Week in Review

Last week was our first week in the new schoolroom, it went really well!!  We actually began to spend a lot of time in there in the evenings as a family.  So here a few photos that I captured this week in our homeschool:

Z helping E with the laundry

Zach helping with our calendar time.

Stamping time

Using our new file folder games from Mama's Learning Corner

Playing How Many moves using tally marks.

Trying to catch a sweet moment of big brother reading to little brother, but I wasn't fast enough!

Zach reading his Bible.

And a few extra:

Baby Zach watching big brother play his first soccer game.

Such a cool moon shot, the morning of soccer.

Our New Schoolroom

Yes I know we have only been in school for a month but we already have a "new" school room.  This was something that had been discussed in my house for a while, but with the baby being little we didn't want to put him with the two older children.  But over the weekend and after being so inspired by the School Room Blog Hop a few weeks ago, I finally convinced my dear precious hubby that it was going to be ok!

We took advantage of Labor Day weekend combined with Elijah and Noah spending Friday afternoon and all day Saturday with their grandparents.  In order for a school room to happen there was a list of "To Do's" that needed to get done first.  So as soon as the older boys left I got to work!  (I have to add that we have the best baby in the world!  Zach was such a trooper through this whole process, since he was still here with us!)  I began cleaning out the older boys room by getting rid of toys they don't play with, games that were beyond repair, and those fun little toys that come in meals!  

Hubby brought dinner home and after eating we had to get right to work replacing a ceiling fan with a regular light.  The room that we were moving the boys into (which was the baby's current room) had a ceiling fan was going to interfere with the bunk beds, so it had to go.  Now you have to understand that my hubby is not the handiest guy, not for lack of trying, but he was never taught as a kid/teen.  So we consulted eHow (of course!) before dismantling the fan.  Needing to only make one phone call to my dad (who is an electrician) we got it done before it got dark!  Phase 1 complete!

After the light was finished we set to work rearranging their new bedroom and getting it ready for the bunk beds which we were going to move in the morning.  After putting Zach to bed, we took apart the bunk beds and then called it a night!!

Here is a peek inside their new bedroom:

The next morning after breakfast we moved the bunk beds into their new room, which was not an easy task!  We were trying our hardest to take them apart as little as possible, but with two narrow doorways and a narrow hallway, that didn't happen!  Oh well, we got them in and put together!!  Phase 2 complete!

Next was moving computers, desks, tables, workboxes, etc!  Finally came the fun part, putting it all together!  I really like organizing but this was a little overwhelming!  I just wasn't sure what to put in the school room, what to leave in other places, and what we just didn't need!!  The one thing I wanted to put in our school room was the huge bookcase that is located in our living room, but after careful measuring I realized it just wasn't going to happen.  So that put a big damper on how I was going to organize.  What we decided on was to buy a cheapo smaller bookcase from Target, which meant an afternoon trip to Target!  :)  Thankfully most of the back to school items were still on clearance we got one for about $16, cheaper than we originally thought we could get one for!

It took most of the rest of the weekend to get the room organized and ready but we are finally settled in it, I think!  The boys are quite happy with the new arrangement, although Noah keeps saying he likes his blue room better.

So with out further ado, here it is, our new school room:

Looking in from the hallway.

Elijah's desk, workboxes, and book case.

This bookcase holds some of Zach's books and toys, and some story books for the older boys.

Our calendar board.  Most of the calendar items I printed from Confessions of a Homeschooler.

My file cabinet, with teaching manuals, my binder and basket for my camera.

My desk with computer, the boys computer on the white desk and the cheapo book case from Target!

The cheapo Target book case which holds some of Zach's toys, calendar notebooks, and other extra teaching supplies.

Inside the closet I have our art supplies, games and manipulative's.

The other side of the closet are more games and puzzles, along with the boys Legos, (which need to be behind doors because of the 1 year old!).

A Day in the Life...

No day here is ever the same, but on a typical day this is what happens:

At 6:30 I wake up and shower, while Elijah is usually awake Noah on the other hand will sometimes sleep until 7 or later.  They are required to stay in bed until 7:30 reading.   At 7:00 I have some quiet time while my hubby is getting ready for work.  Then I begin to prepare breakfast.  At 7:30 they are to get up, potty and dress themselves.  I get the Zach up and dressed.  About 7:45 we are sitting down to breakfast.  After breakfast we do a quick clean up and I begin a few chores, while the older boys go outside and play for a about 15-20 minutes.  Then at 8:30 ish, we begin our school day, which always begins with calendar time.  During our calendar time we do the days of the  week, months of the year, weather, how many days we have been in school and then temperatures (inside and outside).

Calendar Time

After calendar time, Noah gets to play his learning games on the iPad, and Elijah and I begin his school day with math, then phonics or language.  About 9:00 I put Zach down for his morning nap.  After that I spend some time with Noah doing his "school" while Elijah works independently on Spelling, and handwriting.  At 9:30 Elijah does his read aloud to me, and then after that we take a break until about 10:15.  At 10:15 we do either Science or History depending on the day, Noah will usually join us for Science, but not History.  He had the option to either play in his room, or get something out of our closet, which is puzzles, manipulative and that type of thing.

Noah playing his iPad learning games.

Elijah using the Bananagrams do practice his spelling.

Lunch is at 11:15 and after that we have some more clean up time and then some some afternoon chores.

I just had to throw a picture of Zach in here, he is enjoying his lunch!

Elijah doing his chore of unloading the dishwasher.

At 12:00 we either prepare to run errands or if we are going to be home we have some read aloud time.  At 1:00 they each take some quiet time in their respective places (Noah in their room, Elijah in our room, and Zach is usually going down for another nap).  They have quiet time for about an hour, then they can get up and either play outside or do some more "closet activities" until 3:00.  Sometimes in the afternoon I will do a craft or art project with them.  On this day we did a sailboat craft.

  At 3:00 we have a snack and then go outside.  At 4:00 they are allowed to watch TV (PBS) until about 5:00, then its time to get dinner ready.  They usually help by setting the table or playing with Zach.  Depending on the dinner, Elijah will sometimes help with the prep.  At 5:30 my hubby gets home and we sit down to dinner.  After dinner we have our family Bible lesson, and then clean up dinner and get baths.  By 7:00 the boys are playing in their room and bedtime is 8:00.  

That is a typical day in our homeschool!!  I have a schedule that we try to follow and that helps our day run pretty smoothly for the most part.

This post is linking up to the iHomeschool Network Not Back to School Hop!!