Category Archives: General

we have loved going up to SOTP weekend parties now for a number of years, and wouldnt miss it for te world. the weather was less than friendly, with rain and wind, but the hosts and company more than made up for that. This group of friends often feels like a chosen family and always great to be spending time all together. we had lots of laughter, lots of tea and lots of cake. there was plenty of alcohol for those drinking too.

The children all had fun, BB running in a posse with J and R for lots of the time, but also with bigger groups. SB spent a lot of time with E and also dsing or playing board games. They both had a great time. we did a short walk one day with a cache, and there was a longer walk the next day.

lots of music and laughter, a caberet and then further playing and singing [somewhat raucously in the end!] and general conviviality and late nights

thanks SOTP for another lovely weekend

Twitter is a fantastic thing. Reminded me to make some elderflower cordial. We have lots of elderflowers in the garden [pernicious weed!] and usually make elderberry jelly. There are lots of recipes on the net. Here is another one

first pick 20 elderflower heads

Then add 1.6kg of sugar [preserving makes it clear but granulated or caster will work] to 1.25l of water. Heat gently until all the sugar dissolved and then boil.

Whilst you are doing this, get 2 oranges and 2 lemons. If you are keen, you can zest them first, or if not just cut in half and then thin slices

When your syrup has boiled, add it to the bowl full of elderflowers [with most of stalks removed] and sliced citrus. Add 50g of citric acid and then give a good stir.it smells fabulous [though DD1 who was making it doesn't agree]

Leave it to stand 24 hours and then strain it through a jelly bag [or a sieve with a muslin so fine enough] into sterilised bottles to sit in the fridge. hadn’t thought of freezing some before, but I might try that this time to see how it works out.

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TBH, I should be updating all the guidelines for one of my roles at work, but i can’t get microsoft office to open without crashing, so no powerpoints or word docs can be commented on.

SO i thought i would do a rambly post about jessie’s song in toy story. A friend posted that she was girding herself for it whilst her daughter watched the dvd, and we all understood. What is it about that that makes it so potent. the loved toy of childhood being relegated to under the bed when the child grows into a young woman, who eventually drives off into the sunset. Why are we mothers all finding ourselves with the toy? Is it because we look at our own wonderful children and feel sad for the stages they have past, and the toys that remind us of those times. Or is it because one day we will be like those toys. our wonderful, gorgeous, offspring will one day be driving off into the sunset, and like jessie we will be bereft. i think that is it. I love my daughters, and am glad for every precious moment i spend with them. Watching them grow up, find interests, change them, be challenged and move on from that, all of this is very precious to me. It is a gift to have a child, and be able to share in their lives so fully. It is a gift tinged with the knowledge of its very brevity. We all want our children to have happy and loving childhoods filled with fun, and we also want to prepare them and raise them so that they can drive off into the sunset, secure in themselves, full of enthusiasm and confidence to start life ‘their way’ . And yet, the thoughts of them leaving is a hard one. SB is 10. I hope that she will go to university at 18, an independant woman who is quietly confident and full of enthusiasm. I will be waving her off, determinedly proud and encouraging, not letting the tear fall until she has gone. But i know it will fall. My little firstborn baby. Followed by BB, and suddenly the house will be 2ce as big and unbearably quiet. But beyond that moment comes other happy moments. having more time for my own passions and enthusiasms, and that of my DH. working out how we are going to enjoy the rest of our life together as a couple rather than a family. Punctuated by the joyful return for short bursts of our girls, and maybe oneday their girls too. who knows. I don’t want to hold my girls in a cocoon, and I love watching them change and grow. but I also won’t be hurrying the time on, but making the most of what i have now. unlike the doll Jessie, I know of the change to come, but i also know there is a future beyond.

both girls have got new to them bikes this week. SB has got a bike from ebay [islabike] and BB has SB’s first bike, the Puky bike that SB got when BB was born – awwwwwwwwww. So we decided we would go cycling and caching today. It didn’t quite happen like that … the window ppl finally came, so we had to get things ready again. i watered the plants, DH sorted out bikes, i did some pre course prep, SB did some galore park junior history and then finished her singapore maths books 4 [woohoo!!] we had thought we had got level 5, but i was mistaken. SB now v happy that there is land mail, but she will have to do mathletics and other maths instead in this time! BB also finished a book, her explode the code book 1, and was v v happy with that. She read another level 2 book with near no help, so i think it is time for level 3 . SB did some piano prac as well, both had great fun roller skating in the garden, and we finally went out cycling after lunch.

