My [Lori's] sister Hollie publishes a monthly newsletter for seminary wives.  She asked me to keep a journal for a day so that she could publish it along with a similar journal kept by a 50-something pastor's wife.  Hollie's thoughts were that our seasons of life, and therefore ministry contributions, are so different, it would be reflected in just one day of activity.  I agreed to keep such a journal and then found it very entertaining.  Perhaps you will, too.  I publish it here with several disclaimers:

1. Revealing this to the world is dangerous.  We are opening ourselves to criticism.  You might read it and think, "This lady needs help!  She hasn't got a clue how to organize a day!"  If you read it and find areas where we need to improve...please pray for us...and feel free to send us constructive criticism.
2. Every homeschool is different.  How we do school may be completely different than how you do school.  For us, our system works because it is flexible, and it works well...on most days.  Some days we finish school early in the day.  Some days we don't.  We are continually tweaking our system as we find better ways to use our time wisely, productively, and enthusiastically.
3. Every day in our house is different from the previous day.  Some days we are hardly at home.  Some days we have people in and out all day long.  The day I chose to journal was a stay-at-home day with little outside contact.  No matter what the schedule, every day I try to focus on the care and training of our children and squeeze in as much other ministry activity as possible.

It is our hope that this journal may amuse you (Proverbs 17:22), encourage you (Proverbs 25:25), or inspire you to pray for us (James 5:16).  For clarification, on this particular Tuesday in January, Heidi is seven and Daniel has just turned four.

6 a.m.  Scott’s alarm clock awakens me, so I get up and have my devotions, then join Scott for breakfast and we chat over our cereal bowls.

7 a.m.  With Scott gone and the kids still sleeping, I take advantage of the quiet time to get some work done in the office.  I make a Skype call to Illinois to verify some details on our absentee ballot papers, answer some emails, and complete other miscellaneous office tasks.

8:30 a.m.  The kids are ready for breakfast after having an unusually late sleep-in…I enjoyed the extra time in the office.  I clean out the refrigerator while the kids are eating their cereal and toast.  Breakfast is leisurely with lots of chattering and laughing.

9:10 a.m.  The kids pick a DVD to watch while I shower then make a couple beds and put away yesterday’s ironing.

9:45 a.m.  Kids and I work together to sort laundry that is waiting to be washed and empty all the rubbish bins and put the garbage out for pickup.  I have to stop a fight between the kids and spend a few moments marvelling as to how an argument over riding bikes comes out of sorting laundry.  I also severely bang my hip on the corner of the chest freezer and realize I’m in too high a gear and need to slow down a bit.

10:00 a.m. Heidi does her morning bedroom chores while Daniel and I water the garden and pull a few weeds.

10:25 a.m.  We all move to the kitchen.  Heidi empties the dishwasher while I clean up the breakfast mess.  Daniel tries to set up a tea party and decides mid-way through set up that this is a bad time to set up a tea party on the kitchen floor.  He decides to change the blanket from a tea party tablecloth to a cape and I help him get it attached to his body.  I also take time to inspect Heidi’s room and discuss the shortcomings, while simultaneously de-cluttering a bit as I walk through the house.

10:45 a.m.  Heidi begins her schoolwork and starts with reading aloud to me.  Daniel is set up to make applesauce popsicles while I’m mixing up our favourite granola (muesli) cereal recipe.  The kids ask for a snack, so they munch on nuts, too.

10:55 a.m.  We interrupt the reading to solve another sibling issue with character training.  Everyone was busy, why is there another argument??!

11 a.m.  The phone rings and one of the other ladies from church has called to find a listening ear.  The kids run off to play while I’m on the phone.

11:25 a.m. I call the kids back to the kitchen and we carry on with the reading, popsicle making and cereal concoction.

11:40 a.m.  We switch tasks as Heidi does her reading worksheets. Daniel runs off to play, and I prepare lunch while the cereal is in the oven.

11:50 a.m.  I serve the kids leftover spaghetti and a choice of fruit.  While they eat I clean up the applesauce popsicle mess.

