Doing okay

Ours days are swinging between full on, everyone wants to do everything at once and i am stretched thin, to quiet, restful, everyone is engrossed in their own thing and i'm wondering if i have time to start a little project of my own (i haven't actually done it yet, mostly i potter around tudying and cleaning)

Thursday was gymnastics day, we took a quick detour to collect some handmade gifts (first Christmas pick up) and we also popped in on daddy to collect the rabbit food he had bought in town but couldn't carry home on his bike. Back home Plum, 5, and i sorted through her current wardrobe as the seasons are changing it is a good moment to do a full check. We pulled out items that she has never worn and others that are too small and did a stock check on warmer clothes. It turns out she only owns two long sleeve tshirts and no dresses so we planned a shopping trip.

I also did the same with the Bean, 10, and pumpkin, 8, but they have no interest in the contents of their wardrobe. Bean will wear whatever we put in there (although he does develop favourite items over time) and Pumpkin will decide when he pulls them out and puts them on and i will slowly gather a pile of items that he has rejected.

Friday we had a Big Day Out with other Home Ed families at Drusilla's (zoo). Bean and Pumpkin zoomed around the animal enclosures with the friend T and his mum. Plum and Pippin took a slower pace and we saw a few animals up and about that we haven't seen before (and we have been many times) It was rather windy and cool. We met up with the boys in the play area and we went in the indoor play area and then we went on the rides. Bean, pumpkin, plum and me went on the leaping cheetah several times and a hippo ride (similar to a magic carpet) Pippin was tired by this point and stayed largely in the buggy, T's mum and i took in turns to ride with the children. We also rode the hello kitty rides (cars, teacups and hopper) and ran around the maze several times.

Friday night the big three slept downstairs with the intention of staying awake as long as they could. Pumpkin figured out that if he took a nap in the car on the way home from the zoo then he would be able to stay awake the longest. Pumpkin and plum went to sleep about 1am, i don't know what time bean went to sleep.

Saturday we had no plans and everyone was tired. Bean and pumpkin did begin a lego scene together. Minifigures in battle. It has been an ongoing project since then. Bean also made a vehicle that transforms from a wolf style machine to a scorpion, rather like a transformer robot.

Sometimes i think we are not so busy, are we doing enough? And then i write it down, and i'm sure it's not half of it, and i realise we do a fair amount, we are doing the things we love, and we have time and space to play hard and relax hard and we're doing okay.

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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.

Summer Days

I have't posted for a week! Life has been busy. The day light hours are getting longer. Today is the summer solstice. The weather forecast is set at 34° today. Our home ed aim for today will be to stay cool.

Bean, 10, has spent the last week mostly involved in oreparing and displaying his Bakugan project. After weeks of trawling ebay, Saturday we found an auction listing in nearby Shoreham and they accepted our buy it now offer. Daddy took Bean down to collect a new case and 18 bakugan. Monday he displayed his project.
He has also been watching a lot of extreme sport tricks and world record holding stunts on youtube. Tight rope walking over niagra falls and the grand canyon, rock climbing without equipment up sheer rock faces, jumping without parachutes, skateboarding into the grand canyon, extreme mountain biking etc. He says he wants to overcome his fear of heights so that he can climb higher.

Pumpkin, 8, has helped taste test cakes for me for daddy's birthday party and we have been trying to faciliatate as much time as possible at home for him in between a very busy schedule. Friday we stayed home all day and made cakes and wrapped daddy's presents, Saturday morning i stayed at gome with him whilst the others went out and he and i stayed at home sunday morning whilst the others went to church. Then we drove FA#3 and family to the airport and had a beautiful drive home, just the two of us.
Monday, Pumpkin and Bean played with a HE friend that we have known for years but for the first time really connected and they have plans to go and play at his house.

Plum, 5, busy busy busy as always. Plum helped make and ice all four cakes that we made for daddy's birthday. She played relentlessly with her cousins C and H and enjoyed having them for a sleep over at the weekend, she made a new friend at the project showcase who shared their hoola hoop with her. She also took her my little ponies to display and another HE teen helped her to mix slime. She has met a friend at fisher's farm and played in the new indoor area together. And when she needs a rest she takes her tablet up to her room and watches youtube.

Pumpkin, 2, is a delight. She's there mixing cakes with us and hanging the laundry, she hides every nappy change under the duvets and sheets and then i have to hide from her too, she chops vegetables for dinner and feeds the rabbits with me, she colours and loads her own films to watch. She has begun to copy the dancing in films, her best being madagascar' "move it, move it," nut job's "gangnam style," and frozen "do you wanna build a snowman?" Her sleeping patterns are unpredictable as she transitions from regular afternoon nap to no nap through late afternoon nap which the heat is contributing to.

