Day #2 of the new regime.

Well we were up and at 'em again by not long after 9 o'clock again this morning for 'Horace Time'.  M finished off her workbook, mostly on her own today, the only problem was when there was a page which explained about 'tens and units'.  She has been comfortable with the concept for quite some time now (years!) but got confused because there weren't any questions!  K meanwhile was happily getting on again with a workbook, but this time a handwriting one.  Apparently I will be allowed to have a look at what she's done when she's finished the book, but not before.  We just about managed to squeeze in 'Mummy time', playing with the dolls' house with M, a quick play with it and then a game of Pairs in Pears and a joint effort of using as many tiles as possible to make a crossword with K.
Thursday afternoon is still our busiest time of the week, with gymnastics, piano and swimming lessons, all of which they both enjoy.

A change of tack.

As I mentioned recently we've been drifting a bit and to be honest it's got the point where we were all grumpy and arguing rather a lot, so I thought we needed to do *something* about it, although I wasn't entirely clear what that something would be.  After a particularly grumpy day yesterday (except for the end when we made rainbows), I made a suggestion to the girls and we all agreed we'd give it a go. 

Today was the first day of our new regime (for want of a better word, although I'm sure there is one!)  The main point was that we would all get up, have breakfast, brush our teeth and be dressed by 9 o'clock - quite a change as it wasn't uncommon for the girls to have lunch in their PJs.  Then we had a discussion about what we'd like to do and I drew a Venn diagram of what we came up with.  It included me cleaning the bathroom (didn't happen), me reading some of The Phoenix and the Carpet (did), M watching an episode of Walking with Dinosaurs (did), each girl getting 'Mummy time' (half an hour minimum when they get to choose what we do and whether it's on their on with me or if the sister is allowed to join in - we played cafés in the garden for M and The Game of Life Adventures edition for K), computer time for each girl (M did, K didn't), tidying the playroom (we've got it mostly done), piano practice for each girl (not yet, but I'm still hopeful) and a new thing, which for reasons best known to themselves the girls have decided to call 'Horace Time'.

'Horace Time' is the first half an hour or so (it ended up being nearly an hour today because K & M both just wanted to keep going) after we're up and dressed, where I make some suggestions of what they might like to do and they pick one (or come up with an alternative if they don't like any of my suggestions) and get on with it.  My suggestions today were pick a workbook and do a bit (they've got quite a selection that they've been given or have chosen for themselves), have a game of Bananagrams or Pairs in Pears, or a game from Maths for Mums & Dads.  Both girls chose to the workbooks and K finished off her Enjoyable English workbook, which she started ages ago but hadn't looked at in a while.  M chose a Maths 'Homework Helpers' workbook and did about 10 pages of mostly addition and subtraction sums (but it wasn't always the answer that was missing, sometimes it was part of the question),  the last 2 or 3 pages she came back to later after lunch while waiting for K to finish eating.  K always wants to work through things herself at her own pace on her own, only asking if she doesn't understand something.  M wants me to be with her the whole time and checks things with me frequently when doing this sort of thing, so it worked out quite nicely once M and I went elsewhere so K could concentrate!   K would really rather I didn't look at anything she's done, but somewhat grudgingly allowed me to when I explained that if there was something she'd completely misunderstood then I couldn't help her if I didn't know about it.  As it was in the whole of the book (which admittedly is on the easy side for her I think) there were 2 tiny mistakes and 1 wrong answer, which was clearly a case of not reading the question properly, which considering she did it entirely on her own with no help is pretty good I reckon!

All in all, apart from a bit of grumping from me at doing all the tidying in the playroom, the day was a huge success and tomorrow you will find us dressed and doing 'Horace Time' by 9.30am (we're not always particularly punctual you know!).  Oh and K's just sat down and started to play the piano!

