Countryside adventures, park and Tenko

On Monday, Dani and the kids set off to an event at The Sussex Wildlife Trust headquarters organised by a fellow home edder. They got two buses out into the country and Dani got time to chat with other adults while the kids were taken off by the workers to do things like pond dipping. It sounds like it was a great place. Leo was chatting to me in the bath that night about the lava of the Caddis Fly, which makes itself a little portable case out of shells and stones. They also saw frogs, toads, newts and fish. In the afternoon they were shown how to make things with nettles and elder. Leo made a piece of nettle string to adorn his hat and Pearlie made a nettle and elder bracelet. They were exhausted that night as it was another busy day after the hectic weekend. I was no less tired after a morning of unpacking and sorting and an afternoon at work.

Yesterday, the kids' Squeezebox session was cancelled, so we got a morning at home. I spent this trying to catch up on some more tidying and washing. Pearlie is happily engrossed in the new Roman Mysteries book and Leo was working on a long story he started at his writing group. I did a very stupid thing and brought in one of the recycling boxes to clean in the hallway. People chuck things in our boxes if we leave them out and someone had kindly donated a beer bottle that had dribbled dregs all over the place. I was moving very fast and plonked the box on the carpet before filling it up with hot water and Flash. It was only when I picked it up that I realised that it has four, quite large, holes in the bottom! So, the hallway carpet got a soaking in hot soapy water and I realised I’d get more done if I slowed down a bit...

In the afternoon we went up to the park, where the kids disappeared for four hours with friends and I drank tea and chatted with other parents. Two exciting things happened which were reported to me by a breathless Pearlie. First, she saw a heron on the park pond. Second she and friends saw some kids smashing up a bass guitar. This was very dramatic and involved hurling it out of trees, and so on. Most bizarre... A sort of rock star, hotel bedroom moment, in the local park!

Dani’s knitting group came round in the evening and I watched Bonekickers with the kids. They are really enjoying this but I think it is rather *cough* far-fetched and silly! Dani and I stayed up too late once the knitters had gone, watching Tenko. We got another video cheap on Ebay. I am struck by how slow moving it seems, when compared to modern tv programmes. There are also no whizzing camera shots or flashbacks. It’s rather like watching a play, a genuine ensemble piece too, where the story unfolds and you’re gripped by that. The acting is a bit patchy but there are some excellent performances, especially Stephanie Cole as the doctor. I’m loving seeing it again. It is far more interesting to watch than pretty much anything I see on tv today. It is thought provoking too. Dani and I ended the day looking at our Schofield and Sims history timeline poster, trying to understand why there were Dutch prisoners as well as British ones.

Right, got to go and pack a bag for the kids and Dani to use this afternoon. They’re off across town to an outdoor party. I’ve got to go to work.

End of the road for my story - this time at least

The results of the competition came out tonight and my story wasn't placed. But I'm encouraged by reaching the short list. I am rather fond of the story I entered and am thinking of giving it a bit of a dust down and entering it elsewhere. I've got two or three others ready to go too.

I've spent much of the day flopping about and blowing my nose. I'm reading Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, which is a very absorbing read. It have borrowed it from my friend, K, and I suspect that she'll have to wait until Dani's read it before she gets it back!

The kids have had a good day. Pearlie devised a short general knowledge quiz for us. Leo won, which pleased him. I was impressed that he knew who had been defeated in the London Mayoral election. I lost as I forgot the chemical symbol for silver. I just went to double check it on our poster and found she'd stuck a slip of paper over it so I couldn't cheat! Typing up the quiz involved P in quite a bit of learning of Word 2007. She made a beautiful job of it - all in different colours. P is very into rainbow things at the moment.

Leo has been very happy to find himself re-united with paper, pens, tape and scissors. His large picture map is coming along and he's also dismantled an old mobile phone to make a time machine, as well as numerous cardboard creations.

Dani has spent some time planning a new knitting project for a wedding in the autumn. I think she's so clever, the way things emerge from the needles...

I made cheese scones for lunch and a yummy borlotti bean, tomato and pesto pasta sauce for tea. The kids are both eating loads - making up for the rather lean fare available at hesfes!

We had a quick game of Taboo tonight during which Dani made a somewhat wild guess of marshmallow when the word was, in fact, cigar. That led to a lot of laughter.

I finished reading Treasure Island to Leo tonight and his next request is The Prisoner of Zenda. We're reading our way through a boxed set of children's classics that he pleaded for in a charity shop one day and I felt unable to deny him. Treasure Island was great fun to read as I got to do rough, sinister, pirate voices!

Right, off for cup of tea and biccy before bed. Busy day tomorrow with lots of commitments and this cold is making me a bit foggy. Oh, yeah, and we all liked Doctor Who. Great fun to get everyone in for a collective flying of the Tardis!

Home from Hesfes

We got home from Hesfes last night and I think it’s fair to say that we’re all pretty tired still. I seem to have a bit of a cold too, so I’m not at my best.

Hesfes was much easier going than last year, mainly because the weather was so much better. We had an electric hook up and so we could make tea easily (always important!) and use our sandwich toaster. I don’t think I’ll want another toasted sandwich for months, mind you. We were quite experimental and found that banana and Nutella was good, and that you could make toast by just pressing a slice of bread onto the hot surface for a while. Our new tent proved itself in a couple of hefty showers and stayed far cooler than most of the tents made of modern fabrics. The best thing was seeing a tent there, of the same make, that looked like it had done decades and was still going strong. It is a Vango force ten and is the sort that youth groups like Woodies tend to own.

This was out little encampment. The pop up tent was great for holding all our stuff and the orange tent was fine for the four of us at night. I wouldn't want to rely on one of those pop up tents for actually sleeping in as they really have a feel of play tents!

