A Day in the Life: Homeschooling & Moving
To the untrained eye, it probably seems counterintuitive to continue doing schoolwork during a big move. However, as I stand in the middle of our 12th or 13th move (I’ve lost count), it has become clear that some level of structure must continue for my kids to a) not go crazy, b) not play video games for endless hours, and c) make sure I’m prepared with something in case we are without our household goods for longer than we expect. So here it is! A day in the life of homeschooling during a big move!
- Wake up.
- Breakfast on disposable plates and cooked on a pan we’ve set aside to not be packed
- No chores because packers are here and we need to get out of the way
- Pack kids that fit in the pick-up (our big van is already gone) and go to the store
Today happens to be the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and I’m cooking up a little surprise. We go to our favorite store called Kare Pharmacy which is also a dollar store/pharmacy/bubble tea place.
Religion & Art
My kids have no clue why we are buying a red tablecloth, red plates, and red cups and I don’t tell them. I also buy a mango smoothie, not related to the Sacred Heart, just because I’m pregnant and am craving one.
- Pick up lunch. Can’t cook because they are packing up the kitchen.
- Put 2-year-old down for nap.
- Finally tell my kids about today’s special day and we are going to celebrate!
Our classroom/sleeping quarters/keep the kids out of the way of the movers-room is nothing but a bunch of mattresses on the floor. But it still works for drawing Sacred Hearts. My 4 kids, minus the toddler, are 14, 12, 8, and 6 but they all participate in drawing Sacred Hearts. Here are the two resources we use, both free and all you need is paper and color pencils:
How to Draw the Sacred Heart by Kelly Hudson
Catholic How To Draw: Sacred And Immaculate Hearts by Catholic Icing
Here’s a pic of their hearts! So precious!!
History, Literature, & Math
We still have some time before our celebration so we continue our study of ancient Greek Mythology. By “study” I mean watch episodes of Hercules the Animated Series on Disney+ and read from D'aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. My older kids think they are so cool because they can explain to their younger siblings the difference between Disney’s Hercules and the actual myths. I plan on watching the “Clash of the Titans” with the older kids when we are done reading the book.
- Baby is awake and not interested in Greek mythology - bummer
- Snack time
- Tell everyone to go play outside because it looks like it will rain later
- Kansas weather is crazy so we have to go inside because of the lighting
We do some math. I don’t want to say much about it because math is boring. LOL! My oldest is doing a free trial of an online math program while the others continue with Math U See. Here is a cute pic of the youngest also doing her “schoolwork” while we work on math.
Feast Day Celebration
It’s time to get ready to celebrate and I order dinner. My hubby doesn’t know what’s going on but knows I’m up to something because why else did I dig through a box to retrieve our heart decorations from St. Valentine’s Day?
Table is decorated and dinner arrives. Surprise! Can’t believe Pizza Hut came through for us! Sacred Heart Pizza!!
The heart pizza is a big hit and I explain all that I can about the Sacred Heart to my tired and hungry family: how special the devotion is to me, and how it helped me overcome a difficult 2 months in the hospital while pregnant with our youngest. My husband leads a prayer and asks especially for a safe move for our family. It’s been a long and lovely day.
Practical Advice
Trivia Question: What is the longest our family has been without our household goods? answer below
Military life = frequent moves, each with its own...shall I say “surprises.” With this in mind, I have learned it’s best to be prepared to live without our stuff for much longer than unexpected. I typically set aside a couple of subjects to do in the summer but I made sure to be prepared for the beginning of next school year this time. Here is a picture of our schoolwork which includes math, writing, lots of coloring books, and my laptop with digital access to our reading and spelling program.
If it looks like a lot, but it really isn’t too much considering the move is so close to the beginning of the school year AND I’m due with kiddo #6 at the end of August. I need to be ready in case anything unexpected happens and all the while stay aware that God’s plan is God’s plan. If we don’t/can’t get to any of it, it will be okay because we trust that He will take care of us and our homeschool.
Trivia Answer: 6 months! Yes, 6 months without our household goods. Talk about an exercise in detachment.
Final Thought
I hope you mamas enjoyed this little look into our homeschool! It wasn’t a typical day, but it definitely was a day to remember.
Leave a Reply