Our Tribe

Our Tribe

Tuesday 15 September 2015

Drifting Away (Summer Days)

Today i could write two different stories: we have had major spillages, interior decoration (unplanned), upset and tears all around and mummy not feeling on top of any of it.

Or i could write that Bean has played several rounds of build battle continuing to finish in a middling position. He needs me to read the theme for him but it is clear that not everyone playing either reads english or reads it well. One of the themes today was 'desert,' there were a few ice cream sundays in the group!

We are in the middle of organising a Lego Club, which is proving popular so far. We have lots of interest and today bought some lego, duplo and base boards and have discussed how the boys would like to organise it. tomorrow we have plans to make posters.

We made it to Horsham ark to meet Home Ed families. Bean has been keen to make more friends so we are venturing out to different social groups in familiar territory. He didn't seem to click with anyone in particular but had a great three hour play in the play area.

Plum did find another new friend though who we will meet again (E, 4)
When we were home Plum organised her own painting play, chalked on the patio and beaded a bracelet.

Pippin is truley on the move and crawled and cruised around the play park. She ended up owning the sand pit and eating quite a large amount of it. She has started sleeping longer but not always returning to sleep after her early morning feed (about 6am), this is tiring me.


Monday 14 September 2015

climb every mountain

We went to Fisher's Farm Adventure Park today for the first time since July. We have been once a week during term time for almost a year now. None of us have ever been on the climbing wall though. Today was Bean's day.

And what a good day to go for it. There was no one else there on the wall and the guy running it was amazing. Bean had the whole wall to himself and the free tuition of the staff ember to himself for an hour. Bean progressed one hand hold further than his previous climb each time he went up before descending again and trying out a different level. The guy was just the right amount of supportive and encouraging as well as letting Bean know it was okay to head down whenever he wanted. Then the staff member got up the wall with him to support him even more. It took Bean 40 minutes and then he scaled the first wall with ease and rang the bell at the summit.

Pumpkin took mummy on the toboggan several times, Plum rode on the pony twice and Pippin loved climbing around the soft play area.

Thursday 10 September 2015

Summer Days

September is a great month in the Home Ed calendar, a small window of summer left whilst the parks and museums and places are all ours after August hibernation.

The day began with moving the sofa out and (after cleaning the debris and hoovering) making a den. Bean also made a shadow puppet on the wall using torch light and mini figures.

Plum made a lego aeroplane after Bean made her one, she was pleased with her copy of it.

We met friends at the dinosaur park in Southwater Country Park today and spent over three hours there. Pippin and Plum enjoying the swings mostly but Plum did try out some of the climbing equipment and then got stuck in a tower. Bean and M to the rescue and they supported her on the way down. Bean also held Plum's hand on the walk to the play area. I know sibling relationships are all perfect but it is beautiful moments like these that i have another reason to love home ed.

We spent time down in the lake just enjoying being in the water. Pippin crawled happily around in the shallows and the others all played with her at some point. This was followed by ice-cream, it was definately ice cream weather. 

Back home, M came to play. Her and Bean played in the garden, some sort of boat game (using the sea saw as the boat) and we fed the guinea pigs. M and I had a chat about the differences and similarities between guinea pigs and rabbits. We then watched a little Horrid Henry which involved an interesting conversation about what makes him horrid.

Pumpkin had his lego spinjitsu toy out this evening and was trying to knock over minifigures.

We ended the day with Bean asking "what is school for?" mmmm, errrr......





Wednesday 9 September 2015

Under the Sea

A relaxed exit from the house today, both boys awake before 8 and mummy and the girls downstairs (after Pippin had her morning breast feed) before 8.30am. We managed to leave the house by 10.15 all fed, washed, and dressed. We were headed to the Sea Life Centre in Brighton. As always we (I) had a slightly traumatic time trying to park but it was worth it for the following joyous five hours of beach, Aquarium, fair ground rides and a visit to the Lego Store.

We joined a Home Ed tour at the Aquarium. Bean spent time touching the star fish, crabs and sea anaemia. He was full of detail about the sea horse too. Pumpkin spent over 15 minutes sat at the side of the Ray tank watching the sharks, fish and Rays. He also enjoyed the sea horse and spotting the octopus tentacles. Plum was in awe of some of the larger fish and particularly the older turtles and larger sharks. Pippin spent all day either in the car, buggy or sling, she did really well.

We had a great time on the beach afterwards and could have spent much longer there. We ate and played and rode on the fairground rides (merry go round and train). Anna was taken with the boats in the Fishing boat museum and we looked spent time looking around and in the boats. Our trip ended with a purchase in the lego shop by Pumpkin: he bought a ninjago spinning toy.

Pippin, Plum, and Pumpkin all fell asleep on the way home.





Monday 7 September 2015

The Big Nibble

Saturday: Big food shop day and The Big Nibble.

