We went to see The Wizard of Oz this evening – really really impressed with Stage by Stage’s production in all respects, it was an excellent show.
Anna is absolutely shattered already … it’s going to be a very long week!
It has been something of a relaxed day here. Steve had to go to Birmingham today but got there and found that his trip had been a waste of time, so had to come straight home again. Meanwhile, Joe went off to Start Right (happily, today, phew), and the girls and I popped into town.
I was looking for a new coat – sort of knew that it might be a challenge as the shops are full of summer stuff, but I managed to find one that was sort of what I was looking for, and will do the job, in the sale for £10, so that was good. The kids steered me away from one particular surf-type shop telling me that it was too young and trendy and that I should look in Marks & Spencers … hmmm.
Went to try and swap some games because the children *really* want Mario Party 5, and tbh I’m so sick of MP4 that I didn’t mind a swap. We weren’t entirely successful today but one shop is getting a pre-owned copy in for us tomorrow so that’s ideal. Ended up spending some vouchers that I had in Woolworths on ‘Mind Bender’, otherwise known as a wooden kids’ version of Mastermind – the girls had played it at the Puddles’ in January so it was a popular choice.
This afternoon we’ve had a muddle of activity going on, and Steve’s been around, he got back from work in time for a late lunch with us, and the kids unanimously voted to stay here and chill with him rather than go to the park for our HE meet-up. He’s been working hard lately so I think they’ve missed him! Anyway, Josiah and I played Zoombinis together, while Steve and the girls played Mind Bender, and Downfall, and Connect 4. Somehow just being in the same room together felt really lovely, other than eating and watching films it doesn’t happen very often – is that really terrible?
The boys have disappeared upstairs now to play drums and the Wizard of Oz respectively – Steve has his kit back here now, up in the bedroom. He likes to claim that having booted the rowing machine out onto the landing to make space for it, playing the drums will keep him fit … not sure about that one, but it’s nice that he has it here anyway. I have a thing for drummers 
The girls and I are listening to the radio, they’re drawing and I’m blogging. They do love the Little and Big Toe Radio Shows.
Happy to have a book people parcel delivered this morning – 10 Horrible Geographies for £10, thanks to Alison for the tip-off, and (ahem) of course, another few books to make up the order for free postage – we got a set of history books, Shakespeare Stories (which I am going to attempt to read aloud), and the Usborne Dot to Dot book for Joe – he was very very pleased with that one – more counting!
We have a ‘Goddard Beef Stew’ cooking in the slow cooker for tea tonight so I have to pop to the shops for some suet as the kids have requested dumplings as well. Don’t think I’ve made dumplings since Home Economics lessons at school!
Haven’t blogged for over a week – what’s wrong? It hasn’t been a particularly busy week really, but we’ve been working hard … doing our usual HE routine now that termtime things have started again. The chrysalides are still there, no sign of any movement yet. Apparently they change colour when they’re about to hatch, so hopefully we’ll notice in time to watch things happen. We’ve been swimming (twice), started our third kit from the Young Scientists Club, and lots more I’m sure. The kids seem quite tired though, for some reason. So I’m letting them watch The Wizard of Oz this afternoon.
We’ve spent a fair bit of time talking church again this week – think we may just about have finished our paper that we’ve been trying to write. I still think there’s a seemingly enormous chasm between the theory and the practice, though. We met with lifegroup on Wednesday and although people are of a similar mind, you still get the impression sometimes that some people really haven’t got a clue what we’re on about … when it comes down to it, our traditional thinking is so entrenched … then we also had a childrens’ work meeting – again, here I am perpetuating something that I don’t really believe in anymore. Can’t quite work out what the answers are though.
School have changed their timetable so that assemblies are accessible for home educators – putting them after lunch bang smack on Joe’s naptime. So, accessible for all home educators except us. I give up. I think the idea was that if homeschooled kids were coming in for the afternoons then they’d get the chance to participate in assembly, but it’s just stupidly in the middle of the day, if you ask me. But no-one did. Hey ho.
Anyway, think I’ll leave it to someone else to get all philosophical – here’s another blog I’ve been reading recently – musings on the subject of church at Organic Church - enjoy.