It's working!

Well, I think it is. Although I would like to cross fingers and touch wood and all that sort of thing.

And when I say working I mean this home educating pathway we are hurtling along, tripping over and sometimes stumbling on (often at the same time!). Working in that one child is doing something that would seem to be a tick in a box!

It has come to my attention that Mia may be learning to read completely without my help and intervention. Of course I have tried, to intervene and cajole or maybe that should be encourage! Buying books, reading books, borrowing books and generally making books seem like a great way to spend a bit of time alone or together is perhaps the thing that has actually worked. But more and more she'll say "what does that say?" and I'll say "let's have a look together" and she'll read it. There a words that are tricksy of course but more and more the words I think she may get stuck on she doesn't.

Now, I know in the real world of school and schemes and reading records this is not amazing. A seven should be able to read by now shouldn't they? Well, Hmmm. I guess I just feel good about her doing it her way and it still working! We have respected her boundaries, not pushed or punished or badgered and still it works! It works because she wants it to, when she was little nobody forced her to learn and yet she did, numbers, letters, sounds or colours, animals, shapes and language. All these things were done in fun, out of curiosity and we still hold on to these ideas that we are here learning and exploring because we want to.

And "yay" it works!

Pottermore, updated!

At last. They were beginning to despair. But now, well very shortly they need to find the charger, the final two will be sorted. And I will know which colour wool to buy. As I have been charged, a la Mrs Weasley, with crocheting appropriate house coloured jumpers!!! I'm thinking Christmas morning will be fun.





Look how happy he is.

- Posted using magic

{This Moment}

Inspired by soulemama.com, a single picture from our week.




- Posted using BlogPress, when I had five minutes spare!

Science in action (it's all about the learning!)

One of those days when you just don't know what to do with yourself. You don't don't want to read, write, draw, play games or frankly anything your mum suggests. You bash your skateboard about for a bit, ask to go on the play station and your mum says "no". Then you find something that you you'd really like to play with. But you're foiled at the first hurdle, the batteries are bad. Man, can this day can any worse? You rummage through the kitchen drawers, wow, there are batteries aplenty! But you have no idea if they're good or bad and your mum is just no help.

But then your hero walks in the door. He's tall, wears glasses and just so happens to have a battery tester and is happy to go through all the ice cream tubs full of old batteries. He explains gently how they work and how to check them and let's you have a go. He talks volts and acids and you are understanding. Science is working for you. A bad day turned good.

Thanks Daddy!




- Posted using BlogPress, when I feel bleurgh but luckily super dad is here and has saved the day!

Ho hum home

A poorly, tired and grumpy home is not a happy productive home. And it feels like we are all suffering from one of the above at some level. There has been lots of this...




Quiet, leave me alone moments. And lots of "don't know what to do with myself" even though you've given me options and I asked you to print a ton of stuff!

This has resulted in my kitchen table looking like...




This morning and not a child in sight!

It's not all an educational let down, they're just doing things differently. They're making clues for treasure hunts involving riddles and maps and more writing than has been done in a while!

And we had a wonderful, informative and calming visit to our local Buddhist centre with our home Ed group.





They made s shrine and learnt about it purpose, re-enacted Buddhas life story and in a large group of kids ranging in age from 3 to 15, managed a relaxing meditation.

Our trip has resulted in lots of thought and discussion about how we choose to live our lives and how we want to talk to each other. So not all bad!

Must try to see the good in my kitchen table right now. someone writing, a teen up before ten, first aid being practiced and quiet reading.
- Posted using BlogPress, when I had five minutes spare!

Kent Life

He was up way too early!

A day out with Granddad (and Grandma and daddy!) to visit the museum of Kent life and find out more about where Granddad grew up. Mummy got to stay home and indulge herself! So, yep I rearranged the lounge and tidied, fun!

Anyway their day out. Up super early on a saturday, ugh. To arrive at the www.kentlife.org.uk Museum and find that they were having their Hop and Harvest festival alongside all the other things they have to do.
They Picked hops and made barrels, learnt about living conditions of the seasonal workers and met some of the animals who live there. They won races and played games while the grown ups sampled some of the finest beers and cider Kent had to offer!

Feeding the piglets

A piglet race winner!

And a coconut shy winner

Barrel making

Hop picking

Everyone has agreed bout how well this museum was set up and run and a return visit is planned for next year to show me!

Today is good,

Some days it just works out!
Today is one of those.

Okay, so its only two o'clock and things can change in an instant. But, I'm going out on a limb and saying that today is good.

