How do you do it?

Got the latest issue of the homeschool court report in recently (this is a publication of the Home School Legal Defense Association), and in it they were asking for members thougts on a subject I would really like to hear your comments on, all 3 or 4 of you who read this blog, please leave a comment! :)
From the magazine...

How do you do it?
How do you entertain younger children while teaching older children?
Or juggle carpooling to soccer practice, cooking dinner and supervising your child's science project? Do you take the Summer off, or school all the way through, or use the summer months for trips and outdoor exploration?


I know that, for us, teaching's a little hairy ( who ever came up with that saying??) these days but that's only because Gracie is still in the just-hitting-1 stage~ you know, the eat everything off the ground I can find, try to kill myself a million times a day by climbing everything I can find, beginning to try out temper-tantrum throwing, and the I'm only taking 15 minute naps now stage.... or is that just us? Lol Don't even get me started on 'I am now going to be fully awake for at least an hour every night again'; my servants heart is really being developed as we speak :)
Soon, this too, shall pass.
I'm really enjoying the pleasurable aspects of this stage- which far outweigh the hard work. The little personality starting to coem out, being able to laugh and joke with her, teaching her words for things, watching her grow and learn with bright eyed ferver! There are a million more things I could list. But anyways!

Still would love to hear anyone's tips/ideas for homeschooling with a toddler and a baby. There must be some of you who do it? Or have done it?

When we were in the 4 yr. old and the older school-age child stage, things were much less hectic. But it still had it's challenging moments. I remember Josh wanting to play with Ty, knowing that he was home, but not comprehending why he could not play since he was here! But he learned to respect Ty's school time and it was such a blessing that we have a door that we shut to keep our kitchen closed off ( does anyone else have this in their homes?) and Ty could work at thr table, without Josh streaking through with his superman cape ( er, towel lol ) on every few minutes. I would never send Ty to work alone upstairs at his desk- that just would not work for us. Not for now, anyways. I would flit between the kitchen and the rest of the house, doing colors and numbers and letters with Josh and grades 3, and then grade 4, with Ty. I was even baby sitting other people's children a lot of that time.

One thing we definately do is keep homeschooling going all year ~ but not all the subjects formally, just Science. Summer is the perfect time for Science! Everything's abuzz outside, there are tadpoles and bird nests and butterfly larvae and creeks and bugs galore- and it's the best time, IMO, for field trips. Obviously, especially outdoors one's. We haven't done a Summer-long camp thing for awhile, and even if we could afford one-it's hard to find one that we would really want to send our kids off to, all day long. Even if there were, it's so much better having them home with me. That way I can teach them 'along the way', all day ;)
Just Nolde Forest alone- our home away from home in the Summer time lol- is a bevy of learning and fun for the boys, and I know Grace will love it, too. If your there this Summer, see you there!:)

We also used the crock pot alot when I had school myself at night, and when Ty had Soccer practices. I'd just start dinner in the morning, instead of around 4 or 5pm. That was a big help. Of course, us home schooler's don't have to plan our entire days around the school's schedule, so that helps us be creative with our own schedules quite a bit :)

Wow, I didn't mean for this to be such a long post... I really am 'verbose' ;) !