Author Archives: HHaricot

To fit in a certain amount of annual leave we had another holiday in the beginning of march, and booked it up pretty last minute! we found a lovely cottage not too far from padstow, and easy walk to the beach = ideal! so off we went. I wish i had longer to blog about the holiday, but actually I have bloggers block or something, and am not getting into the flow! It was a perfect holiday though. batteries recharged, sunny weather. lots of lovely playing time with my great girls, whether it be pretending to be adventurers or explorers on the beach, or seeing how fast we could cycle on the cycle ways [SB obviously beats me!]

The beach near us is one of those idea beaches! sandy, but with cliffs round so rock pools and climbing possibilites! and even a small cave. We looked and indentified a variety of coastal life. both girls added to my grey hairs with climbing escapades! [but no borken bones] it was sunny and breezy so felt loved by both family and weather! a number of streams trickle down the beach, so we also channelled and blocked… bliss!

We visited tintagel – loads of stairs!! and pretended to be part of arthurs court, and chatted various stories. with both a migraine and a certain level of unfitness, i was a slower walker back! but SB decided that i would be lonely if walking behind, so kept up a jolly chitter chatter about all sorts of interesting ideas that we were back at the top far quicker than i thought we would be!

2 cycling trips, the first from Bugle to the Eden project – a lovely cycle through interesting track, and lots of peering and discussing and fun. the eden project the other end fab, and you get quite a discount for having cycled! I LOVED the rainforest biome, but BB too hot and miserable from the moment she walked in! we shut her in the refresh room for a bit. I had the joy of spending a bit of my university time in the rainforests of borneo, so do like to recreate that feeling! thought it was really well set out to be v interesting to children and adults alike. the girls both happier in the mediteranean one. the ed centre [hedgehoggy building] is well worth a visit, and has the most scary bridge back! For once, i actually thought the shop had thought a great deal about what it wanted to sell in it, and there were loads of possibilities. in the end, both girls bought a wooden snake, and i bought a present for someone! we then had to cycle OUT of the eden project – gulp!!!! that having been done, with some restorative fudge at the top [ ] we then made our way back to bugle and home.

the other cycling was along the camel way. fabulous views, easy trail and geocaches along the way. mmm another lovely time! lots of time cycling along with SB as BB decided mostly to be trailgated [no idea why, as a really really easy track and she loves cycling!]

All things come to an end, and so did our holiday. but it was pretty much perfect.

guess i am going to do a quick weekly round up! interesting stuff has happened, i have a tleast 2 blog posts that i want to get down, guess not going to happen tho! so here is a summary…

Home Ed – has been happening, recorder practice, things from her choice list, reading lots of magazines – including a discussion about golden eagles from the adult rspb one. bits and pieces!

birthdays – chris and SB have had one. it seems really bad not to have had a birthday post, so i am def going to have to do that one!

sickness – me a mixture of lurgy and migraine and no reserves i guess.

home ed in the news – can’t bear to think let alone discuss on blog the ridiculous spin and vilification of home educators

home ed groups – mon gym, wed latinetc, thurs totsnnots, thurs multisports, fri bailed out of history as chris not so good

other out and abouts – mon ballet, tues swimming, wed judo, thurs gymn, fri golf

are we hidden away?? are we buttercups!!

OK so…

SUNDAY: we went to one of chris’s uncles 60th birthday, so a nice family day. felt the loss of uncle robert there though… easy drive down and back, and girls lovely

MONDAY: home ed gymnastics session. BB greatly loved and SB not quite so sure it was useful. think she took some books for BB’s session… ballet in eve, but we forgot brownies rollerskating – aargh

TUES: i was interviewing ppl all day, so rather a change. got back in time to watch the girls swimming lessons – luckily at the same time. SInce the general session follows this, we had a family swim afterwards. I was starting to feel a bit peaky! On return home, both SB and BB had last minute presents they wanted to make, so did that with them. During the day SB had made and decorated a fab cake to take to latinetc the next day as a birthday cake, and bb had made some mushrooms from her cookbook.

WED: Chris’s birthday – happy birthday love! then went off to latineetc – sans latin and working camera! the older ones did music theory and french this time as well as science. we had the microscope and looks at roots and leaves and discussed food chains. then we discussed the needs for seeds, and have set up a pea experiment with 3 variables – light, water and warmth! hoping for sensible results folks!! lovely to see my friends and chat too, and then further chatting with gina and katy before home to celebrate chris’s birthday. SB’s judo club had a sponsored throw. she was estimated to do 50, and did 273!!! i am broke – SHe was very proud though, and we are v proud of her for doing so well and trying so hard!

