I knew it was going to be a great day because I was wearing my firetruck shirt.
And it was a great day! My sister Elsie suggested to my mom that we capture the whole day and do another Day in the Life blog post. She’s been reading mom’s old blog books and knew it has been a while. These posts only get better with time, a flash back of a chapter that flew by- as I am told they all do!
But how would I know? I’m just three years old.
This day began with the most incredible ice. It rained for hours the night before and then dropped into the 20’s. Pretty awesome if you didn’t have to go anywhere. Terrible if you did. My dad went to his fatherhood group that morning but couldn’t get the truck to back up on the ice until he poured rock salt behind each of the four tires. Then he said he just took it real slow. I’d say! He could have actually ice skated to his fatherhood group!
We were glad he made it back home. Now, while mom was getting herself ready for the day things got crazy. Somehow the ice beckoned Elias outside to skate around…in his socks! No one still understands his logic, but he sure had a good time dancing around. Elsie got this picture and when mom saw it she told him he was crazy- and fun to have around.
Each morning the kids have to do their Daily B’s: Bed, Body, Brush, Bible, Breakfast. And then do their assigned morning chores. Elias is in charge of the coat area and breakfast this morning was Elsie’s latest creation: chocolate oatmeal! A huge hit, as we’re always trying to spice up the oats!
Each kid has a checklist they have to mark off before school begins. And it’s a good thing because no one would remember a thing they are to do, unless it was written down! Hattie is in charge of the kitchen and Elsie, because she’s the earliest kid up each morning, usually is starting her school when the rest of us finish up our chores. We all have to be done with our B’s and Chores by 9:00. Or at least that’s what mom is always hollerin!
We had just started read aloud when two friends from the fatherhood group came by. Ivar had borrowed a planer and huge clamp thingies for building the kitchen table he just finished. They are brothers and came to our farm to ice skate…I mean, to take their things back to their farm.
Dad asked Alden and Elias to sprinkle the tiny rocks from the rock box all over our driveway for a little grip for their car. They did exactly what Dad asked, and then they did exactly what every 6 and 8 year old would do: head for the hill! The sledding was so fast and awesome. Mom let them sled for a while and took these pictures (with that stunning sun!) before telling them they still had school to do.
And these guys kept talking! With most of her pupils back in the living room, Mom started her read aloud again. We do All Together Time and Solo Subjects. During All Together Time we work on our scripture memory, handwriting and read aloud. Then the big kids go upstairs to do their Solo Subjects and mom does more reading with the middle kids.
Honestly, and I’m just saying this from my 3-year-old point of view: there are some hairy moments. Like when everyone needs math help at the same time. But she’s figuring out how to do math with different kids at different times of the day so that they don’t all need her at the same moment. And she’s figuring out how to pair a big sibling with a younger sibling for math help. Sometimes it goes well, and other times she eats a lot of chocolate chips.
Alden LOVES handwriting all of the sudden. That’s always such a wonder- watching kids begin to love something they didn’t love before. Mom began the new year reviewing every letter with all the kids, and how to write it, with lots of practice. It seems this little review sparked something in Alden and now he asks to write first. It is really incredible.
The first day mom gave me a little white board to color on while the rest practiced their letters. But then I colored on the table cloth so mom gave me paper and a pencil too, but that was too boring so now I play with my magnatiles or whatever.
Here’s Elias learning how to read! They’ve started and stopped a few times now. Probably done 100 lessons already, but they’re on lesson 14. But he’s getting it! And it’s a wonder to watch. This is moms fifth reader with this book. And I’m next! In a few more years!
Mom is on a new kick called “Leftover Lunch.” She just puts a whole bunch of random things on the table and tells us to have at it.
And hey! Here’s a really great PSA! See that expensive ball lid on the left? Old Mayonnaise (the Aldi knock off kind) lids work for small-mouth jars! And they’re free after you eat the mayo! My dad figured this out and my mom wants to shout it from the rooftops! She uses them for all of her open quarts in the fridge.
Then it was time for after lunch chores. Every kid has a job that is the same every day. Alden puts clean dishes away, Ivar sweeps, Elias clears the table and puts food away and Hattie helps with the dishes. Elsie is making corn bread for supper.
I went down for my nap and the house was very quiet after lunch. But a little too quiet, which sent mom on a hunt. She found a painting class in the upstairs bathroom!
And then something so exciting happened. My cousins came for a visit! Mara just got back from Hawaii where she spent a semester and is now back at St. Olaf. Nice and close, the way we like it! Claire was visiting before flying over the whole ocean back to St. Andrews. We loved every minute together.
Cousins are the best! We played Blank Slate (Mara and I were a team!) and even face timed with cousin Sonna who was trying on different sunglasses at a walmart somewhere in North Dakota on her drive back to Montana.
The kids all went outside while Mom got dinner together. The sledding was actually a bit dangerous. Hattie came in the house crying because her arm got all scuffed up when she tried to stop her sled.
And I pretended I was a kitty the whole time we were outside, and into most of the dinner…
Mom stayed in the house and got dinner together:
Roast chicken, smoked salmon, garlic green beans, green salad, and Elsie’s corn bread with our maple syrup.
After dinner Hattie got out the 2010 blog book and mom read blog posts she had written about Mara, Sonna, Claire and Nellie. Those girls were like mom’s first daughters before she had kids of her own! We laughed so hard at the cute things they said!
The girls left to go to a college hockey game, and guess what we did? We went night sledding! We do this quite often lately. And I felt very cool because I had my cool light-up slap bracelet from Grandma and Grandpa! I will stay out for a bit, but usually come in first…
Then we had Family Worship. A few songs, a chapter from the Bible and prayer. I always sit on dad’s lap. They tell me it goes better this way. And then after Family Worship I tell Dad it’s time to wrestle. And he gets down on the carpet and I throw myself on him and he flips me around and we laugh and laugh.
So that’s it. I don’t know what more I could tell you about. Because then I go to bed and sing loudly until I fall asleep. But if you like time capsules, here are a few other Day in the Life’s of our family- a few from before I was even born!!
