Tentative summer schedule

For an idea of what our summer days look like...

One TV show, which is done and shut off before I leave for "work" (my accounting internship) at 8:45.
Get up and dressed.
Eat breakfast.
Brush teeth.
Schoolwork for those having some left to do (just Noah now, and just science).
Reading, coloring, or crafts (CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!) for anyone with no schoolwork.  Or outside…outside is always encouraged!
10:30 Snack. Not a meal. A snack.
Get your tiny heinies outside! And stay out until Mom is home. If it is rainy, you may watch a long movie instead.
12:15 Mom home. Stay outside while Mom makes lunch.
1:00  Lunch
1:30  Daddy leaves for work.
Levi...schoolwork with mom (Three more weeks?  Slowly but surely...)
Rest/reading time. Quiet. Very quiet. Shut the pie hole. One hour is all I ask!
Chores/clean up.
Something fun, hopefully out of the house (playground, swimming, go for a walk, Auntie’s house, etc.).  On hot days, I will tell them to get their chores done while I am at work so that we can go swimming sooner.   
Dinner.  Which means...whatever you want that fills the 'meal' category.  Remember?  I made lunch already.  It's our big meal of the day.  Dinner is leftovers, sandwiches, or some other random thing.
Outside. I mean it. Out, out, out!
Baths/showers.
Reading together.
Bed (9:00 Levi and Esther, 9:30 Hannah, 10:00 Noah). Noah and Hannah may read in their beds, but they must stay in their beds. And be quiet. My ears are done listening to people.

We made it to Friday!

I had three goals this week...

1. Drastically limit TV.
2. Set and keep a (loose) schedule.
3. Do something fun, and hopefully away from home, every day.

TV...we could do better, but there's been improvement.  This is a difficult goal because TV is one of the few things that will chill Levi out, and for that reason, I have gotten too used to using it to save my sanity.  Being outside and running around is much better for him in the long run and allows him to get his energy out without destroying my house.  That's where the schedule comes in...

Schedule...I've done pretty well with this.  TV until 9, breakfast and dressed by 9:30, and then OUTSIDE until lunch.  After lunch, Esther goes down for a nap, Levi watches a movie in my bed (and usually falls asleep too), I do schoolwork with Hannah, Noah and Nick read for an hour and then play quietly after that.  Then more outside time until dinner.  We've been eating dinner late, so by the time we're done, they watch a smidge of TV, and then it's time to get ready for bed.  Bed by 9 is our goal.  Sometimes we make it, sometimes we don't.  Esther usually makes it by then.

Fun!...Monday, we went swimming, kayaking, and paddleboating at Shiloh.  Tuesday, we saw a movie in Chandler's barn.  Wednesday, we went to the free movie at the Hamilton Movie Theater...Tooth Fairy.  Thursday, we went swimming at Valloo's (Brian's sister).  Tonight is family movie night...Spy Kids 3!  Our little friend Kaden is here all day too.  Oh, I forgot to add...right before we do the big fun thing for the day, I have the kids do a blitz cleaning.  They're very motivated to get it done then, which cuts my frustration with the process way down.  Smart Mommy, I know...

We're going to keep to these goals for a while and see how much sanity they help me keep.