We had a lovely day today, spending time with our friends L,G and I at their house catching up on Christmas new, drinking tea and chatting while the children played, mostly uneventfully until Sophie and I, fueled by lots of chocolate and lollies decided to mount a comedy raid on G's bedroom and "Steal your stuff" which ended in lots of giggling and shouts of "MUUUUMMMM Tellll theeeeemmmm!" as they pursued their booty 'the red chair' ( why this was the prize was never fathomed!)
Connor spent most of the afternoon on his own, quite happily absorbed in the girls new Wii, it made me realise what a good tool it might be for helping him practice his motor skills as its challenging, fun and non threatening.He can get on with it without judgements from other people which limits his willingness to join in with things like team games or try to ride his bike for fear of failure and ridicule from other children. I'd better start saving(again) I think!
When we got home Darren wasn't at work as expected and had made tea and spent the evening setting up the kids new computer which I am now posting on... its a joy, completely silent, starts up first time and is lightening fast compared with what felt like days watching little blocks rise one by one on the toolbar as each page took an eternity to load!
Saturday, 29 December 2007
Friday, 28 December 2007
Merry Christmas!
Its all gone a bit fast really! When we returned from Disney things needed picking up where we'd left them undone and get them done, then clearing space etc and all of a sudden Christmas was here so apologies to those who sent us cards and didn't get one back,whoosh the last posting date had passed along with all the good intentions to get the things written and sent! My Car decided to die on us just as everything shut for Christmas so anything not done had to stay that way! Fortunately mum lent me her car on Xmas eve so we at least have some transport!
No pics of Connor, he was off limits! :(
Christmas Day was spent present opening in the morning before going to Darren's parents for lunch which I cooked while Darren and his mum went to visit his Dad in hospital.
The kids wound up having waaay too many presents despite us saying we weren't spending a lot ( and didn't!) Darren's Mum went as mad as usual, she bought them all a much needed computer which they were thrilled with( as were we- such a relief not to have to worry about funding a replacement!) along with loads of toys etc.
Fortunately many of the gifts they received will be very useful for home ed, mainly some brilliant science/creative kits so we will dig into those in the new year. Connors interest in stars and electronics meant he was in his element having received a planetarium and a robotic dog in addition to the robosapien we bought him! Who is regularly burping, groaning, marching round the living room and scaring the poor rabbits!
No pics of Connor, he was off limits! :(
By mid afternoon Connor was in a state of total worn out meltdown and behaving appallingly. BIL doesn't realise shouting at him just makes it all worse (and then I shouted at him to stop shouting at Connor!!) I was near tears, Connor was bawling and I decided to take them all back home for a while, the adults were off out as was visiting time at the hospital again. we tried going back down for tea in the evening but Connor just exploded again within the hour. I think Xmas will have to happen here in future as they all just seem so much happier!
Sophie and Connor have spent alot of time fighting recently and generally being really horrible to each other, Chloe arrived him and Connor started fighting with her too whenever he could and Soph joined in! Xmas seems to just bring out the worst in Connor especially and he spends most of his time kicking off daily.Often several times a day :( I was really glad to just get out of there and home having dragged Connor out alone kicking and screaming and left the girls with Darren to bring home !
Its exhausting dealing with his constant explosions at the moment! Its definitely not 'normal' naughtiness, he just seems to absolutely explode often with with no warning or reason. He doesn't enjoy it and everyone suffers- especially him as it makes him completely worn out!( any advice gratefully received on this one!)
We spent Boxing day with my brother and his 'new' family. He's just acquired himself 3 teenaged stepchildren and his partner has recently discovered they will be having a baby of their own in July next year:) We all had a lovely day, exchanging presents, walking on the beach and playing with their new Nintendo Wii (which of course is now being talked about non stop!) and the kids all got on together! PHEW!
Yesterday Sophie, Connor and I went to the annual skating session at Cardiff's 'Winter Wonderland ' outdoor rink organised by Cardiff Blues for staff and season ticket holders where Darren works as a photographer( and was very busy!).
The kids had a wonderful time meeting the players and having their photos taken before taking to the ice for the hours skating. Sophie is already quite proficient on the ice and scooted about quite happily alone while I stayed with Connor who managed to go from clinging to the edge rail with his feet flying to skating round on his own!
There is a fortnightly skating session organised by one of the local home ed mums so we will definitely be joining in as often as possible, he was so thrilled and it was lovely to see how much he improved in an hour. Weve been busy every time its run so far so were definitely going to mark it on the calendar as a regular new year activity,finances allowing!
They were also picked to have their picture taken to appear in the local paper so they were thrilled. We also took the opportunity for a rare shopping trip where they chose an outfit each in the sales. I got a coat for Chloe for School and some Jeans but when she tried them on they didnt fit so now we have to go back and get a refund when they allow refunds!! Next time Ill make sure she comes with us!She'd insisted staying with my Parents was what she wanted then whinged that "It wasn't fair" when things didn't fit!ARGH! Typical teenager. I also spent loads on LUSH goodies in their sale where they gave me a very expensive gift box for free, hopefully it will aid my de-stressing... if I can find the time to get to use them!
We spent today in Cardiff where we went to see 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' starring Lesley Joseph as a brilliant wicked queen. Darren's mum had booked a box and the kids were thrilled when they discovered where they were sitting!It also meant when it all started getting too much for Connor we could go out into the hallway behind until he had calmed down They had a ball I'm wondering how much longer they will enjoy it as they get older so am cherishing the memories now!
Friday, 21 December 2007
Clearing Out!
Not us... just all the stuff we've held into for too long!
Since we started home educating the house has just got fuller and fuller, messier and messier. Its a very small house as it is and its getting smaller and we just seem to have less and less space!
I flipped and decided enough was enough after Darren reorgansied the living room while we were away but it still didnt feel any easier space wise! Ive sent him off to IKEA to buy us another bookcase and decided a line of bookcases along one wall of the living room will make it smaller yes, but only by about 30 or so cm and Ill feel so much better when the 'stuff' is all housed somewhere so I can think! Im sick of piles of 'stuff' everywhere!
Ill tackle decorating it once Christmas is over and its long overdue the decor here is vile (not our choice) and I'm absolutely certain it adds to my feelings of being hemmed in and depressed.
Anyway today has been spent starting the great xmas chuck out of anything we dont longer use, read,want or wear. We took four bags of books and 3 black bags of clothes to the charity shop and thats not even the start of it! I spent this afternoon unloading childrens toyboxes off the shelving unit on our upstairs landing and was amazed how much stuff I managed to get them to part with completely voluntarily.. Our wheely bin is also 1/2 full already of broken toys and bits and thats before it has the xmas rubbish added into it! OOPS!
Its very cathartic suddenly realising we now have somewhere for the games to 'live', we have 4 spare toyboxes and a couple of spare shelves all of a sudden!The kdis have also impressed me, Im told kids on the autistic spectrum find it difficult to part with things (our house is testament to it!) but they did willingly hand over things once I took the lead and they saw that I didnt seem bothered by handing over my old paperbacks( they know I love my books). We talked about sustainability, reusing and raising money for charity by donating. I had to insist they didnt spend their pocket money in the charity shop while we were there!
We continued when we got back and now have two full toyboxes to go to the charity shop tomorrow :) Im really proud of them.
Since we started home educating the house has just got fuller and fuller, messier and messier. Its a very small house as it is and its getting smaller and we just seem to have less and less space!
I flipped and decided enough was enough after Darren reorgansied the living room while we were away but it still didnt feel any easier space wise! Ive sent him off to IKEA to buy us another bookcase and decided a line of bookcases along one wall of the living room will make it smaller yes, but only by about 30 or so cm and Ill feel so much better when the 'stuff' is all housed somewhere so I can think! Im sick of piles of 'stuff' everywhere!
Ill tackle decorating it once Christmas is over and its long overdue the decor here is vile (not our choice) and I'm absolutely certain it adds to my feelings of being hemmed in and depressed.
Anyway today has been spent starting the great xmas chuck out of anything we dont longer use, read,want or wear. We took four bags of books and 3 black bags of clothes to the charity shop and thats not even the start of it! I spent this afternoon unloading childrens toyboxes off the shelving unit on our upstairs landing and was amazed how much stuff I managed to get them to part with completely voluntarily.. Our wheely bin is also 1/2 full already of broken toys and bits and thats before it has the xmas rubbish added into it! OOPS!
Its very cathartic suddenly realising we now have somewhere for the games to 'live', we have 4 spare toyboxes and a couple of spare shelves all of a sudden!The kdis have also impressed me, Im told kids on the autistic spectrum find it difficult to part with things (our house is testament to it!) but they did willingly hand over things once I took the lead and they saw that I didnt seem bothered by handing over my old paperbacks( they know I love my books). We talked about sustainability, reusing and raising money for charity by donating. I had to insist they didnt spend their pocket money in the charity shop while we were there!
We continued when we got back and now have two full toyboxes to go to the charity shop tomorrow :) Im really proud of them.
Monday, 17 December 2007
Disney!
This year we decided to treat the kids to a trip to Disneyland Paris as their Christmas present.Darren has run out of leave so I took his Mother instead to give her a break, FIL has alzheimers and now the disease has progressed to a stage where sadly he is completely disabled he is in hospital while a plan for his care is worked out so it seemed to be a good time to try and insist she got a break! The break started eventufully when she forgot her handbag containing her passport, money etc and Darren had to chase us down with it. Fortunately we hadnt travelled that far before I asked her for her passport and we discovered it was missing!Fortunately she had remembered Darrens Christmas present to me which I had early( which is probably why she forgot the handbag!) He had bought me a fanastic digital camera which was just what I had been wanting for ages!( pics here are taken with it- I admit I went a bit mad and took hundreds!)
