Fun and games

Unschooling changes everything, including celebrations. It encourages you to question everything. What does it matter if we eat all the advent chocolate on one day and go and buy another one (or two or three, as i remember for Plum last year)? What does it matter if someone opens a present early? Ehat does it matter if they don't sit at the table for a fullthree or four course meal and finish their plate full and eat all their vegetables? What does it matter if they open their presents all at one/ get engrossed playing with one and don't open the remainder/ play o ly with the boxes and wrapping? 

Christmas Eve and the children posted the neighbours Christmas cards and put presents under the tree, they decorated a cardboard box each with christmas wrapping paper, drawings and sparkly bits and they took their bikes to the play park with daddy whilst Pippin, 2,  slept and mummy began Christmas Day food prep.

Christmas Day and we had to wake Pumpkin, 7, and Plum, 4, by preagreement as they wanted to open some presents before going to church. After church we opened the rest of the presents and had Christmas lunch together. And then came the afternoon playing with new stuff, watching new dvds, daddy setting up the boys' new computer. Plum is stillsleeping on the boys' bedroom floor.

Boxing Day mummy's family came to our house. We exchanged presents, ate turkey curry, went to the green to kick a ball about, played our new games: pie face, poopyhead, tabletop pool. Mummy downloaded minecraft for Bean and we played together.

Tuesday. Daddy is on a staycation for a total of 11 days. We went to Nyman's Gardens today. It was sunny and cold and beautiful. Bean, 9, enjoyed ticking off the gingerbread charaters on the Gingerbread hunt in the rose garden. Pumpkin finally caught two Christmas Pikachu and a few other Pokemon plus Nyman's has a reasonable amount of Pokestops. Pippin received a bag for Christmas which came with a lead. She loves it. What she really likes is Plum walking her. She gives the handle to Plum and says "walk." I played 40 40 with the boys and hide and seek with Plum. Bean drew a map of the bamboo walk. Back home Pippin slept, Pumpkin played on his tablet, Plum  watched ballet on cbeebies, daddy decorated gingerbread shapes with each of the smalls, mummy downloaded terraria and the escapists and played them with Bean. We watched Angry Birds in the evening and played more escapists, drew pictures, watched more ballet, read stories and slept.

Jingle bells

So, pancakes are back on the breakfast mene. We began 2016 eating pancakes every morning from January until at least March possibly longer and then at some point it pittered out. Well now they are back to end our year the way we began.

Today Bean, 9, watched more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and we all played a lot of minecraft together. We defeated the ender dragon twice and began to build our homes on sky islands in the End. Bean was desperate to hatch an ender dragon egg on creative pe but after much research, that is googling and youtube watching, it appears that this is not something that is possible in this mode. We walked to the park around the corner this afternoon. B3an's bike wheels were so muddy that his brakes weren't working so he chose to walk. He walked beside Plum, 4, on her bike for a while to help her. Once at the park he invented a pirate game. The two play structures were boats. He was the captain of one and Pumpkin, 7, was his first mate. Plum was captain of the other and mummy was her first mate. They used the bikes as small raft boats to travel the sea inbetween the two ships and had to try and steal treasure from each other. He also took Pippin, 2, on the round about and helped Plum on the way home, when she had lost a race, by racing her again a d giving her a 5 second head start so that she won.

Pumpkin spent the morning on toca mini and skylanders imaginators app and clash royale. He rode his bike to the park. He spent a lot of time being spun fast on the round about. He put Mr Men on this afternoon and was keen to play wrestling, and harry potter, and hide and seek, and escapers, and murder in the dark. There is a myth that unlimited access to technology means that children's imaginations are stunted somehow or not encouraged. These games are all derived from and inspired by films and computers games that the children have watched and played, serving to ignite their imagination not surpress it. In the evening we played magic:the gathering together. He has been singing jingle bells all day.

Plum slept until 11am. She seemed to wake rested and happy but her reactions to things today were extreme in the first instance. She has been joining in the games with the boys but their level of play is often more challenging and more physical than she is happy with and whilst they are often accomodating, they do also want/need to play more challenging and physical games. It is our current conundrum. Plum rode her bike to the park, surprisingly finding the up hill parts the easiest.

Comfort and Joy

An almost At Home Day. Of course Plum, 4, was desperate to go out so when daddy arrived home from work early, mummy and Plum went to town to finish the last bits of present shopping and food shopping. She also went on a walk with daddy later to see the Christmas lights around and about.

We mostly wrapped presents the rest of the day. Each child wrapped their own presents at around 45 minutes each, that was a large portion of our day (about 2 1/2 hours total). Interspersed with food, colouring, rough play with Pippin, a Mr Men dvd, lots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, wrestling, baths for Bean, Pippin, 2, and Pumpkin, 7, toca mini played by the big three, skylanders imaginators app played by Bean, 9, and Pumpkin.

It has been a very relaxed day, sometimes i wonder if we can be more relaxed, but maybe I mean peaceful.

Joy to the World

We met church friends today and went to the church to play. We made snowflakes, i made a 3d one, and christmas tree pictures. The children made a den under the tables and played doctors and nurses together, they put bean bags on the top and sat up there pretending they were beds. The three boys, Bean, 9, Pumpkin, 7, and R, 7, dressed up and played a game that they have played before which seemed to involve catching each other and freezing for 10 seconds. We all played Uno together and the three girls, Plum, 4, Pippin, 2, and T, 8, played horses together. They ended together with a game of hide the ribbon. We had lunch there and the children were sad to have to leave but Pippin was becoming tired so we headed home so that she could sleep.

Back home was very active for the remainder of the day, wrestling, harry potter magic game, hiding, running, chasing, hopping, bouncing. We settled in the evening with a SpongeBob dvd, stories with Pippin and Bean (seperately) and more Miranda with Pumpkin.

Travel afar

It shouldn't be a surprise but Pumpkin, 7, has discovered David Walliams and Miranda in the past few days and he loves them. He's always loved laughter and playing the joker. He likes Mr. Bean and Gigglebiz and Diddy tv, The Simpsons and You've Been Framed, expanding onto more comedians makes sense.

Monday: Bean, 9, and Pumpkin played Magic:the gathering in their bedroom this morning before we went to visit friends. We stopped on the way to buy food. Bean helped me choose a few things, he picked spring rolls and chicken goujons and frubes, i also bought individual pizzas. We haven't been to A and J house for a while. They have added to their collection of swings, hammocks, ladders and hanging seats. The boys enjoyed most of their time hanging and swinging and sitting in them. Plum, 4, enjoyed using the gym mats to tumble on in her new leotard (given to her by a friend at church, she didn't take it off for the first 48 hours) Bean, Pumpkin and A played on their tablets a little today. Terreria and minecraft being the focus. Bean got building wi5h magnetic shapes that held together. Pumpkin was tired after a later night to bed than usual and getting up early. He kept making himself feel dizzy/sick on the hammock and wanting to go home. Plum was busy with J. They played mummies upstairs, Plum was a real mummy and J was a mummy cat; they played dens together under the kitchen table; they painted plaster of paris. Plum was having such a fantastic time that she didn't want to leave, i tired everything that i could think of to tempt her to the car but it was the surprise gift from our friends mum that clinched it (great idea, saving it for our friends too) Pumpkin wasn't in the car and had gone to hide behind the garage. I decided to drive up to him and pick him up like a bus stop but he got upset because he thought i was going without him. We had a big long cuddle and he was going to move to sit next to me but then changed his mind. The remainder of the day involved wrestling, harry potter magic, colouring, roast pork, baths and stories.

Hark!

Friday: We took the bikes to Horsham Park today at Bean's, 9, request. I took a risk and took Bean's, Pumpkin's, 7, AND Plum's, 4. I wasn't sure that Plum would manage without a significant amount of help and that would be difficult with Pippin, 2, with us as well but she insisted that she could ride. And she could. We rode to the skate park and they played a games where they each had a house and they rode to each other's houses. We ate most of our picnic here too. We moved on when some older lads arrived on their bmx. We continued to cycle around the park, climbing trees, using the excercise equipment and catching pokemon along the way. We cut across the middle to catch water pokemon at the pond and spent a long time looking at the ducks and swans. We left in a bit of a panic as Bean opened the biscuits and the swan thought it was linch time. The children were not keen on the swan approaching. Next stop was the maze where the house game was picked up. The we completed the loop back to the car park and home. Pippin walked the entire way.

As we had left in the morning Pumpkin had located a Pikachu with a Christmas hat on but it took us so long to tether devices, engage gps and log in that it had disappeared before we left. We drove by that way just in case it reappeared but we saw no more signs of it all day. We will of course try again.

Saturday: A day of unplanned events. Plum was so excited to have rode her bike yesterday that she wanted to show daddy so he went back to the park with her. Me and Bean and Pumpkin snuggled on the sofa a watched together. Bean went upstairs and recorded more game play on his tablet. In the evening daddy and Bean went to see Star Wars: Rogue One. I watched Nativity with the others after they had play wii together.

Sunday: Church Day twice today. The search for a Christmas Pikqchu continued. Bean caught one but after locating the today Pumpkin remains unsuccesful Carols by candle light this evening followed by a very late dinner and a late wrestling game which we had to pause because we realised the neighbours children were probably in bed. So, Harry Potter dualling ensued in the living room. Bean and Pumpkin had baths. And Pumpkin went to bed much later than he has been in recent days.

Room for everyone

Pippin, 2, was busy this morning playing board games and other family games from the shelf. She got out dotty dinosaurs, dinosaur races and pop up pirate. Plum, 4, has been devising and perfecting a game with the building blocks similar to Jenga. Pumpkin, 7, has been playing with the pokemonGo update, and Bean, 9, has been working on his gaming rexording and fixing the problem with the sound recording.