THURS: SB is 9!!!!!! hooray for my gorgeous SB! tots and nots and recorder prac! PM multisports then gymnastics – what a busy day!! we had her choice of tea – chips! [second choice actually as something went wrong with the pizza dough - chris blames me for using up the best yeast at a prev latin!] opened her presents and was v happy with all of them. SHe is such a gorgeous girl and just so happy with everything. i love you SB xxxx. we then played one of her presents [the wii version of olympics], and she went to bed playing another…

both of which got a thumbs up!

FRI: golf lesson – she really is enjoying golf. however chris feeling blurgy and SB coughing and cold after golf, so didn’t go to stuart history group. PM spent mostly making presents of home made soap and home made fimo soap dishes.

SAT: delayed christmas with chris’s family! lovey relaxing day, beautifully catered and organised with lots of happy laughter and fun. girls happy too.

i think that is how you spell it anyway!! Saturday was a bit more on the quiet day in – once we had all managed to get up!! can’t think what we did?? a bit of recorder prac as grade 1 less than a month away [panic! - well, me only] bit of maths on areas, so kids scurrying around house measuring things! some hama beading, and then a final scurry to actually get dressed [rofl!] to go to katy’s ceilidh dancing. actually, i guess it was more of a biff affair as they were being their band! the caller, btw, is truly excellent. we all had a fab dance, doing lots of dancing and laughing and chatting with ppl we haven’t seen much.

SO today, i was migrainous still [grr] so medicated whilst SB made a birthday cake for herself to take to latinetc, since her birthday is the next day, and we haven’t arranged anything at all as yet. she is aware that we might not be able too either… Anyway, we then drove to chris’s uncle for his 60th birthday and had a relaxing time there. slightly too many ppl for space!! girls happy to meet cousin abigail again and gradually got wilder and wilder!!

now, must think where i had got to again! the girls were given an option for day 4 of jewellery quarter and museum and back to back house museum or the black country life museum, and the overwhelming choice was the latter option, so, after the customary enormous brekkie, that is where we went!

SNow everywhere still, so we were particularly warmly wrapped as it is predom outdoors [abit like weald and downland but 1900's ish black country, so more industry and less farming!] it was truly fab. again, not the cheapest place on the block – though with gift aid you get a repeat visit as often as you like! we decided to go straight to the outside rather than looking at indoor displays, incase more snow fell. the tram arrived as we went out, so straight on, and SB got to ding the bell [v happy!!] got off and thought we would aim for the far end and then wander back. loads of re-enactors, most of the shops open and both SB and the usually shyer BB asking sensible questions! we went in a doing well working class house, a just ok working class house, and could clearly see the difference. none of us really understood why, when you are so short of space, you would think it sensible to have a front room you don’t use! [and yes, we sort of have 2 rooms, but we use both a lot!] we also went in a back to back and someone who ‘took in’ washing and mending. bless little nanny for telling me so much about the family and herself etc, as i could keep up a running commentary on how this was what x or y did etc, and the girls were v inquisitive and happy. When BB had a lull, she made a snowman!! [the snow was quite a distraction]. eventually we all got peckish and went to the rather nice canal cafe. ooh, forgot to say that the canalman was also a partic. fav as v knowledgeable and glad to seek ppl out to talk to. i just thought it was fab!

after lunch we had a look at the schoolhouse, somehow missed the cinema! and then the union, where SB was amazed all over again by the need for suffragettes, and was getting hot under the collar on their behalf. then to a builders yard and then a glass engravers – where BB surprised me by wanting to spend ‘her pound] on an engraved glass! ok, it was £2.50, but i was so chuffed that it wasn’t plastic tat… so now she proudly owns a glass with BB [obviously not actually BB!!] engraved on there. And after some slight hinting [cough] SB and chris went back ‘for another look’ whilst BB and i played i spy.

we skipped back to catch the last mine tour – a recreated black country mine, with torches made so emits apporx 1 candle of light! it was fab – v dark at times!! and also v crouchy! we a learnt alot about mining pretty quickly and were v glad we had just made it!

so then a quick glance around the museum indoor display as was closing and a rather hideous drive thro rush hour brum and then snow/hail/sleet in turns. lovely!!

so yes, we really, really enjoyed our hols, they were great, and we think we really used up every second! lovely family time too!!

