just another morning here

We’re back down to earth with a bump here. Last week my sister was staying, which was really nice, but we didn’t get an awful lot done as we were still in definite holiday mode! We did do a couple of nice things including a mooch around town to show her the sights (or at least the good coffee shops!), church followed by a BBQ with friends on Sunday, a trip to Dartington Crystal (because we’d won free tickets) on Monday, and a fair bit of dossing around at home.

Yesterday we had Caitlin and Riona with us, took Esther back to the station early afternoon, and then the new term began with Anna’s first cello lesson later on in the afternoon. Incidentally, she passed her Grade 4 cello (108), don’t think I ever blogged that. And Abbie passed both the Grade 1s (piano 114 & recorder 107) that she took at the same time.

In the evening the girls both sharpened all their pencils and got their uniforms ready, and I think they even managed an early night – certainly they were in bed by the time I got home from an aborted Miscarriage Support Group meeting (forgot the keys, oops. still saw one person though and had a good chat on the stairs instead!).

Today the girls were back at school, and obviously pleased about it as they were both up and ready way earlier than necessary!

Josiah and I have had a relatively good home-ed day too. He did a couple of workbook pages from a music and a maths book, just to try and get back into the swing of doing something each day. He seems to have forgotten how to write all his numbers!

Then we did his music practices together, then made a picnic while signing up for Education City again, in order that I don’t feel too guilty about hours spent in the office, our next destination. By the way, does anyone still have a valid ‘refer a friend’ code that I could use when I actually have to sign up properly in 10 days’ time? Steve and I had a business meeting to attend together so Josiah amused himself with Education City on the computer at work while we did that.

The plan after that was to head to Home Ed group, which I assumed would have started back today, but the park was empty. Joe was a bit disappointed – I really should have checked beforehand as I probably had the info in an email somewhere. Ah well, there’s always next week. We had our lunch in the park anyway, and it gave us the chance to have a good chat about a couple of goals for home ed, which was good. Joe’s decided he’d like to try making a lapbook about the Romans, so that gives us something projecty to do alongside basic workbook things. He was only 18 months old when the girls did their first ever home ed project on the Romans so I don’t suppose he can remember much about it – in fact thinking about it, they did it with Aunty Jacky and I took him out to the park while she was there, so I can’t remember much either!

Anyway, then we headed back to the garage to get a few more things sorted; we’ve got a stand in the local shopping centre’s ‘Motor Show’ next weekend so there are some extra things that need doing for that.

Now we’re home for piano lessons. Still chasing my tail with lots of paperwork to catch up on so better stop blogging and get on with it!

After receiving this tiny (it’s about 4cm high and 12cm long) but beautifully made card, I had yet another breakfast in bed, all courtesy of my favourite middle child

We spent the rest of the day together in the park and at home … the concert was very entertaining, if a little haphazard in places!

We spent the afternoon at a concert held by the girls’ piano/recorder teacher and lots of her students. She teaches saxophone, flute, and clarinet as well as piano, so it was a varied programme.

The raffle was hugely exciting too, or so the kids thought – I managed to win a pair of tickets to Rosemoor Gardens, which the children were not that impressed about (they wanted the Woodlands tickets!), but I’m sure we’ll enjoy a trip out there one day

Came home and made cinnamon toast for tea, then early nights all round

Plans went awry again today, but things have turned out nicely anyway.

We had a nice laid back morning and Anna went off to play with a friend from swimming while Joe and Mollie spread wooden castle and playmobil games all over the lounge. Lovely to make use of that empty room like that though. Meanwhile Abbie and Steve went to Sainsbury’s and bought all the wrong ingredients for my cooking this weekend!

This afternoon was supposed to be a Young Strings concert in which Joe and Anna were supposed to take part … but we all ended up standing outside a locked building for 20 minutes and then giving up!

We came home and had our own concert here which was actually really good, especially the piece where everyone joined in – Anna having written out words for Joe and accompaniment for Abbie to play … quite lovely

This evening we’re off out to eat and play poker with friends; Steve and I really need to do well as we’ve played terribly the last few times so I think it’s about time we had a turn at winning