Breakfast in the sun one morning. Leo demanded that most of his food came in a form that he could run about with!

Here we are packed up and ready to go home. Journeys were fine, except for a silly argument with an ill-informed gate attendant at Farringdon. Next year we plan to brave the tube and avoid the 4o min walk across centra London with all the luggage. That bit really isn't much fun. I kept nearly tripping posh men in suits with our trailer! We were very grateful to friends who carried some bits and pieces for us.

The kids had a fantastic week. Pearlie had her new Dahon bike to buzz about on and spent a lot of time chatting with friends and going to the pool. Leo was engaged in almost constant water fights and lots of games involving chasing, maps, treasure and general rampaging. Both the kids went to the music workshops for three of the afternoons and played in the end of week show.

Leo in the end of week show. he shared a big keyboard with another player.

Pearlie playing at the end of week show. She is concentraing very hard here.

The kids’ band, Duck Rock, played in the children’s cabaret too. They performed their new song – their first original composition – and it went down very well indeed.

Duck Rock playing in the children's cabaret. We seem destined never to get a decent shot of P behind the drum kit!

Because the kids were busy and happy at the workshops, we were able to go to some of the conference sessions. I particularly enjoyed listening to Alan Thomas talk about his new book, which we bought. I also managed to read a four hundred page thriller in two days. This wouldn’t have been my top choice of reading matter but it was the best I could get in the camp site shop! We did sitting by camp fires chatting and singing and enjoyed a fabulous communal meal in the Sussex field on the last night. We entered the family quiz and managed to win. On the last night, Andy told us we’d won tickets for next year’s Hesfes, which was rather cool. I suspect that there will be rather more entrants next year, now people now what the prize is!

Hesfes is great and I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to go. But it is also an exhausting way to spend a week. I think that’s because it is so full-on. The days start early, because there are so many little kids, and end late. There is little space to be had and that gets me a bit ragged by the end of the week. I did manage a couple of hours chilling on the beach, while Leo looked for crabs and I read my book.

The kids have come back very bubbly, though. Pearlie rushed off to a bead shop this morning to get things to make rainbow jewellery and Leo is working on a big picture map. We’re very excited about tonight’s Doctor Who too. I am also in a fever of excitement as I returned home to find that the story I have in a competition, that had made it onto the long list, is now on the short list. The short list is eleven stories and from that there will be three winners. The winners get cash but, more exciting for me, is the prospect of getting published in the magazine. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Weird week

It’s been a rather strange week for me. For some reason, I have struggled to locate which day I’m in – every day! So, here’s what happened. I think.

On Wednesday Leo went to Kids’ Club, where they played some kind of quiz game with a tank in which you sat to answer questions. When you got one wrong you got a bucket of shredded paper flung over you. I wasn’t too sure how that would go down but Leo seemed to have enjoyed it! Just hope everyone else did.

While he was there, Pearlie and I popped to get some guinea pig supplies. Then we did a bit of an MEP maths book. P has said she’d like to know that she could handle all the maths that school kids of her age would be doing. So we’re doing these books together, fairly regularly at the mo. They’re actually year seven stuff, I think. She’s also doing some written French that my mum sets for her. Last week she did some answering questions, in French, with answers in French – using the correct forms of verbs that she’s looked at with mum. And she likes to do French word searches, which my mum is expert at devising.

In the afternoon, I went off to work and the kids and Dani went to the library. Pearlie picked up a Jacqueline Wilson called Girls Out Late, which she seems to have finished already. Leo borrowed several books in the Explorers Wanted series, which he is really enjoying. Once again, an interest (in this case, Indiana Jones) is leading Leo to all kinds of interesting stuff.

I went to the dentist on Thursday morning. I got a face full of Novocaine and a filling. Went on to work and tried not to dribble in a meeting. In the evening, I was filled with flossing enthusiasm (do other people get that after a dentist visit?) and managed to break a bit of floss between two tightly packed teeth. It took a lot of prodding and poking to get it out and I have a sore and swollen gum now! Hardly the aim when you’re trying to look after your damn gums...

Pearl and Dani joined Jessops online service, where you can mail in photos for them to print. They got some credit as new members and P is going to pick up some prints on Saturday, I think. She’s planning to enter some competitions.

Leo was at Kids’ Club again where they did some kind of Olympics. He won a bronze medal for discus (two plates stuck together) but later managed to chuck it in the bush where it got stuck.

In the afternoon, Pearlie went to a group of home ed kids who are aged ten to thirteenish, where they are designing their own board games. P has come up with a really good idea and is making more bits next week.

Dani and Leo spent some time at home that afternoon, looking at archaeological treasures on the internet (Indiana inspired again). They also secured a bird box in our little morello cherry tree (probably a bit late for this year, but Leo has been inspired by Springwatch and we have a clutch of these home-made animal boxes sitting in the porch!) and chilled a bit.

Pearlie went to Woodcraft in the evening and Leo and Dani had to go too because it was a parents’ meeting. Leo took his portable DVD player and watched Ice Age2. Pearlie had a good Woodcraft session, making a film about why the community centre should have better access for disabled people. They came home via the chippy, which was good timing for me as I arrived home from work as they got in.

Friday started slowly for me. I slept badly as I was disturbed by tooth dreams. These make a change from the fire dreams I’ve been having lately. I bought a new battery for the smoke alarm today, which I think I had been vaguely worrying about. I did stir when Dani got up for work but must have nodded off again. Pearlie woke me up at 9.30am and we watched some morning news together, while we had breakfast. Leo slept until 10.15am but then appeared fully dressed (as is his wont) and sat and read silently for half an hour.