It was a week of firsts, we'd never used the Eurotunnel before as a family but it was really fast, efficient and very easy. Never again will we take the Ferry from Dover!
I found driving on the right easy and neednt have worried, the roads are generally really quiet in france anyway!
We'd bought annual passes when we visited in the summer ( cheaper than buying a three day adult ticket each) so we could come and go as we pleased. It was very cold and pounded down with rain for the first three days so it was quite miserable
As you can see it was pretty miserable in the cold to start with( connor wore this expression for much of the first few days!)
However the weather did break by wednesday and it turned from non stop rain to cold and clear and it was so much easier to have a nice time!
as you can see the light's were gorgeous, this is the view each way down the main street with the castle lit up at night.
Sophie managed to wear her 'Belle' dress when it turned dry and clear and have her picture taken. She was thrilled as the staff make an extra effort to talk to the children when they are dressed up
Other highlights included meeting 'Goofy' F
ather Christmas
ather Christmasand the real Mcoy, santa in his grotto after a very very long wait!
Fortunately they did let me take pictures so we didnt have to shell out for the very expensive ones which they offer!
Chloe especially enjoyed the Parades, both the night and day ones and has insisted that I add some pictures here as she uses the blog to show friends at school pictures that we have( the blog is on her list of OKed sites at school) so here they are. The floats were really impressive and she watched the parades 3 or 4 times eqach, braving the crowds in order to do so which is a massive achievement for her,2 years ago during her worst times in Primary school she hated crowded places so much we feared she was becoming Agoraphobic
The night 'Fantillusion parade was really breathtaking, these are just three of the 12 or so floats used, all lit up they were thrilling to watch almost floating down the darkened street. We managed to watch from the top of the castle!
The kids enjoyed the rides and we discovered Connor shares Sophies love of Rollercoasters!
They all got to practice their French and Connor learned to count up to 5 in French just by asking what the words were for the amount of seats we needed on the rides and working out himself which order they went in to 'count'
It was really quiet ( by disney standards) during the midweek too so they hardly had to queue on the rides ! Its definitely worth going then, interestingly they bumped into three families from their old school who were all visiting together and had taken their kids out to visit!
We're home now, catching up on sleep and dirty washing. Its nice to get back to some sort of normality but now the realisation dawns that Christmas is just days away, none of the Christmas cards got posted( GRR) nor the presents and I havent finished Christmas shopping either yet! I want to go back and escape reality again now Ive had another dose of happy domesticity
Take That London!!
Seems like weeks ago now,in fact it was! I just haven't had time to get on here and blog! Our ancient desktop PC is seriously wobbling and malfunctioning so even surfing the web is a pain in the rear and the tesco shop has turned traditional as the PC cannot cope with pop up windows either!We cant afford another one right now so I hope the january sales will mean some offers and I can investigate some sort of working PC!
On the 30th November the girls and I travelled to London to see 'Take That' in concert.They had thought the tickets had sold out and we had missed out. It was tough keeping it from them for some 8 months! They were absolutely thrilled and sobbed when we gave them the tickets. The concert was incredible, full of special effects, lazers, dancing and costumes. It was really something quite incredible. The O2 dome ( as the millenium dome is now) has been transformed into several different spaces with restaurants, bars, shops, a cinema, two arenas ( the main one was enormous!)
This is a picture Chloe took of an amazing installation in the entrance hall, the globes change colour and messages are projected around the inside.
Here they are before we left, all ready to party!
Some pics the girls took at the concert!
On the 30th November the girls and I travelled to London to see 'Take That' in concert.They had thought the tickets had sold out and we had missed out. It was tough keeping it from them for some 8 months! They were absolutely thrilled and sobbed when we gave them the tickets. The concert was incredible, full of special effects, lazers, dancing and costumes. It was really something quite incredible. The O2 dome ( as the millenium dome is now) has been transformed into several different spaces with restaurants, bars, shops, a cinema, two arenas ( the main one was enormous!)
This is a picture Chloe took of an amazing installation in the entrance hall, the globes change colour and messages are projected around the inside.Its nice to see it being used so well, just such a shame it was built in the first place at masive expense to the taxpayer and left standing for 6 or so years before being turned into a useful space!
Here they are before we left, all ready to party!
Some pics the girls took at the concert!
The girls are both really interested in getting tickets to see the tutankhamun exhibition which is being held there
The next day we visited the Tate Modern and spent several hours exploring( pics below) If you visit its well worth picking the children up one of their interactice 'audio' guides which consist of a PDA which is loaded with software with instant facts about whatever it is you are looking at and accompanying audio narration. It was so easy, you just key in the code for the piece of art you want to explore. There were also some great play spaces where you can get hands on and learn about the artists and works while playing against other visitors!
Sadly there arent any pictures of the artwork, the crack in the turbine hall is all we were allowed to photograph!Chloe was dissapointed as she was looking forward to using her camera to record their visit as her art teacher had requested. I bought them a card game featuring many of the major works instead and so far they havent played it, just looked at the different pictures and sculptures featured on it.I hope this will inspire them to get creating some modern art of their own!I wish we could have spent longer in there but we were absolutely shattered by mid afternoon so we took a trip on a tradional 'routemaster' bus to see the sights on the way back to Paddington. Ill definitely be taking them all back when we have more time!
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Little Red House- Meet COAL HOUSE!
HUGE excitement today as we met up with some home ed friends and visited 'Stack Square' in Blaenavon, which featured in the BBC's Coal house programme.http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/coalhouse/ which the children followed avidly.
They were all thrilled to be able to visit the 'set' which is housed in the Blaenavon Ironworks museumhttp://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=145
I cant imagine having to sit in front of this hearth, as charming as it is all day every day undertaking endless drudgery! Connor just had to try the outside loo where we discovered evidence of 'cheating' in the programme. It appears they had a proper 2007 potty for the babies!( and who can blame them?)
Then we moved onto a fantastic tour of the mine underground with an ex miner as a guide who was really knowledgeable and explained everything he also gave the kids some information about the universal colliery disaster of 1913 which killed someone from every house in this village( many of whom were never recovered) and the children left really enthusastic and wanting to find out more about what happened almost 100 years ago but only 100m from their front door! They also visited a really interesting exhibition at the baths/medical centre/canteen about life down the mines. They were especially interested in the idea of children having to work underground from just 5 years old and relieved that wasnt their reality!
They were all thrilled to be able to visit the 'set' which is housed in the Blaenavon Ironworks museumhttp://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=145
Its very muddy! No wonder the families in the programme struggled to keep anyone/thing clean! Especially two toddlers with 8 people in one 2up,2down!
We met the chickens, saw the tin bath everyone bathed in and looked round the houses .We were struck by how tiny the house was... much like our own!( only we have a loft extension)Suddenly the penny dropped, our house was probably built on the footprint of the old miners cottage demolished to make way for it!Thankfully mine has more mod cons!
I cant imagine having to sit in front of this hearth, as charming as it is all day every day undertaking endless drudgery! Connor just had to try the outside loo where we discovered evidence of 'cheating' in the programme. It appears they had a proper 2007 potty for the babies!( and who can blame them?)
Later we moved on to 'Big Pit' http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit/
Where we saw the pithead baths which the women in the 'coal house' programme were seen campaigning for.
Then we moved onto a fantastic tour of the mine underground with an ex miner as a guide who was really knowledgeable and explained everything he also gave the kids some information about the universal colliery disaster of 1913 which killed someone from every house in this village( many of whom were never recovered) and the children left really enthusastic and wanting to find out more about what happened almost 100 years ago but only 100m from their front door! They also visited a really interesting exhibition at the baths/medical centre/canteen about life down the mines. They were especially interested in the idea of children having to work underground from just 5 years old and relieved that wasnt their reality!
We had an interesting reaction to the question "No school today?" from one of the miners/guiodes... The kids told him they were home educated and he added "How you gonna learn them,if you aint in school then?"
Clearly the irony of him, working in a museum asking that question had completely passed him by.. I wonder what he thinks hes there for? I should have asked him but then I'm a great one for thinking of what I "Should" have said when its too late!
I was really touched by the incriptions on these plates on the dresser...
The top left hand one reads "It was hard work, you were always doing something, it was never done"So us 2007 welsh mums have lots in common with our ancestors after all! Especially when Home educating!
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE !!
Sophie turned 11 today!
I dont understand where the time went since she looked like this!(3 months old )
I dont understand where the time went since she looked like this!(3 months old )
We had quite a quiet day after the children had stayed with friends overnight sunday and all day on Monday so we could attend a meeting at Chloes school so they were tired out!
We did spend an hour shopping this morning where she decided she would get herself a dress from the Disney Store so she can dress up and have her photo taken when we go to Disneyland Pariss in 2 weeks. Hopefully the pics will follow.. unfortunately our little point and shoot is wobbling at the mo( Im praying it will work for the trip!)!She decided she is almost too old for dressing up and has always coveted a disney dressing up outfit, she's adored the idea of being a princess even since she twigged her shoulder bones werent actually her wings growing when she was about 7 and so being a princess was a much more realistic ambition! So this is her chance to be a princess complete with castle etc in her words "before Im too big for all that soon" and she spent much of the afternoon on the Disneyland Paris website planning her photo opportunities!
We were also treated to many renditions of 'High School musical' as one of her presents was 'sing it' a Kareoke game for the playstation 2, Fortunately she isnt a bad singer!
Saturday, 24 November 2007
We've had another very busy few days! After spending two days on first aid training at work it was nice to be back with the kids although I can't deny the break wasn't good!
Thurday saw us join with other home educators at The Millenium centre for a production of Tin-tin in Tibet http://www.tintintheshow.co.uk/
It was fantastically well acted and the children really enjoyed it. I hope they will be inspired to read the books as a result. Unfortunately we don't own any at the moment so a trip to the library might be iminent!