We have also managed to complete our lego card collection, pending promised cards, watched lego batman together, played at Fisher's Farm Splash Attack and go karts, where bean gave plum and pippin rides around the track, and went to the animal handling, held daddy's birthday party and played with lots of friends.

Today we will stay at home and rest, with no specific plans, except to stay cool in the heat.

Back again

Friday
Bean, 10, planned to stay up all night so Pumpkin, 8, and Plum, 5,joined him. We set them up in the living room with duvets and pillows and a matress for Plum. Plum was asleep by 11.30pm.

Saturday
Daddy was home for the first weekend in a four weeks. The children rested in the morning. Plum and Pippin played role play all over the house for the morning: mummies and daddies, babies, doggies, cafes. Pumpkin, 8, was particularly busy playing roblox and lego. He wanted to take daddy to see the den that they had built at Sheffield park on Thursday. So we spent the afternoon den building at Sheffield park and playing on the huge rope swing in the tree. Back home bean, 10, worked some more on a lego model of his own design and then recorded a tutorial video on how to build it.

Sunday
Church day is getting easier. Bean, Pumpkin and Plum packed their own bags, snacks, drinks and toys. Church was follwed by a bbq at church, again the easiest year yet, not breastfeeding one or holding a tired youngster whilst trying to help little ones get food and then unable to leave them whilst you get your own food. This year the boys got their own plate of food and the girls sat happily together whilst daddy and i got our food. They also all got their own dessert and then played with the other children. We ended the bbq playing cricket with the other children.
Pippin took a huge nap late afternoon and i took Plum, Pumpkin and Bean to the play park. We spent the evening watching films chosen by Pippin and Horrible Histories chosen by Pumpkin. Daddy helped Bean to upload his videos onto his youtube channel.

My Favourite Things

Hours of play with Pippin, 2, in the morning as the big three slept long. We drew pictures and face painted and watched Winnie the Pooh as we buttered toast together and played Charlie and Lola Snakes and Ladders.

The Big Three woke up several hours later. Plum, 5, spent most of the day lying on the bed or sofa and watching on her tablet. This was interspersed with playing in the garden and playing with the kitchen set with Pippin. They picked the tulips and Pumpkin put them in a vase for us.

Pumpkin, 8, played Roblox and we tried to load The Amazing Frog but there is an issue that, dispite my best efforts and following all the suggestions, we cannot access the game. He has also been helpful as i hurt my back and suggested that i think about something else instead of the pain so we sang Raindrops on Roses.

Bean, 9, dictated the Fifth chapter of his minecraft story to me which was trickier than the previous four as it involved a flashback and he wasn't sure how to make sure the reader knew that it was a flashback. We got there in the end. He also made me a flower vase from lego.

London, lunch and lego

Friday

We had a home day on Friday with a very relaxed and easy vibe.

Bean, 9, made up a game based on things he has watched. It was called Dare or Dodge? He wrote two sets of cards, one with Dares on the back and one set with Dodge challenges on the back (less risky dares!!) We played one round and then he and Plum, 5, wrote some more and before the third round I got to write some too. We used the monopoly board to move around and the rules were that if you landed on a hotel you picked a dare card and if you landed on a house you picked a dodge. You could also do a dodge instead of a dare if you chose to. It was a great and fun game and we played it several times throughout the day and again with daddy in the evening.

Plum was keen to have a fairy picnic outside but then wasn't keen on the weather so we ate the tiny chocolate chip cakes we had made with pizza and picniced on the living room floor and watched The Lion King together.

Pumpkin, 8, continued playing Terreria and Minecraft PE for most of the day. He joined in Bean's game and helped write the shopping list.

Daddy attended his third funeral so far this year. Food for thought.

Saturday

Mummy and Bean had a day together. We took the train to London, had lunch in a cafe and went to the Lego Shop on Leicester Square. Bean had a fantastic time. He loves earing out and declared the pizza to be the best pizza ever. And we loved the lego shop and only queued to get in for ten minutes. We played Star Wars Top Trumps in the queue. Bean bought a Batman Joker car, nexo knight shield and blind bags for Plum and Pumpkin.

We played Top Trumps and Lego on the way home together.

Back home Pumpkin had spent the day playing Roblox, Plum and Pippin playing dollies and daddy tidying the house as we had a viewing at 4pm (which coincided nicely with picking us up from the train station) and the saga of buying and selling houses continues.

