Our Little Routine ft. the background story ♡

“Play is the highest form of research.” - Albert Einstein

🌻 #TheWhelanCubs

When I decided to become a stay at home mama I had this big dream. 

Schedule, structure, and simplicity OH MY!

I had a daily schedule written in my nifty composition notebook and tons of curriculum pinned on Pinterest. But the thing is, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Coming out of childcare, my outlook was that: they didn’t have a lot of one on one time, Jack always got immensely sick, and Abe was struggling with potty training. I thought as SOON as we were through with week #1 this family would have done a 180 and all would be well with the world.

But like I’m sure you’re all aware of, life is pretty damn funny sometimes.

Sticking with a schedule that not only fits the day but also works with your family is kinda hard to come by. We have tried several different routines where our kiddos won’t get too stimulated, too bored, or even too wild.

After 2 months of homeschool and reconnection, I couldn’t be happier.. The one on one time has been phenomenal, baby JackJack has been healthier than ever, and Abe is a toilet master! Among bumps and turns in our road, our little journey in this life is looking as sunny as ever. ♡
☆ Mama Bear’s Pinterest

Wakey Wakey Eggs & Bakey

7:00am rolls around and Abe is either on the couch asleep or has already crawled in my bed to snuggle. Daddy has left for work, and it’s time to rise and shine! 

We go get JackJack from his crib and the boys are already suggesting either pumpkin muffins, oatmeal, or pancakes. While I’m preparing breakfast I like to have them sit at the table and give them options of either drawing, puzzles, or books. Most of the time it usually comes down to just us conversating about the weather and the birds outside, haha. We gobble up our morning meal and it’s time to go outside! [outside, outside, outside everybody, outside!]

I, personally, like to alternate between sitting activities and standing activities throughout the day to allow their bodies and brains to connect, subsiding over stimulation. You just woke up, sat and had breakfast, and now are needing that energy boost! In our backyard we love to draw shadows, have water play, play soccer, practice some T-ball, pretend to plant flowers, and run around yelling like crazy people.

Coming in at 9:00am, I start singing my circle time song and my babes know to have listening ears turned up and thinking caps on! We do our everyday colors, shapes, numbers, letters, days of the week, months of the year, etc. I incorporate a lot of books and songs into our 15 minutes and for the finale, we do yoga! Between 9:20-10:30 we PLAY PLAY PLAY. One thing that I have learned from this experience is that by keeping children unplugged, their imagination grows. The tablets, the apps, the screens is just too much for us and I feel we have a better love for this world by just simply... PLAYING. Clear minds and more questions for real life problem solving ♡ When they are independently playing, I have some time to throw a load of laundry in the wash, wash some dishes, or any small household chore. Abe and Jack will help with mopping, windows, dusting, or their all time favorite: vacuuming!

Each week I have a theme picked out for crafts, books, and activities to go by. At 10:30am we all gather up to the table for tithe day’s artsy farsty fun! 

We do have play dates and mostly all are either in the morning or during lunch so we try to keep the get togethers on the same days as well as the check ups at the dentist and doctor.

By 11, we are finished with our craft of the day and they have the option to help get lunch started or have some more free play. (Jack is usually my mini chef in the kitchen while Abe is off to make Gotham City out of blocks). We then eat lunch at 12, following a two hour nip-nap.
Abraham will sometimes take a nap, and by sometimes I mean maybe once a week. During this time, he has time to work on writing, spelling, and math. I’m old school with no kiddy apps so I will have print outs ready for him for the day!
When the boys wake up at 3:00, I swear they act like they haven’t eaten in days! Abe and Jack’s favorite thing to do is open the fridge, grab some yogurt, and beg for graham crackers. Even though it happens every day, it still cracks me up how determined they are with their appetite. After snack, I kick them outside again hoping they will burn off some energy they have soaked up during nap and afternoon snack.
And with that, daddy comes home between 5-5:30pm where I will have started dinner, in between finishing up some cleaning, and making sure the kids are independently playing safely. If it isn’t too hot,  we will spend almost all evening in our backyard, adventuring and finding new things to explore! If we were to build our dream house, I’m pretty sure it would be in a place with lots of trees and lots of animals. ♡