We get up about 6:30, then work out. Sometimes Liberty does not work out when I do so she is starting her chores while I go out. My work out is a mile or two walk/run and some days I add a work out video to that also. Liberty usually runs a mile and during basketball season she has additional things her coach adds to that.
Liberty gets all her basic chores done and she then starts school with Gary(Dad) about 8:00 or 8:30. If he is not quite ready then she and I will start our devotional time together. Right now we are reading Beautiful Girlhood by Mable Hale. I have a list of books we will read together for the rest of the year. The next one is The Christian Charm Course by Emily Hunter, then I have two video series by Josh McDowell on Apologetics and so on. Bible is mixed in with these.
When Gary comes in we pray and say our pledges, American flag, Texas flag and the Bible. Gary then does Algebra and History with Liberty.
While he is doing that I check my email and FB, clean up breakfast dishes and take a shower. He is usually finished with her by then and she hops in the shower while Gary and I discuss anything coming up that day or next that we need to be aware of. He leaves and I usually get a phone call or two during all this time.
By now it is about 9:30. So Liberty walks her dog one more time and we jump in to the rest of the day.
Let me say that Liberty thrives on order and structure. She likes for me to have a schedule made up and laid our for her. She likes knowing what to expect. We change the schedule up a bit every year for different reasons. We also will change it up a bit during the school year if she is having difficulty with something or we see that something is consistently not getting done. But for now this is our schedule for this year and so far we really like it. She also likes me nearby. For the most part I am usually in the school room with her while she is working, even though I may be doing my own reading, filing, grading, organizing, etc. (currently working on her transcript)
It is now close to 10:00 and she finishes up any algebra problems she has and history assignments. We then go to geography, government, then science, Spanish, literature, which we sometimes read together. Right now we are reading our book together for literature. Next is spelling, vocabulary, poetry and English.
Those things take up to around 3:00 or so. During this time whe we have had a break she likes to go outside on the porch or in her big chair in her room and she has her alone time with God and her Bible. She tries to read through the Bibe every year. The following are the rest of things on her schedule that she does on her own like writing, blogging(on her blog site liberty-freedomtospeak.blogspot.com), SAT practice, basketball practice, shoot hoops, etc., for now studying her Driver's Ed. (This has been like pulling teeth. She has no desire to drive so we have finally had to insist that she get her permit so she can start gaining experience.) Practice her piano daily and her guitar weekly, EC homework and art, which we are trying to do once a week. Liberty and I are also trying to start up an online business which we try and work on together in the evening.
She also enjoys acting and tries to audition for a Butterfield play at least once a year. This year she got to act in one and work back stage in one, which was good experience for her. She also got to work behind the scenes in a movie that is being made in McKinney right now doing little odds and ends for a few days. Her favorite part was the slamming down the Clacker. She has joined Venture Scouts this year and 4-H and so those both involve extra activities. She is active in her youth group and our church and on our church's tambourine and dance team. All of those things require extra time and energy so those are added in on top of the rest.
On normal days when we are home for most of the day, she goes to bed around 9:15 and gets up between 6 and 6:30. On nights when we are out late due to a basketball game or other late activity, which we limit as much as possible, then we sleep in till 7:00 or 7:30 and follow the same routine.
During the weeks we have Enrichment Classes, Liberty still has spelling and science on Friday afternoons and another lesson over the weekend.
On Wednesdays we cut something out so the day is a little shorter since we go to piano lesson that day and church. After piano I go to Wal-Mart to do my weekly shopping and she studies one of her lessons in the store, if she wants. She doesn't care much for shopping.
I try not to answer the phone most of the time during school unless we are on a break when it rings. School is school and the kids need to know this is just as important to you as you want it to be to them.
I love our home school and I love to home school. I love spending the hours with Liberty and imparting what I can to her. The honest truth is that I really learn a lot from her. God has blessed me with a wonderful family and I am very thankful.
Kari
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