Lagging

I logged on to type a post and realised that it has been over a week since my last entry, and it really doesn't feel like it. The same happened with my paper journal that I keep to log important educational milestones (yes, there are some) and I happened to glance at last August, when I first hired out Nick Bakers Guide to British Wildlife from the library. I thought I got it a month ago.

I think this proves that time really does fly when your having fun, or some thing like that. Here's a run down then:

Monday
It was drama, it was Brownies, it was a week ago and I can't remember much else. Let me check the calender... we went to the woods. We ate nettles and collected some cramp ball fungus for a future fire lighting experiment. I made these:

They were as hard as rocks on the outside but OK on the inside.

Tuesday
The man of the house arrived home at 5 a.m. from his travels. I had to get up at 7 with the children and as he was FIVE HOURS late home, I was not really in the right "home educating" frame of mind. My head was buzzing from not enough sleep and too much caffeine. So what to do? I know, let's drag the children to the nearest *Explore centre and remind them how lucky they are to be home educated. It worked. They were Angels for the rest of the day. I went shopping and bought lots of food and posted our swaps for the International Postcard Swap hosted by Zoe. Two of our swapee's have blogs: Just Me and The Magic Key.

Wednesday
We went to the local co-op farm with lots of other home educators and had a lovely morning in the sunshine. There was lots of playing, swinging, tree climbing, tree housing living, pig kissing, chicken hugging, dirt eating and chit-chatting. Od made a new pen friend, a lovely Dutch girl who spoke no English. They managed to spend a whole day together speaking in signs. Od has already reserved a "Teach Yourself Dutch" book from the library and knows the words for "pig", "rope" and "yes". A good start...


Come home and read most of the previous week's library stash including Brainwave books on Inventions and the Universe and made mega blox monsters:

Thursday
I begged the children for a day home but was ignored. We had plans to go with good friends back to Oxford and the Ashmolean Museum to give them another try at being better hosts. They failed miserably. First person we met: Lovely. Welcomed the children warmly and offered them a series of quizzes, which we jumped on. Then as we were on the trail of the Tigers, we came across one employee after another who told us not to run (we weren't) and not to touch (we weren't) and, my personal favourite, not to squeal with excitement when we find a Griffin and loudly discuss what the difference is between a myth and a legend. Not allowed to converse here.

We left and went back to the Natural History Museum, where once again we were welcomed warmly and invited to explore, explore, explore. We had to leave early though, because we had three friends for tea. Are you worn out yet?

Friday
Actually not that manic a day. We spent the morning fiddling about with various projects - the workshop is currently a papier mache factory. Od also watched an excellent documentary on the Egyptians from the Cities of the Underworld series. The boys played, did some education city (back into that again, just as our subscription is about to run out!) some Meeblings (it's physics, honest) and some Poptropica as they have a new world based on Mythology and Eb it seems, is big on mythology. Which reminds me - Stephanie over at Ordinary Life Magic Too is having a giveaway - World Myths and Legends - 25 projects you can make yourself. You might be too late for the draw, but her website is pretty cool in itself and worth a visit.

Saturday
We visited the farm, as baby piglets were born that very morning and we wanted to coo over them. Od was thrilled to hold an hours old piggy and wanted to take them all home with her - all nine of them! We came home at tea time smelly but very happy.


Sunday
At home. Cleared the garden, made yet more papier mache, playmobil, there was dog training, seed sowing, soup making and several projects from this book (currently 1p on Amazon UK which is 9p more than I paid at the charity shop and a really good book for kids who like to make stuff with minimal adult supervision.)

Which brings us back to Monday.

*Explore - This was an event organised by a fellow home educator. The people were lovely, the place well laid out but very school-like. The kids are encouraged to work on computer based topics (all literacy and numeracy) for points which they can turn into prizes. Od liked it but the boys HATED it. It is aimed mainly at families who want to give their schooled children additional help, but, honestly, I can't think of a worse punishment than another hour of school work after school's finished. Each to their own though.