For The Reading Record

Stitch will be 7 at the end of the month. He's just begun reading "Cool!" ~ his first Michael Morpurgo book. This little snippet is just for the record.

Late Night Tot-School

My smallest likes to get up when all the others have gone to bed and do this (taken a few nights ago);

You just have to check out that pencil grip though - not enforced by me, just natural. The only thing I have to train my kids to do is put that second finger under the pencil, which actually can be quite a challenge! Looks like NJ won't have too much of an issue with it though as he does it sometimes already. I think it's just htat his fingers are to small to always hold a pen like that. He has recently taken to colouring small and fine - it's very cute :D The only thing that is not so cute is that it is not always on paper!! Washable markers are a wonderful invention ;-)

Seriously Cool School!!

All is going well with our new system so far :) Boo tells me it is like having non-book day every day and even J1 is almost finished by Lunch time. He took one look in his box today and said "looks like an exciting day...a couple of not so good things, but good in all." so that is praise indeed of the system to hear positive stuff coming from him! J2 is doing as he always does and finishing before everyone else, but I can't doubt the quantity of work he does because he has to do what I set out for him! Boo is loving it and often carries on finding things to do even after she has 'clocked out' and Beefie is doing well with it too, keeping going and getting finished every day. She is finding the typing a little difficult I think (and is very slow), but that just gets easier with practice doesn't it :D Belle is managing to stay the course of her 10 activities (which is more than she has EVER done before) and even Bleb is (C) is pretty much getting the hang of working with us until his box is empty :D I am definitely less stressed with them only doing 10-a-day and so are they. It IS a lot of effort to get organised with the planning at the weekend for the full week and then the replenishing of the boxes each night is tiring, but I think once I get more in the swing of it all it will definitely be hugely worth it!

SO today, despite my trays for Natty only still being on order, I did manage to set up a little bit of TOT-SCHOOL and here's what he did :D

Of course the others could not resist joining in, but he was not complaining - he likes to work with the others and it made him feel that what he was doing 'must' be fun if the others wanted to too ;) The spaghetti posting didn't last long, he decided it was much more fun to break it into tiny pieces and throw it around! The bead threading he kept going back to over and over all day - I lost count the number of times I gathered those beads together again! The misfit monsters he enjoyed, but in reality that was something for Bleb and he didn't really get it. The magnetic 'pictures' again he revisited all day. So all in all a successful day. I have additional fun stuff lined up for tomorrow ;) He may not have had a great deal more attention from me today but he was certainly a lot more positively stimulated than he has been of late.

And lastly - for my nice regular readers who know my older three children, they have each set up a blog. If you want to comment you have to be invited, so if you want to do so, just give me a shout and I will invite you - they would love visitors of course, but I want to monitor it closely.

Their blog addresses are;

Boo @ www.babsyboosblog.blogspot.com

J1 @ http://crazyjakesplace.spaces.live.com

J2 @ www.machillinplace.blogspot.com

Another activity I tried for the first time today was to try and alleviate some of the stress of writing that Beefie exhibits. I wanted her to write some 'news' but knew she would struggle with it, so I decided to do something new :D I took her somewhere quiet (yes, that can be done in this house) and got her to record onto my phone what she wanted to say - warning her first that she was going have to write it all down, so probably best to try not to say too much! She did it - once she got past the giggles ;) - and then went on to produce a good (for her standard) piece of writing with no fuss whatsoever :D - Big Hit! Will do that again! Here's what she looked like whilst writing up - how sweet does she look ;) -

Wishing I was Wonder-Women

As I sit here tonight, with stuff still to do and feeling so hot I can hardly breath, I am wondering just how some women do it all! It's not been a bad day, but one of those when towards evening I really begin to resent Paul's calling because he has 'committments' that call on his time and energies. School went well again today and the kids definitely like the new system - as do I, but boy is it intense! Can you imagine trying to ensure that all 7 children do each of 12 activities and that each one of them gets to do some stuff with you too - the younger ones more. That's 84 activities a day going on around me!! Couple that with all the ordinary house-hold stuff like making lunch, chivvying kids to do their chores, doing my own chores (Weds = hanging washing out and getting in, endlessly loading dishwasher, hoovering through this rather big house, cleaning down kitchen at the end of day), a million trips to the toilet with a drinking-lots-just-trained toddler, finding the bits of things I forgot to put in the boxes and answering the cry of "Muuuuuum!" to the point of distraction! Even with only 4 help tickets each that's still at least 28 pleas for assistance above and beyond that which I have already assigned them!

