while checking my e-mail for any work-related information.  I generally hop on Facebook, the evil that it is, chat with a friend for a while, post some kind of update about what's going on that morning, and get to work on something or another.  Lately I've been trying to read as much as I can about homeschooling, pick books I want to read once I get a steady income coming in, and things of that nature.  It's summer time, so I can get away with that.  Otherwise it will be sitting, knitting in lap, while I go over lessons with the kids, have arts and crafts time, whatever is on the schedule for the day.  Lunch time hits and we eat, if I can wrangle the kids to the table to sit down that long, and my partner plays video games for a while before getting ready for work.  Halo Reach is a particular favorite of his right now.  After lunch we try and relax for a bit before it's time to get on the move.  This is when the baby gets his nap in for the day.  About 2pm we start the process of getting everyone on the move.  There's a baby to change, kids to get dressed, and my older son needs to hit the potty before we hit the road.  Normally my kids don't bother to get dressed before noon.  I try to encourage it, but they enjoy being able to go through the morning in their pajamas.  I see no reason to force them into something different. Then we hit the road around 3pm so I can take my partner to work and pick up my dear friend from his job.  The rest of the afternoon is play time for the kids while I try to get something done.  Over the summer, this is the ideal time for me to sit, relax and knit, or work on my novel for Camp NaNoWriMo.  Once we start up with homeschooling again, this is probably going to be the only time of day I have to write my articles for work, blog, and do whatever else comes to mind.  I've got an idea percolating for NaNoWriMo in November, and that will probably take up most of my afternoon relaxation time for the month.  Of course, I'll only have a couple hours since dinner needs to be on the table by 7pm, kids in bed by 9, which is about the time my darling friend watches the kids for me so I can pick up my partner from work at 10.  This schedule, of course, changes.  I have dance classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Rehearsals and events on weekends mix things up too.  However, we're falling into a routine, which is unusual for me.

I know time will be even more at a premium when fall comes around.  All three of my children are taking part in the homeschool co-op this year.  There's a wonderful local group called Open Minds.  I've been looking into them for nearly a year now, and finally I've gotten off my tail to make the enrollment deadline.  They'll be in classes from 9am to noon every Tuesday and Thursday.  It will be a wonderful way for the kids to connect with children their own age and learn while they're at it.  I have a feeling this will make our lives a whole lot happier.  It's hard being a homeschooling kid when all your friends go to school!

With our new routine we've learned a few things.  First, my kids need to get to bed earlier.  They spend too much of their time looking like zombies with an unpleasant attitude to match.  The older too need to stop taking regular naps during the day, no matter how much they need it, because they don't sleep at night, and, honestly, once the homeschool co-op starts up, they won't have time for a nap between getting home and driving everyone to and from work.  At least the baby will get his nap, but he cheats.  He sleeps in the car.  I need to start planning good hearty breakfasts, and lunches that can be made on the fly.  I'm going to need to come up with good options for dinner too.  We're going to have to work on getting an easy to work with routine going, that also includes plenty of time to keep after my house, something we're all slacking off on.

Of course, in order to do that we're really going to have to look into our options for storage.  We don't have much storage space.  No matter how much we take to Goodwill, we're still going to have stuff that needs to be stored.  I'm going to have to save up for dressers for the adults.  I need to pick up some toy storage units for the kids.  We need to make this house look more like, well, a home and not just a storage place that people live in.  Eventually I'd even like to get some of my own posters for the wall!