Pippin and Plum played 'babies' together upstairs and then moved downstairs to get the play dough out and play cafes. They made pizza with toppings and then we sliced it up, this was followed by tea and cake. Plum told me all about her birthday party and what was going to happen there (i wrote it all down) Then we got out the old Christmas cards and they both cut up pictures and made hanging decorations for the tree and Christmas pictures.

We attempted to go out and meet friends but we couldn't find the car keys. After half an hour of searching we discovered that daddy had them at work. Playdate was postponed. By this time Pippin was tired so she went for a sleep. Plum came and sat with us , watching on her tablet with headphones on. The boys were doing their own thing downstairs. We rested for an hour.

The, now, usual wrestling game occured whilst i prepared food and we watched Elf together whilst we ate. I managed to redirect Pumpkin upstairs for a bath and then Plum and Pippin followed,and next was Bean. All clean.

Come a long way

A day without the car usually enforces a well needed At Home Day however the sun was shining and Bean, Plum and Pippin were keen to go the play park around the corner. Pumpkin was persuaded with the idea of playing PokemonGo and simultaneously not wanting to stay at home on his own.

It had been Pumpkin's, 7, idea to bake biscuits in the morning to take with us to the play park. Plum, 4, and Pippin, 2, rolled and cut the dough with me. Pumpkin spent the morning watching Dan TDM (trying not to laugh) and You've been Framed amongst other things.

Bean, 9, has been playing a lot of minecraft again. He found and downloaded an app to record his game play on PE and then spent most of the morning recording in his bedroom.

Plum, 4, played doll's house and babies and watched on her tablet on her bed.

We went to the play park for an hour or so. We swung on the swings, span fast on the roundabout, raced down the slides, rode the see saw, played hide and seek, and played hide Peppa pig, and ate biscuits. Pippin fell asleep on the way home with Bean and Plum singing made up lullabies to her.

When we were home Bean went and watched on his tablet in his bed, Pippin watched on the computer and Plum sat on the sofa with headphones on. I sat in the reltive quiet and drank tea, uninterrupted.

I was reminded today how things have changed for us as a family, how the passing of time, children growing older and me not being pregnant and feeling a little more rested and having more time (because i'm not breast feeding every few hours day and night) allows us to manage things differently and more satisfactorily. The passing of time has also enabled us to see that all the worrying we did about qhether we were doing the right thing and were the boys doing enough was wasted. They are fine, happy, engaged, motivated, enquisitive, all the things we would hope them to be.

Blessed

We took a planned trip to town, returning library books and getting some new ones, buying candy canes for the tree, getting kinder surprise eggs. The library has a pokemonGo display currently and Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7, enjoyed showing pippin, 2, all the differentokemon and her repeating them when they told her their names. Bean chose another graphic novel to bring home, this time he found a lego ninjago story. Plum, 4, moved the mats left in the children's area from rhyme time and put them all together in a line, she then went tumbling along them, cartwheels and forward rolls, run, skip, and jump. It reminded me to contact the local gymnastics class to see if they have space for her. We bought four boxes of candy canes, each with twelve in them, it was Pumpkin's idea that they can eat one a day until Christmas, although Pippin has already eaten four. Our trip to Sainsbury's for kinder eggs (and shopping for mummy) also ment we bought helium balloons for Pumpkin (darth vader), Plum (frozen), Pippin (peppa pig) and a Harry Potter sticker collectors books for Bean. We dropped the book on the way home, Pumpkin said he remembered that it had fallen out in the alley way down the road, so Bean set off on his own to look for it, fortunately with success.

The remainder of the day Bean and Plum were busy getting a Christmas package together for our friends. Bean made a story book and Plum drew pictures and made cards. We watched Disney's Robin Hood, there were baths and wrestling games and a game of babies. There has been a lot of sibling harmony today and it reminded me that we are blessed to have so much time together to nurture relationships and they really do enjoy each others company and find games that they are able to all play together. Plum and Pippin played doll's house together and sat on Plum's bed and watched cbeebies on the tablet.

On daddy's return home he was joined by a reporter who recorded his entrance into the house. I deliberatly hadn't said anything to the children and we had discussed that the reporter would have to take us as he finds us (i.e. it might be great but we can't guarentee what the children will be doing at that exact moment) but it was a good welcome home, as most of them are. And then the reporter interviewed mummy (he had already interviewed daddy) about the psycological effects of disrupted commuting by train on the commuter and all the time the children watched their film and showed daddy the books they had made and played happily together. It reminded me how much things have changed for us in the last 12 months. We are blessed.

Joy to the World

Monday with a twist today. Plum, 4, dressed up as an angel (a pink one) and Pippin, 2, dressed up as a donkey (with a bright green cardigan and no ears but a beautiful painted black nose) and we all went to Little Verse to join in the Christmas Special: Nativity. Bean, 9, took his tablet with him and he had downloaded a few programmes to watch. Pumpkin, 7, was fidgetty and poking his siblings so we redirected him to another room to go and play, Bean went with him. The adults at the group read the Christmas story and the children went to the front and joined the nativity scene when the part they had dressed as was in the story/whenever they wanted. Plum took Pippin to the front to join the stable animals and they both sat with SGG for the rest of the story. Plum also inteoduced me to some of the children that she plays with regularly.

The rest of the day was spent wrestling in mummy's bedroom; playing 'run away from Pippin'; watching Pokemon, DanTDM, The Simpsons; Plum is loving the Christmas Tree and has made herself a cosy nook just below it; Bean requested a bath; we all played minecraft together; Pippin enjoyed her usual round of stories (current favourites Brown Bear, Brown Bear, We're going on a bear hunt, dinosaur roar); Pippin jumping everywhere and giggling; Plum and Pippin drawing at the kitchen table whilst i prepared food, Plum drawing her family below a rainbow with flowers and drawing a picture to put in a bottle for her friend who lives far away, bedtime stories for the boys (continuing Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Bean has been playing with words a lot today. He came to ask me why we had the word 'yoj' on the tree, he was teasing me. And why do we have the word 'leon' hanging up? And the sudden realisation why DanTDM is called DanTDM, it never even occured to me that they wouldn't know but he does now.

Silent Night

Friday was Fisher's Farm day this week. The taste of fresh air the previous day spured most of us out the door. I had to agree with Pumpkin, 7, that it would only be for two hours and we could play Pokemon whilst we were there.

Plum, 4, and Pippin, 2, enjoyed the outdoor play area today, the carousel and ski jump rides, beacons nest and the ride on tractors. Plum can now peddle one independently. Plum also had a pony ride today.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin went on the squirrel scramble and the taboggan slide, they took in turns to ride with Pippin, and the beacons nest. They rode the motorbikes and bounced on the bouncy pillows. After all this we went inside to the large soft play area. Pumpkin was keen to leave by now so we sat and snacked and had a drink whilst the others played.

Bean spent the remainder of his pocket money in the shop on a second ty dog, a pug this time.

Saturday was the long awaited Christmas Movie day. Bean had compiled  all Christmas Films and ordered them ready to watch with daddy in a movie marathon. The Snowman, Father Christmas, Elf, Polar Express, Gruffalo, Muppets Christmas Carol, The Star of Christmas. Mummy went Christmas shopping.

Sunday. Bean andumpkin stayed at home with mummy. Bean had a super long bath. Plum and Pippin went to church with daddy. We put up the decorations. It did not go well. We have revised that next year we will put them up in the night whilst the children are sleeping for a nice Christmas surprise.

After a brief period of time where i thought sleep patterns were improving things are all change again. Bean has been struggling to settle to sleep, dispite choosing when he goes to bed and being visibly tired, he is taking an hour or more to go to sleep. However he is still getting up at the same time in the morning and is therefore currently very tired and tearful.

Pumpkin is surprisingly the most settled of all. He has consistently been in bed before 10pm for a while now, with the occasional later time, and getting up at a similar time to the rest of us.

Plum is continuing to sleep in her top bunk but needs hand holding most nights at some point in the night. Unlike when she slept next to me i can't hold her hand and go back to sleep, now i have to stand with her for between five and 10 minutes.

Pumpkin is restless. She has a cold. She is sleeping less in the day which is upsetting her sleep patterns and she tosses and turns most nights often on top of me or in search of me, sometimes she needs breastmilk, often it's a cuddle but i.am.tired.

Peace on Earth

A new game formed this morning. Bean, 9, discovered a gun app where you can load and fire various guns of your choice. Pumpkin, 7, downloaded it too and Plum, 4, pretended she had it on her toy phone. They each made a base in the living room and proceeded to shot each other. Over the course of the morning they established rules (like 'reloading') and introduced how to use the mines and bombs. Slowly the game expanded over the house.

Pippin, 2, was feeling full of cold and attached herself to me. We took refuge from the war game in the bedroom and read books and watched Bing and then watched Bing and read books. She also had lots of breastmilk which is unusual and an indication of her not feeling well.

The Big Three ended up in the boy's bedroom playing lego:pirates of the carribean on the wii. Bean and Pumpkin both made multiple avatars for themselves. Bean had made a cosy nook for Plum using beanbags and duvets and pillows on the floor.

In the afternoon we met friends, A, J and H, at the dinosaur park. The older four played time travelling, and hide and seek, and capture the flag, and war games. Plum and H sat on the dinosuars and played see-saw, and slides and built fairy worlds and volcanoes in the sand. Pippin went on the swings A LOT. (And we missed out friend Cindy and her boys.)

The evening was full of baths and The Simpsons, Pokemon, DanTDM, plans to play monopoly, bedtime stories, toast and chocolate mousse (does it have real mousse it it, mummy?)

Did you know?

