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.

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.