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Tracy wrote:
<< Oh I would also LOVE to hear what about everyones "unschooling days", I
realize all days are different, but just pick one out and tell us about it.
:O)

This is so funny. As I was driving around today, I thought...this is the
kind of day I'd love to tell about if somebody online would ask that "typical
day question." And I go online tonight...and what are you asking but for a
recounting of our day. So, here goes... Hope you don't get winded reading
this. I have 7 kids, so its kind of hard to be brief!
6:00 a.m.-Mom nurses baby while reading book about dinosaurs to 4yo. 6yo is
out in living room playing Legos.
6:30 a.m.-Mom does exercises from t.v. while baby plays on floor with 6
yo-4yo is now in Mom's bed playing dinosaurs in the bed covers-everybody else
is still sleeping
7:00-Mom in shower-baby is in seat in bathroom with her-4yo and 6 yo are
playing Star Wars-get a little unfriendly-they're very competitive
7:30-13yo, 11yo, 9 yo and 2 yo drag out of bed because they know we have
morning plans. Otherwise the 3 oldest would sleep in longer. We all do
basic chores together...feed pets, fold some laundry, pick up stray things
left out last night, empty wastebaskets, get breakfast
8:30-In the van -13 and 9 yo have rehearsal for "Sound of Music" put on by
local music teacher-11yo is out on 5 mile bike ride-we will pick him up on
our way home-we listen to "Boomerang" tape in car-this one is about
Bosnia-the kids really learn a lot from these cassettes-have a long
discussion about anatomy with 6yo-this is his current passion-discuss show
about eagles we watched on PBS last night and contemplate why one eagle would
kill another
9:30-home again- 11 yo gets out golf clubs and shoots out in yard-6 yo puts
on Star Wars costume (his own creation!) and plays by himself in yard-4yo
gets out playdough-2 yo draws with markers and joins in with playdough after
awhile-Mom folds laundry-watches a talk show on t.v. and irons.
10:00-11 yo works on bike-comes in to get a bike repair manual to check how
to tighten a certain bolt-4yo goes out to help him
10:30-11 yo wants to make chocolate chip cookies-looks up recipes-makes dough
and puts away to bake later-not enough time to finish now-6 yo comes in and
is making "battle signs" for his Star War's characters-4 yo goes back to
playdough-2 yo plays with Bingo games which is her "money"
11:00-back in van to go get other kids-listen to Boomerang again-get to
church where kids are and they are not ready-11yo goes in to listen to
rehearsal-6yo and 4 yo shoot some hoops with Mom in the parking lot. 2 yo and
baby doze in van
11:30-kids are done-get in car-13yo stays at church because music teacher
wants her to help younger kids rehearse in the afternoon-rest of gang makes
it home.
12:00-11 yo makes lunch while Mom feeds baby. 6, 4 and 9 yo play Legos in
living room-Star Wars, what else?? We all eat lunch and listen to
music(classical) which the 9 yo picked, on tape.
12:30-2yo, 4 yo and baby nap-11 yo gets out Key to Fractions, which he loves,
and does a couple of pages. We go over it together and play a game of
finding common factors. 9yo reads Harry Potter to 6 yo.
1:00-9 yo writes thank-you to Grandma, goes to visit neighbor who is home
from work recovering from cancer surgery; 11yo reads books about farms-takes
out sketch pad and draws tractors-6 yo plays with Playmobil pirate ship in
basement
2:00-11,9 and 6 yo help Mom bake cookies and clean up kitchen-other kids
still napping.
2:30-all pile in the car again (with cookies) to go get 13yo from
rehearsal-11 yo gets map from glove compartment to read-asks me to drive his
bike ride path from this a.m. so he can calculate mileage-we listen to
Boomerang again.
3:00-pick up 13yo from rehearsal-drive to gas station where 11 yo pumps
gas-9yo figures out how much gas we get for $10.00 at $1.38 per gallon. We
park and tour the place because it's a brand new huge truck stop and the kids
want to see what's here. We discuss the difference between diesel and
regular fuel and my 13yo notices the difference in price.
3:30-13 and 9 yo dropped off at public library to read until another music
rehearsal (a different group)-rest of us drive to see a house we are thinking
about purchasing-Mom explains mortgages to 11 yo and uses an amortization
chart from a newspaper ad in the car to show how much it would cost to assume
a mortgage on this place. On the way home, we calculate how many miles it
would be for 11yo to ride his bike from this new place to a friend's house
down the road.
4:00-Home again-Mom nurses baby and reads to 2, 4 yo-6 yo is designing a
sword that he can make out of wood-11yo resumes work on bicycle
4:30-Dad comes home from work-hears that a pig we recently bought to have
butchered is ready for pick-up-he and the 11yo sit down and figure out the
price per lb. and look in the paper for hog prices to see if we got a good
deal. 6 yo shows us his design of a "King Arthur sword"- 4yo plays in
basement with playmobil and 2yo is drawing again. Mom makes dinner.
5:00-11 yo folds laundry (his chore this week)-Dad plays with baby and 2 yo-4
and 6 yo are in basement looking for materials to make this sword creation.
5:15-Dad goes to pick up 9 yo from hand chime practice-takes 4 yo to
bank-lets him write his name on extra deposit slip
6:00-chores are finished-everybody eats except Mom, who goes to pick up 13yo
from voice lessons
6:30-Mom and 13 yo back-eat dinner-11yo plays basketball outside-6, 4 yo
paint their "creation" downstairs-9 yo plays piano and then 13 yo does.
7:00-Mom reads aloud ballads from Rudyard Kipling to 11 and 13 yo. Plays
word etymology game with 13 yo-9 yo draws tractors on sketch pad-Dad reads to
4,6,2 yo.
7:30-little ones go to bed-6yo asks Mom to copy down story he dictates about
his created "Star War's characters. 11 yo and 13 yo play piano, 9 yo
practices lines from Sound of Music.
8:00-11 yo gets out map collection and finds a topographical map of our
county-discusses it with Mom, Dad and 13 yo-6yo goes to bed after listening
to a book about human anatomy-9 yo gets out sketch pad again and draws
tractors
8:30-Mom and 13 yo outline plans for a presentation we are doing next week at
a "homeschool information night" 13 yo writes up plan on computer-11 and 9
yo draw and read tractor books
9:00-11 yo and 9 yo go to bed-13 yo goes online to talk to friends -Dad and
Mom discuss "Angela's Ashes" and read newspaper together
9:30-Dad to bed-13 yo reads Brian Jacques-Mom calls a friend and then goes
online to answer mail.
10:00-13 yo to bed-Mom stays up to read and take a bath!

