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I Love Schedules!

and it seems I make a new one every season.

This past summer, I pretty much took a break from scheduling and just let my life run free!  I didn't get much done but the kids kept themselves reasonably entertained and my house didn't catch fire, so that's great.  Still, with autumn coming and Scott back in school, I find myself craving some more predictability.  And since I have more energy than I did this summer, I want a plan for accomplishing the stuff I want to.

My friend Michelle and I were feeling about the same way at the same time so we spent last week cooking up some awesome schedules.  This week, we are putting our honor on the line and holding each other accountable for sticking to them.  By the end of the week, we hope to make a few tweeks and then be ready for a productive autumn!

Today was Day One of The New Super Schedule and I *love* it!

Here's the plan:

7 am - I get up and read the scriptures.  Then, the kids get up and get dressed.
8 am - We have breakfast together.  Then, Carl plays alone in his room while Soren and I do housework.
9 am - Carl stays in his room and Soren has free play (which usually means he chooses to write at his desk for awhile); I can plan out my day or take a shower.  We all leave the house sometime after 9:30 for our OUTING!  Mondays - groceries, Tuesdays - errands, Wednesdays - gardens, Thursdays - library, Fridays - visit friends, Saturdays - park or other family outing, Sundays - church
10 am - still out
11 am - We come home and have a snack (except on library day and Sunday, when we stay out until lunch).  Then Soren plays alone in his room while Carl and I do housework.
12 pm - Soren stays in his room and Carl has free play (which usually means tagging along with me); I can make lunch.  We sit down for lunch by 12:30.
1 pm - Home Kindergarten (inspired by Waldorf Kindergarten)!  We pick up Carl's friend Ethan for our own "school": songs, nursery rhymes, stories, a nature walk, then art.  Mondays - paint, Tuesdays - play dough, Wednesdays - crayoning, Thursdays - scissors and glue, Fridays - handwork
2 pm - Rest Time is the best time!  The kids go to bed.  Soren reads and Carl sleeps.  I exercise then visit with Michelle.
3 pm - Kids still resting.  I am free to do WHATEVER I WANT.
4 pm - Soren and Carl get up at 4:30.  They have a snack, then have "Brother Playtime" in their room while I fix dinner.
5 pm - "Brother Playtime" continues until 5:30, when we eat dinner together.
6 pm - The whole family can go outside and play in the yard, except on FHE night (which is Wednesday this semester).
7 pm - The bedtime ritual has begun: bath, pajamas, scriptures, prayer, story, song, lights out!
8 pm - Unless there is a planned activity for the evening, I can use this time to work on my compositions and Scott can write his novel.

The plan worked FANTASTIC today!  Bits I especially loved:
* Getting up early is hard but it starts my day off right.
* I loved doing housework with both of my boys; Soren is big enough to complete a task by himself and Carl is big enough to "help" with what I'm doing.
* Also, "free play" is great.  The kids look forward to having free time about the house for a small amount of time rather than having free time about the house all day and whining that they are bored.
* And Home Kindergarten is something we all look forward to.  I especially hope that lasts.
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