On friday we went to the Home Learners day at the museum. The workshop alledgely was "Make a stained glass tile" however when we got there it was essentially arranging pieces of acetate in a laminating pouch and after we left Connor ( who is getting increasingly literal) said "So when are we doing the stained glass then?" I think maybe I will check what exactly is planned at each of these workshops in future before booking. !Connor was dissappointed as he really wanted to learn about stained glass and its a long way to travel if its something which wont really interest them much. Im now on the hunt for a genuine stained glass workshop for him. I cant believe he didnt twig all the colour blending activities were "stained glass themed" but" if theres no glass, it cant be stained glass can it Mum?" (errr no son??)
However he was cheered by a trip to Macdonalds where we discussed healthy eating, all the different methods of advertising , the target audience and effectiveness and why they'd chosen Macdonalds over other meals and interestingly the conversation moved onto the question "whats a Bisexual?"!!!!! ( how we got from Ronald Macdonald to sexual preferences was anyones guess!)
I spent last night and today working and Gran took them to the cinema to see "Enhanted" which we were seeing in a week with film education ( drat, I wanted to see that too!) and they came home tired but happy.
Tonight Flower, one of our rabbits went missing, we went out and the run door was somehow open! cue many tears from Sophie especially who was panic stricken as there are about 10 cats living 2 doors away who keep having to be shooed out of our garden as they like nothing better than stalking the rabbits. It wouldnt be beyond the realms of possibility for one of the cats to have pawed at the catch until theyd 'got it' so Ill be fitting extra locks. Fortunately she was found quite quickly and cuddled to within an inch of her life ! Chloe was upset as she found she was missing and as she only comes home at weekends felt really guilty and would be reassured that she couldnt possibly be to blame if she hadnt opened the door. Its strange how both she and Connor get upset in quite a different way to Sophie. Its funny how their thinking runs...
Ive downloaded some resources for free from http://www.homeschoolestore.com/catalog/index.php
as they had a free offer for u to $200 of free stuff. Ill look forward to trying some of it, particularly the 'Grinch' Lapbook kit which will make a nice seasonal project and a WW2 project unit which I'm sure will come in useful at some point as Sophies plodding through Ann Franks Diary. I wonder whether Chloe might have a go at the Harry potter one when shes home at Christmas, shes very easily bored so Im glad I have a standby to offer her in case! She usually yells and hollers about boredom in typical teenager fashion and demands to go back to school within a week of the holidays starting!
Thurday saw us join with other home educators at The Millenium centre for a production of Tin-tin in Tibet http://www.tintintheshow.co.uk/
It was fantastically well acted and the children really enjoyed it. I hope they will be inspired to read the books as a result. Unfortunately we don't own any at the moment so a trip to the library might be iminent!
On friday we went to the Home Learners day at the museum. The workshop alledgely was "Make a stained glass tile" however when we got there it was essentially arranging pieces of acetate in a laminating pouch and after we left Connor ( who is getting increasingly literal) said "So when are we doing the stained glass then?" I think maybe I will check what exactly is planned at each of these workshops in future before booking. !Connor was dissappointed as he really wanted to learn about stained glass and its a long way to travel if its something which wont really interest them much. Im now on the hunt for a genuine stained glass workshop for him. I cant believe he didnt twig all the colour blending activities were "stained glass themed" but" if theres no glass, it cant be stained glass can it Mum?" (errr no son??)
However he was cheered by a trip to Macdonalds where we discussed healthy eating, all the different methods of advertising , the target audience and effectiveness and why they'd chosen Macdonalds over other meals and interestingly the conversation moved onto the question "whats a Bisexual?"!!!!! ( how we got from Ronald Macdonald to sexual preferences was anyones guess!)
I spent last night and today working and Gran took them to the cinema to see "Enhanted" which we were seeing in a week with film education ( drat, I wanted to see that too!) and they came home tired but happy.
Tonight Flower, one of our rabbits went missing, we went out and the run door was somehow open! cue many tears from Sophie especially who was panic stricken as there are about 10 cats living 2 doors away who keep having to be shooed out of our garden as they like nothing better than stalking the rabbits. It wouldnt be beyond the realms of possibility for one of the cats to have pawed at the catch until theyd 'got it' so Ill be fitting extra locks. Fortunately she was found quite quickly and cuddled to within an inch of her life ! Chloe was upset as she found she was missing and as she only comes home at weekends felt really guilty and would be reassured that she couldnt possibly be to blame if she hadnt opened the door. Its strange how both she and Connor get upset in quite a different way to Sophie. Its funny how their thinking runs...
Ive downloaded some resources for free from http://www.homeschoolestore.com/catalog/index.php
as they had a free offer for u to $200 of free stuff. Ill look forward to trying some of it, particularly the 'Grinch' Lapbook kit which will make a nice seasonal project and a WW2 project unit which I'm sure will come in useful at some point as Sophies plodding through Ann Franks Diary. I wonder whether Chloe might have a go at the Harry potter one when shes home at Christmas, shes very easily bored so Im glad I have a standby to offer her in case! She usually yells and hollers about boredom in typical teenager fashion and demands to go back to school within a week of the holidays starting!
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Maths??... well if it floats your boat kids!
Maths has to be the subject Chloe Soph and I find most difficult. Connor never seems to have had any difficulty until we started with tables and it was greeted with an EH?? response?
But Sophie struggled, Chloe just suffered more and more misery as she just didnt 'get it' despite having a very logical way of thinking and shining initially and I recall many hours of 'doing ok' but finding it incredibly hard work to 'do ok' while people said"You could do this if you tried!" ( so I eventually gave up as it was pointless trying to convince even myself I could do it!)
I was very aware it was possible to pass on a dislike of maths but at the same time I didnt want to 'blag it' or make them think it was an awful thing if you find it hard so was always quite careful about what I said, passing anything I really knew I couldnt do to Darren when they were in school but praising them and saying how clever they were when they achieved. Nonetheless the girls especially seemed to have inherited my inability to be able to manage maths easily and as Connor gets older the more difficult he's finding things!
Recently though, Sophie and Connor really seem to be enjoying the mathematical activities Ive been finding for them.Connor continued with his mulitplication grids enthusiastically and asked for another 'multiplication colouring in' after doing his grid today, then another... then another! ( so its clearly fun for him)
Sophie spent much of the time I was on my course in work carefully cutting out and making paper polyhedra and trying to remember all their names.
I'm so pleased we have the chance to look at shape and they can explore faces, vertices etc in a hands on way. Its definitely sucessful so Ill definitely be using more 'hand on' activitieswith them both. It really helps them 'join up' their thinking and lets them open their thinking and questioning to wider questions that I just can't answer like "What is a 60 sided shape called then?" ( errrrr.....)
Chloe's sucess at school( where she recently got ALL A grades) has provided much of the inspiration for how we are 'working' at the moment. Its all very hands on, making, shaping, doing, solving puzzles etc and I can see it works so thats how things will continue wherever its possible.
I found the resources weve been using on http://www.senteacher.org/ but although suitable for kids with Special educational needs I think the site would be invaulable for many parents and children so Im recommending it here!
Im also finding the books available from Tarquin books invaluable, They have so many inventive titles and ideas. Ive asked my brother to buy the kids the paper automaton books for their christmas presents. I think they will be a real hit. Ive asked Darrens brother to get them science kits of various sorts too... They are in the right mood to recieve them enthusiastically. A sign they are finally starting to become properly free from the influence school was in their psyche?? We really are doing things 'their way' .
But Sophie struggled, Chloe just suffered more and more misery as she just didnt 'get it' despite having a very logical way of thinking and shining initially and I recall many hours of 'doing ok' but finding it incredibly hard work to 'do ok' while people said"You could do this if you tried!" ( so I eventually gave up as it was pointless trying to convince even myself I could do it!)
I was very aware it was possible to pass on a dislike of maths but at the same time I didnt want to 'blag it' or make them think it was an awful thing if you find it hard so was always quite careful about what I said, passing anything I really knew I couldnt do to Darren when they were in school but praising them and saying how clever they were when they achieved. Nonetheless the girls especially seemed to have inherited my inability to be able to manage maths easily and as Connor gets older the more difficult he's finding things!
Recently though, Sophie and Connor really seem to be enjoying the mathematical activities Ive been finding for them.Connor continued with his mulitplication grids enthusiastically and asked for another 'multiplication colouring in' after doing his grid today, then another... then another! ( so its clearly fun for him)
Sophie spent much of the time I was on my course in work carefully cutting out and making paper polyhedra and trying to remember all their names.
I'm so pleased we have the chance to look at shape and they can explore faces, vertices etc in a hands on way. Its definitely sucessful so Ill definitely be using more 'hand on' activitieswith them both. It really helps them 'join up' their thinking and lets them open their thinking and questioning to wider questions that I just can't answer like "What is a 60 sided shape called then?" ( errrrr.....)
Chloe's sucess at school( where she recently got ALL A grades) has provided much of the inspiration for how we are 'working' at the moment. Its all very hands on, making, shaping, doing, solving puzzles etc and I can see it works so thats how things will continue wherever its possible.
I found the resources weve been using on http://www.senteacher.org/ but although suitable for kids with Special educational needs I think the site would be invaulable for many parents and children so Im recommending it here!
Im also finding the books available from Tarquin books invaluable, They have so many inventive titles and ideas. Ive asked my brother to buy the kids the paper automaton books for their christmas presents. I think they will be a real hit. Ive asked Darrens brother to get them science kits of various sorts too... They are in the right mood to recieve them enthusiastically. A sign they are finally starting to become properly free from the influence school was in their psyche?? We really are doing things 'their way' .
