THE FROG-ACADEMY

Supposedly taking it easy!

How can a take-it- easy schedule (or supposed lack of it) cause me to be more stressed out and tense than chivvying the kids along all day with ‘book-work’? How is it that my 8yo son says he would rather do boring exercises in a ‘sentences to paragraphs’ book than make a ‘You’re a mean one Mr Grinch’ lapbook. Sure he’s happy to read the book and watch the film - just don’t ask him to think about anything in any way, or ask him to put anything he learns down on paper in such a way as that he has to ‘think’ how to write it. The cutting out is OK for a bit, but don’t ask him to use a bit of glue - “I hate getting sticky!” How is that my 4 & 5yo girls can happily get-on with their “Merry Christmas” lapbook with minimal assistance whilst my 8yo seems incapable of putting any thoughts on paper without my constant assistance? And at the end of a day like today I turn around to find my home trashed by my 3yo because she has severally lacked in attention from me and really should have had a sleep this afternoon if I could have found a moment to settle her - let alone the baby (who fortunately did have a sleep this morning - phew - at least I don’t have to feel SO guilty)!

Now comes the next mammoth round of chivvying - the clearing up session, interspersed with swimming lesson runs and trying to cook tea (a bung in the oven as needs must tonight - Paul is too tired and I am too stressed to not burn anything more fancy)!

Jacob had his school Christmas play today (and tomorrow). Paul went this afternoon (a 20 mile round trip cycle ride) to watch and said Jake was very good. I get to watch tomorrow night - looking forward to that :-)

I though maybe - if we can get the lapbooks finished by early next week we might make lots of deccies and perhaps even put together a mini-nativity to perform to Jacob & Daddy this year. It would be good ‘speech’ practice. That said - they are all in the church nativity on Christmas Eve, but not all of them are speaking and those that are, are reading, not reciting in way.

I’m hoping one of these afternoons I might get to trip around blog land and visit some of you. I seem to have lost touch with you all a little just lately :-( and it’s mainly because I have been off the scene - and my rss feeds don’t work with Thunderbird (which is much preferable in all other ways to Outlook - which I hated). If I can figure out my feeds that will make life much easier - any hints anyone? Jax..?

Anyway - need to go cook tea - that’s my chill out time gone!