[flickr id="5762091441" thumbnail="small" overlay="true" size="small" group="" align="left"] unfortunately… the route we planned to take had been shut 2 days ago and won’t reopen for a couple of months!! argh. We did a different cycle ride instead, but no caching. BB rode really well as we didn’t have a trailgator and she didn’t make any fuss. there was an icecream involved – which always makes life easier though and lots of shrieks of happiness and fun. We really enjoyed it. shame we didn’t get out earlier or be able to do the initial route tho . BOTH girls did judo tonight. BB in the younger group and really enjoyed it and is happy to go back – phew. sb and i did some crafting and bottled up our elderflower cordial whilst BB did that, and I read an usborne book about romans. then SB did the late session. does make for a late bedtime, and hence late blog. night night all

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i thought the blog had locked us out, but something to do with moving servers etc. Anyway, over the weekend i was a lot at work, but we did lots of nice pottering together, some gardening, some reading, so watching dr who. DH and i put the fencing around the veg bed, so that we could let the rabbits back out into the garden. they were v happy

[flickr id="5752442006" thumbnail="small" overlay="true" size="small" group="" align="left"] sunday dh and the girls went to pick up an ebay purchase – an islabike for SB. She is very very happy DH also fixed up SB’s first bike – a puky for BB. Another happy girl. hoping to go for a bikeride on weds to test tyhem all out. i got home and we did some playing together and crafting – sb with a window decorating kit and bb with a dinosaur sequin kit. there were a few stresses with that, as bb is such a perfectionist. SB being a darling caring girl gave bb one of her painting kits. was still a bit stressy!

[flickr id="5747661262" thumbnail="small" overlay="true" size="small" group="" align="right"] SB then went out to make a ladder!! she hammered and nailed together some wood, and it does appear to be sturdy – not that i would try it, nor would any health and safety expert!
She stopped doing it as she had a playdate with G from guides and it all went v well. they ds-ed, trampolined, wii-ed and made own pizzas, and most of the time plated with bb too.

today has been a good home ed day. BB had hosp appt and discharged, tho needs yearly assess by GP for HSP folllow up. SB has done maths, GP french, recorder prac and BB explode the code and read a level 2 book with ease. i read to SB SoTW3 and to both SoTW1 . more crafting – painting glass jars. SB and I made elderflower cordial, and bB and i made choc and cinnamon cake. trampolined with bb whilst sb did ballet. Done a piano prac with SB. Now going to chase rabs back into hutch and then have tea infront of the birds episode of life I do love just spending time with my family. Doesn’t have to be exciting. Just love them truly, madly deeply and they make me smile .

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obviously most of the girls home ed is not blogged! [frowns at DH] .
Monday i think was mostly a work at home sort of day, with ballet.
tues was a home morning and an afternoon HE group. the group is often a bit young for SB but fine for BB. they used to go more often, but it is a bit of a distance. BB had made meringues for the party there, saying goodbye to some home educators. they were v v yummy as she saved one for me :). eve is swiming, and BB was v proud to ome home with 2 swim-for-life badges, her levels 5 and 6. She gets moved up a class. SB has a couple more things to do for her final one, and is then considering swimming club.
weds – i blogged
thurs – mostly at home in the daytime, some home ed but no tidying and then gym
fri – arts award – both did fab pics, it was themed around illustrations. Love SB’s, it is really atmospheric. BB drew a reasonable dog. apparently it looked initially more like a dog body with a dinosaur head, so was coaxed and coached on how to doggify it. still has dino claws…
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recently I have had quite a few ppl, not necess blog followers!, ask what magazines the girls like, and what we subscribe to. I think there are loads of good magazines out there, at the end of a google search! Currently we change yearly, so if you have some suggestions… SB tends to read them all, BB looks at the pics of them all, and I tend to choose which one i can get a good deal on…

BB [6]

Know – we had this last year, and i hadnt remembered it was a 2 year subscription. It is a really good and easily accessible science magazine, perfect for its age range. definitely recommend.

Click – a young persons science/nature magazine. This year’s choice, and enjoyed by both girls, but def well aimed at BB’s age. I couldn’t decide between ask and click, but think click v good, and cn get ask another time perhaps…

dinomite – kind of odd magazine, but loved by BB, partly due to plastic tat on front, but also because it is dinosaur themed – i think this might be ‘special interest’ ! we have had this one for 2 years.

SB Magazines

yes SB def enjoyed this, so is not unhappy to have for another year it is the big brother to ‘know’ v sciency again, accidentally for 2 years at self

dig this year SB decided to have something non-science, so we have gone for this archaeology mag [from the same ppl as BB click]

aquila last year, for her second mag, SB had this one. Much enjoyed but she wanted one with ‘stuff’ like bb’s din0mite, so has been replaced this year.

Animal Planet so she decided on this one as she got a meerkat jigsaw and dvd and is looking forward to getting the first mag

We have been doing these home ed photo-meme days every year since 2005. This was the year we officially started home educating and when Jax started the meme going we were v happy to take part and have a look around. Every year since , some or other of us on the early years blog ring have completed a photo meme. This year Merry is drawing them altogether into a carnival. I have done a number of days this month as our offering, but have been rather inconvenienced by the breakdown of our adobe photoshop. So this time this one has been done with i-phone – so dreadful pics! [and a lot of effort getting them into the post.] we might pop one of the other days in when the pics are available. this post is a post that shows that our home educated days are not spent all inside or on our own but quite often in collaboration with others. This is obvious from the blog!

