It’s been a while y’all! I think I needed a bit of a blogging break. Things were getting crazy around here and I just couldn’t keep up with it all, so the blog had to take a backseat. Actually, my blog got kicked out of the car and tied to the back bumper. It survived, unlike the dog in National Lampoon’s Summer Vacation.
And so here we are again!
“WHAT has kept you so busy that you couldn’t stop by for an update??” You ask. {You did, I promise.}
Among other things, Travis was hired by our church as the music minister, so he’s been settling into that role. I’m now a minister’s wife. EEK! I never thought I’d say that! It’s nice though. We LOVE love love this church and the people have become extended family, and it absolutely felt like God placing this in our path. He’s still the same old band director he was last year, but now he has this new “gig” on top of that.
I’ve been teaching Sunday School quite a bit. Thank the Lord for Lifeway. Whenever someone says, “Good lesson, Kat!” I always say, “It’s 99% Lifeway, 1% me.” I absolutely love it as a ministry. I definitely think the Lord has placed a desire in my heart to teach and I’m lucky/blessed enough that our sweet/amazing Sunday School teacher accepts my begging pleas to help him from time to time.
Since my husband is the music minister now, I thought I would dust off my violin and buy some new church music to contribute to his ministry as well. Betcha some of you didn’t even know I could play the violin, did you?? I can. Well, I could. Five years in the basement {the violin, not me} has left me a little rusty. I’ll get it back though. I’m already getting the callouses back on my fingertips, so that’s a great step forward!
On top of the violin practicing, churching {it’s a verb if I say it’s a verb}, a little cat with a perpetual UTI {TMI? sorry}, and dealing with a crazy little boy who sometimes makes me cry to my friends, “IT GETS BETTER AFTER THREE, RIGHT!?” I’ve also been working my little calloused fingertips to the bone preparing for our new year of “homeschool.” I kind of hate calling it “homeschooling” since Little Bug is all of three years old, and even if I had never expressed interest in “homeschooling,” he would not be entering public school this year. But I’m starting him on a schedule that includes writing, simple math {shapes, number recognition, basic counting, etc.}, phonics, and fun hands-on science, I do feel it classifies as “school.” Semantics.
I thought I would share with you all what my lesson plan this year looks like right now! I know so many of us are looking for schedules, and at the very least maybe this will inspire you to find something that works for you and your little one. My objective this year is to keep his little hands and little mind as active as possible and to have as much messy fun as possible. Seems easy enough….Thanks to Pinterest 🙂
Sample Schedule Fall 2012:
Breakfast
Get Ready for the Day
Daily “Journaling”: For journaling, I’ve taken a blank college notebook and each page has a letter, number, scissor-practice activity, blank page for illustrating or retelling a story we’ve read, etc. (I’ll do an entire post on the fun of journaling with preschoolers.)
Weather, Date: Allow Little to mark the date on the calender and hang up a fun print out in the window relating to the weather of the day.
Bible Lesson: Noah’s Ark, Genesis 6-9 (All of our Bible stories are based out of the Jesus Storybook Bible. I plan on reading one a week and doing activities and crafts around it to really drive it home. The repetition of reading the same story every day for a week is based on Charlotte Mason homeschooling methods.)
Workbook Lesson: From Alpha Omega Preschool Curriculum pack. These are just little daily worksheets that involve letter recognition or counting. Work pages are lame, but I think doing one or two a day won’t hurt and it may even help him with his letters, shapes, colors, and numbers. You can find such worksheets for free on Pinterest.
Reading Time: Read a book together about Noah, building, animals, rain, or boats. (Mondays are library days. I take a long list to the local library with me to get books related to the crafts and activities we will be doing so we have a fun new story book to read each day)
Morning Craft/Hands on Activity:Â Noah’s Ark paper plate craft (Pinned on Pinterest)
Outside Fun!
Music: Learn music/ motions to “Who Built the Ark?” From Wee Sing Bible Songs
Physical Activity:Toddler Tumbling
Free Time/Chores: This is when I’ll use the Accountable Kids program. I haven’t started it yet, but I have purchased the kit. I’ll let you know how I like it!
Lunch Prep/TV or Computer Time for Little: While I prep lunch, Little can catch up on missed episodes of “Curious George” or play some games on the computer
Lunch
Nap/Quiet Time
Snack
Afternoon Craft/Hands On Activity: Decorate a large letter ‘D’ using glue and dots from a hole punch. (That week the letter on the workbook pages is D)
More Outside Free Time!
And that’s basically it! That’s just one day in the life. That doesn’t include the days during the week when we’ll have a play date {which, we usually have at least one play date a week} or “Super Special Fridays” which are themed and super fun. One day I have planned for example is Drive In Day in which we’ll make cars out of cardboard boxes in the morning and pop popcorn and make special snacks, then enjoy a special movie he hasn’t seen in the afternoon in his car at the living room “drive in.” So cute!
I promise more posts to come detailing our activities. In the meantime, I want to share with my fellow frazzled mamas some of my favorite websites where I get crafts, activities, and ideas:
Montessori Confessions {Not only is she a trainted Montesorri preschool teacher, she also has a precious little boy of her own with special needs and she does all kinds of great activities with him}
Hope these inspire you!