When everyone had breakfasted and properly woken, we went to town. We bought Leo a really fine Indiana Jones inspired hat, which he is thrilled with. The kids bought sweets in a cool, little shop with jars and unusual penny stuff. We ate lunch at Bagelman, where we can each get a feast for under £2. We looked for something new for P to wear at the gig, but failed to find anything she liked.

In the afternoon I blitzed the living room a bit, while the kids pottered. Pearlie read First News and did the crossword. Leo did his laundry and hung it on an airer in his bedroom. I deposited all the toys, books and assorted debris from the living room on his bedroom floor and he tried to put it all away. He did a good job and there are just a few things left to do. He was watching TV as he did this, so it was slow going.

I pottered about tidying and Pearlie watched Gavin and Stacey on i-player. She was watching with headphones on but I was reminded of the dialogue as I caught sight of certain scenes and I laughed just from remembering! Pearlie went off to her room to do some sketching and I attempted to follow the plot of a Poirot while hoovering the sofa and chairs. I really hate the hoover we’ve got at the moment as it lacks enthusiasm compared to the Dyson we used to have. Mind you, it all looks much better so it must do something!

Dani came home with chocolate for everyone because I’d phoned her to let her know I would be in need after all the hoovering. Then she assembled pizzas for everyone and we ate those and chatted.

Pearlie spent some time on Google Earth, looking at places we’ve been and places we haven’t. I think that must have reminded her of her game Map Detectives Urban Mystery because she then played that for a bit.

Leo had his hat on all evening and, at some point, he added his sunglasses. I have no idea how he could see to draw but he did and made a map. Dani said that he looked like something from the Blues Brothers and so Pearlie googled to see what that was and spent some time on YouTube listening to music.

I took Leo up to bed and we read some more of Treasure Island. Ooh, it’s a rip-roaring adventure and I never read it as a kid. Dani and Pearl have finished A Strong and Willing Girl (which was mine as a kid) and have started A Hundred Million Francs. Here's what Phillip Pullman says about that book:

"a novel called A Hundred Million Francs, by the French author Paul Berna. It was a good story, about a bunch of children in a dingy suburb of Paris who find a lot of money which has been hidden by some thieves, and all kinds of adventures follow.

The point about that book for me was that on page 34, there was a drawing of some of the kids defying the crooks, and I fell in love with the girl in the drawing. She was a tough-looking, very French sort of character, with a leather jacket and socks rolled down to her ankles and blonde hair and black eyes, and altogether I thought she was the girl for me.

I wouldn't be at all surprised - in fact, now I think about it, it's obvious - to find that the girl on page 34 of A Hundred Million Francs is the girl who four decades later turned up in my own book Northern Lights, or The Golden Compass, where she was called Lyra."

He says it here and what is weird is that I remember that girl too - when I was about ten.

I have to work tomorrow and I think Dani and the kids will try to take it quite easy as the gig is in the evening! On Sunday, I’ve got a treat - a one day workshop on Magic Realism. I’ve done a course with the teacher before, which was good, so I’m hoping it’ll inspire me to write more of that kind of stuff.

Oh, and I have crawled back onto Facebook, after stropping away in a moral huff a few months ago. I was keen to find an old friend from university days and thought she might be there. Once back, I remembered what I liked about it! But, I’m trying to be disciplined and not waste time on there. I’ve already had a great catch-up with a friend, so it can be really good. We shall see.

Books and burbles

I can’t be bothered to catch up. So, what shall I blog about?

How about a bit about books? I’m currently reading Pearlie Halfmoon Investigations, which is pacy and fun. Dani and Leo are sharing Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse. I’m not too sure what the kids are reading to themselves. Pearlie recently read The Hunger, another in the My Story series. Leo is, I think, still ploughing on to the end of the Amber Spyglass. He’s been quite diverted by Indiana Jones and is awaiting some spin-off book he’s bought on Amazon. We had a good conversation about racism and sexism after watching ‘Temple of Doom’ last weekend. Leo observed that women on tv and in films all seem to be like Barbie Dolls! Dani is reading The richness of life, which is very learned and not really my cup of tea. I’m writing more than reading right now – after running out of Ali Smith. Mind you, I’ve been dipping into Brilliant Careers: the virago book of 20^th century fiction. Dani and I both read The Queen of Whale Cay too. That was an astonishing story.

I’m enjoying the kd lang album, Watershed, on my cheapo mp3 player. It’s a lovely summer album and I spent a joyful half hour sitting on the beach people watching, while listening to it, last week. The kids were at Squeezebox and I was able to be entirely alone. You know how, sometimes, the music in your ears runs like a soundtrack to the people around you? This young couple of women were on the beach, totally wrapped up in each other. Made me smile and took me back to lunch-hour encounters in my youth!

There’s not much else to report here. Kids went to the dentist and all was well. Pearlie lost a big, back tooth. She must have nearly run out of milk teeth now. Leo seems to have hit something of a plateau in tooth changing. The dentist said they might have to take out some milk teeth to kick start some more coming through. I think we’ll just wait. He is probably going to hit the family curse of big teeth in small jaw, which leads to an overcrowded mess – hence my buck teeth.

The kids and I got free Flakes in town today. We even went back and got seconds. Pearlie took off her cardigan and Leo his hat, so they wouldn’t recognise us!

Oh yeah, here’s a little witticism from our area. We live near a pub called The Constant Service. It is named after the introduction of a piped water system to the area – rather ironically, I’ve always thought. Anyway, bit by bit, letters have been going missing from the name. Last week, someone managed to arrange the remaining ones to re-christen the pub Vices Cost.

I can’t blame drink for my recent inability to speak properly, though I did have a rare bottle of beer with my tea tonight. But the other morning I looked intently into Leo’s face and asked:

“Will you be alright with bare teeth?”

