A day in our life

8:00 a.m.  Sarah wakes up and wants to watch last night's episode of "Splash!" that I recorded. We do, but first we have a talk about modesty, why she will never wear swimsuits like that, and why Noah is not allowed to watch this show.  Normally, she would wake up with a huge breakfast on her mind, but for the last several days, she hasn't been eating much, for some reason.

9:00 a.m.  The kittens are letting me know in various ways that they can't wait any longer for their morning cantaloupe, so I head for the kitchen.  Sarah orders strawberries, corn, and chocolate milk for breakfast, which is way less than usual.  Noah shuffles out, looking grumpy.  I give him a long hug.  He endures it and even hugs me back...a little.

9:15 a.m.  Sarah goes downstairs to practice her dance for ballet recital. Noah plays Minecraft on the computer.  I unload and reload the dishwasher, then look out the window to watch birds building nests.  I could do this all day if I didn't have responsibilities.  I spend a few minutes watching a rabbit, hoping she'll disclose the location of her nest, which reminds me of the baby bunnies we had 9 years ago. That thought sends me off to search for the video of them.

9:30 a.m.  We all settle in under a blanket to watch our old home videos from 2004.  Noah was little and adorable and sweet.  Sarah was 6 weeks old, but I didn't know it at the time. I wish for the millionth time that I could have held my babies when they were newborn.  Remind myself that I'm thankful to have them at all, and carry on. 

10:00 a.m.  Noah has his favorite breakfast, a ham and cheese Lean Pocket.  I cut up an apple, orange, and strawberries, and we all snack on those.

10:15 a.m.  I read 2 Samuel 17-18 and Psalm 143 out loud, and we all work on our homework for Community Bible Study.  Then I read a chapter from our current read-aloud book, The Far Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George.  I love reading time.  The kids play with army guys while I'm reading.

11:00 a.m.  I go to make lunch, and the kids play G.I. Joe together until bickering erupts and Noah retreats downstairs to play basketball. After lunch, I teach spelling and math to each kid individually.   

12:45 p.m.  The kids are walking to Mrs. Bartholomew's house for science class.  They're studying rocks during this session.  Shiloh curls up on my lap as I type this.  Other than her purring and the keys clacking, the house is quiet and peaceful. I'm taking advantage of the rare opportunity to think, uninterrupted.  I think about what preparations I need to make for tomorrow's busy day.  CBS in the morning, seeing a live ballet performance of Snow White in the afternoon, two Kuk Sool classes for Noah and a gymnastics class for Sarah in the evening.

1:45 p.m.  That hour flew by, and now it's time to leave to pick up kids from science, mail a package at the post office, and stop at the library.

2:45 p.m.  Home from the library.  Had a nice chat with our favorite librarian (Mrs. Yoder), turned in the kids' entries for the summer reading poster contest, and returned a book.  Noah is now throwing playing cards down the hall, and the kittens are chasing them.  They are requesting another chapter of our read-aloud book before quiet time.  I know they're just stalling, but they know I can almost never resist more reading.

3:30 p.m.  Quiet time.  Sarah is doing a math quiz, and Noah is doing a math lesson.  I'm finishing my CBS work, reading, and checking Facebook.

4:30 p.m.  Getting dinner ready.  Noah is finishing math.  Sarah is cleaning her room.  Mike will be home soon.  Sarah is going to Awards Night at AWANA tonight, and Noah has elected not to go.

6:00 p.m.  Mike and Noah playing basketball in the basement.

7:00 p.m . Noah and I playing Phase 10 (card game).

9:00 p.m.  Sarah home.  Prayers, teeth brushing, reading in bed.  Sarah will shut her light off at 9:45.  Noah at 11:00.