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

Snow and Educational Games

Did you get the snow?

It was quite mad here - on the Friday our HE group went to the park, lovely sunny day, all in t-shirts and starting to talk about summer plans.... then 36 hours or so later it starts snowing!

We had around 4 inches here. It lasted the whole day. In the morning the kids played in the garden. Samuel made a huge snowball and Joshua made a snow walrus (snowmen are so last season...).

In the afternoon a friend came over from church, and, being a good egg, brought her wellies and a change of clothes so that we could go off for a walk in the snow. We found a nearby park/common area with more snow for us all to play in.

William worked on a large snow ball:
Josh and Samuel worked on one together:
And they all enjoyed throwing snowballs at our friend, and of course at Roarke!Samuel is doing seriously well on his touch typing course, onto level 2 now, with a touch typing speed of 13 wpm and an overall accuracy of 98%! It also does what the course claims to, as his spelling in improving as well - noticably so.

He's started writing his blog again which is good (ha, just noticed some spellings mistakes on it!).

Joshua is working on both his lego movie and on a story. He's very glad to be back on his sailing course, though there is a two week gap at the moment due to the "easter" break.

This week we've been to the informal teen gathering for the group. It is really good to see the boys and girls of this age (12-14 mainly) getting on so well, and so relaxed. The group of them interact in a way that I am sure bears NO relationship to a schooled group of their peers.

The family is happy that Dr Who is back! A shared family obession so at least there are no arguements over what to watch on a Saturday now! Talking of Dr Who reminds me of a writing activity shared by someone on the HE SP list.

I can't remember if I shared that I'd been on another Government meeting? That, and an increase of media interest again, has kept me busy on that front.

I've also been baking lots. New bread recipes for the boys, some cakes and biscuits for Jonathan and I. He's eating a little more, but its still so inconsistent. He never eats the same thing twice! Oh, and he's starting to learn what "no" means.... he is so into everything and is getting seriously into putting everything in his mouth (other than of course food!) and we find ourselves now hourly removing paper, lego, fluff, anything at all that he has managed to either find on the floor or reach off of the edge of tables etc! Today so far I've made ginger biscuits, bread, and some lovely gf dumplings for our beef casserole tonight.

I'm actually hoping he'll be late in walking (unlike the other 3 who were all walking by this age) as he's hard enough to keep up with crawling!

We've finally got around to putting up a computer that a friend donated to us. It came complete with a proper drawing tablet, mousepen etc, which we've given to Josh to use on his pc (as he is the cartoonist). There was also a proper games joystick, which pleased the boys. Along with the computer were a number of games and, because this is my friend who is the history buff, the games are all historical. This is great! They have medieval villages to build, castles to run, planes to fly, Waterloo to re-enact - all sorts of "educational" games!

If you are not a home educator and you are reading this, you may be sceptical, but for example they have borrowed their nan's books on castles so that they can create a more realistic, authentic medieval castle!

We also got the chance this week to visit another HE family in Gillingham who we are friends with. The kids played really well, and the mum and I had a jolly good old natter, especially sharing experiences of our ASD children. I really value these friendships I have now, something I definately never had with the mums in the school playground.

I know my posting is inconsistent to say the least. Sadly, I'm finding this run up to Dad's anniversary incredibly hard - it doesn't seem any easier than last year - and so I'm seriously down at the moment.

Well, that's the cooker alarm going off - time to put the dumplings in! At least I got the chance to catch up a *little* bit...

Bits and Bobs Kinda Day

Today Samuel was slightly better, and although he's still been a bit manic, we haven't had a meltdown.

In the morning the boys played with their lego, building very good replicas of the various battle craft. Its great that they have something which they all enjoy doing. It took Samuel quite a while to get into lego but now he has gained more confidence in building, and therefore plays with it more often.

Good to see that the HE e-petition has broken through the 1,000 barrier!

Lots more media coverage too, including this great piece and this one. I think the Sunday Express will be covering it too, as I was interviewed by them today, and I know they hope to be talking to other families.

This afternoon we popped back over to Grace's, so that the boys could get the birthday cake they missed out on yesterday :0) Whilst there, we went to a nearby park for a while. I got a brief chance to go through some of the Walking with Beetles stuff, when he sat out for a while on the bench after getting a bit short of breath with his asthma. Unfortunately, their friend Theo was still feeling rough, so they didn't stay out for long.

Samuel's been at the make up again; he loves giving me a make over! The practice is definately helping.. his latest idea is to be a movie make over artist.

