Change of plan

Monday we had planned to go to fisher's Farm for the afternoon, however everyone was relaxed and cosy at home after a busy weekend. I had thought we might need the space and the stretch but as the day went on it became evident that everyone was happy doing their thing and there wasn't a need to interupt it with a trip out. I asked all the smalls individually if they were happy staying home today and they all said yes.

So, it turned out to be an At Home Day in pyjamas. Bean, 10, made a mega den in the living room from dinning chairs and a coffee table and sheets and blankets. The lower level was for himself and pumpkin, 8, and the upper level for plum, 5, and pippin, 2, with a balcony to sit on and watch tv. We played minecraft and pippin and bean had baths. Bean and pumpkin and plum took it in turns to play games on the pc and it turned out to be a quiet day.

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We met with friends on Friday. They were one of the first families that i met when we first stepped into the HE community and although we have seen each other frequently at HE events it is not until now that our children have connected. Bean, 10, and Pumpkin, 8, spent more than an hour at their house whilst i took plum, 5, and pippin, 2, to the nearby play park with K, 12. We had a great time at the park and played on the zipline, roundabout, swings, slide, pirate boat and the adult gym equipment before we got a call to return to the boys. We then stayed a little longer watching a film before we left. The plan eas for pippin to sleep, which she did on the return journey but promptly woke when we got home.

Saturday we went to Pilgrim Hall for our church away day. The children played all day with SGG and SGS who did clay models and kite flying and pictures and junk modelling with them. Daddy and i sat next to each other all day and we took the children swimming in the outdoor pool. Pumpkin didn't want to swim so swang on the tree swing a while and then went and played table tennis and table football with a friend.

Sunday we went to church and then collapsed in the afternoon. All the children took themselves to their own corner and lay and played on their tablets. We did the same Monday too. Both saturday and sunday we had had to wake the big three to get them up and out for the day, monday was blessed relief.

Monday their was some Magic: the gathering, playing in the paddling pool, painting, playing mummies and daddies, minecraft, and a lego zip wire. I also took plum and pippin to the park for an hour.

Tuesday we took Archie dog out for a walk in the woods. We had to go and buy him some tennis balls as he didn't have any. It started to rain just as we were leaving. The remainder of the day was spent with water beads and den making, minecraft, youtube, gaming, and film watching.

All by myself

The Sims4. Six plus hours of playing the Sims4. Bean, 9, predominantly with Pumpkin, 8, looking on and advising or contributing ideas.

Pumpkin also squeezed in a few goes on Roblox and had an hour to himself to play in the evening.

Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, played with the farm set and playmobile together. Plum tidied her bedside shelf whilst Pippin played with the bears. Plum and i also made chocolate cupcakes together and did some puzzles whilst sat in the garden. Pippin read The Little Princess to herself "no, i want to do it by myself" (that is the repeated phrase in the book that she read to herself)

Daddy made a den with them all in the living room in the evening following a roarcus game of hiding and chasing throughout the house and garden.

Look at my shells

Daddy took the car today and the weather was blustery and raining so we had a double reason to stay at home today.

Plum, 5, began the day playing a magnetic dressing game with Pippin, 2, and mummy. She played in a fort that Bean, 9, built for her and washed the shells that Pumpkin, 8, had put. This was followed by playing with moinsand in the garden with Pippin. They took their camping chairs outside and sat in the garden chit chatting for a while too.

Pumpkin played the Escapists on his tablet and the pc today. He has almost escaped Centre Perks on the pc and escaped level 1 on the tablet. He looked at our shell collection for a while, mostly exclaiming how soft they are and looking at the ridges and bumps on each of them.

Bean built a fort for Plum and Pippin and it had an official opening with the cuting of the ribbon. He made a treasure hunt for daddy by writing notes for him to follow to the next location.

Bean also made pizza with me. We made the dough in the breadmaker and then each of the smalls put on their own toppings.

Doggy days

Part of Bean's, 9, unschooling journey has involved us recently connecting with dog owning families via borrowmydoggy. Today we met Archie for the second time and went for a walk with his owner Kat and her children. It was the first time that Pumpkin, 8, Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, met Archie. He is a young cockapoo with soft blond curls who has lots of energy but is really friendly and well behaved, he's a perfect match for our family. The excitment of meeting him also ment that we all managed to get dressed and out with everyone on side. Next time we will have Archie all to ourselves for a play.

Bean fell in a pile of freshly sprouting stinging nettles and stung his whole hand back and front which continued to bother him for the remainder of the day. We also read an9ther chapter of Harry Potter together.

Pumpkin played on the Pokemon minecraft mod for the first time and loved it. He played Terreria with Bean and they watched cartoon network together.

Plum and Pippin played together all morning. They made dens from umbrellas and blankets and put their teddy bears in with them.

Pippin fell asleep on the sofa under a blanket early evening. She had said she was tired and wanted to sleep after lunch but because we had a date with a dog the best she got was a rest whilst in the buggy.