Back in the Saddle, Again

The kids and I took a trip to DFW recently, and I was able to be immersed with  CM homeschoolers, which was wonderful.  Lots of deep and thought provoking conversations, and I have come back really ready to take it all on.  On the top of the priority list: Math.  There is this central theme which haunts my thoughts, but has actually made me have greater purpose -- not "ugh, do we really have to do math now?" -- DO NOT GET BEHIND IN MATH.  Next on the priority list: Get back to doing Morning Time.  Lynn Bruce introduced me to MT last spring, and sent me Cindy Rollins' way, which made a huge difference in how things were going with me/us schoolwise at the time.  Towards the end of the year I shifted gears a little in order to do some catch up work with Joel, and we hadn't gotten back into the habit.  I have been wanting to begin morning time again, but it's just like any other habit - hard to get started.  I finally realized that I would just have to sit down and PLAN it out or I'd never begin.  I did, and we are back into it.  It is really such a wonderful concept.  I love, love, love it.  A sample of what MT looks like with us is this. 

Sing (Hymn of the month, Patriotic songs, folk song, anything else the kids want to sing.  They love this part, which is why I start with it.  They are always ready to get started.)
Pray
Bible (We alternate between OT and NT each day, reading small sections at a time.  I have one of the boys narrate, not both older boys)
Artist Study (once a week)
Literature selection - this is when we do Shakespeare, Pilgrim's Progress, D'aulaire books, James Herriot, etc. And I'm really stoked because between now and June, we will be able to work through THREE, yes, three Shakespeare plays.  Only reading two pages at a time!  It's just wonderful. (Caitlin, Joel likes your Shakespeare book better than ours, we have the Nesbit one.  I think I agree with him.)  Again on these I only have one child narrate, not both on the same passage.  That is just better for us.  Or I have them narrate later, privately. 
Poetry - one selection for each child
Composer Study, when I play our selected composer in the background while we read

That's it.  It usually lasts between 40 minutes and an hour.  It doesn't seem like that long while we are doing it, but it takes so much time to do anything with four kids, that the time really flies by.  It is a pretty intense time, just keeping everyone's attention, and keeping everyone's arms and legs to themselves.  But it is so worth it.  I love what my children learn in MT, and in MT I make sure we do what I love about the Ambleside Online curriculum.