Brighter Blessings

Isn't it funny how life works? Feeling dreadful last night to things feeling better, well even OK today... and what caused the turnaround? Finding out that Sophie couldn't go to our local school even if we want her to, we wont get a place and we'd have to appeal. I phoned this morning and we have missed the closing date for applications( something they don't advertise BTW, forms are given out by schools and only to schooled children)The suggestion was we write every month and get turned down in the hope a place becomes available at some point.

There are however places at the second best ( of pretty dire) schools.. no way Hosea!!!.. So that's it, decision made, my hand is forced and she can't go to the local school so shes going to be being home educated. There's no way I'd consider the school we were offered.I know a child there who is begging to be home educated, leaving school every lunchtime and returning home saying "I'm not learning anything worth learning (so whats the point!??) and being returned!

So strangely I feel better about things today. Money is an issue, will continue to be I think but I will see what I can muster to get round it.Ive never been one to wallow for long before looking to a solution and something will come to me, hopefully I will get more hours in work soon.If not I will keep applying for similar opportunities now Ive passed my lifeguarding course.
At least the neighbours got the hint and were quiet last night!A nights sleep has certainly made me feel better

The kids have worked quite industriously on and off all day getting through quite alot of their workbooks and handwriting. Connor has worked in his Human Body project for a bit labelling a skeleton and is now building a Hare skeleton kit which he had for Christmas, shielding it from the rabbit in case she gets upset ( Bless!)

Sophie is working on her lapbook on the Romans having completed a Harry potter exercise( she finally got to the third chapter!!)

They both seem much more settled and happier when they are actively engaged in activities.We tried autonomy and child led learning and despite months of deschooling ( which they certainly benefitted from) it never led to them getting into anything apart from fights with each other and refusal to do anything!So structure it is for us, thats not to say we dont have a degree of autonomy and are very flexible about what, how where and when we do things but without structure it seems we all go mad. Chloes need for structure extends to her thriving in a very traditional 'prep' school environment, alien to anything available here in state schools so I guess its not surprising the others need the 'setting' of at least some of their day! It seems very much to calm and reassure them when theyve 'got their work done and its time for choosing'

I'm getting increasingly disillusioned with CGP Maths books, the english ones are great and cover all sorts but the Maths are a couple of pages on each thing and provide little opportunity for consolidation of ideas.Weve done the letts wizard whimstaff books but again, these are mainly useful for fun and revision. I hated maths at school and Sophie tried Kumon ( BLLEURGH-BORING RIP OFF!!!!!) so I guess Ill have to order a book from several schemes from somewhere like Amazon and give them all a good look through. Im seriously thinking about borrowing from Waldorf and Montessori approaches to maths, the hands on and 'rhythm' of lessons and topics makes so much sense to me when thinking about how my children respond best to things they find challenging!