Lunch:
I serve all of us at the same time. Kids don’t get to start eating before me at lunch or dinner. They are at the age where they can help get lunch together, either by filling drinks, getting napkins, toast bread, stir soup, etc. It is important to me that we all eat together, not them first and me later on. So, we all sit down to eat together with all of our food. This keeps me from having to get up several times to get so-and-so a drink or so-and-so whatever. I usually finish my food first, simply because I’m a fast eater. While they finish up, I read aloud our literature–currently Chronicles of Narnia. If we all finish at the same time, we clean up then head to the couch to read after lunch.
I don’t think there is a CM recommended “number” of books to have going at once. We’ve always had lots of books going at one time, and it’s never been a problem. Just take it one subject at a time, one book at a time. As soon as you finish one reading, have a narration, go on to a subject like copywork or poetry, then move straight into another read aloud and keep your schedule flowing.
Blessings,
Lindsey