A Typical Day at Birdsong Cottage~

Dear Friends,

A happy Monday morning to you! We hope that you had a restful weekend, and are off to a good start on all those never-ending, wonderful things that you have planned in your life. Remember to take it a moment at a time, and if you don't get everything done, don't worry! Even the Savior's work was not declared "finished" until the end of His life, so why should we try to do better than He?

We thought we'd share a few things that we are doing today, a typical day here at home. We start off with prayers as Mr. Graham goes off to work, and hopefully a hymn sung together, and a scripture (we don't always achieve this, and have noticed that the days go a little rougher when we don't!). I also like to watch affirmation videos, either on YouTube, or the "vision movie" slideshow that I made of our dream home and farm, paired with music to help us remember our goals that we are working toward.

Then in the winter we'll do "Trimnastics" with Jack LaLanne videos, and when the weather is nice we have a daily nature walk.

Breakfast is usually a green smoothie, followed by oatmeal or toast. Rebecca wakes up at about 8:30 and is ready for some snuggling, before she's off for lots of exploring. Frankie and Evangeline have lately discovered the joy of imagination, and play for hours at a time with their toys (with a few heated discussions here and there, of course!). Audrey, AnnaMarie, and Tasha practice the piano/violin for about a half an hour, and help with dishes, laundry, and cleaning the floors while we listen to uplifting music.

We're making sprouted bread/crackers/rolls today, so Tasha, Frankie, and Evangeline have volunteered to help~ It's so nice to have lots of helpers!

I encourage the older children to write in their regular journal, as well as nature journals and gratitude journals. We do a LOT of independent reading, as well; right now AnnaMarie is reading "Anne of Green Gables", Audrey is reading "Little House in the Big Woods", and Tasha has been reading an old reader from the early 1900s. Oh yes, and scripture study, too! Frankie and Evangeline love to be read to, and Evangeline is learning how to read by herself.

We love the sound of old, scratchy records!

Each older girl has a magazine or newsletter that she puts out once a month (hopefully) to encourage creative writing, and these have been really fun to read and see the imaginations that they have.

Lunch is usually a super-duper salad or soup with bread, depending on the time of year. Our goal is to eat as much food in-season and fresh as possible (We would like to be 100% raw, but we do our best if we can't all the time.).

Our nature studies go on throughout the day, as we watch the birds at the feeders or go exploring in the woods. I spend about an hour a day reading books or looking on the internet for information on the plants, birds, and etc. that we don't know, and also looking for fun ideas for crafts, lessons, etc. If the girls want to play on the computer, I ask that they sew a button or do one item of mending for every ten minutes they are on (This doesn't always work, but it's a good idea, eh? :) ).

YouTube is a godsend for educational videos, and we have used it for science, history, math, art, and many other things.  There is so much in the world to learn about, and I want more than anything for my children to have a love of learning that lasts throughout their lives.

Dinner doesn't always happen like we would like, since Mr. Graham works late hours, but we usually have more salad, and maybe baked potatoes, yams, or squash. The children love snacking on fruit throughout the day, and we make sure that they eat at least a couple of carrots, too.

If everyone has done their chores, they'll watch something like "Little House on the Prairie" or an educational video before getting ready for bed. Each day is a little different, and seasons come and go. We are learning to enjoy the gifts of each day, and to live "in the now."

And now we're off to go make some more memories!

Blessings to you all,

Marqueta