Joshua is nervously approaching his Show on Saturday, with just the tech rehearsal on Thursday before the performance. He's also finished the website for his Bronze Arts Award "My Hero" project which you can view here.
Samuel is in turn working on his next venture, which is his own gluten free hand made shortbread service! He's designing a website and some leaflets and wants to then leaflet the local area. He's been doing a lot of research and costing it all out, including deciding the best packaging to use.
William seems to be doing increasingly well despite not being able to read properly still. He's even managed to create a movie, drawn in Paint and put together in Movie Maker! As soon as I've got it off of his laptop I will share it.
Jonathan is continuing to shine. As an example, view his latest "performance" on Youtube!
He's also been introduced to the potty, aged 2 1/2, and managed this evening to use it for the first time. He recognises lots of letters, all his numbers up to 10, can count up to 20 in English and 10 in Spanish and is generally scaring the living daylights out of us!
Finally he's allowed someone else other than me to put him to bed. All last week Roarke did it, and then on Friday we were out and my Mum put him to bed.
Roarke and I have been busy, but there have been some highlights. We reviewed a restaurant in Sevenoaks which turned out to be one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. Then, this week, we attended the Gala Reopening Dinner for Limoncello Restaurant in Sidcup. It was a lovely evening (we hosted the Deputy Mayor at our table), including opera by Aspects of Opera, and their new chef proved he was more than up to the task of a four course banquet for around 80 guests. If you live near Sidcup, please go and visit. This weekend they have an Italian Market at the restaurant and you can sign up here to get a voucher for a free cappuccino when you buy a cornetto pastry (yes, it's an Italian pastry - like a croissant - and NOT an ice cream!)
Roarke has actually been quite unwell and is awaiting an appointment with the rheumatologist to try and get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, we're picking back up our Herbalife business and thankfully the nutrition products are working their usual magic and his health is picking back up.
Christmas is a busy time for our church, especially for our community arm, the Hope Foundation. With a Christmas meal for the elderly of the borough, and a Christmas Hamper give away to those in need in the area, it is a very busy time. If you live in the BR, CR, DA or ME postcodes and have any white goods - especially coookers - that are in good condition and full working order, PLEASE contact me as we have many families in dire need who would be very grateful for them. I can collect from any of those areas. Leave a comment on this post with your contact details - all comments are moderated so I will not publish those details but just make a note and use them to get hold of you. Thanks!
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
GRrrrr
I'm seriously stressed over a few things at the moment, not least of all Bromley Council's Housing Benefit department.
We moved in here around 25th May, and only this week did we get a "temporary" award. They have mucked around with our earning figure. We don't earn enough to need an accountant, but the Council wouldn't accept our submission to the Inland Revenue - apparently it may be sufficient for the tax man but not for Bromley. Today we had no less that 6 letters through the door at the same time, dated between 22nd and 25th of August, some contained 4 duplicated pages, another one wasn't even on headed paper but we'd obviously been sent the blank file copy... incompetent doesn't begin to describe it.
The breakdown of our figures that they put in the letter shows us as having "capital" which consists of the balances of two accounts. Now one account contains this month's money for bills, and the other contains next month's rent that we set aside as we go. So we rang to ask them to not include this as "capital". The woman on the phone was very rude saying "we don't include that sort of [low] figure as capital" and when Roarke said "but the letter here includes the figure" she kept saying "you're not listening to me - we don't include it" with Roarke saying "you're not listening to me - I'm asking why then it is in the letter!". It would be laughable if it wasn't so sickeningly important.
Needless to say this award doesn't include our DLA which we submitted to them last week (we've just got the middle award for care and lower for mobility for William).
Other frustrations are too irritating to go into or bore you with!
On a more positive note, Josh is happy because his laptop has been fixed, thanks to a wonderful friend, so he's back online properly. Samuel has started blogging again which is really cool - do stop by his blog and encourage him if you can. I think it's awesome to see how good his spelling is now and I'm not correcting it like I did before. That's all down to autonomous education: up until about 5 months ago I'd say his spelling was poor and certainly not "up to his age expected standard". We do no formal academic learning and nothing has changed. His spends his day playing on the computer, on Star Wars, Club Penguin, Binweevil and others, whilst listening to music on Youtube. Somehow this has led to him learning to spell!
Jonathan has stopped limping finally and seems to be walking properly which is a relief. His speech is really advancing quickly and is something that most people comment on. To all intents and purposes, he is talking "properly" and fully now (at 26 months) because he can express himself fully and in quite complicated sentances. "Mummy, I hurt my foot on toy", "Josh, pick up me", "Daddy, bounce bounce [trampoline] in garden with me please". On top of all that, he has a wicked sense of humour which we are all enjoying. At the dinner table the other day the boys were calling Roarke Winnie the Pooh (or something) and Jonathan piped up "no, Daddy is Minnie Mouse!" and then burst out laughing.
The best thing is that he has started coming up to us independently, giving people a hug, and saying "I love you" :0)
Our tomatoes are cropping regularly and heavily and we've had some lovely meals as a result, including a roasted cherry tomato soup. We are still getting several courgettes a week too.
We moved in here around 25th May, and only this week did we get a "temporary" award. They have mucked around with our earning figure. We don't earn enough to need an accountant, but the Council wouldn't accept our submission to the Inland Revenue - apparently it may be sufficient for the tax man but not for Bromley. Today we had no less that 6 letters through the door at the same time, dated between 22nd and 25th of August, some contained 4 duplicated pages, another one wasn't even on headed paper but we'd obviously been sent the blank file copy... incompetent doesn't begin to describe it.
The breakdown of our figures that they put in the letter shows us as having "capital" which consists of the balances of two accounts. Now one account contains this month's money for bills, and the other contains next month's rent that we set aside as we go. So we rang to ask them to not include this as "capital". The woman on the phone was very rude saying "we don't include that sort of [low] figure as capital" and when Roarke said "but the letter here includes the figure" she kept saying "you're not listening to me - we don't include it" with Roarke saying "you're not listening to me - I'm asking why then it is in the letter!". It would be laughable if it wasn't so sickeningly important.
Needless to say this award doesn't include our DLA which we submitted to them last week (we've just got the middle award for care and lower for mobility for William).
Other frustrations are too irritating to go into or bore you with!
On a more positive note, Josh is happy because his laptop has been fixed, thanks to a wonderful friend, so he's back online properly. Samuel has started blogging again which is really cool - do stop by his blog and encourage him if you can. I think it's awesome to see how good his spelling is now and I'm not correcting it like I did before. That's all down to autonomous education: up until about 5 months ago I'd say his spelling was poor and certainly not "up to his age expected standard". We do no formal academic learning and nothing has changed. His spends his day playing on the computer, on Star Wars, Club Penguin, Binweevil and others, whilst listening to music on Youtube. Somehow this has led to him learning to spell!
Jonathan has stopped limping finally and seems to be walking properly which is a relief. His speech is really advancing quickly and is something that most people comment on. To all intents and purposes, he is talking "properly" and fully now (at 26 months) because he can express himself fully and in quite complicated sentances. "Mummy, I hurt my foot on toy", "Josh, pick up me", "Daddy, bounce bounce [trampoline] in garden with me please". On top of all that, he has a wicked sense of humour which we are all enjoying. At the dinner table the other day the boys were calling Roarke Winnie the Pooh (or something) and Jonathan piped up "no, Daddy is Minnie Mouse!" and then burst out laughing.
The best thing is that he has started coming up to us independently, giving people a hug, and saying "I love you" :0)
Our tomatoes are cropping regularly and heavily and we've had some lovely meals as a result, including a roasted cherry tomato soup. We are still getting several courgettes a week too.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Rising Stars and Purple Clumps
Well it has been a fun two weeks with an immobile toddler! Or rather, an increasingly mobile toddler...
For four days the little fellow didn't want to move anywhere or do anything. Then he realised he could sit on the floor and play. Then he realised he could drag himself around. Shortly after that he realised he could - just about - crawl. The first time he got someone to take him out into the garden he asked to go on the trampoline! Actually that was a good move because he could drag his cast around easier on the soft mat so he took to playing with his cars on there.
On Monday we went to the fracture clinic and they put a fresh cast on it. It needed it as his was black from having been dragged around, and he'd picked off most of the outer bandage!
The difference between the experts and the A&E nurse was to be expected, and the cast is the soft kind, and purple!
It is much lighter, and tighter so is less of an incumberance to him.
So much so that today he started walking again, so now we have the pitter-clump, pitter-clump of him stomping around the house.
Josh had his first paid job today,
a photoshoot in Oxford. Ironically it was for an english text book for Macmillan Education! At least he didn't have to wear a school uniform.
Roarke got up with him at 5.30 this morning and they left at 6am. The shoot was from 9am until about 3pm. Late last night Roarke got a call to say he had a small role in some upcoming film which meant a costume fitting in London today! Macmillan were really cool about it and arrange shooting so that the two of them could leave mid afternoon. They got a train to London, Roarke did his fitting, then got Josh onto a train back to Bromley where he got a bus home.
Roarke has now had to get back to Oxford to pick up the car then drive home!
The things these luvvies have to do for their art
Having Samuel and William is not a good mix - even without clumping 2 year old - and they have only spent a short time together today, the result of which is that Samuel has new scars courtesy of a meltdown from William
Generally, he hasn't been too bad over the past month although we had a three or four day terrible time of it with both William and Samuel. It could have been a mixture of the moon, having had a gluten but not wheat free loaf (CODEX standard still seems to affect autistic kids), and/or having had juice from concentrate for three days. Who knows.