At Home Day:

Bean, 9, played a lot of minecraft PE today, i played with him for about an hour we created two new worlds, one specifically to make cake on. He has started a new series of Pokemon and is continuing to enjoy The Simpsons. He had his hair cut whilst Pippin was sleeping. We played Hide and seek in the afternoon and there was wrestling. He asked to play with me on the wii repeatedly but we didn't get around to it today. He watched Star wars: The Clone Wars in the evening.

Pumpkin, 7, played Lego:Batman and we played mariocart on the wii together. We played several games of Chess this morning, i tried looking at our Chess book for some instruction but it was really confusing. He has been enjoying creating characters Tocomini.

Plum, 4, watched on her tablet curled up in a onsie on the sofa all morning. Her friend V came to play in the afternoon. There was duplo and minecraft, play dough, blindfold drawing, hide and seek, cafes, puzzles, and Elmo's Adventures in Grouchland.

Pippin, 2, worked out how to say the word Topsy today.

Working Together

I played chess this morning with Bean, 9, then Pumpkin, 7, and finally Plum, 4. Pippin got paper and pens out again and found dolly to play with. Bean resurrected his love of The Escapers and watched DanTDM play the soon to be released Christmas update. And then i had to watch it with him, and then Pumpkin had to watch it and then i had to watch it with Pumpkin.

We meet with our CHEF this afternoon, just three families this week. We tried a slightly different format which worked well and had the story of Joseph. A colaborative building project ensued with straws and connectors and Bean, Pumpkin and friends built a castle as tall as themselves. There was duplo and painting and wrestling and face painting and group games to end with.

Back home the children relaxed and watched their own things on their own tablets. We watched The Simpsons Movie. It was paused for an hour long wrestling match. We ate. Daddy came home and then went out again. Plum and Pippin and me mixed angel delight together and i watched more DanTDM with Bean and Pumpkin. Lydia went to bed and I read stories with Bean and Plum. Bean has requested a hair cut tomorrow. Plum slept in her top bunk again.

Pumpkin went to bed with me about 10.30pm

Like Monday Morning

Monday: Plum, 4, is out with SGG and SGS at Little Verse. Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7, put on Pirates of the Carribean: Dead man's Chest. It seems to me that they like epic trilogy good vs evil type films.

We mostly eat all morning and then ate more when Plum gets home before we go to lego club.

We set up Lego Club last year as Bean was wanting to have more friends. We wanted to make connections with others who had similar interests. It has become a great place for children of all ages to come together and share their knowledge and love of lego. Sometimes it's busy and noisy and vibrant, sometimes it's just a few families and everyone is engaged in the same game or build together, and sometimes, like today, it was just us. And we had a great time together playing games that the children had made up, building duplo with Pippin, 2, doing Build Battle together.

Back home we watched Ice Age and ate chicken. Pumpkin bathed whilst i got food together, Bean  bathed four hours later. Plum, having slept 5 nights in her top bunk, slept with mummy again as the previous night she had had lots of nightmares.

Problem Solving

Friday: we met friends at Fisher's Farm today. For the first time ever the boys weren't keen on going so we packed all the tablets and agreed that we'd be two hours. Plum was meeting her friend and was very excited. We watched Cars together when we got home.

Saturday: After the boys having a difficult day yesterday we had no plans today so stayed home. All four played hide and seek, and chase, and stuck in the mud all around the house for an hour this morning. Plum and Pippin did some drawing, Bean and Pumpkin played lego together, we watched Pokemon and played plants vs zombies. Bean and I went to the cinema and watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them, we loved it.

Sunday: Church day. Pumpkin has been reluctant to go to church so we arrange to go and then sit upstairs with him for the first part of the service. Today Bean and Pumpkin v mummy playing squares. Pumpkin was also saying that he didn't want to go to CousinC's birthday party. daddy and i were trying to work out how to make this possible. Bean then said that he wanted to go the the Christingle Service this afternoon. We proposed that mummy take Plum and Pippin to the birthday party and daddy, bean and pumpkin ride bikes to the Christingle. Everyone was happy. Mummy took Plum and Pippin to CousinC's birthday party at a soft play venue and then back to theirs for dinner before driving home.

Sometimes problem solving around how to meet everyone's needs can be challenging, difficult, time consuming but it is better for us to work through how we can respect each other than force each other to do things we don't want to do, there are enough times in life when this is unavoidable. It's not always easy when the children are small but as their understanding of time and their ability to wait and problem solve themselves and join in the discussion happens, it does become easier. Today Pippin wanted to watch Bing instead of leaving for the party, we were already running late and what she really needed was to fall asleep. She was crying. I was trying to get Plum's shoes on. And along came Bean and downloaded an episode of Bing on the tablet for Pippin. Problem solved. Pippin is happily in the car and watching Bing.

Motivation

We spend our days doing the things that we love. You can tell when the Bean and Pumpkin are truely engaged or excited in an activity that we have planned as they get themselves dressed and without prompting or help. Today was one of those days. We had plans for in the afternoon to see out friend T. I like it too. It is one of the few places we go where all four children are happy and engaged simultaneously. i get to drink tea uninterupted.

Bean, 9, has continued watching the second series of Pokemon today, he is up to episode 400. There is a part in each episode where you have to choose which Pokemon you think Ash should use in the Pokemon Battle he is in. He pauses the programme and we have to discuss the elements of each Pokeon and choose one each, there is another similar part where we have to guess what the Pokemon will evolve into. We also put together Christmas lists ready to give to famipy members: nerf, lego and films feature heavily.

Pumpkin, 7, has spent time on his Skylanders imaginator character creator again. He also made a Christmas list: Skylanders, nerf and Simpsons lego being dominant themes.

Plum, 4, watched on her tablet again in her top bunk. last night she slept the first half of the night sleeping in it too. Her Christmas list consists of Hello Kitty, playdough, peppa pig playsets, dressing up princess outfits.

Pippin, 2, looked at books and books and books, dinsosaur roar and Penguin are her current favourites. She played with the duplo and dollies too. and took a morning nap.

After pizza for lunch, that Bean prepared for us with garlic bread, we went to our friend T to play. All the children were involved in an extended game of lego (almost two hours) The three boys were the most involved but the girls dipped in aand out continously. Plum had packed and taken a bag with a few items in it, shopkins, books, duplo, doctor set stuff, which they girls played with for a while too. Just before we left there was an epic wrestling match between all five children and me.

Back home the evening consisted of Advent calendar opening (they were all waiting for daddy to come home but he got stuck in London) We had got both the boys lego advent calendars but they had a conversation in the car a few days ago where they decided to have a lego one and a chocolate one so they could share like last year so daddy was on a mission today to find a chocolate calendar for Pumpkin (and we have a lego calendar for next year) We watched Scooby doo movie, Pumpkin took a bath, we burnt day one of the advent calendar, and the big three played a dice board game together. As well as bedtime stories for Bean, Plum and Pippin, and some quiet time with Pumpkin before saying goodnight.

Explore and Play

Hibernation has only taken a few weeks to set in but it is well and truely here. Today was beautiful outside though, beautiful and freezing, morning temperatures were at -6. Blankets and pillows now occupy our living room space, Pumpkin is wearing vests under his pyjamas, Bean is wearing full pyjama sets, Plum has set up a nest of duvet and pillows and toys on the top bunk.

Bean, 9, spent his morning watching Pokemon and walkthroughs on the updated minecraft. Our computer is no longer able to run the game and he was a bit upset but comforted a little knowing that we have ordered them a new computer.

Pumpkin, 7, spent his morning creating Skylanders and playing lego games on his tablet. He downloaded a new plants vs zombies game, hatched eggs on dragon city and watched Dan TDM.

Plum, 4, was up three hours earlier than normal after having a very disturbed night (for no reason that i can fathom.) Consequently she lay on her top bunk and watched cbeebies and played cbeebies games all morning. I was surprised that she didn't fall back asleep.

Pippin, 2, swept floors, looked at books, played dollies, watched Bing, drew pictures, played with the kitchen set and was generally very busy.

This afternoon we went to Explore and Play. There was only us and one other family. This is the way that Pumpkin likes it. And Bean was happy too. The boys played outside almost the whole time. They created their own games akin to Capture the Flag. They did also try to make dens and hide outs but it became cramped with everyone trying to squeeze in. The soft stuff was popular too and this is what began the idea of others trying to take what they had. The one on the soft stuff had to protect it and the others had to steal it without being caught. This evolved into the enduring game outside.

The girls mostly got busy with playdough and painting and colouring and enjoying the big pile of soft stuff. Plum painted a rainbow and made cakes and lollypops from play dough.

There was also duplo and lego and junk modelling and autumn craft available.

The smalls all jumped around on the bed for over an hour when we got home giving me time to prepare food. Plum disappeared to watch on her bed again after she had eaten and unsurprisingly fell asleep.

Bean, Pumpkin and Pippin all had a bath, Pumpkin and Pippin together, having a great time splashing each other. Pippin had piles of stories and Bean his usual bedtime read with daddy. They have recently finished a Pokemon novel and now continuing with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The last Straw.

This is the way

At Home Day. They are becoming quite the thing.

Bean, 9: watched Pokemon Advanced; rough and tumbled with Pumpkin; emptied out under the bunk beds in search of long forgotten toys; played with the farm set; played chess and triominoes with Pumpkin; had a bath with Pumpkin; played on the wii; and more.

Pumpkin, 7: played Temple Run; designed his own Skylanders; played scribblenaughts with me all day; played on the wii; made more lego mini figure Skylanders; played chess and triominoes; plyed Skylanders with me on the wii; said he wanted to go out for a bike ride but didn't want to get dressed; admired my cake; and more.

Plum, 4: asked me to put her mattress up on her top bunk bed and then spent most of the day setting it up with pillows and toys; playing with her roys on her top bunk; watching on her tablet on the top bunk; jumping of the top bunk with Pippin; but did not sleep in the top bunk as she had planned; she played picnics on the kitchen floor; watched Alvin and The Chipmunks; and coloured her hair with hqir chalks and then had a bath to wash it out; and more.

