Not back to school.

Not back to school today. We have visited friends, swum in their pool (bobbed about wearing inflatable rings), eaten chicken nuggets, bounced on the trampoline, played Barbies and Peppa Pig and acquired a nasty bump to the head (Pumpkin.)

And when we got home we 'played' schools! Although Pumpkin insisted that we weren't playing, it was real. It was very insightful. Bean was the teacher. He taught a math lesson and a music lesson. We stopped for lunch but we had to have it in the dinning room and were only allowed water and an apple because it had to be healthy. When I said that i didn't want to play the instrument that i had been given Pumpkin said "you have to otherwise you won't get the grade you need to pass the class." We also had recess in which we had to go and run around the garden and Pumpkin gave us grade cards after he taught us baking. It was a theory lesson in which he taught us the rules of baking:
1: Don't overcook the food.
2: Don't cook food in the washing machine.
3: Don't fart on the cake.

Bean and Plum played moonsand together this afternoon whilst Pumpkin watched a new show to our househould 'Dude, That's my Ghost.'

All by myself

Today began with Bean spending an hour working on some lego stop frame animation in his room, Pumpkin working on an escape app, Plum watching peppa Pig and Pippin cruising around the furniture.

A trip to town was in order to buy Bean a red notebook. We have stocks and piles of various scarp books and notepads but none of them are red and a red one was essential. Pumpkin wanted to make chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream on the top and Plum requested marshmallows and different coloured ice cream.

The chocolate milkshakes were a success all round. Pumpkin immediately delved into his green journal and began writing a birthday plan. He wrote the first two lines and then dictated the rest to me. Bean decorated his cover with the required logo. The inspiration has come from Camp Lakebottom.

Summer Holidays

Our 2015 Summer has mostly been catergorised by having the company of the lovely Kate. She stayed with us for the first time last year and ha returned for a second innings and we have loved having her to stay.

The end of July saw us going on a family holiday to Newquay, Cormwall, with Grandma and Pops, FA#1, UB and Cousin B, and FA#2. We camped whilst the rest of the family shared a cabin. It was a few days full of tourist trips and, considering that it was the school holidays, we didn't feel too smothered be people. We saw the fireworks at Land's End and spent a day at the Eden Project, another day at the beach and a visit to Jamaica Inn. The journey home was long long long.

August is a strange month for us. The weather is generally meh! and our usual haunts are busy so we stay home more or organise play dates and try and get into the garden more but it takes us a while to find the home groove.

We have joined a Skylanders club which consists of four families where the hosting is rotated and the children use each others characters to complete further levels in their own games. We hosted the second one and it was one (of the many) occasions that we benefited from having the extra pair of hands. Kate had to walk to town twice on the morning of the event, once to get milk and then batteries.

We have ventured into using the green over the road from us. There is a football pitch, hard surfaced court and play area. We have met Bean's friend M several times in the evening to play ball games and it's lovely to watch their friendship continue and grow. We have also met once or twice a week throughout the summer at each other's houses. Play dates have mostly involved performing musical concerts, trampoling, cops and robbers role play, skylanders, playmobile and paddling pool, this is in addition to a few minecraft dates via servers and Skype.

Bike riding has become a possibility for us as a family too. Daddy rides with Pippin in the sling and Pumpkin on a tag along bike, Mummy rides with Plum on the back and Bean rides solo. We have cycled to the playpark on the new estate near us twice taking the river walk route. It is lovely to have found something that we all enjoy together and is possible.

We have ventured out to a few public places during the summer holidays. Nyman's Gardens, Worthing Beach, Southwater Country Park, Fishbourne Roman Palace and several play parks.

Mostly we have found our home groove: lego stop frame animation, den building, baking, doll's house, dress up, puppet shows, minecraft, role play games, lego, painting, sticking, playdough, paddling pool, nerf wars and more.

Happy 8th Birthday Bean

Isaac turned eight in May, you can read his birth story here. It was coincidental that we were on a Home Ed camping event on his actual birthday. We talked a lot about how he wanted to celebrate and he decided that having a birthday whilst camping would be fun and the only thing that he really wanted to do was to have a treasure hunt. Mummy and daddy went prepared with a treasure chest and treasure and a large peice of paper (a roll of lining paper to be exact) and prepared a treasure hunt the night before his birthday ready for the big event. We also decorated the tent with balloons and made a lemon drizzle birthday cake. 

When it came to it Isaac wanted to make the treasure maps and hide treasure for each of his friends. He drew them each an individual map and then followed his own instructions and hid treasure at the end point. He also orchestrated a game that involved balloons, i'm not sure what is was as it was only for his friends but the space on the camping field was great for running around on. 

He got a creeper hat, creeper t-shirt, lego technics, electronics kit, darth vader mask, monopoly and hoodwinked dvd amongst other things for his birthday gifts.