12:00 p.m.  I realize I’m sitting down for the first time since 8:30 this morning.  I enjoy the chair while eating my lunch.  In between bites I spell out words for Heidi, who is back to her reading worksheets.

12:10 p.m.  I clean up the lunch dishes, clean spaghetti off the floor, and put away the cereal making dishes and supplies.  I stop a few times to help Heidi with instructions on the paper airplane she and Daniel are trying to make.  I also make a quick dash out to the garage to swap laundry loads between appliances.

12:30 p.m.  Since the kids are playing so nicely together, I take advantage of my solitude to pray for the friend who called earlier.  I also put a frozen roast in the oven to thaw at a low temperature, take another phone call, and feed a few houseplants.  The peaceful moments are ended with the realization that there has been an unsuccessful visit to the bathroom, so we go clean up that mess.

1:00 p.m.  I switch the laundry again and do a bit of paperwork while waiting for a Skype call.

1:15 p.m.  The kids and I talk on the webcam with my sister and niece in Pennsylvania.

1:45 p.m.  I send Heidi to do her devotions while Daniel and I clean up his bed (the kids played there earlier) and get him settled down for a nap.

2:00 p.m.  I get Heidi started on her spelling assignment, and then I make up a grammar review page to supplement yesterday’s grammar lesson.  I also field a couple more phone calls and familiarize myself with the next grammar and math lessons.  We also address a few character issues which surface during the spelling and grammar work.

2:45 p.m.  We watch the math lesson demonstrated on DVD and begin the math lesson. I take the opportunity to have a cup of tea and put my feet up.

3:30 p.m.  My piano student arrives for his lesson.  I send Heidi off to take a bath.  Before the lesson is done, Heidi comes to sit and listen.  After the lesson I agree to let the piano student stay and play for a while, and we wake up Daniel.

4:30 p.m.  I supervise the children playing a game and help solve rule disagreements while I’m folding and putting away the clean laundry and do a bit more de-clutter.  I’m struck by the increase in noise level with the extra child around.

5:30 p.m.  I ask Heidi to set the table for dinner as I’m preparing dinner and cleaning up several mysterious spills in the kitchen.  I stop to solve the occasional play dispute between Daniel and the piano student.

5:45 p.m.  Heidi’s table set-up passes inspection and I dismiss her to go play, and then I spend a few minutes chatting with the piano student’s parent who has come to pick him up.

6:00 p.m.  As I’m putting the food on the table, Scott calls to say he will be home late.  The kids and I sit down to eat.

6:25 p.m.  I give one child permission to get up and play. The other child chooses to sit at the table and look at the sole piece of broccoli still sitting on their dinner plate.  I call a church family to arrange inviting them to join us for lunch in our home on Sunday, clean up dinner, and address an obedience issue with one of the children.

6:45 p.m.  Help Daniel get in the bathtub and remind him of proper bath etiquette (i.e. no spraying water on the walls, one boy needs one washcloth, and other such things).  Then I go help Heidi finish her math assignment.

7:00 p.m.  Scott homes home, so I take time to welcome him and talk a few minutes.

7:10 p.m.  Daniel needs help washing up, and I get Heidi going on her handwriting copy work.  She decides to do it while cuddling up next to Scott on the couch while he eats and catches a bit of the evening news.

7:20 p.m.  I put away the rest of the dinner dishes, pack tomorrow’s lunch for Scott and chat with him a bit more.

7:45 p.m.  We all go on a walk together.

8:15 p.m.  Scott sits down to have family devotions with the kids.  I see a fly on the kitchen blind and spend a few minutes catching it to feed to the two praying mantises Heidi is keeping in her bug house.

8:45 p.m.  We get the kids teeth brushed and send them off to bed with a few books before we turn their lights out at 9 p.m.  I go back to the office and sit down to do some administrative work for the church.  I spend the rest of the evening working on some purchases for the church, loading up Scott’s mp3 player with sermons for him to listen to, and take care of some ministry correspondence.  Scott and I also spend a bit more time together discussing some of these things and enjoying one another’s company.

11:30 p.m.  I crash in bed much later than I would like to admit.