Pippin, 2: played with the Happy Street people; watched Bing and Topsy and Tim; buttered her own toast; put on her own clothes that she had chosen; read books and books and books and books; had a bath; played with Plum; did actions rhymes with Bean (row the boat, fishy in the water, this is the way the lady rides;) and more.

People are more important

Monday. Plum, 4, went to Little Verse with SGG and SGS. Whilst she was out i played chess with both Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7. Pumpkin made his own Skylanders using lego mini figures. Pippin, 2, vacuumed with me and went back to bed for a nap about 11.30am.

Bean and me played on the wii in the afternoon. He chose Skylanders. We played together for about an hour whilst the others played happily together in my bedroom. He also cut out biscuits and then decorated them using tubes of writing icing. He mostly made faces onto the star shped biscuits. He spent most of the day watching Pokemon Advanced on his new tablet.

Pumpkin has been making his own Skylanders on his tablet (for Imaginators) as well as lego mini figures. He has also played through Lego: The Lord of The Rings on his tablet over the last few days too. This afternoon we played Mario Kart on the wii together and in the evening he played board games with Plum and daddy.

Plum got the cars and car mat out this morning and continued to play with them when she was at home. She put cars on all the road to create a huge trafic jam. She played cbeebies games on her tablet and instigated the hour long game of mummies with Pumpkin and Pippin in the afternoon. She also initiated the idea of making biscuits and cut out and decorated her own star biscuits. She had wanted heart ones but we have lost the heart shaped cutter. We sand twinkle twinkle whilst we were cutting them out and she taught me Dingle Dangle Scarecrow.

Pippin, 2, has enjoyed watching Bing and Tospy and Tim today. She has been busy playing cars with Plum and cuddled up on the sofa to read books with Pumpkin. She has cut out biscuits and played mummies with Plum as well as hoovering with me and drawing tiny squiggles very carefully.

People are more important than things. Proverbs 27

Catch Up

Friday: Bean was exhausted after his mammoth cake making and decorating yesterday so he stayed home all day. Pumpkin stayed home too. I took the Plum and Pippin to the play park for an hour in the afternoon. It was crisp and fresh and cold.

Saturday: The smalls had a day with daddy and went to the library and Pokemon hunting.

Sunday: is Church day in our house. Pumpkin, 7, was especially tired but we all made it out in the morning. The Bean, 9, and Pumpkin played upstairs afterwards with R, 7, under a set of tables. Plum, 4, and Pippin, 2, played with K, 10, and then played upstairs with T, 8, and daddy for a while. Pippin slept when we got home. We had lunch and the Big3 watched tv and played and creating things with pipe cleaners. Plum used paper and scissors too which evolved into a drawing session and then me selotaping pipecleaners, that had been shaped and curled, onto paper.

The animals came in for a play whilst their hutches were being cleaned out and then we went swimming together. Bean was swimming a little on holiday and has lost none of his confidence but needs more regular time in a pool. We even went outside into the cold and dark. The boys enjoyed the slide and the girls enjoyed the toddler pool with it's toys and activity boards and fountains and bubbles.

Back home the smalls put on a film, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the WereRabbit. Plum and Pippin played dollies together.

Ginger Cat Cake

Another At home Day. This time planned. Bean, 9, had a wedding cake to make in the style of a stripy ginger cat.

Pumpkin, 7, enjoyed not having to share the computer and watched all day. He watched Skylander walkthroughs and Skylander cartoons, he watched DanTDM and Stampy, he watched The Simpsons and probablt other things that I missed.

Plum, 4, also spent most of the day watching on her tablet. After Pippin had a very long afternoon nap, they played together. They each had a dolly and a buggy and they kept putting on coats and shoes so that they could 'go out.'

Bean spent 9 1/2 hours baking and decorating cakes, with food and drink breaks included. It took 2 hours purely to mix and bake the bottom cake. This one on the top was a chocolate cake recipe that grandma gave us. We covered it with a thin layer of marzipan and then had to leave it until last before we covered it with foundant icing and put strips on it. For the following layer we made a Victoria Sponge. We mixed and cooked two layers but he decided only to use one. This was covered with butter icing and orange foundant and then cut out pieces to create the facial features. Next we made a batch of vanilla cupcakes. We used four of these for paws and covered them with orange foundant and decorated them with claws. Bean used a fifth one to make a mouse. The tail is a long roll of orange foundant.

We have used Pinterest to get design ideas for the face and recipe books and people knowledge to get different recipes to try. I have been baking a cake a day this week to try different flavours and sizes and strength and successfulness. Today Bean used YouTube to watch tutorials on how to shape and ice cakes. Daddy went out shopping to find a board to place it on. He couldn't find a cake board big enough so bought a large pizza board instead.

We will all be eating the left over cupcakes and one layer of Victoria Sponge.

Changing plans

We had plans to meet friends today at fisher's Farm, a reschedule from last week when we had to leave early because Pumpkin had hurt himself. Before we left Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7,  played on the wii and Bean made some more crayons and bagged them up ready to sell. Plum, 4, woke up earlier than usual and spent the morning curled up on the sofa watching Ben and Holly, and Max and Ruby.

Our frinds didn't make it to Fisher's farm as planned as they got a flat tyre so we stayed and played, just us. We spent 45 minutes on the slides before i got them all ready for the animal show and turned up an hour early. The boys stayed outside on the go kartd whilst i took the girls back indoors so Plum could resume playing with a girl she has befriended. We were there half an hour before we wnt back outside for the carousel ride. Plum and Pippin rode the merry go round, Bean and Pumpkin went into the trees and then to the taboggan. When it finished we went and fetched the boys so we could go and meet the animals. Today was baby guinea pigs, baby rabbits and the tortoise. Pippin is not keen on the tortoise. We then al played in the tree houses together before coming home.

Back home we watched The Thundermans and then the boys played on the wii, whilst Plum Pippin and me played lego together in the same room.

Home is where the Heart is

Another Home Day. You can tell that the seasons are changing as we are at home again. It wasn't the plan. We had planned to meet our Christian Home Ed friends for a play but several couldn't make it last minute so those of us left decided to meet in the park instead. Despite talking it through with the smalls and checking the weather together and arranging to play pokemon when it came to leaving, the suggestion of a rain coat meant that Pumpkin did jot want to go out. Bean was happy to stay. Pippin was tired. That left a disappointed Plum. I put Pippin to bed, Bean and Pumpkin went and continued to play on the wii. I scoped up Plum for cupcake making which she had been asking to do since Sunday.

Bean, 9, has been watching more Thundermans today, played mario kart and wii games (bowling and tennis) with me and played lego star wars and lego pirates of the caeribean with Pumpkin. He choose Cars for a film this evevning.

Pumpkin, 7, and I played Chess together this morning. It was interesting to see how he thinks things through (he is very articulate with his thinking process.) He has been playing a lot on chess on my phone recently and it is visible how much it has helped him learn the game. He has caught up with Dan TDM today and found some more episodes of The Simpsons. He has played ont he wii with Bean. They got stuck at one point and came and got a tablet so they could find a walkthrough on YouTube.

Plum, 4, has been playing mummys again with Pippin. The doll's house has been out and the kitchen set. She has been setting up the magnetic letter for me to read to her, puttin random strings of letters together, and then putting them in coloured groups, and finally making a rainbow with them. We made and decorated cupcakes and sat cuddled on the sofa watching Cars.

The art of Busyness

Lego tastic times are here again. Bean, 9, spent Sunday afternoon creating a war scene with mini figures. I was on minfigure finding duty. Today he completed the scene and recorded a story using his creation. I think the whole process has taken 3-4 hours.

Bean has also been working on Scratch, which is a computer coding programme. We spent 1 1/2 hours on it together this morning and he has spent another half an hour this afternoon. He is creating a gladiator fight scene complete with arena. He and Pumpkin, 7, have also been playing fighting games with the toy guns. They also played games together on the wii, boxing and bowling today. We did load and begin to watch the film Herbie but it lasted 20 minutes before we moved on to the next thing. He ended his day watching more of the Thundermans today.

Pumpkin and Pippin, 2, played together this morning. They played pretend sleeping, and chase, and throwing and rolling a ball to each other. He won all the games on the wii with Bean and heped Bean to build and record his lego scene.

Plum, 4, went to Little Verse this morning and then enjoyed crafting and creating with our friends who came to play this afternoon. She made a garden in a shoe box and then began making the sun with our friend by taping yoghurt pots to her hoola hoop. After this she went and listened to her Frozen cd whilst playing lego and then doll's house and dressing up with Pippin.

All the smalls played in our bedroom by creating a huge pile of bedding on our bed and then jumping onto it from the top bunk.

We ended the day with a very successful Roast Pork dinner. The smalls all had more and left almost none for daddy.

Pokemon hunting

Pumpkin, 7, is improving. he hasn't asked for pain killers today but is using only the tiger balm. He still can't move his neck freely but has increased movement. He won't sit on his hopper and has said he doesn't want to go swimming.

After much negotiation and discussion opted for a drive around Pokemon hunt incorporating a stop at the cake shop in Crawley to buy coloured icing for Bean's up and coming commissioned cake. We drove around in the rain for two hours collecting Pokeballs and and catching Pokemon. Pippin, 2, slept.

Back home we watched Monster Inc and then Hoodwinked together. Pumpkin had a salt bath to help relax his neck.