Pumpkin was interested i going to The Big Nibble in town but didn't quite make it. We walked half way there, he was quiet and held my hand. i thought that it might be because Bean hadn't come too but he just didn't feel well. We called daddy to pick him up and Bean came into town with me and Plum instead.
Town was full full full of foodie stalls. We didn't find any demonstrations (which is what Pumpkin had wanted to see) nor did we find any free tasting plates but we did find generosity. The fish stall were giving away the last of their paella. It turns out that Bean likes calamari and mussels, one lady gave Plum an apple (and offered Bean one of every fruit on her stall but he politely refused).Bean and Plum both spent some of their money on toys for Pumpkin: a beanie snake on a key ring and a bow and arrow set.  


Sunday: Returning to The Big Nibble.

We all rode our bikes into town this afternoon. Today we bought candy floss ("one bucket to share please mummy because a whole stick to me is too much, i'll feel sick" Pumpkin) We tried noodles at the Wagamama stall and Bean and Plum choose what they wanted on them: moomi (white radish) and pickled sweet red peppers were a new hit but they also tried pickled moomi, seawed, and a few other things that i don't remember.
We met the gemtleman who makes the honey that Bean likes and he showed us a photo of him all dressed in his bee keeping outfit and we tasted a new honey that he has (he also gave us his card so we can buy direct from him and return empty jars for reusing, he only lives down the road from us). And we drank slush puppies on the walk back. Pumpkin wants to make some at home.
We all rode our bikes home again carrying model balloon creations!

Thursday 3 September 2015

Not back to school.

Not back to school today. We have visited friends, swum in their pool (bobbed about wearing inflatable rings), eaten chicken nuggets, bounced on the trampoline, played Barbies and Peppa Pig and acquired a nasty bump to the head (Pumpkin.)

And when we got home we 'played' schools! Although Pumpkin insisted that we weren't playing, it was real. It was very insightful. Bean was the teacher. He taught a math lesson and a music lesson. We stopped for lunch but we had to have it in the dinning room and were only allowed water and an apple because it had to be healthy. When I said that i didn't want to play the instrument that i had been given Pumpkin said "you have to otherwise you won't get the grade you need to pass the class." We also had recess in which we had to go and run around the garden and Pumpkin gave us grade cards after he taught us baking. It was a theory lesson in which he taught us the rules of baking:
1: Don't overcook the food.
2: Don't cook food in the washing machine.
3: Don't fart on the cake.

Bean and Plum played moonsand together this afternoon whilst Pumpkin watched a new show to our househould 'Dude, That's my Ghost.'

Wednesday 2 September 2015

All by myself

Today began with Bean spending an hour working on some lego stop frame animation in his room, Pumpkin working on an escape app, Plum watching peppa Pig and Pippin cruising around the furniture.

A trip to town was in order to buy Bean a red notebook. We have stocks and piles of various scarp books and notepads but none of them are red and a red one was essential. Pumpkin wanted to make chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream on the top and Plum requested marshmallows and different coloured ice cream.

The chocolate milkshakes were a success all round. Pumpkin immediately delved into his green journal and began writing a birthday plan. He wrote the first two lines and then dictated the rest to me. Bean decorated his cover with the required logo. The inspiration has come from Camp Lakebottom.

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Summer Holidays

Our 2015 Summer has mostly been catergorised by having the company of the lovely Kate. She stayed with us for the first time last year and ha returned for a second innings and we have loved having her to stay.

The end of July saw us going on a family holiday to Newquay, Cormwall, with Grandma and Pops, FA#1, UB and Cousin B, and FA#2. We camped whilst the rest of the family shared a cabin. It was a few days full of tourist trips and, considering that it was the school holidays, we didn't feel too smothered be people. We saw the fireworks at Land's End and spent a day at the Eden Project, another day at the beach and a visit to Jamaica Inn. The journey home was long long long.

August is a strange month for us. The weather is generally meh! and our usual haunts are busy so we stay home more or organise play dates and try and get into the garden more but it takes us a while to find the home groove.

We have joined a Skylanders club which consists of four families where the hosting is rotated and the children use each others characters to complete further levels in their own games. We hosted the second one and it was one (of the many) occasions that we benefited from having the extra pair of hands. Kate had to walk to town twice on the morning of the event, once to get milk and then batteries.

We have ventured into using the green over the road from us. There is a football pitch, hard surfaced court and play area. We have met Bean's friend M several times in the evening to play ball games and it's lovely to watch their friendship continue and grow. We have also met once or twice a week throughout the summer at each other's houses. Play dates have mostly involved performing musical concerts, trampoling, cops and robbers role play, skylanders, playmobile and paddling pool, this is in addition to a few minecraft dates via servers and Skype.

Bike riding has become a possibility for us as a family too. Daddy rides with Pippin in the sling and Pumpkin on a tag along bike, Mummy rides with Plum on the back and Bean rides solo. We have cycled to the playpark on the new estate near us twice taking the river walk route. It is lovely to have found something that we all enjoy together and is possible.

We have ventured out to a few public places during the summer holidays. Nyman's Gardens, Worthing Beach, Southwater Country Park, Fishbourne Roman Palace and several play parks.

Mostly we have found our home groove: lego stop frame animation, den building, baking, doll's house, dress up, puppet shows, minecraft, role play games, lego, painting, sticking, playdough, paddling pool, nerf wars and more.