We Can work It Out

Today has felt like a day of negotiations and somehow we have made it through without incident. Everyone seems tired after the visit from our friends and Bean, 9, woke up still angry with Pumpkin, 8, for not wnting to finish watching Pirates of the Carribean 4, which as it is Pumpkin's means that Bean can't watch it either.

We went out today. We went to Box Hill and met with other Home Educators. They are relatively new families to us who we have only met once before. Pumpkin wasn't keen to get out of the car because he didn't want to walk in the fog. Getting out of the car always takes a while anyway. First we had to pay for parking, then one by one the children decided what they wanted to wear (hat/coat/gloves etc) next i changed Pippin's nappy and then went back to check on Pumpkin. He was adament that he didn't want to come. We talked through the options and negotiated that we would be only an hour and off we went. We walked through the mud and the fog, climbed trees and played on the nature trail. Not one of my children had wellies or walking boots on, in fact, Pippin was even wearing odd shoes. Bean got on really well with one of the other children and asked if she could come back to our house to play. I tried to keep our lot moving so we had time to play in the den area as this is what Bean had said he wanted to do more than anything other. The three families sat in the giant den and ate food and talked about spider's webs. Bean began to recount interesting facts to everyone and then him and Pumpkin moved onto jokes. Before we left we finger painted our faces with some coal that was found in a tree log.

Back home Bean and Pumpkin went to play on the gaming pc and Plum, 5, played with mummy and Pippin, 2. We began with a board game of pirates treasure, then doll's house, cbeebies games, followed by watching Beethoven. Half way through the film she took her tablet upstairs and lay on my bed.

Bean came downstairs and watched Monster's University with Pippin whilst he counted his pocket money ready for a trip to town tomorrow. Pippin played dinosurs and dressing up. Pumpkin and him sat and watched The Loud House whilst i helped Pippin to bed and they also put the dressing up clothes away and got their own snacks. Plum was now lying curled up with her tablet in her bedroom, daddy found the toddler bed mattress for her so she can sleep on that. Plum went to bed in her own room again.

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.

Let the games begin

Monday

Plum went off to Little Verse as is the custom for a Monday morning, taken by SGG, whilst the remainder of us played Terraria together and Pippin slept for two hours nursing a cold. Terraria confuses me after the simplicity of minecraft but Bean has been on hand to give me full guidance and support. 

We then went to a friend's house to play in the afternoon specifically for the boys to play lego dimensions. Anna enjoyed the swing, trampoline, play dough, and electronic keyboard. 

Tuesday

We all spent the morning preparing for this afternoon's group meeting, collecting up outdoor toys and choosing pictures to take and colour, as well as snacks and drinks. Pumpkin began a memory game on the mat where he hopped from one picture to another and the following person had to remember the sequence and hop the same. We all enjoyed colouring and crafting. Bean, Pumpkin and their friend took the paper boats they made and experimented to see who's would last the longest on water before sinking.

Wednesday

A rather wet, thunder stormy, muddy walk at the top of Box Hill with friends. Pumpkin continuing his need to collect huge numbers of sticks. Pippin was so covered after walking and falling around in mud baths that her clothes were soaked through. We seemed to spend two hours barely getting anywhere but spent a lot of time in and out of dens and stick fighting. 

And then we headed home to spend time with more friends, watching Hoodwinked and eating ice cream together. All four are currently out in the garden playing a game together. One of the things that has changed recently is the depth and breadth of the games the smalls play. A game becomes established and they all have their space and role and equipment that is theirs and the game becomes deeper and more involved each time it is played. This is true of the garden and the games they play there but also of places that we go to regularly, certain games become connected to certain places and they are picked up each time we visit, each small already established in their role and the game commences.