Tales of the Unexpected

We had a play date planned at Fisher's Farm today. Plum, 4, was going to meet her friend M. We headed straight to the slides, it was freezing ourside and it had been quite difficult for Bean, 9, and Pumpin, 7, to agree to coming out. I played with theidea of them staying at home but it would have been at least 3 hours which would have been the longest i have left them, plus Fisher's Farm is the furthest i would have gone and the phone reception there is terrible, in conclusion, i decided against it. We agreed to stay indoors and everyone took tablets as they have wifi. They ran off and played as soon as we got there. We had been there about half an hour before Pumpkin executed one of his usual moves and landed badly on his neck. He was in a lot of pain and couldn't move it without causing more pain. I gave him painkillers and we sat and ate food. All the while he was screaming. Bean came over and sat with us, playing games on my phone. Our friends had arrived but we decided that it would be best to go home. On the way we stopped and bought Tiger Balm. Pumpkin sat all afternoon, stock still, on the sofa.

Back home Pippin, 2, slept. Plum played face painting and painted herself a pirate and me some flowers. Bean and Pumpkin took the Potersmore quizes to discover what house they are in (Hufflepuff,) what their patronus is (bean was an hare, pumpkin was an otter) and what type of wand they would have (mine is hazel  10 1/4 inch, unicorn hair core, unyeilding)

Bean and i also read the first chapter of the coding book that his friend bought for him.

We ended the day with dinner and a film, Bean had a bath, Pumpkin had more painkillers and tiger balm before bed.

At Home Day

An At Home Day today, in which Bean said "i'm glad we had a lazy day, i needed a rest." It's his third At Home Day this week!

Bean, 9, mostly watchedokemon thsi morning and we played mario kart and lego: star wars together on the wii this afternoon.

Pumpkin, 7, played games on his tablet this morning and then watched DanTDM and Stampy this afternoon. mostly he was watching Skylanders playthroughs, he has asked for trap team for Christmas so is getting ready to play.

Plum, 4, played mummy's with Pippin, 2, most of the morning. She played with us on the wii in the afternoon. Bean was amazingly helpful and showed her how to use the controllers and what the buttons did and took her to a place in the game where she could create her own avatar. It was a beautiful few hours of play.

The day ended with A Bug's Life. Plum falling asleep during the movie circa 7pm.

We're going to bowl

Today's adventures took us bowling. We met FA#1 , we played arcade games, bowled and ate at Frankoe and Benny's.

Bowling went well. All four smalls had a turn.
Bean, 9, didn't use the ramp and, dispite being a bit hap hazard, scored well. We examined th3 score board intently and he worked out how the computer was recording each turn and adding cummulative scores.
Pumpkin, 7, was keen not to use the ramp but wasn't as successful as he wanted and he was struggling with not hving a score the same as Bean. He used the ramp for a few turns and it did improve his score but not enough to catch up with Bean. He found it frustrating.
Plum, 4, had a great time. FA#1 helped her bowl. She used the ramp to start with and then took a few goes bowling herself. She had a great time and realy enjoyed hersef.
Pippin, 2, won.

The restaurant was a success too. FA#1 played endlessly with the girls and i had had the foresight to take restaurant entertainment! We had colouring and top trumps and snap cards and i had packed an electeonic device each. Mostly the girls coloured and played snap, the boys did the puzzle book that the restaurant provided and played top trumps.

On our journey there Pumpkin spent the majority of the timelooking at and commenting on the beautiful and varying colours of the leaves. Bean was asking about how people predict the weather and we discussed measuring and recording the weather and how it is done. We talked about weather patterns and seasons and cloud formations and the position of the earth.

Back home the boys watched The Simpsons and Pumpkin has started watching DanTDM again and the frog man. The girls continued the game of mummy's and babies that they had began in the morning, reinacting a day over and over again, using the cupboard under the stairs as home, the kitchen set as the kitchen and the sofa as a bed.

We celebrated my birthday with cake and presents when daddy got home.

Even more Tangled

Today we had a visit from Grandma and Pops. The children all came up with ideas of things they wanted to do with them. Bean, 9, had a game of monopoly with Pops at the ready, Pumpkin, 7, got out Zombie dice and Plum, 4, had playdough with grandma in mind. What actually happened was the children played with their gifts from China and ate Chinese sweets. Bean did get to play monopoly with Pops (Pops won) Pumpkin gave Grandma a crash course in Pokemon, Plum played board games with grandma and made Grandma and Pops a card. Pippin, 2, sat with Pops and watched on the ipad with him.

The day was also filled with films. The Simpsons Movie and Over the Hedge because Grandma and Pops like them (because they own them too) and Tangled. The boys played on the wii and Pippin drew more pictures. gr

Tangled (again)

Monday.

Bean, 9, is keen to watch prison break films however we don't own any so we settled for heist movie instead and watched Oceons 11. He is also constantly asking about coding but we are struggling with how to carve time for him to do this so that we can help him and the others are not distracting. Today he also reminded me that we haven't been swimming for a while, he would like to be keeper for a day at Drusillas, when are we going to Harry Potter World, can we go to LegoLand next year? He's definitely a boy with a plan (or two!) We also downloaded Carcasonne today and played it several times.

Pumpkin, 7, had a playdate today. Our friends A and J came to our house to play. Pumpkin and A played Terreria together, build battle on minecraft (their own version multiplayer LAN) and discussed and compared Pokemon. They also played Skylanders on the wii and Bean introduced A to his home made Skylanders role playing game.

Plum, 4, still isn't well. I think she has had this cough for over six weeks now. She is finding it draining and irritating and she is tired. However, she still musters the energy for the things that she loves and so this morning she went out with SGG and SGS to Little Verse. Predictably she crashed on the sofa when she got home, snuggled under a duvet and watched on her tablet for a couple of ours with pizza and apple juice.
When Plum had rested and refuelled she played with her friend J. They played at being dogs together and then playdough and cafes. Plum fell asleep on the sofa after our friends went home.

Pippin, 2, has spent time drawing today and cutting up grapes into small pieces, watching Bing and Topsy and Tim. She managed to stay awake until about 4pm when our friends had left and then she fell asleep on the sofa.

Bean put Tangled on again and Pumpkin asked for his hairbrush and spent the whole film brushing out his knots. Bean and Plum both had a bath tonight and we were all in bed by 10pm dispite the girls late afternoon nap.

Tangled

Sunday is Church day in our family. We all went this morning. It was Rememberance Sunday and a discussion about the road being closed for a parade led to us talking about Rememberance Day and the parade and service and Bean was keen to go. It wasn't possible today so we will put it in the diary for next year.

In the afternoon I took Bean, 9, to town to sp3nd the remainder of the money we had given him for his own food choices. We went to three toy shops and added a few things to his Christmas list, he found things he thought the others would like, and finally settled on a lego set and a film, Tangled, that we could all watch together.

We spent the afternoon watching A.N.T Farm and Plum fell asleep on the sofa. Plum, 4, is still unwell. She is full of cold, can't hear much and is tired of coughing. Dispite a two hour sleep in the afternoon she was in bed by 9.30.

We ate dinner, the girls bathed, and then we sat and watched Tangled together.

Questions Questions: What about socialising?

Inspired by two ladies that I met this week, both with babies, and considering home ed, and also by the influx of new home edders into our little community, I have decided to answer here some of the most common questions that we get asked regarding home education. Lots of home ed blogs have done this before but you can never have too much of a good thing!

Let's start with the most pressing of them all...

What about socialising? I hope anyone who regularly reads our posts recognises that we are a very social bunch. There is regularly meeting with other home ed families and spending time with our family and friends, along with entering the world on a daily basis, saying 'hi' to our neighbours, the postman and the guy in the local (craft) shop, in addition to visiting museums and chewing the ear off the expert- asking question after question, or requesting a book from the librarian. Seriously, i hope you get the picture, for us being sociable and socialising encompass so much more than spending six hours a day with a group of our peers that we happened to be thrown in with. 
The major difference, from my point of view, is not about how or even if we socialise but who we socialise with. We seem to be a society insistent on separating our children from their parents from as young as possible, instead of nuturing the most basic of our human relationships and making these secure and building our circle of emotional attachments with others from inside the family to outside. Family is important and building those relationships firmly is important and then our smalls begin to explore relationships with others around them that they meet on a regular basis, our community. For my smalls they do this at their own pace, they choose who they reach out to, and they choose when to recline and relax in the familiar. 
Let's not forget that we get to spend more of our time in the real world which reflects...the real world! We talk to our peers, we play with children from 0-99, we discuss castles and engineering and pets and lego with those who are interested in castles and engineering and pets and lego and it doesn't matter if they are 3 or 93.
And lastly, we observe others social skills, not from our peers (who are at a similar social, or unsocial, stage as us) but from those who have gone before us and have learnt social formalities and socialisation. This is not to say that the smalls are perfect, for they are just small, but i'm convinced that their ability to operate in the real world will be greatly improved by the fact that they were never removed from the real world.

Do you follow a curriculum? No.
By law you are required to provide an education, how you do this is entirely up to you. It is possible to follow a curriculum if that is the path you choose but we choose not to. We are autonomous in our approach to learning. The smalls choose what they learn, how they learn and when they learn. We flow seamlessly from comic strips to angry birds to board games to quick fire math to hide and seek. Life flows. Learning flows. And mostly with me just joining in or seeking an answer to a question or a place we can find out more about it.  My role is not to teach them directly but to facilitate their learning. We encourage, support, discuss, discover and play together. And, in truth, they are learning all the time. Learning cannot be confined to six hours a day within the same four walls for three terms a year. Children are not lazy and will not spend hours a day doing nothing, they are natural learners and the world is their oyster. Learning is not separated from the rest of our life or timetabled. It is life. 

