Wow!!!

I've found the playroom floor.....

..given the lego mountain a good scrub in the bath (the bath was almost full!)

...and prepared a set of twenty homonym cards and it's not even lunch time!

I'm so pleased as I have been procrastinating about homonym cards since spotting some here and quite liking them but not wanting to pay that much for them. Also, the lego has been screaming for a really good scrubbing for months but I've only now been shamed into doing it after noticing that one of Miles' little friends left looking rather dusty after a couple of hours in our playroom yesterday *blush*.

Still to do - one cake to be baked, crafts to be organised for timebank trading this evening, watercolour illustrations to be done (by the children) for a home made gift, more negative numbers work with Hermione and more....

Things that made me smile today

Helping the children to make an igloo It grew taller than this and acquired a roof made of garden fleece.

What do you call an igloo with no toilet? An ig. Hermione likes that one - a lot.



Not just discovering two egss - discovering two eggs, one of which was brown at one end and almost white at the other. How bizarre. Our window cleaner called by the other day and we always chat about the hens. He has sixteen. Apparently he is getting virtually no eggs at the moment. He was absolutely shocked when I told him we still get two or three a day from our three hens. He thinks they must be very happy. I like to think so.




When igloo construction efforts were over for today we huddled in front of the fire, roasted chestnuts and drank warm ginger compound - you know the stuff you buy from the chemists and make up your self with boiling water and sugar.

Another good thing is that we have organised a meeting for local home ed mums with little ones to get together to talk about how best to go about organising a music group for little ones. I think Miles will really benefit from a group like this and I hope we can get something off the ground.

Oh I almost forgot - Hermione asked to do extra reading practice today. She read almost a whole book to me about the beauty of pigs. Odd choice but I wasn't going to argue! Long may the enthusiasm last.

Shine on

Onwards and upwards. The only way to go.

I’ve spent a wonderfully rejuvenating day in glorious company and stunning surrounds. I’m feeling all revved up about home ed, motherhood and the universe in general *grin*

Taking heed of the words of Shazzle Dazzle – always bursting with positivity and endless possibilities.

Hello, I'm Shazzle Dazzle. I haven't got too much to say because I'm busy queueing up at bus stops and talking about how glorious the weather is. Haven't you noticed just how sunny it always is? And something else I'm busy with at the moment is discussing the ecstatic feelings everyone gets when going to work. Everyone loves their jobs so much, and they would always work even if they didn't need to. How wonderful. Ah, I do also have millions of conversations with ladies about how fabulous their men treat them. They say that their men worship the ground they walk on, that they love to shower them with gifts, massage their feet and make chocolate and juice for them. You humans are so lucky to manifest everything you've ever wanted in your lives.

Shine on, sisters and brothers, for tomorrow is an even brighter day. And I'm off to have a hot date with Russ. Oh, the perfection of life.

Off to manifest an abundant home ed budget to help me to materialise my growing wish list. Here are a few things I have added today. I've not looked at much Montessori stuff before because I've always felt that Montessori mums need to be ever so organised, tidy and methodical. I've read stuff about the importance of an organised environment and found it a bit scary. If that's the case it kind of rules me out of the race before it's even started. I'm now wishing I'd checked out some Montessori equipment before now. Quite a few things appeal. I'm hoping to make some of those card thingies when I have unearthed my laminator.

Six sided snowflake

I've posted this for you in particular Helen. You know when we had a bit of a crafty pj day a couple of weeks back and you started making one of these and were ticked off by nana for not starting out with four sides, you being a novice and all that..... *grin*

Feeling very crafty at this moment. Met a couple of local folks this week who are also into crafty things. Hoping to be able to share ideas and be inspired.

Pensive

We had arranged to visit friends in back and beyond today but cancelled due to the weather. Probably best not to risk getting stuck in the wilds where gritter lorries rarely venture.

Instead we shopped locally for chestnuts to roast, made candle holders from glass jars and tissue paper and also did lots of maths. Hermione is quite confident ‘carrying’ numbers now which seems like a bit of a mathematical milestone – so that’s good.

I’ve also been thinking more about things I’d like to cover with Hermione next year. I’ve started a blog just to ‘dump’ ideas so I don’t forget them. I read a post on a local list about When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit the other day and I like the sound of this.

All in all I’m feeling rather pensive. It’s the anniversary of my dad’s death around now. It’s always a rather strange time. All kinds of emotions going on.

I’m also feeling a bit pensive about some aspects of home ed. Unfortunately I have been the subject of some very unpleasant gossip within a small part of our local home ed community. It’s been going on for months but I haven’t coped well with it over the past few weeks. Thankfully I have had lots of support – but that doesn’t take away the pain of some of the dreadful things that have been said. I am concerned that if it becomes too unpleasant for me or nana to take Hermione to some things then she will be the one to miss out. How unfair is that? I’ve never been in this position before, either within home ed circles or any other circles for that matter. It sucks… survival tips from home ed veterans most welcome.

Thankfully...

..after a rocky start things looked up immensely. We've had a crackin' day actually. Not too sure what happened this morning. A huff or puff too many from Hermione I think - who is as it happens going through a remarkably huffy puffy phase at the moment.

Once the 'seven going on fifteen' attitude stopped we settled down to festive hama beading before whizzing off to our regular Monday haunts. While the children played I got to snuggle a little baby just a few days old. He was absolutely gorgeous. Those little grunts and snuffles they make are so beautiful - not at all like those huffs and puffs with attitude. However, it has to be said, I didn't feel in the slightest bit broody. That's good. Very good.

Having coffee with another home ed mum today, (goodness, it must sound like I have a life and adult interactions here - don't be fooled, it doesn't happen on a regular basis), we talked about how the absolute joy of home ed can essentially turn into a stick to beat yourself with. When you home educate you know that the sky is the limit. You can do so much for your child and family. Wonderful ideas, dreams and visions float through your mind. But what happens when the realities and visions don't coincide? No one to look to but yourself. Blame, doubt, a feeling of having let your child down. I think that's where I was this morning when I over reacted to a huff and started thinking the 's word'.

Tomorrow's another day however and I'm off to think and dream....just as soon as I have had another try at making one of these beautiful but ever so tricky lanterns that is.

The S word

No not that..

SCHOOL!!!!!!!

One more huff, one more puff and it may well be on the agenda.

Hmmm, happy December, bah humbug.