And then to boot P is out from 6 on a Weds, so cook tea and clean up after it, put kids to bed after chivvying to shower and tidy rooms (again) before they hit the sack. All this to the whimpers of "It's too hot, I'm too tired, can I do it in the morning?..." (all of which are echoing loudly in my own thoughts as I tell them "no!" - and myself too, knowing that tomorrow is likely to be little different and then there will only be double the workload - never good!).

Now, after blogging, I have to go and stand in a room infested with tiny flies (someone left the window open & light on last night) and think up 84 activities for tomorrow (it's almost midnight now)! I only stood it for a little while last night then felt I was so crawling with flies I gave up, only leaving me even less time this morning to shower and get myself and two small boys dressed etc... (which I eventually managed to do late morning).

I'm thinking that I need to drop to 10 activities a day because, although they are not complaining and the activities are varied enough, some are struggling to complete them all and today they would have been working longer than I really want them to - for my own sanity! I need to think more imaginatively for tiny too - he is so Mummy hungry bless him, but unfortunately so is C. Today I was looking at a book with N, but it was like none of the others could see this; it seemed a grand time to themto ask me a million questions about nothing in particular and it was the moment when E lost all common sense about her own work and when C chose to throw a tantrum about doing a puzzle I knew he could do relatively easily with some thought put into it. Poor N just kept tapping my arm and calling "Muuuum" quite loudly to draw my attention back to him and his book (which he was really trying to enjoy with me). I got quite annoyed with the others tbh, as N really does not get enough time with me and even when I try to make it happen it gets kyboshed and he ends up being a bit sad :( He had a box full of activities to do today, but I only managed to do about 5 of them with him - it was just too hard to concentrate the time on him :( I'm hoping that as E & C get more used to the system they will afford me more time to work with him and he will get used to being part of 'school time' - he is only just 2 afterall.

So - multi-Mums out there - how do you do it all? How do you homeschool several ages, keep a clean and tidy home - not spotless, just respectable - and have happy, thriving-on-your-love kids - and not feel a complete wreck by the end of the day?

Good moments of the day were when E & I realised that she knows all but 3 of the letter sounds of the alphabet now :D & C did a 24 piece puzzle completely unassisted (once he got over the grumbles)! :D

"Stop the World...

...I'm getting off!"  - If only I could sometimes!

It's been a long and confusing week. We have continued to pack boxes - in faith for a move. We have looked at two more houses. One today was a lovely Farmhouse on 8 acres of land - gorgeous - idilic - cheaper than the one that got sold! But probably expensive on maintainance and a bit 'in the sticks'...

There is another one available to let that we wanted to see today, but current tenants are being awkward about viewings - 6 DBL beds, extra room downstairs too - £200 pcm cheaper, but not empty yet! Not far from original house (same village, but other side) but closer to current location and more easily accessible for village itself, park and local playgroup...

Meanwhile the sale on house 1 has FALLEN THROUGH (no suprises there then)!

"Great!" I hear you shouting, but it's really NOT that simple! You see we have lost our peace about that house now. We thought maybe, as there are other comparable houses (if not better) out there for less, we might be able to negotiate the rent a little - but no, she is not willing to reduce at all! We are just not sure we like the way the relationship with her (the Landlady) is looking atm and so are not sure we want to stretch ourselves - and it will be a stretch - to rent HER house over one of the others - the 6 bed particularly.

SO - we have some doors to knock hard on. We are due to sign papers for the house 1 at 11.30 on Saturday morning (well we did tell ourselves the end of the week for a decision- and that is very definately it) and we will if we are absolutely certain it is our only realistic option. 