Tomorrow I have Jonathan's paediatrician appointment and I really REALLY hope I can get progress. I am raising the issue of reflux (no pun intended) and hoping to get some further response as to why my two year old can still scream all night in pain.
Jonathan really is chatting away non stop now, and it is fabulous - though sometimes wearing - to have a child who by two is already able to communicate so easily. Examples of speech: "mummy, something eat, rais-rais please", or going on the phone to his Nanny and as well as answering her questions, then asking "Nanny, what doing?" to show he can take part in a conversation for real! He was sitting up the table here as I typed this, and has just said "mummy, me down floor NOW!" as if to make his point :0)
On Monday it was also Roarke's birthday. We'd had a family take away on Sunday night (for the boys - "family tradition" they call it!). Roarke got a new mp3 player from us, which he was really pleased with. I'd got in croissants for breakfast (the closest I could get to breakfast in Paris for his birthday!), we had pannini for lunch (the boys had pizza), and then in the afternoon went for a lovely walk around Keston and up to look at Wilberforce's seat.
Mum offered to take the lads so that we could go out for a meal so we ventured out (in the thunderstorm!) and went to Cafe Rouge in Chislehurst - again, as close to dinner in France as I could get for the poor man! The meal was ok, but I'd rather have been in France.
A theme running through the week, as ever since we moved in, is the boiler locking out on a regular basis. British Gas have changed every part they can, everything the manufacturer says to do - and still it locks out. I think we have had hot water and shower every two to three days on average.
Talking of themes, the massive thunderstorm here last night happened whilst I was out. Driving back from Sainsburys - only 5 minutes away - the hail was so strong that all the cars pulled over for a while. Then I saw that the dip in the road ahead had flooded.... FLASHBACK! I just couldn't bring myself to drive through it - the water was over and above the headlights of the cars going through - so I drove a mile out of my way to get around to the house. Even then I drove through flooded roads for most of the way. Even the edge of our driveway was under water!
I got in to find that Jonathan was asleep - two hours earlier than usual - and William and Samuel were outside in the rain! They were having a whale of a time in the thunderstorm, doing their "flood tests" that they developed two years ago staying in Leek!
Right, I'd better go and sort them all out for bed, then stay up and wait for my biggest lad to get home
For four days the little fellow didn't want to move anywhere or do anything. Then he realised he could sit on the floor and play. Then he realised he could drag himself around. Shortly after that he realised he could - just about - crawl. The first time he got someone to take him out into the garden he asked to go on the trampoline! Actually that was a good move because he could drag his cast around easier on the soft mat so he took to playing with his cars on there.
On Monday we went to the fracture clinic and they put a fresh cast on it. It needed it as his was black from having been dragged around, and he'd picked off most of the outer bandage!The difference between the experts and the A&E nurse was to be expected, and the cast is the soft kind, and purple!
It is much lighter, and tighter so is less of an incumberance to him.
So much so that today he started walking again, so now we have the pitter-clump, pitter-clump of him stomping around the house.
Josh had his first paid job today,
a photoshoot in Oxford. Ironically it was for an english text book for Macmillan Education! At least he didn't have to wear a school uniform.Roarke got up with him at 5.30 this morning and they left at 6am. The shoot was from 9am until about 3pm. Late last night Roarke got a call to say he had a small role in some upcoming film which meant a costume fitting in London today! Macmillan were really cool about it and arrange shooting so that the two of them could leave mid afternoon. They got a train to London, Roarke did his fitting, then got Josh onto a train back to Bromley where he got a bus home.
Roarke has now had to get back to Oxford to pick up the car then drive home!
The things these luvvies have to do for their art
Having Samuel and William is not a good mix - even without clumping 2 year old - and they have only spent a short time together today, the result of which is that Samuel has new scars courtesy of a meltdown from William
Generally, he hasn't been too bad over the past month although we had a three or four day terrible time of it with both William and Samuel. It could have been a mixture of the moon, having had a gluten but not wheat free loaf (CODEX standard still seems to affect autistic kids), and/or having had juice from concentrate for three days. Who knows.
Tomorrow I have Jonathan's paediatrician appointment and I really REALLY hope I can get progress. I am raising the issue of reflux (no pun intended) and hoping to get some further response as to why my two year old can still scream all night in pain.
Jonathan really is chatting away non stop now, and it is fabulous - though sometimes wearing - to have a child who by two is already able to communicate so easily. Examples of speech: "mummy, something eat, rais-rais please", or going on the phone to his Nanny and as well as answering her questions, then asking "Nanny, what doing?" to show he can take part in a conversation for real! He was sitting up the table here as I typed this, and has just said "mummy, me down floor NOW!" as if to make his point :0)
On Monday it was also Roarke's birthday. We'd had a family take away on Sunday night (for the boys - "family tradition" they call it!). Roarke got a new mp3 player from us, which he was really pleased with. I'd got in croissants for breakfast (the closest I could get to breakfast in Paris for his birthday!), we had pannini for lunch (the boys had pizza), and then in the afternoon went for a lovely walk around Keston and up to look at Wilberforce's seat.
Mum offered to take the lads so that we could go out for a meal so we ventured out (in the thunderstorm!) and went to Cafe Rouge in Chislehurst - again, as close to dinner in France as I could get for the poor man! The meal was ok, but I'd rather have been in France.A theme running through the week, as ever since we moved in, is the boiler locking out on a regular basis. British Gas have changed every part they can, everything the manufacturer says to do - and still it locks out. I think we have had hot water and shower every two to three days on average.
Talking of themes, the massive thunderstorm here last night happened whilst I was out. Driving back from Sainsburys - only 5 minutes away - the hail was so strong that all the cars pulled over for a while. Then I saw that the dip in the road ahead had flooded.... FLASHBACK! I just couldn't bring myself to drive through it - the water was over and above the headlights of the cars going through - so I drove a mile out of my way to get around to the house. Even then I drove through flooded roads for most of the way. Even the edge of our driveway was under water!
I got in to find that Jonathan was asleep - two hours earlier than usual - and William and Samuel were outside in the rain! They were having a whale of a time in the thunderstorm, doing their "flood tests" that they developed two years ago staying in Leek!
Right, I'd better go and sort them all out for bed, then stay up and wait for my biggest lad to get home
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
So far..
Apart from having just burnt my arm on a removable bottomed cake tin (long story, which I've already bored my friends on Facebook with), what else have we been up to?
Samuel had a day long birthday celebration with one of his friends on Saturday. They kindly invited Josh to, so they went to the cinema, then to the Noodle House. Josh then came back and Samuel went on with the others to the swimming pool.
Roarke spent the day focusing on William and Jonathan. Amusingly he noted how William didn't stop talking once during the day! Where was I? A seven and a half hour Education Otherwise Government Policy Group meeting in London! It involved a tube journey on my own which was pants (I am phobic about enclosed spaces since being bullied at secondary school) and then a LOT of talking. Still, we covered loads of ground, collated feedback, argued points, and generally thrashed out the basis of another submission to the home education review from EO.
It was actually fascinating to have the luxury of such a long debate, child free, for once with other home educators face to face.
William this week did the Crucial Crew safety tests - one of the first things that Samuel and Josh did when they came out of school! For someone like William it is really important to drum those safety messages in, so I intend to get him to do it regularly. Josh kindly sat with him to do it, which was of benefit to both of them.
This week Josh has signed up to become a Young Reviewer for Bachtrack which, as well as broadening his knowledge will also hopefully become part of his Bronze Arts Award course.
We're really struggling still with William, and his violence. Only today he provoked Samuel to such a point that Samuel totally and utterly lost it, and ended up rushing into the kitchen to grab a knife... I know he was doing it more to demonstrate his pain than actually intending to harm himself, but it is still just as heartbreaking, just as scary, and still reinforces yet again how bad it could have been for him to stay in school.
He ended up with a nose bleed and fresh bruises and marks to his neck from William. William forgets it all within seconds which, as it took a while to get the story (Samuel wouldn't tell us so I had to ask Josh) it ended up too late to do anything about it in terms of any discipline or discussion with William - he simply would not remember what we were talking about.
We are trying to find ways to give Samuel the space he needs away from William but it remains difficult all the time we are here - I do hope the Council sort a 4 bed out for us soon :0(
Jonathan continues to grow his vocabulary and his precociousness. We've had to move the phone because he's worked out that he can press the call button to make the phone ring and then he picks it up and pretends he's answering the phone. However cute it is, it is still annoying - especially because he has already once actually answered the phone when it was ringing (its one of those that connects as soon as you pick the handset up) - we still have no idea who it was who rang that day as they never called back or if they did they didn't say they had first spoken to a toddler! He just held the phone and said "yes, yes, yes" but by the time we got the phone from him they'd hung up!
He also likes walking along the window sill of the bay window of our room which is equally cute and even more dangerous.
Josh is pleased that our HE group is starting up some more sailing practice soon at Danson. I gave Samuel the chance to try again (as they are also running another level 1 course) but he said a very firm no.
Samuel had a day long birthday celebration with one of his friends on Saturday. They kindly invited Josh to, so they went to the cinema, then to the Noodle House. Josh then came back and Samuel went on with the others to the swimming pool.
Roarke spent the day focusing on William and Jonathan. Amusingly he noted how William didn't stop talking once during the day! Where was I? A seven and a half hour Education Otherwise Government Policy Group meeting in London! It involved a tube journey on my own which was pants (I am phobic about enclosed spaces since being bullied at secondary school) and then a LOT of talking. Still, we covered loads of ground, collated feedback, argued points, and generally thrashed out the basis of another submission to the home education review from EO.
It was actually fascinating to have the luxury of such a long debate, child free, for once with other home educators face to face.