I did, rather unsurprisingly, mean feet, not teeth. What is sad is that I can remember my mum making similar verbal stumbles in my childhood and I’d think, “what IS the matter with her, why can’t she just say what she means?” I’ve learned the hard way that it is the creeping of age.

Busy in the sunshine

Here’s some bits and bobs from the last few days.

Thursday included Kids’ Club for both the kids where they did detective things: identifying whose fingerprints were on a particular item and who had taken a bite from an apple. They are planning to make a little detective film next week, I believe.

Dani had rather less fun at a meeting. We then got carried away talking in the park and nearly missed Woodcraft for P and a Woodies parent meeting for Dani. I was off work on leave again and so got to join in with all the panic!

Friday was the big drop-in session that happens a couple of times a month. I took along some Japanese braiding to share with people. Some people loved it and some endured it and I think it was worth doing!

After that, Leo and I popped to the doc to get a prescription for anti-histamine that seems to be working well for him. Saw a new, young doctor who spoke to Leo in a lovely, straightforward, non-patronising way. She also impressed me with her willingness to prescribe just what I asked for!

Then there was a quick park visit to put up our new tent, which seems to work well. In the evening there was a Hedline meeting at our house. That was enough for one day!

On Saturday morning, Pearlie was lucky enough to be taken to see Michael Rosen by a friend and her family. She said he was SO funny and she came back very jolly. Then we went to the swimming pool, where we had organised a private booking to be shared between local home edders. Those who came seemed to enjoy it a lot and I hope we can do it again.

After swimming, the kids were really enjoying playing in the park with cousin S and friends A and C. Sadly, the fun came to an abrupt end when A got hit on the head by a heavy metal catch. It is a ‘safety feature’ to stop little ones reaching the pond but it managed to make a rather horrible, bloody wound on A’s head. We went home and A and C came to sit in our cool basement for a while. A was quite calm and ok by then, thanks, in large part, to her very calm mum. I am rather hopeless when ours get hurt and tend to let my fear affect them.

On Sunday, I had to go back to work. Pearl and cousin S had an exciting trip to see Caroline Lawrence who told them all about how she writes. Meanwhile, Leo was playing in the paddling pool with cousin D. That must have been fun because he’s still asleep at 10am this morning!

We’re Ba-ack!

Well, that was a strange experience – nearly a month with no internet at home. Apologies to all those to whom we owe emails and so on. I lapsed back into a pre-internet state and actually got quite calm about it. I have read more books and watched some old videos. Dani was looking decidedly twitchy by the middle of last week (she says it was actually by the second day!) and I think she is very relieved to be back online. The kids were pretty ok with it, though they missed i-player.

A catch-up is impossible. Here’s a few things, in no particular order.

Pearlie had her eleventh birthday last week. We went to Bath for an overnight stay and bought her a new bicycle there. It is a rather fabby Dahon and should last her forever, or until she reaches 6 foot 4!

Bath was lovely. We stayed in a Travelodge room for £26 and crammed in lots of fun. We went on a little boat trip up the river, in the beautiful, early evening sun. We also visited the Bath Fashion Museum and went to Pizza Express for a birthday meal.

We all enjoyed a sunny, family gathering in the park in honour of P’s birthday.

I have been enjoying a continuing dalliance with the writing of Ali Smith. I was mesmerised by Hotel World and have read two of her books of short stories too.

Leo has been prompted to learn a joined up writing style by Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide. We bought a little workbooky thing, which goes through each join in turn, and he’s doing some every day. He is pleased with it and has abandoned his previous writing style (mixture of upper and lower case letters) and is using it all the time.

Pearlie has been enjoying all her birthday presents. She got lots of Jessops vouchers and has had a lovely splurge of processing. Some of her pictures are gorgeous. She got a plant for her room and some lights for her new bike, and is planning to buy an i-pod. She got clothes, too, and has been looking very sophisticated.

Leo is back to reading the end of the Amber Spyglass but has also started The Hobbit.

Dani has made lots of progress with her big, celtic knot blanket.

Pearlie went away for a weekend camp with her Woodcraft group. She had a great time, including playing games in the dark! Leo got to choose dinners while she was away and we ate lots of veggie lasagne and fruit crumbles.

We’ve bought tickets for an exciting Festival show, which we’re all looking forward to. Dani and I have also treated ourselves to tickets to see kd Lang in August. It’ s Pride weekend so everyone should be on a high. If you want an example of how spine tingling kd can be, when singing live, then check this out on YouTube.
Anyway, better get some sleep as electrician is coming tomorrow to fit the new fuse box.

Sunshine and snow

We’re having bizarre weather here. It was really warm and sunny for most of the week, but today it is really snowing

Enough for P. to make a mini snowman
Leo to collect enough snow off parked cars in which to embed a plastic lion
and the two of them to get really wet and cold throwing snowballs at each other.

Anyway, what have we been doing?

On Tuesday, Allie and the kids went to the park, where it was sunny and there were a goodly assortment of home edders. P. had a drama in which her abandoned bag nearly got taken by a kindly stranger and handed in, but this was spotted by P’s friends and the bag retrieved. They went out to see cousin S. singing in her choir in the evening, while I went to my knitting group (blanket update over on Knitting Notes).

Allie and Pearlie carried on with their punctuation book on Wednesday morning, while Leo was at Kids Club. Later on, we did our usual swimming and library trip. Leo was upset because they were forbidden to play with aforementioned toy lion on the water slide, but pleased because the library had his reserved copy of Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse ready for collection. Pearlie also picked up another Ally’s World book.

I helped out at Kids Club on Thursday, the last one before a two week break. It was nice and mellow, occasional flashpoints were resolved amicably, and the session ended with some of the older boys offering training in a variety of survival and combat skills to the rest of the group, which both our kids found tremendously exciting.