Our other main struggle is the time factor. We had told our current LL's we were aiming to move OUT on the 15th (which we still might of course) and they have booked decorators for the first week of June and want access the week before to 'do stuff' that needs doing. BUT if we don't take the original house and decide that the 6 bed is a better (and definately viable) option then we will not be able to move in there as soon. That houses current tenancy ends the 25th May. We are away for 3 days 25-27th. We are then away on Conference as of the 30th! So we would have 2 days to move in and then would have to leave everything in boxes until we got back!! Also on the 29th P has to go and collect 3 kids from camp which will take a few hours of his evening. It will be a real SQUEEZE to do it then, but if we don't (or we can't for any reason) then we will not be able to move out of here till we get back from conference - and that might mean paying another months rent here and pleading to the kindness of our current LL's. 

It is really all an awefull headache, but we NEED to make the RIGHT decisions for our whole family and for our finances for the foreseeable future.

If you are so inclined - please, please pray for us - this might just expediate my turning grey at this rate (no signs of that yet though ;) )!!

And for your pleasure - here is N - conked out on the grubby lounge floor - expressing exactly how I feel atm!!

30 Boxes packed...

... and many more to go!

I cannot believe how much stuff we have - well no - actually I can - that's why we are moving!!

The kids are being great actually. They are so excited and of course not too worried that school is not happening normally ;)

Despite the endless packing, school does not feel like a total loss. The morning began with Carcassonne - the five eldest played (E teamed-up with A). Then all the children used ed City in varying amounts. Joel passed his Test B (third time) with 86% . Needs to redo Test A and polish up his Mental Maths on there - that should keep him busy for a few days! I'm going to have to be really creative when we are UNpacking as we won't have internet for about a fortnight - how WILL I cope?! 

Some of our toys already have their own boxes that don't need further packing, so the Duplo was brought out today for Nat, but everyone wanted to play with it - of course! It was good for Caleb to play with this for a while too. 

Lots of 'Mummy' play going on too, which I love watching. I've put some bigger photos over on my 365, but here's some snap-shots of our day :D

    

  

Non-Book day - ermmm - well...

...more of a non anything day really. We don't seem to quite have a handle on this 'back to school' thing atm - the sunshine is too irresistible and no-one wants to be inside! Ah well - I guess it's OK - we could be packing up the house next week and for the next month, so I'm sure not much schooling will happen these next couple of months anyway - and then it will be summer holidays and we can start afresh in September - new house, new space, new system - I hope!!

So today began with them all doing some quiet reading. Phoebe's book of choice atm is he Bible :D. Then the rest of the day consisted mainly of bouncing on th etrampoline (PE - check) and yet more bubbles (maths, science, creativity, exercise - all check), only this time with sugar added (makes the bubbles last longer) and the mixture did make it possible to get a LOT more big floaty ones, and multi ones, even up to 5 all joined together a few times. The boys invented games with them - mostly a war game, where, dependent on the size of the bubble it was either an aircraft bomber, a bomb, or a nuclear bomb and when it exploded, and with what velocity that explosion happened, determined the damage caused to the opponents location! Nothing but creative anyway :D. The many wands today were constructed not only using Zome (which I have now ordered more of, but could only find in the USA in decent quantities), but also using Knex. It worked just as well tbh, but was a bit more complicated to get more than flat shapes from for the littlies. That's the lovely thing about Zome - it really is soooo easy to use - even for Ellie. I think the best result we got today - in terms of huge-ness - came from the  big, flat rectangle that Jake built. It made like a sheet of bubble which then created the biggest bubbles!

Some other activities DID happen today though - only more spontaneously than usual: The big girls did some beading, making beaded keyrings for the girls next door, one of whom has just turned 8. Abs thought quite carefully about her patterning (maths- check). Abbie also made a card for her - completely by herself (Art/craft - check) :D. Ellie caught up on her Headsprout reading books (we had a few to do) and although she does need to re-read them and practice them, she is doing pretty well actually, when her memory works to full pelt! And When it was getting cooler in the garden I did persuade the boys to do some 'homework' (my word for finishing off stuff, or doing stuff they should have already done earlier!). Jake did a lesson on Conquer Maths and Joel finished of Literacy Yr6 on Ed City (he is actually only 'in' Yr5, so he is plenty ahead)! He has actually almost finished the Yr5 maths on there too, I just want him to up his results in the tests. He got 77% and 69% (test B) on his first try (that's a good Level 4 in SATS terms), so it shouldn't be too hard to improve. I'd like him to get 80% on at least one before I put him up to Yr6 Maths. Science - well it's not his forte and he's only about half way through, but I think with a little time and effort he would catch up with that too - maybe with all this time when I am going to be packing boxes that's something for him to work on. I can see ED City being worth it's weight/cost in gold in the coming weeks...

