Finding our Natural Rhythm

I saw this posted on a Facebook Home Ed group this morning: "happy not back to school day everybody!"  It really is!  Despite the non-stop rain outside, we were so busy last week, it was actually really nice to have a relaxing day at home today, chilling and getting back into our own rhythm.
Hubby and I both have very different body clocks... I am a morning person: my brain checks out by 10pm, but I can wake up in the morning and have an instant coherent conversation - he is a night person: he can stay up into the wee hours without seeming to suffer, but he really takes a while to come round in the mornings.  I had thought that the boys all seemed to take after me, but actually I think that it's because all children seem to just have loads of energy first thing in the morning - the blessing of youth!  I am now coming to the conclusion that DS1 may well take after Daddy... he slept in until 8.30 this morning! (DS3 was up just before 7am; DS2 not long afterwards)  He's not poorly; he's just finding his own rhythm.  It's a bit of a dilemma as that means he can probably handle a later bed-time (he never gets to sleep quickly) but I'm not ready to give up my 'child-free' evenings - I really need that space and time off!  I think I'll probably stick to him going upstairs at the same time, but let him read in bed (which he loves) until a later time.
I'm so glad that we got into HE before he hit the teenage years, when he could be even more likely to need to sleep in.  It's such an important benefit of Home Ed, that children can sleep until they naturally wake, making it much less likely that they will be too tired to concentrate or function socially :)
Another rhythm that we seem to be getting into involves kickstarting the morning.  Usually the boys come downstairs at different times, and like to chill with the TV for a bit, while Mummy sorts out the first load of washing, empties the dishwasher, makes breakfast etc.  They eat at different speeds, so sometimes the TV goes back on after breakfast for a short while.  I know many people look down their noses at television, and I concede the point that it can be a phenomenal waste of time - but it can also be a great educational tool, and I think that as long as it's under control, I'm happy for the boys to watch it.  Like the Wii though - it is the  'under control' bit that matters most to me.  So it's not a rule as such, but we tend to switch it off once the boys have all had breakfast, and that is an unspoken signal for them all to go and find something else to do (although often one or more will already have wandered off to find something).  It usually goes back on at lunchtime for the CBeebies 'love to learn' slot while we picnic in the lounge, and then goes off again.  Anyway, as long as I give them notice that it will go off once their current programme has finished, they usually make little if any fuss, and happily find something constructive to do...
For example, this morning DS3 was on Reading Eggs, played with his new Alphabet Puzzle and then made some Anzac biscuits with Mummy...

DS2 played Body snap with me, found an old Roman Things to Make and Do book from the days when I used to sell Usborne books, and made a couple of lovely pictures with the stickers, and then had a turn on Reading Eggs...

DS1 spent the whole morning sorting his lego and playing battle strategies in his room, before having lunch and playing on Grid Club...

The decision to deschool has definitely taken the pressure off, and I'm really encouraged by how much the boys are still learning of their own volition.  The only orchestration that is needed from me is to make sure everyone gets a turn on the PC, and to be ready with a suggestion if anyone runs out of ideas (no suggestions needed from me today, hooray).  It makes for such a relaxing pace of life!