But what about reading and writing and maths? Reading, writing and maths are part of our everyday lives. If this wasn't true then they wouldn't be so important in our educational system. I once saw a poster that gave ten pointers on how to help your child become a reader. All ten points said 'read together.' And that is what we do. Everyday we read books and signs and letters and messages and magazines and food labels and packaging and instructions. I answer questions about rhyming words and letters and words and logos and we play games and tell jokes and sing songs and read to each other. We support them on their reading journey. 
The same path is taken with writing (and maths.) The smalls type and doodle and write. They play with combinations of letters that they have put together and ask us to read them to them, they write cards and letters to friends, dictate emails to various people and companies to ask them questions, we leave messages on the fridge to each other and make posters to put on the walls, they tell stories into the voice recorder and we type it out and turn it into a book. But it is always important to remember that this is not a path set by me or a curriculum, it is always the smalls that zre doing these things as part of their play, as part of their everyday doingness, we are just there to help when they need it and there to demonstrate writing in our own lives. 
Maths has been an eye-opener for me. Truely, how do you learn maths without sitting down and teaching it? It's that statement they make, 'mummy, if i get one more for Pumpkin then I will have six.' or, 'Can i have half of that cake?' 'What time are we going to the park?' And then the response, 'And what if we needed one for Plum and daddy too, how many would we have then?' 'Come and show me where to cut the cake,' 'How long have we got before we leave?' The opportunities are endless. We play board games and minecraft and rearrange our furniture, we race each other and count our pennies and measure our height, we cook together and pour our own drinks and count how many sausages we need to cook for dinner, and sometimes, just for fun, we count the peas on our plate!

Do you have to take tests and exams? No
It can be quite shocking to hear that answer. How can you possibly know that they are learning? Mostly people are concerned with, is my child working at a similar level to their peers?, when they ask this question. The truth is that it really doesn't matter. The things that the smalls are interested in and are happy doing now are the things that we will investigate further together. We love space and robots and castles and feathers and butterflies and a whole range of other topics that aren't on any test. 
It's not always about the facts learned and the information gained. We seek mostly to encourage their naturally inquisitive nature and utilise resources to find out more about their interests. That's hard to find on a test paper. We place before them things that are interesting and fascinating and unusual, we indulge together in the everyday and we observe what makes the smalls tick, the things that interest them and the things they return to again and again and we do more of those things in different forms - books, making, clubs, museums, experts. The main thing is, that when you spend your days, each day every day, you see the learning taking place, the excitement, the questions, the retelling, the processing, the play, and there are days or even strings of days where it looks like maybe nothing has been learnt but then we take off again. (Actually, realistically, they are always learning but sometimes we just don't see what it is.)
We don't even test them in small ways, we don't ask them to put numbers in order with the fridge magnets to see if they can, we don't ask them to read it when they have asked us to because we think they should or they can, I don't ask them to tell me all the things that they have learnt from a session or a book today. But these things do happen, in there own time, the smalls do tell daddy about their day when they arrive home, one of them will order fridge magnets for fun and they read stories to each other. The evidence is there, there is no need for testing, just living, learning, play and observing.

What about GCSE's? Not even GCSEs if you don't want to. It is possible but not necessary or compulsory. People think it's impossible to get work without qualifications or just plain risky and it is true that some professions require certain qualifications for you to be able to do them (a friend once asked me, 'what if he wants to become a brain surgeon?' a little puzzled I answered, 'then he'll become a brain surgeon', As if home educated children wouldn't possibly have the same opportunities as schooled children.) 


There are many more questions that we are asked, some serious considerations, some quite ridiculous, as with all things in life. There are people with views and opinions and general curiosity and interest. i might find time another day to write down some more, i might not. Time is precious and my time mostly belongs to being with Bean, Pumpkin, Plum and Pippin. 

Whitespace

We were all up early with lots of whitespace (no plans) for the morning and a playdate arranged for the afternoon. Just because there are no plans, doesn't equate to doing nothing. It is actually incredibly difficult to do nothing. It is often during the times of whitespace that we discover what sparks our interest and we can use these ideas to organise or plan other things that might also interest us.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7, continued watching A.N.T Farm and then went and spent 4 hours playing on the wii working through the next episode of Lego: Pirates of the Carribean.

Plum, 4, and Pippin, 2, and me painted our nails. Plum painted her own fingernails and Pippins. We then sat and read several books together, some of them multiple times. We then face painted the dollies and finally each other. Plum face painted an excellent tiger onto her dolly. Pippin painted her dolly and herself blue, Plum said she was a blueberry. I painted a cat onto Plum's face, a yellow and green cat. Plum was showing signs of flagging after this and although we had rearranged our playdate from a nerf war in a park to indoor at their house, Plum was now saying she wanted to stay at home. She choose a film to watch (Shark Tale) and we snuggled on the sofa together. i rearranged our play date for the third time.

I went and spoke to the boys about not going to our friend's house and Bean immediately suggested that they could go their without me (this has never happened or been an option before, Bean has always wanted me to stay (except for the one camping weekend he chose to go on)) Pumpkin wasn't keen on this idea but i have logged it in my mind for another day.

Our friends arrived with a coding book for Bean and nerf guns. Pippin was asleep so nerf wars were off the agenda for a while. They played on the wii and introduced their friend, O, to bopit. He loved it so much that he asked Pumpkin if he could borrow it so Pumpkin has agreed to a loan and O took it home with him.
We played Hullabaloo together, followed by Cranium, and a nerf war before O went home.

The big three then drew each other treasure maps and hid chocolate gold coins and pieces of map around the house for each other to find. The day ended with pizza and finishing the film Plum had started and baths for all of them, stories for Pippin and Bean.

Taking it easy

Still not feeling great but being thanful that we can rest when we need to and get up and play when we can, that we can wear the clothes that make us feel cosy and warm and stop doing what we're doing as soon as we need to.

We went to Fisher's Farm today. It was our planned trip out today but it was a great choice as we had several children feeling under the weather and energy levels differing at different times between the children. We began inside on the slides, which Pippin is loving. Plum went down the bumpy slide on her own today which is the first time in months that she has done this. We raced together again and again.  After about an hour we were in the soft play area and Plum came and curled up with me, we put on her tablet and headphones and she watched iplayer for a while. After half an hour the carousel ride opened so we went outside to ride. Bean and Pumpkin went around the Tree Top Squirrel Scramble, they all rode on the carousel together and then Plum and Pippin had a turn together on the horse. It started to rain a little after this so we went to the barn to see the animals and do the animal handling. Today was rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoise and a pooing chicken. Whilst we were in the barn the temperature dropped significantly and the heavens opened. Plum announced she wanted to go home now so we all left. We saw a double full rainbow as we left.

At home Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7, played on the wii together. The completed an entire level today on their lego: pirates of the carrinean, Plum, 4, and Pippin, 2, both slept. Plum spent the remainder of the day in a duvet on the sofa. Bean introduced us all to The A.N.T Farm so we watched a few hours of that together.

The girls both had a bath and stories and the boy's had stories together. All in bed by 9.30 (including mummy.)

Unwell

Today was ourcarless day. Pumpkin, Plum and Pippin are all down with a cough and cold. We stayed at home all day. The morning was taken up with games that involved sweets and giant American sized marshmallows. I hid sweets in piles of flour and the children had to get them out without using their hands. Pumpkin opted for his mouth, Bean and Plum used their elbows, Pippin used her hands. I hid sweets in plastic eggs around the house that they worked together to find and then we transported marshmallows across the room together using our elbows as pincers.

Bean, 9, watched more Pokemon episodes and held a Pokemon battle with Pumpkin and played PokemonGo for most of the day. He played on the wii for a while in the afternoon.

Pumpkin, 7, did all things Pokemon too. He also made some giant chocolate chip cookies and watched the Junior Bake Off.

Plum, 4, lay on the sofa wrapped in a duvet all day. She put Frozen on at one point but fell asleep whilst it was on. She watched a few things on her tablet when she woke but mostly dozed on and off until she fell again and daddy carried her up to bed.

It sounds like it's been a quiet day however the boys struggle with the lack of space to be energetic in and there has been a lot of Pokemon battling which has occupied the whole house energetically and noisily.

Pikachu

I think the boys would say this day was one of the best ever, we caught three Pikachu today. We went down to Littlehampton, which we love because of the beach anyway, but specifically went today because friend had said it was a good place for Pokemon hunting. And it was. We caught lots of new Pokemon and there were pokestops in abundance. Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7, had a great time and were really pleased. We will definitely be going again sometime soon.

It was, however, freezing. Plum, 4, refused to wear soacks although did gradually add gloves, hat and coat to her outfit. Pippin, 2, cried the entire time that we were outside on the seafront and she was wrapped up warm.

We snuggled up watching Scooby Doo movie 2 when we got home and journeyed out again for a McDonald's for dinner. We popped to the cornershop on the way out and went to try and find our friends who had broken down nearby to deliver supplies whilst they waited for rescue however we didn't find them. It worked out okay though as when we arrived home I discovered that i had forgotten our front door key. So we ate through the supplies I had bought, watched youtube on my phone using wifi from the house and sat in the car and waited 25 minutes for daddy to arrive home.

We cooked sausages for supper, the girls bathed and the boys watched Pokemon, Pumpkin and Plum played Othello with daddy and everyone was asleep by 10pm.

Making friends

Monday is a lovely day for us. We were watching an episode of the Simpson's this evening and they were grumbling about Monday and Pumpkin was asking why they didn't like Monday. Monday is just another day for us another day except i find it made al the more straight forward by the regularity of Plum going to Little Verse with SSG and SGG. And this afternoon we had Lego Club.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 7, watched the final disc of The Return of the King whilst Plum was out this morning. They also began a 102 piece puzzle together.
Whilst at lego club they began rolling the giant lego wheels together to see who could get their's the furthest. As others arrived, they joined in too. Bean wrote up a competition chart, with rounds on it, to show who vs who, and who progresses to the next round. Pumpkin made three trophies using the lego for first, second, and third place. Six of them played this game repeatedly for an hour. After this they played several rounds of Build Battle together before two hours was over and we had to clear away. Pumpkin struggled after an hour of not coming first in the wheel competition but the moment was rescued with some time in and wet willies.
On the way home we drove via more than 10 pokestops to collect as many pokeballs as we could ready for our big pokemon hunt planned for later this week. Pumpkin hatched a magmar and leveled up.