SB’s choice today, and it is the science museum – she is very fond of science museums as they often have levers to press!! We woke up, got ready, with curling on [again] in the background [go eve!], had our enormous brekkie, and set off. This one wasn’t really within walking distance – well not without a fuss from BB!! so we got on a bus, which v helpfully went past the Bull Ring for us to admire! Quite a queue for the entrance and we hadn’t prebooked [the half term effect!] but not a prob.

Decided the entrance floor far too full of kids, so started on ground floor with all the steam engines. I love steam engines! When i retire, i am going to have to think of a use for one and get it!! [will pay with lots ofr renewable this's and that's, I promise!!]. On the ground floor, there were little cards you could then impress, so the girls enjoyed doing that. It was divided into sections. Chris’s fav machine was the button maker – which was fab. SB and I had a lovely chat with a chap who used to work in the jewellery quarter and made silver items for faberge excellent discussion and look.The dunlop landpeed record car is there, so SB and i had a good peer at that. they have a huge water pump that they fired up for the occassion too, and I loved that, tho the girls got a bit impatient at that point… prob time for lunch!!

After lunch we changed floors, going up to the second SB and I started to look at the animal section, but BB flagging, so took her to kids city whilst chris stayed with BB [we were playing tag kids btw!]. The kids city is great, but too busy for BB, so we took some time out for a cuddle and read some books and then looked at the body bit. My main criticism of the museum i think is for this floor, as it was v much aimed at between my 2 girls level, and tho some over and undering, i think there could have been far more explanation and background description to extend all the exhibits, and a lot of them were out of order…

We then did a round of shows, starting with the ‘gene-eration’ game, which i thought was rather fun and captured most of the audience. The poor woman and her 5 year old at the end were a terrible couple for the complicated memory game tho! the kid had to remember 15 items, and the woman the 15 amino acids/ enzymes attached. My girls loved the intereactive seat buttons, and SB knew we would have done better!! [aah, that she has such faith!]. The next was a show and tell kind of thing called monsters from the past, handling various fossils and replicas of ice age and before creatures. Both girls loved this, but BB sat with huge beaming grin for whole thing. I was proud that they both answered lots of questions sensibly! unfortunately the giant sharks tooth was dropped by someone and came back in pieces – phew not us really!! The next thing was the planetarium. SB decided to go with chris to level 1 instead, as there was little chance of getting in. BB really wanted to see it [and it was aimed at her age] so we waited against hope! however, when they started to close the doors, it was because there was only one seat left, and the woman next had 2 kids, then a party of 7. SO i piped up would it be ok for one and one on lap [thinking prob not] and they said yes!! wond a big beam and happy dance from BB as we went in! I thought it a bit of nonsense, but fine for BB, and she loved it so all happy!! We all met intime to go to shop and agonise over purchases! both girls reasonably sensible tho, so not so bad.

Huge shock to find a blizzard in progress as we left! So we scurried along to bustop, where 3 of us sheltered, and one played on her own in the snow! whilst we were on the bus, it intensified, so when we got off, there was still quite a walk to the inn, and we decided to eat dinner at the v v expensive indian we went past. it was utterly delish! and the bill topped £100!!!! oh well!! [i spy a diet of pottage coming up!] we then raced back to the inn and snuggled in bed.

obviously, i plan to add some links and photos, but think sometimes it is best just to get that blog out there, and we have loads of pics!!

Day , and we stuffed our faces with as much brekkie as poss before heading out to BB’s absolutely desperate to go to choice – seaworld!! She loves aquaria, fish shows, etc etc. So we were lucky enough to see the day prev that you could get vastly reduced rates by buying at the library, so we did [you can online as well] and got there not long after opening. It was v full!! well, it was half term, and the sky was ‘threatening’. BB literally dancing all the way in! actually, it was pretty good, we got to see a lot, look at a lot, talk to handlers and helpers – and feel crabs starfish etc! SB v good at answering questions now! fab ’4-d’ film of turtle life cycle – with the added bits being seats that moved, bubbles and watersprays! both children entranced! kinda nemo-ish… and BB in particular was rapturous over the turtlebit… SB having the odd ‘hint of teen’ moment [have bought her some books. fine to talk over with her, but kinda heart sinking at BB getting her hands on them, as she is def at 'that' kind of humour phase!] anyway, in the end i asked SB if it were possible to indicate happiness by a smile, and to leave the mooching broody look for unhappy! I am starting to see how teen might go- i will have to get a supply of endless patience! i loved the walk through tunnel – as always! i am quite easily pleased!! the mirror bit was quirky and then the shop!! we, both girls sorted shop fairly painlessly, tried the soft play, but it was too crowded really, so we went off for lunch.

