House points for a pencil case
It’s just too weird to go too many days without blogging, I feel bereft if I don’t write anything here, but there really isn’t much to say!
Life is busy, Steve and I have not been particularly well, so we’re just managing to keep heads above water this week it seems. Last night we cooked pancakes after tea but then chucked the kids into bed mainly so that we could go to bed early ourselves! No progress has been made on the front room and I’m slowly getting annoyed with the pile of junk which has accumulated in the hallway, but there we are, I’m sure it won’t be there too much longer (hint hint 
)
The children have all had a good few days at school – despite having enjoyed half term and made suggestion of being home educated again actually they’re all happy to be back. Josiah, surprisingly, was the most enthusiastic on Monday morning.
Anna’s been working hard on some geography homework about coastlines this week, yet another thing that I’ve been rather gobsmacked at. It’s been quite painful to watch the process (!!) but she’s persevered and has been searching websites for information about Devon’s coastline, local beaches, coastal types and the wildlife found around coastal areas.
Abbie’s just been pootling along, she is really happy and seems to come out of school regularly with funsize packs of something or other which they get as a result of good behaviour over a few days, I think (Or something. They have some weird system of reward going on which I haven’t quite fathomed yet, but Abbie obviously has, unsurprisingly ). The main thing she’s suddenly improved on is her recorder playing, and she’s been practicing a lot recently so it’s nice to see it paying off.
In fact they have all three been practicing music well, Anna is playing a few cello pieces that she really likes, so that helps with motivation to practice. Joe had a nightmare violin practice one day during half term but since then it’s been much much better.
Oh, and I had a parents evening (well, not sure if you can call it an evening when it’s at 3.30pm, but anyway!) for Joe today, which was slightly superfluous to requirements from my point of view, having seen his teachers relatively recently, but it was interesting to see his books. He’s loving the social aspect of school, it has to be said, and his teachers are still completely happy with him 
I was especially pleased to hear that they are making an effort to stretch him (eg in maths) when they get the chance, as they recognise that he is well above the usual Foundation level requirements. But what the hell, in some ways I don’t mind if he’s treading water academically as he is learning so much other stuff. Like how to be a boy 
Not sure if I really wanted him to learn that from other boys in the playground, but there we are!
Today was especially nice, they’d all had a good day, (so had we, sold a couple of cars ) there was that encouraging parents evening, Anna was chuffed to have got points during her pencil case check (!! what other weird things go on in schools these days, I don’t ever remember having my pencil case checked!), but most of all they were all in a hurry to get to the park to meet up with home ed friends and while Joe had his music lesson the girls played with their friends. The weather has been really weird here, we had sunshine and snow showers at the same time all afternoon, very funny!
Oh, and the girls have been wondering about bank accounts again, not that they’ve got that much money to put in them, so I’m going to have a look around later to see what the various banks offer children – does anyone else have a child’s account?
And in complete randomness, I’m still loving Wild World, it’s the first of March and that means all new butterflies, bugs and fish to catch. I’ve been amusing myself growing hybrid flowers and all sorts, it’s hopelessly sad I know, but there we are. While on the topic of timewasting, I spotted this link from Robin’s blog the other day, only got round to looking at it today though – it’s quite nice, amused me for a while at work today
Right, having said I had nothing to say, I’ve written plenty, so now I’ll shut up and get on with cooking some tea.
March 1st, 2006 at 19:15
Oh, Sarah, just as I suspected your kids go to a much “nicer” school than Pip’s….Pip doesn’t have to have a pencil case, they provide everything and are just grateful when it’s still there at the end of the day! Pip collects team points at an amazing rate too and her assessment of why puts it down to her lack of an “attitude problem” that she’s decided most the class have (and hey, as you’ve witnessed, it’s not as if she’s the politest, shyest kid
).
Pip also said on the way home from yours that she felt it wouldn’t be polite to mention that the other bad thing about school was all the swearing!
Glad they’ve sailed back in, Pip has too after two lovely weeks off
March 1st, 2006 at 20:20
Violet’s got an account at Nationwide, and Gwenny keeps nagging me to open her one too! I didn’t bother looking around at goodies, I just got it there because that’s where my account is
March 1st, 2006 at 20:32
The girls both have a Nationwide children’s account – but they don’t know it! (ssssh).
March 1st, 2006 at 20:42
My two both have cooperative accounts, but it’s a pain as there’s no branch nearby.
March 1st, 2006 at 21:34
btw, what colour house are your kids?
March 1st, 2006 at 21:46
Obviously I have absolutely no idea what kids accounts are around these days, but Adam still has all 5 of his NatWest pigs from when he was kid (they are proudly on display in the spare room!)
March 1st, 2006 at 22:04
Those pigs are worth good money!
Mine don’t have accounts- might think about it one day.
March 1st, 2006 at 22:17
The pencil case check is probably bwecuase some many kids manage to come to school with out new fangled things like pens.
Re the bank account, we have a Nationwide Smart Account for SB (nothing for BB yet) ISTR it was one of the better interest rates. You have apassbook, and once they are over 11 they can have a card if they want to.
March 1st, 2006 at 23:03
Don’t jest Chris. Roger is a seconardy school teacher and he frequently stocks up on 50 biros at a time from Staples and sells them for 10p (or whatever needed to break even) to the kids when they turn up at lessons without a pen. They say they can’t do their homework as there is no pen in their house. Unfortunately they are probably telling the truth in some instances.
March 1st, 2006 at 23:56
Eek!! I thought houses without books were scary but houses without pens !!! You could always find those little pens from the bookies in our house when I was young-great for little hands,bad subliminal advertising for little minds lol.
March 2nd, 2006 at 10:44
It was lovely to see you yesterday Sarah. J and M really enjoyed their time with the girls – and all the snow on the way home!
Re the ‘penless’ houses … my son tried that one out at high school and got away with it too, at least until I contacted the school to find out why he wasn’t being set homework!
I do find it extremely sad and quite shocking to hear that some children *really* do not have access to writing materials! What sad times!
March 2nd, 2006 at 11:08
Or to check they don’t have pencil sharpeners with dangerous things like blades in them?
My lot have HSBC saver acounts, must change fran’s to a 7 plus one actually, though they rarely get as far as putting money in them. I have pocket books for each of them and we mark off pocket money spends in those.
March 2nd, 2006 at 11:11
We used to do that too, Merry, but I was so bad at remembering to write things in it that it kind of failed!
March 2nd, 2006 at 11:35
Mmm, forgot to say, the boys have Halifax kid’s accounts, no probs with them so far. I think they got some weird coin sorter money box when they opened them but it was so long ago ….
March 2nd, 2006 at 14:36
There must be Bank Accounts that give away free pens… all your problems solved.
March 2nd, 2006 at 23:54
I wasn’t jesting Ruth, I’m teacher too and I know just how it is. And the number of kids who come to exams without the neccessary equipment
March 8th, 2006 at 17:49
I’ve just opened a Halifax one for my 2 – interest rate is one of the better and my account is with them too so it makes sense (even though they are a cr@p bank!).
March 9th, 2006 at 20:37
Ours also have Halifax accounts because the interest rate is good. They got a coin sorter money box and a bag each.