Believe it or not, my house is quiet and it's 4:00pm. Most people assume we operate around a schedule and they are correct. Some years are better than others. I've tried most of the "house schedules" out there in the and have tweaked them over the years. Now we run mostly by routine than a schedule. Kids know we eat breakfast after everyone is awake, dress, chores, and school begins. We eat lunch at noon after picking up the house, on Fridays they are allowed to eat in the living room and watch a movie and during the summer months they always eat outside. They have free time after lunch, then it's nap time at 2pm for the younger kids and quiet reading time for the rest. This is where I surprise people. Our house is actually quiet, minus the music playing in the little boys' room to drown out distractions like a phone ringing. This is how I keep my sanity while raising 9 children. Everyone needs quiet time, not just moms. I have always done this and my kids know no different. The only who balks is the one who thinks they are too big to nap. And let me say, no one is too big to nap. :) After naps are over, then they have free time while I prepare dinner. Before Daddy returns home we pick up the house again, so he comes home to a clean house. We eat with Daddy, kitchens chores are done and they play with Daddy until it's time for bed. House is always picked up again, if needed, before bedtime. On days we go to our homeschooling co-op the next day, co-op clothes are found, backpacks are packed and lunches are packed with non-perishables. On Saturday nights, Sunday outfits are chosen and, if needed, ironed. We do the same during baseball/soccer seasons. All game outfits are found the night before and cups are filled and put in the refrigerator. This helps so much on those mornings we have to be out the door early.
Laundry is a huge issue in our household. Pajamas are worn more than once. Towels are used more than once. I do all the laundry on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Some people do a load or two every day, but I am not that fond of laundry and desire to have days that I do not have to do it. I wash, dry and separate the clothes in piles. Everyone puts their clothes away and the older kids have a buddy's clothes they put away. It's funny to me that they usually end up teaching their little buddy how to put their own clothes away to help ease their load.
I think that just about sums up our busy day to day life. :)
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