Freezing temperatures and snow kept us inside a lot of this week, but that gave us opportunities for decluttering and playing games.

Read all of the Large Family Homeschool Life posts!
MONDAY
It was well below zero when I took the dog out this morning. I wore thermal tops and bottoms under my jeans and sweatshirt, a heavy puffer jacket, a balaclava my husband bought me recently, and an ear headband. I also took out Ty’s arctic mittens, also called choppers. They don’t fit me very well, but the mittens sure are warmer than my gloves.
For breakfast, I made myself and my youngest 3 kids bacon, hash browns, and eggs over easy. I added spinach to mine. The 19 year old needed help getting her car unstuck to go to work and while I helped her, the dog ate half my breakfast (thankfully, I’d gotten the other half eaten already!).
I ended up taking her in my passenger van because we couldn’t get her unstuck. It is supposed to thaw a bit in a few days, so we’ll work on it then.
Back home, I gathered my coffee and the kids and we did Morning Time. We read in Hurlbut’s Story of the Bible and then started By the Shores of Silver Lake.
We also looked at a map of Laura’s travels and also discussed pet care as indicated in The Playful Pioneers. You can read my review of this curriculum below:
We also discussed upcoming curriculum changes. I need to get everyone started in their new Science. The 15 year old will be continuing in Apologia’s physical science. The 13 year old is starting General Science. The 10 year old is doing Botany. The 9 year old will read from a little Science reader.
READ >> Apologia Science Curriculum for Multiple Ages
I also got the 13 and 15 year olds started again on CompuScholar coding. And we talked over the plans for A Year in the Hundred Acre Woods curriculum and how we are going to handle Morning Time before we go back to Tapestry of Grace in the fall.
I picked up the 19 year old from her first house cleaning job and dropped her off her next one. She will walk home from there since it is nearby. Then, I went home and helped the little girls with their Phonics and Math.
That afternoon, I put together my Liturgical Calendar podcast video for YouTube. I recorded the podcast back in December, but never got around to putting it on YouTube.
I also got the church newsletter out, and sent one out for the blog. Meanwhile, the kids pretended they were cats and dogs and that Winston, our poodle, was in charge. It got wilder and wilder until – you guessed it! – the littles one was in tears.
I made bread pudding with leftover bread bits. While I was baking, the 17 year old called just to say hello and then took some time to play a video game with the boys.
I read to the girls from Heartwood Hotel. Such a cute story!
I decluttered the main level bathroom. I need the 19 year old to go through her stuff since she uses that as her bathroom, but I got rid of quite a bit of stuff – old containers, tubes of toothpaste, etc. I’ve been using FLYlady as my guide for which part of the house to declutter and my Decluttering Template to section off the room and take notes.
The 13 and 15 year old boys made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It was quite yummy!
We try not to watch TV Monday- Wednesday nights. We had gotten in a bad habit of just watching tv because people were bored. So, instead of mindlessly doing that, we played charades, Exploding Kittens, and I read in The Wife while the kids took some Rest Time before bedtime.
TUESDAY
On my walk this morning, I saw snow geese flying south. I haven’t seen snow geese in ages!
For Morning Time, we started with Hurlbut’s and then read 2 chapters in By the Shores of Silver Lake. Then, we looked at Van Gogh’s Railway Carriages painting. My kids were surprised there were trains when Van Gogh was alive. Reminded me of when I realized Mozart and George Washington were contemporaries!
We also discussed some more about upcoming curriculum plans. I’ve decided we are going to finish The Playful Pioneers, then do A Year in Hundred Acre Woods, which we should actually be finished with in time for next school year and the start of another round of Tapestry of Grace.
We also talked about college and future careers. It was a great conversation, with even the 9 year old chiming in!
For lunch, we pulled out all the leftovers. I worked on a menu plan and grocery list for tomorrow when it finally gets close to freezing again. It will feel so good!
That afternoon while I decluttered the laundry room, I had the 19 year old make biscuits for snack time so we can use up some of the creamed honey we have on hand. I also made a pitcher of Gatorade because it needs to be used up. Someone gave it to us, but the kids really didn’t like it, so I threw it out. I’m not interested in hanging on to food no one likes.
In the laundry room, I got the cleaning closet and the pantry decluttered. Later, I’ll tackle the cupboards on the other side.
Everyone is going stir crazy with this weather. The little girls are the wildest. They are 7 and 9, and toward evening the 10 and 13 year olds join them in the rowdies. I’m throwing everyone outside tomorrow! It’s the only decent day we’re going to have for a while.
After a bit of a break, I finished the laundry room, then took Winston for his walk and talked to Ty a bit.
For dinner, we had nachos. I already had the ground beef cooked up, so it was an easy meal. I also made a box of instant mashed potatoes that needed to be used up and we mixed the last of the ginger ale with some cranberry juice for a fun drink.
After the kids did their Table Chores, they decorated for Creed’s birthday tomorrow. Then, we played board games together around the table.
WEDNESDAY
It was 15° out this morning when I took Winston on his walk. I was able to take a longer than usual walk, and I actually got warm enough to take my hood off!
I made Creed’s birthday breakfast – hash browns and bacon. I also had some sugar free vanilla chai I whipped up for the children. I thought the kids might like it – nope! That’s another thing I need to throw away.
Because it’s Creed’s birthday, he let everyone off from school, but he did decide the morning would be less boring if I read to them from By the Shores of Silver Lake. We also did an indoor scavenger hunt. Then, he opened presents.
The 19 year old and I went out and returned a pair of jeans and got Aldi groceries. It cost me $250 this time, which is pretty good! While we were out, I got Creed a peanut butter cup ice cream cake – he told me to surprise him, and he was so happy with my choice!