Daddy had i have come up with a plan for Pumpkin and church after last weeks epic fall out.

Let the sunshine

Thursday is gymnastics day for Bean, 9, and Plum, 5. The smalls spent the morning playing. Plum and Pippin, 2, played a mummy and baby game which largely involved Pippin sitting in the laundry basket and being pushed around by Plum. Bean and Pumpkin, 8, played Doughnut games, Terreria and minecraft together. Bean also worked on a growing lego creation.

Daddy made it to gymnastics today in his lunch break. Bean was doing forward somersaults into the pit and jumps off the spring board. Plum was doing piroettes and then jumping into the pit.

Back home the big three played the role play pirate game again and then we took our bikes to the park for a couple of hours. Plum's chain came off her bike so we fixed that when we got home.

The big three then played the Prison Game together (based on The Escapist) until food was ready and then Plum put on The Mr Men dvd being inspired by finding a Mr Men book at the park.

Both boys took a bath, Pippin, Plum and Bean all had stories before bed.

Day Eight

On the eighth day of chicken pox, we went out, hurray. I took Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, to the little play park near our house. We were out for an hour and they were exhausted! We played on everything at almost hyperspeed and then we did it all again. We had a extra long go on the swings when an inquisitive cat arrived and was loitering for a stroke. We played hide and seek and then one more go on everything before heading home.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 8, opted to stay home and played lego together. When we got home from the park all the smalls went into the garden. Plum had plans to eat lunch out there. She got the playdough out, Bean got out the bug hunting kit and he and Pumpkin set to finding insects, Pippin had the bubbles out.

After lunch, grandma and pops came to visit. Plum showed them her new bedroom and Bean finished off the natural coaster he was making them so that they could take it home with them. Grandma played online games with Plum and Pops played with Pippin.

Once they had left Pippin promptly fell asleep on the sofa and Plum lay on the sofa watching on her tablet. The boys were watching Cartoon Network.

We watched We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Scooby Doo movies in the evening. Pippin, Plum and Bean had stories with daddy before bed.

Home on the Ranch

Still at home. Day 7. One full week for the girls. But Pippin, 2, is still sporting fresh spots. Plum, 5, is truely on the mend and now itching to go out.

We started the morning with The Winnie The Pooh movie followed by more moon sand play. We built different shaped sandcastles using the moulds we have and then Plum got her mini My Little Ponies and Pippin got her Bing toys to play with. Plum hid her toys in the sand and then mummy had to find them.

Plum has also signed up to Teach Your Monster To Read and in the afternoon she and Pippin played mummies and babies together using the soft toys, cot, baby blankets, dummies. There was a brief moment when Plum watched SevenSuperGirls on YouTube and then we put on The Heffalumo movie but she didn't watch it all as she returned to her game with Pippin.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 8, played minecraft on the temple map. They built a tree house, tamed two dogs and a horse, played hide and seek and allowed Plum and mummy to play too. We spent some time trying to work out how to take screenshots from Bean's tablet but were unsuccessful. Bean and i read more Harry Potter in the afternoon followed by a deep bath so that he could practice putting his head under the water and holding his breath. We played more of the paper game he made yesterday and then made a couple of flip books together.

Bean and Plum played lego together in the evening. Plum made a race track with action posed runners and a finish line. We read stories and, for the first time since she got chicken pox, she slept in her own bed.

Tea Time

On the mend can be a tricky place to be. We are happily recovering from chicken pox and energy levels are increasing however we are still growing new spots so not actually able to venture out yet. Plum, 5, struggles with this the most and Bean, 9, would like to go out too, Pumpkin, 8, is incredibly content with staying home.

With energy levels increasing, we spent the morning preparing a fairy tea party. Plum and Pippin prepared food in the kitchen set and lay out a blanket on the living room floor. I made tiny chocolate cupcakes and Plum and Pippin chopped cucumber and baby corn and pepper and we put them on cocktail sticks. I found tiny pasta in the cupboard so we had tiny pesto pasta too and some grapes. I cut some sausage rolls up small too and Plum found her fairy to come to the picnic. By the time we had finished preparing and playing, the girls were all spent and the afternoon we resumed film watching and cuddles on the sofa.

Pumpkin spent the day playing and watching on his tablet.

Bean has been working on a comic strip: The story of the Farting Cactus and later played lego with Plum. We read another chapter of Harry Potter today and Bean made me his first cup of tea...best cup of tea ever. Plum and Bean also slept the night in the living room both on the floor.

