Loving the rain at the moment......

Because it means that the sewage blockage  at the rear of our property gets washed away by the rain!

It really is rank - we have been promised though, that they will start work on the rotting sewage pipes next week.

Anyway.


We got a new cat

Bettie

There was an add in the local newsagents to say that Bettie needed a new home, so we went to meet her and she took to us immediately, so we bought her home.

Our other cat was a bit annoyed to say the least, but she seems to be getting used to her now.

Amelia

Athletics

D won the Devon School Trials, with a great throw of 32.68, which puts him in the top 20 for his age group in the UK, and No 1 in the South West. He now goes onto the Devon Championships in June.

H.E.
B took her first ever exam - iGCSE English (Specification B).  She thinks she did OK, but as always, its difficult to tell.  She is now having the weekend off before making a start revising for her GCSE Maths exam..

J has been busy, with his new reading books and jigsaws, drawing, playing and baking

Making Jam Tarts

We made the most of the nice weather, making time to go to the allotment, where J has his own patch

Planting Potatoes

Watering

Digging

Also went to the sea-side, where J had a great time in the play area next to the beach

Climbing

On the Swan Pedal Boat with his Dad

Enjoying an ice cream

(its worth mentioning that we didn't get this ice cream from our usual place, because in one of the raging storms during the Winter, the Ice Cream Kiosk we normally visit almost got washed into the sea

To top it off, an old military smoke grenade was then found underneath, which dated back to the Second World War!

I'm off now to prepare for J's birthday tomorrow, B has made him an amazing Sponge Bob Square Pants Cake, which I will post a photo of  when finished!

Autonomy, gardening and Trials (of the sporting kind)

I cannot say that the last four months (since my last blog post) has gone to plan with regards to J's Home Education Plans.

But I think I have given up on that.

So I guess we are completely Autonomous.

We started allotmenting about two months ago, and J has learnt a great deal while there.All different kinds of mini beasts and various plants and we have almost got to the point of digging over most of the allotment, once this is done he will have his own patch to tend to, where he would like to plant pumpkins in time for Halloween and carrots for Rudolph at Christmas.  He also has his own spade and rake, along with garden gloves.  He also spends a lot of the time there playing with his action figures, and hurdling over bamboo sticks!

Plan to print out a few identification sheets for insects before our next visit, and he is always referring to various Characters from James and the Giant Peach, which I think we may start reading again, after I have finished reading him Charlotte's Webb, which I am starting this evening.

J spends a lot of time drawing, sometimes from Tutorials online.  He recently copied this from an online Simpsons Tutorial

We have also been watching Astronomy programmes, and we are currently watching Earth's Extraordinary Jouney on BBC2.

With regards to reading and writing, he going at his own pace, and we are not making him sit and practice his reading and writing every day, that will come when his is ready and willing.  Having watched the other two start learning to read at age 7 without any problems I am not particularly  worried, and am more confident this time around.

So going OK, apart from I really would like to do more Science Experiments with him each week, so must get my act together in that area.

Teens.

B is studying away, ready for her iGCSE English exam which she will take soon, as well as still holding down a part time job.

D is studying, not as intensely as B, as he will take his first two next year.

The Rugby season has now come to an end, D and M have really enjoyed  playing and coaching, but are both in need of a rest now I think.  D has recently been selected for Front Row training by the Devon School of Rugby, and has been asked back for further training in the summer, so about a months break and it will all start again.

In the meantime the Athletics season has started, and D threw in his first Discus Competition of the year yesterday, throwing a PB of 30.03.  Wednesday will see him at the Devon School Trials, which is a great achievement for Home Educators as I had to go through all sorts to get him there. Eventually though it has all been sorted, and he will be taking part will all of the other Devon Schools.

So a busy month ahead, exams, trials and of course J's birthday!!!

Back to work

Term Begins

Serious stuff now as B will be sitting two exams this June.

We will start off this week with a GCSE Maths paper for B, and a Year 9 exam for D, just to see where they are at, and what areas we need to work on.    J will be starting on a few new projects, including Astronomy, animals of the world,  and Dinosaurs, as well as continuing with his weekly science experiments and weather monitoring, (could tell him what the weather will probably be this week, wet and windy)!


Will also try and do a few more hands on activities related to the above projects, I am not really very good at the crafty side of things, and it usually all goes horribly wrong, but will try and give it a go.

Out and About

My news years resolutions as always are to eat healthier and exercise more - and also to give the "15 minutes a day" task a go - where you have a  job to do, that's not necessarily important, maybe a bit tedious but you want to get it done. So you just spend 15 minutes a day, no more, getting all, or part of these jobs done.  Mine is to print off photos and put them in an album. I did this for about an hour yesterday, and even though it is nice to look back over the photographs, after a while it does become a bit tedious, especially when there are some may other things to get done.