William this week did the Crucial Crew safety tests - one of the first things that Samuel and Josh did when they came out of school! For someone like William it is really important to drum those safety messages in, so I intend to get him to do it regularly. Josh kindly sat with him to do it, which was of benefit to both of them.
This week Josh has signed up to become a Young Reviewer for Bachtrack which, as well as broadening his knowledge will also hopefully become part of his Bronze Arts Award course.
We're really struggling still with William, and his violence. Only today he provoked Samuel to such a point that Samuel totally and utterly lost it, and ended up rushing into the kitchen to grab a knife... I know he was doing it more to demonstrate his pain than actually intending to harm himself, but it is still just as heartbreaking, just as scary, and still reinforces yet again how bad it could have been for him to stay in school.
He ended up with a nose bleed and fresh bruises and marks to his neck from William. William forgets it all within seconds which, as it took a while to get the story (Samuel wouldn't tell us so I had to ask Josh) it ended up too late to do anything about it in terms of any discipline or discussion with William - he simply would not remember what we were talking about.
We are trying to find ways to give Samuel the space he needs away from William but it remains difficult all the time we are here - I do hope the Council sort a 4 bed out for us soon :0(
Jonathan continues to grow his vocabulary and his precociousness. We've had to move the phone because he's worked out that he can press the call button to make the phone ring and then he picks it up and pretends he's answering the phone. However cute it is, it is still annoying - especially because he has already once actually answered the phone when it was ringing (its one of those that connects as soon as you pick the handset up) - we still have no idea who it was who rang that day as they never called back or if they did they didn't say they had first spoken to a toddler! He just held the phone and said "yes, yes, yes" but by the time we got the phone from him they'd hung up!
He also likes walking along the window sill of the bay window of our room which is equally cute and even more dangerous.
Josh is pleased that our HE group is starting up some more sailing practice soon at Danson. I gave Samuel the chance to try again (as they are also running another level 1 course) but he said a very firm no.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Castings and Flu
Only two themes to the week really!
Jonathan had his first ever casting on Tuesday. It went well but he didn't get it. Still, first one under our belt so... Roarke had two castings. One was quite exciting as it was for one of THE biggest cult show currently on tv and involved him knowing details of a certain Easter Special....
However, over and above all that (and partly a reason why I don't think the poor guy will have got either role) is that Roarke saw the dr this week and was told he has flu (the real deal, not man flu!) as well as a chest infection. He's been really really unwell with it and is barely responding to the antibiotics :0(
Now Jonathan has gone down with a virus, I started getting ill yesterday, and this evening poor Joshua is rough.
A highlight of the week was some home ed friends coming over during the week who we hadn't seen for ages, as well as meeting a (new to us) family on Monday, with a teen that "clicked" with Josh.
Tomorrow we have a family Christmas day, as Mum is cooking "Christmas dinner" for us and for my brother and his family. I think my lot will be sitting in the corner with masks on, clutching hot water bottles!
Jonathan had his first ever casting on Tuesday. It went well but he didn't get it. Still, first one under our belt so... Roarke had two castings. One was quite exciting as it was for one of THE biggest cult show currently on tv and involved him knowing details of a certain Easter Special....
However, over and above all that (and partly a reason why I don't think the poor guy will have got either role) is that Roarke saw the dr this week and was told he has flu (the real deal, not man flu!) as well as a chest infection. He's been really really unwell with it and is barely responding to the antibiotics :0(
Now Jonathan has gone down with a virus, I started getting ill yesterday, and this evening poor Joshua is rough.
A highlight of the week was some home ed friends coming over during the week who we hadn't seen for ages, as well as meeting a (new to us) family on Monday, with a teen that "clicked" with Josh.
Tomorrow we have a family Christmas day, as Mum is cooking "Christmas dinner" for us and for my brother and his family. I think my lot will be sitting in the corner with masks on, clutching hot water bottles!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Here, there and everywhere.
Roarke has been away most of this week. He's been in Portsmouth, Welwyn Garden City, Milton Keynes, Birmingham... today he's been in London on the first day of what is hopefully five days filming on Dominic Savage's new drama for BBC 2, "Freefall". I'm waiting to hear from him now!
Josh has been rehearsing - another 7 hours this week. Getting him to and from the rehearsals has meant a lot of juggling around, and Mum having the other kids in the gaps between Roarke and I getting in/going out. When he isn't rehearsing, he's on World of Warcraft.
Samuel and William are therefore together a lot more, and this is going reasonably well. William has done some more stuff on Education City and has been asking about his letters. He was proud to show me that he could recite the alphabet - but it soon became obvious when asking him to point to them, that he couldn't actually recognise which letter was which of the ones he had just said. Still, it is all his own self directed learning, so I think he's doing really well.
I met a new home educator this week who came around for a chat about their contact from their LA.
Jonathan seems to have discovered eating this week. You know I've had problems from the start, well now he won't STOP eating! Slice of toast and marmite at 8am. Bowl of cereal (dry) at 9am. Packet of Organix carrot and corriander sticks at 10am. Lunch at 12. Breastmilk at 2. He woke at 4 and immediately he came downstairs he picked up a toy bowl and went and stood at the kitchen stair gate pointing at the cupboard! He had his dinner at 4.40, including pudding, and asked still for more. He then had two home made cookies, then climbed up next to Mum eating her dinner and pestered her for stuff off her plate. Then he ate an apple rice cake. Then he hassled Mum for some of her orange!
Also...... yesterday we gave him a fromage frais at lunch - and there was no reaction. I did the same again today at lunch and nothing. No difference in his colic (which has been bad again).
I'm now wondering if he is suffering heartburn and/or reflux, hence wanting to eat little and often. It will be interesting to see if eating like this eases the symptoms.
But........ it means I can eat CHEESE again for the first time in 14 months! I'd better not go mad on it or the weight I lost will all pile back on. Mind you, its nearly Christmas, so being able to eat almost normally might well prove my downfall...
Mustn't count chickens though, but it is looking hopeful!
Josh has been rehearsing - another 7 hours this week. Getting him to and from the rehearsals has meant a lot of juggling around, and Mum having the other kids in the gaps between Roarke and I getting in/going out. When he isn't rehearsing, he's on World of Warcraft.
Samuel and William are therefore together a lot more, and this is going reasonably well. William has done some more stuff on Education City and has been asking about his letters. He was proud to show me that he could recite the alphabet - but it soon became obvious when asking him to point to them, that he couldn't actually recognise which letter was which of the ones he had just said. Still, it is all his own self directed learning, so I think he's doing really well.
I met a new home educator this week who came around for a chat about their contact from their LA.
Jonathan seems to have discovered eating this week. You know I've had problems from the start, well now he won't STOP eating! Slice of toast and marmite at 8am. Bowl of cereal (dry) at 9am. Packet of Organix carrot and corriander sticks at 10am. Lunch at 12. Breastmilk at 2. He woke at 4 and immediately he came downstairs he picked up a toy bowl and went and stood at the kitchen stair gate pointing at the cupboard! He had his dinner at 4.40, including pudding, and asked still for more. He then had two home made cookies, then climbed up next to Mum eating her dinner and pestered her for stuff off her plate. Then he ate an apple rice cake. Then he hassled Mum for some of her orange!
Also...... yesterday we gave him a fromage frais at lunch - and there was no reaction. I did the same again today at lunch and nothing. No difference in his colic (which has been bad again).
I'm now wondering if he is suffering heartburn and/or reflux, hence wanting to eat little and often. It will be interesting to see if eating like this eases the symptoms.
But........ it means I can eat CHEESE again for the first time in 14 months! I'd better not go mad on it or the weight I lost will all pile back on. Mind you, its nearly Christmas, so being able to eat almost normally might well prove my downfall...
Mustn't count chickens though, but it is looking hopeful!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Poorly Baby Again
Poor old Jonathan can't seem to shake whatever this is. Off to the doctor tomorrow for us as he has taken another turn for the worse :0( He hasn't eaten properly for 9 days, didn't sleep last night (I sat up on the sofa the entire night with him), and has slept on an off, cried on and off, and been listless all day...
He is noticably losing weight too.
Everyone else has recovered now, though each of us had a minor set back a few days after recovering - either the way the bug works or the results of us all being around others who are ill before our immune systems have recovered fully.
Sunday we had a family over for "high tea" which made a nice change, though as usual I over catered - made worse by my lot not eating as much as usual! Anyone for courgette cake?!
Yesterday I had to take Josh to an audition. I really REALLY didn't want to leave Jonathan with Mum, but Roarke was filming his bit for Patient17 in Essex and as it was the first audition Josh has got, I also really REALLY didn't want to let him down. So, despite my personal hang up about tubes, we took a trip out to the Harrow campus of the University of Westminster, where the audition was.
Josh was not fazed AT ALL by the audition! Took it so casually - once again, this is a testament to home ed. He felt it went well, which is the most important thing.
Today I was in London as part of an EO delegation meeting with the House of Lords Minister for Children, Schools and Families. Should be stuff on the campaign site about it soon. I hated leaving Jonathan again, though at least Roarke was around for all but the last 2 hours of it, and I didn't make the decision to still go until 1/2 hr before my train. Jonathan at that point was fairly happy and looked ok, but by the time I got back tonight around 5.30 he was back poorly. He's done nothing but doze on my shoulder since, and is now on Roarke whilst I try to get a few emails cleared down.
He is noticably losing weight too.
Everyone else has recovered now, though each of us had a minor set back a few days after recovering - either the way the bug works or the results of us all being around others who are ill before our immune systems have recovered fully.
