Just a quickie to post photos (not that they’re any good) of this afternoon’s dance and singing performances at home ed group – enjoyed by everyone apart from the 4 and 5yo boys, who kept trying to sneak out of the room!
Don’t know quite what was wrong with me today but I feel exhausted, lethargic and out of sorts … weird. Had a hissy fit at the van when the boot catch got stuck today, grrr. Had to pull everything out of it and move both benches to get to the boot from inside, and for once I had a skirt on (just goes to show one should never wear a skirt, my theory is proved, they’re just impractical) so got hot, bothered, flustered … and meanwhile the kids were all being prize nutters and generally getting in the way. Erm, otherwise, what did we do?
Spent the first hour of the morning sorting out stick insects after we found some of the babies outside the tank – oops. Have rehoused them and chucked about 200 eggs, couldn’t possibly keep all of those if they all hatched!
Kids all did music practice and I faffed around with a couple of parcels; dashed out between downpours to post them. The girls made some scrunchies by tying scraps of netting around plain bobbles, and they also made a couple of thank you cards (which I have failed to deliver as requested 
you just can’t get the mothers these days).
We had lunch then headed out to our EO group – it was very wet and muddy in the park but it managed not to rain while we were there, thankfully. Anna had dance and cello lessons … came home, cooked tea (turkey portions and couscous with roasted veg, very yummy) and have dashed out to babysit for Robyn this evening. She’s fast asleep 
Planning to get an online grocery shop done this evening (if the wireless internet here would stop dropping out, double grr!) as we have Stuart & Liz and their girls coming to stay tomorrow until Saturday; I am nowhere near organised!
Funny old day here – Anna spent two hours meditating (loudly) over a page of workbook and then did it all in 2 seconds flat When will that child learn?
I stayed calm, and meanwhile managed to get music practice done with everyone and some subtraction (including borrowing) with Abbie, cleared out the understairs cupboard, made a few phonecalls, made some soup, did some washing, and all that before we had an early lunch and then headed out for the afternoon.
Our EO group played host to a resources fair from Ichthus Resources today, which meant it was a busier session than usual, as well as being a more expensive session than usual 
I bought a couple of maths resource books – geoboard ideas and pattern block ideas (chosen by Anna, hopefully might help with some motivation in that direction as opposed to the two hour mental block of earlier today), and some Just Write – writing idea books as well. Oh, and Gobble Up Science – a science book all linked to food, too, which just looked quite fun.
I was quite tempted by the concept of the Keepers of the Faith stuff, but it annoyed me immensely that the girls’/boys’ stuff is *so* gender specific. Just look at the contents pages of each book and you’ll see what I mean! It was also pretty US based (what I’d call cheesy) and probably more fundamental christianity-wise than we are in our family – I might have overlooked that but Anna came and looked at it, and I commented that it was a bit like what you might do at Brownies in terms of completing badges etc., and she instantly said that she’d rather go to Brownies. I could see where she was coming from, I have to say. Although if they ever repackaged it to be less girl/boy polarised I might be interested again – or, I guess, perhaps if it was done as a group the kids might be more interested. Maybe I’ve missed the point, I dunno
Abbie did some singing with the EO group, Anna had ballet and then cello lessons, and all three enjoyed seeing friends, so it was a nice afternoon. Joe refused to eat his soup and bread at lunchtime and then moaned that he was hungry all afternoon – hopefully at least he has learnt something today!
We had to rush a bit to clear the room before the cello teacher arrived today, whoops. Cello is up for discussion at the moment, actually. It doesn’t seem to ‘grab’ Anna like some of the other things that she does, so we’re pondering on whether to carry on after Christmas or not.
We bought E.T. the other day and the children have been begging to watch it so we had tea quickly and are sitting in front of it together – I remember going to see it in the cinema on my 7th birthday – or was it my 8th? Anyway. Poker friends are coming around later tonight – and we’ll see whether our win last week was a related to skill or just luck!
Can’t do these half-days at work/home, it’s no good. Today was another one where I worked the morning, came home for lunch, then had the kids during the afternoon. I think it might work the other way round (ie kids have me in the morning, Steve in the afternoon) but it certainly doesn’t work this way for loads of different reasons.
As a result I think I may have to stop going to the Puddlers group, as Tuesdays/Fridays are the split days – and Tuesday EO group works better for us because of being in the park and having dance/cello at the same time. I’m somewhat gutted about this, having been one of the people to start the Friday group up, but I just can’t do everything. I guess there might be times when I’ll get there, or maybe even Steve might get there, but I think it’s going to have to be less often. The kids do like it there, but generally they’ve seen people on Tuesdays so they’re not that bothered. I’m really sorry 
Having said all that, we had a lovely afternoon there today, with a vague theme of Autumn/Harvest – I’m expecting to see pictures on Classroom Free later on, as I forgot my camera so Jules was chief photographer.
Anyway, I’m going to cook dinner for Steve & I – I came home with a stonking headache so he’s taken the girls to Friday Fish, put Joe to bed (in disgrace as he broke a load of my brand new clothes pegs this afternoon when we got home from group), and has offered to pick the girls up as well. Stuffed peppers with rocket salad this evening, definitely not worth wasting on the children.