Life is a Highway - it’s the journey, not the destination

What with all the war stuff going on here, I was thinking we could get a model of a plane for Marcus to have a go at. Have had a look online to see what there is, although been a bit dissapointed when looking at sites that it doesn’t show you the skill level or even what paints are required (some sites, not all of course) Anyway, it reminded me that we actually do have a model car that M got for his birthday last year that had been awaiting a father/son type day to get started on. Of course, this hasn’t happened as neatly as we’d have liked so it’s laid in wait in the back of a cupboard. I dug it out yesterday and we duly got started.

As expected really, M was a bit heavy handed at first with the painting, but as it progressed he got better and better and has really enjoyed doing it. It’s not perfect by any means, but for a first model he’s done really well. It’s not quite finished, I’ll do a pic when it’s done, should be done by the end of the weekend.

We’ve been doing quite a lot of looking through books about the wars. We drift from one world war to the other quite easily! This book arrived yesterday and M was over the moon at it. He is absolutely obsessed with guns, not just with playing with them, but knowing the names and everything about them. I, of course, am not the best at supplying him with the information (but my FIL is) so I thought this book would come in handy. We also cleared the library of almost every war book around, oops! I managed to pick up one of those Michael Morpurgo books, Jan mentioned in the comments. It was the Private Peaceful one which I’ve started to read to see how it would be. I’m not sure just yet that it will be good, always got to check for anything that might cause anxiety and nightmares. The first chapter has the boys dad dying and him blaming himself! Might be a book better read in the day time! I’m enjoying it so far though. Haven’t read anything in ages. I did pick up this book from the library too which is lovely. Yet to read it to the kids, but will do soon.

Alex and I have been playing some games. We got Landlock and Castle Keep from PlayMerrily. A absolutely adores Landlock, even though we’ve only played a couple of games of it. She just likes to make up a little world for the gnomes! Also of note is that M played his first ever full game of chess with me. I’m not great at chess, and have hardly played it but he did really well with the game and I only just beat him. I should probably have let him win, but I was being a bit of a meany!

Also had a couple of nice visits from Jax and kids. Finally managed to actually get to chat to her on the second which was nice, even if my children were just being awful. I think they’ve had too many e numbers or something lately, but they’ve just been going mad. Acually, maybe it’s the paint fumes!! Apart from that though, we’ve been a bit stuck in the house as FIL has had to borrow our car. Meant I missed our violin lesson too

Speaking of violin, A did her practise in that today (I need to try and make her do more as we’re just never managing to do it) and she’s also started her new recorder book I got her. It’s called Recorder Wizard which I quite liked the look of and so far she’s been able to do it on her own as it has a cd with it. She def seems to like the recorder and is getting much better at it, mostly from her own steam too which is good. She can play Mary Had a Little Lamb well now. It’s actually taken her this long to be able to cover the holes properly (and she still sometimes struggles) as her fingers are so small. Of course I did find my old recorder book as soon as I ordered the new one, but hey ho. She has a few things to go through now.

As I may have mentioned before, M has a definite interest in both the world wars, any sort of military stuff, guns, fighting you name it. I decided it might be an idea to get a few books on the subject and let him educate himself on it. Actually he’s been educating me mostly!!

Last week I got The First World War Usborne book which I’d been eyeing up for a while (still would like to get the 2nd WW book). Wasn’t sure whether M would go for it as it’s a bit hit and miss with him when I get books, however he loved it and spent a good half hour at least looking through it with me, telling me all the bits he knew about etc. Now, I know *nothing* about the 1st world war excpet a bit about trenches so this is all new to me. M wanted me to try and find a WW1 game that he could play. he really likes Medal of Honour on the Wii (I know not really appropriate for his age!) and wants a WW1 game. Doesn’t seem to be much there, apparantly due to the boring-ness of the fights but looks like there might be some plane games about I said I’d look into.

Anyway, today I spent a good while reading up the book so that I’d have a bit better grounding in the subject. I managed to also find a couple of free online games for M which he really enjoyed - here and here for anyone else interested (and for me to find when I lose them). We had a bit of discussion about the planes and I told M I had found out what Aces were (was one of his questions the other day) and so we talked about that.

