tweaking the schedule

I love having a schedule- my kids thrive on the structure and discipline a schedule provides. But lately, ours is failing a little. I think it's because of a combination of reasons- the outdoors are calling us, I've been staying up too late, Ella is almost ready to drop her morning nap. Here's what an ideal day looked like until about a month ago-

5:30am Rachel up and walk 30 min
shower, devotions, start laundry
7:00am Kids up, Peter devotions, all chores
8:00am Breakfast
8:30 am Peter practice piano
all 3 girls play in their room
Ella nap
Other 3- reading from our ABC devotional book,
the book of Jeremiah, and an Aespop's fable.
Then I do Math and Phonics with Peter and Kate
while Maddie does puzzles, colors, asks us a million
times to look at her. Usually we're done with this by
11 or 11:30 depending on how diligent the kids are.
11:30am lunch
12:30 read to all 4 from our Bible story book
and a library book of Maddie's choice
1:00 Babies down for a nap
Read to Peter and Kate from either Ten Boys Who
Made a Difference or Ten Girls Who Made a Difference
as well as a couple of library books and/or a chapter book
2:00 Rest time
3:00 Free time
3:30 Babies up

The afternoon is less structured- Peter had piano on Thursdays
and the 2 oldest had soccer on Tues and Thurs. Also, we always go
to the library on Tuesday mornings.

Sometime around 5 or 5:30 I start supper unless it's a crock pot thing
that I started earlier. We try to be ready to eat at 6, but it's often more
like 6:30 since Pete isn't usually home right at 6 and we try to wait.

Then it's clean up, baths some nights, read the Bible as a family,
read a couple of books or portion of one chapter book and try to
have them all in bed at 8. Ella is ready much earlier than that, but
we can't always have the dinner and pj process done for her to get
in bed when she'd like.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to structure our summer.
We need some sort of schedule and I plan to continue "doing
school" 2 days a week. And our fall will probably start at the
end of July or beginning of August so we can fit in a little break
when the baby is born.

Of course, just when you figure out the perfect schedule,
someone drops a nap, gets pregnant and needs a nap,
starts a sport, grows a tooth, gets sick, etc and you have
to sort of start over!


As far as chores go, this is what I've had the 3 oldest
doing and it has worked really well. (We have a chart
posted on the fridge and Peter and Kate run
down and check it in the morning)-

Peter- everyday make bed, get dressed, brush teeth, clear
place at table, pick up room, sweep after lunch,
pick up basement before supper
Kate- everyday make bed, get dressed, brush teeth, clear
place at table, pick up room, pick up living
room before supper
Maddie- everyday help get diapers out, make bed (with LOTS of
help from Kate), brush teeth, help pick up room,
help pick up living room before supper

On a rotating basis, Peter and Kate also unload the dishwasher,
wipe down their bathroom sink, mirror, toilet, vacuum the 2 kids
bedrooms, fold laundry, and Maddie unloads the silverware.

I'm finding it difficult to not slack off on some of this stuff
as the weather gets warmer and the evenings longer. So
I need to try a little harder!