Nat's first for the day was pushing E's doll pram part-way home from playgroup - very cute!

More Firsts...

Sometimes I wonder where my little baby is going - he suddenly seems to be mastering new things each day. I guess it will be using the potty next!

Today's first were drinking from a cup (at his request) and holding himself (avec nappy) and saying 'wee wee' whilst sautering off to the downstairs loo! Oh - and eating a slice of apple!

Morning school pottled along while I busied myself in the study making labels for our new Workbox System (soon to be implemented). Afternoon school was supposed to me History (Romans) and Maths ( Singapore MPH), but our printer is not happy with its refilled ink and won't print the materials I need atm + the sun was shining and we all just wanted to be outside. A game of Carcassonne was suggested, but not warmly received by all (some, but not all - mostly coz it was so nice out) and they had been playing bubbles (again) over lunch, so a brain wave came over me - happens rarely you might know! I almost caved to their pleas to not 'do school' - I just made it feel  like we weren't. I collected the 'Zome' and proceded to make a cube in an attempt to recreate this - it worked once - and that was enough - they were hooked! They then spent the next 2-3 hours playing with Zome and bubble mix (just plain ol' Fairy liquid and water 1:4). They learnt the word 'bubbleology' and instantly declared themselves to be such scientists! Mid afternoon I asked them to tell me what they were learning. Their responses were (as best I can remember them - I just wish I would remember to record on my phone when I ask these questions!); 

• "Triangles are harder to get good bubbles from, but 3D shapes are good." (Abbie)
  
• "House shapes and hexagony shapes work the best, but squares are quite good too." (Joel)
  
• "Double shapes with big spaces make great double bubbles, but if the spaces are too small the bubble just goes in together." (Phoebe)
  
• "If the mix is too thin or too thick they just pop all the time." (Jake)
  
• "You can make bubble mix with washing-up liquid." (Phoebe)
  
• "Whatever shape we make they always go to round." (Phoebe & Joel)
• "Sometimes they are so big they are all wiggly." (Joel)
• "The bigger they get the harder it is to get them to float." (Jake)

Not bad for an afternoon's fun :D. Check out all the pictures on my Picasa album. (click at the bottom of the oage), but here's a few of the best ones to pretty up the blog :D.

Leaps and Bounds

You know how sometimes life just passes by and nothing much happens - well today has NOT been one of those days :D

Nat achieved some firsts today - first walking on a wall, first blowing of a dandelion clock, first bubbles blown & first putting two words together ("more bubble"). 

I know some of those don't seem very major, but they are still worth noting.

First day back today too - morning went fine, afternoon went pear-shaped! Well, that's not really fair, it only really went pear-shaped for Jacob as he had melt down over his science - again! He simply does not 'get' how to think like a scientist. I am so tempted to forget the whole thing and just look at stuff as and when it becomes relavent to him. What do you think? Should I persist, or give it up as a lost cause? Is it really worth the upset time and again? He finds it so hard to verbalise concepts in a short concise way that don't sound like telling a story. He struggles to 'hypothesise' in any way at all and drawing conclusions is even worse! Do I just stick at it - even though I know in my heart there is no chance of him ever doing a scientific job - just because I 'should', or what do I do? Help!!

Other than that there were some lovely moments spent together in the garden today - where Phoebe's little digital weather station measured 41 celcius (static in the sun)! It really was VERY warm, even if it wasn't quite that hot! We did LOTS of bubble blowing today and then didn't want to go back inside again, so we moved school outside after lunch. I am so looking forward to being able to have outside/inside school in our new house (still hopeful). 

Landlords came round this evening to do a visual inspection. They seemed happy enough so hopefully they will write us a good reference and we will be away!!

Lots of photos (in a collage) over at my 365, but here's a few to appease - as always click to see bigger :D

Jake took some amazing Self-portrait shots today too, so I'll post up a link when he puts them on his blog.