The others spent some time at their favourite branch library on Friday, while I went to a meeting of a reference group of home educators, set up by the Head of EOTAS at our local authority, to help them formulate a new policy, and then on to work. My report of the meeting will appear in the next couple of days on the HEdline website. After an afternoon spent playing happily with water pistols, the kids rescued me from being trapped at work by bringing me the keys I had forgotten. The others had borrowed Boggle and a 500 piece jigsaw from the library, so we all had a go at both of those in the evening.

Both Allie and I are feeling run down at the moment, and although the kids are actually getting on quite well at the moment, their low level bickering sometimes gets under my skin, so I’ve not been handling things brilliantly this weekend. Thus our plan to go to the garden centre yesterday was foiled at the last minute by a row between me and Pearlie, but we did manage to get out to the unveiling of the community mosaics at the park where Kids Club is based.

Kids from the local school, Kids Club, the after school and youth project and the unemployed centre neighbouring the park worked on designs and created the mosaics, and all these contributions were coordinated very skilfully by local artists Touchwood Trees as some kind of replacement for the large graffiti pieces that have recently been obliterated by the council. The mosaics are lovely, but I do still miss the graffiti.

P. made a rain gauge in the afternoon, while L. created a book of pictures of monsters, researched and printed off from the internet. We reinstated our tradition of roast dinner to accompany Doctor Who in the evening. Weather made our signal frustratingly patchy, but we managed to get the gist, enjoy the adventure, rejoice with Donna’s granddad, and be suitably intrigued by mysterious appearance of Rose.

Leo is fully garbed as the Doctor now, collecting snow in the street. He decided not to go into our garden, as it was too beautiful in the snow and he didn’t want to spoil it. Allie’s gone to work and P. has been taken to the pictures by some friends.

Tuesday 1st April

I just tried a rubbish April Fool (involving presence of a squirrel in the basement window) and Leo looked at me.

“Is that meant to be an April Fool, or something?”

Ho hum.

I’m feeling a bit throaty and tired today. Weather is gloomy and I have to take kids to Squeezebox later, when what I really want to do is go back to bed. Never mind.

Yesterday was full of little bits and bobs – here’s some of them…

Leo’s toy remote control flying dino arrived. He bought it with an Amazon voucher he was sent for his birthday (thank you to K,N,S,G). I had to spend a lot of time launching it across his bedroom while he crashed it into the furniture - or crashing it into the furniture for him. We did a bit of Leo’s maths book but he was more in the mood for making me launch dinosaurs, unfortunately. P was at Kids' Club.

Then we popped in at the end of P’s Kids' Club session. I admired the beautiful sand village that several of the kids had collaborated on. I also bought a magazine that all the kids had made. We had a meeting and Dani arrived when she finished work. Leo spent most of the time sitting on a grassy bank, working on a new Field Guide.

In the afternoon, I took both the kids down to a local park while D had rest. She’s got this throaty thing too. As I watched them play on the climbing equipment, I was slightly shaken by the sheer enormity of our children. I know they’re actually very slight compared to most of their contemporaries but they just looked so grown up.

Pearlie came home to find her cousin S and Leo and I went on into town to hunt for a book that he wanted to buy with some birthday money. It took a lot of hunting but we found it. He's been reading it pretty much constantly since we got home.

I dropped L back with Dani and went off to the delights of B&Q. Time was when I didn’t go to B&Q for years on end. Now I seem to live there. I had to buy a new shower head for our bathroom as we’d managed to crack the old one (probably by repeatedly dropping it into the bath) and some bathroom sealant.

After tea (when P and L had a dispute over the only bit of broccoli) I did a little bit of crack filling in P’s shower. I think that the fact that the whole room is build in a plywood box means that it is a bit mobile so we’ll always have to keep an eye on it.

Once the kids were in bed, we did boring banking stuff. I am very lazy at this job and tend to let Dani do it. As she set up the spreadsheets, she can do it much quicker, but that is no excuse really, so I did it. We spent a rather scary amount of money being on holiday.

Everyone seems to be feeling rather floppy today. Time to get on…

Holiday

St Ives was as lovely as ever.

Visiting so early in the year meant it was much quieter than in the high season. We stayed in the same gorgeous flat we’d been to in 2004 and 2005. Leo has long held that he is going to buy it when he grows up. The window makes you feel like you’re right out in the world.

We visited the Tate, where Dani and I admired landscapes by Margo Maeckelberghe. The kids were captivated by a Grayson Perry work called Print for a Politician.

We did a circular walk of about five miles to the church at Lelant.




When I was a child, one of the things I did with my dad was to go for long country walks to various churches in Sussex. I can remember being more interested in things like whether or not we had any sweets than the churches. But the smell and the strange darkness on a summer day are very vivid in my memories. Anyway, it seems that I have inherited the need to pop a coin in the box and take the little booklet that tells the history of the church. So I wittered on at the kids for a bit and they were pleased with the Norman font…

We were blown away (not literally, though it was gusty!) by the beautiful views as we walked along. I fell in love with the houses huddled against the cliff at Hawk’s Point. We saw a kestrel on the way back. We were alongside the railway line for most of this walk. Anyone who has ever been to St Ives and not arrived by train has really missed something. I think it’s just about the most beautiful train journey I know.

Another good walk was up to Knill’s Monument. The rhododendron bushes are all being destroyed in an attempt to control Sudden Oak Death fungus. This was a bit sad but, luckily for us, the workmen doing that job were having their lunch break at the monument. They were able to confirm that the birds we had spotted were buzzards and they showed us where to spot St Michael’s Mount on the horizon.

It was Leo’s 8^th birthday while we were there. I find it rather astonishing that he has got to such an advanced age already! He got a toy alethiometer, a spyglass in little wooden box and a very dinky little portable DVD player. Pearlie gave him a DVD of Ice Age, which they watched together on the train home.

