Schedules

The last photo of "Cat." I still haven't gotten over it and still haven't bought a new one.

This is one of those posts that is more for just me...a documentation of our life right now for future reference. I decided, after talking to some of my friends, to devise a loose daily schedule for our days here at home. Too often at bedtime, I look back at our day and think, "What did we even do?" or "Did the kids have fun/learn anything today?" I never want to put too much pressure of myself, because I know they are usually always learning and having a good time, but I am a teacher at heart, so I want to do the best I can for my kids. I shouldn't let that college degree be for nothing! I was holding a little baby last night (sigh) and just kept thinking how babies come into this world as a nice, clean slate, and we put things/allow things to be put on that slate. (which obviously reminds me of my favorite word(s) from college, "tabula rasa." I used to say them over and over--just like the way it sounded) I don't want Dora, Diego, Elmo, and Abby to put more on those slates than me! And, Winnie is at the age where she needs to be spending a good deal of time in free, imaginative play. As a teacher, I know that uninterrupted, non-directive, creative play helps a child's cognitive development. More, sometimes, than a structured learning activity. So we do a little of both around here!

8:00 Breakfast together
8:30 Free play for W and R (Mommy cleans up, boils bottle water, gets out supplies, etc)
9:00 Read books with W and R
9:30 R naps, Art project with W
10:30 Free play for W until R wakes up (Mommy on computer, laying out lunch, etc)
11:00 Walk outside with Puddy
12:00 Lunch for W and R
12:30 W naps, Books/learning activity with R
1:30 Free play for R (Mommy eats lunch and does daily cleaning-that's for another post)
2:30 R naps, learning activity with W
3:30 Mommy and W play until R wakes up
4:00 Walk outside with Puddy
5:00 Music (instruments, dancing, or singing)
6:00 Dinner

Notes:
-It's a little tricky because R takes two naps, and W just the one. So our schedule sounds more crazy than it really is.
-They also do not wake up at the same time every morning. We let them wake on their own, so that makes it hard to always know times, as they are a bit unpredictable in the mornings. So, these times are a bit ambiguous.
-The schedule will sound too detailed and awkward to you, but it's mostly what we were already doing. This is an over-schedule.
-It's summertime (I keep telling myself it's summertime so that Mother Nature might oblige and make my dreams come true), so as much as we can, we will ditch this schedule and go to the park, swimming, to the zoo, etc.
-"Learning activities with R" are very simple...stacking blocks, coloring, clapping games, pushing cars, stacking rings, etc. Just working with Mom at getting better with playing
-"Learning activities with W" are still simple...puzzles, identifying letters/numbers, zipping, buttoning, cutting, play dough, stacking blocks, counting, etc. Mostly book-based activities or Tot School activities.
-And as much as I resist it, I am an anal, scheduled, person who feels like I am drowning without some structure and a plan.

-After dinner is whatever: reading books, wrestling with Daddy, going on a walk, going to the park, playing...who knows? The kids love when he is home, so the fun just happens.

-Obviously, we do way more than is listed in the schedule. For example, you won't see anything about tickle monster, spontaneous snuggling, being carried around because they aren't feeling well, scratching backs, fixing hair, painting nails, chasing Puddy...and that kind of stuff happens a lot.