A “Day” in My Life: Homeschooling and Working Outside of Home

Welcome to a day in my life.

I often get asked how I do it all? The easy answer is I don’t. However, I love getting to peek into someone else day to find out what homeschooling and “Life” look like.

Therefore, today I am sharing I’ll be sharing a half day of working outside the home and a half day of school.

Why don’t you grab a cup of coffee and join me?

6:00 AM

The alarm is going off. The song is playing but I snuggle down deeper in the covers, maybe if I ignore it it will go away.

My husband asks if I am getting up with him. In my head I am sorting, “what day is it?” Ugh, Monday. He reminds me I work today. I ask for a few more minutes and he laughs.

It’s a daily conversation. I always ask him to wake me in the morning then when it comes, beg for more sleep. Can you ever get enough?

6:30 AM

I have dragged myself out of bed, filled a cup of coffee. I love that I can set it the day before and it is hot and waiting in the morning. Unless I forget to hit the auto button. Don’t ask.

I grab my Ipad and settle in to read.

Half a cup later and I am ready for Instagram. This is for me. I love connecting with readers and seeing what they’ve been up to.

I check in on The Club and make sure the Monday Motivation share post went out. Technology is a great thing, when it works.

Then I drag my laptop out and wait for it to wake up. It is getting old and slower, like it needs a double shot of espresso. The cooling fan I invested in pays off daily. I hate change. I hate new. I dread the day that comes when I need to replace it.

I refill my coffee and go get dressed while I wait. I also quickly make the bed for a win in my books.

It finally wakes up and I quickly check the links in the day’s post, read for any typos I may have missed and pin the larger image to my Pinterest board. I check for any comments I may have missed from readers. Then shut it down.

I hear feet.

7:30 AM-8:30 AM

The kids stumble out of bed, wash up and start cooking breakfast. Eggs and hash browns this morning. I get my morning hugs and hubby and I plan our day. He has today off so the kids will be home with him. Trust me when I say this is a blessing! 

I go “make myself human” as I always say doing my makeup and hair, quickly adding hoop earrings and picking out my boots and coat for the day. Then I quickly make my own breakfast of eggs and sprouted toast. While it cooks the kids and I take turns reading aloud and then going over today’s list.

They will do a half day of school today when I get home at lunch. So they ask for their chores for the day but since daddy is home he gets to tell them. A quick hug and I am out the door.

12:30 (ish)

I am tired when I get home and hungry.

Since we didn’t have time to meal prep on Sunday we will be doing that this afternoon. I grab food and the kids come and tell me about their day.

We sit and look over a new checklist we are trying out. I write out what is to be done and they choose when and how.

D:13 has:

• 1 “day” of math. She is using Easy Peasy Math Step 2.
• Reading for 30 minutes. She recently finished The Trumpet of the Swan and so will be choosing something else until I make it to the library. Our library is closed today so I wasn’t able to pick up our holds.
• She has computer for 15 minutes. She is learning Scratch. I am so proud of her since she despised it when she started but is determined to stick with it. She is slowly having fun with it.
• She has one block of spelling from her Spelling Workout.
• She has 15 minutes of typing.

(Read what we are using this year here for Grade 8)

S:14 has:

• Reading 30 minutes. He is still working on National Velvet. It has been a joy to hear him and his sister discussing terms unknown to him. Terms like “petticoat”. They giggle over the “old fashion terms”.
• He has 1 Day of math, he is using Easy Peasy Algebra 1
• He also has 1 Block of Spelling from his spelling workout.
• He has 1 lesson of French from SchoolhouseTeachers.com and Duolingo for daily practice.

(Read what we are using this year here for Grade 9)

Today’s lessons are independent, chosen should I need to work late or have appointments.

Early Afternoon:

As the kids work away I dig out my computer and wait for it to wake up. I scrape, stack the dishes and reload the dishwasher. I am thrilled it is fixed. I toss a load of laundry in the washer and check my computer.

Since the kids are busy I take 30 minutes to catch up on Facebook, The Club and try to whittle down the 30+ emails sitting in my box.

When the timer goes off I try to ignore it. That is why it is set across the room. It is persistent.

I start meal prepping for the week. Rice, baked chicken and then realize I should have taken out meat for supper. Oops.

The kids come in and out telling me about what they are learning and my husband joins me in making up the lunches.

I finally remember the clothes and toss those in the dryer. I vacuum the carpet which is a daily thing thanks to two cats and a dog.

Around 4 pm my husband and I go to the gym. We talk about the day and what workout we have to do. We warm-up together and then he goes one way and I go the other.

This is my “me time”. My time to think, reflect, find the good moments and get rid of stress. A whole 30 minutes to hang out in my head. Sometimes this is a good thing, others, not so much.

Later exhausted we meet back at the car. We talk about supper plans and what is the plan for the evening on the drive home. This is our “us time”. It might not seem like much but it is nice to connect.

The kids are hungry when we get home and I start supper. Leftover rice and hamburger make for a quick and easy supper.

After supper, the dishes are done (again!) I clean up and make the coffee for tomorrow. Happily, tomorrow is a full school day and I don’t have to leave the house.

I settle into work, reading and finally emptying my inbox remarking unread to those I need to take action on.

[bctt tweet=”You can work outside the home and #homeschool! Sharing a day in my life. #ihsent #workingmom” username=”PracticalByD”]

8:30 PM

I set the computer aside and see what new Minecraft creations the children have built. I remind them to shower and brush their teeth. I make tea and settle in with a book. I am reading Cinder and the rest of the books.

10:00 PM

The kids come out and grab bedtime snacks and share more plans for the mine crafting world. I listen cleaning up the counters and taking out supper for tomorrow. Then hugs are all around. Off to bed by 10:30

I should be in bed but instead, I chat with a mom on Facebook about homeschooling and the exhausting day she’s had. We swap life with teen stories and then I close up. Happy we’ve been able to connect, after all knowing you are not alone is a big reason of why I do what I do.

Finally, I fill up the wood stove and head off to bed.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Read the rest of the series!

1. A “Day” in My Life: Homeschooling and Working Outside of Home

2. A “Day” in My Life: Homeschooling and Working Inside the Home

3. A “Day” in My Life: Homeschooling and Working