It was a trip that was very heavy on reading (and pasties, as my waistline demonstrates) and I’m not sure if I can remember all the books that were read. Pearlie read two more books in the Ally’s World books she’s been enjoying, as well as a Jacqueline Wilson. Leo read an Alistair Fury book and a new Jamie Rix, Grizzly Tales book. Dani finished a book all about the Natural History Museum, called Dry Store Room No. 1 by Richard Fortey. She also borrowed a book from the local library about communities in Penwith in the twentieth century. I read a Ruth Rendell (that Pearlie and Leo gave me for Mothers’ Day) then wolfed down a Jeanette Winterson called The Stone Gods that I had somehow missed. By the last day I was without book and treated myself to The Accidental by Ali Smith, which I’ve just finished.

One of the most enjoyable things we did was to hide some treasure for cousins who are visiting St Ives next month. I can say no more, but it was good fun and I hope it remains undisturbed until they get there!

Dani and the kids had a good swim at the local pool (I had managed to cut my leg on a stick, so didn't go in) and we ate lots of ice-cream most days. Leo discovered that he loved apple, pear and custard pasties. Pearlie got a nice pair of sandals that should last the summer. Oh, and we travelled very cheaply. It cost just £85.80 for all four of us to get to St Ives and back. This was done by using family railcard and single tickets. The kids travelled home today for £3.50 each! Journeys were simple and we made all connections, in spite of the fact that most of the underground was closed today.

Here's a few more photos to give you a flavour of the trip

Go West!

We’re off to St. Ives for a week tomorrow, so won’t be around here for a while.

A few swift highlights of the last few days:

• The kids had a fantastic session at Kids Club this morning, where they made a go-kart!
  
  
• Leo’s Kids Club yesterday was also good. He modelled a Troodon emerging from its egg, out of clay
• Yesterday afternoon we popped to the library, where Leo picked up one of his reservations, and borrowed another book to bring on holiday
• Pearl had a friend round this afternoon, for a lovely play, then moved on to her Woodcraft session – also fun. They’ve decided on a campsite for a spring adventure next month.
• Meanwhile, Leo and I made two batches of chocolate fairy cakes – some vegan, some not. All yummy, and coming with us on the train tomorrow!
• Allie and Leo finished Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, and Pearlie and I finished The Mystery of the Cupboard. We’ll have a gap in bedtime stories while we’re away, as the kids are sharing a room in the holiday house, so that’s good timing all round.

To keep you going while we’re away, here’s a picture of Bunny (taken by Leo) and a lovely daffodil (taken by Pearlie).

Too busy to blog... again...

It’s been very busy round here lately. Here’s some stuff that’s been going on…

On Saturday, Pearlie went on a bouldering trip with Adventure Unlimited, to Harrison’s Rocks. This would have been higher climbing but it was too wet. She went with a friend from Woodcraft (the only two girls, apparently) but happened upon several boys she knows from other places. She had a great time.

While Pearlie was there, Leo went to a friend’s house to play. They watched some old Doctor Who together, as well as the start of Jurassic Park. (Luckily, Leo and Dani happened upon a copy in a charity shop yesterday, so he’s seen it all now.) They also went under covers and told each other very scary stories by torchlight.

I was at work and so Dani had a couple of hours alone in town. She bought a beautiful wool coat, ‘vintage’ velvet jacket and black/black baseball boots. This was all in honour of the evening…

Once the kids had finished climbing and playing with friend, we dropped them round at their cousins’ house for a sleepover. We ate a quick meal and went out to an International Women’s Day disco. Sadly, this was not the exciting event we’d hoped it would be. I have amazing memories of an 8^th March cabaret event in Leeds where this tiny, stocky, leather dyke put on a big wig and belted out Shirley Bassey numbers. This didn’t really come close… So, we had a quick drink there, cut our losses and went to the pub. Pubs are much better now they’re not full of smoke, aren’t they? Then we came home and watched some series three L Word episodes. It was lovely to have some time to ourselves. We talked about how lucky we are and thought about other women who aren't. (There is a petition online but I'm not sure how current it is.)

Sunday was pretty quiet. I went to work exhausted. I can’t imagine how I used to go to work on so little sleep when I was younger. D and the kids relaxed at home.

Yesterday, Pearlie went to Kids’ Club in the morning and to the grandmothers’ in the afternoon. At Kids’ Club she did some work on a magazine they’re making. At the grandmothers’ house she played a French game they’ve been making together – as well as cards and with the trusty, red animals. The red animals arrived in the family in my childhood. They came from Terry, who was a sort of adopted family member, having been on my mum’s caseload when she was a social worker in the 1950s. He had a succession of factory jobs and the red animals were meant to go singly into cereal packets, I believe. He arrived with a big bag full. That was always the way with Terry. When he worked as a meat packer he used to turn up with huge joints. He was such a skinny bloke, I guess there was plenty of room under his jacket! Anyway, those red animals have provided hours and hours of play for children in the family, for the last thirty five years.

Leo and I had a lovely morning at home. We did some maths together and I was amazed at the increase in his speed and skill in things like subtracting two digit numbers in his head. Then he did some more excavating for plastic dinosaur bones, while I read him some of the book we’re sharing. I wasn’t too sure of these books at first (they’re full of American childhood cultural references, so a bit hard to grasp at points) but they are actually very clever. I like the way the author has taken realities of modern children’s lives (like absent parents and diagnoses of ADHD etc) and held this ancient mythological glass in front of them. Leo is picking up loads about mythological monsters and likes to check on the free Guardian wallchart we got recently, to see if there’s a picture of each one that gets mentioned.