I realised I had enough in various survey accounts to get an amazon voucher so spent some of it on various WW1 books. A horrible histories audio book and a couple of those My Story books. Hoping they won’t be too harrowing though.

Am going to try and take the kids to the Imperial War Museum as there is a Frightful First World War Exhibition on there. No rush though, it’s on till the beginning of next year.

Bedtime story was the first from the War Stories book I’d also bought. I wasn’t planning on these being bedtime stories, but M insisted. The first was a very long winded overview of the war, how it started, ended and the main bits inbetween. Anyway, they said they enjoyed it They were looking through some horrible histories cards (from the magazine) at the time, and managed to pick out some WW1 cards which we read afterwards. There were quizzes on the back which we did too and not just about WW1 so lots of history done!

well I suppose it’s not even over yet, but there we go! I’d been feeling ill all the 2nd half of last week with some kind of virus (thankfully no-one else has had it yet) and this week I’ve just felt wiped out. So tired. I normally get up really early with James nowadays but haven’t done all week, I’ve just needed to sleep. Feeling much better today though

So all week, we’ve been a bit lax with anything too heavy workwise. I’ve been keeping up with our reading from AmblesideOnline, we’re on week 4 now, which went well and made me feel like I’ve not wasted the time. M wanted to read the War Boy book I blogged about before so that’s been our history this week. Which reminds me, was supposed to put it in the timeline book - shall do that later this afternoon. Have hardly done any maths, although did a lesson from MUS this morning that went down well. I also got a book about infinity for them called The Cat In Numberland which although we haven’t read yet, looks really good. They’re both kind of obsessed with infinity atm! Also read Katie and the Mona Lisa to keep some art appreciation going But all fairly relaxed tbh.

Wednesday we went out to the nature reserve home ed meeting which was really nice. Managed to speak to some other people. I feel like I’ve been around for a bit and know a few people by their faces, but I don’t know them well enough to chat so sometimes I feel a little awkward at groups. But getting better. Went off to my mums afterwards for a change of scene listening to Bindi Babes (Alex’s choice) on the way. Yes we have more audio books on the go Not so many this time, 3 each. A is getting more into them too.

I’ve been quite enjoying watching M read a few more things lately. It’s been over a month since I decided to stop the reading of ORT books every day and take a step back to see how things would go. I never said anything to M about why, but when he turned round to me one day and said that he gets all confused in his head when he tried to read I took it as meaning I was probably doing the right thing. He doesn’t ever ask to practise reading, but he picks up comics often and will attempt reading lots there. I don’t think it feels as hard for him. The other day we were getting petrol and he read ‘Have you checked your oil?’ only pausing to check he had ‘checked’ right. Ok hardly earth shattering, but what I liked about it was he wasn’t doing it for anyone but himself and that’s how he generally is, doing it for himself. Oh I saw this Artemis Fowl Graphic Novel and think it looks fab. Might have to get it.

And now I’ve lost my train of thought as the kids were fighting over the playstation so have been sent upstairs. Humph.

We have 2 war ‘nuts’ in the family so far, James and his dad. I think we may have another one soon enough. Marcus caught the end of ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ on Saturday and loved it so on Sunday James’ dad brought out a video of it and they watched it all. He likes the tanks, the guns, the aeroplanes and weaponry, pretty much like his dad and grandpa then

So this morning, after a late start, he brought down a book that’s been on our shelves for a while. It’s called War Boy and is the childhood story of the illustrator Michael Foreman. It’s a long book so we’ll have to read it in a few sittings, but the pictures are fab and I don’t think I’ve ever had M interested in a book like he was today. He loves stories, being read to but today he was on my knee the whole time lol! It’s set in Lowestoft so he was excited to see it in a place he knew of. We looked at how close that was to Holland on the map too so some geography crept in

I was wondering if I should try to do some sort of more in depth study of it all with him, then realised how much we’ve actually done in the last year. We visited Eden camp last October which we all really enjoyed, I wonder if we could do another trip there one day, I really enjoyed it. We’ve visited the Imperial War Museum and the Royal Armouries and we’ve also had a couple of visits to the Aeroplane museum in Doncaster which has lots of WW2 planes and exhibits. We’ve read a couple of books about WW2 - twenty and Ten and also Make Do and Mend ( franklin Watts book - why do they do such fab books and then a year later they are out of print?? I only bought them last year). We have a couple of other books in that series which we’ve still to read too.