Down Days

Some days are less intense than others. Following our natural rhythms allows us to accept that some days are more restful than others and quite rightly so. I can't deny that the early signs of Spring and the sunshine are encouraging me to consider outside more but for today opening the window and the back door will have to fill that need.

Chicken pox continues to leave our nights sleepless and our days restful. Plum, 5, spent all day watching films and on her tablet. She managed about 5 minutes of playing cbeebies games on the pc before returning to her duvet on the sofa. Later in the afternoon we made chocolate cupcakes together with Pippin, 2, too.

Pippin took one two hour sleep today and has spent the remainder of the day sat or lying on the sofa cuddling mummy. Breastfeeding has increased significantly. We have been allieviating the itch with camomile and daddy has bought some moiserising soap for bathtime. I'm hoping this will relieve some of the night itching and support more sleep.

We found a Treasure Trail company online and have purchased our first trail around Horsham for Bean, 9. We sat and played minecraft together,bean, Pumpkin, 8, Plum, 5, and mummy, on a jungle temple map that Bean had downloaded. We played for over an hour. Bean and Pumpkin played Terreria together and Bean spent an hour or more building lego. We continued reading Harry Potter.

Pumpkin has been enjoying watching the Try Not To Laugh videos on YouTube. He fails miserably but it's beautiful listening to him laughing. He has played Roblox today and watched minecraft songs on YouTube. He played with his new Skylanders with Bean. He watched Cars with us in the afternoon and made a soft landing using all the duvets and pillows so the smalls could all jump off the sofa.

The girls had a moisterising bath after dinner and Plum fell asleep on the duvet pile in the evening.

LegoBatman

We met FA#1 today and cousinB and went bowling. Pumpkin, 8, had an interesting technique which won him first place. We hd the bumpers up and he used them to zig zag the bowling ball towardd the skittles, he got two strikes for himself and two half strikes and two strikes for Pippin, 2, using this method. He was so happy.

We drove to FA#1 house and played lego, looked at Pumpkin's new World Record book, played dollies, watched on tablets, watch Shrek 3 together and a Tom and Jerry movie.

Back home Bean, 9, and i began reading Harry Potter together.

Saturday. I took Plum, 5, and Pippin to cousinH's 3rd birthday party. Pippin had a fabulous time and was busy doing her own thing for most of the party: bouncy castle, tunnels and tents, csr driving. And we got to meet Elsa.

Bean and Pumpkin went to the cinema for the first trip of the year to see Lego Batman Movie. Daddy also bought them lego batman minifigures.

Back home, Plum watched on her tablet, Pumpkin played Roblox, Bean watched Pokemon and Pippin was playing Peppa Pig toys.

Legomania

Everyone woke with a smile on their face and in a happy disposition. Plum, 5, slept the whole night in her bed in her room wotout waking. We dressed, breakfasted, Bean, 9, fed the animals and helped pack the lunch bag, and then we headed to Milestones museum in Basingstoke for the Legomania exhibition.

It is one of our longer days trips but has always been worth it as the smalls all love it. As this is our fourth or fifth year going we were prepared with cash for the 1940's sweetie shop, minifigure building, and penny arcade.

Legomania was imo the best one we have been to. I took so many photos and we all really enjoyed it. The challenge invited the children to be agents who had to follow the suspect around the 8 continents and find clues and crack codes to decipher the suspects plans to steal the crown jewels. There was a simpler version for Plum where she had to find a soft toy animal in each continent and write down the letter it was holding. The lego models were impressive and the set up was fun. The boys knew most of the landmarks built in lego and had a great time codebreaking. It was really right up our street. We will be going again before the exhibition ends. A significant portion of the photos today were staged around the lego models. The boys leaning on the eiffel tower, Bean and Plum running away from the fearsome tiger and Bean and Pippin in a mini story in four scenes from the dressing up section. We had some lovely collective lol moments and Pumpkin had a great day, completely excited and engaged and absorbed in it all. There were also two other HE families there that we know so we got o be a little sociable with friends too.

Pumpkin, 8, found a birthday present for dad and has offered to spend his birthday/christmas money on it.

We came home via MacDonalds.

Back home Plum went and rested in her bed and watched YouTube, Pumpkin went and watched Cartoon Network on the gaming pc.

Bean began drawing maps of the town and a grid over it to set up coordinates inspired by the map work at Legomania. We printed off maps from google but they are not very clear. He would like to set up a tresure hunt around town for his friends. After this we began to watch Ocean's 12 together inspired by today's theme of catching The Suspect.