Splitting sunbeams and making rainbows

Back to our wonderful book of Science Experiments this afternoon and after our first failure (making a spectroscope from a recordable cd - it said the coating would come of easily with packing tape but it didn't seem to come off at all!), K chose to split a sunbeam instead.
It's very simple you need a straight sided glass of water, white card, black card, scissors/craft knife and a sunny day (or a torch!).  Cut a narrow slit in the black card, then stand the glass on the white paper, lean the black card against the glass and in our case wait for the cloud to pass to see the results.


The whole set up.

The close up - you can just about see the spectrum just below/to the left of the fold of the card.

That was 'quite interesting' and we had a look at the explanation about different wave lengths, refraction and so on.  Then, with the same idea but different method, we had some squirty fun making rainbows!  The only thing you need is a water sprayer and of course the sun.  Set it to the mistiest setting and get squirting.

You can just about see the rainbow to the right of K's hands there.

I think this one's a bit clearer.

Pootling along.

We've started our next book, with me reading to both girls, which they're both really enjoying:  The Five Children and It.  Since K chose The Phoenix and the Carpet as her free Puffin Post book, I think we'll be moving on to that by the weekend!  There was much excitement when Bodiam Castle was mentioned and although generally we're not allowed to talk about the more violent side of history (due to K's sensibilities) somehow it's allowed when approached through the medium of fiction.
While I was reading today K & M busied themselves with building marble runs and making Fuzzy Felt pictures, including this particularly lovely one by K:

Two best friends having an ice-cream

In other news M is rapidly approaching her 7th birthday and so it's soon to be party time!  She's having a bit of a tough time at the moment and in particular is really struggling with the fact that so many of her friends (who have birthdays before the Easter holidays) have joined Brownies and she can't until September due to numbers, despite being 7 next week.  I'm hoping that her birthday celebrations will take her mind off that a little bit at least.  Last year she chose the Natural History Museum instead of a party, but we've been there recently, so she's going for a 'Dinosaurs' Picnic' party in the park.  We've been coming up with dinosaur themed games and I need to make a cake which is 'the park with a picnic blanket' so M can put some of her (small) plastic dinosaurs on it.  I guess it's just an up-to-date version of previous years' cakes, such as this Mesozoic Era cake that she requested.

Mesozoic Era cake for M's 4th birthday



Finally we've been drifting a little bit lately, which isn't generally a problem as I know we'll get back to 'doing stuff' again, but in an effort to help us towards that I've started offering the girls each half an hour a day 'Mummy time'.  I don't think it's something that would have worked until quite recently, but they're now both at a point where it's not unreasonable to ask them to give their sister some uninterrupted time with me.  So far M & I have played some board games and read a non-fiction book about dinosaurs and K & I have played some board games and have talked about reviving our French learning (but not actually done any as yet).

You don't ask - you don't get!

Quite a while ago, whilst at Wollaton Hall, I noticed a small sign up in the minerals room from the East Midlands Geological Society with their contact details saying that they would give boxes of rocks to any school for free.  So later that day I decided that I'd give it a go on behalf of the resource library that we have at Fun Club and wrote them a polite email saying that I realised they probably wouldn't be able to make this available for each home educating family, but that home education families would love to have access to such a resource and could we have one?  They replied a couple of days later in the affirmative, but that they had something of a backlog and it would take some time.  On Friday evening and strange man came to the door asking for me and this is what he gave us.  It came with a number of stapled sheets, identifying and telling us a bit about the different types of rock, minerals and fossils and with some suggestions of follow up activities (and for those that like to follow the national curriculum it's got a sheet referencing that too).


Box of rocks!



So we spent half an hour or so looking at the rocks and talking about igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock types and how they come about.  And also drawing on the slate with the chalk!  We haven't gone into much detail yet, but I'm hoping that interest has been sparked enough that we'll go back to it before we take the box to Fun Club next month.