A long Weekend

Saturday morning we decided to all get out of the house together; so we spent a lovely hour on a railway bridge watching out for trains!

We spotted 5 Eurostars, which pleased Samuel no end.

Poor William can’t really see what all the fuss is about and plainly became bored after a short while (he wasn't the only one....)

We’d taken some snacks with us (which cheered Willaim up). Joshua and I sat trying to identify as many different birds songs as we could – as the train track runs through the middle of a large wood – and were very pleased to be able to hear a woodpecker.

When we got back to the car, we found that someone had stolen our front number plate! On the way home we talked to the boys about why someone might have done that, and explained how we would need to report it, in order to protect ourselves, should someone then use the plate as a false plate on a car involved in criminal activity (or more likely, in order to avoid the london congestion charges – there’s a lot of that about apparently).

Joshua and Samuel seemed a bit worried that we might get arrested “by mistake”; William said boldly (remember, he is only 4..) “the police would never arrest me – I’m too cute! They’d just look at me and go “ahh!”

So obviously he doesn’t have a problem with his self esteem! Another plus for home education and never going to school!

In the afternoon we had a visitor, someone who had never met the boys before, and who was quite bowled over by how friendly and forward they seem. They always enjoy introducing themselves to people, and Joshua usually offers his hand in a handshake, which people find unusual in one of “today’s children”.

Something else I firmly put down to home educating and the self assurance it is bringing the boys.

The rest of the day the boys played on the NSECT website which is holding their attention at the moment.

Today has been a tough day. It is 10 months since my Dad died but would have been his 68th birthday. It is also about a year round since we found out about the coeliac disease - though we didn't know at the time just how significant that would turn out to be.

This has made me quite touchy and emotional, which of course the boys have picked up upon. We are already in the middle of one of Samuel’s “low” periods (and I must say thanks to Fiona for reassuring me that it is just something that happens with all aspies, and is not my "fault"), though to be fair today wasn’t really about meltdowns but just a lot of his more unpredictable behaviour, coping behaviours (pulling faces, repetitive noises and actions etc). This in turn I found hard to deal with, so I got more touchy… and the vicious circle went around again.

I felt at one point, asking him to go into his room for some quiet to calm down, that maybe it should have been me leaving the house to calm down!

We had a dinner guest on top of everything, and because they had to be collected (an hour round trip) I had no help with dinner (which tasted fine, but the gluten free lasagne I’d made LOOKED awful, so more stress…) and so it was not as enjoyable for me as it should have been.

We all (just about) managed to sit down to watch Time Team though, which we all enjoyed, and which I hope to do some follow up work on tomorrow.

I'm busy trying to prepare for Tuesday when I have been asked to go in and "train" some of the local police and community support officers on the issue of home education in relation to the carrying out of truancy patrols... could prove an interesting session!

Autumn Watching

I'm not sure where the week has gone, but I've just realised that I've not blogged since the weekend.

Sunday, we put the shed up at the bottom of the garden. It was easy, actually, but certainly painful - the panels felt a lot heavier with already tired muscles!

Over the week we've gradually been picking things out of the garage and finding homes for them, but we don't seem to have made much of an impression on the pile..

Tuesday saw the first of the Science Workshops, using our SEA from SETNET, that I'd organised. As usual with me, whilst I'm happy to organise things, on the day I get serious cold feet and I spent the morning in a major panic. Liz came early to help me set up, and did a fabulous job of looking after the little ones that came, in a separate room. We had a total of 32 children turn up (discounting toddlers)! The SEA did two experiments, Ernest the balancing Bear (demonstrating gravity, centre of gravity, balance etc) and the Jump Rocket (showing air pressure, vacuum, etc). Most of the kids got the chance to participate in one or the other of the demos.

I'm now collating feedback, and we'll sort out how to run future ones. I think we will need to split down the ages and make sure that we get more "hands on" in the future. Still, at least we didn't seem to put off the guy, so that's good!

The boys have been heavily into all things to do with nature this week. Every evening we've watched Autumn Watch, and William has followed it up on the CBeebies site too. They have also all designed their own wildlife park (yes, even William!), on the CBBC Roar game.

The revamp of the BBC Schools section seems to be going ahead. I noticed that the games are now easier to find all from one place.

Today we continued our nature theme, with another walk in the Footscray Meadows. We saw loads of exciting things. We are positive we saw a red squirrel, even though they are not known there. It definately was not a grey one. We were all really excited as none of us have seen a red squirrel before - though our garden is full of grey ones. We used to have 3 cob nut trees in our garden so I grew up amongst the squirrels!