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
"Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people."
so said Oscar Wilde apparently...
Since we started to look into the possibility of Home Education I've become far more aware of the truthfulness and accuracy of that statement.
I never considered myself 'political' my views were political with a very small p.
However recently I can't believe the things which show up on the BBC website( so pretty mainstream!), mostly negative, many leave me gasping.... all connected with the current government or the alternative- the tories and children or "education."
Several stories a week about the system we removed the children from and its failings, inadequacy abounds, failing schools, bullying, smaller schools which care and nurture more successfully but 'fail' academically( I wonder whether then they do really fail?)
The toxicity of childhood denied by Ed Balls while the same site carries a story where he says 'tweenagers' need more care at a difficult time to stop them turning to drink and drugs!( where are the parents Mrs Balls?;-)).... cars blighting children's play....testing and its own toxicity. The tories have the solution, they will make it easier for parents to set up schools like in Sweden, free to decide how children are taught, except it wont happen will it Mr Cameron? You want ALL children, aged 6 without a serious disability to read! Never mind that dyslexia cant be diagnosed until 7 reliably! Id say dyslexia IS a serious disability given how much of the curriculum in schools relies on reading and writing( so wheres the inclusion now Mr Balls?). I'm certain my children's experience was that they HAD to read by the end of year 1. Not doing so was where the problems started.By year 3 both my youngest and oldest were seriously despondent.
Its madness.
Today its announced all parents in England will have access to parenting classes, so not only are the govt happy to force us to choose only one type of school unless we are rich they will tell parents how they must parent. I can see the benefit for some families but how long before "go to a parenting class, go again..." becomes the stock answer for any family who has a child suffering in school through the present regime which forces them all to read and labels them as failures if they don't make the grade... never mind any other misunderstood condition where the teachers recieve no training but employ cod diagnosis under pressure to 'do something' with this failing child where they can't possibly say "Houston, we have a problem... HELP!"Because that would admit a school couldnt cope( and inclusion says they must)
Its enough to make your head spin and wonder, how different are they REALLY? and all the while the relentless agenda of 'bludgeoning' of our rights goes on and on and extends into society in the public questioning by strangers which children experience when not in school( for whatever reason) That's just the tip of the iceberg... god forbid any child or their parent admit be not 'making the grade, not being where they should be academically etc"
When did our children stop being our children? When did they become the possessions of the state to impose upon , control and do as they please with? IF they can keep some children in schools its an achievement... thats not achievement, its not educating those school has failed since they were small. Its keeping bums on seats. Is anyone going to encourage, inspire or spend time educating children who cant read when they get to senior school? In this LEA our experience proves they wont!
We CHOOSE to send children to state schools?? I did..... I was happy to begin with (its what you do isnt it??)
BUT there is no alternative to the current situation if you want school unless you are rich and can pay for a choice of educational styles or philosophies such as steiner, montessori etc.
Or you can free your child or choose for them not to go there to start with...... so wheres the ability to be financially ok there Mr Brown? In this society you have created where people have little real choice without huge sacrifice for most?Were keeping our children safe, educating them and saving you money!
How sad that comes at a cost.. whoever you are.
and yet theres no problem says Ed Balls... childhood isnt toxic, its a fallacy
Were supposed to trust you? Your government has managed to expose almost every family in the country to identity theft today.... You lot 'Lost' our details!
Where are our rights I wonder?
To end with another quote..
"Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable." John Galbraith.
Since we started to look into the possibility of Home Education I've become far more aware of the truthfulness and accuracy of that statement.
I never considered myself 'political' my views were political with a very small p.
However recently I can't believe the things which show up on the BBC website( so pretty mainstream!), mostly negative, many leave me gasping.... all connected with the current government or the alternative- the tories and children or "education."
Several stories a week about the system we removed the children from and its failings, inadequacy abounds, failing schools, bullying, smaller schools which care and nurture more successfully but 'fail' academically( I wonder whether then they do really fail?)
The toxicity of childhood denied by Ed Balls while the same site carries a story where he says 'tweenagers' need more care at a difficult time to stop them turning to drink and drugs!( where are the parents Mrs Balls?;-)).... cars blighting children's play....testing and its own toxicity. The tories have the solution, they will make it easier for parents to set up schools like in Sweden, free to decide how children are taught, except it wont happen will it Mr Cameron? You want ALL children, aged 6 without a serious disability to read! Never mind that dyslexia cant be diagnosed until 7 reliably! Id say dyslexia IS a serious disability given how much of the curriculum in schools relies on reading and writing( so wheres the inclusion now Mr Balls?). I'm certain my children's experience was that they HAD to read by the end of year 1. Not doing so was where the problems started.By year 3 both my youngest and oldest were seriously despondent.
Its madness.
Today its announced all parents in England will have access to parenting classes, so not only are the govt happy to force us to choose only one type of school unless we are rich they will tell parents how they must parent. I can see the benefit for some families but how long before "go to a parenting class, go again..." becomes the stock answer for any family who has a child suffering in school through the present regime which forces them all to read and labels them as failures if they don't make the grade... never mind any other misunderstood condition where the teachers recieve no training but employ cod diagnosis under pressure to 'do something' with this failing child where they can't possibly say "Houston, we have a problem... HELP!"Because that would admit a school couldnt cope( and inclusion says they must)
Its enough to make your head spin and wonder, how different are they REALLY? and all the while the relentless agenda of 'bludgeoning' of our rights goes on and on and extends into society in the public questioning by strangers which children experience when not in school( for whatever reason) That's just the tip of the iceberg... god forbid any child or their parent admit be not 'making the grade, not being where they should be academically etc"
When did our children stop being our children? When did they become the possessions of the state to impose upon , control and do as they please with? IF they can keep some children in schools its an achievement... thats not achievement, its not educating those school has failed since they were small. Its keeping bums on seats. Is anyone going to encourage, inspire or spend time educating children who cant read when they get to senior school? In this LEA our experience proves they wont!
We CHOOSE to send children to state schools?? I did..... I was happy to begin with (its what you do isnt it??)
BUT there is no alternative to the current situation if you want school unless you are rich and can pay for a choice of educational styles or philosophies such as steiner, montessori etc.
Or you can free your child or choose for them not to go there to start with...... so wheres the ability to be financially ok there Mr Brown? In this society you have created where people have little real choice without huge sacrifice for most?Were keeping our children safe, educating them and saving you money!
How sad that comes at a cost.. whoever you are.
and yet theres no problem says Ed Balls... childhood isnt toxic, its a fallacy
Were supposed to trust you? Your government has managed to expose almost every family in the country to identity theft today.... You lot 'Lost' our details!
Where are our rights I wonder?
To end with another quote..
"Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable." John Galbraith.
Sleepless night
And for once I'm not worried about my kids, home ed, the rabbits, the future etc
Why am I blogging at 1.10am?? because my new next door neighbour has decided its an appropriate time to play dance music! Therefore I'm awake,Id be amazed if his children aren't too.I wonder how the cope in school the day after he does this? His sister who was the previous tenant was lovely but did bid us a woeful "err well good luck with him" when she told us he would be moving in. Followed by a "umm well hes not that bad...err" Well I think I can say he's really not my preferred choice of neighbour right this second!
Oh well... since I'm up I need to find things to do so Ive printed off a load of things for the kids to do with grandma tomorrow. mainly multiplication sheets. Connor is learning his tables using a multiplication grid so Ive sorted out some exercises so he can work out the sums using the grid. Ive done Sophie some 'simple' harder problems, multiplying a Tens and units number with a single number.
Ill be interested to see if she can do these or not and see whether its time to rewind and cover the same or very similar work with them both for a little while.
Ive also done them some 'nets' to create 3D shapes which hopefully they will enjoy.
They both really enjoy doing the puzzles from their multiplication colouring book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Multiplication-Tables-Colouring-Book-Fundamentals/dp/0906212855
Which I scan and print from so they can use the book over and over if they need to.
I'm picking up lots of ideas from the way Chloe's teachers have helped her learn her tables in school. The colouring book and multiplication square appear to be key tools and shes now lightening fast with recalling them from making these grids and doing the colouring puzzles over and over
Connor really surprised me today, he asked to read two books and read much of the text by himself, he completed gaps in a Multiplication grid by following a completed one and then decided that he would do lots of literacy games on the BBC bitesize website. He managed to complete lots of exercises on alphabetical order, even the harder ones . Its good to see his Dyslexia tuition sessions are proving their worth for him.
Sophie did three pages of maths , scales and conversions but she was a bit flummoxed by pints into litres, litres into gallons so Ill get the measuring jugs and scales out on Thursday and do some hands on stuff with her.
Shes started writing a story using a story planner in one of her English books and it's really unusual for her to actually want to sit down and write a story. I hope she will carry on with his with gran and look forward to reading the results on Thursday!
Now off to bed to TRY and get some sleep before I yawn my way through this two day training course in work! (I wonder whether I can be the dummy and sleep while others bandage me??;-))
Why am I blogging at 1.10am?? because my new next door neighbour has decided its an appropriate time to play dance music! Therefore I'm awake,Id be amazed if his children aren't too.I wonder how the cope in school the day after he does this? His sister who was the previous tenant was lovely but did bid us a woeful "err well good luck with him" when she told us he would be moving in. Followed by a "umm well hes not that bad...err" Well I think I can say he's really not my preferred choice of neighbour right this second!
Oh well... since I'm up I need to find things to do so Ive printed off a load of things for the kids to do with grandma tomorrow. mainly multiplication sheets. Connor is learning his tables using a multiplication grid so Ive sorted out some exercises so he can work out the sums using the grid. Ive done Sophie some 'simple' harder problems, multiplying a Tens and units number with a single number.