So add that to all the discussions that come up and it’s amazing what you get through when you don’t try eh?

and one in which I’ve felt completely detached from the whole world. I get days when all I want to do is sit and thrash out the things going on in my head and today was one, but I never had the chance. It also didn’t help that I had an awful nights sleep, with a really horrible dream. Set me up really badly.

But anyway, I managed to trim some bits in the garden and fill the green bin up, it is so overgrown and I dread anyone coming to check up on the house (we must get a check soon - been here nearly a year). So a little bit better, but really I wasn’t in the mood for it. Kids tidied their room after a lot of prodding and Alex did some of a maths workbook of her own accord. She did about doubling numbers and matching numbers to words.

Watched the GP qualifying and then headed round to FIL’s for the afternoon and for tea. Was a welcome break from having our 2 out in the street. It’s just getting worse, yesterday the boy who we have problems with was trhowing A’s scooter around and has managed to break it Why must one stupid obnoxious little 8 year old ruin everything? I mean I hate the house here anyway, I’m covered in bruises from knocking into things cos nothing fits right in the house and there is just no room, but it did feel nice that at least the kids had friends, could do the whole playing out thing and everything. But argh, I’m just hating it all atm. Kind of wishing winter and bad weather

Watched Stuart Little and Italian Job then home and baths before bed. Seemed ages ago that though. We’ve nearly finished the Stuart Little book and we had a little history and geogrpahy tonight in the form of Warm as Wool story (M recognised Pennsylvania from the Magic Tree House books - must check where it is on the map!) and more Maths in Tally O’Malley.

Supposed to be going out for a drive somewhere nice tomorrow but as car just been fixed and has cost a further £100 maybe we won’t. can’t face a day in the house though I don’t think

I’ll see if I can remember what we did. First of all I had a sleep in, I’m still feeling a little out of sorts. Not ill, but certainly very tired. I feel really weird tonight but am blaming it on the heat, is very warm in our house tonight.

So we had a late start and although I had written down stuff I wanted to do this week, I don’t think any of it was done today. I started well on Wednesday, but hey. So this morning Alex wanted to play Ooky Spooky so we did that for a while. Then she wanted to do some reading (actually I can’t remember who instigated the reading, but anyway) so we decided to print a nursery rhyme and learn it, so we looked through her nursery rhyme book and she decided on ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’. Printed it out and cut out the words and then put them all back in order. She liked it anyway!

Then the post arrived and 2 graphic novels I ordered arrived with it. First one was for Marcus and is called Bone and I got Owly for Alex. They both absolutely loved them and M sat for ages looking at his (I had a little read too and it was really funny.). Result.

Spent rest of the morning with the lego set, built a pyramid and helped M make a car of his own design. he’s really good at doing that.

before lunch we did some looking at Google Earth and then while lunching we read some Story of The World about the Pyramids so that sparked lots of discussions and we then looked into another book we had to see what was in there. I tried to convince M that we should try mummifying a chicken as per the sotw activity book but he wasn’t having any of it. rofl!!

Rest of the day has been them playing outside really. Been gorgeous today. Weekend is busy - Monsters birthday party tomorrow and then we have to be leaving dead early on Sunday to get to the Renault World Series day at Donington Park.

a bit bleurgh lately hence the lack of posts. Seems to have been going round, James had it at the weekend and James’ dad had it too.

