Monday, February 7, 2011

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


15 comments:

  1. Sounds like a lovely & educational way to spend the day :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a wonderful day.

    We watch the birds as well. It is so much fun we sometimes get sidetracked from school work to watch them.

    I hope your day is a wonderful one.

    Love Erika

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a nice stress free way to educate and enjoy life with your children dear friend.

    M.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh...would you share what videos you watch on YouTube - this will be a great idea to use here in the cottage also :)

    M.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend your day!! I do miss homeschooling and the humdrum of how the family just flows in a more natural rhythm. Enjoy your time together everyone is growing so quickly I find the phrase growing like weeds not to be pleasant so I will say everyone is growing like California wildflowers in the spring during rainy season hehehe ~You have beautiful & creative Children Enjoy that Nature study my favorite subject ~Love Heather

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello my friend~thank you for your visits!! Your photo's of your children are so beautiful. I also have the Jack LaLanne dvd's~from when he was in his black pants and ballet slippers with his dog on the show. I was sorry when I heard he passed away~he always mentioned the Good Lord in his shows, also. God bless, Rose

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Marqueta,

    Your day sounds delightful! We enjoy scratchy old records too, and in fact I believe we have the same one! LOL. I have that very cover right here. But I am not surprised!

    By the way, I love, love your hat in the previous post. You look very beautiful.

    Thanks for sharing your day. You've inspired me in areas that needed some inspiration!

    Love,
    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's a wonderful post...I love the pictures and learning more about your daily life ...sounds very pleasant...blessings on your week...Shelley

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Marqueta,
    A happy Tuesday to you from here. Oh a delightful rendition of a day in the life of your family. It sounds very inspirational and homely.
    Your children and you sould ahve such wonderful memories of your education together.
    Have another enjoyable week
    Blessings sweet lady
    Gae

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like "A Typical Day at Birdsong Cottage"! Homeschooling is a wonderful freedom that we have here in America, a freedom that we should never take for granted. It is soooo wonderful to have our children around us as long as we can before they venture off into the plans the Lord has for each one of them. I love my children, they are such a blessings in deed. It was wonderful to take a peek into your family, it's very evident that you love your children dearly TOO! Being a mommy is one of the "jobs" in the whole wide world. With Love, Deanna

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a wonderful life you are making for your children. Mine have all grown and moved away, but I sometimes wish I had it to do all over again when I remember the sweet times we had reading, drawing and walking the woods together. The time passes so quickly, But we didn't have you tube back then!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a wonderful day!
    Marqueta you are very creative and bring so much beauty into the children's learning!
    Very inspirational indeed :-)
    God bless you..Trish

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Marqueta, I love reading your posts and looking at your beautiful family in photos. I was wondering if your husband is also vegetarian. Also wonder if you use any of the soy products by Morning Star Farms? Could you share more meal ideas? I am less than a year into becoming vegetarian and I feel so much better! Thankyou for sharing your life with others, Lord bless you, Leah

    ReplyDelete
  14. Marqueta, You are such a GOOD Mommy!
    Ah, Jack LaLanne !! What a ball of energy he was!!! Can you picture what he must be doing in Heaven right now? I loved that guy!
    I am so blessed that my 12 Grandiekids are being raised in a similar way, with the Lord in the center! I am also blessed that they all live close enough that I can see them regularly (3 live right next in a farmhouse by ours.

    I am enjoying your music while I am writing. It's great!(I think I'll leave it to play in the backgrownd for a while)
    Love and hugs, Linnie

    Thanks for spending time over my place today ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I really enjoyed reading about your day. I have an Evangeline too! :)

    Blessings,
    Lauren Christine

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for coming to visit — I look forward to hearing from you!