Ill be interested to see if she can do these or not and see whether its time to rewind and cover the same or very similar work with them both for a little while.
Ive also done them some 'nets' to create 3D shapes which hopefully they will enjoy.
They both really enjoy doing the puzzles from their multiplication colouring book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Multiplication-Tables-Colouring-Book-Fundamentals/dp/0906212855
Which I scan and print from so they can use the book over and over if they need to.
I'm picking up lots of ideas from the way Chloe's teachers have helped her learn her tables in school. The colouring book and multiplication square appear to be key tools and shes now lightening fast with recalling them from making these grids and doing the colouring puzzles over and over
Connor really surprised me today, he asked to read two books and read much of the text by himself, he completed gaps in a Multiplication grid by following a completed one and then decided that he would do lots of literacy games on the BBC bitesize website. He managed to complete lots of exercises on alphabetical order, even the harder ones . Its good to see his Dyslexia tuition sessions are proving their worth for him.
Sophie did three pages of maths , scales and conversions but she was a bit flummoxed by pints into litres, litres into gallons so Ill get the measuring jugs and scales out on Thursday and do some hands on stuff with her.
Shes started writing a story using a story planner in one of her English books and it's really unusual for her to actually want to sit down and write a story. I hope she will carry on with his with gran and look forward to reading the results on Thursday!
Now off to bed to TRY and get some sleep before I yawn my way through this two day training course in work! (I wonder whether I can be the dummy and sleep while others bandage me??;-))
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Learning... tollerance???
This coming week will probably see an absence of much structure. Due in no small part to me being sent on a paediatric first aid course by work. Im actually really looking forward to it and wonder whether perhaps I can learn enough to teach it to the children when Im done? Still its learning and Im sure it's beneficial to see me learning too. Their grandma will see they have enough things to concentrate on while Im not around. I shall be banning the TV though, she subscribes to all the channels on sky and its the most banal stuff much of the time on much of it! Theres a reason I wont pay for the 'kids' channels ( the beeb ones are free!)
I know I learned plenty about Diwali last week researching activities for the home education group. It came in useful this weekend when the local sihk community held their celebrations in work and I was able to recall some information for my colleagues who said I should maybe write it down for staff since its an annual event and many dont know what is being celebrated. Sadly they recounted the negative treatment the guests experienced from local children when lighting sparklers outside. Fortunately the polive arrives swiftly and dispatched the abusive teens and the celebrations continued peacefully!
Its awful that other faiths and races still experience hate crime from even youngish children ( which demonstrates what they learn at home and from their peers!) when just a week or two ago they were lighting sparklers, I expect with no idea why they were being lit and waved!
I hope I can expose my children to beliefs and ideas and foster in them the idea that everyone is different and that negative actions are never acceptable. I hope next year I could approach the sihk community via work to ask if we could come and see their celebrations in action. I was told they were lovely warm people who entertained the staff on duty despite the disruption and ensured everyone was well fed and enjoying themselves despite them being there working!
I also learned that its pointless arguing home ed with someone on a messageboard when they know nothing other than state santictioned education, the national curriculum and 'attainment' as a benchmark of sucess. Utterly pointless, but didnt undermine my confidence in what Im doing just because someone hasnt bothered ( and wont even so she can debate sucessfully) to research home education. She even tried to present parts of the Paula Rothermel research as challengable on the basis of "added value" (home ed children who start ahead in these tables dont achieve much apparently!!- what a surprise!) when I pointed this out she rubbished it completely and calling me a 'muppet'( the most publishable of all the insults) and suggesting I was arrogant for daring to decide we could provide what my child needed... so there you have it, we're all arrogant mupets. Im sure you are all richer for hearing that from someone who knows nothing about home education!!!! ;-) Clearlyshe doesnt know much about tollerance either!
I wonder who's a muppet, someone who wont learn( and who trusts schools implicitly as 'quality controlled. specialised and tested environments) or someone who will question, research and wonder whether 'education' is limited by school? Then act when she realises her children are miserable, labelled and not being educated because they are not simulated!
This is a person incidentally who does little between 9-3 ( even at weekends) other than spend her time arguing everything with a virtual world! How sad that for all that time and effort she achieves and learns so little! It made me assess why I bothered, still I hope someone reading learned something about Home education other than the tired old rubbish which she was trying to churn out! I could probably use my time much more effectively! A lesson for me too perhaps!
My Son speaks better now than he did with a year or so of speech therapy, my daughter now not only believes she can do maths, she CAN do maths. That, already is a massive achievement that cannot be tested by SATS whether you are structured or autonomous, schooled of home educating. these are the hidden benefits of HE! It struck me how little was assessed and tested for in schools as 'sucess or failure' really. I couldnt add these to a government table of benefits! Maybe we home edders should start one???
Learning wise for Sophie and Connor, we are spending more time on maths as the children have demanded. I've been doing lots of multiplication tables work with Connor, multiplication squares and 'times tables colouring' and a multiplication lotto game.Sophies started covering area but her weakness in mulitplication and related skills is showing so Im trying to get them both involved in a fun way.
I am hoping if I can build their confidence in Maths then I can move more into the realms of english where they are always reluctant and I guess will for the time being be way behind their schooled counterparts. Thats fine though. I hope they will realise they can have a go and achieve. THATS whats important to me, a love of learning and the idea that they CAN if they just have a go and if they cant, well thats ok too and they can try some more rather than deciding they are failiures ( because they certainly wont be allowed to get that message at home!)
I know I learned plenty about Diwali last week researching activities for the home education group. It came in useful this weekend when the local sihk community held their celebrations in work and I was able to recall some information for my colleagues who said I should maybe write it down for staff since its an annual event and many dont know what is being celebrated. Sadly they recounted the negative treatment the guests experienced from local children when lighting sparklers outside. Fortunately the polive arrives swiftly and dispatched the abusive teens and the celebrations continued peacefully!
Its awful that other faiths and races still experience hate crime from even youngish children ( which demonstrates what they learn at home and from their peers!) when just a week or two ago they were lighting sparklers, I expect with no idea why they were being lit and waved!
I hope I can expose my children to beliefs and ideas and foster in them the idea that everyone is different and that negative actions are never acceptable. I hope next year I could approach the sihk community via work to ask if we could come and see their celebrations in action. I was told they were lovely warm people who entertained the staff on duty despite the disruption and ensured everyone was well fed and enjoying themselves despite them being there working!
I also learned that its pointless arguing home ed with someone on a messageboard when they know nothing other than state santictioned education, the national curriculum and 'attainment' as a benchmark of sucess. Utterly pointless, but didnt undermine my confidence in what Im doing just because someone hasnt bothered ( and wont even so she can debate sucessfully) to research home education. She even tried to present parts of the Paula Rothermel research as challengable on the basis of "added value" (home ed children who start ahead in these tables dont achieve much apparently!!- what a surprise!) when I pointed this out she rubbished it completely and calling me a 'muppet'( the most publishable of all the insults) and suggesting I was arrogant for daring to decide we could provide what my child needed... so there you have it, we're all arrogant mupets. Im sure you are all richer for hearing that from someone who knows nothing about home education!!!! ;-) Clearlyshe doesnt know much about tollerance either!
I wonder who's a muppet, someone who wont learn( and who trusts schools implicitly as 'quality controlled. specialised and tested environments) or someone who will question, research and wonder whether 'education' is limited by school? Then act when she realises her children are miserable, labelled and not being educated because they are not simulated!
This is a person incidentally who does little between 9-3 ( even at weekends) other than spend her time arguing everything with a virtual world! How sad that for all that time and effort she achieves and learns so little! It made me assess why I bothered, still I hope someone reading learned something about Home education other than the tired old rubbish which she was trying to churn out! I could probably use my time much more effectively! A lesson for me too perhaps!
My Son speaks better now than he did with a year or so of speech therapy, my daughter now not only believes she can do maths, she CAN do maths. That, already is a massive achievement that cannot be tested by SATS whether you are structured or autonomous, schooled of home educating. these are the hidden benefits of HE! It struck me how little was assessed and tested for in schools as 'sucess or failure' really. I couldnt add these to a government table of benefits! Maybe we home edders should start one???
Learning wise for Sophie and Connor, we are spending more time on maths as the children have demanded. I've been doing lots of multiplication tables work with Connor, multiplication squares and 'times tables colouring' and a multiplication lotto game.Sophies started covering area but her weakness in mulitplication and related skills is showing so Im trying to get them both involved in a fun way.
I am hoping if I can build their confidence in Maths then I can move more into the realms of english where they are always reluctant and I guess will for the time being be way behind their schooled counterparts. Thats fine though. I hope they will realise they can have a go and achieve. THATS whats important to me, a love of learning and the idea that they CAN if they just have a go and if they cant, well thats ok too and they can try some more rather than deciding they are failiures ( because they certainly wont be allowed to get that message at home!)
Thursday, 15 November 2007
A day full of fun
Today.... at Caerphilly home ed group. I was well enough to make this one HURRAH!
The kids all really enjoyed themselves. The Hall itself was a big hit with everyone. It has the luxury of three different areas so nobody is on top of each other, Loads of space to run around, even when weather is bad, A stage ( which hosted an impromptu surealist concert with Old Macdonald in sudden death shocker!) and a seperate space which housed the playstation ( at one end) and kitchen with drinks and snacks at the other.
There was something for everyone, The Diwali 'Diya' making and colouring was a hit and more craft stuff is now planned ,with Glass painting and Christmas cards in a fortnight.
The stage sparked an idea for some script writing from Sophie and her new friend C who said he would be really 'into' writing some scripts for a play, producing and 'directing' a loose term if todays improvisations were anything to go by!! Neil and I decided that there was everything in there from Python to Izzard to the Brothers Grimm and everything in between!