This isn't completely typical for us-we usually don't have this many outside
activities-but the things we did at home were pretty usual. Almost all of
these things was kid-directed, too. We do, in a house with 7 kids, however,
require certain chores to be done and we have set bedtimes, too. Just works
better for us.
Hope I didn't bore anybody-this was fun for me, so just ignore it if you
want!

Carol from WI (who is always amazed at how much learning we manage to get in
without really trying!)

libbygirl

WOW Carol,
Am exhausted reading about your day!!! my jaw is on the floor with awe and
amazement!! Actually, it was sooo great to read about your day;once my shock
wore off *grin* I tried doing a similar example of a "typical" day (single
mom, four kids!) and like you, I was greatly heartened at how much learning
does take place!!

Regards,
Brooke

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That was awesome! 7! I'm impressed. One question...what is Boomerang?

candice

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Carol,

Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed it. Boy, reading about your day
exhausted me. Not because it was long, but you've really got a handful.
Keep up the good work.

-Tracy-

A. Yates

I'd love to hear more about boomerang...do they have a web site? Where
can I find them?
Ann

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Brooke wrote:

<< Am exhausted reading about your day!!! my jaw is on the floor with awe and
amazement!! >>

Just so you are not too amazed...I was exhausted too and today we completely
zoned out...sat around reading Johnny Tremain and playing games and I for one
barely made it off the couch until afternoon!
But I do agree that it's a good exercise every so often (especially when
discouraged) to really take a look at all the "learning" we are doing!
Can't wait to read other "typical days."
Carol from WI

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Hi all-

People are asking about Boomerang.

It's an audio kid's magazine-comes out once a month. We don't subscribe
because our library carries it-so check there first unless you have all kinds
of money to spend! I think a subscription is fairly expensive-$40 to $50 a
year, but of course, you can listen to these tapes over and over again.
I think the website is Boomkids.com. If that's not it, please e-mail me and
I'll find out. I don't have time right now to look. My 2 1/2 yo is
complaining of an earache.
It's a great mag...my kids love it! It's targeted to middle age kids, but my
6yo learns from it, too!
Carol from WI

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In a message dated 03/29/2000 3:44:54 AM !!!First Boot!!!, burkfamily@...
writes:

<< But I do agree that it's a good exercise every so often (especially when
discouraged) to really take a look at all the "learning" we are doing!
Can't wait to read other "typical days."
Carol from WI
>>


Well, you got such a good look at "typical" from the two examples I saw --
because they were so different -- but here goes:

Yesterday we (me and 6 3/4 yo son and 5 yo daughter):
Filled the bird feeder.
Checked/watered the garden.
Did math on-line.
Son read (way too many) jokes from Big Book of Jokes.
Went to Tae Kwon Do class.
Went to library. (Or was that Monday.)
Re-organized book shelves in garage and sorted out "baby" books to give away.
Daughter worked in math book and and learned about graphs; made her own
graphs; said they were like music; son made and discussed ways graphs are
used -- heartbeat and earthquakes and stock market. Lots of very messy graph
paper!
Read a couple of library books.
Played in sandbox.
Practiced piano.

And probably more that I have forgotten.

It it different every day.

Nance