i failed badly at lunch! i ordered something without gravy and it came with, so got a substitute which was undercooked and not that pleasant! luckily everyone else faired rather better, and thus sustained we went to a modern art gallery – IKON. We all loved the singing lift art instillation, and i loved the quilt theme based upper story art, and also the reflective room, where we could look at art books, watch an animated film, and do our own quilt based design. the first floor was ‘video art’ which, TBH, I struggle with really. the ambience not aided by BB whooping around in manic mode, and SB wasn’t that keen either!

SO we finished off back at the sealife centre again, and enjoyed a much less busy and leisurely look at all our favourite bits [i loved the seahorses as well] before wandering home. for much of the day there was sleet/snow! evening meal was at foggs around the world in 80 days buffet. yummy! we all ate well and staggered back to the inn! i have to remember to say that most days of the hols SB did some recorder practice as exam early march, and she hasn’t really got the scales/arpeggios.

Hmm, difficult to blog onto a word document, much prefer doing it on wordpress! Anyay, better start with…

Monday! SB did an all day sports thing, which she mostly enjoyed. They did quite a mixture of sports, but she said some of the boys were quite misbehaved [this as a half term sports event not a reg home ed group] and she did come home with the most stunning of bruises! Meanwhile I as recovering with a lurking migraine with BB at home. It was only a few days ago, and already my memory is dimming!! Anyway, I am fairly sure that BB did some more of her Singapore 1A math, as quite taken by the new books! And that she had got to ‘hungry crocodiles’.She also did some getty and dubay book a. e then did a fairly ong bit of fimo-ing, where she made daddy a lovely keyring for his birthday, but has already shown him a couple of times, and I made a brooch. We did a fair bit of playing around, watched something or other I think [ I must chase my facebook screen when back online] and then she went off to gym taster session – she is desperate to get to go to gym!! When she came back we made sausage rolls. Somehow it took an age for chris to get back with sb from sports [thankyou katy for caring for her] so bb had eaten here, sb had eaten with the deependers! Luckily that meant I had some fav dinner for brekkie!! I was an insomniac again [ and have been all week – grr!!]

Tuesday – YAY holiday!! So eventually we set off for our chosen holiday destination. Chosen for its many possibilities and viability as an awful weather destination… Birmingham. And yes, it was fab. Agreed by us all. SB wishes I had got a job here… Anyway, easy journey and arrival at premier inn. Base camp established and we were off too Birmingham museum and art gallery, only we got distracted en route. There was a temporary wheel in town, and the girls desperate to go in it. Ok then, why not. Aargh. I remember, heights, and the carriage on this one wobbles! But it was good, we went round 4 times without even the hint of a mischance. E did then move onto the museum and raced around it with less time than ideal, particularly as girls witing, so a stop at their fab Edwardian tearoom in order! I had a most delicious lemon cheesecake. Mm mm!! We got firmly removed from the Birmingham history section by dint of the lights being switched off!! Bath for the girls and then a return out to pizza express, where we were v happy with food, particularly with the idea of a tiny pud and coffee combo! Chris’s was by far the best – baby figs and macarpone! We watched some winter Olympics back at base – we have done this at every return, and seems uncommonly common to watch curling!

hmm, there hasn’t been quite enough catch up blogs from daddy bean! but education has been occuring, perhaps not quite as much as SB has ticked off though – ! they tried out a new meeting group on monday which runs monthly, usual sports and activities during the week including multisports on thurs.

The deependers had a party weekend/ goodbye for j and M [both my girls unhappy at the thought that the goodbye to m is forever...] fab party hosts, with good games rather excellent cake and adults to chat to! we came back later than planned with SOTP and making it up families who were staying at ours [and they brought a pack of hendersons flavoured crisps!]. on the way back we were lucky enough to see an owl flying. the kids played happily and finally collapsed into bed and we adults chatted!

unfortunately the next day i was migrainous, so chris took the girls after the traditional pancake brunch back to the deependers for day 2, and i missed seeing the manor borns and nic and co. sob! however, a lovely weekend, thankyou.

for those that like the chemistry links!

though, it has to be said, we will prob get more out of that book later on!

and a link to some of my fav science readers