Adustments to the new normal...

     Turns out, the new normal took quite a long time for us to adjust to and get into a "flow".  Our days are much more fluid in transitions now but it is now May 7th... so it took a while.  A day in our lives looks much different than it did before, but it is finally okay.  We fumbled and fell and tried again... changed this and that and this other thing that was clearly not working but... we made it to May 7th feeling more normal about today than we ever have.  My husband, myself, our four kids (now homeschooling), the eight grandparents with varying needs... we're starting to find our groove, find the flow, find our normalcy in this strange time in history.

     Today started out like most of our other days and reflects the fine tuning to our relaxed scheduling.  We learned, time blocks flexibility are key.  

     6 am(ish): We get up, two of the kids have their showers, the other two help with bedding and laundry.  Then we don't look at the clock while we continue this daily process...

•  Get dressed
•  Get breakfast and tea ready (group activity)
•  Gather in the living room with tea and breakfast for our morning enrichment : This can be, Ted Talks, articles of import, our group pleasure reading or interesting news of the day.  Morning enrichment is meant as a stimulating jumping point from which to leap into daily studies...  An awaking of sleepy minds :)
•  Clean up and dishes, move over the laundry accomplished first thing in the morning and tidy.
•  Everyone gets on their outside clothes and we do a hiking trek at varying speeds and intensity around our homestead.  We have a "training" path we have developed over this time to help my daughter prepare for "girl strong" and it has been beneficial for my boys to have daily fitness breaks.
• After we come in from our nature trek, we gather in the library for a "Sunshine salute" which is a series of yoga poses to stretch out from our training session.  
• We are now ready for our first study block.  We have designated that this study block will last a duration of one hour.  All the kids get their learning material for the first block which largely depends on the studies being assigned by their teachers.  We receive daily instruction and our first block is all about meeting or exceeding the instruction requirements.  I sit at the end of the study table (our dining room table), to be available to help anyone who needs assistance.  Depending on the day, I may not actually get to sit, but float around the table helping with seemingly endless amounts of assigned tasks.
• When our 1 hour alarm goes off, we pause our studies to grab our outdoor gear and head off to do our second nature trek, followed by our sunshine salute. 
• We are then ready for our second study block, also one hour followed by the same fitness break and lastly our meditation moment that will last roughly 5 minutes.  The added meditation moment after yoga, is meant to help the kids relax their bodies and minds and signal a finish of our studies for the day.
• We only do 2 study sessions now where it used to be 3 because it has overtaken our days not allowing for dinner prep or anything else.  Some days would take our studies into the evening hours before bed and that was completely unacceptable. 

     I am pleased to reduce study blocks so we can do more unschooling activities in the afternoon and restrict the amount of assigned work blocks.  Even though we are together, we miss family time and down time with family.  It will also allow the kids and myself more time for dinner prep which sometimes suffers and family time.  We now have free time in the afternoons and whatever that will look like is up to the family!  They have been using it for art explorations, reading, games, activities, outdoor play, movie time, free imagination play and anything that tickles their fancy!  

     Home schooling is now more reflective of our family values and allows for more mindfulness activities, time with nature and following our hearts.