In the afternoon, I hurriedly sploshed a bit more yellow paint on our bedroom walls (yes, we’re still decorating that room!) and then went to work. Dani and Leo did some more experiments from his Christmas chemistry set. So, the kitchen is now full of crystals growing and stuff in test tubes.

Pearlie’s forays into the world of veganism are proving a bit of a mixed bag. She’s happy with vegan marg on her bread and toast, which is good. She had some soya yogurty stuff which she said was ok. We all tried some Cheezly vegan cheese and found it revolting! Dani made some of her lovely bread on Sunday, which is super-nutritious.

P is off tidying her room at the mo, as a friend is coming to play on Thursday. The living room is covered in piles of stuff as we are mid-pack for our holiday at the end of the week. There are a hundred things I should be doing, but I think I’ll have a cup of tea. Oh, fab, Leo has washed up all the breakfast things.

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I found yesterday a bit draining. I was on the rota as parent helper at Kids’ Club, which was fine. The sunny weather meant outdoor play – drawing life size outlines of dinosaurs, in chalk, on the ground. But it was chilly and at times I felt my lack of ability in handling ups and downs in groups of kids.

I rushed off to work for a presentation by a supplier. Had to leave that early (which is embarrassing when someone has travelled miles to give you their spiel) to do an enquiry desk session with new colleague. Spent a while floundering when trying to find source of quote by Francis Bacon (why do we mess things up when we’re being watched?), only to have it rejected by student as ‘too old’. Entirely my fault for not checking that student had vague notion of who Francis Bacon was when she presented me with the quote in the first place. Ho Hum.

During the evening, as I battled with inbox and heap in my post tray, I was afflicted with sneezes. It was odd – great bouts of sneezing for no apparent reason. At least it was entertaining for my colleagues. Librarians are easily amused. Anyway, staggered through to end of day and we went to bed when the kids did. After ten hours of sleep I feel ok(ish) – just a bit congested.

Dani and the kids had a bit of a stressful afternoon too. A sudden row disrupted plans to go swimming. All was calm by the time I got home. Pearlie had plaited herself a lovely bracelet out of embroidery silks and finished it with a home-made paper bead.

Tuesday was a good day. Kids each had an individual session at Squeezebox, as the rest of their band members are away this week. I spent half an hour reading to Leo, while P had her lesson. I spent half an hour doing fractions with Pearl, while Leo had his lesson. We looked very LEA approved…(joke, joke, I know we don't need approval.)

Leo had a super time playing Primeval with friends, in the park. Pearlie came home with a friend as they were both too cold – and played in her room. She set up a cable car for her Sylvanians. Leo went to Little Green Pig, where he wrote limericks, apparently. This led to limericks over the dinner table in the evening. I have to be watched or they get rude. Well, if you have a family member called Dani…

Monday included a trip to the grandmothers’ for Leo. Pearlie bought a new notebook – something that keeps happening here! She’s enjoying having a new blog. Thanks to all who’ve paid her a visit. Oh, yeah, and I went to town in search of jeans. D and I have a night out planned. I got a pair of brand new Levi’s in a charity shop for a fiver. This was after I almost laughed in the face of spaghetti-shaped sales assistant in the Gap. Here’s a tip for all such beings:

“Woman of thirty seven years, who is five foot nothing, with big bum, is not interested in skinny jeans.”

Busy

Very busy here at the mo. Dani and I have just grabbed an hour to sit and make lists together – as we were in danger of running up against deadlines.

Lots of happy stuff going on here at the moment.

Pearlie made a beautiful dressing gown for one of her bears. I will blog a picture when I can find the camera…She had a fab time in the park on Tuesday afternoon – playing cops and robbers with a big gang of kids. She and I enjoyed a morning together – buying cakes at the bakers, doing some stuff about fractions in an MEP year 7 book, playing rummy and chatting. She’s enjoying a series of books that appear to be quite teenage.

Leo has made a network of ‘CCTV cameras’ around the house – including a control box and taping device in his room. He also had a wonderful time in the park on Tuesday, playing Primeval with some friends. He went to writing group, which P has decided to drop. A man came in (Leo couldn’t remember his name) to read them the beginning of a story (Leo can’t remember what it’s called) and encourage them to continue it themselves.

Here’s Leo’s story.

“He opened the door. He saw a red and black treasure chest. It was padlocked. He looked up and found a digging fork. He pulled it down and stuck a prong into the lock hole. It twisted, and fell to the ground with a clang. A light switched on in a bedroom. He had to be fast. He grabbed the chest and the lock, and closed the door behind him. Then he crept up the stairs and dived into his room. He jumped into bed and hid under the covers, about to open the chest. He pulled up the heavy lid and let it land on the blankets. He saw a bundle of cloth. He pulled a scrap off it and it began to unravvel. He saw a small furry stoat, whimpering in the moonlight. He promised the small animal he would bring it some of his supper the next day.”

Leo declared himself bored of sandwich lunches when he’s at Kids’ Club and we have tried to rise to the challenge. Yesterday he had gujerati carrot salad and sweetcorn risotto. Today, Dani got up early to make creamy potato salad.

Got to go to work now.

Happy New Year

The kids and I popped in briefly at the local Chinese New Year celebration today – picked up some freebie paper dragons, ate some nice chow mein, saw some dragon dancing and impressive brush painting and listened to some singing and speeches.

We moved swiftly on to drop Pearlie off at a birthday party, where she had a lovely time involving games, sweets and birthday cake. Meanwhile, Leo and I had a pleasant little stroll through the nearby woods. There were signs of spring everywhere – blossom and buds on the trees, birds singing and building nests, snowdrops.
Leo saw a rabbit, and we also spotted some blue tits, a robin, a blackbird and lots of magpies. He constructed himself a ramp, to climb up on top of a fallen tree trunk and generally interacted with the woods delightfully.

