A Typical Peterson Schoolday

School starts at 8:30 with mostly independent work. It's Knut's turn for the piano, I help Gloria with her violin lesson, Mom helps Thor with his schoolwork. Cecily usually starts her piano practice at 8:00 and practices until about 8:30, or else she goes over to Shady Oaks at 8:30 to practice there while Knut uses the piano at home. At about 8:45 or later, Gloria goes downstairs to do her other schoolwork with Mom and I start working on Spanish.

9:00 is Circle Time. We gather in the living room to sing hymns, or as we've been doing lately,  practice Peterson Family Singers or Lyceum Choir pieces for upcoming concerts. Then we move to the great room to work on Bible memory, read a chapter of whatever read-aloud book we're doing, and do History or Science. Mondays and Wednesdays are History days, for which we all stay together. Mom will read the lesson aloud as we all answer questions in our workbooks, and then some of us have map work and For Further Study questions (according to age). Tuesdays and Thursdays are Science days, and since Knut and I each have a separate Science program, we leave to do other schoolwork rather than listening in.

Around 10:45 is the optional snack break, then back to independent work. Thor and Gloria practice the piano sometime between now and lunchtime, and I practice piano and violin. (Not simultaneously.) Cecily does her flute practice and Knut and Thor each practice their trumpets. 5 pianists, 2 trumpeters, 1 flutist, 2 violinists... makes for a lot of practice time. :)

After lunch the younger ones are usually done unless they haven't been focusing. Cecily usually just has a little bit to finish up, and Knut is generally finished within an hour. I... am not. :(

That's the structure, but it doesn't always work. Bjorn and Rosemary can play quietly somewhere else in the house or sit quietly and listen, but they don't always like to be quiet... and when we don't see them or hear them, it usually means they're up to something. Some of their latest escapades (during school or otherwise) have been:

-Finding candy, hiding behind Knut's bed, and eating it
-Going into the Lego room and having... fun... destroying things
-Dumping spices from the spice cupboard all over the kitchen
-And pretty much wreaking havoc wherever they go.

Let's just say that they can make school interesting! :)

Or sometimes this happens:

Rosemary: Bi'cut! Rea'book!
(Rosemary climbs onto someone's lap and shoves a book into their hands)
Mom: And now we will read Biscuit Finds a Friend.
Sylvia: It has extraordinary educational value about the behavioral patterns of dogs and ducks.
(Someone reads the book to Rosemary)