There was also sancks and dinner and pudding and more snacks and toast and drinks and stories for Pippin, (Dr.Suess) Bean (Little nose) and Plum (Sarah and Duck)

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.

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.

A day at home

We now spend one day a week at home without the car, enforced by daddy needing it for work. It has worked out really well.  We can walk to town if we want to, play poker on,  go to the library or the museum, or walk/bike/scooter to one of four parks within walking distance. But today we settled on staying at home.

The big three were all up after 9.30am. The boys relaxed and watched YouTube for a few hours. Punprinted is continuing to find gamers who walk through Simpson'so games and Bean is working through various comedy series and testing out the humour by repeating the jokes on us.

Plum and I played doll'so house whicheck she turned into the three bears cottage and we retoldon't the story of goldilocks. It ended with baby bear and goldilocks playing at her house in the swimming pool and diving in. This has beena recurring theme in her play for a few months now. She builds diving boards in mine craft and usespecially the padding pool, bath, and water trays to build diving boards for her toys.
After playing doll'so house, Plum and Pippin made white chocolate chunk brownies.

Lydia isn't well again and hasn't been for a few days. Today I noticed white spots on her tongue so we went to the doctors and he diagnosed thrush and gave a course of medicine for her.

Bean has spent an hour working on his lego Chima today with me finding specific pieces for him. He spent about one and a half hours (in segments) learning to play Yankee Doodle on the piano. This encompassed learning to read the music, learning the keyboard, the names for notes and noteven length as well as figuring out the tune by ear once he realised what tune it was.
It also led to questions and discussion on American Independence, explorers, and St Patrick's Day.

Makes clearing of the piano worth it.

A day at home

We now spend one day a week at home without the car, enforced by daddy needing it for work. It has worked out really well.  We can walk to town if we want to, play poker on,  go to the library or the museum, or walk/bike/scooter to one of four parks within walking distance. But today we settled on staying at home.

The big three were all up after 9.30am. The boys relaxed and watched YouTube for a few hours. Punprinted is continuing to find gamers who walk through Simpson'so games and Bean is working through various comedy series and testing out the humour by repeating the jokes on us.

Plum and I played doll'so house whicheck she turned into the three bears cottage and we retoldon't the story of goldilocks. It ended with baby bear and goldilocks playing at her house in the swimming pool and diving in. This has beena recurring theme in her play for a few months now. She builds diving boards in mine craft and usespecially the padding pool, bath, and water trays to build diving boards for her toys.
After playing doll'so house, Plum and Pippin made white chocolate chunk brownies.

Lydia isn't well again and hasn't been for a few days. Today I noticed white spots on her tongue so we went to the doctors and he diagnosed thrush and gave a course of medicine for her.

Bean has spent an hour working on his lego Chima today with me finding specific pieces for him. He spent about one and a half hours (in segments) learning to play Yankee Doodle on the piano. This encompassed learning to read the music, learning the keyboard, the names for notes and noteven length as well as figuring out the tune by ear once he realised what tune it was.
It also led to questions and discussion on American Independence, explorers, and St Patrick's Day.

Makes clearing of the piano worth it.

How does your garden grow?

Yesterday we went to Nyman's Gardens. Yes! Again. I'm not sure what it is exactly about it that I love so much but I do love it! It was just over a year ago now that we learned of the home education membership that the National Trust offer and decided to go for it (I know this because we have just renewed it) i can't say I was ever really interested before but it is too good an opportunity to pass by and now I am a avid fan. Nyman's Gardens is our closest haunt and we go regularly but we have also taken advantage of the membership and visited several local and some further afield properties.

Nyman's garden has it all for us. Architecture, gardens with wield and wonderful collections as well as beautiful commonly seen plants, woodland, nooks and crannies, a fairy tale house, and lots of space. And on a day like today, shade.

The staff are always amazing with the children and today was no exception. The house normally hides a toy fox named Foxy that the smalls enjoy looking for but they have a new art exhibition displaying E Shepherds work for The Wind in the Willows and so they had character toys for them to find. It's the details that I love. The boys laughed their heads off at the large Toad escaping from the upstairs window, hanging on to bed sheets. They also enjoyed the art exhibition and we walked round it and then returned later to see it again. We have had the stories before but I think a revisit will be in order.

We spent a large amount of time out in the shade of the Cedar tree in the lawn. The smalls made friends with another girl and played, hide and seek, what's the time mr. Wolf, tag, and horse and donkeys. It was the perfect place to be on such a hot day.

This outing was topped and tailed by a town trip including signing up for the summer reading scheme at the library, and lots of minecraft, reading, lego building, all sitting in the cool of our living room.