THE FROG-ACADEMY

Another Good One!

It all began nicely and ended nicely :-) Although we got off to a bit of a late start we still mananged to complete school work on time today. I think not having a playgroup run to do helped significantly of course. The kids are swimming through the tying up of loose ends stuff. I think we'll try to tie off 'plants' tommorrow morning and 'weather' in the afternoon, or maybe on Wednesday. Joel still has a couple of good activities I'd like him to do with that before he's done, but getting him to record anything is a bit tough at times. He's happy to do the experiments & activities, but the 'notebooking' of what he observes is a different story! Maths and English are almost there now thankfully and I feel that Boo is already nudging into year 1 work so I don't need to push her too hard really. She has already read three books for her library reading mission and Joel has read 2 - that 's a good start for them both I think :-) Jake has read one, but that's because he lacks enthusiasm for reading and also has school books to read, which, now he has gone up to level 14, are a lot more his cup of tea than they were. I personally still don't feel that they match his ability, but there are a lot less books at each level, so he should go up through the scheme quicker now and then he will be free to read whatever he likes (amen to that!!)

Anyway, back to today... So when school was done we sat on the sofa and I read them all another chapter of "The Quigleys" - I highly recommend it and intend to read some more in the series. It is a very funny take on an average family (Mum, Dad, son and daughter- very average!) and the kids are loving it. Joel originally got it out of the library to read himself, but the chapters are quite long and I think he lost his nerve, but I saw it as a great book to read-aloud to him and Boo. I was right :-) I think I do have a good eye for read-alouds that my kids will enjoy, but unfortunatly have a nasty habit of falling asleep mid-way through about the 10th sentance! But with plenty of children crawling all over me today, clamouring to hear the next installment, I managed to stay awake!!

Immediatly following that it was swimming. I attached Boo to my bike today on our 'Trailgator' and tagged her along quite successfully. It never really worked with the boys because, as they could already ride bikes when we bought it, they would try too hard to counterbalance me and we wobbled everywhere. But as Boo can't ride herself yet, it worked well - UNTIL - on the way home (well to a friend's for a BBQ actually) everything went pear-shaped. My saddle went wonky (because Paul had lowered it earlier, after he had borrowed my bike some while ago, and not tightened it quite enough) and the 'hinge' of the gator itself went crooked on her bike (from the undue strain of mal-alignment I think), leaving her riding at a 45 degree angle to the road! We got off and walked the rest of the way needless to say and sorted it when we got there - or rather Paul did!

BBQ at our friend's was fun as always. Paul brought the kids home a bit before 10pm and they were in bed by quarter past. I came home about 10.30pm cause I stayed to chat with my friends a bit longer. (Paul's idea, not mine - I wasn't going to refuse of course. I am always reluctant to leave social events - he hardly ever is!) I am determined Jake will be so worn out by the time he and we finish school that he will be mellow and subdued enough to chill-out for two days before we go over to Jon & Jans for a long weekend and he has to cope with being the eldest of 9! He admits he finds it tough being the eldest at times because the little ones copy the 'naughty' things he does and then he gets into trouble for it. And true, sometimes those things would not be considered naughty if he were the only one around because he alone would be old enough and safe enough, but the little ones aren't. Bless him!

Blog, bed myself (now midnight). A very pleasant day :-) Keep it up kids !!