Yesterday SB was going to an African Drama session with a local HE group. Both girls need new shoes and we’ve been putting it off, and weather is starting to turn a bit.. As we don’t have any decent shoe shops for kids in the nearest towns I planned to take the opportunity to go in earlier and go shoe shopping. got going, though a bit later than intended, but it would have been ok except? part way in it dawned on? me that schools go back next week, it might be a tad busy….
Shop was heaving with parents and children – half hour wait a sales bod said. I took a ticket, but wasn’t going to hang around esp with BB in tow, so we went out and ambled around the shopping centre for a bit, popped into ELC so the kids could play, SB was comparing the meits of various toy castles, she likes the girly princess type ones with lilac/pink bits – but did seem to think that the big ‘Castle of Doom ‘ was best – probably because it was the biggest and looked more interesting. Couldn’t face the heaving shoe shop and it was starting to clash with kids needing lunch so aborted the shoes for this time, so kinda waste of time and money really. You would think that with 6 weeks holiday, the schoolies could manage to not all go in the last few days – I ask you….
Anyway, SB enjoyed the African Drama – it’s not really drama – more musicy really, they were mostly playing on African drums this time. They were similar to the ones we used at a different group earlier in the year. I was impressed that SB remembered some of it, in particular how they were shown to beat a simple rhythm on the edge and the middle of the drum. So they had fun making lots of noise. BB didn’t want to be left out, and in between stuffing plums into her mouth had her own drum. mostly she just stood in front of it, but did eventually get around to bashing it a few times. Katy and kids from In at the Deep End were there, but didn’t really get to say much beyond hello. Finsished off with a visit to the park with SB best pal there M. Shame we live so far away so don’t get to see them to as much as SB would like. M was refusing at the end to leave the park unless we went round to their house 
time we got home we were all a bit tired, so there was a bit of flopping, a bit of reading, some playing with wooden trains (always leads to arguments over the trains), and a little simple wood/plastic construction toy thing (like a very simple meccano) that SB had for ages. Mostly now she likes to try making her own ‘designs’, whilst BB trys to eat the rubbery bits. I think she is probably ready to progress to something a bit more complex – the set was cheapy thing from IKEA, fine but it’s not extendable in any way. Not sure what though. Did some Explode the Code in the morning before we went out and some Exeter maths sheets when we came home before dinner.
Today was a pottering sort of morning, playdough was fitted in a round breakfast – BB is really into playdough at the moment so there is a lot of that happening as once one of them starts the other one joins in. SB was making ‘ancestors’ of various animals with the plastic sticking in playdough bug bits, so wandered into a bit of? conversation about evolution-y things again.? could we maybe borrow your Darwin book Merry? – it seems to be an area of interest at the moment, , we sat and read a couple of the ‘Wonder Why..’ series on history topics, which is always good for lots of little conversations about this and that. I fitted in domestic task such as washing up, some tidying, hanging up washing etc.. around all this.
Lunch , with some Little Toe Radio, followed by? a bit of quiet as BB napped, and SB did some Singapore Maths, then we tidied up the playroom? before we headed out swimming, which we haven’t done much of lately.. Home to find Helen home, some reading, and tea from the chippy.
lol at the shoe shop experience, I can’t be bothered to get new shoes until everyone else has done it, I’ll go after school one day in a couple of weeks’ time when the rush has died down!
Otherwise sounds as though you’ve done some lovely things together
And I’m still trying to find shoes for D that aren’t black. Suddenly once they get past size 10 everything is just school shoes.
As an ex-schoolie, I can understand why everyone does it in the last week: some perverse law of the universe dictates that if you buy shoes earlier than that, the child’s feet will grow by September 1st.
As a home-educator, I feel your frustration! LOL
At least two of mine need new shoes, and I have put it off for the last two weeks due to my desire to avoid exactly what you almost experienced. Schools here will all be back from Monday (though some started as early as last Wednesday!), so my poor children will be shod this week!
Ah ha… you see, last year i was ranting about black shoes and everyone was rolling their eyes at me – and now it is biting other bums too!
Helen, i’ll text you with a next week plan maybe?
As a half and halfer, we were planning on shoe shopping monday afternoon – last possible date so as to get shoes that will last for a while. Unfortunately I’ve now got to be in the office on monday, so my children will be returning to school with sandals and wellies. Oops.
The black shoe thing has been annoying me for so long that I’m out the other side
Trainers and boots here, shoes are unnecessary.
on the shoe fron thing, i think the necessity for good clarks shoes is less in home-ed kids, as they don’t spend 8 hours every weekday with them on their feet.
Merry, I’m in Athens next week
Huh! Well i shan’t invite you then!
Have you tried Smiths on Milton Road in Cambridge? If you’re coming in from the A14 via the Science Park, it’s on the right between the cookware shop and the roundabout. Possibly not the cheapest, but ticks the boxes for me for Proper Shoe Shop and you can park outside for free.