Haircuts & Stuff

Well I guess it might be a Spring thing, but my littlies all needed a mop-chop so here are some B&A’s (click to see bigger).  N&C visited the barbers. Caleb LOVES the barbers and gets really excited. Nat was not so sure and clung to me rather like a limpet to the point where I was rather hairy when we left! E's I did myself - I can do bobs - I had lots of practice in my teens when a friend and I used to cut each others all the time :D

Caleb had a Speech Therapy appointment last week. She said he is doing well, but there is definitely still some delay (which I knew) and she is keeping him on the books for now. He will get another appointment in 3 months time. His basic speech is developing slowly, but he needs to really work on getting grammatical words in his sentences and endings such as ‘ing’ and ‘ed’ added onto his verbs (which considering he had no verbs a year ago is good progress).

We STILL don’t know if we are moving house yet. Understandably the landlord-to-be requested a reference from our current landlord (annoyingly AFTER all other paper work was in), but we have been unable to get it this week as they have been away on holiday. I’m hoping that we will be able to get it all sorted this week and know for sure – and move in a month from now :D THIS is the house  that we have applied for (unfurnished though). It is gorgeous and ticks every box imaginable. I don’t how long we will be able to be there for, or indeed how long we will remain where we are geographically, but whatever it takes to get out of this sardine tin (as that’s how it feels now) I really don’t care!

Back to school tomorrow. Looking forward to it in some ways, not in others. It always seems harder to concentrate when the sun in shining and this holiday has been so relaxed and easy I don’t really want it to end. The routine can feel such a driving force at times. I like getting off now and then, but it’s hard to get back on again. The kids are a bit tired though – LOADS of really late nights and sleep overs with friends (here and there). Normal life might seem a bit boring after all that.

I am looking into a new system of structuring our school-life. Check it out… I’m not sure how it’s going to work out logistically for us yet, but I feel I need something to help me out, after all Caleb will be joining us in September and I really feel I need to put some kind of structure into the littlies education too (not rigid or harsh, but present at least!). Besides the fact that Nat will not be attending Playgroup if we move to that house. It is too far, without a car, to take him everyday to the one we have used since Joel was small :(, and sadly too far really to the village one to do two trips there & back a day without a car (about a mile and a half probably – one way). I know we have a bus…but I still can’t drive! MAYBE this might be the year I learn – who knows! And if I do, Paul might just have to take to his biketo work again, so that I can have the bus in the day times ;) He’s not too enamoured by this idea – he even threatened to learn to ride a motorbike – there’s no way I’m letting him though! We simply can’t afford to run two cars whatever, so the bike might just have to become a reality for him if driving does become a reality for me – which is actually still very unlikely (hehe)!

Lastly... I started a 365 Year In Pictures blog tonight - all followers welcome :D

No Bars Hold!

Today was one of those days that are a benchmark in childhood. Natty surprised us all this morning by managing to clamber out of his playpen (the old fashioned square wooden-bar sort) - three times! Admittedly he was aided by a slightly tall toy (which I have now removed) and a table the other side, but all the same there was no stopping him once he sussed he could do it. This, however, seemed to give him ideas beyond his station. Having mastered his pen he then mastered his cot! When I heard him grizzling after his nap this afternoon and asked A to bring him down, she was greeted by him at his bedroom door. The really weird thing is, the day he first fell out of his cot (age about 9 months) I had that morning mentioned to P that we needed to lower the base. Then, last night as we were dozing off I pondered out loud how soon we would need to put N in a bed. We agreed before Christmas, but no rush (all the others went into beds around 18months-ish and N is now 16). Then today you know about … So tonight he has gone to bed in a big-boys bed (well his cot minus one side). We always figure it is safer, once they can climb out (and he the first one of ours who has actually bothered trying), to remover the sides and train them about staying in. Yes, tonight he did push it a little, but I just waited 'til he was really asking to go to bed and then he went down with very little fuss J. So in the space of a month my baby has learnt to walk and transitioned to a 'big-bed' - he's not so much a baby anymore L The next stage is pants and understandable speech and that seems to be approaching rapidly. He is already quite aware of his anatomy (it's definitely a boy thing!) and his babble seems to be developing nicely into speech-like intonations. He has a sound that sounds distinctly like "there you go" and one like "eyeee" (Ellie). It's this beautiful stage that makes me broody.. J !