The playstation was unobtrusive in the corner , shared at some times with lots of people, mainly boys but most of the time Connor,J and G sharing their love of playstation and their games, strategies etc
After Connors swimming lesson we headed off to the Wales Millenium Centre for STOMP! It was fantastic and a great follow on from slavas snowshow and the clowning workshop as the show featured clowning very heavily. It was loads of fun with lots of audience participation, stamping, claping, clicking, cheering and laughter.The cast also used masses of household objects as props..., everything from dustbins to road signs... I will be hiding my broom and cordoning off the kitchen sink tomorrow morning!
Connor and Sophie left the theatre banging everything they could find and realised the staircase cladding was quite effective, especially given the acoustics of the foyer and were soon joined by a large group of teens assembled below, much to the annoyance of the theatre staff!
I think I might be in need of a trip to the chemist for some headache tablets!
The kids all really enjoyed themselves. The Hall itself was a big hit with everyone. It has the luxury of three different areas so nobody is on top of each other, Loads of space to run around, even when weather is bad, A stage ( which hosted an impromptu surealist concert with Old Macdonald in sudden death shocker!) and a seperate space which housed the playstation ( at one end) and kitchen with drinks and snacks at the other.
There was something for everyone, The Diwali 'Diya' making and colouring was a hit and more craft stuff is now planned ,with Glass painting and Christmas cards in a fortnight.
The stage sparked an idea for some script writing from Sophie and her new friend C who said he would be really 'into' writing some scripts for a play, producing and 'directing' a loose term if todays improvisations were anything to go by!! Neil and I decided that there was everything in there from Python to Izzard to the Brothers Grimm and everything in between!
The playstation was unobtrusive in the corner , shared at some times with lots of people, mainly boys but most of the time Connor,J and G sharing their love of playstation and their games, strategies etc
After Connors swimming lesson we headed off to the Wales Millenium Centre for STOMP! It was fantastic and a great follow on from slavas snowshow and the clowning workshop as the show featured clowning very heavily. It was loads of fun with lots of audience participation, stamping, claping, clicking, cheering and laughter.The cast also used masses of household objects as props..., everything from dustbins to road signs... I will be hiding my broom and cordoning off the kitchen sink tomorrow morning!
Connor and Sophie left the theatre banging everything they could find and realised the staircase cladding was quite effective, especially given the acoustics of the foyer and were soon joined by a large group of teens assembled below, much to the annoyance of the theatre staff!
I think I might be in need of a trip to the chemist for some headache tablets!
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Justifying Ourselves ( or not)
This provided me with much food for thought this morning!Posted by a local home educator to our local list its provoked a strong reaction in me ( apologies if you have already read it)
The Bitter Homeschooler' s Wish List
1 Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is - and it is -it's insulting to imply that we're criminals.And if we were criminals, would we admit it?
2 Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.
3 Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice,baseball game, art class,field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.
4 Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet ishomeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.
5 If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.
6 Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.
7 We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.
8 Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.
9 Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.
10 We didn't go through all the reading, learning,thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision,tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.
11 Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and- spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.
12 If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.
13 Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool, " we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums,and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.
14 Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education - and many of us prefer a more organic approach - we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.
15 Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.
16 Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.
17 Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.
18 If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.
19 Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.
20 Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing,aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative,pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.
21 Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.
22 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I home school my kids.
23 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.
24 Stop talking about all the great childhood memoriesmy kids won't get because they don't go to school,unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because youwent to school.
25 Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, SHUT UP!
Now apart from making me chuckle, lots! It really made me reflect on those reactions above that I have experienced. I really wish Id read it before we had to face them, it would have probably made brushing them off so much easier!
The most recent one was from my mother in laws neighbour who asked very accusingly "No school today then kids" before admitting when I stepped in and said "No they are home educated now and have been for several months" that she actually knew this already because my son had told her!
She reacted with horror and said "well who's checking their work?I assume you have to submit their work for checking by someone qualified to ensure that they are meeting the required standard..."( face agog)
and when I said "well no actually, we teach what we want to, no I'm not qualified as a school teacher but that's not a bar to me teaching and home educating them( I didnt say I dont actually 'teach' them much of the time, they need assisting usually!)
and no we dont supply work for' checking' by anyone"
She wandered off muttering about how such ridiculousness shouldn't be allowed I was really upset. Mother in law said "Ignore the silly %£"%*&$$!!!" and she was anti home ed until she realised that her grandchildren were HAPPY and not put upon, degraded, belittled any longer by a school which didn't value them and had removed their self belief and eroded their self esteem to the point that Connor still constantly wants me to sit next to him and do everything with him... he no longer believes he can do it.
We've also heard that children who are home educated are strange beings who cant socialise,that we will be damaging them in some way and have also been told we will be damaging them and leaving them unable to sit GCSE's etc usually based on 'A friend who' who is probably their little friend who lives in their imagination!
Wouldn't it be nice if these people stopped for a second and thought about what they are saying. I don't say to the neighbour "Your child, get bullied at school today did they? Get told they couldn't play because they don't have the right trainers? Did your daughter get told she had the 'wrong things' in her lunchbox because the school have a policy on lunches? Did they pass their exam?" I wonder how much shock and fury she would unleash on me if I dared be so nosey?
Its something which also came up recently on an email list I use, a relative was ringing the LEA and reporting/enquiring and dictating what a parent should do in relation to her wish to home educate, not because they were acting in the best interests of the child, but because the relative didn't agree with their decision and so had decided to meddle!
At the end of the day, frankly, its the criticisers choice to send their children to school, ( if they have any) good for them, its none of my business what they choose for their children.
We chose to remove our children when it all became too much for one of them.
It would be so nice if people in general could realise that about home educators.We have made a choice for our children, for a multitude of reasons, our children are precious, would we do this if we didn't care deeply? Hell I could be off earning a decent wage and leaving my kids from 8-6 every day, holidaying twice a year somewhere hot...of course I haven't thought about any of this at all have I? You don't have to agree with me and my decisions but frankly, if you don't, is it REALLY any of your business? I don't ask you to justify your decision to send your kid to school, please respect my decisions to do as I see fit for all three of my children. I'm not anti school, indeed one of mine is in school!( and no I dont feel the need to justify that either!)
The Bitter Homeschooler' s Wish List
1 Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is - and it is -it's insulting to imply that we're criminals.And if we were criminals, would we admit it?
2 Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.
3 Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice,baseball game, art class,field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.
4 Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet ishomeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.
5 If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.
6 Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.
7 We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.
8 Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.
9 Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.
10 We didn't go through all the reading, learning,thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision,tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.
11 Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and- spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.
12 If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.
13 Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool, " we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums,and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.
14 Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education - and many of us prefer a more organic approach - we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.
15 Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.
16 Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.
17 Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.
18 If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.
19 Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.
20 Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing,aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative,pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.
21 Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.
22 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I home school my kids.
23 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.
24 Stop talking about all the great childhood memoriesmy kids won't get because they don't go to school,unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because youwent to school.
25 Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, SHUT UP!
Now apart from making me chuckle, lots! It really made me reflect on those reactions above that I have experienced. I really wish Id read it before we had to face them, it would have probably made brushing them off so much easier!
The most recent one was from my mother in laws neighbour who asked very accusingly "No school today then kids" before admitting when I stepped in and said "No they are home educated now and have been for several months" that she actually knew this already because my son had told her!
She reacted with horror and said "well who's checking their work?I assume you have to submit their work for checking by someone qualified to ensure that they are meeting the required standard..."( face agog)
and when I said "well no actually, we teach what we want to, no I'm not qualified as a school teacher but that's not a bar to me teaching and home educating them( I didnt say I dont actually 'teach' them much of the time, they need assisting usually!)
and no we dont supply work for' checking' by anyone"
She wandered off muttering about how such ridiculousness shouldn't be allowed I was really upset. Mother in law said "Ignore the silly %£"%*&$$!!!" and she was anti home ed until she realised that her grandchildren were HAPPY and not put upon, degraded, belittled any longer by a school which didn't value them and had removed their self belief and eroded their self esteem to the point that Connor still constantly wants me to sit next to him and do everything with him... he no longer believes he can do it.
We've also heard that children who are home educated are strange beings who cant socialise,that we will be damaging them in some way and have also been told we will be damaging them and leaving them unable to sit GCSE's etc usually based on 'A friend who' who is probably their little friend who lives in their imagination!
Wouldn't it be nice if these people stopped for a second and thought about what they are saying. I don't say to the neighbour "Your child, get bullied at school today did they? Get told they couldn't play because they don't have the right trainers? Did your daughter get told she had the 'wrong things' in her lunchbox because the school have a policy on lunches? Did they pass their exam?" I wonder how much shock and fury she would unleash on me if I dared be so nosey?
Its something which also came up recently on an email list I use, a relative was ringing the LEA and reporting/enquiring and dictating what a parent should do in relation to her wish to home educate, not because they were acting in the best interests of the child, but because the relative didn't agree with their decision and so had decided to meddle!
At the end of the day, frankly, its the criticisers choice to send their children to school, ( if they have any) good for them, its none of my business what they choose for their children.
We chose to remove our children when it all became too much for one of them.
It would be so nice if people in general could realise that about home educators.We have made a choice for our children, for a multitude of reasons, our children are precious, would we do this if we didn't care deeply? Hell I could be off earning a decent wage and leaving my kids from 8-6 every day, holidaying twice a year somewhere hot...of course I haven't thought about any of this at all have I? You don't have to agree with me and my decisions but frankly, if you don't, is it REALLY any of your business? I don't ask you to justify your decision to send your kid to school, please respect my decisions to do as I see fit for all three of my children. I'm not anti school, indeed one of mine is in school!( and no I dont feel the need to justify that either!)