Plum, 4, went to Little Verse and then spent the remainder of the day singing all the songs to me and Pippin. She joined in the wheel tornament and Build Battle at Lego Club. She watched iplayer when we got home and played Othello with daddy and Bean, followed by bath and bed.

Pippin, 2, has been under the weather all day. She went back to bed for a nap at 10.30 and then sat in the buggy for most of Lego Club this afternoon, dozing on and off. She managed to eat some dinner before she took herself up to bed.

Just as you are

One thing i love about Home educating and particularly Unschooling is that our children are free to be themselves and not have to circum to peer pressures or fit into boxes or pass unnecessary exams. We can follow their interests, celebrate their personalities and truely embrace the person that God has created them to be.

Today was church day. Bean, 9, took his crayons with him to show and sell. He had four bags with him and by the end of the day they were all gone.

This afternoon Pumpkin, 7, went for the bike ride he passed on yesterday. Daddy took Bean and Plum with him too. They went to the play park on the new estate.

Plum, 4, had a lovely conversation this morning with SGG. I really love it when adults take the time to converse with the children like they are important (which they are.) I just stood next to anna incase she needed help explaining something but she didn't, i was surplus. Plum was tired most of the day. Except for her bike ride she sat and watched and played on her tablet. She was asking for a bath (codeword: bed) by 6.30pm. I bathed the girls and we read a few stories snuggled in bed. We curled up to sleep. The girls simultaneously sat up and vomited. The funny picture in my head was daddy with only one bowl not sure which girl to put it in front of as they were both coughing together and him undecidedly swapping between the two.

The boys watched Pokemon and The Simpsons whilst i helped the girls to bed, daddy was out (but home in time to help clear up the illness!)

All the smalls were in bed by 9pm. Unheard off.

Money, money, money

With daddy being home, there was quite a lot going on today.

I took Bean, 9, into town to buy some presentation bags for his crayons he has made. He packaged them up when he got home We also needed to collect the books that he ordered from the library and he had £20 to spend in the supermarket (as promised a few weeks ago.) We also went shopping for items for our Samaritans Purse boxes. Bean only spent half of the money and bought: monster munch crisps; skips; four chocolate doughnuts; a cake each from the bakery counter; a bag of chocolate coins; He purposefuly bought multipacks and made sure that there was enough for all the smalls to have too.

Pumpkin, 7, had been planning all week to go on a bike ride with daddy. Plum wanted to go to. When it came to it he said he was not feeling well and wanted to stay home. He hadn't moved from the sofa all morning Two very unusual things for him. So, he didn't go on a bike ride and suggested that tomorrow would be a good idea. Pumpkin spent most of the day watching Pokemon until after the medicine kicked in and then he perked up a little and played with Bean.

Plum, 4, went out on the tag along with daddy for the first time and absolutely loved it. They went to the play park together.

Bean, Plum, and Pippin put together their Christmas boxes.
We ended the day with sparklers and stories and Pumpkin falling asleep on the sofa.

Neither of the girls have slept well. They are full of cold and coughing and not breathing well.

Who put the colours in the rainbow?

Crayon making continued in earnest today. Bean, 9, tries out different shapes and moulds, some that he made himself and others he found in the baking cupboard. We now have hearts and puzzle pieces and semi spheres and sticks

We all went out to Fisher's Far, for the afternoon. ot was wet so we spent most of our time indoors (about two hours) but it was also really busy. It must still be half term somewhere. There were a lot more children than usual to contend with and the noise was deafening but all the smalls did really well to last so long. We eventuallu braved the wet weather and moved across to the outdoor cafe and had the place to ourselves so we teamed up and shot cannon balls at each other until we saw the carousel was open. Pippin, 2, took her first ride on it today. We had the whole ride to ourselves. This was folowed by seeing the animals in the barn. The goats are a favourite now with Pumpkin, 7. We were just in time for the animals handling so we spent 15 minutes strocking rabbits, huinea pigs and a tortoise. The smals all spent their pocket money in the shop and then we came home to get warm and dry. A change of clothes for everyone and a film (Madagascar 2)

The smalls ended the day with a sleepover in the living room.

True Colours

Mostly we have been melting things in the oven today but we also tried out the loca HE Youth club and watched msny more Pokemon episodes as well as painting and making various things with the recycling.

Bean, 9, began the day by melting Sapce Stickies in the oven. i mentioned that i had read that you can melt crayons and he immediatly went and found some to try. It works really well and is really quick. Bean managed to set the oven and put the tray in and out of it. By the afternoon when he was on his second round of crayons he was all set up and doing it on his own. Bean has decided that he would like to sell them and is going to make more tomorrow into different shapes.

Pumpkin, 7, had a great day. He was inspired by Bean's money making ideas and has painted a plastic bottle from the recycling ready to make into an areoplane. We then went to the Youth Club for the first time. i was hoping that it would be a place for the boys to be with friends as well as providing something for the girls. And it hit the mark perfectly. Pumpkin played on the wii all afternoon but there was also two playstations and an xbox too. Pumpkin has asked at least ten times if we can go everytime that it's on.

Whilst Pumpkin was rummaging through the recycling box, Bean and Plum, 4,  also raided it and painted and made their own models. At the Youth Club Plum painted a fireworks picture using washing up brushes and straws. She also had a turn on the concoles, played at the pool table and got out the happyland shoe. There were several children there that she knew as well so she had a very sociable time.

Pippin, 2,  painted some pictures onto paper at home and happily pottled about at the Youth Club.

There were hairwashes tonight and a lot of stories for the girls and Bean. I finished knitting a Christmas present.

Reconnected

After several days of being apart we nustled together at home today. We played Terreria together and minecraft and hullabaloo. We watched Bing and Pokemon and played 'Halloween' with the bath toys.

Bean, 9, initiated a Harry Potter game that involved us casting spells on each other. He also made up a ball game where we got points for throwing the ball into different baskets. He also played the dirty end of a telescope trick on Plum and drew chicken pox all over Pippin.

Pumpkin, 7, declared hullabaloo the best game ever. It' s been a great way to get physical in the house without fear of them causing damage to themselves. He has also been working on his Pokemon Camp app and explaining to me how each Pokemon evolves and what into.

We tried on a lot of new clothes today for Plum, 4, but they were mostly all too big. We did find a few Hello Kitty items though so they were keepers although they are slightly big. We have planned a shopping trip to buy some long sleeved tops for her.

We ended the day with baths for three of them. Bean read Pippin some stories whilst i played with Plum in the bath. The smalls were all in bed by 9.45pm. The clock change means that daddy and i have a little time together!

Spontaneous rhythms

We had a trip to sheffield Park planned today. We had only been there for the first time recently but wanted to explore more. We arranged to meet Mr T. Pippin jad had a disturbed night so we slept in until 8.30. This put us a little behind schedule. The smalls all watched tv and played dens for the morning whilst i prepared a picnic and got everyone dressed. We were almost an hour late leaving.

On the way we played i-spy with the spotter sheets i made two years ago for a long holiday journey. We talked about American road signs and vehicles and the similarities and differences bewteen ours nd theirs. It was busier than last time when we arrived and we had to park in the overflow car park. We walked to the entrance where there were toilets and picnic benches. We meet our friends and climbed trees and ate lunch. Sheffield Park tie orange ribbons around the best trees to climb. Bean especially seems happiet up a tree at the moment.

When food seemed to come to a natural end, we went to move on and find the Nature Trial but Bean had put his head on the bench and said he was tired. We looked at where we were planning on heading on the map and reassured Pippin that we were not going near the ponds (he has a recent fear of people drowning) and suggested we walked back to the car and then see how we feel. The reality was that going home was not an option but Bean did not know this and i couldn't really explain that to him either. When we got to the car he lay down on the back seat. My friend rescued us by offering for us to come to their house to play. So, dispite us being an hour late, and travelling 45minutes to our destination just to have lunch, we then accepted the invitation back to play. Everyone was happy. And i am glad to have friends who understand us.

Plum spent our time at home making dens today under the coffee table. She took her cuddly toys in and her tablet to watch on. We watched Bolt in the evening and the boys both opted for a bath.

Where are you?

We have got ourselves into a lovely rhythm lately. On the whole we stay at home in the morning and, if we are going out, we go out in the afternoon. Today Bean and I tried installing a coding course for him with the intention that he would have some time on it, however it took over an hour so there wasn't enough time to start on it. It is now all set ready to go when he's next ready. I also found an HE friend who is in the process of setting up a coding course/club.

This afternoon we went to our Christian Home Educating Friends (CHEF) meet. We had two new families and it was quietly busy. Hamma beads was very popular. Pumpkin made a ladder from lolly sticks and Bean bagan making a house from lolly sticks, a proto type of his tree house. Plum missed making her ladder so we have plans to find the lolly sticks at home and make one there. Plum spent her time playing with the dolls and soft toys.

Bean and Pumpkin played on the wii when we got home and Plum played cbeebies games whilst Pippin pottered around and watched some more Bing and played hide and seek with me, calling "where are you?"

Changing Rhythms: school holidays

School holidays change our rhthym too, as does the changing seasons. We don't celebrate halloween, for lots of reasons, the dressing up part scares the children. For this reason we avoid anywhere that has decorations up during the half term holiday which mostly means we stay at home or have play dates. Today we met church friends and used the church hall as a space to play together. The big ones began with an extended lego session, Plum and me built a railway track with the brio. Games soon turned to dressing up and chasing the one dressed as the tiger. Bean was Superman and then a clown. Pumpkin was a pirate. Plum a policewoman. We also played four rounds of uno.

