Well today round here the schools go back, but we are not. This is our first academic full year where I am home educating both J (10) and Thee (6).
And today is a special day as Thee is 6, he was put to bed last night being 5 yrs old. We read some Waldorf Rainbow Bridge story about his journey to earth, then we read a birthday poem and I gave him 5 kisses.
Today he got 6 kisses along with lots of Harry Potter goodies, a Sonic Screwdriver and big sis Emily (19) bought him a Toy Story 3 Buzz Lightyear that talks Spanish which will be handy familiarising him with the language LOL.
So today is spent playing with new toys including top trumps which we all played. I am tidying the garden so the children on Saturday can do potion making on the outside table. We are waiting for daddy to come home at 2 so we can do the birthday cake. Dr Who for today, Harry Potter cake for the party Saturday. Then at Thee's request we are off to see Toy Story 3 3D at the cinema, and even though I can't see 3D I will go too.
Enjoy your day whatever you do.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Tidy up!
I have spent this weekend rearranging the two shelving units in the living room and the dining room. Taking things from one room and putting them in another. Generally sorting out the shelves, getting rid of things that weren't played with. The main thing to do was to bring the books into the living room and take the games into the dining room as when we play a game we generally play it in there. I am so pleased with results. I even sorted out the hundred or so DVD's we have and got rid of some of them.
The bonus to this is my living room seems really warm and inviting, people like to sit in there and read and as the books are now in the living room it is inviting to go and snuggle up on the sofa to do some reading which is what we did tonight.
Jasmine sat here most of the day reading Harry Potter, with the lamp in the corner it is cosy.
These are my very full but organised shelves with craft things on, playdoh, games, maths manipulatives, writing stuff and general craft books. It was a big job and took me ages to do, but the results are so worth it, I know feel ready to go with our homeschool onwards and upwards we soar!!
Why do we have a living room?
Why we have a living room I don't know, it is really only used when someone wants to watch TV or play on the Wii, also if guests with children come round we sit in there. I tend not to sit in there.
Generally we gravitate to the kitchen and dining area. The dining room is small but warm and is just off the kitchen. People tend to sit at the breakfast bar where we have a laptop connected to the internet. My eldest sits in the dining room against the radiator with her pink laptop which you can see in the fist photo. Often I am found at the dining table, especially when writing or in the first picture I am weaving a scarf for Jasmine (it will take a while).
The piano and ugly harmonium (it is so going to go when I can persuade dh) are in the dining room, so sometimes somebody tinkers away on the piano. I have to make the living room more inviting to sit and read in so we feel we get some use out of this room as it is huge and not used.
The view into the dining room from the kitchen.
Jasmine likes to sit at the breakfast bar making her Klutz Fairy Fashion creations, she has hung some wool on the wall to hang up her fashion designs. I put a candle in that corner as it is fairly dark with the light on and she needs the light for doing the little details on her designs.
Stood looking into our kitchen, Jasmine hard at work.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Monday, 11 January 2010
A new day
Well today is our first day of home educating and I am a little nervous!
I think we got our wires crossed as Dave wanted me to sit with him each day and critique how the day went including showing what Theo had done. But I think to do that will put unnecessary pressure on the home ed process, so I declined his offer.
Dave is unsure about home ed and is talking about Theo's job opportunities, well I want him to experience being 5, there will be lots of time for job opportunities later in life. I have written a structure for our days so I know what things I would like to cover with Theo, it is very game and play based, Dave does not want me to wing it. I decided I have the structure but will also go with the flow if Theo is happy doing something, I will not drag him away from it, our learning involves the child and will be as much child led as possible.
Dave's argument is that homeschooled children never learn to be self disciplined and they all enter the Arts rather than any professional qualification. He has only known a handful of home educators so I don't know how he has reached this conclusion. Of the ones we know: 1 has gone into drama, 1 into singing/music, 1 into conservation, 1 off to Uni. Giving a 3:1 ratio of practical/Uni. Going to do some more research on this and ask in USA as they have a lot more homeschoolers.
J is off today still recovering from Swine Flu, so she can join in with our story reading and game playing. It is lovely to have then both at home and this morning has been very relaxed, it would have been even more lovely had we not had to do the 7 am college run for Emily. I feel so tired and it is only 8.50 am. early to bed tonight I think!
I think we got our wires crossed as Dave wanted me to sit with him each day and critique how the day went including showing what Theo had done. But I think to do that will put unnecessary pressure on the home ed process, so I declined his offer.