Sunday we had a family over for "high tea" which made a nice change, though as usual I over catered - made worse by my lot not eating as much as usual! Anyone for courgette cake?!
Yesterday I had to take Josh to an audition. I really REALLY didn't want to leave Jonathan with Mum, but Roarke was filming his bit for Patient17 in Essex and as it was the first audition Josh has got, I also really REALLY didn't want to let him down. So, despite my personal hang up about tubes, we took a trip out to the Harrow campus of the University of Westminster, where the audition was.
Josh was not fazed AT ALL by the audition! Took it so casually - once again, this is a testament to home ed. He felt it went well, which is the most important thing.
Today I was in London as part of an EO delegation meeting with the House of Lords Minister for Children, Schools and Families. Should be stuff on the campaign site about it soon. I hated leaving Jonathan again, though at least Roarke was around for all but the last 2 hours of it, and I didn't make the decision to still go until 1/2 hr before my train. Jonathan at that point was fairly happy and looked ok, but by the time I got back tonight around 5.30 he was back poorly. He's done nothing but doze on my shoulder since, and is now on Roarke whilst I try to get a few emails cleared down.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Sick, Sick, Sick!
If you aren't linked up to me on Facebook, then you might not know that my absence over the past week has been due to the whole family having some kind of winter vomiting virus. If you are on my friend list, you will have seen graphic updates!
Sunday night Jonathan became ill, as did my mother. He got worse during the day, and was amazingly sick in our bed during the night (the old change-the-sheets-in-the-middle-of-the-night routine!). Tuesday I came down with it - and then Roarke headed off to be away for three days on business!
By dinner time Joshua was also ill.
Wednesday William looked unwell but got extremely, violently angry with me when I wouldn't let him go to our next door neighbour's house to play with the granddaughter, in case he passed it on.
"BUT I'M NOT SICK!" he kept screaming at the top of his voice, in between screaming "I HATE YOU!".
Two hours later he was also comprehensively sick everywhere! This time it was the bedroom carpet, and all his clothes...
Samuel kept eating merrily away, very happy that he wasn't ill.
I went to bed at 8.15 that night, really ill myself, leaving my 13 and my 10 year old up!
10 year old, who had even had supper, came up to bed at 9pm. At 11pm he was spectacularly sick everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
Poor kid woke up and thought he had to get to the toilet. So he ran from his room, across the landing, to the toilet. Whilst projectile vomiting.
After having had chicken and rice for dinner.
I know, too much information, but really this is ALL I've been dealing with all week! I have scrubbed walls, floors, carpets, he even managed to hit a toy box and so found THAT full as well... FOUR TIMES we've scrubbed the hall carpet. And I can still smell it.
I'm seriously considering getting a new carpet...
Jonathan stayed ill the longest. At one point I was having flashbacks to William's meningitus scare when he was 6 weeks old, because Jonathan was floppy, listless, crying feebly all day. Fortunately he has recovered and is almost back to himself - about 80% today.
The only other things that happened this week was Josh going to see STOMP today with the group he is doing the play with. They got to meet the cast afterwards which was cool.
Also, we got Josh a subscription to World of Warcraft for his birthday and tonight, after 2 days of downloading patches, he finally got on the game.
I doubt we'll ever see him come out of his room again!
Sunday night Jonathan became ill, as did my mother. He got worse during the day, and was amazingly sick in our bed during the night (the old change-the-sheets-in-the-middle-of-the-night routine!). Tuesday I came down with it - and then Roarke headed off to be away for three days on business!
By dinner time Joshua was also ill.
Wednesday William looked unwell but got extremely, violently angry with me when I wouldn't let him go to our next door neighbour's house to play with the granddaughter, in case he passed it on.
"BUT I'M NOT SICK!" he kept screaming at the top of his voice, in between screaming "I HATE YOU!".
Two hours later he was also comprehensively sick everywhere! This time it was the bedroom carpet, and all his clothes...
Samuel kept eating merrily away, very happy that he wasn't ill.
I went to bed at 8.15 that night, really ill myself, leaving my 13 and my 10 year old up!
10 year old, who had even had supper, came up to bed at 9pm. At 11pm he was spectacularly sick everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
Poor kid woke up and thought he had to get to the toilet. So he ran from his room, across the landing, to the toilet. Whilst projectile vomiting.
After having had chicken and rice for dinner.
I know, too much information, but really this is ALL I've been dealing with all week! I have scrubbed walls, floors, carpets, he even managed to hit a toy box and so found THAT full as well... FOUR TIMES we've scrubbed the hall carpet. And I can still smell it.
I'm seriously considering getting a new carpet...
Jonathan stayed ill the longest. At one point I was having flashbacks to William's meningitus scare when he was 6 weeks old, because Jonathan was floppy, listless, crying feebly all day. Fortunately he has recovered and is almost back to himself - about 80% today.
The only other things that happened this week was Josh going to see STOMP today with the group he is doing the play with. They got to meet the cast afterwards which was cool.
Also, we got Josh a subscription to World of Warcraft for his birthday and tonight, after 2 days of downloading patches, he finally got on the game.
I doubt we'll ever see him come out of his room again!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Normal Life
Sshhh! Don't tell anyone... I've shut the door, turned down the phones, the baby is in bed... and I'm going to blog!
I think I'm so busy these days that blogging seems self indulgent and anything about "me" is at the bottom of a very very long list of things to do.
When I first started blogging I had every intention of blogging daily, partly as a writing exercise. Then it became about keeping a record of what we had been up to. As people starting telling me that they read my blog I became conscious of wanting to explain things and go into detail, to help any one considering home education who was reading the blog to see what it was like.
These days however we are so much further along the route of autonomous education that the blog seems "just" a record of our lives - which to my mind is boring! I can't imagine why someone would want to read it, so I struggle to write it.
So, what *have* we been up to in our boring lives?!
Joshua was accepted for the youth production! I've updated the "News" on his website to show the details. He's also on Runescape a lot, and recently has been back on to LEGO digital designer to create some more models.
Samuel is on the pc quite a bit, mainly on Club Penguin or on things like YouTube. Not so sure about YouTube... at least it is mainly looking for things about Dr Who, and he was pleased to find Camp Rock on there...
William loves having a computer to himself, even if it isn't connected to the internet and plays on Stronghold or uses his Learning Land cds. He recently spent an hour on Education City and completed the whole of the year one science section - all with gold stars!
Just wish he was more interested in putting the effort into reading, but I am sitting on my hands (when they aren't covering my mouth) in my attempts to remain true to "autonomy" and not "making" him learn!
Roarke is busy with his January seminar. The information on the 'net should be finished soon so I can show it to you.
He's also had back the DVD for his first short film - there is a lot of his back in it! Oh and his fight scene. Today he is filming for his third short film up in Ilford. He's the one supporting actor to the two main characters.
Me? Er... busy writing websites for Roarke, keeping up with the EO webteam stuff, keeping up with Jonathan - which is a full time job! Grief that child is quick! He is chatting away now, with more and more descernible words. Everything with four legs and furry is a "dog", no fur and it is a "cow" (or 'ow as he calls it). Birds are all ducks (understandably). Anything with wheels is a car. At night when we go into our bedroom to put him to bed he goes "darrrrkkk"! He also loves going up to people and hugging them, accompanied by either him saying "ahhh" or "'ug"!
Must get more batteries for this blasted camera so that I can put some pictures up.
I am busy organising a firework party for our HE group, which we've done every year since we started home educating. It looks like we'll have a good turnout too.
That's it. That's the most interesting stuff!
I think I'm so busy these days that blogging seems self indulgent and anything about "me" is at the bottom of a very very long list of things to do.
When I first started blogging I had every intention of blogging daily, partly as a writing exercise. Then it became about keeping a record of what we had been up to. As people starting telling me that they read my blog I became conscious of wanting to explain things and go into detail, to help any one considering home education who was reading the blog to see what it was like.
These days however we are so much further along the route of autonomous education that the blog seems "just" a record of our lives - which to my mind is boring! I can't imagine why someone would want to read it, so I struggle to write it.
So, what *have* we been up to in our boring lives?!
Joshua was accepted for the youth production! I've updated the "News" on his website to show the details. He's also on Runescape a lot, and recently has been back on to LEGO digital designer to create some more models.
Samuel is on the pc quite a bit, mainly on Club Penguin or on things like YouTube. Not so sure about YouTube... at least it is mainly looking for things about Dr Who, and he was pleased to find Camp Rock on there...
William loves having a computer to himself, even if it isn't connected to the internet and plays on Stronghold or uses his Learning Land cds. He recently spent an hour on Education City and completed the whole of the year one science section - all with gold stars!
Just wish he was more interested in putting the effort into reading, but I am sitting on my hands (when they aren't covering my mouth) in my attempts to remain true to "autonomy" and not "making" him learn!
Roarke is busy with his January seminar. The information on the 'net should be finished soon so I can show it to you.
He's also had back the DVD for his first short film - there is a lot of his back in it! Oh and his fight scene. Today he is filming for his third short film up in Ilford. He's the one supporting actor to the two main characters.
Me? Er... busy writing websites for Roarke, keeping up with the EO webteam stuff, keeping up with Jonathan - which is a full time job! Grief that child is quick! He is chatting away now, with more and more descernible words. Everything with four legs and furry is a "dog", no fur and it is a "cow" (or 'ow as he calls it). Birds are all ducks (understandably). Anything with wheels is a car. At night when we go into our bedroom to put him to bed he goes "darrrrkkk"! He also loves going up to people and hugging them, accompanied by either him saying "ahhh" or "'ug"!
Must get more batteries for this blasted camera so that I can put some pictures up.