Today was a notlatinetc day and remarkably depleted since Merry and K were under the weather G and family have other weds commitments and the manorborns visiting family. So just me and Z today. We were slightly late due to a phone call from work, and last minute remembering of SB’s viennese biscuits. We listened to our Italian CD on the way there, happily singing the songs.

Z had the first activity all ready on the table, making fairy tealight holders. we painted the jam jars and put beaded wires around them. V easy and v v effective and the children did all enjoy it. They all spent some time crafting and chatting together whilst Z and I also chatted and drank tea!

They then did the questions in a jar, with z pulling out the questions, and the children deciding on the answer. I am sometimes surprised by the odd mix of things they know, which are unexpected and the things they tell me they dont – like how many weeks in a year?? General knowledge useful for Home Educated children doesn’t involve so much timetable, and when at school the number of weeks may have relevance. Not that i dont want my children to learn these things of course…

Then as the different children finished at different times, they gradually peeled off to do some workbooky things whilst waiting for the ‘next moment’ .

BB has nearly finished explode the code book 1 which has definitely become a lot easier for her has we have gone through it. She had a bit of a grouchy moment with it, but a hug and a cuddle soon made things better

SB brought some music theory, as she is sure C from the manor borns is going to get ahead of her She is learning her grade 3 theory stuff, and not seeming to have any problems with it so may sit that next christmas term. SB then added the whipped cream into her biscuits – yummy!

Z’s girls did some english and spelling. It was perhaps 20 mins and then lunch was ready – pasta! some bouncing about on the trampoline and playing. realised the deependers weren’t going to be able to make it

hmm, these pictures are really rubbish aren’t they! must replace at some time. After lunch we did chapter 8 of real science for kids. this was about nutrients and mostly carbohydrates. we read the chapter last night and the experiment was done today all together. Basically using dilute iodine to see which foodstuffs contain starch [and paper!]

At the end for fun we made some invisible ink pictures with lemon juice.

We sat on sofas to discuss our findings, writing our objectives, hypothesis, results and conclusions. even BB wrote a little bit of hers before giving it to me to do

our final planned activity for the day was french. I read with BB one french book, with her repeating with me some of the words, and extrapolating on food words. SB, P and S took turns reading from 2 other books [which also have english translations] and seemed to get in the swing of this and enjoy it. One of my key things is for there to be no embarrassment to speaking in a foreign language, so i am v keen to encourage the oral/aural compenent of learning a language.

After that Z and I tidied up a bit and the girls played and also ‘developed’ their lemon juice pics with the diluted iodine. A lovely day, though we did miss all those that couldnt attend for one reason or another, as always more fun with more. Hoping they all feel better soon.

Then, all too soon we needed to be off as SB had a play date with a guides friend.  We listened to classic fm on the way home. She had a fab time playing, and is pleased that they are both going on the guiders camp. hoping we maintain the playdate thing really.

[flickr id="5743540362" thumbnail="small" overlay="true" size="small" group="" align="left"] SB is back, BB has been a bit snoozy so we have snuggled under the comfort duvet chatting, blogging, watching ice age 3. I am about to do a piano prac with SB, she will then go off to Judo and I will go for a works dinner to say goodbye to a colleague. Hopefully this blog has been a nice different one showing how family cooperatives get together. i had planned to showcase historyetc instead, but ppl will just have to read it instead I had also suggested to DH as the main home educator he might like to be the one to do the photomeme…

Anyway! resources used in the planning and outcome of today [i am an amazon affiliate btw etc etc]

i hope you have enjoyed this peek inside home ed, feel fre to read more on our blog or the home ed blog ring.

I am finding titles currently a bit challenging! Anyway, fab weds historyetc as blogged, worked all day thurs – v late day too!! girls had CHEF multisports and then gym. BB was a bit wobbly about it as had fallen asleep in the car, but think it all went OK. SB had guides. She says she preferred Brownies, but it is OK. I do like the fact that she has reconnected with an old friend, and a playdate has been made for next week . My parents were here when I got back from work, which was lovely and stayed until today [sun] lunchtime. My mum cracked the home ed whip friday, tho the girls spent pretty much all morning in the bath! They both did enough of their ticksheets tho to liberate a book

Saturday we went to oxburgh Hall in Norfolk. A fab national trust property, the ancestral home of the Bedingfields and originally tudor, tho much added and altered the tudor shines through loved seeing the tapestry work that Mary queen of scots did whilst held captive. v interesting house [ tho dad outraged that couldn't take photos, even with no flash] and some gardens to run round. looked fab with the moat. The weather was a bit showery, so had hopes it may have rained on our veg patch, but it hadn;t :(  Home and some gardening with parents and then played ticket to ride, which sb won. Lovely day

Today mostly gardening early on and then companiable watching of doctor who in the evening
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