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. 

Bignor Roman Villa

Wow. Today we actually did something educational. It's been a while since we last joined a group instructed session (Pizza Express.) Today we went to Bignor Roman Villa. It totally ticked all of Bean's boxes. He even chose to spend time looking at the mosaics and the water system whilst his friends ran around playing. It was the perfect combination of instructed/organised time and walk around at your own lesuire. The staff were really helpful and able to answer the children's questions and there was a goos selection of dressing up/games/puzzles/historical items to play with.

All three smalls spent time copying and completing mosaic patterns, trying on Roman helmets, amd Bean and Pumpkin wrote Roman numerals and Pumpkins name in Latin script. Bean was especially interested in the map and the model and working out the building and its situation. The organised part allowed them the opportunity to crush wheat corn to flour, something that Pumpkin knew lots about thanks to minecraft, and spin wool.We came home with an activity book about the Romans, some Roman coins and some Roman figures. That time line that i've had in mind for the past two years is getting a bit desperate.

We followed this with a play at Pulborough Park with the same group of friends. Pippin sat solo for 20 minutes whilst eating her lunch and Plum waited patiently to go on the roundabout this whole time. Plum enjoyed the roundabout and slide today. The boys played with their friends for the whole two hours that we were there. And a trip to the Butchers on the way home.

Back home late afternoon the Skylanders (scheduled to arrive on Monday) had arrived and the boys disappeared to play on the Wii. They gave the double they received to Plum. There was a small amount of playing in the garden but mostly it was dinner prep and baths and helping the smalls to bed. Pumpkin was exceptionally and was constantly running to the kitchen to ask for more food. Bacon sandwiches were a big hit.

Dizzy

An At Home Day today and the only one this week. I think we need at least two. 

Today was the day that Bean decided we should begin to build his Eiffel Tower project. We have been collecting toilet rolls since Christmas and with help from friends we have sourced a fair amount. So the building, knocking down, building, falling down, building, toppling over and building began. 

He wanted the free standing and balancing. He had the ruler out so that he could measure them all because, being from several different source, they were different heights and this effected the tower. He then moved on to joining sets together with elastic bands. And I was reminded that we are running low on basic craft materials,

And in the background Plum, 3, was trying to build a castle. We found a picture on Pinterest that she liked and then we collected additional boxes and tape and glue and cotton wool and set about making a castle. It does bare some resemblance to the Pinterest version but the turret placement and use cotton wool was all her own design. She was so excited that she wanted to ring daddy to show him. I managed to get her to settle for me messaging him to ring us when he was available, which he did. 

This is Bean's doodles on the calendar for when his Skylanders figures are due to arrive. You can also read what else we are up to next week :) 

Other things today included weeding and planting flower seeds with Plum in our garden, and then playing bubble blowing too. Puzzles and games with Plum. Leaf collecting and chocolate sharing with Plum. Feeding Lydia and watching cbeebies with Plum. And Pumpkin seeking me out every so often to tell me something amazing about a mod he has seen for minecraft.