I am busy organising a firework party for our HE group, which we've done every year since we started home educating. It looks like we'll have a good turnout too.
That's it. That's the most interesting stuff!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Where I Have Been Instead of Blogging
.... well if you've seen the new EO site then you'll know!
This project has taken every scrap of spare time over the past 2 months and more, and has definately taken some of the time that I used to blog.
Other than that, life goes on. Samuel and William have hooked up with a science and maths tutor group for home educators that THEY asked to go to, THEY loved, and THEY want to go back again! Wonders will never cease!
Josh has a new loft bed, and therefore a revamped bedroom more appropriate for a teenager.
Roarke's laptop has gone off for fixing, prompting the purchase of another one which he now has; the idea being that the fixed one, on its return, will go to Josh as a sort of birthday present. Joshua's internet linked pc will therefore go to Samuel, and William gets as his own the non-internet pc that all his learning land cds work on.
Talking of hand me downs, I'm also getting Roarke's phone (he, of course, gets the new one!) so that I am "mobile" again. However, Joshua's mobile has now packed up! ARRGHGHGH!
Jonathan is currently sitting on the dining room table (yes I did say ON) and generally looking cute whilst being a complete little monster.
Last weekend Jonathan was ill (as I managed to update on Facebook) and so was I, yet despite that I catered for the EO trustee meeting (including gluten free/dairy free option), my brother's birthday party (providing the cake), and for a dedication at church (gluten free rolls).
update on Jonathan - he's just got the tv remote and removed the batteries..... that is my cue to go....
This project has taken every scrap of spare time over the past 2 months and more, and has definately taken some of the time that I used to blog.
Other than that, life goes on. Samuel and William have hooked up with a science and maths tutor group for home educators that THEY asked to go to, THEY loved, and THEY want to go back again! Wonders will never cease!
Josh has a new loft bed, and therefore a revamped bedroom more appropriate for a teenager.
Roarke's laptop has gone off for fixing, prompting the purchase of another one which he now has; the idea being that the fixed one, on its return, will go to Josh as a sort of birthday present. Joshua's internet linked pc will therefore go to Samuel, and William gets as his own the non-internet pc that all his learning land cds work on.
Talking of hand me downs, I'm also getting Roarke's phone (he, of course, gets the new one!) so that I am "mobile" again. However, Joshua's mobile has now packed up! ARRGHGHGH!
Jonathan is currently sitting on the dining room table (yes I did say ON) and generally looking cute whilst being a complete little monster.
Last weekend Jonathan was ill (as I managed to update on Facebook) and so was I, yet despite that I catered for the EO trustee meeting (including gluten free/dairy free option), my brother's birthday party (providing the cake), and for a dedication at church (gluten free rolls).
update on Jonathan - he's just got the tv remote and removed the batteries..... that is my cue to go....
Friday, September 05, 2008
Star Struck Family
On Wednesday Roarke and I were so busy, and feeling so behind on everything, that we timetabled our day to the minute. We agreed who was working and who had the kids for every moment of the day, and set aside enough time for each of us to achieve a large amount of work.
Needless to say, the phone rang for Roarke, the media rang for me, I took EO enquiries (going up already with the start of a new school year...) and generally the timetable went out the window. However, we both DID achieve a lot so that was the main thing.
Yesterday was busy in other ways. In the morning a courier turned up with a digital camera for Joshua to film his video diary of a day in the life of a home ed kid (for the feature on Monday's BBC London evening news - watch it if you can or watch online!).
He had something cool to film, as we set out to go for his photo shoot for the modelling agency, for his portfolio.
Want to see the results? Well check out the website that I wrote for him when we got back! http://www.joshnewstead.co.uk/ Let me know what you think of the site! And his photos!
Needless to say, the phone rang for Roarke, the media rang for me, I took EO enquiries (going up already with the start of a new school year...) and generally the timetable went out the window. However, we both DID achieve a lot so that was the main thing.
Yesterday was busy in other ways. In the morning a courier turned up with a digital camera for Joshua to film his video diary of a day in the life of a home ed kid (for the feature on Monday's BBC London evening news - watch it if you can or watch online!).
He had something cool to film, as we set out to go for his photo shoot for the modelling agency, for his portfolio.
Want to see the results? Well check out the website that I wrote for him when we got back! http://www.joshnewstead.co.uk/ Let me know what you think of the site! And his photos!
The boys bought a new computer game whilst we were out (we took all the boys so that they felt treated, and also because the agency wanted a family photo in case they get family work in). It is one where you design, build and then run your own hotel. As both William and Samuel have a big "thing" about owning their own restaurants one day, this is keeping them more than occupied! Apparently its the best game ever :0)
Josh bought a key stage three text guide to The Tempest. Ok not as fun as a game but hey he's the one who wants to be an actor!
Today Josh passed the camera onto someone else in the group to film a second video diary. We've got the reporter here on Monday filming families from our group and doing some interviews.
Jonathan also had his photos done today for the agency. We didn't pay the agency rates, but used a great guy in our church who offered to do them for less. I've just GOT to post two of the photos:
Well I'd give him work, wouldn't you?!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
another week
Oops! Another week gone...
Last week I attended a meeting with DCSF, on behalf of Education Otherwise. It was an exhausting meeting - and all the preparation to it - but worth it.
On a personal note, it meant a whole 5 hours away from Jonathan; longest I've left him previously was 2 hours. Roarke had him all day and he was very good for his Dad, which was a relief. It felt very odd being "me" instead of being mum, or wife, etc. Wierd, but good.
William got going on his "year 1" level maths on Education City, and just whizzed through it all without any hassle. Maths is definately his "thing". Samuel is up to multiplying fractions, LCDs and the such like on the maths upgrade.
Joshua has his photo shoot on Thursday this week. We are all going as they want a couple of family shots, in case they have work offered for a whole family. Samuel and William would love to do the modelling but Samuel knows he couldn't cope (and we know William is too unstable to be in such a commitment) so the family opportunity might mean they at least get a chance to do something.
On Monday 8th September BBC London are doing a feature on home education on their evening news show (6.30 show). They are filming our HE group on that day, and this week two teens - including Josh - are getting the chance to do a video diary. Great stuff for the kids, and Josh is really chuffed as he's always wanted to do something like this. He wants to video the kids going to school over the road so we had a chat - not just about privacy laws (!) but also about not making comments that could be taken as negative against school kids. After all, its not their fault they are in school!
We have had some nice trips out, like the one this week to Shorne Park with two other HE families. All of us with at least one aspie kid, it was so good because not only do all our kids seem to really gell, but so do the three mums!
Roarke has got a part in a proper feature film, that he auditioned for a few weeks ago. Not sure how big the part is, but its a speaking role, as a prosecutor in a court case, and the case is a major part of the film... its a deferred payment one, so he gets paid if it is successful. Don't knock it - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was a deferred payment film!
Jonathan now has 12 teeth, can climb the bookcase, push chairs around the front room to climb on to reach all the stuff put out of his reach, has broken my mobile phone (a mixture of eating it and dropping it), waves at the tv if anyone says goodbye or hello, and now walks around to kiss everyone in turn when you tell him its time for bed!
Last week I attended a meeting with DCSF, on behalf of Education Otherwise. It was an exhausting meeting - and all the preparation to it - but worth it.
On a personal note, it meant a whole 5 hours away from Jonathan; longest I've left him previously was 2 hours. Roarke had him all day and he was very good for his Dad, which was a relief. It felt very odd being "me" instead of being mum, or wife, etc. Wierd, but good.
William got going on his "year 1" level maths on Education City, and just whizzed through it all without any hassle. Maths is definately his "thing". Samuel is up to multiplying fractions, LCDs and the such like on the maths upgrade.
Joshua has his photo shoot on Thursday this week. We are all going as they want a couple of family shots, in case they have work offered for a whole family. Samuel and William would love to do the modelling but Samuel knows he couldn't cope (and we know William is too unstable to be in such a commitment) so the family opportunity might mean they at least get a chance to do something.
On Monday 8th September BBC London are doing a feature on home education on their evening news show (6.30 show). They are filming our HE group on that day, and this week two teens - including Josh - are getting the chance to do a video diary. Great stuff for the kids, and Josh is really chuffed as he's always wanted to do something like this. He wants to video the kids going to school over the road so we had a chat - not just about privacy laws (!) but also about not making comments that could be taken as negative against school kids. After all, its not their fault they are in school!
We have had some nice trips out, like the one this week to Shorne Park with two other HE families. All of us with at least one aspie kid, it was so good because not only do all our kids seem to really gell, but so do the three mums!
Roarke has got a part in a proper feature film, that he auditioned for a few weeks ago. Not sure how big the part is, but its a speaking role, as a prosecutor in a court case, and the case is a major part of the film... its a deferred payment one, so he gets paid if it is successful. Don't knock it - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was a deferred payment film!
Jonathan now has 12 teeth, can climb the bookcase, push chairs around the front room to climb on to reach all the stuff put out of his reach, has broken my mobile phone (a mixture of eating it and dropping it), waves at the tv if anyone says goodbye or hello, and now walks around to kiss everyone in turn when you tell him its time for bed!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Birds, Stings, and other things
Wednesday morning Roarke had another audition. He won't hear back till the end of August when all the rest of casting finishes. At least its good experience for him.
In the afternoon we went over for Toni's birthday barbeque. The weather held - drying up shortly before it started - and the kids all enjoyed themselves.
On Friday we had our Bromley gathering. The weather was great and poor Sheila who had come up from the Medway for the day, got sunburnt!