Monday, 12 November 2007
Learning All the time
This fantastic short film moved me to tears, its made by a group of home educators in South Wales.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Everythings changing
This last few weeks seems to have been a period of change and growth in the little red house. Physically little has changed, were the same people, the same family, the same parents, same children.
Its difficult to explain really. I think being ill has caused a change in our daily routine but before that there seemed to be changes happening.
In the past few weeks we've visited a senior school for Sophie and not filled in the form( despite it being really lovely!) because, well, school doesn't matter to us hugely, even less to her.
Shes started identifying things she wants to do with her time, particularly just spend a few weeks doing alot of science workbooks and get to her Y6 maths book, maybe some experiments.. if we can find a decent chemistry kit!
Connor has started reading, of his own accord!!(amazing,) anything resembling 'reading' gets a huge thumbs down so to be asked "what does this say?" "How do I say this word"? ( usually the longest word) is such a pleasure.
The downside to this massive upside? the fact the chosen book is 1001 'great' jokes... the inverted commas, because the favoured jokes include "whats yellow and doesn't need ironing?" - "A drip dry banana" and "Whats yellow and you can write with it?" - "A Ballpoint Banana"
we have these, all day, every day! its hard not to GROAN... but the odd one is allowed for comedic value apparently! Ive used illness as the other reason I groan... well artistic licence and all that !
All this appears to be connected to the 'clowning' workshop so it just shows how these things connect in children's minds which didn't even occur to us. They've also been practicing some of the clowning they saw in Slavas snow show.This week is STOMP I will stock up on the headache pills and be ready to raid the ironmongers for dustbin lids and broomsticks maybe?
They are both completely enthused about mining thanks to 'Coal house' and want to visit big pit and 'stack square' I hope I can get them to do a project to 'share' with their grandparents. Darren's mum in particular has lots of memories, I suspect she will be a mine of information ( not to mention being interested in being involved in some 'work')
We do seem to be moving without any planning or intention into more structure, the children want to do more 'work' and workbooks,software etc at the moment.I don't think we will be 'curriculum' people in terms of sitting down and timetabled work daily but Sophie especially is craving structure and set amounts of things she needs to get done so that's what we are doing.
She is talking about working towards GCSE's an wants to have the relevant materials to lead up to that standard.
We tried autonomy on the recommendation of just about every other local home educator we know and Sophie's resoundingly rejecting it and saying she doesn't enjoy doing what she wants when she wants because she hates the lack of structure and rhythm of the day so were doing what she needs for now and Connor is happily fitting in with doing 'something' whenever Sophie is.
We've had friends down to stay for the weekend.Chloe was really pleased to see J who's like an auntie to her and spent much of her time watching DVDs with her while I was at work, I took J's daughter E( aged 6) with me and she seemed to have a fantastic time. J was talking about school and how pleased the teachers were with E and how shes ahead in everything but at her age group in reading ( so wheres the problem?) Sadly E's great aunt ( ex teacher) seems to think E should be 'pushed' to reach further etc with reading so it was really nice to be able to say "well actually we haven't forced Connor to read at all and yet suddenly..." and J seemed so pleased to hear that and said I will go back and say "well actually, pushing... I wont do that"
If 'pushing' worked then Connor would have read fluently at school ( and yes they did try schemes, 1:1 daily sessions, individual tuition etc) and yet a little bit of practice every day( but when he is OK to do that, he chooses when hes in the best mood/frame of mind) and a regular supply of things to read that interests him (footy comics and his joke book) and he seems to realise the need to read and attempt to meet that need.I hope that will lead to reading for pleasure.
I have been left wondering whether the need and the pleasure have been pretty much removed from state schools and national testing has killed children's enthusiasm for reading generally in schools just because its no longer necessarily interesting or fun( rather than are required to by school to make things easier for the teacher!)
Lastly two things have happened which have further lifted my spirits...
Ive been offered that job Id hoped for the boss will sponsor my training!(I would have been squeezed otherwise!) and I'm thrilled as I really do like where I work and the people there, hopefully our financial situation will improve . I know it wont be a goldmine but may pay for our holiday or give us some money for saving.
Also and more specially, two people have contacted me from reading this blog, both people who were considering home education and have wanted to ask further questions, meet other home educators here and in their local area.( hello if you are reading)
I never thought anyone would want to read anything I had to say much less say they've been inspired by it! The counter is on 500+. When I started it I would have been amazed to get it to 100 in a year!
Its difficult to explain really. I think being ill has caused a change in our daily routine but before that there seemed to be changes happening.
In the past few weeks we've visited a senior school for Sophie and not filled in the form( despite it being really lovely!) because, well, school doesn't matter to us hugely, even less to her.
Shes started identifying things she wants to do with her time, particularly just spend a few weeks doing alot of science workbooks and get to her Y6 maths book, maybe some experiments.. if we can find a decent chemistry kit!
Connor has started reading, of his own accord!!(amazing,) anything resembling 'reading' gets a huge thumbs down so to be asked "what does this say?" "How do I say this word"? ( usually the longest word) is such a pleasure.
The downside to this massive upside? the fact the chosen book is 1001 'great' jokes... the inverted commas, because the favoured jokes include "whats yellow and doesn't need ironing?" - "A drip dry banana" and "Whats yellow and you can write with it?" - "A Ballpoint Banana"
we have these, all day, every day! its hard not to GROAN... but the odd one is allowed for comedic value apparently! Ive used illness as the other reason I groan... well artistic licence and all that !
All this appears to be connected to the 'clowning' workshop so it just shows how these things connect in children's minds which didn't even occur to us. They've also been practicing some of the clowning they saw in Slavas snow show.This week is STOMP I will stock up on the headache pills and be ready to raid the ironmongers for dustbin lids and broomsticks maybe?
They are both completely enthused about mining thanks to 'Coal house' and want to visit big pit and 'stack square' I hope I can get them to do a project to 'share' with their grandparents. Darren's mum in particular has lots of memories, I suspect she will be a mine of information ( not to mention being interested in being involved in some 'work')
We do seem to be moving without any planning or intention into more structure, the children want to do more 'work' and workbooks,software etc at the moment.I don't think we will be 'curriculum' people in terms of sitting down and timetabled work daily but Sophie especially is craving structure and set amounts of things she needs to get done so that's what we are doing.
She is talking about working towards GCSE's an wants to have the relevant materials to lead up to that standard.
We tried autonomy on the recommendation of just about every other local home educator we know and Sophie's resoundingly rejecting it and saying she doesn't enjoy doing what she wants when she wants because she hates the lack of structure and rhythm of the day so were doing what she needs for now and Connor is happily fitting in with doing 'something' whenever Sophie is.
We've had friends down to stay for the weekend.Chloe was really pleased to see J who's like an auntie to her and spent much of her time watching DVDs with her while I was at work, I took J's daughter E( aged 6) with me and she seemed to have a fantastic time. J was talking about school and how pleased the teachers were with E and how shes ahead in everything but at her age group in reading ( so wheres the problem?) Sadly E's great aunt ( ex teacher) seems to think E should be 'pushed' to reach further etc with reading so it was really nice to be able to say "well actually we haven't forced Connor to read at all and yet suddenly..." and J seemed so pleased to hear that and said I will go back and say "well actually, pushing... I wont do that"
If 'pushing' worked then Connor would have read fluently at school ( and yes they did try schemes, 1:1 daily sessions, individual tuition etc) and yet a little bit of practice every day( but when he is OK to do that, he chooses when hes in the best mood/frame of mind) and a regular supply of things to read that interests him (footy comics and his joke book) and he seems to realise the need to read and attempt to meet that need.I hope that will lead to reading for pleasure.
I have been left wondering whether the need and the pleasure have been pretty much removed from state schools and national testing has killed children's enthusiasm for reading generally in schools just because its no longer necessarily interesting or fun( rather than are required to by school to make things easier for the teacher!)
Lastly two things have happened which have further lifted my spirits...
Ive been offered that job Id hoped for the boss will sponsor my training!(I would have been squeezed otherwise!) and I'm thrilled as I really do like where I work and the people there, hopefully our financial situation will improve . I know it wont be a goldmine but may pay for our holiday or give us some money for saving.
Also and more specially, two people have contacted me from reading this blog, both people who were considering home education and have wanted to ask further questions, meet other home educators here and in their local area.( hello if you are reading)
I never thought anyone would want to read anything I had to say much less say they've been inspired by it! The counter is on 500+. When I started it I would have been amazed to get it to 100 in a year!
Monday, 5 November 2007
Its Oh so quiet!!!!
I wonder how that happened??
We had a quiet weekend,mooched around,watched rugby on TV and Darren caught up on some of those little jobs which never seem to get done here like putting up shelves in Connors room.
It was really nice to spend a whole weekend here instead of work. We watched the fireworks over Caerphilly castle from the top of the mountain. The rabbits were inside because of the fireworks but poor thumper wasnt keen at all rolling into a ball on my lap and shaking!
Yesterday morning it was silent! The kids were absorbed in their new Multiplication Tables colouring book which I found on http://www.he-resources.co.uk/ If you havent checked this site out its really worth a look. Chloe uses these books in school and they seem to be a hit with mine.
Then my neighbours kids arrived for a couple of hours while mum went shopping. Theyve joined us for a home ed event before and came home raving about being home educated( their plan of course was I would educate them all, it would be no problem!). Anyway you'd think double the kids, double the noise but quite the opposite. Silence.... they all became completely absorbed in the things they chose to do, played board games,watched a DVD,cleaned out and played with the bunnies and it was just perfectly peaceful! No fights, no whinging. They will have to come round more often!
