Half term has always been a bit out of routine, as various activities stop and we also try to meet up with schooly friends, but with M at school this time it's been more significant. And very busy!
M had an 'insect day' on the Friday and we met up at Wollaton Park with three other home ed families, who M particularly wanted to keep in touch with. There was plenty of imaginative play, running around and also a go or two on D's 'hoverboard'.
On the Saturday, M and A went to do Park Run with our friends across the road. M and L did well and although it wasn't a personal best time, they managed to run the whole way with no walking for the first time. A didn't do so well and pulled his calf soon after starting, so had to stop. M then later went shopping with L and H. We also had a beautifully neighbourly late afternoon/evening. Our new next-door neighbours popped round bearing chocolate brownies in the plastic tub that M had given them some flapjack in and stopped for a chat and cake. L from over the road was round at the time and H (her mum) popped over to check she was there, as the girls had come back to ours from the park and hadn't told her where they were. H came in to say hello to the new neighbours and invited everyone to come over for a glass of wine. It was soon after this that K and I had to go to the supermarket to do some shopping for her Scout expedition with the other members of her group. By the time we got home, our house was empty, so we joined the others over the road. It turned into such a lovely evening. I'd made a big saucepan of soup, so I fetched that and H got out bread, ricecakes, cheese and ham and we all ate together.
This really got me thinking about how fortunate we are with our neighbours. Our immediate neighbours in all directions are all lovely, but since H, C & L moved in about 2.5 years ago, they've made such a difference. While various families have always been friendly with each other, they have the ideal space and the inclination to host get-togethers, and we see much more of most of our neighbours as a result. As well as that, they have become really good friends and have been so helpful and supportive, particularly with the whole school appeal process and subsequent settling in period.
On Sunday, K went on her Scout expedition. This involved four Scouts who had planned the travel and food and practised putting up their tents. They met the leaders on Sunday after lunch at a local bus stop, they then made their way on their own to the campsite, which was a bus ride and walk away. The leaders were there waiting for them, but didn't help as they put up their tents, cooked their own food, slept and cleared everything up before making their own way home again the next day. Everything went smoothly and K really enjoyed it.
We had A & J round for most of the day on Monday. M, A & J played The Game of Life in the morning and we had a very late lunch when K got back from her expedition, mainly because my pizza dough had gone horribly wrong because I forgot to multiply the water by 1.5 when scaling up and had to start again!
Tuesday K was back at science in the afternoon, so we had C, G, L & S round in the morning, so M and G could spend more than the few minutes they get together most Tuesdays and Wednesday we went to the Dice Cup with different friends.
Thursday was supposed to be our quiet day, but it didn't quite work out like that. Partly it turned into a horribly shouty day unfortunately, although it ended with everyone making up and hugs. But also, M ended up spending up quite a bit of time with L across the road, because she had come down with chicken pox for the second time and really needed company and distraction.
On Friday, we headed off to Ironbridge, picking up M (the dad) en route and meeting C and M (mum & daughter) at the youth hostel at Coalport. We had a lovely weekend with them, including a visit to the China museum (next door to the youth hostel), a night walk, a visit to Blists Hill, the Victorian museum, pumpkin carving for the girls, card games, a visit to Enginuity and the Darby Houses (plus the Museum of Iron for some of us), and a walk to the Iron Bridge itself. We had all been more than once before, but the museums are really good and plenty to get out of them.
So all in all, a lovely half term, although not as restful as it could have been. The clock change has helped make the transition back to early mornings not as difficult as it would otherwise have been though fortunately.
Now we're back to the school routine after a couple of days. M's definitely not happy although does seem to be a bit more settled and she is still finding her feet with the social side. She feels that the girl that she thought was most likely to become a friend isn't as keen as she is, and having had a conversation with L this evening, who is on the other side of a similar situation, is trying to work out how to deal with that.
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