Today was our church picnic and, again, the weather held and we were able to enjoy ourselves. The tug of war got a bit competitive! William had a meltdown over not being allowed on the bouncy castle at the same time as Samuel (they were letting them on in age bands) and several people stopped to ask what was wrong with him (head stuff in his chair screaming for all he was worth for over 10 minutes non stop). It led to some interesting conversations about ASD, and school...
The boys have had a good game running this week in their room, centred around megablock islands that they have each created.
As for Jonathan, he's definately gone through a new stage. He now drinks at least 12 ounces of water or squash each day, only has milk twice (mid afternoon and early evening - though still all night!), eats a more appropriate sized meal three times a day, plus two light snacks, and - the biggest deal - he is now learning to go to sleep on his own.
As none of the others were breastfed this long I had no idea how you go about getting a baby who has only ever fallen asleep on the breast, or being held/rocked off, to get used to going off in his bed. I don't believe in "controlled crying" (tried it once with Joshua and vowed never to do it again), and I firmly believe that they will learn when they are ready - I just didn't know how to start!
Anyway, the first time I tried (4 days ago) I laid him down immediately he finished feeding, before he snuggled into me. To my amazement, he wriggled around for 20 minutes then went to sleep! And this was for his afternoon nap!
We then repeated it that night (30 minutes) and every daytime nap and night since. It takes him between 20 minutes and 40 minutes. I stay in the room next to him, sitting on the floor out of sight but where he knows I am. If he sits up and tries to climb out (he's in a toddler bed rather than a cot) I stand up and lay him back down again. Some times he whinges, other times he giggles (!) but he has still gone off ok.
Interestingly, whether its down to falling asleep on his own, or the increased drink (which I think must play a large part in his improved digestion/reduced colic) he is not stirring half hour or one hour after going up, and the gaps between him stirring in the night are a minimum of 2 hours now, and up to 4 hours.
PROGRESS!
During the week we had two "nature" related incidents. Mum heard scrabbling from her chimney (capped at the top - or at least it WAS) and when Roarke took the back board away a JAY flew out into the room! That was a shock (especially to someone who is freaked out by birds, having been scared by watching "The Birds" as a very young child!). Roarke managed to get the patio doors open quickly and it flew out, seemingly ok after its 24 hr ordeal.
The other incident related to my getting stung by a wasp DOWN MY TROUSERS! All we can think is that when the loft hatch was open one flew down (we know we have some up there) into the toilet (the door was open). When I went into the toilet it must have flown into my trousers! Talk about caught with your trousers down! Honestly, it REALLY hurt as it was at the top of my thigh (could have been worse I guess...).
Roarke is away tonight for a full day of EO meetings/business tomorrow, so I'm indulging in a gluten free beer (courtesy of a friend of Roarke's who came to dinner this week, and showed his appreciation in a very kind way), having just played around on Facebook for a while.
Just got to get the OTHER kids to bed now...
In the afternoon we went over for Toni's birthday barbeque. The weather held - drying up shortly before it started - and the kids all enjoyed themselves.
On Friday we had our Bromley gathering. The weather was great and poor Sheila who had come up from the Medway for the day, got sunburnt!
Today was our church picnic and, again, the weather held and we were able to enjoy ourselves. The tug of war got a bit competitive! William had a meltdown over not being allowed on the bouncy castle at the same time as Samuel (they were letting them on in age bands) and several people stopped to ask what was wrong with him (head stuff in his chair screaming for all he was worth for over 10 minutes non stop). It led to some interesting conversations about ASD, and school...
The boys have had a good game running this week in their room, centred around megablock islands that they have each created.
As for Jonathan, he's definately gone through a new stage. He now drinks at least 12 ounces of water or squash each day, only has milk twice (mid afternoon and early evening - though still all night!), eats a more appropriate sized meal three times a day, plus two light snacks, and - the biggest deal - he is now learning to go to sleep on his own.
As none of the others were breastfed this long I had no idea how you go about getting a baby who has only ever fallen asleep on the breast, or being held/rocked off, to get used to going off in his bed. I don't believe in "controlled crying" (tried it once with Joshua and vowed never to do it again), and I firmly believe that they will learn when they are ready - I just didn't know how to start!
Anyway, the first time I tried (4 days ago) I laid him down immediately he finished feeding, before he snuggled into me. To my amazement, he wriggled around for 20 minutes then went to sleep! And this was for his afternoon nap!
We then repeated it that night (30 minutes) and every daytime nap and night since. It takes him between 20 minutes and 40 minutes. I stay in the room next to him, sitting on the floor out of sight but where he knows I am. If he sits up and tries to climb out (he's in a toddler bed rather than a cot) I stand up and lay him back down again. Some times he whinges, other times he giggles (!) but he has still gone off ok.
Interestingly, whether its down to falling asleep on his own, or the increased drink (which I think must play a large part in his improved digestion/reduced colic) he is not stirring half hour or one hour after going up, and the gaps between him stirring in the night are a minimum of 2 hours now, and up to 4 hours.
PROGRESS!
During the week we had two "nature" related incidents. Mum heard scrabbling from her chimney (capped at the top - or at least it WAS) and when Roarke took the back board away a JAY flew out into the room! That was a shock (especially to someone who is freaked out by birds, having been scared by watching "The Birds" as a very young child!). Roarke managed to get the patio doors open quickly and it flew out, seemingly ok after its 24 hr ordeal.
The other incident related to my getting stung by a wasp DOWN MY TROUSERS! All we can think is that when the loft hatch was open one flew down (we know we have some up there) into the toilet (the door was open). When I went into the toilet it must have flown into my trousers! Talk about caught with your trousers down! Honestly, it REALLY hurt as it was at the top of my thigh (could have been worse I guess...).
Roarke is away tonight for a full day of EO meetings/business tomorrow, so I'm indulging in a gluten free beer (courtesy of a friend of Roarke's who came to dinner this week, and showed his appreciation in a very kind way), having just played around on Facebook for a while.
Just got to get the OTHER kids to bed now...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunny Days
Well, the pavlovas turned out alright, thankfully, and were all eaten up at the wedding by all accounts (Roarke was a wine waiter that evening).
Phew, its been a hot week, hasn't it?
Tuesday saw the Third Annual South East Beach Day for Home Educators, organised by yours truly. I think I may have missed some, but I counted 27 families in the end, with over 70 individuals between those families. Not bad! We had 14 last year, and 12 the first year so I was very pleased to see so many there.
We had a sign, kindly painted by Sheila, that said UK Home Educators, and it seemed to help everyone find us:
Phew, its been a hot week, hasn't it?
Tuesday saw the Third Annual South East Beach Day for Home Educators, organised by yours truly. I think I may have missed some, but I counted 27 families in the end, with over 70 individuals between those families. Not bad! We had 14 last year, and 12 the first year so I was very pleased to see so many there.
We had a sign, kindly painted by Sheila, that said UK Home Educators, and it seemed to help everyone find us:
We spent 6 hours there ourselves, first there, but not the last to leave. All the feedback we've had has been positive, which is great. Same time, same place next year then!
Not much has been going on otherwise with the heat. Yesterday and today of course Roarke was away filming in Botany Bay. Filming "Washed Up" for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, commissioned by the European Commission. Its scheduled to be shown at Prix Europe, which is cool.
He's the one with the braces in the middle of the photo here, of the cast. Sounds like he had fun (he's not home yet, still on the road on his way) but I've definately missed him.
Yesterday we were invited round to a barbeque with a family from church (not home ed - both parents are teachers!) which was very low key, relaxing. Samuel and William enjoyed the mum turning the house on them to cool down at one point, and Jonathan spent his time climbing UP the baby slide!
He's into boxes at the moment. His favourite is a large ice cream tub that he can just fit two feet into, or he puts it on his head, or sits on it. But he also likes cardboard boxes
Strange child!
Well, Masterchef is on, so I'm logging off now!
Friday, July 04, 2008
Birthday Party
As we travelled away on William's actual birthday, today we had a sort of party for him.
He had two friends over, and we had the obligatory balloons,banners,
birthday cake
and 
chocolate overload!
chocolate overload!William enjoyed himself which was the main thing!
Can't resist more photos of Jonathan being cute....
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Happy 1st Birthday - Twice!
On Friday my little baby was ONE! Can you believe it? It doesn't seem a year...
In the morning Roarke took Joshua kayaking, whilst I dashed around baking.
I picked first Liz and the kids, then Sheila & Callum, up from the station. They had both come early to help, and Sheila kindly brought some cakes too.
They were needed!
My "open house" invitation led to no less than 38 home ed kids and adults turning up!
The sports equipment from Sainsburys & Tescos got well used, as did the bouncy castle donated by a fellow home educator (thanks Dawn!) and our new trampoline. 
The weather held - it started to rain at 3pm just as the kids at the school over the road were about to come out!
The birthday boy wandered around the garden with Nanny, taking in all in his stride!
In the evening, Joshua then set off on an adventure. The Independent on Sunday had called asking me to find a 12 year old HE kid to go that day to be interviewed for a feature on growing up in the UK, to be published this Sunday! Roarke took him off therefore to the offices of the Independent. They got there at 6, and didn't leave till 8.45!
The item was published today - in the paper version Joshua's picture is on the bottom of the front page of the newspaper, together with him being in the group photo in the inside feature on pages 8/9. The online version is here.
As we were tired out, Mum treated us to a chinese so that neither of us had to cook.
Saturday I got up ready for the second first birthday party (!). My brother and sister in law were coming over in the afternoon with their son. As my brother is a coeliac that meant cooking and baking everything gluten free.
As usual I over catered - forgetting that Roarke wasn't there because he was in Bristol chairing the EO Council Meeting!