Other than that maths has cropped up again (over and above the usual everyday maths that is unavoidable!).  I gave K 4 pink and 8 white marshmallows for her hot chocolate and told her that I'd given her 12 and that she had twice as many white as pink.  Between them K & M worked out how many of each she had (before M went out on her bike to the park with A ) and K & I continued our conversation which lead on to the idea of simultaneous equations in particular and algebra in general.  When presented with the sum of 64 + a = 81 (where 64 is the price of a Curly Wurly, a is an apple and 81 the total paid for the two items), K was able to get the right answer.  She used a calculator and was a bit puzzled that she got what she thought was the answer of 17 hundred (or so) thousands, before I pointed out that there was a decimal point after the 7!  We talked about equations and doing the same thing to each side to try to find out an unknown.  This lead to K asking me to read her the funny answers from children that are at the beginning of the chapters of Maths for Mums and Dads.  One of the questions with funny answers in there is:  Sam has £1 in his pocket and apples cost 30p each.  How many apples can Sam buy?  Show how you got your answer.  Answer: 3.  Nickie told me.  I really wanted to use this to encourage K to tell me how she works out her answers, as although she usually gets things right, she's very reluctant (or to put it another way, she point-blank refuses!) to explain how she gets there, so when she doesn't I find it hard firstly to know if she does know how to get to the right answer and just made a mistake in getting there or if she doesn't know how to get to the answer and if the latter how to help her with that.  I explained about how in the future she might decide to do exams for qualifications and that you get marks for showing your working out in subjects like maths and even if you get the wrong answer you will get most of the marks if you show you know what you are doing and just make a little mistake.  After this she was happy to try to explain how she got the same answer as Nickie did!
Another of the questions is:  What is the difference between 9 and 4? And the answer given by a child:  'The 9 is curvy and the 4 is all strate lines'.  I asked my girls a similar question when I first bought the book, probably a couple of years ago now.  I love the answer that M gave me with a questioning intonation:  One's odd and the other one's even? 




From tiny apple pips....

...possible projects may grow!  K ate an apple recently.  This not a particularly unusual occurence but both my girls prefer to have apples cut up for them rather than just munching.  So what was unusual was that as a result she had some apple pips, and she decided that she would like to plant them and grow an apple tree.  This tied in quite nicely in terms of timing, because A, who, with help mostly from M, is the gardener in this house, has been talking about getting a new tree to go in the garden.  We already have a plum tree, which we do quite nicely from, so thought another fruit tree would be a good idea. 
Both A & I knew that with apples it's a bit more complicated than just planting a pip, but weren't entirely clear on why.  This is where Nana comes in handy, both Nana and Little Grandad know about gardening things, Nana because she grew up on a farm and Little Grandad because he was, for much of his working life, a gardener.  So I suggested to K that she could write to Nana (email not being an option as it is with Granny and Big Grandad) and ask her about apple trees.  Just occasionally these suggestions are followed up on, and this was one of those times.  I wasn't allowed to see the letter, but A spoke to his mum and was told that the letter was beautifully written and everything correctly spelled (K had asked for a few words) and also short and to the point.
We've also got a couple of books out of the library on fruit from the adult reference section, as M remembered while we were there and went off and found one, and then I found another.  So we're awaiting Nana's reply and we've got the books to have a look at and we will see what comes of it...

A problem and the solution - in the world according to K & M

The problem:  K had chocolate left from Easter when M had finished hers, due to having been given an Easter egg in a party bag at a party to which M had not been invited.  This was *unfair*.

The solution (arrived at by discussion over several days between K & M of which I only heard snippets):  K takes her pocket money to the Co-op and she and M go off while I'm in the Post Office queue and purchase 2 Curly Wurlies, 1 Freddo, 1 Fudge bar and one double length Mars Bar.  K gives all the above mentioned chocolate to M.  M then gives 1 Curly Wurly back to Kate and half of the Mars Bar each to Mummy and Daddy.  This leaves M with 1 Curly Wurly, a Freddo and a Fudge and K with a Curly Wurly and the head of a chocolate rabbit called Bramble.  This is now *fair* and all parties are happy with this.