On the other hand - I have to remind myself that I really have issues with 9yo boys. JA was very difficult between 8-10 and JI is a positive nightmare! I worry about depression with him (there is a strong family history on my side) as he really seems to struggle to be happy some days. He says he can't see the point in life it is this miserable and everyone hates him so he may as well not be alive … and other such stuff! It's quite distressing, but I do play it cool with him. Not too cool, so that he doesn't think I care, but cool enough to not increase the amount of attention he can draw to himself this way. It all stems from me having 'rules' and today's outbreak of misery was triggered when he bunny-hopped off the kerb into the line of an on-coming car on a bend, such that the car couldn't see him until it was almost on him. I had spoken strongly to JI about the self same thing yesterday and warned him that should he do it again he would no longer be able to bring his bike on the playgroup run for a while, but today he disregarded that warning & nearly got himself killed! So I sent him home to wait for us in the garden with a note that he was not going to ride his bike in the street again for some time. By the time I got home he was hiding. I knew where, but he didn't realise that and I knew he was in ear shot when I told the others we were not going looking for him as that would achieve his aim of getting lots of attention! So, when he came in again he was in a real rage and declaring that no-one cares about him and how he was almost 10 and why couldn't I let him do what he likes and have more responsibility (hmmm - I wonder why!!) and he didn't care if he got knocked over anyway because he's going to heaven and it will be much better than this miserable life! "rrrrr" - 9/10yos!! I have to keep telling myself that he will mature out of it and it is just a phase. I just hope we are right on this one. He then of course decided not to come back to school when the others did and I didn't go and get him, but I think the 'calling his bluff' thing might actually work, because although he tells me so often how he doesn't want to learn anything, he did voluntarily come back and collect his maths book, he did voluntarily join in with the Geography lesson about half way through, although he refused to do his note-booking on what we studied today, and he voluntarily joined in whole-heartedly with Spanish lesson numero tres. So, I don't quite believe him on that one!! I think I will carry on playing it this way and I have explained it to the other kids so they are on board. We'll see how it goes.

School-wise we had a bit of a rough day yesterday and I'm not sure whether it was mostly my fault, mostly theirs, or a good mix of both, but JA was in tears on and off about a couple of things and mostly through tiredness I think, not really anything I did or didn't do (thankfully). JI was kicking off (done that story enough for one night) and E was just not wanting to anything I asked her - school related or otherwise - which set me in a snipey mood, not helped by the fact that I stayed up too late on Sunday night). Thankfully today was the total opposite of yesterday and life was generally smooth, happy, full and finished by the end of the day. They are all loving the Spanish (using GP) and can all count to 12, and greet each other nicely by week 3. I forgot to test their spelling of the numbers 1-12 today although I suspect the boys would have been fine. JA seems to have a knack for languages (he did French at school and was pretty good at it from what I can see, but he didn't want to carry on with it, preferring to do Spanish and, as I did Spanish and know I can speak it better, I was quite happy with that) and JI looks like he might have too. He remembers the vocab' really easily - pronunciation is more of an issue, but he'll get there I'm sure J.

JA chatted to his 'school' friend last night on the phone and afterwards was all begging me to let him go to High-School with his friends. It was a really difficult conversation. If Jake wasn't the crowd-follower that he is I would have less of an issue, if he was more sure of his faith such that he wasn't going to get knocked sideways again at the first sign of someone not liking him because of it, if he wasn't so worried about being 'different,' for whatever reason, that he would do anything to fit in and be liked - if he wasn't who he presently is (essentially) - then I would consider it, BUT the way I see it right now is that it is way too big a risk to take with him. He doesn't think I 'get' him, but that's because in all honesty, I don't think he has quite figured himself out yet and he also has no real idea what high-school is like. He knows they get LOTS of homework (like 1-2 hours a night), but other that that he sees it as a means of social networking! Of course there is that element to it, but that can be done by other means. He doesn't really understand (or doesn't want to understand - not sure which) that some of that social-networking is the exact reason I don't want him there! I do feel for him on the sociability issue and we need to find more for him to do outside of home, but he gave up tennis, swimming and football which were his non-churchy activities, of his own accord. Any of them he is free to go back to if he wishes. I keep encouraging him to keep in contact with his school mates, but he doesn't make much of an effort tbh, so what more can I do? I get that at home he feels a bit too old to join in with the others now, but I think that will change in a not very long time as JI also begins to mature and grow out of playing with the girls so much, At the mo' JI is struggling to adjust to sharing his days and his sisters with his brother again, but I'm sure it will settle down soon enough - at least I hope so! Meanwhile JA is left feeling a bit 'bored' when he is on a break, because I don't allow any SASS time during school hours (9-ish), however I have allowed him to go on Funbrain Maths a little to while away the time. Can't see any immediate solution to that one - just wish he liked reading more than he does, because that would help a little.