We printed out the Seed Collector envelopes from the BBC Breathing Places site, and had fun trying to find things to go into it. We found a weird seed, that we have no idea what it is. The tree looked like a sycamore, but the seeds - on the outside - looked like conker spikey cases. Inside they had a little soft nut. Any ideas?! We also found a cluster of chestnut trees, so we collected a few handfuls to try and roast for the boys to taste. If they like them, we'll go back for more.

Things we learnt this week, amongst all the nature, is an easy way to see if a tree is ancient - if it takes at leaste 3 of you to hug the tree, it is at least 300 years old! The tree we had our lunch under today would have taken 7 of us, we worked out, to hug! We also found out about coppicing.

We had fun amongst the ancient woodland on the site, looking for traces of the old eighteenth century Footscray Place estate buildings, which burned down in 1949. We also examined various trees, saw a hummingbird moth, lost count of the number of parakeets we saw and heard, amongst other birds.

All that was in Roarke's 3 1/2 hr break that he has had each day on this shift, which was very pleasant.

Afterwards I did some more gf baking, this time fish cakes for dinner which, even though I say so myself, turned out quite well, as well as another cheese loaf for the boys.

Meadow Meanders

Today was a lovely, relaxing day.

As the weather was nice we decided to take advantage and get out and about. We met another HE family by the Tescos in Footscray and then drove to Footscray Meadows.

On the way, we saw two more Eddie Stobart lorries at the Cola/Schweppes factory there - necessitating more dubious car driving - which Samuel was very pleased about.

We had never been to the Meadows before and were taken aback as to how big, and how beautiful an open space it is. We took our Sainsbury sports stuff and good use was made of the relay batons (as goal markers...) and of the balls (something to throw into the stinging nettles...)

Talking of which, a learning experience was had with a practical, hands on demonstration of the healing properties of dock leaves ;0)

We had taken welly boots, expecting the boys to have a splash around. Joshua and their friend built a small dam, and Samuel enjoyed throwing stones around.

William obviously felt secure in his wellies - and went in up to his middle! It really didn't seem to dawn on him that if he went in deeper than the top of his wellies, they wouldn't protect him! Fortunately, I had the foresight to have taken him a complete change of clothes - which he definately needed!

After a (heated) game of football (which appeared to consist of everone versus Roarke) we all came back here for lunch. The two sets of children (all boys!) played well together, and it enabled us parents to chat and get to know each other.

I've started recording the secondary schools programming from the Learning Zone on BBC, now that I have received my programme guide. Now all I need to do is remember to get the children to watch the programmes...

Flats, Hills and Tables

It took a lot of courage, and many hours of agonising, to decide to post one of my stories yesterday instead of my "usual" blog. I usually only write for myself - just to "get it out", so posting one on the web was quite daunting. Thank you to those who commented - both on and off line. Your encouragement was lovely.

This morning we got out as quickly as we could after breakfast to take our three Flat Travellers to Rochester. We took photos of the cathedral, castle, and Charles Dicken's writing house. Sadly, the Visitor Centre was closed so that means a return trip during the week to collect some leaflets and take more photos. A couple of elderly ladies questionned what we were doing (yes, we did look a bit odd) and thought the idea of the Flat Travellers was lovely! We got in a little plug for home education too!

I am part of the FreeRecycle Network in the UK, linking up people who would rather see something go to a good home, than the landfill site. Today we took possession of a beautiful dining room table and six chairs. Our one was very chipped, and we struggled to sit all five of us at it. We try to practice the gift of hospitality and it is difficult to find both chairs, and space at the table, for visiting diners.

This table has central legs, so no arguing over sitting "on a leg" and the chairs are comfortable and strong, and includes two charver chairs. A little kiss from God - the chairs are upholstered in the same colours as our dining room! A perfect match.

Now, as you know, there is nothing straightforward about any sort of housework... In order to have the table, we had to put the old (fold down) table in S & W's room for them to put on their computer (also received free via the recycle network). This meant not only tidying their room, but then taking out my grandfather's old bat wing chair which was in their room. To find a home for that, meant putting all my "to sell on eBay one day" boxes up in the loft, and tidying OUR bedroom, in order to clear a corner for the chair!