Unfortunately Connors got up this morning with a temp and a bad throat so hes caught my lurgy and the Coal house stuffwill have to wait, we did find out you can actually visit the houses where the series is based as they are part of a museum so that will be fun when were up to it.
At least when they are home educated you know they arent faking to get a day off!
We had a quiet weekend,mooched around,watched rugby on TV and Darren caught up on some of those little jobs which never seem to get done here like putting up shelves in Connors room.
It was really nice to spend a whole weekend here instead of work. We watched the fireworks over Caerphilly castle from the top of the mountain. The rabbits were inside because of the fireworks but poor thumper wasnt keen at all rolling into a ball on my lap and shaking!
Yesterday morning it was silent! The kids were absorbed in their new Multiplication Tables colouring book which I found on http://www.he-resources.co.uk/ If you havent checked this site out its really worth a look. Chloe uses these books in school and they seem to be a hit with mine.
Then my neighbours kids arrived for a couple of hours while mum went shopping. Theyve joined us for a home ed event before and came home raving about being home educated( their plan of course was I would educate them all, it would be no problem!). Anyway you'd think double the kids, double the noise but quite the opposite. Silence.... they all became completely absorbed in the things they chose to do, played board games,watched a DVD,cleaned out and played with the bunnies and it was just perfectly peaceful! No fights, no whinging. They will have to come round more often!
Unfortunately Connors got up this morning with a temp and a bad throat so hes caught my lurgy and the Coal house stuffwill have to wait, we did find out you can actually visit the houses where the series is based as they are part of a museum so that will be fun when were up to it.
At least when they are home educated you know they arent faking to get a day off!
Friday, 2 November 2007
UGH..and ARGH and sad stuff and happy stuff
UGH....I'm ill, proper ill, not just a little under the weather. I gave in and visited the doc. Ivce not been to the GP for a year. We've moved house and Ive had to register with the GP in the village. Its probably a good thing or none of us would have ended up registered here!
The GP said it wasnt pneumonia(Ive had that once this year!) and gave me some antibiotics and a sick note and said I needed a week off to just rest.Reluctantly I rang work and booked myself off for the week,I realise I cant work but need the extra work thats on offer so wanted to drag myself in if at all possible.
More importantly it was the first meeting of the Home ed group...there was a fantastic workshop organised, building siege machines and I was stuck on the sofa feeling tearful and useless. Thankfully Darren realised it was a big deal for the kids that they went and so he took a day off work and they went, came back absolutely raving about the fun they had, had got to know some of the kids better and Im really looking to the next one, to be able to make Kate and Neil a cuppa and for me to do the work!!
The ARRGHH was the LEA, weve applied to have Connor statemented,we'd withdrawn him initially because we were unhappy with provision and on the advice of his dyslexia tutor and the educational psychologist at the Dyslexia institute. Being happy with Home ed Im apathetic at the moment, would be thrilled to be able to get a place for him at Chloes school( its worth a try,)if not at least he will have a statement which would help if he wanted to go to school. I had to fill out a form B ( intended for schools!) without the 'guidance descriptors' ( so placing us at a disadvantage- Id love to know what these are, weve never recieved them!) and against a beligerent and obstructive LEA!
Anyway, after a phone call where I was accused by the statementing officer ( and interestingly our 'home ed contact'- the same dept and staff oversee home ed and special needs provision!) who's opening line when I rang to ask for help was "so you are REFUSING to fill in the form..."( funny, I thought Id just rung and said er Im struggling with this form, could you please tell me what you would like me to do??!)
I decided rather than let them pedal mis-information and try and accuse us of hiding anything or not educating Connor at home I would write a report detailing exactly what weve been doing... 6 A4 pages later I was there...(rolleyes) Its quite surprising to detail what weve covered in just 6 months, ok not in absolute diary style but this blog proved invaluable, its amazing the detail you forget!It took me all afternoon but its done. I will do another on Soph to send to the LEA. AFAIK there is enough to satisfy them that S7 is being met.. and more. Id be amazed if state schools could offer the kind of opportunities weve given Connor.( with regards age ability and aptitude.. something his last school wouldnt get close to meeting yet we have to!)
The sad stuff.... Sadly Ray Gravell died on wednesday night on holiday in Majorca.. sad because he was a fine man, someone we had met on several occasions and Chloe and Darren in particular were really upset by his passing. Working in media Darren chatted with him often in the press room at Cardiff. Chloe often in tow after school as a treat. He was a giant of a man and a true gentleman, a real character with a true love for Rugby, people and he never forgot you once he'd chatted with you. I feel for him, having children the same age as his who must be absolutely bereft. Hes also younger than my Dad and my breath is just snatched from me at the thought of my Dad not being with us any more( something I cannot start to contemplate, its too painful) God only knows the pain for his children its incomprehensible
He will be missed. Darrens colleague left a space in a picture at the scarlets tonight, a picture Ray should have been back from holiday and been featured in... just one photographers small way of saying "we miss you"
and he's right, we will...
And the happy stuff( got to end on a happy note) My enforced sickness has left time for happier activities, a lunch with gran,carving the pumpkin a day late ( pic to follow..) and just generally mooching, the rabbits heve had lots of cuddles, no work has been done as such, the kids have rampaged round the street with the local kids, built dens, shown off the bunnies, played CD's and danced and generally had a wonderful time( thank goodness for half term even if the kids keep waking me up!) The kids got the face paints out and Sophie painted Connor, she did a 'hairy six pack'- like dad and rugby players( only dad doesnt any longer have the 6 pack!) and Conor painted spiders and a web on Sophies face- with lots of protests at bathtime!
Tonight I cant go to work, I have no voice beyond a croak, the antibiotics are working... Chloes home from school and her mum is here for the first time in weeks of an evening(friday/sat=-work usually) and were watching the rugby on TV, Im catching up on all Chloes news and chat from the week, Darrens cooking tea and we're all having a real laugh just being together...
The GP said it wasnt pneumonia(Ive had that once this year!) and gave me some antibiotics and a sick note and said I needed a week off to just rest.Reluctantly I rang work and booked myself off for the week,I realise I cant work but need the extra work thats on offer so wanted to drag myself in if at all possible.
More importantly it was the first meeting of the Home ed group...there was a fantastic workshop organised, building siege machines and I was stuck on the sofa feeling tearful and useless. Thankfully Darren realised it was a big deal for the kids that they went and so he took a day off work and they went, came back absolutely raving about the fun they had, had got to know some of the kids better and Im really looking to the next one, to be able to make Kate and Neil a cuppa and for me to do the work!!
The ARRGHH was the LEA, weve applied to have Connor statemented,we'd withdrawn him initially because we were unhappy with provision and on the advice of his dyslexia tutor and the educational psychologist at the Dyslexia institute. Being happy with Home ed Im apathetic at the moment, would be thrilled to be able to get a place for him at Chloes school( its worth a try,)if not at least he will have a statement which would help if he wanted to go to school. I had to fill out a form B ( intended for schools!) without the 'guidance descriptors' ( so placing us at a disadvantage- Id love to know what these are, weve never recieved them!) and against a beligerent and obstructive LEA!
Anyway, after a phone call where I was accused by the statementing officer ( and interestingly our 'home ed contact'- the same dept and staff oversee home ed and special needs provision!) who's opening line when I rang to ask for help was "so you are REFUSING to fill in the form..."( funny, I thought Id just rung and said er Im struggling with this form, could you please tell me what you would like me to do??!)
I decided rather than let them pedal mis-information and try and accuse us of hiding anything or not educating Connor at home I would write a report detailing exactly what weve been doing... 6 A4 pages later I was there...(rolleyes) Its quite surprising to detail what weve covered in just 6 months, ok not in absolute diary style but this blog proved invaluable, its amazing the detail you forget!It took me all afternoon but its done. I will do another on Soph to send to the LEA. AFAIK there is enough to satisfy them that S7 is being met.. and more. Id be amazed if state schools could offer the kind of opportunities weve given Connor.( with regards age ability and aptitude.. something his last school wouldnt get close to meeting yet we have to!)
The sad stuff.... Sadly Ray Gravell died on wednesday night on holiday in Majorca.. sad because he was a fine man, someone we had met on several occasions and Chloe and Darren in particular were really upset by his passing. Working in media Darren chatted with him often in the press room at Cardiff. Chloe often in tow after school as a treat. He was a giant of a man and a true gentleman, a real character with a true love for Rugby, people and he never forgot you once he'd chatted with you. I feel for him, having children the same age as his who must be absolutely bereft. Hes also younger than my Dad and my breath is just snatched from me at the thought of my Dad not being with us any more( something I cannot start to contemplate, its too painful) God only knows the pain for his children its incomprehensible
He will be missed. Darrens colleague left a space in a picture at the scarlets tonight, a picture Ray should have been back from holiday and been featured in... just one photographers small way of saying "we miss you"
and he's right, we will...
And the happy stuff( got to end on a happy note) My enforced sickness has left time for happier activities, a lunch with gran,carving the pumpkin a day late ( pic to follow..) and just generally mooching, the rabbits heve had lots of cuddles, no work has been done as such, the kids have rampaged round the street with the local kids, built dens, shown off the bunnies, played CD's and danced and generally had a wonderful time( thank goodness for half term even if the kids keep waking me up!) The kids got the face paints out and Sophie painted Connor, she did a 'hairy six pack'- like dad and rugby players( only dad doesnt any longer have the 6 pack!) and Conor painted spiders and a web on Sophies face- with lots of protests at bathtime!
Tonight I cant go to work, I have no voice beyond a croak, the antibiotics are working... Chloes home from school and her mum is here for the first time in weeks of an evening(friday/sat=-work usually) and were watching the rugby on TV, Im catching up on all Chloes news and chat from the week, Darrens cooking tea and we're all having a real laugh just being together...
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