Blessings,
Kat
Love Makes A Family {by mommyponders} 
Pingback: Simplify Your Life: Stay at Home Mom Schedule | Love Makes A Family
Ha ha so how is the violin goig? I also play Violin but it’s been on vacation for 3 years….hmmm my child is 3, figures
Nice post! I’m always looking for schedules, and yours sounds great. There’s a lot more to it than I could probably fit in though 😛 (I babysit two kids besides my own). Anyway, props on the “homeschooling.” 🙂 I was just reading James Dobson’s revised Dare to Discipline (awesome book), and he now strongly advocates homeschooling for the first couple of years, saying that if they had the chance to raise their children again, he and his wife would definitely try to do so. The parental bonding is wonderful. Also, apparently a lot of kids (up to 25 percent?) aren’t really ready for “school” in the early years and get overwhelmed/held back because they can’t get the one-on-one time they need to really learn. Late bloomers and slow learners can be misdiagnosed as lazy or below average and feel inferior during their entire academic careers. 😦 Makes me glad my parents homeschooled me for a bit 🙂 I didn’t have to deal with any competition or “grading” until I was older, and by then I was pretty confident and ready 🙂
Blah blah blah, sorry for rambling on. 🙂
Sounds like you and “Little” will be very busy this school year. Plus you will be finishing your degree and starting on your Master’s. My motto was “keep’em busy”. I wish I lived closer so I could get in on some of that fun.
Nanny
Great post!!! Bookmarking this for the future!
Hi Kat! I came your way through MomBlogger! I’m an adoptive mom and also a pastor’s wife 😉
I love this post and will keep it handy for my 18 month old!!
I look forward to getting to know you!
Christie
http://satisfactionthroughchrist.blogspot.com
I find it so hard to juggle the million little things i have to do throughout my week and reach a point where i feel like i did something. I have 2 girls, ages 1 and 3, and i find it SO hard to get them to leave me alone long enough to do anything! They are literally on me 24/7 and it gets so exhausting. I’m beginning to wonder if i’m the problem! Do you think i’m just not giving them enough to do throughout the day? The best days i find are the ones that are devoted to them entirely and i don’t get absolutely anything done at home. HELP!!!!!!
Wen,
First of all, let me say- you are doing NOTHING wrong! There is absolutely NO WAY to get anything done with a toddler. And you basically have two! When Little was 1 year old, I remember feeling JUST as frustrated as you. I would try to do things with him, and it wouldn’t work. Basically, at that age, they need a TON of attention. They need a TON of free play, lots of stimulating toys and activities and lots of face time with momma. The only way to get chores done around the house with teeny tiny ones around is to squeeze it in while they’re napping. Or perhaps sneak it in here and there while they’re occupied- IF you can find the time. Do not beat yourself up. This phase shall pass very very quickly and you’ll find yourself able to do lots of laundry and tidying up in no time. I completely understand your frustrations. You are NOT the problem. You sound like a great mom who loves her kids and loves her duties as a full time at home mom. DO not doubt yourself or fret. You asked if I think you’re not giving them enough to do throughout the day, and I had to chuckle because I wondered this exact same thing when Little was one or two years old! There are times when you could set them up with an activity, like perhaps blocks, and say to your older daughter, “Help your sister build a tower while mommy loads the dishwasher please.” Take time for yourself. It really is okay to set up a baby gate for 15 or 20 minutes and INSIST they play alone. I had to do this or I was going to lose my mind. It wont hurt them at all, and it’ll give you the alone time you so desperately crave. Don’t doubt yourself. This is just a phase of babyhood and it will quickly pass. God bless,
Kat
Thank you so much! These stages feel eternal and its easy to forget that before i know it they will both be in school and i will miss these days. It is in my DNA to want a neat and orderly house and whencthats not happening i feel like im suffocating! But i need to keep focused on the things that really matter, the ones that leave eternal impressions. This is my ministry……:)
🙂 You’re so right, and it’s such an important ministry too. I get overwhelmed when the house is not in order, and it really affects my mood. By nature, I’m not a great housekeeper, but I like to keep things “decent” as I say. When it gets too cluttered or too bad, I have to have a cleaning day (I do this about once a week) and I’ll catch up on everything on that day. That’s when Little watches LOTS of movies all day and I set him up with a ton of independent activities in his room. When he was little, I’d block off an area for him to play in with the baby gate and check on him repeatedly throughout the day, but let him know “Today is mommy’s cleaning day.” Over time, he got the idea and now he knows to expect at least one day a week when I’m completely focused on catching up on laundry or whatever has been neglected. This may not work for everyone, but it works for us, and the rest of the week can be more dedicated to him. Best of luck and thank you for sharing your frustrations with me. It’s good for me to know I’m not alone!
Kat
I’m curious, how did you like the Accountable kids program?
Hey Michelle, to be totally honest, it didn’t work perfectly with our kiddos. There were some components I loved and others that just didn’t take. We kept some things- like the responsibilities for our kids, and viewing TV time as a reward not a right. However, I don’t give rewards or goodies for things I catch them doing that are above and beyond during the day such as the program suggests. Instead, I just lavish praise and have everyone clap and cheer for that kiddo caught in the act of something really stellar. I think the basic premise is great, but maybe it was a little too involved for this lazy mom?? I still think the program is awesome if you’re super organized and love the structure aspect of it. But if you’re like me and you are a little more lax and a little bit lazy sometimes, then it probably isn’t the right fit. 🙂
I know my kids get bored being home in the winter all day every day. I’ve been looking for a schedule since I too am incapable of creating a schedule for us. lol When do you take the time out to plan each day? Nap time is usually my time to catch up on chores and my personal devotion time since my kids are 2 1/2 and 13 months old. HELP!!!