Monday seemed for some in blogland the day to get back to ‘work’ but I figured I’d wait till Wednesday as that was when the local primary schools round here went back. So Monday we spent in Conisbrough up at my mum and dads new paper shop. Kids did loads of jobs and earned money which was promptly spent in the shop again! Loads of sweeties in there. We were in Conisbrough to meet up with Michelle from the Manor Born as they were in the area doing something with bikes or somesuch So we decided to go to the castle which was really nice. It’s been a while since we’d been there and the kids had been asking to go back for ages. M never made it to the top of the castle, he has a real fear of heights. A had no such problems and made it up at least twice (maybe even three times?). Marcus made friends with ‘Big’ Marcus and was having arguments as to what certain parts of the castle were for. M thought everything must have a fighting aspect! Anyway, was lovely to have a day out especially after keeping away from such places in the summer hols.

Tuesday was fairly non eventful as the local kids were still about so most of the day was spent playing with them. I’m writing down what they do cos I like having notes and M did some drawing while A played with our electronics set. Both of them watched some MathUSee which I’ve managed to get second hand from BringandBuy. It only arrived so I was watching to see what we thought (I’d already seen the trial video) and they really liked it. I’m going to get some blocks next week from the UK rep as she lives nearish to me and we’ll make a tentative start with it. Not planning to do much with it, but to have it supplement the ‘livingmath’ we’ve been doing.

So today was the start of ‘not being back to school!’ Yay! Not that it’s that much different to what we’ve been doing lately, but anyhow. We read some African picture / math books and learned how to count to 10 in swahili. Kids loved this one, I didn’t think they’d be that interested!! Then we looked on the map to make sure they knew where africa was - they didn’t! So I showed them, talked a bit about continents and M started looking at some places in USA. He found New York and I told him that lots of places in America have English names and that there is Sheffield and London over in the US among others. Read some of Zero to Ten as well which is going back to what we’d been looking at last week (or whenever) about the history of numbers).

Showed them how to play Mancala which went well for about 10 minutes till M just went mad and assumed he’d lose so he had the most enormous tantrum I’ve ever seen him do. He spent at leat 15 minutes screaming around and throwing himself about saying he hated us all. I just didn’t know what to do or say to him This past week he’s been so angry and has been constantly bickering with A, it’s been a bit of a nightmare. It could be due to the cold thing that wiped me out on Monday and James at the weekend, or I suppose it could be hormones. Is this the time for hormones with boys? I dunno. Anyway, it’s all a bit bluerghy there.

We had to walk down to the bank before lunch so I braced myself for M behaving awfully, but he was fine and I think the fresh air helped him. Sent them round Sainsbury’s with their own little list to read and get stuff.

Home for lunch and patch time which tends to coincide with computer time. A helped me make some cookies, M wasn’t interested in helping today. Once it got near school finishing time that was it, they were out on the street waiting for their friends to get home. So they’ve even socialised a bit too

It’s been a long day

I think we’ve covered a fair proportion of my categories boxes today I started with a plan of what I wanted to do so no pretending it was autonomous - anything but! First off they both did some copywork, I only wanted them to do one thing each (a proverb for M and some letter practise for A) but they wanted to do at least 3 times what I planned. Then they did a couple of pages of Explode the Code each. We then looked at a new book we got last week called The History of Counting and discussed about numbers being invented and how people did it when they had no language for numbers. Quite interesting. Also showed them about Lebombo and Ishango bones. We made our own out of salt dough later on too.

But before that I took them to the schools library again and they chose some books each. A got some dolphin books and M some car, ship and bridges books. I was looking to see if they had anything for teaching latin but they didn’t. I did however pick up 2 French videos so we watched one when we got home.

I tried to air the tent out a bit, but it’s tricky with a tiny garden. It was sopping wet though so I was thinking I ought to do something, anything! Almost dry, shall try again tomorrow to get any other damp bits.

Then we did shopping when James got home, I got myself into a foul mood so this evening he made himself scarce. I printed out some (v. easy) sudoku puzzles for the kids and stuck them into some work books for them (otherwise I lose them). Alex made a start right away and did about 7. M eventually did 2 although I never asked him to he just did eventually. Got some cheap sudoku and kakuro books at Sainsbury’s (£1 each) so am training them up

Anyway, time to get kids out of the bath and do stories.