We had a green salad, baked courgette risotto, ham cooked in coca cola, a plate of salami and smoked sausage, Tesco's gluten free sausages, the inevitable cheese and pineapple, fresh baked finger rolls, chicken pieces marinated in lemon, fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden, garlic and olive oil, plus various dips and crudites. For the sweet stuff, as well as a fruit salad, we had chocolate fairy cakes, vienesse chocolate biscuits, and for Jonathan and I to eat (dairy, wheat, egg and soya free) we had newborn biscuits, and birthday cake!
We had been due to go away for three days to Sheffield but our car is in serious need of some work and to risk that drive would have been foolish. So inside we decided to "holiday at home".
This morning therefore, we went to church first, as they had a guest speaker, for the kids. After that the boys predictably chose McDonalds for a rare treat of a meal there. I took a pot of the left over cola ham, and Jonathan and I ate that and shared some chips!
In the afternoon we spent the money we'd saved on diesel on wooden laminate floor for the front room (we share the house with mum and have one of the "reception" rooms as dining room, lounge, office and classroom all in one!) and some paint for the wall.
We had a lovely family dinner; we put the extension into the table (Ikea, courtesy of Freecycle), and had what Samuel calls a feast - all the left overs spread out on the table so we could help ourselves.
Jonathan enjoyed helping himself to pineapple, carrot sticks, cucumber, pepper slices, and more ham. Oh and humous of course!
Roarke's now gone off to the hospital to visit a friend. Poor guy is a carpenter and was working on repairing a roof when he fell 40 ft onto a concrete floor - with only a wall to break his fall. God really stepped in there, because he should really be dead. Actually he has a broken pelvis, lower spine and arm, but although they say he may never play football, or maybe be able to run again, he is otherwise fine, Do remember my friend in your prayers if you can, as he is missing his family especially his four week old first baby daughter :0(
The boys are being dipped - I mean bathed - as I speak!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Eventful Day
This morning I went out to get some food shopping, having decided with Roarke that we need to get back to eating far more raw food. The boys used to eat loads and it is oh so easy to let it slip.
I got back in time to pack lunch, then we set off to another home educators house where some of the teens get together regularly.
There were only a few of us there, so it was nice and relaxing - just what I needed!
On the way back, Samuel took a call on my mobile from Roarke saying that ITV had been on the phone. In light of the case that hit the news this morning, of the tragic death of a young girl who had, according to reports, been deregistered from school 10 week previously, ITV were asking for someone from EO to go in and talk to camera about the legal process around deregistration.
Now, despite the short notice, we felt as a family it was worth putting ourselves out for, so that the HE community could actually be represented (hopefully) fairly in this case - which is bound to result in some parties deciding to use it to "come after" home educators.
So, at 3.30, I was agreeing to them sending a car to collect us "within half an hour". I got in 10 minutes later, rushed upstairs to wash my hair and change, only for the car to turn up! The driver waited patiently whilst we threw everything together and sorted out something for Mum to do the boys for dinner.
Then Roarke, Jonathan and myself were whisked up to the ITV studios. Jonathan was not impressed at being put back in the car, after already having had a 35 minute journey back from the Medway, and he was also hungry. So in the traffic I had to unstrap him and breastfeed for part of the way!
No special treatment - no makeup, no studio - they filmed me in the basement next to the canteen! The interviewer said it had to look "homely" so they nicked a pot plant from the neighbouring office section to stick behind me!
Now these things are always a risk, and I knew I'd be cut and edited and some or maybe none of what I said used. Therefore I tried to use complete sentances and phrases that would be hard to cut...
The questions I was asked (by an interviewer who was obviously not going to actually be used on air) were the legal process of deregistration, whether or not schools remove kids names from the register as they are meant to (mostly!), whether existing safeguards were sufficient (yes!), and whether I thought home education made it easy to "hide abuse" - NO!
In the end, the brief soundbite that they used, was HALF of my answer to that last question. Therefore it didn't appropriately convey what I was actually answering (the off camera question) and whilst the result could have been worse, I am disappointed.
I still think it was right to get involved - they would have made stuff up otherwise. The piece before me on the "facts" of home schooling was, for example, awful. See for yourself - click the link for the next 12 or so hours, click on the play button under the picture of the house on the left hand side next to the article, and you should get the video playing on the right hand side of your screen.
So, three hours frantic, nerve wracking, family juggling etc, just for that!
We were fortunate to make very good time back, which was just as well as Jonathan got upset again, and finally fell asleep on my arm (the child seat in the car didn't have side head supports so I sat all the way back with my arm stretched across him so that I could stop his head from falling forwards in his sleep!)
Roarke and I grabbed a take away (good excuse, lol) and then drew a deep breath and watched the finished piece.
Hmm... Maybe that white blouse was a bad idea - I think all my disturbed nights with baby showed!
I got back in time to pack lunch, then we set off to another home educators house where some of the teens get together regularly.
There were only a few of us there, so it was nice and relaxing - just what I needed!
On the way back, Samuel took a call on my mobile from Roarke saying that ITV had been on the phone. In light of the case that hit the news this morning, of the tragic death of a young girl who had, according to reports, been deregistered from school 10 week previously, ITV were asking for someone from EO to go in and talk to camera about the legal process around deregistration.
Now, despite the short notice, we felt as a family it was worth putting ourselves out for, so that the HE community could actually be represented (hopefully) fairly in this case - which is bound to result in some parties deciding to use it to "come after" home educators.
So, at 3.30, I was agreeing to them sending a car to collect us "within half an hour". I got in 10 minutes later, rushed upstairs to wash my hair and change, only for the car to turn up! The driver waited patiently whilst we threw everything together and sorted out something for Mum to do the boys for dinner.
Then Roarke, Jonathan and myself were whisked up to the ITV studios. Jonathan was not impressed at being put back in the car, after already having had a 35 minute journey back from the Medway, and he was also hungry. So in the traffic I had to unstrap him and breastfeed for part of the way!
No special treatment - no makeup, no studio - they filmed me in the basement next to the canteen! The interviewer said it had to look "homely" so they nicked a pot plant from the neighbouring office section to stick behind me!
Now these things are always a risk, and I knew I'd be cut and edited and some or maybe none of what I said used. Therefore I tried to use complete sentances and phrases that would be hard to cut...
The questions I was asked (by an interviewer who was obviously not going to actually be used on air) were the legal process of deregistration, whether or not schools remove kids names from the register as they are meant to (mostly!), whether existing safeguards were sufficient (yes!), and whether I thought home education made it easy to "hide abuse" - NO!
In the end, the brief soundbite that they used, was HALF of my answer to that last question. Therefore it didn't appropriately convey what I was actually answering (the off camera question) and whilst the result could have been worse, I am disappointed.
I still think it was right to get involved - they would have made stuff up otherwise. The piece before me on the "facts" of home schooling was, for example, awful. See for yourself - click the link for the next 12 or so hours, click on the play button under the picture of the house on the left hand side next to the article, and you should get the video playing on the right hand side of your screen.
So, three hours frantic, nerve wracking, family juggling etc, just for that!
We were fortunate to make very good time back, which was just as well as Jonathan got upset again, and finally fell asleep on my arm (the child seat in the car didn't have side head supports so I sat all the way back with my arm stretched across him so that I could stop his head from falling forwards in his sleep!)
Roarke and I grabbed a take away (good excuse, lol) and then drew a deep breath and watched the finished piece.
Hmm... Maybe that white blouse was a bad idea - I think all my disturbed nights with baby showed!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hot Weekend
Friday managed to start off even busier than Thursday!
In the morning I got up and did the breakfast routine, fed Jonathan, then drove Joshua over to Danson Park for his level 2 sailing course. Then I drove back, past home, and onto the supermarket to do the weekly shop. Then back home, unload the shopping, fed Jonathan again, then back off to Danson to collect Joshua.
Home, a late lunch, then put some liver into a marinade (red wine and garlic) for dinner for the evening.
The afternoon was a bit quieter. We set up all the pop up tents and tunnels in the garden, and Jonathan had a great time crawling around between them all, looking very cute.
Samuel did some more of his maths upgrade.
Dinner was tasty - I sauted off some mushrooms and bacon, reduced the marinade, and lightly cooked the liver slices (2 minutes each side). To my satisfaction, all the boys ate it, even though it is quite a long time since we've had liver (they were all weaned with it and used to love it but I have got out of the habit of having it). We had plenty so Mum joined us.
Jonathan slept well during the night - 3 hours, then 2 1/2, then 2, then 2. Much better than usual.
Today in the morning I went to get Roarke's prescription, collected a vintage dressmakers dummy (freecycle) that I hope to restore both for ebay photos and for some home ed projects.
We finally did something we've been meaning to do for ages and ordered a trampoline from Argos. We made the wrong choice two years ago and bought the climbing frame instead of a trampoline - the climbing frame has already broken!
Today I also put up the bouncy castle, complete with own fan, kindly given to us by another HE family whose kids have outgrown it. All the boys love it - especially Jonathan!
In the evening Mum treated us all to fish and chips, and then we settled down to watch Dr Who.
Now, Jonathan has fallen asleep AND gone up into his toddler bed AND stayed asleep.... so I am sitting here with my fingers crossed just about to pour myself a drink...
In the morning I got up and did the breakfast routine, fed Jonathan, then drove Joshua over to Danson Park for his level 2 sailing course. Then I drove back, past home, and onto the supermarket to do the weekly shop. Then back home, unload the shopping, fed Jonathan again, then back off to Danson to collect Joshua.
Home, a late lunch, then put some liver into a marinade (red wine and garlic) for dinner for the evening.