Bits & pieces

It would appear that Thursday afternoons are going to be extremely full.  They were already pretty busy with piano and swimming lessons for both girls.  Now they will also be having gymnastics lessons as well, as they finally had the taster session that they were supposed to have a fortnight ago.  The time changed, I didn't notice and we turned up at the end, fortunately although upset both K & M were both pretty sanguine about it.  The lessons are at the Notts Gymnastics Academy, so with fantastic facilities. 

We've had another Shakespeare dvd from lovefilm, having sent Much Ado About Nothing back, this time we received Much Ado About Nothing!  Evidently the two versions had much in common (including actor spotting in both for me - Clive Dunn and Ben Elton played the same part!), but it was interesting seeing just how much had been cut for the later adaptation.  K noted that she much prefered the Brannagh version, but also that she thought she would have enjoyed the BBC adaptation more if she'd seen it first.

This weekend was the first of A's cricket matches of the season (that has happened anyway!), and it was a home one.  K & M love to go and 'watch daddy play cricket', although I can't recall that they've ever watched much of the cricket after they've spotted him on the pitch!  They definitely like being able to have leftover cake from the tea though.  One thing that I love about HE, although to be fair I may be prejudging schooled children on this, is how easily HE children seem to mix and play with children of other ages.  K & M happily played with 3 other children, all at least 2 or 3 years than them, while I chatted with their mums.  It's always lovely to hear how articulate my girls are!  K had been telling one of them about Much Ado About Nothing.  And as so often happens, in the course of conversation I correct some misconceptions about HE and what is and isn't 'allowed'.

Finally, I just wanted to share a conversation I overheard between K & M.  M commented that in one of her current favourite books, it says 'Mommy' instead of 'Mummy', and K explained to her that it must be an Americain book because that's how they say Mummy.

Puffin Post and K's creations

Having bought both K & M membership of the Puffin Post for Easter rather than adding to the chocolate mountain (they're still going, although I must admit they are sooo much more restrained than their mother when it comes to chocolate!), it has been a bit of a wait for the first magazines to land on the doormat.  Although K isn't yet 9, we bought her the 9+ version, as her reading ability is well up to the challenge and it meant two different magazines rather than identical ones.  They have been a great success!  Both girls have been planning their entries to various competitions and M having tried out everything on the jokes page came up with one of her own, which impressed me mightily!

What did the little bird say to his sad friend?

Chirrup!

On a number of occasions lately K has shut herself away busily doing and creating various things, which she has proudly shown me once finished.

This was the result of 5 minutes or so on her own with the bananagrams tiles, written with no help and from memory.  It is a quote from a book she's been reading, a blast from the past for me, one of Enid Blyton's '...of Adventure' series.  For those of you who remember the books, it's a quote from Kiki the parrot.  K told me she would have completed the quote with 'pop, pop, pop' but she didn't have enough P's.

K has also been working on editing our collaborative writing effort about Alfred the Red-Bottomed Baboon (mostly on the stairs, much to her little sister's annoyance!), one of the competitions in the Puffin Post is for animal short stories, but it's currently around 50% too long at just over 300 words.  Another of today's efforts used up all of the lollipop sticks in a couple of craft tubs that she has had for several years.   

And just in case you can't tell what it is, here's the inspiration.  Pippa the Puffin, the cuddly toy who comes with your Puffin Post subscription pack!
















And in other news, having finished The Sword in the Stone, we've moved on to another children's classic that I'm reading for the first time; Mary Poppins.  Goodness me, she's a rather different character than Julie Andrew's perky portrayal in the film!

A trip to Kent - and through time!

