A test Run of the New Schedule - Pre-Week 16 weekly report

LB and and Cousin G in the snow at Christmas



Made by CC in pottery last semester


Reading for the Week-
CC read Harry Potter twice- whatever the first one is.
LB - Sleeping Beauty, Puff the Magic Dragon, Who Wants a Dragon, A Good Day, and started Trumpet of the Swan
Read Aloud for both - Land of the Silver Apples - sequel to Sea of Trolls

I tried out my new schedule this week.  I changed jobs right before Christmas.  My last job was exciting and important and demanding, and I was VERY good at it.  However, I often missed dinner and bedtime stories even though I was working at home.  I didn't have predictable hours or a predictable schedule.  Something had to change.  I was offered another job in a related group so I jumped at it.  Now, I am more involved in prevention of problems than in dealing with problems.  It is a more predictable type of job. 

Monday's plan included getting some work in while the kids were still asleep, breakfast with the kids, a long break for play, baking, uninterrupted work blocks of time.  I couldn't get up early, but did manage to get up at my normal time.  My work computer is dead so all I could do was read email and tell my boss that I'm not productive.  I did get breakfast with the girls then get back to work.  I also took the break for play, and we baked bread, cookies and CC made a Shoo-Fly Pie. 

I had CC do a page of facts practice to start warming up her brain for school next week.  She also installed and started the tutorial for Logo which is going to be a new thing in our school this semester.    


LB played with stuffed animals, made cookies, helped with the bread, made a trap to catch me and tried on tap dancing shoes.



Tuesday -  This will be my big meeting day - I have meetings scheduled for 3 hours every Tuesday.  I have gone into my calendar and scheduled daily meeting blocks with my kids so that I have planned time with them each day.   I was able to use my time blocks as allocated so today.   The kids have learned to be pretty flexible because of my previous job.  I think the scheduled time will be relaxing to them.  They made a day spa, did some art, played with stuffed animals.  

Wednesday - I managed to make all of my scheduled breaks with the kids, plus get my work done.  LB is coming down with a cough.  We put up a toy shelf over CC's bed for her beloved stuffed animals.  We made boiled onions and a "traveling bread" for dinner based on descriptions from Land of the Silver Apples.

Thursday - Took LB to the doctor - fever+cough+clear breath sounds = virus.  CC spent the morning perfecting her helicopter landings.  LB and I spent most of the day cuddled up while I worked and she rested.  I was able to stop for my scheduled breaks and complete my work for the day.  CC spent some time with her telling her stories to help her feel better.

Friday - LB is still sick.  She is looking at the Useborne Flip-Flap Body Book - she wanted me to read the part about getting sick.   She wants to watch Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie later this morning.    I also heard from BB, he is going to try to change jobs.  He is currently waiting tables at a fancy Italian restaurant in Tokyo.  He interviewed for a job at an English school.  He would be singing songs and helping out in a kindergarten class a couple of days a week.  He says his Japanese has improved greatly by having to use it at work.  I think that he'll be terrific with little kids.  CC is finishing her story which is due next Thursday.  Right now she is staring blankly at the wall - probably trying to imagine her action sequence so she can write it.  This part is harder for her than the descriptive sections were.  She also typed up and printed out a flight school training plan for her helicopter.  I guess the writing block continues in the story world, but her creativity hasn't slowed.

The week was very successful.  I think the new schedule will work.  I'm glad I planned to just test the schedule without adding the actual school work.  It worked out well.  Next week we will follow the same time schedule but with real work instead of play in my blocks.  One thing I want is more outside time, but I think the weather and illness were more of a factor in that this week than anything else.