Also am going to have to brave the weather and get back up to the allotment.  Better get my wellingtons out!

Happy New Year x

Its Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssss!!!!!

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas xxxxx

Only two more sleeps.....

Christmas Eve tomorrow and I am still being very grown up and not getting over excited.

I have three more presents to wrap, and they are "Santa" presents, which have to be wrapped in different wrapping paper.  When B was younger, she wondered why Santa used the same wrapping paper as us, so as she was always so quizzical we made sure that "his" presents were wrapped in different paper.  One year she also questioned why the sweets in the stocking were the same as the ones we had in our house, so we also had to get different sweets and chocolates for the stockings too.

As J is of the same nature as B, we thought we had better be safe than sorry.

We are trying to keep things fairly simple for J, so he doesn't get too over excited and have a meltdown, and it is actually very tiring, as the world around us is going crazy for Christmas.  So we are baking, watching films and staying in the warm as the weather is rather rough at the moment.

So our weekend consisted of Christmas visiting, starting with my nieces and nephew at M's parents and catching up with his younger siblings, which was nice.

In the afternoon he had great fun with his Dad making lego for most of the afternoon, and I was quite impressed with my husbands lego making skills

Air Craft Carrier

Yesterday we visited the Christmas Farmers Market, didn't buy anything, just tasted and listened to the band playing Christmas Carols

We also had a mini Christmas celebration this weekend, as my sister and her partner were visiting  from the North (of England, not Pole).  We went over for Christmas Tea yesterday, and opening of presents, where I received two books and a hot chocolate mug set.  J was very pleased with his tool bench

Had lots of fun with Jesse the dog

and just loved helping his Ampy with the real fire

Today we have made Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Snowballs and B has made some more mince pies.


Tomorrow, staying in probably, as the weather, as Dean Martin sings, outside is frightful and my fire is definitely delightful.

Christmas Home Ed Party and Christmas Baking

On Wednesday this week we braved the rain and winds to attend our local HE Group Christmas Party.

In Christmas's past, these parties were usually organised on a big scale, with Christmas Presents under the tree, parents dressed as Christmas Elves and Fairies, Lantern Walks, organised Carol Singing and even one year a paid children's entertainer.  Also weeks before,  the preparation for the party included making Crackers, hats, lanterns and decorations.  Usually there were about 50 children, in a quite small space.

This year, due to lots of parents branching out and setting up other groups, and our own little group no longer being the one and only group in our City, there were 9 families, with three visitors whose children have now gone onto College, and  who ran the group in its earlier days.

But despite it being low key, and the weather being so very bad that no one could venture outside, it was still a great party, with enough food, lots of Christmas craft activities and musical games.  Also one parent brought in a flask of hot rum spiced with apple and cinnamon, it was delicious.

Back home in the warm, we have been Christmas baking

B made mince pies, shortbread and chocolate chip cookies

J and I put the marzipan on the Christmas cake we had made

M and J made a Gingerbread House

Today, more baking, Banbury Cakes, Cinnamon Cookies, White and Milk Chocolate Bark with Sprinkles and icing and decorating the Christmas Cake.

Christmas Holidays

Friday was the last day of "term" for our family, with a typical end of term week, where a lot of things started to slack as we are all getting into the festive mood.

This week we went into the HE Group to make lots of different Christmas decorations, and the weather was very mild so we spent a lot of the time outside in the park enjoying the sunshine.

J has been occupying himself with plain paper and felt tips.  He drew a great picture of a Doctor Who scene, with Dr Who himself, the Tardis and  Slavenes

He also made Cookie decorations for the tree, whilst wearing his Rudolph glasses

Also had fun climbing trees

We have now reached day 16 of our Book Advent Countdown, this week we have read:-

As we are currently watching The Polar Express, this book will be next on the list to be opened.

On Saturday we went into our nearest City to get the remaining presents.  It did get  bit hectic towards lunchtime, and M ended up going back to the car with J as it got a bit too much, but in the end we got all the presents sorted, bar one  (my Mother of course).  So one more to get!

On Sunday it was up early for an extra early KO for an away game, where it rained continuously, and our team won.

We met up in the evening with the other players and their families for a Christmas Meal which was very enjoyable and all the kids looked like they had a great time.

Today - bit of a stay at home and wash a load of muddy clothes type of day.  J hasn't even changed out of his PJ's.  We did manage to get the food cupboards ready for our Christmas food shop which will be arriving on Thursday.

Tomorrow, present wrapping, card posting and Christmas baking.