We've been away for a few days visiting friends and family (on both sides) down in Kent.  We also managed a daytrip to London.  In that time we managed to go from the mesozoic era, at the Natural History Museum, through medieval times with a visit to Bodiam Castle, we visited friends who live in a Manor House parts of which date from the 14th Century, Victorian through to 2nd World War life at Yesterday's World, up to present day farming, skyping with cousins in France and much more besides!
First we went to stay with an old school friend G, and her family; husband S and girls R who's 3 and L,1, for a couple of days.  Both G and I admitted to each other later that we were a little nervous about how the girls would all get on together, but all was well and M asked the second day if she would be seeing R again sometime and L and I took a particular shine to each other.
The second day we had our promised day in London, as M in particular hadn't visited her friend the T-Rex at the NHM for nearly a year!  This time we just spent the morning there, having agreed that we would try somewhere else as well, and just went to see the dinosaurs, K has got over her fear of animatronic dinosaurs, so we all stuck together.

M's friend

K & M with a Gallimimus

 












In the afternoon we went to the British Museum.  The girls had definite ideas about what they didn't want to see (anything to do with the Greeks or Romans or Medieval Times!), so we looked at the Clocks, the mechanism, development and in particular ships clocks (very important when you go sailing at bedtime!).  Little legs do tend to flag after a while and M in particular had had enough by about half three, so wasn't particularly interested in looking at Chinese porcelain, but both K & M's interest was captured by the inspirational Tree of Life in the Africa room.

A rather impressive clock!

The Tree of Life

The next day we moved on to A's Uncle P & Aunty M who farm down on the Romney Marsh.  Unfortunately M hasn't been well and so wasn't up to having us to stay, but we still got to spend time with them.  We went tramping through the most amazing bluebell woods with P and 4 farm dogs, something that had been a concern as M can be extremely nervous around dogs, but she loved them.  Both girls loved collecting the eggs and feeding the chickens and M bottle-fed a lamb.  K & M have now added 'farmer' to their list of possible professions.

 A was born down in Kent, and while he didn't grow up there, he did spend many holidays with grandparents on their farm.  He remembered visiting Bodiam Castle and so we decided to go there for a visit.  Unforunately he came down with a bug, so didn't get to enjoy the castle with me and the girls as there were no toilets up at the castle, only down near the shop and carpark.  K & M particularly appreciated it because it does tie in rather nicely with The Sword in the Stone, which we were reading at the time.  M's most pressing question was if there were pike in the moat and if so how many.  She got her answer to the first part of the question - yes - but unfortunately nobody was confident to give a definitive answer to the second part, although one of the guides hazarded a guess of around 150.  Other than the pike in the moat, toilets was the main theme of the visit, as it was this that K & M found particularly interesting.  We discovered that garderobes were so called because clothes were kept there as the smell kept the clothes moths away!  Also, while farming may have been added to K & M's list of possible professions, 'gong farmer' definitely wasn't! 

K & M in front of the pike (and carp) inhabited moat at Bodiam.

A garderobe, toilet or 'poo chute' as K & M would say.

We also followed the recommendation of M and went to Yesterday's World, which has shops, rooms and displays set up to show various periods from late Victorian onwards, which we all enjoyed and K has already talked about wanting to go back!

The final stop on our trip was my Uncle L & Aunty Ka, who have recently settled back in England after 30 years of living and working abroad in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Portugal.  They weren't around until the afternoon, so on the way we stopped off at Leeds Castle (very expensive but well worth a visit if you are going to spend the whole day there or are near enough to get your money's worth as the tickets are valid for 12 months). 

Leeds Castle

Unfortunately the weather wasn't kind to us, which was a shame, but we just about managed to get through the maze (with a bit of help from the man in the middle!) before the rain set in and we headed inside.  There we read about the history of the castle and as we went round about life upstairs and downstairs. 
It's really noticeable now that both girls are much more interested in hearing more about the places we visit and generally want to have the information boards read to them much more.  They could read them themselves, but can't look around themselves at the same time if they do that, so can't take as much in. 
We had a relaxed time with L & Ka, and K & M and I, were brought bang up-to-date and experienced Skype for the first time, so they got to see their cousins who they'd met for the first time a couple of months ago in France. 
We've also come home with some sourdough starter courtesy of S who runs courses at Eastcourt Manor, which has given me the little push I needed to try something I have been thinking about for ages.  Thank you! 
All in all, despite the illness, a very successful trip.