Dave is unsure about home ed and is talking about Theo's job opportunities, well I want him to experience being 5, there will be lots of time for job opportunities later in life. I have written a structure for our days so I know what things I would like to cover with Theo, it is very game and play based, Dave does not want me to wing it. I decided I have the structure but will also go with the flow if Theo is happy doing something, I will not drag him away from it, our learning involves the child and will be as much child led as possible.
Dave's argument is that homeschooled children never learn to be self disciplined and they all enter the Arts rather than any professional qualification. He has only known a handful of home educators so I don't know how he has reached this conclusion. Of the ones we know: 1 has gone into drama, 1 into singing/music, 1 into conservation, 1 off to Uni. Giving a 3:1 ratio of practical/Uni. Going to do some more research on this and ask in USA as they have a lot more homeschoolers.
J is off today still recovering from Swine Flu, so she can join in with our story reading and game playing. It is lovely to have then both at home and this morning has been very relaxed, it would have been even more lovely had we not had to do the 7 am college run for Emily. I feel so tired and it is only 8.50 am. early to bed tonight I think!
Sunday, 3 January 2010
New Years Eve
Well I was a little nervous but I needn't have been!
On New Years Eve, I set off in the afternoon with nibbles and some new year print outs from Activity Village (fab site- thanks Lou) I had not driven to this house in Cambridge before, but knew whereabouts it was in Cambridge, I set my SatNav and off we went. It took 45 mins to get there, but that went really quickly.
I knew this home educator from a few years back when Jasmine was being home educated, we have kept in touch via email and phone. So we were amongst friends straight away. This was our first home ed meeting we have gone to since the beginning of 2008 as it was that year in June that Jasmine went to school.
I have to say it felt relaxed and so good to be back. It was so lovely to be in another home educators house, who had as many books as we have! There were 5 other families there, though I think not all of them were home educators but the majority were. I was pleased to see several aged 8 yr old girls who J went off with and happily played. Theo sat on my knee most of the time, he played with some of the toys that were there, but there was no pressure from anyone for him to have to go off and I think this helped him a lot, unlike preschool and school where he has been forced to leave me. In the last hour he ventured off looking for J and happily played near me, but was very relaxed and content.
We went to the home ed meeting to get a feel for how many children turn up to things and what ages, genders are there. There were no boys Theo's age, but there were some girls. Theo however gets on well with children older than him anyway. I was hoping the issue of socialisation would be resolved for me helping me to make the decision to pull Theo out of school this month. And I have to say it has helped me!
I will be applying this week for Theo to have 2 weeks authorised absence from school so we can try out home ed and go to some sessions in Cambridge, if this goes well, I will then de-register him from school. Not sure what J makes of this, but she knows when she chooses it she can come out too. I will see how she goes on then make the decision for her. Dave still not happy about Theo losing his place, he calls being in a class of 31 a 'prime place' and wants me to let Theo stay at school to complete the year before making a decision. I see no reason to wait.
Now where is that holiday form ......
On New Years Eve, I set off in the afternoon with nibbles and some new year print outs from Activity Village (fab site- thanks Lou) I had not driven to this house in Cambridge before, but knew whereabouts it was in Cambridge, I set my SatNav and off we went. It took 45 mins to get there, but that went really quickly.
I knew this home educator from a few years back when Jasmine was being home educated, we have kept in touch via email and phone. So we were amongst friends straight away. This was our first home ed meeting we have gone to since the beginning of 2008 as it was that year in June that Jasmine went to school.
I have to say it felt relaxed and so good to be back. It was so lovely to be in another home educators house, who had as many books as we have! There were 5 other families there, though I think not all of them were home educators but the majority were. I was pleased to see several aged 8 yr old girls who J went off with and happily played. Theo sat on my knee most of the time, he played with some of the toys that were there, but there was no pressure from anyone for him to have to go off and I think this helped him a lot, unlike preschool and school where he has been forced to leave me. In the last hour he ventured off looking for J and happily played near me, but was very relaxed and content.
We went to the home ed meeting to get a feel for how many children turn up to things and what ages, genders are there. There were no boys Theo's age, but there were some girls. Theo however gets on well with children older than him anyway. I was hoping the issue of socialisation would be resolved for me helping me to make the decision to pull Theo out of school this month. And I have to say it has helped me!
I will be applying this week for Theo to have 2 weeks authorised absence from school so we can try out home ed and go to some sessions in Cambridge, if this goes well, I will then de-register him from school. Not sure what J makes of this, but she knows when she chooses it she can come out too. I will see how she goes on then make the decision for her. Dave still not happy about Theo losing his place, he calls being in a class of 31 a 'prime place' and wants me to let Theo stay at school to complete the year before making a decision. I see no reason to wait.
Now where is that holiday form ......
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