When we got home, we had a late lunch of Caesar salad, meat and cheese (gouda – Creed’s favorite), and then ate the cake.
Then, I headed to Walmart while the boys cleaned off our sidewalks and driveway. The 19 year old got Creed’s birthday dinner prepped – macaroni and cheese and dino nuggets. She and I went to women’s group for church for a couple of hours that evening.
All the siblings called Creed. I talked to Meg a little longer so she could tell me about her new interpreting internship. That night, I went to bed early because of a bad headache.
THURSDAY
Busy day today! It’s my laundry day, so I got that started before making some sourdough pancakes. Then, I washed my hair before taking the 19 year old to her dentist appointment. She’s still on our military insurance, so she wanted me to come along because she was having some sensitivity with a tooth. And she couldn’t get her car out yet anyway, so I drove the big van. If you’re curious what van we have, you can watch a tour here:
When we got home, I checked on the kids’ independent school work and then ate a quick lunch before heading to my hair appointment. While I was there, I invited my stylist to our church. I don’t think she goes anywhere and the Lord has really been putting her on my heart.
When I got home, I thought the roads seemed clear enough to try to dig my daughter out of her spot in the street and get her car into the driveway to make it easier for her to get out. We all worked to clear a path, and one of the boys suggested we back it up and get into the clear part of the street that way. Sure enough, it worked! She was so happy!
Then, the kids tidied up for TV time while I finished up my 2 loads of laundry and a load of towels. The towels are now the 11 year old’s job. That’s what happens when you have a birthday around here – you get more chores! (ha!)
I worked on a new post on balancing housework and homeschooling. I’ll do a podcast and YouTube video for it as well.
The little girls were bored, so I printed off a Cookie Confections pretend play kit from CraftsFunandLearning on Etsy. We have several of her pretend kits and the girls really enjoy them! We printed them on card stock, cut them out, and then the girls hosted us in their bedroom, complete with a table made from a felt board and seats made from their pillows. This time they even turned on a lamp instead of the overhead light for some ambience!
For dinner, we had Breakfast Bowls – hash browns, bacon, chicken sausages, eggs, and whatever else the kids wanted to put on them.
That evening, it started snowing and blowing again. Glad we got the car into the driveway!
For Special Night, the 19 year old chose to just eat the leftover ice cream cake and chocolate milk so that we didn’t have to go out and get something. She wanted us all to watch The Court Jester with Angela Lansbury and Danny Kaye, and then we played dominoes.
FRIDAY
This morning, I braved the subzero temps that blew in last night to take the dog on his walk. He wasn’t super interested in being out there either!
For breakfast, I had peanut butter and banana toast while the kids had leftover pancakes or sausage links. I also brewed a pot of coffee – it’s that kind of day!
We started our Tidy Up/Reset before doing Home Blessing chores. Creed gets the day off because of his birthday. I also figured out the next places I want to declutter. So far, I’ve done the kitchen, dining room, main level bathroom, and laundry room.
One of my Friday chores is to water the plants. I decided to cut back the airplane plant. It was out of control and I have no one to give all these cuttings to. My 23 year old daughter would say I’m committing murder, but it’s a plant and I am NOT a “plant mom!”
I cut off about 5″ of my 19 year old daughter’s hair. It needed a good trim. She likes her hair super long, but there comes a point where it just doesn’t look healthy anymore. The dry winter air has been making my hair frizzy, so I’ve been keeping it in a clip a lot or spraying it with frizz control.
For lunch, I had pimento and cheese with crackers. All we do for this recipe is mix shredded cheese with mayo and add in chopped pimentos. It’s a favorite of my 17 year old son’s, so I thought about him and all he’s been doing lately while I ate it. Made me smile!
After lunch, the kids and I watched robot vacuum reviews on Vacuum Wars YouTube channel. My 13 year old is VERY into comparison charts and reviews and research of this type, so he and I discussed all that we were seeing from the reviews, and I actually took his recommendation on which one to buy!
So, a little background before you start wondering how in the world this came about!
For years, Ty has been thinking we ought to have a robot vacuum. We have hardwoods that end up with dust bunnies nonstop, and while we clean every single Friday, it would be nice to have those dust bunnies under control throughout the week. Often, a broom just disperses the bunnnies into the air, and no one wants that! So, I finally told him earlier this year, that yes…maybe…ok probably…we ought to buy one.
For Christmas, Ty told me he wanted me to get a robot vacuum, but he wanted me to research exactly which one I wanted and to get a good one. I had some extra Amazon money, so I put that toward it as well. I talked to my friend Tauna from Proverbial Homemaker about hers, and I talked my son about which one his in-laws have, and then I scoured the internet and ran across the Vacuum Wars YouTube channel, and was super impressed with their reviews.
This is the video I started with…
And drum roll please…
I ended up buying the Roborock S8 Ultra!
I got a good deal on it, and it should come on Sunday!!! (so, next week’s Large Family Homeschool Life post should have more about it!)
While the kids played their video game time, I recorded a new podcast and outlined a bunch of new posts based on questions I was asked on another podcast. It feels good to be writing and recording again!
For supper, I made Butternut Squash Soup with some mashed butternut squash I had roasted a while back. I blended it with my immersion blender (oh, how I love that thing!). It was a really simple recipe with broth, cream cheese, and some spices – delicious!

Charis says
Do you have a recipe for your butternut squash soup?
Amy says
I used this recipe, but put full fat cream cheese in it – https://emilybites.com/2012/09/butternut-squash-soup.html
Diana says
I am so impressed at how you deal with snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. We’ve never dealt with any of that, and I think we’d be completely at sea if we tried! Love hearing about your week – thank you always for these posts!