amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

gracesmom0801 · 05-25-2007, 03:21 PM

Today was Grace's first day of summer AND the first day of the month that I am OUT of money for our gas budget and on empty. I thought that the day would be SO long and awful.

Turns out that it is closer to a homeschooling schedule (what I'd originally wanted) than I had planned- without the planning!!!

We began the day with a healthy breakfast while watching a PBS show. We then watched a Laurie Berkner DVD and danced to it, getting lots of exercise. Landon has been obsessed with de-diapering himself, so we started working on potty learning. I let him run around nude. He peed on the floor twice and the TOILET once!!!

Then we did some fine motor/color recognition/patterning games with the pegboard. The kids took turns. Grace also strung beads to make a "necklace" which covered a little bit of the daily therapy program I'm doing with her. (I used to do OT in a school district, so I'm doing about 20 minutes of "special games" with Grace that just so happens to be therapy geared towards fine motor conditioning and strengthening.) Landon continued to play with the pegs while Grace did a 15-minute lesson from our Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons (she's picking it up like a dream- I KNEW she was ready). She just beams when she sounds out the letters!

When the kids were through, they sat at their desk to paint with watercolors. While they worked on their painting (and took a break to pee on the floor- haha), I vacuumed the upstairs where the dog had torn up the discarded diaper and shredded it to bits. That only took a few minutes, so I started their lunch.

They ate lunch and a yummy cupcake snack leftover from Grace's birthday celebration yesterday (celebrated at school since it was her last day and she has an August birthday).

Next, I started the Roomba, and took the kids outside. They did gross-motor activities (like riding bikes and swinging) while I read the Bible, did a devotional, and read a chapter in my Marriage strengthening book.

It is now 1:15. The kids just used the potty (where Landon peed- hooray), washed their hands, and got in bed. I told Landon a story and sang him a song. I read a chapter out of Grace's Bible for Girls and Moms. Now I'm relaxing. All I have to do is switch the laundry and figure out what I'm doing for dinner tonight.

Being forced to stay home has given me an opportunity to give my children an educational, spiritual, FUN day. It was fun for all of us!!! Its been the best day we've had in a LONG time!!! I'm planning on spending much more of the summer following this type of unscheduled schedule (haha).