Articles by HHaricot

think they look like capers with tails

we have been letting alfie the tortoise into the rabbit pen on a sunny day whilst we were out in the garden, however, nightmare, he vanished! we let BB go off to cub camp not knowing, and hoping she would have a fab time. DH and i spent some time surrupticiously looking, but sb realised he was missing.

saturday SB and I had planned a girly shopping day she had money burning a hole in her pocket for a 3ds that she had been saving up for nearly 2 years! we had a fab time. was shocked to find myself in a top shop changing room after all those years – and it is way more expensive! so I bought her some clothes of entirely her choice at topshop, ark, miss selfridge, m and s [tho mostly 'essentials' ] Sh bought a 3ds – preowned, and a couple of games, and then some bits at accesorize. we ate lunch out – toasted ciabbatta – and then later had an iced frappaccino or iced mocha and cake we mooched around the market and watched strret performers. we had a fab day next time will eat at the italian

thankyou sb

SB got to chhose the film and dinner – so we had confessions of a drama queen [v girly!] and pizza. when she went up to bed she then had a wobble about leaving us to go to france so i snuggled her until she fell asleep – awwww

next morning sb did some home ed – mostly music theory – whilst i finished a shift for kentwell. we then played a boardgame together

and after lunch bb came home

and after telling us all about it and showing us the tray she had made, she persuaded me to go to the park

[ps we found alfie on tues]

SB has worked really hard this week. SHe has done a lot of music theory, and is now getting a merit in her practice papers. She has also done home ballet practice. some friends of ours suggested an app whcih you can also do on a lpatop to help with languages and is free. this is duolingo. I have suggested to SB that driving her french forward a bit will help her settle in more quickly on her french exchange, and she agrees, and also she can do italian on it, as we struggle there with the aural component.

I must take a pic of BB’s ticksheet before she rubs it out and starts again! I need to add a few things she did at cub camp.

This was a quieter week in some respects! monday was mostly a bookish day. Unfortunately SB dropped something on her foot so was limping too much to do the ballet and gym, but did get a lot of bookwork done. BB also did a fair bit of reading and some grammar when i came home.

Tues was the home ed pottery group in the morning for BB whilst sb carried on being bookish [she currently isn't doing pottery, but i think we should book a space for her and her french sister when they exchange over]. SB was determined to have a good book week! in pottery the theme was moulds, making a clay shape and casting with plaster – dh can’t think of the name though. Merry brought josie across for a sleepover in the afternoon, so bb was ecstatic a prolonged playdate as changing circs means josie going to school. [there are lots of friends going to school, it seems a bit scary and daring not to be TBH] BB and J do make fab friends . swimming in the eve aand ‘treat tuesday’ where kids troup to tesco and choose something yummy for pudding! [j liked this]

weds kfish from deependers came too and brought fortune as well. we grownups [including fortune here] did sewing companiably for kentwell. SB, k and l did some music theory [quite reluctantly] as the rest played in the sun – and in fact so did they, mostly . yes, i am sure we should /could have been more educational, but the sun was shining, and they all had a lovely time.

BB took J home [well, with dh] and sb did do music theory then in earnest both girls had judo.

thurs was multisports – a home ed group where a variety of diff sports played, and both girls enjoy it. their friends go too, so it is pretty sociable as well as athletic. thurs also was cubs for BB and guides awards night for SB. I saw here collect the award for the most crafty [as in doing crafts rather than sneaky] guide, and narrowly miss out on guide of the year [she was runner up] . v proud of her

friday was a very early start, as SB was going on a gcse geog fieldtrip, which she really enjoyed and said she learnt alot about. it was about rivers [and mud apparently] , and that is as much as i have got out of her!! meanwhile DH took bb shopping and to cafes, so she was happy too .

in the eve, BB left for cub camp – so v brave it is the first time she has slept away from home without one of us [incl SB] , and although she had some worries she was determined to go

the annual tudor recreation starts next weekend. we will be there. my elder daughter is again lady bridget de vere – there in the golden gown.

come to Kentwell, it’s educational and fabulous.

although not in the right order, the title is a nod to the fact that we have a second match for SB with en famille – woohoo! and this will go ahead. Clearly I am going to miss her soooo much, and right now can’t see my way past this! I will have to hope the French family send me lots of pics, and am going to see whether SB can keep a french blog whilst she is over there – ie must write in french, but can put up pics. dunno whether comments would need to be closed to follow en famille rules. The family look lovely, there are enough similar interests with her ‘French sister’ that they should hopefully get on well and enjoy the exchange, and the area will make skiing a possibility – something she is very excited about. We have emailed the family to get things started, and now have my fingers firmly crossed that it will all work out!

Now, i better go back a week to blog properly

Last weekend we mostly chilled in the garden, and enjoined being together. I had finished a stressful week at work with a very important meeting, which has mostly settled positively and ongoing worry, so that is good. I therefore had the ‘kickback’ migraine, so was struggling!

I did get some photos of the done glasswork – well BB’s, SB’s needs a better background to photo against.

I got home slightly early on the friday so got to do some home-ed type things with the girls outside in the beautiful sunshine BB is getting to grips with writing now, although not her preferred thing! Sb doing lots of music theory We chattd, they bounced, I watered the greenhouse, we laughed and loved. I love summer

The next day was a morning of home ed type stuff. BB and I did cello and piano practice. I am glad that we have fixed [currently] her if-it-isnt-perfect-first-time-i-cant-do-it mentality, as she is working much better, and the practices are now on average 15 mins playing and 5 fiddling rather than 5 playing and 30 wailing! And she is enjoying it and feeling proud of how she is doing even better . It does mean i have taken my eye off SB’s piano, and i need to remedy this after we return from kentwell. Both girls did a couple of pieces of bookish stuff as well, as we had had a relaxed week and a big outing, but in a fairly relaxed way in the lovely conservatory. I did prune the grapevine, and BB made the trimmings into a nest!!

SB and I then played a long game of Caylus, which was a gift from my brother in law it was a draw. then SB and I did just dance together. SHe is working on geting me fit again. Lovely girl . BB rampaged around the garden.

The next day was a gardening day as my migraine was receding – woohoo! We all went out, weeded, SB and BB completed the planting up of their beds. I did some potting on and some hoeing. This big photo just makes me smile. A lovely day chatting and being with the girls in the sun. I am so very lucky

And finally the goodbye – tho only temporary! zoe and family from le ciel rouge have come to the end of their home edding days, it has worked really well for them, and they have been brilliant cheerleaders and encouragers and their children have grown and now are spreading their wings and finishing their education in school. Before they school they are having a final fling of freedom and travelling abroad, so we had a goodbye dinner before they went.

Have a fab time guys!

bearing in mind that it was ‘half term’ and bank holiday, so only 3 ‘working’ days, i think we did ok. SB achieved 28 ticks – lots of music theory as grade 5 this term. BB only 11, but a lot of playing in the sun. Our not so ticky ed stuff was the sky skills day out, as detailed below.

we liberated some tadpoles from the clutches of SOTP so that we could watch them develop, and both girls have been interested in this. Planning to post weekly updates!

planning to look at them under our digital microscope – if they will stay still long enough!