Isaac is showing a growing interest in history, his current favourite being the Romans. He also likes architecture and engineering, building building building with lego, toilet rolls, sticks, cushions, He is also a movie lover which is a huge change as it was only a few years ago that he wouldn't watch a film at all. His current go to movies are Hoodwinked, Indiana Jones, Ice Age and he loves Big Hero 6 but he watches a lot of films and is already planning to see the up and coming Minions movie. He spends lots of time on his tablet. He predominantly uses youtube to watch American cartoons: Johnny Test, Camp Lakebottom. Team Titans are top hits along with Oggy and the cockroaches, and The Daultons. He likes to download new games and try them out, he likes puzzle type games and escape games. HIs current favourite foods are battered fish and chips or fishcakes, pancakes most days for breakfast, pepperoni pizza, prawn cocktail crisps, and meat especially spicy chicken, sausages and burgers, He drinks orange juice by the galloon.

Isaac hugs me every morning, holds my hand when we are out walking and kisses me good night every evening. He hugs me when i'm sad and helps me out if i need a hand. i love being his mummy and i love spending my days with him. 

Moving on up

Does anyone recognise this guy? Bean designed and made him last year after being inspired by a local community scarecrow event. Humpty has been sat in our conservatory ever since but has finally made it out to our vegetable patch and with the addition of some sun catchers is commissioned with scaring away the birds. 

Bean is showing a growing interest in unusual buildings around the globe. We found this construction kit in the pound shop and put together the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it will join The Sydney Opera House which he put together at Christmas.

We had friends over for a playdate this week. There was a lot of watching cartoons and lego animations on you tube punctuated with real life lego, Sylvannians, Peppa Pig and Doll's house. 

We had the fourth and final  monthly rollerdisco. Bean, 8, is doing well and confident now, Plum, 3, had a go at rolling solo and Pumpkin didn't put his on at all...until we were packing up to leave and then he wanted to wear them to the car. Sometimes I just don't understand but holding on to being supportive of his decisions and helping him to achieve.

And a full day out at Leed's Castle with FA#3

May the Force be with you

I'm not sure i can cover two weeks worth of adventures in one post especially as it includes our first ever home educators (Unschoolers) camping holiday and Bean's Eighth birthday. I think i'll post those separately.

The Smalls had asked to go on the rides at Worthing Lido when we had gone for our Anniversary visit so we took a return visit specifically to ride and play at the amusements. I was especially proud of myself as I parallel parked the bus. Bean, Pumpkin and Plum all went on the trampolines, Plum got off almost immediately. They all rode on the car track together and then Plum solo. Plum also rode on the western wagon and the boys went on the inflatable slide. After this we went indoors and played on the penny arcades and air hockey. Plum won a shell. 

On the way out I bought them each a new bucket and we headed for the beach. Pumpkin was tired and mooched about on his own, Bean started work on a sandcastle and Plum draw lines in the sand with her spade. Pippin fed. We were there 5 1/2 hours.  The following day was torrential rain all day.

We had the second of the Blast Science workshops, which we couldn't recommend enough. The boys are full of questions and enthusiasm and are loving the demonstrations and activities. This week covered Forces. It was full of exciting things. Bean is still a little apprehensive of some of the drama but he's happy to retreat to mummy and be reassured. This week included swingin a bucket of water over our head, removing a table cloth from under a tea set, sitiing on a chair of nails and making a structure to hold 1kg bags of sugar using cocktail sticks and sweets. Bean and Pumpkin's team (inc four others) did really well. They had ten minutes to make it and it held 4kg. Bean and one other boy were insistent that triangles had to be everywhere.

We met friends in the park afterwards and then when we came home Bean had a bath, Plum was asleep and Pumpkin and Pippin played rolling around on the living room floor.

Our time at home has been filled with gardening and car washing and lego and minecraft and youtube and legostar wars wii (Bean received this for his birthday and spent almost two days on it.) and baking with Plum and mario cart wii and doll's house and with four Smalls on the go it's rather hectic and chaotic and full full full of busyness.

And I believe the learning still goes on.

Goodness Gracious...

(...Great balls of fire)

A whole week ago I took Pippin, 7 months, upto London to support FA#1 as she ran The London Marathon. It was a long day out and I carried her in the sling all day. I was grateful to FA#2 for all the cuddles she gave Pippin throughout the day as this helped to lighten the load. We had a lovely time together and came home tired and achey.

We spent a few days at home earlier in the week. Plum and mummy were in the garden a lot, planting seeds, weeding and watering our growing vegetable seedlings. The peas are starting to come up and the pumpkins, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes and dwarf beans are all making appearances. 

Wednesday we went down to Goring GAp and meet friends. The weather was horrid all morning but The Smalls were all keen to go and the sun came out for the afternoon. We cooked sausages on a fire pit and climbed trees and played frisbee and football and ran around.

Bean, Pumpkin and Plum had a great day out on Thursday at a play date at their friend's house. I went to collect them and had to judge a mud pie competition.

Friday was the first in a series of science workshops that we have signed up for. Both boys have a keen interest in sciency stuff at the moment. Bean has lots of questions that he is able to articulate and Pumpkin likes to explore stuff on his own (mostly emptying bottles of stuff out in the sink in the bathroom!) The workshops are run by Blast Science This week we covered 'Stuff' and it included holding fire and making our own slime to bring home. As we left Bean asked me "How did he hold the fire?" so we did a u-turn and Bean went and asked the science guy. Pumpkin went with him.

When we got home Bean opened his birthday present from Grandma and Pops. They had got him an electronics kit. He was busy playing with it for the rest of Friday and Saturday.