Well this week was all about establishing a routine-ish that would help our days work easier. We've nearly got there once or twice, but this morning definitely didn't work - I've decreed that from tomorrow we will get dressed before breakfast, so that once breakfast is over we can get on with the day, rather than eldest coming up with all sorts of ideas for the day which have to be put on hold until we're all dressed, which for some reason seems to take an age!
I've been thinking about the best way of referring to the family, and rather than coming up with elaborate pseudonyms, I'm plonking for initials! So eldest daughter is E, youngest is H, Husband is B, bump is bump until he/she/it puts in an appearance, then we'll see!!!
The day started with me having to persuade E into having breakfast by agreeing to carry on making spoon puppets at the same time. By the end of breakfast we had 2 spoon puppets - mental note, must buy some cheap wooden spoons next time am in tesco! - that were slightly less elaborate than yesterday's but pretty good none the less. H kept 'helping' me with mine by taking off everything I stuck on, but we got there eventually. E then came up with a brainwave, eyes widened and lit up (similar to the 'making moment' in doodle-do!!), and said that we should do a show with them. We talked it through and worked out we could make a theatre from a box, so we had a quick search round the house for a suitable one. This is where I decided it would be best to get dressed, otherwise I could see we never would, and it was hassle I could have done without!
Puppet theatres were forgotten for a little while we had a cbeebies break and I got a few bits and pieces done, then E suddenly jumped and said I had to guess what she was doing as she acted out a scene from a wallace and gromit film (think it's a Close Shave) she'd seen recently, that was the only clue I got, and I worked out which scene she was doing straight away, she was fab!! This gave her the confidence to do more and more 'acting' where I had to guess what she was doing. She came up with a few good ones, but eventually descended into acting out sitting on the loo, then washing and drying her hands!!! Strange girl! I had seen the game Charades for Kids before xmas and had considered getting it for her, thinking about it now I'm glad I didn't as it would have probably been too prescriptive. I think her version was way more fun!
E then remembered about the theatre and we ran around trying to find suitable scissors, then sat down and talked about how we were going to make the front - we decided on two doors that opened out. Then we talked about how we were going to open the back as E was very concerned that noone should be able to see her hands during the show!!! We decided on making a wide hole, but that only went halfway down, so her hands would be hidden behind the lower half of the box. H and I then sat through the 'show'! I then suggested that E put some scenery in the theatre from a box of farm, shop etc happyland figures while I could go and get lunch ready. This turned out to not be possible, apparently E requires my full attention in order to do anything, no matter how simple it seems...
I'm going to have to really think about organising my days so lunches and dinners are pre planned, and easy to make, or find a way of being firm about having to stop an activity so that we can have meals - I can't cope trying to do both at the same time!
After lunch was pretty easy as we were going to play at a friends. Kids bundled in car and we were off for a stress-free afternoon. My friend is the queen of sorting out toddler squabbles - I should really be armed with a notebook at all times with her to pick up some ideas!!
House is a complete tip - wonder how I can work tidying into a fun game tomorrow...!
Oooo...one thing that happened today, well last night really, a party invite was pushed through our door for E, to a 5th birthday bash of 2 of her (former) school friends this weekend. I told E about it this morning and she is sooo excited. I'm just wondering what sort of questions its going to stir up, both from her and also the kids and their parents we are bound to see there. Eek!
Should probably explain that E started in reception at our newly built local school in september 08, and we finally made the decision to withdraw her during the last week of term, just before the xmas break. She therefore hasn't seen any of her friends since then - the xmas break has helped give a natural break as E was aware that everyone else was off school, but she was also aware that it was her LAST day too. The only thing she seems to be missing about school is her friends, and I have been in contact with several parents to see if we can arrange play dates to help with that side of things - though 2 of those have fallen through so far. I'll keep perservering!
Friday tomorrow - yippeee!
6 years ago
How fab about the puppet show, and charades! And that she got an invite to a birthday party from her school friends :-)
ReplyDeleteA couple of things that spring to mind about the meals thing:
1. Flopsy and Mopsy play with eachother a lot more, so you may find in a year or two when H is older your physical presence is needed less then you can get on with your things
2. I do find I have to pick opportune moments for lunch, like get it ready for when a programme's about to finish on iplayer, or when we've just finished a game. I need to give them a lot of warning like 'when we've finished this, I'm going to make lunch, ok?' or 'When that programme's finished, lunch will be ready' or very simply 'five minutes until lunchtime and then you'll need to stop that for a break but you can go back to it afterwards'.
Hope that helps a bit. Sounds like you're having a fun time. Missed going to J's with you yesterday.
Just wanted to say hello, having found you via Clare's blog (and found Clare via Sometimes It's Peaceful). We home ed our two daughters aged 7 and 5, and have done so right from the start. Your eldest sounds like she is full of fun and full of ideas, which is such a positive start, isn't it? I can relate to your frustration of having to be involved in their activities all the time - we have moved house a lot over my children's short little lives (*finally* we've settled in a wonderful house in France) and each upheaval has been accompanied with a spell of the girls not wanting to do stuff alone. But, given time, they have always eventually got back to their independent little selves, and I'm sure E will too, given time.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! And I'll bookmark your blog and keep checking back to see how you get on.
Hello, I followed you from Clare too. Just wanted to give you some empathy re kids missing their school friends, we're going through that too we're newly home edding, it can be so hard to keep up when they're so busy going to school all week! Interesting to read about you trying to find a way to do days that suits you, again I empathise and it's certainly different for everyone!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the blogging it will be nice to see how you get along in your home ed journey.
Best wishes Hazel xx
Clare - I was thinking the same re: H being too little to be able to join in with the same stuff as E, I see how well Flopsy and Mopsy play together - am very jealous. Also think it is partly down to her being a little unsettled at the mo (heaven knows why!!!!).
ReplyDeleteTheseBoots - thank you for reading my blog, I'm very new to the whole blog thing and am amazed that people are actually reading it!! Mostly thanks to Clare it seems ;-) Wow, sounds like you've had a hard journey, but glad to hear you've found a fab place. We only recently started considering HE as an option, I have met a lot of people now who, like you, have always intended to HE, so it is a steep learning curve, but I am sooo glad we've done it, even though its only been a week!
Hazel - lovely to hear from you, Clare converted you too huh?! I read your recent posts on the early years group and am sure will have similar upsets over the coming weeks, even though my daughter is a lot younger, so doesn't have the same level of friendships - it is hard for them and us too!!
Haha yes I went to Clare's for a weekend for NCT stuff ..... dangerous thing to do I was never the same again :-))))
ReplyDelete