Life -otherwise has been happy and busy with a fair bit of out-and-abouting with the lovely sunshine we've been having this last week or so. We have done walks on Wybunbury Moss, Sutton Park (when we went to my s-i-l's a couple of weekends ago) and this last Sunday - Queens Park (in Crewe). This last afternoon out was a bit of a flop as about 90% of the park is closed off for a £3.2M revamp. But the kids played in the very nasty play area (so old and unsafe) and when I had had enough of being scared witless, we went and found a tree to climb and a fountain to clamber on (it was ok to do that). It kept the kids out of the house anyway and they seemed to have a nice enough time. E's best friend AG was with us but Jake was at his mate S's. S lives across the road from the park so Jake & S met us there for a bit, which got them away from the PS2 which they regularly glue themselves firmly to on Sunday afternoons at S's!

I just wish this sunshine would last a lot longer. It makes us all feel so much brighter, but sadly I think we have seen our snippit of summer and autumn is fast approaching. It was good while it lasted, and now I guess we have to enjoy the colours of autumn :)

just for fun;

Quick Catch-up Milestones Blog

Life seems to have been a little hectic (and I joined Facebook too which hasn't helped ;-) ), but things have been happening here…

Firstly - C is potty trained - YEAH!! No trouble at all and very few accidents so far (that's about 10 days or so) J. He seems to be beginning to go dry at night too, so I'll give him another week and try without a nappy.

Secondly our two 'female' rabbits have had babies!!! So evidently they were NOT both female of course and 'Mr Rosie' is a Daddy! Beth is being a good Mum and the five kittens are rapidly growing. They were born last Saturday and are already looking very cute. We appear to have 5, although we've not poked around too much to be really certain, but today they seemed to have moved the fur off themselves a little more and I defiantly saw five; one grey, one black, one black & white, one sandy coloured (I like the colour of this one) and one a light honey colour (also lovely). The one you can see best in the pic' is the honey one. The plan is probably to re-home 'Mr Rosie' and keep one of the baby girls if we have one and can be sure of it's gender - which apparently is not always that easy!!

Thirdly; P is beginning to read quite nicely now, mostly thanks to the excellent Headsprout Program she has been following. She has completed episode 40 yesterday and is very pleased with herself - as am I with her J. She will carry on to 80 over the summer & I've added in flash-cards now for 'tricky' words. I may still cover Jolly Phonics very briefly in the Autumn if I feel it is worth it still and we are not too far beyond it by then. It is good for learning the 'rules' of reading and writing imo - and I believe they can really help later on when more skill is required.

What else..? Well, N is near enough going through the night: 9pm - 5/6am most nights and then dozes again 'til 7 or so, but occasionally goes right through til then without waking if he is not too hot (ie on the cooler nights when he doesn't get thirsty). He feeds a lot in the day but I can cope with that seeing as he sleeps at night - even if I still don't coz I'm working/playing on here J !

We have P's M&D here this weekend and they are taking the kids out for day trips (in twos), so A&P went to Ironbridge today - yes despite the rain - and had a good time it seems J. The big boys are destined for the Boat Museum and Catalyst tomorrow (both nr Elmsmere Port) - we hope! And Monday they are taking the littl'uns to Telford Wonderland, which I think they will enjoy J. Just praying for a little more fine weather…as we all are I'm sure now the holidays are here - sigh!

Just another couple of snaps from Jacob's school Fun Fest at school last night - the only fine day in weeks and it was a lovely evening too, so the kids had a ball! Jake had wet sponges thrown at his head in the 'stocks' - he loves that and A&P were thrilled with their balloons J.

Natty smiles for the camera!

Enjoy :)