Towards the end of that task, our friends came over to go out for another walk. We revisited the Blue Bell Hill site, over the channel tunnel rail link, and then a brisk 1 1/2 round walk up and down the hill. We waited around to try and see a train (and take a photo to send back with our Flats), but gave up in the end - however just before we got back in our cars one whizzed by, and we caught a glimpse. But no photo - another return trip!

Home for a lovely family dinner at our new table, then haircuts all round for the boys.

We have certainly managed to fill dh's one day off - as usual!

Circuits, mud, trains and cocoa

Next week dh is on an early shift - getting up at 3am - and so will be staying at my mother's from Sunday to Thursday. In order to swing his clock around, he got up early today. It's rare that I am in bed after him as it is always me that wakes first and gets everyone else up. Although it wasn't technically a lie in (as I still got up my usual time) it felt like it, being able to snuggle back down (with all the duvet to myself!) after he got up.

This morning we caught up on some chores. J got out his Hot Wires set that he got for Christmas and spent an enthralling 50 minutes trying out 9 different experiments. He had already learnt a lot about circuits via the BBC Science Clips and I was impressed with how much he had obviously learnt.

S worked on the computer, trying out various history sites such as Discovery Museum's Soldiers Life and then on the road safety Hedgehog site.

After lunch, even though it was only about 1c (with a wind chill much less than that in the northwesterly wind), we went for a walk with another home ed family. We went to Blue Bell Hill and slipped and slid our way for 40 minutes through the mud, slush and snow down then back up the hill.

We then drove further down the hill to go and stand on one of the bridges over the high speed channel tunnel rail link Our view was the same as the picture in that link! After 15 freezing minutes we were rewarded by the (brief!) site of the Eurostar rushing by.

Stopping at the Coop to pick up some squirty cream, we retreated back to their house for hot chocolate with said cream on top. Warming, and very cosy.

Back home for dh to cook us a late dinner - fish fingers, veg and roast potatoes, what a mixture - there was time for the boys (including dh) to sit and watch some tv together before bathtime. Although it means we are a bit late, I am aware that this is the last night dh will be home until Thursday so I don't mind.

The children don't know yet that he will be away. I am planning to travel up to Mum's on Tuesday to see him there in the afternoon which should break up the time.

All in all, it's been a nice day, but I've been very snappy at times and very conscious today of my failings in the mother department. Still, I am battling to keep my glass half full instead of empty.
Which reminds me, where did I put that wine bottle?...

Day Two in the House

Well, I've kept to my new discipline - here's day two of my DAILY blog! Admittedly, it was a close thing, as I have a take-out waiting .

The new time target is definately working for ds1, however ds2 has yet to do anything. His Neopet is getting very hungry... I'm convinced that he will come around. He has a lot of issues from school that he is still working through, plus AS tendancies that don't help.

Today we met up with some other homeschooling friends and went for a walk in Cobtree Manor Park. This little-known park is an absolute gem of a place - complete with truckstop style cafe.

The Cobtree Estate was the creation of Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake and his father, Hugh William Tyrwhitt-Drake, who first leased Cobtree Manor House in 1896. Cobtree Manor has traditionally been thought to be the original Dingley Dell in Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers. On the site, was the location of a large menagerie and public zoo. Over the years his collection included one or more creatures for virtually every letter of the alphabet, including baboons, camels, gnu, mysterious-sounding "special" sheep, yak, and several types of big cat. All that remains now is the old elephant house.

Following Sir Garrard's death in 1964, the Trust and the Council entered into an agreement whereby Cobtree Manor and estate were leased to the Council for 999 years at a peppercorn rent with the provisions that the Council should maintain the estate as open space, be responsible for all maintenance costs and lease Cobtree Manor and the immediate grounds to Lady Edna Tyrwhitt-Drake.

In the early nineteen-eighties work began on three schemes. An 18-hole municipal golf course was laid out on 130 acres of land covering the eastern part of the estate. The other two schemes were the laying out of a Country Park known as Cobtree Manor Park and the development of a museum of Kent Rural Life.

We love visiting the park and always find something new there.

Today it was a walled-in picnic area, formed from an old building. Ds2 found a bricked up fireplace (which he was convinced was roman, bless him!). We decided to return to use it as an outdoor class room, as the picnic tables were under shelter. Looking at the walls, I think we could do a study on lichens and mosses.

We all had a great time, a good (muddy) walk, and the chance for both adults and children to continue building friendships.

This evening my boys recreated the zoo in our front room, using their farm and every animal they could find in their toy boxes.

Now the menagerie are in bed (!) hubby and I are going to relax over our takeout, celebrating a successful day.