Bean had a problem with his phone today and tried several ways to fix it. He patiently waited for daddy to come home who spent some time with google and fixed it in 30 seconds. We spent a large portion of the day watching cats being funny in compelation clips on YouTube and moved on to You've Been framed in the evening.

It all began with Pumpkin and DanTDM and the Don't Laugh challenge, which is very hard and very funny.

Plum slept in late this morning, i was glad it wasn't Little Verse day due to half term, she would have hated being woken up but hated missing it too. She pottered around with the happy land people most of the morning. She is mostly into nesting them and her dollies at the moment.

And Pippin is watching Bing on a loop.

We ended the day watching Wreck it Ralph and all four smalls having a bath. Neither of the boys felt they had had long enough to finish the games they were playing so we will probably repeat it all again tomorrow.

Changing rhythms

In terms of learning our weekends are no different to any other day, in terms of the rhythm of our days the weekend does not change things but having daddy home opens up possibilities that i can't orchestrate on my own. Today it was mummy going to the optician for an eye test and new glasses (as my current ones are broken) Daddy was left home with the smalls getting the dressed and a picnic ready to go to Box Hill and meet friends.  We spent five hours in the cold mist/warm sun/ autumnal shade on the nature trail. We didn't make it all the way around and, although the smalls and their friends had a great time playing forts on/in various wooden structures on the way around, Bean was upset that we didn't make it as far as the rope swings, so we have agreed to return soon. home to a roast dinner and a film. tonight was Disney's Robin Hood.

Sunday is church day in our house. This week i packed pens and colouring/activity books in everyone's bags. It worked out well except Plum didn't have her own pens. It definitely shows on a Sunday morning that we rarely have to be up and ready to do things in a morning. Pumpkin was very tired. We came home earlier than normal because he was ready to leave. Pumpkin picked up a large leaf from church and we looked up what it was when we got home, an american red oak.
In the afternoon i took Bean shoe shopping. He is currently wearing two mismatched crocks of different sizes. He has his feet measured (size 1 1/2) and we found a pair of trainers that he likes. Plum came with us and we played on the cedar tree before buying kinder eggs and coming home. Plum is keen to play lots of sweety games this week, carve pumpkins and a melon.
Daddy went out with Pumpkin on a bike ride and then took Pumpkin, Bean and Plum to the green with their bikes. Plum rode her bike, with stabilisers, for the first time.

Plum has slept three nights in her own room on her own. she creeps back to our bed in the early morning. Last night she fell asleep cuddling mummy and daddy as we put lydia to bed in our bed.

Rest and relaxation

A day at home can sometimes be a very relaxing and welcome rest. however today all the smalls were incredibly busy and needing help with things.

Bean wanted to try coding for the first time. We were recommended a programme and it has a free trial so we downloaded it. That was as far as we got because our computer wouldn't run it and i didn't know how to fix that. We navigated the disappointment by moving on to videoing his tutorial for building the lego model that he designed yesterday evening.

Pumpkin needed his bike wheels washing after riding through poo. We also made a cake and he iced it using the icing bags (like they do on the bake off)

Plum and i had played various card games throughout the day, snap, pairs, and variations of these that Plum made up the rules to.

It all sounds fairly ordered when written down but it was peppered with food distribution and Pippin climbing on me, a lot, helping Pippin to sleep, sorting out electronic devices, and some peace making.

Down on the Farm

A monumentous day as we bought Pippin her membership to Fiser's Farm. We have been members for just over two years now and it is an all year round favourite, although my personal winter favourite. It is our most costly membership but also our most used by far.
Today we met Plum's friend V for a play. thre was a bit of a tricky start when Plum wanted to play indoors and V outdoors but it was navigated with some seperate play and then we got together for pony rides, crazy golf, pirate ship, toddler cars, bouncy pillows and 'Bob the Builder' in the sand pit.

Bean (9) has been fiddling with lego most of the day. He has completed a little more of his lego chima set and then created his own set. During the evening he began drawing instructions but it became too difficult so he swapped to taking photos and has plans to do a YouTube tutorial tomorrow. Daddy has found a website where you can submit your lego set designs too.

Pumpkin (7) has also been fiddling with lego, mostly creating minifigures with accessories. And this evening we continued watching The Great British Bake Off semi final.

Plum (4) has decided to sleep in her own room, so we made a make shift bed on the floor and she slept a large portion of the night in there. We left a green night light on in her room, door open and nght light on in the hall. Daddy had special instructions to make sure that there was still room in the bed for her incase she wanted to come and sleep with us.

Mr Maker

We haven't watched Mr maker for a long time, this morning he was on a loop. it seemed fitting as ever had our first version Explore and Play session today. We have set up a monthly meeting for the winter months for friends to meet together and are providing an invitation to explore and play in the space. today it was all things long and wiggly: wool craft (yarn monsters, flower bouquets,  American Indian decorations), spaghetti messy play, orange and green play dough it has straws, large boxes for modelling (and putting on our head), large paper roll with pens, lego, duplo, skittles, large balls.

Bean played piano again today and made two flowers at the wool table this afternoon. He also made ply dough monsters and played a game he named BBB in the garden, that is Ball, Bounce, Brick, which involved bouncing g a small ball odd he wall of the building.

We made Strawberry milkshake in the morning, Pumpkin's choice. He said we hadn't put enough strawberries not it so next time we will try two punnets. No one lose liked it either but we had a lovely time chopping it and blending it, Pumpkin, Plum and Pippin.
Pippin struggled to find his space at Explore and Play. he made play dough monsters before everyone else arrived and drew on the group art but struggled with the large group and was very at sea when Bean was concentrating on his wool craft.

Plum equally enjoyed making play dough monsters  and drawing.  She returned to the playdough through out the afternoon. we also played a lot of skittles together. back home she watched her Hello Kitty dvd and then The Incredibles.

All things Japenese

We've got into a bit of a routine on a Monday. Plum goes to Little Verse with SGG and SGS. Bean then puts on a film that we know Plum does not want to watch. We are working our way through Lord of The Rings. Today was the second halfloor of the Two Towers, we watched the first half yesterday whilst Plum was at a birthday party.

We spent the afternoon at a HE Japanese Event. Some children and their families had put together several table with various Japans related items for display. Some even came dressed for the occasion. The boys spent most of the time at the Pokemon display, looking at annuals, but Bean and Plum also did some origami and we all played retro games on the wiiU.

( In the evening daddy and I went out. Not because it was our birthday or anniversary but because we could. SGG and SGS came and no played with the children)

We tried to go slower on Tuesday. Mostly the children plaged on tablets for the morning. We went Pokemon hunting in the afternoon mostly encorporting PokeStops as we needed the balls. We also stopped for guinea pig surplies at the shop which including spontaneously purchasing grapefruit for the smalls to try. And, thanks to Pippin's endless watching of Bing, webrought strawberries to make smoothies with. We also played in the play area for a while where we met a lady with boy twins who had the same names as our boys. We've never met anyone with the same name as Pumpkin before so finding a brother match is probably a one off.

Bean came home and got busy measuring the garden so he can make a tree house. It will go under and around a tree as we don't have a big enough tree to climb and put one in. He drew a design, inside and out, and put measurements on it. Daddy looked at resources with him.

We rounded the day of with a viewing of Beethoven and all four had baths/showers.

Amazonian

The boys went to the cinema on Saturday morning. Daddy went with them and they met friend T there. They saw The Secretary Life Of Pets. Plum stayed at home and we made popcorn and watched Nanny McPhee.

Sunday was super busy. We went to church in the morning and then Plum had a birthday party to attend and then back to church for afternoon tea. On reflection, it was too much. Plum was overtired and after all that activity and getting up at 6am, she became really upset when a friend choose not to play with her. We left and sat in the car but she wasn't happy with this either. Meanwhile,  Pumpkin had had his fill of sitting and was throwing things at Bean, so daddy left with him. Bean, on the other hand, was really interested in staying and listening to the speaker talk of his life in The Amazon. Balancing everyone's needs can be tricky sometimes.

We ended up doing a parent swap. I took Pumpkin to look at the Amazonian artifacts the speaker had brought, including spears and a crocodile skull. Daddy calmed Plum and went and sat with Bean and Pippin.

Revisit

 One of the things that I have notived in the last year is how games in our family have become established. One of the smalls will call "let'someone play houses/wrestling/babies/families" and everyone immediately knows what the game so,  where we play it, what role they play, what the story line is, what the rules are.  And each time they play the game evolves. It'seems a beautiful process to watch.

Today it was Bean and Pumpkin wrestling at Nyman's gardens.  We joined friends for a visit and played Pokemon as we walked. The smalls (all four of them) climbed trees and ran around chasing with their friends. Plum wore a summer dress even though the weather was cold and everyone else was wearing coats.

The trip out was topped and tailed with Bean and Pumpkin playing Magic: the gathering. I think it was Pumpkin'so first go at playing but he knew the game play really well from watching so many times and understood the cards in the pack. Bean is keen to introduce new cards to the pack.

Down the road

The boys play a series of five donut games every morning, best of five wins. Pumpkin immersed in watching walk through Simpson's game play of Simpson computer games and Bean is working his way through Poke money episodes.

Today we went to see friends that we haven't seen for far too long, and they only live 15 minutes down the road. The county we live in is teaming with Home Educators and the ever growing means we are oil to for choice for activities and friendships.  The smalls all played in the playhouse and climbed trees, swung on the swing, played hot wheels and played with weaponary.

Pippin only slept in the car and then woke and was sick. We cleaned up and cuddled.

We ended our day enjoying The Great British Bake Off.