Mia working on some embroidery

Oliver writing and doing maths!

number islands

reading

Fitting everything in around lunch for those who want to eat or carry on.

playing, playing, playing!

They've played and bounced and run about. Shouted and fought, but they've also studied, read and drawn. I can hear David teaching Mia to play the guitar and showing her songs he knows. Home-ed feels alright!

Pottermore

I was going to blog about the kids fabulous and educational visit to the museum of Kent life.

A brilliant day out, history, animals and beer.

Or maybe that we've had brilliant conversations about how we want our home-edding to continue and how much more positive we all feel about things.

But they shall just have to wait as it's pottermore that's taking over at the moment. Waiting for accounts to open, buying wands, making potions.

For a fairly unschooling, child led, autonomous and kinda just getting on with it without any of those labels, family it's working as a brilliant home ed tool!

Learning time management - tick!
Talking about Internet safety- tick!
Reading - tick!


There is only one problem I can see so far. Only one of us is fully in the site. Two more are expecting the green light any day now and miss mimi and myself are planning on getting our wands just as soon as we can too! So, just how are we all going to share the computer when we all get through???

So far though, so bloomin brilliant!



- Posted using BlogPress, while William was brewing his latest potion.

Tidy Friday

We have tidy Friday in an effort to keep on top of the mess and to encourage help around the home. It means the bathrooms generally get cleaned once a week!!!

It's off to a slow start today. I have been offered alternatives. How about arty Friday? Or film Friday? I fancy adding some maths Friday to the mix and then some baking Friday too. Followed I think by go to bed early without any fuss so mummy can put her feet up and crochet Friday?

I have been waving this book around and promising it could be fun.





They've all scarpered! Maybe that's okay, I can crochet now! Won't get the bathrooms cleaned though.

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Birthday makes.

Adam has rules. Crazy birthday, gift giving rules! They're great, well reasoned and environmentally sustainable.

He says "please only buy me second hand, downloadable things or experiences or handmade" it's very commendable. And we are always super organised! So of course we absolutely spent the whole of Tuesday making his presents!!!



















We made bracelets, embroidered hankies, crafted cards and as you might see from the stash bag I crocheted a sock. Oh yes, just the one! I promise the second one will be finished very soon. And it did fit beautifully. I also made the perfect find of secondhand but brand new (it does count) dessie boots in just the right colour too.

We did have one fail however, no battenburg birthday cake was made. I have the marzipan and all the other ingredients and I will attempt to make one this week. But seriously, a battenburg for birthday. What happened to birthday brownies, now chocolate I can do!!!


- Posted using BlogPress, when I had five minutes spare!

Fighting the urge.

They're going back to school.

Not my kids but everyone else's. Being put in new year groups, moving to big school and all sorts of other measurable milestones that mine are not. And I am fighting the urge to "do". To impose and organise, to structure and timetable. I am fighting the urge to splurge on workbooks, gadgets and gizmos.

I know this does not work for us. But knowing this doesn't always quiet the crazy conformist in my head!

We provide "stuff" of course, stationary, books, paints, glue, animation software! And time, time to ask questions, to sleep or play, to be quiet, angry or busy. We pay for lessons, drive to places of interest and nurture skills.

I know all of this.
But still .........


And so, I shall keep fighting the urge. I shall keep trusting their ability to learn by whatever strange and unusual method seems to be working this month but maybe not next. Because, you can learn to read by osmosis and shout out answers to math questions you weren't asked when you proclaim to hate maths and play guitar for hours a day but still make intelligent conversation with adults and dress up when other people would tell you to stop and grow up.

I shall remember these things when I worry and begin to compare. And I will go out in the coming days and be thankful for the quiet parks, libraries and museums. And take photos like a crazy woman (oh, how they laugh at me) in case someone, somewhen needs photographic* evidence that my children learn stuff and go places!



*not in this post though. As this was a verbal, get the crazy out of my head, post.


- Posted using BlogPress, when I should be sleeping.

Home Ed party

Getting up was tough this morning! But we had a party to attend.

Time is turning and makes us celebrate the simplicity of our summer and maybe begin to focus on ourselves, new goals and the group we regularly attend.

But today was just about sharing, our time, our food and our friendships. A family is leaving and soon new ones will join us and we will plan and work together finding ways to share our knowledge and hopefully inspire our children.














For now though we shall enjoy the silliness, games and glorious sunshine that came our way today.

- Posted using BlogPress, when I had five minutes spare!