I really meant to blog before going away this weekend, but managed not to. However there was a few bits and bobs I wanted to make sure I wrote down so I’ll try and remember what I did. Prob only interesting to me though (keep thinking I ought to record something in case an LEA inspector does decide to call).

Last weekend seemed an age ago but we did venture out to Creswell Crags which was a lovely walk and prompted lots of conversations about early people, where they came from etc etc. I’d like to visit the caves too at some point, but M is slightly worried about caves since we went to the Mining museum and went down the mine. he doesn’t like underground!

Monday I headed off to Barbara’s house and we managed to leave my kids with chris while B and I checked out the Schools Library. Wow. What a resource. I could have spent all day there! It was mostly non fiction books but a selection of ficion too. I picked up lots of maths books, some more ‘Katie’ books (the ones where she visits paintings) and a couple of space type books. Am going to take kids one day and it will be so nice knowing that whatever subject they want to know about, we should be able to find books on it. Our local library has had it’s cars, boats and machine books exhausted by M so I think we should be able to find some good stuff in the Schools one.

The rest of the week seems like a blur now, but workwise we’ve started off some copywork. m has really good writing which I think is unusual for a boy, but we don’t do any practise. He idn’t mind doing this as it was nice and quick. The Story of the World book arrived and we did some chapters of that along with spotting the areas on maps. this tied in nicely with the Creswell Crags visit. Our new Electronics Kit arrived so we’ve done some of that too talking about circuits and conductors. We loved the Beans kit and so when a little bit of money came our way I decided that it was going to be spent on that. Also have spent some but not lots of time on maths, been looking through books and finding any maths in the books so lots of looking for patterns, shapes etc.

M read 4 of the level 4 ORT books last week. These were the books where the ‘Magic Key’ was found so great excitement there and have ordered the next level books where the first adventures are had. Definitely getting there with all of it, don’t really want to take too much time off the practise as I think it is doing M the world of good.

And so we come to the weekend spent in a field Off The Path which was lovely despite the weather being slightly against us. It’s always nice to have the kids potter off with all the other kids there and be able to chat with the other adults. Def a plus since the kids have grown up a bit. We did have a small break as we had a cousins birthday party. What a difference! Full of hyper children and an awful dj/party bloke, was glad to get away! I didn’t sleep too well in the tent though, was v cold so on coming home today I had a bath and fell asleep for about 2 hours.

Oh and I managed to borrow a couple of books from Jan - the Time and Space of Uncle Albert and Uncle Albert and the Quantum Quest which are story books about lots of physics-y type stuff. I started reading the first one (just for myself) as soon as we got home and am enjoying it immensely. I know absolutely nothing about these kinds of things so it’s nice for me to learn about stuff!

love The Magic Schoolbus series that we’ve been watching on a morning on Pop lately. As I was hanging out the clothes this morning I was saying to Alex that the sun would help the clothes dry and she said ‘and the wind. Because the water goes into the air and I know that is called evaporation’. My job here is done. Must go into Magna again and look at the (pretty rubbish) water cycle model.

The Titanic Research Guide from the Magic Tree House arrived this morning too. When I first saw them I figured they’d be like activity lessons and stuff but they’re not, they’re like a non-fiction book written at the same level as the story books so kids can read them themselves. I read through it this morning showing the kids some bits of it and I thought it was really good. Made me cry though!

Marcus read the 4th book in his reading challenge, this one was a bit tricky for him and it was a bad time. We were both stressed and too hot. But he did it and we went back to the library to get the 2nd set of stickers and fridge magnet. 2 more to go. While out doing library run M was asking lots more questions about Titanic and Rose and Jack from the film. He’s struggling to remember they weren’t actually real even though the story is real. Also did some maths questions while walking. Mostly car related like ‘ if you are going 5 miles and hour and had go twice as fast how fast would you be going?’ Seems to be working well.

And then when we got home Alex made herself a floating experiment with some berries. Autonomous learning!

I’ve loads of housework to do now so will get on with it, having an afternoon off from the kids tomorrow and can’t wait!