Where Learning Meets Play: A Saturday in the life of five children. In photos.

Today Craig is at work. The rest of us are home for the whole day, so I thought it might be a perfect opportunity to do a day in the life piece.

I am asked a lot about what my life is like with five kids. Sometimes with a hint of awe in their voice (usually first time parents - I've so been there.) Sometimes with disbelief that it is even possible. Sometimes with a head-shaking you-are-crazy tone. It doesn't bother me. I once said that all subsequent children have to be surprises, because no one would ever go through the first year again by choice. Oh how I have changed since then! But that's a topic for another time.

Life with five can be crazy-fun, overwhelmingly-busy, exciting and heart warming, depending on the moment. So these are some snaps shots of my moments, all collected in an ordinary day.

Note: I have probably missed three quarters of the day, because carrying an iPad around constantly can be a bit impractical, especially when carrying a one year old.

Let's begin…..

I am woken by Craig's alarm, but I stay in bed as Daisy is still asleep in the cot beside me.

Half an hour later Henry wakes me to show off his cool outfit. Daisy wakes up and the kids take turns visiting until I drag myself out of bed to make breakfast for all. The older girls and Henry are dancing to music on the iPad. Daisy joins in. Two children are dressed.

Breakfast. Yogurt. Jack last, because this means the iPod disappears until quiet time. Teeth brushed.

Time to play! I walk around collecting washing and chatting to the kids. Lucy is working on decorating some shoes, an activity she got for her birthday. I'm happily still in my PJ's.

Outside play. I like to start outside play when I am going to be outside myself. Today I hang the washing. As I finish, I walk around, chatting with each child about what they are doing.

Once they are all engaged in an activity of their choice I wander back inside to eat a quick breakfast, write a few sentences for this blog and then get some work done.

Usually I can't leave a little one outside with the others until 18-21 months. Daisy is the exception. She is 14 months. She rarely puts things in her mouth, can run, and can climb up and down off the edge of the deck easily. Isabel and Lucy are amazing at entertaining her and allow each other 'turns' looking after Daisy. This is only a weekend thing, so it is very special to them both. And I only check on them from the kitchen window a ~~thousand~~ few times.

I am interrupted four times while eating breakfast, which is actually a pretty good run for me, as I only get up once. Jack leaves to ride to his cousins' house, as he noticed there were some of their things on the blue cabinet (the place of all I-don't-know-where-this-goes things.)

Snack time coincides with rain. This is great because I can say they will get their snack when hands were washed and clothes changed.

Inside play again, as the rain has not left quite yet. Lucy starts dancing and others decide to join her.

Isabel starts a sewing project. She decides on another bookmark like the one she made last week, just a bit different. I sit with her and teach her to embroider her initial onto felt.

Daisy's nap time. Everyone has to be quiet while I put her to bed, just as I did for each of them in the past. Lucy continues her shoe activity, Jack goes outside in the rain to dig and explore and Henry plays Lego (and then sneaks an iPad to watch a black and white episode of AstroBoy!)

Washing time again. Jack has discovered old pieces of tile while digging and tries to convince me that we may need to contact a museum. They may in fact be artefacts, 100's of years old! Jack has a shower and Lucy dances again. Henry agrees to join in. But only for boy songs. Isabel asks for advice concerning elastic for her project.

Time to put clothes away. I have seven clean-clothes baskets, which I put all the clean clothes in for each person. The kids put their own away. And I go back later to tidy the drawers, which takes five minutes as opposed to the half and hour it would take to put it all away myself.

After the girls come from their room with empty baskets they notice we haven't taken the dry washing off the airers from the day before. They both help me to do this job as Jack starts making lunch for Henry and himself.

Lunch time. Jack decides it is a two-kinds-of-peanut-butter day. What Jack says, goes. Henry usually likes to make his own lunch, but loves Jack enough to let him make it, which Jack likes too. He cuts both pieces of toast (one crunchy, one plain peanut butter) into quarters and arranges them in a checker board pattern for Henry.

The girls make lunch together. Meanwhile I fold washing from the dryer and tidy up a little.

My lunch time as the kids finish up theirs, watching Jack play Minecraft. He is the only one with an iPod (we have a 9yr old rule as they are too easy to lose.)

Quiet time. Silence. Or almost silence. Isabel is making a bookmark. Jack and Henry bond over 'I' products. Lucy plays with puzzles on the iPad.

In the past I made them all go to separate rooms to play for this time, and sometimes in holidays I still do, but Henry cried and Lucy was getting upset too, as they don't get to spend much time playing together during the week. So I changed the rule to quiet play of their choice, so long as it stays quiet. Daisy gets to sleep and they all get some time to calm down and rest. Without this time, there will be fights and whinging all afternoon.

Daisy wakes up. Love that sweet-snuggly-baby-happiness that is a toddler waking up!

All children now continue their activities in the lounge room so they can see Daisy as she eats lunch. Isabel, now finished her first sewing project, starts another.

2pm. Jack, Lucy and Henry (now playing Leapfrog Explorer together) have to turn electronics off. These children claim to be hungry, which is code for bored. I tell them to find something to do, snack will be ready at 3. Isabel, halfway through her sewing project, has an idea for her next one. She explains it to me.

Jack makes his way to his bedroom to play Lego. Daisy follows him. He assures me that he will watch her every second, and begs me not to take her away. He entertains her, making her a car to play with.

Daisy stands and watches him for a while, then plays on Henry's bed. It's her favourite place.

Henry and Lucy have closed themselves in the playroom. They don't want Daisy wrecking the game they have set up. It involves every toy in the room. The dolls house, bat cave, Thomas books and Duplo are the main players.

Eventually they let Daisy in, who has now become bored with watching Jack build Lego.

Isabel shows me her second finished sewing project.

As I take photos of Isabel, Daisy notices the open baby gate and makes her way through the kitchen to the study. She empties a pencil tin and finds my purse, as Isabel is explain more about her next project.

Jack wants to make the snack now that it is 3pm. I say YES! Henry decides to help.

Lucy sets Daisy up in her highchair while I get her a snack.

Lucy and Henry dance while they wait for their snack.

Snack time!

Craig arrives home. To a concert. This is him five minutes after walking through the door: changed and ready to watch.

I make him a well deserved cuppa. The kids who have now had daddy attention go to play while we catch up.

Craig and the kids go outside to play, while I get to sit down and write/type for a little while. I join them after a while to watch them play. Craig is busy undoing some of their creativity from earlier in the day.