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

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.

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?"

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.