schooling through life

• I tend to be a very laid back homeschooler, didn't know that about me did you?
  
  
  
  See I used to be a very high strung person. It occurred to me a few years ago that being high strung was...well...to be blunt, LAME. While I can't help it that things stress me out, I CAN help the way I act, and after a few years practice I have gotten quite good at saying "in the whole scheme of things does this REALLY matter that much...." As a result things really don't bother me a lot anymore.
  
  
  Back to the post. When we first began homeschooling is about the time I started learning to relax about the little things. Now that we've been schooling 7 years I definitely have the relax part down, unfortunately sometimes I relax a wee bit TOO much.
  
  
  Since winter vacation we have had a hard time getting back into the swing of school. Sure we manage to school, but a lot of the fun is gone and it's become more of a daily grind. A true "git 'r done" situation.
  
  Which is why we sat down and had a family meeting yesterday, a meeting in which we discussed expectations, asked for input and created a schedule together.
  
  The problem is I don't like following a schedule. I am much more a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of gal, so following a schedule is constricting for me, however, we are going to try this for a short time and see how it goes. Why? Because without an actual schedule there are times that things get shortchanged, but if there is an hour scheduled for a subject then in theory we shouldn't shortchange it, right?
  
  So here goes (and note times are adjustable they are just to give us some guidelines...see I am already altering the schedule)
  
  8 am: Wake up (That is how late the latest sleeper sleeps to), eat breakfast, complete AM chores
  9 am: Begin school with Bible Study, Daily devotion, prayer (This will take some time as we have a new Bible Study in the works)
  10 am: Math, Math drills, math tests
  11 am: grammar, Reading for Unit Study, Penmanship, work on school newsletter
  12 pm: Lunch and lunch cleanup
  1 pm: Language Arts, spelling, research papers
  2 pm: Foreign Language, Artist Study, Art
  3 pm: History and research
  4 pm: Science and computer skills (for the younger kids)
  5 pm: Home Economics, dinner prep, dinner clean up, quick clean of house
  6pm-9pm: family time, computer time, Electronics allowed, etc.
  9pm: Lights out for youngers
  9 pm: reading in bed
  10 pm: Lights out for older kids
  
  Now to see how it works.
  
  I have to add: You may note that there is no "PE" listed on the schedule. The kids do get plenty of exercise and outdoor time, which fits neatly into the lunch break and the evening break. Exercise is not listed, but it is certainly not non-existent.

editing to answer questions:

Leslie: Of COURSE "I" have computer time, I couldn't possibly give that up. But the computer is in the school room, typically if I am printing things out or researching for the next days school while they are doing independent work I am also checking in with sweet FIAR friends and updating my blog, etc. The kids will also have computer time here and there throughout the day depending on how long their assignments take.

Heather: When E was two it was hard. Honestly, it's still difficult, he's just 5 and not schooling yet (and I am not in the mood to rope him down). He is more capable of entertaining himself than a 2 year old but it's still hard for him sometimes. He likes starfall.com and pbskids and some preschool CDRom's we have. He also likes to draw, write his name and read books (or have them read to him).