Schedule Shmedule

          Those who know me well, know that I am a completely undisciplined person. I am a procrastinator extraordinaire. I am a fly by the seat of my pants do-whatever-I-fancy-at-that-moment kind of person. I have a tendency to be lazy but really, I am usually busy doing something, just maybe not the most productive thing.Truth be told, I have a hard time forcing myself to do things that I don't like to do. I try really hard to make things fun--you know that spoon full of sugar thing, but I haven't figured out how to make scrubbing toilets fun day in and day out!
          Back in my professional days I struggled getting paperwork in. Especially if there was no set deadline. Back in school, me and online classes were mortal enemies. Papers? They were usually written at 3am the day they were due. I convinced myself that I worked better under pressure. I guess to some degree I feel like I ONLY worked under pressure. I really would sit down to write a paper early, only to have my mind go blank.  Good thing Facebook didn't exist in college or I am sure I would have never graduated!
          So here I am with the personal commandment to educate my kids at home! It isn't that I feel the need to follow a school bell type schedule but, I do feel like we need order in our home. We can't have order, and do home school if there is no discipline. Last year we did learning time between 9-12. I didn't have any other goals than that. Turns out it was hard to get my house cleaned before then, and I couldn't possibly make myself clean after that. Life was a crazy mess. So I started learning time whenever we got around to it after chores were done. Learning time became less and less as the months went on because I had a hard time forcing myself to get the chores done!
          I have been trying to figure out what to do. I work better in social situations, and with external factors. Unfortunately I couldn't convince any of my friends to come over and help me clean everyday ;) So I decided that we would do our jobs together as a family. My kids have a few jobs that they are responsible to do alone (make their bed, wipe down the bathroom . . .) but most of them we do together (the dishes, picking up, dusting etc. . . ) Today was the first day of the new schedule and it seemed to work pretty good. Someday I hope to just have our learning time be part of the family culture, but as of right now, we are "starting school" next Tuesday. So this week we are trying to just get the morning routine down. This means waking up my kids--which I haven't had to do before. I think overall this is going to be really good. Now the hard part--to keep doing it even when the newness wears off! Here is the schedule (you will for sure think I am crazy!) for any of you other home educators out there:
5am- wake-up/put in a load of laundry
5:15 work out (remember I have health issues--this is necessary)
6- shower/get ready for the day
6:30-scripture study
6:50- make breakfast
7- eat breakfast/family prayer/family scripture study
7:30- clean up breakfast/kids get dressed
8-do morning routine and daily chores
9-family learning time
12-lunch/clean up lunch
1-outside time
2-nap time/quiet time/personal study
4-run errands/start dinner/free time
6-dinner
6:30 clean-up
7-showers/pjs/brush teeth
7:30-read as a family (classics)
8-family prayer/bedtime
10-my bedtime
There! I put it out on the world wide web. Will that keep me on my new schedule? I doubt it! I just know that I need a house of order! Besides I have to realize that if I wasn't home educating, I would have the external force of having to get my kid to school on time. I can do this!!