From the bus stop on the way home, we saw a lovely view of Brighton, all the way over to another hill top, which happens to be where we were standing yesterday, looking at the view.


It’s a short walk from our house to the top of this hill, where there are allotments and this radio mast – anyone know what all these things are attached to it?

Other things we have been doing include:

• Reading – Leo has finished The Subtle Knife and moved on to The Amber Spyglass. I finished reading him Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and he has Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters all lined up for Allie to read to him when she’s finished her current book with Pearlie. Pearlie finished The Past, the Present and the Loud, Loud Girl and borrowed a Clarice Bean book from the library.
  
• Entertaining a visiting friend – lovely evening catching up over a bottle of wine
  
• Playing Rummy – Pearl’s current passion
  
• Painting our room – very gradually, as there’s so much furniture in there
  
• Thinking about the Bermuda Triangle – Leo is developing new theories about a third pole
  
• Keeping an eye on the temperature – P. made a chart of temperature changes over a couple of hours this morning, measured using her treasured indoor/outdoor thermometer
  
• Using public services – two visits to libraries and two to swimming pools in the last week
  
• Watching quality programming on the BBC – Life in Cold Blood, Lark Rise to Candleford, and Ashes to Ashes – and lightweight brain candy on ITV3 – Rosemary and Thyme.

Stuff

Very quiet here this morning. Pearlie is in her room writing to a pen pal. Leo is reading The Subtle Knife beside me. There is an occasional sniff – the poor boy seems to be starting another cold.

Yesterday, Pearlie went to Kids’ Club and a visitor came to discuss the group’s input into a mosaic project to cover the toilet block where they meet. Pearlie worked with a friend on a design. I’m not entirely sure how it will be decided which design gets used. I imagine the artist will have a good idea of what is possible.

Leo and I were on tidy up duty which meant we had to go along for the last half hour and do some sweeping and washing up, and so on. We’d spent the rest of the morning at home and Leo had started on a painting on canvas. He was given the canvas for Christmas. He worked on it in stages, throughout the day, and here’s the finished article.

In the afternoon I went off to work.

Dani and Leo went to town to get some buttons for this lovely waistcoat that Dani has made for Leo – all her own design and everything. I think she’s very clever!

Pearlie went over to the grandmothers’ house, where she did some French, played cards and went out in their lovely back garden. She told me that she and my mum are making a French game together.

The weather is lovely again so we’re planning to get out into it at some point – between Squeezebox and writing group, I guess.

Dani took the kids to Kids’ Club yesterday – and stayed as she was the rota parent. The play worker had brought in some clothes to use as costume. The kids put them on, imagined characters and acted out little scenes with each other. Dani played chess with someone who didn’t want to join in. Leo had a little wobble when someone backed into him and he fell into the sandpit. But things were resolved ok in the end.

Meanwhile, I was filling nasty looking cracks in the walls in our bedroom – prior to slapping on some sunny, yellow emulsion. I’m painting over a very bright green colour that Pearlie chose a couple of years ago. Sadly, it looks like it will need three coats to get rid of the green glow from beneath! I listened to my tape of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues. I love them. Then I embarked on a nice long Dorothy Sayers, which should tempt me back to work over the next few days. I know it inside out but love to listen to a story – even when I know who done it!

Pearlie had to pop out in the afternoon – to take a film to the chemist for developing. She decided to get a bus home and stayed on a stop longer than she intended. She really enjoys getting out and about under her own steam. When she got back my mum popped in and they talked about regular ER verbs a bit.

Leo is spending quite a lot of time on the internet these days – watching tv shows he’s missed, and browsing around various Golden Compass sites. He has made several alethiometers now. He carries one round in his rucksack whenever we go out.

Oh, according to a woman on TV just now, children love to be tested and the ‘developmental’ approach to young children’s learning has been responsible for terrible ‘delays’ in children’s learning in the past. Damn, she’s gone now and I don’t know who she was. Perhaps I don’t really care. Apparently they need serious teaching at an early age and then they’ll learn to read. That’d be all of them, no doubt. Because, of course, children are an alien species which share one personality and have one clear set of needs. Aaaaaargh! Perhaps I should tell Leo he really shouldn’t be able to read at all. Oh, yes and Pearlie, who was frantically muttering “B..A..T!” to her reception teacher when everyone was supposed to be chanting “buh, buh, buh” while the teacher pointed of a picture of a bat. Yes, they should have learned just when it suited other people – probably in the same half hour as everyone else in the class. And the following day everyone could be tested to check they’d learned – and everyone would pass – and then the job would be done. OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating, but honestly, these people get on my nerves with their loopy control freak stuff.

Anyway, Leo is now nearly at the end of the Subtle Knife. He is reading these Pullman books with little breaks from time to time when he gobbles up a quick Alistair Fury book. Pearlie is reading The Painted Garden, but is also spending loads of time doing number puzzles again at the mo – like sudoku and kakuro. She’s massively into rummy at the moment and plays against an invisible opponent in bed at night – as well as with anyone else who’s willing!

I made a big, fat chocolate cake last night. I also finished a surprise Mother’s Day gift I’ve been making for my mum.

Dani is spending a lot of time thinking about the local authority’s current consultation on their EOTAS policy. I’m feeling a bit dangerously angry about such things at the moment. A friend has been stopped twice in as many months by the truancy sweepers. They insisted in her name and address on both occasions – even though they were the same people! I hate the whole idea of the sweeps. And, frankly, if those people have to send out the police to catch kids back into their damn schools then that’s their problem and nothing to with home educators going about their legal business. Someone locally expressed her unwillingness to give her name and address and was threatened with being taken to the police station. It really does smack of harassment – especially if they are going to stop the same people repeatedly.

Kids are off somewhere being silent. I’d better go and get people rouse