The afternoon was a bit quieter. We set up all the pop up tents and tunnels in the garden, and Jonathan had a great time crawling around between them all, looking very cute.
Samuel did some more of his maths upgrade.
Dinner was tasty - I sauted off some mushrooms and bacon, reduced the marinade, and lightly cooked the liver slices (2 minutes each side). To my satisfaction, all the boys ate it, even though it is quite a long time since we've had liver (they were all weaned with it and used to love it but I have got out of the habit of having it). We had plenty so Mum joined us.
Jonathan slept well during the night - 3 hours, then 2 1/2, then 2, then 2. Much better than usual.
Today in the morning I went to get Roarke's prescription, collected a vintage dressmakers dummy (freecycle) that I hope to restore both for ebay photos and for some home ed projects.
We finally did something we've been meaning to do for ages and ordered a trampoline from Argos. We made the wrong choice two years ago and bought the climbing frame instead of a trampoline - the climbing frame has already broken!
Today I also put up the bouncy castle, complete with own fan, kindly given to us by another HE family whose kids have outgrown it. All the boys love it - especially Jonathan!
In the evening Mum treated us all to fish and chips, and then we settled down to watch Dr Who.
Now, Jonathan has fallen asleep AND gone up into his toddler bed AND stayed asleep.... so I am sitting here with my fingers crossed just about to pour myself a drink...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Warmer Days
It's been a busy but good week.
We all enjoyed the Dockyard Trip. It was bitter sweet for me though, as Dad was stationed there when in the Navy. Roarke bought me a minature bottle of Pussers Rum so that I could toast "absent friends" in memory.
Jonathan is walking! Yes, in the past 4 days he's gone from two steps between furtniture to walking all the way across the room from sofa to sofa (about 6-7 feet) without falling over. He only does it to show off, rather than to chose to do it to get places, but that will do doubt change rapidly! That puts him exactly at the same time as William and Samuel (he was 10 1/2 months).
Joshua enjoyed sailing on Friday, whilst I took Samuel and William to the gathering in Bromley at the hall. The weather was glorious so the kids had a great time outside. Samuel was in his element as there were mainly girls there, so he could be the big strong boy ;0)
I had some lovely feedback from the lady who runs the Bachtrack Project. They contacted EO a while ago trying to encourage home educated kids to get involved with the young reviewer idea. She said that the reviews she has had from HE kids have been amazing, so mature, such good writing, and she is very impressed.
Roarke spent Saturday in York for an EO Council meeting, so we had a reasonably quiet day here pottering around in the garden. Samuel built a brick edged area for the boys to dig in, and I dug over the vegetable patch ready for transplanting the leeks.
Jonathan crawled around on the grass - his first proper outdoor experience!
Unfortunately, he has either eaten something he is allergic to, or picked something up, or has a bug, but his limbs are covered all over with a tiny red rash. It looks a bit like a sweat rash but is not in his "sweaty" places. Its come and go a few times in the past 24hrs but looks quite bad this evening :0( He also had a bad colicky night and a foul nappy which is why I think it could be something allergic.
We enjoyed Dr Who on Saturday too; not as educational as the week before (talking about slavery) or the week before that (Pompei!), but a jolly good watch!
Oh, Friday evening they had two friends from church (schooled) over to watch two Dr Who episodes as they had been in New Zealand for 3 weeks and had missed them all. It kept everyone quiet for me for a while!
Jonathan is now in a toddler bed, giving him more room to wriggle in his sleep. Other than last night with the colic, he has slept longer (2 hours) between feeds which is nice.
Roarke's training is going well for the triathlon. This evening I dropped him off to do a 5km run back home, which he managed in his target time. Still only half the distance he'll need to do in August though!
Watch out for sponsorship appeals soon! (Asthma UK)
We all enjoyed the Dockyard Trip. It was bitter sweet for me though, as Dad was stationed there when in the Navy. Roarke bought me a minature bottle of Pussers Rum so that I could toast "absent friends" in memory.
Jonathan is walking! Yes, in the past 4 days he's gone from two steps between furtniture to walking all the way across the room from sofa to sofa (about 6-7 feet) without falling over. He only does it to show off, rather than to chose to do it to get places, but that will do doubt change rapidly! That puts him exactly at the same time as William and Samuel (he was 10 1/2 months).
Joshua enjoyed sailing on Friday, whilst I took Samuel and William to the gathering in Bromley at the hall. The weather was glorious so the kids had a great time outside. Samuel was in his element as there were mainly girls there, so he could be the big strong boy ;0)
I had some lovely feedback from the lady who runs the Bachtrack Project. They contacted EO a while ago trying to encourage home educated kids to get involved with the young reviewer idea. She said that the reviews she has had from HE kids have been amazing, so mature, such good writing, and she is very impressed.
Roarke spent Saturday in York for an EO Council meeting, so we had a reasonably quiet day here pottering around in the garden. Samuel built a brick edged area for the boys to dig in, and I dug over the vegetable patch ready for transplanting the leeks.
Jonathan crawled around on the grass - his first proper outdoor experience!
Unfortunately, he has either eaten something he is allergic to, or picked something up, or has a bug, but his limbs are covered all over with a tiny red rash. It looks a bit like a sweat rash but is not in his "sweaty" places. Its come and go a few times in the past 24hrs but looks quite bad this evening :0( He also had a bad colicky night and a foul nappy which is why I think it could be something allergic.
We enjoyed Dr Who on Saturday too; not as educational as the week before (talking about slavery) or the week before that (Pompei!), but a jolly good watch!
Oh, Friday evening they had two friends from church (schooled) over to watch two Dr Who episodes as they had been in New Zealand for 3 weeks and had missed them all. It kept everyone quiet for me for a while!
Jonathan is now in a toddler bed, giving him more room to wriggle in his sleep. Other than last night with the colic, he has slept longer (2 hours) between feeds which is nice.
Roarke's training is going well for the triathlon. This evening I dropped him off to do a 5km run back home, which he managed in his target time. Still only half the distance he'll need to do in August though!
Watch out for sponsorship appeals soon! (Asthma UK)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Quiet Week, and Remembering
I must say thank you firstly for all the lovely comments that many people have sent me, on and off the lists, to support Samuel. It has taken him a few days, but he's a lot calmer now, and is thinking over some of the ideas people suggested as to how he can "use" his story to help other kids.
Baby Jonathan (10 1/2 months) took his first, proper, unaided step today! That actually makes him the slowest to walk in the family - all the others were walking properly by this age - but that's cool because he is such a bundle of energy and runs us all ragged, just crawling! Its amazing that with three older brothers, and three adults around all the time, we still have trouble keeping up with him!
Samuel is doing well on his typing; he's overtaken Joshua but that's to be expected because of Joshua's dysgraphia.
Josh is champing at the bit, having gone two weeks without sailing to the holidays!
They've played lots on the Stronghold game, which I'm happy to encourage, and also with some new board games we got off of freecycle (two Harry Potter games, a Lord of the Rings chess set, and a game of life kind of game).
Roarke is very busy with his Trustee activities; we're having to be careful as we seem to be spending more time on our non-incoming generating activities than on our income generation...
Because of the school holiday, its been quiet, with few activities other than the teen gathering, a trip to the park (where we met up with some new home educators which was great), and an invite out to a family from church, for tea (which made a change).
We borrowed the Indiana Jones series of films from those friends, which we've watched as "family movie night" for a few nights (except of course for Dr Who night on Saturday!). This has been good as they have stimulated a lot of questions. We've talked about religion, Nazi Germany (the burning of the books in one scene got us started on a great conversation), ethics, archeology, myths.... all good HE material ;0)
Today is is two years since Dad died, and I've just come back from the Crematorium, where Mum and I went over to spend some time in the Garden of Remembrance - doing just that, remembering. I know he's "not there" but, just as Dad and I used to attend all those Legion Remembrance Parades, this is MY way of marking out my rememberance of him.
It hurts. When is it meant to not hurt so hard that you can't breath?
Baby Jonathan (10 1/2 months) took his first, proper, unaided step today! That actually makes him the slowest to walk in the family - all the others were walking properly by this age - but that's cool because he is such a bundle of energy and runs us all ragged, just crawling! Its amazing that with three older brothers, and three adults around all the time, we still have trouble keeping up with him!
Samuel is doing well on his typing; he's overtaken Joshua but that's to be expected because of Joshua's dysgraphia.
Josh is champing at the bit, having gone two weeks without sailing to the holidays!
They've played lots on the Stronghold game, which I'm happy to encourage, and also with some new board games we got off of freecycle (two Harry Potter games, a Lord of the Rings chess set, and a game of life kind of game).
Roarke is very busy with his Trustee activities; we're having to be careful as we seem to be spending more time on our non-incoming generating activities than on our income generation...
Because of the school holiday, its been quiet, with few activities other than the teen gathering, a trip to the park (where we met up with some new home educators which was great), and an invite out to a family from church, for tea (which made a change).
We borrowed the Indiana Jones series of films from those friends, which we've watched as "family movie night" for a few nights (except of course for Dr Who night on Saturday!). This has been good as they have stimulated a lot of questions. We've talked about religion, Nazi Germany (the burning of the books in one scene got us started on a great conversation), ethics, archeology, myths.... all good HE material ;0)
Today is is two years since Dad died, and I've just come back from the Crematorium, where Mum and I went over to spend some time in the Garden of Remembrance - doing just that, remembering. I know he's "not there" but, just as Dad and I used to attend all those Legion Remembrance Parades, this is MY way of marking out my rememberance of him.
It hurts. When is it meant to not hurt so hard that you can't breath?
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