Smiling

Some of the many things that made me smile today.

The first of the sweet peas from the garden.

Seed pods. Big bulbous poppy heads from the vegetable patch.

These ones in particular had spectacular flower heads. Helped address the problem I had last year of not enough pollinating insects at my veg patch. They still are beautiful, adorning my coffee table, a reminder that they'll come again.

Mini man at work with hammer and nails.

A flower made from leaves, presented to me by Hermione and now taking centre stage on our summer mantle.

Also, knowing that when I'm really tired and have to cancel arrangements, (as I've had to tonight), friends will understand while I chill and rest my weary bones.

Internal combat, fruity puffs, Miners Gala etc

I'm ever so tired. Doing internal combat with all the usual issues faced by most of us parents I guess. Are the children following their interests and learning along the way? Are they having a good balance of lively fun and restful relaxation? Am I balancing jobs which have to be done with family time? Am I spending enough time nurturing myself to enable me to nurture my children really well?

When I've not been pondering on equilibrium we have visited friends, been to the library to help fulfill Hermione's huge thirst for reading material right now and also cleared a large area of the veg patch for replanting after the first big flush of crops stopped cropping.

We've been fruit picking. The raspberries in particular were very rich pickings - easy and juicy.

We made apple and blackcurrant puffs. Delish.

We bopped along to the tune when the local colliery band played in our village en route to Durham Miners Gala.

We picked veggies from a friends garden. I'm ever so envious of her carrots. Despite having built them a special bed I'm having little success with them.

Just bouncing about

A friend contacted us last night to say that she had just arranged to hire a bouncy castle for today and was wondering if we would like to go round to bounce and hang out. We went along and had a fabulous time. It was the first time Miles had been on a bouncy case and it certainly got the thumbs up.

A better use of public money?

Instead of spending money on repeated home ed reviews and consultations, perhaps the government could channel more money into causes like this below. Makes total sense to me - it's time to stop home ed bashing and and start addressing the real issues. It's ridiculous to think that in the face of a few very high profile child abuse cases, the government responds with a knee jerk reaction to a minority group, (home educators), while organisations who aim to tackle child abuse at a grass roots level go under funded. Very sad state of affairs.

The text of the petition is as follows:

We, the undersigned, call on the UK Government and devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland to see domestic violence from a child's point of view.

Witnessing domestic violence causes children serious emotional harm, and in homes where there is domestic violence, children may also be physically and sexually abused themselves. We want to see:

• services for all children and families affected, to keep them safe and supported, and to help them overcome the effects of violence
• improved training for professionals so that they identify children and young people caught up in violence
• children learn in schools about domestic violence and how to stay safe

Please consider popping along here and giving your support.

Geodome

At camp we had a geodome which belongs to a local home edding family. It was a focal point for the children by day and a meeting area for adults in the evening.

Craig stands back and fears the worst.

Oh no, it's not right.

Yep, we'll take it all down and start over.

Voila! A bit more tweaking with the covering and it'll be done!

Storm Chaser / Storm Chased ?????

I'm still feeling wet and soggy but couldn't help but call in to say that I think one of my life long ambitions has just been dashed.

I'm fascinated by 'extreme' weather and would happily spend hours on end watching documentaries about it. I've often thought how amazing it would be to be a storm chaser and get up really close.

Well, on Saturday morning we set out on our regional home ed camp, staying with lots of friends on a remote beach side campsite. The weather was glorious so although I took all eventuality clothing for the children I saved space in the boot and packed just sandals and summer stuff for me.

On Sunday there was a tornado, (no joking here guys - the real thing, full on swirly bit and all), which thankfully swept past us at a worrying distance but didn't touch down on land.

The tornado was followed by rain, more rain, the occasional dry but grey patch, more rain, very short dry spell, more rain and even more rain - you get the picture I guess!

This morning I was awoken before five with torrential rain, thunder and an alarmingly volatile tent. You may not want to imagine this as what followed was not a pretty site. Having quickly bundled the children into the car for safety sake Craig and I spent over two hours in hideous storm conditions trying to make safe, deciding we'd had enough and taking down the tent, gazebo and packing away. I was in my nightie, very wet and frazzled, wishing that I wore knickers for bed as trying to hang onto blustery groundsheets and a blustery nightie in what felt like a force ten gale with lashing rain was not easy.

I'm ever so tired and despite having had a bath still feel really crusty in that camping sort of way. I think I need another soak and an early night in a bed, in a room with walls and windows with a toilet just across the landing. Many families are still there and hoping the weather improves but for me it was starting to feel more like a challenge than a holiday. It was time for us to come home. We had fun but I don't think it would have been right to hold out till Friday when we had booked till. Craig had to come home today in any event for work and I was going to be staying on with the children.

I'm scrapping my ideas of storm chasing and may even start looking at camper vans. Had Craig not been there this morning, (and he isn't always when we go camping), I would have been seriously scared because I don't think I would have had the physical strength to hang on to the heavy steel framed gazebo and stop it smashing into the tent and possibly hurting someone.

Back with photos in a day or two when I've dried out.

**Sigh** (loudly)

This evening Hermione and I spent a wonderful two hours in a restaurant in town. We ate delicious food and indulged in lots of girly chat. We laughed, chuckled and shared the squishiest, caramel, chocolate cake concoction ever!

On the table next to us were a man, a woman and a girl of about six years old. During the whole time we were there they did not speak to her once other than to ask her what food she wanted. They were engrossed in their own conversation and she was left to play on one of those gadget type things - could be a DS but I don't know, I'm not entirely sure what one looks like.

As the night wore on the little girl became tired and cranky. I'm not at all surprised she got cranky. It can't have been much fun sitting there, to all intents and purposes alone. Did they respond by talking to her or finishing their meal and drinks and getting off? No, the mother produced a dummy from her spangly handbag and she then sucked on that whilst playing with her electronic companion.

Grrrrr, I'm off to squeeze a bean bag, kick the proverbial cat and all that. Some people just make me so mad...