Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

My heart is singing with joy for all that was accomplished today.  And that is worth writing about. Joy in the mundane. The Ordinary Day. Our son, Bram, comes in every morning and says, "Mommy, I wike you." then "You have to give me chocolate milk.  And a show." Today was extra special because he snuggled into bed with me, with his "fwashwight" (flashlight).  This is my life.  And little boy love. My dear husband got up with the boy, so I fell back to sleep.  I woke up late (9:05 - yipes!) and rushed downstairs to find my children totally absorbed in the Netflix pick of the morning. At 9:30, I declared breakfast time was about to begin.  Everyone put in their breakfast order (banilla bars, rice krispies, and enny bars - two of which were actually granola bars) and made various messes on the table, on the floor, and on their pajamas. Then my Kylie (4) brought her special jewelry box to the table - it was a craft project she received for Chr...

(Here my third grade daughter is helping her brother and sister with preschool/kindergarten reading) This summer, I searched for a fun  morning routine for homeschoolers, and I was surprised that I found none.  None at all.  Hmmm... So I began to think of what I wanted for our morning routine: 1. A "good morning" song 2. Praise and worship song (super fun) 3. Occasional devotions 4. Learning songs for my preschoolers 5. Pledge of Allegiance I discovered the JOY of Youtube, and I was off to the races. Here is an example of our morning routine.  We use more or less, depending on the time we have available on a particular day. Phil Joel - "It's A Good Good Good Good Good Good Morning!" By beginning with some fast-paced dance songs, the children dance around the room and get their blood pumping.  It's kind of like gym and music class at the same time.  I try to choose songs that scroll the lyrics so my new reader can practice readi...