Spending Too Much Money...

A car, a tent & a holiday (albeit short), car-tax and now school-books - OUCH!! I hope we don't have to move too soon now because I've spent the money we set aside. It mostly went on the tent and the long weekend, but the books have been pretty expensive too. I had to buy a whole curriculum for Yr 7, but a few bits to keep Phoebe going and a couple of top up bits for Boo. Joel has 'on-going' books and I haven't bought anything for Els either as I think I have all I need to get her through Rec' year. I don't plan on being very intense with her. She is a very natural learner - and a very verbal one, so I'm hoping she will just absorb what all the others are doing and I will drip feed her phonics a bit and she needs to learn her numbers, but that'll be it. I need to think about Caleb though - whether I try to get him some extra mornings at playgroup or find him more constructive things to do at home. He spends far too much time screaming at us at the moment - with either frustration, or boredom, or both. Even when we set him to a game it often only lasts a very short time, but if he does get stuck in he will start screaming if his playmate (whoever that happens to be) has to leave him for any reason. It's very hard to handle. Today the neighbour paid me a visit because she was in the garden having a cup of tea and was worried when she heard C screaming "help me, help me!" - he was trying to take a kitchen stool into the garden and when Boef helped him he screamed because he wanted it back inside!! We can't win with him and consequently try to ignore the screaming as much as we can. I know some would say that attention to it would cure it, but I'm not so sure - he just changes what he is screaming about! Others would say ignore it and he will learn it doesn't work - to which I say - "really?" In all honesty neither method works really well. What we do do is try to encourage him to 'talk nicely & sensibly' about what he wants instead of screaming in the first instance. It's a long haul though - Jake was very much the same and now at 11 he still reacts this way sometimes, but on the whole he more reasonable these days. So, only 8 years to go!!

Other than that it's been a bit boring round here. Time spent drying out the tent (it's taken days!) and find a home for it + all the other 'stuff' we have acquired for camping all of a sudden. Sorting out school-drawers x 2 today. Got another 3 to do yet. Boys went to tennis today - a knock about session. Another week of hols and then time to knuckle down again. It's going to be tough getting the kids back into routine I think this year. Need to do some serious planning next week.