Hectic Week

Urrrkkkk - I haven't blogged in over a week. I've been a bit busy :-)

We're just about back to normal, I went back to work on Wednesday night, teaching a breastfeeding class at short notice for an ante natal teacher who was ill. It felt great to be back in the real world again, and I think the class went ok ... it was just the mams, easy peasy compared with having the dads there too! My next one is next Wednesday. I also took a call and did a home visit at the weekend.

The kids did loads of work last week, probably just as well because we haven't time this week to do much at all! Some of my materials are half fantastic, half annoying I've decided. Take Llatl for example .... in terms of the way it teaches language it's absolutely magnificent, but it assumes we all know a great deal of American history (and nothing else at all about the rest of the world). I've been looking it up to keep up and now know more than I ever wanted to about the Pilgrim Fathers etc, which still isn't very much. My was joking to my friend T about us saying the pledge every morning before we start work :-)) I'm far far more interested in Native American culture actually, so I'm enjoying the odd reference to it though it makes me mad because obviously we're covering the bits where the white folk came and took over the land. Being Literacy, they all need me to sit with them the whole time while they're doing it, they just don't get on well with Literacy generally, at least with so many stories Llatl makes it a bit more interesting. Math-U-See continues to go very well around here, we have the anglicised version so it's in pounds and pence and centimetres and stuff and it sets it all out in a very straightforward fashion, but because it's so different from National Curriculum they're doing levels far far too easy for them in order to fill in the odd gap. That's not really such a bad thing though, they're getting a kick from getting through it quickly and it gives me some breathing room as they can get on by themselves while we all get used to home edding and Rosie is still so young and demanding.

Saturday was very busy, we went along to Rosebud Ceramics with T's daughter, Flossie's best friend E. We all got very creative, myself included I painted a mug :-) . In the evening I went out to celebrate my good friend B's 40th, at her house with a takeaway and a few other folk. Unfortunately I forgot that after being ill wine would hit me harder than usual, B has **huge** glasses, and I hadn't eaten much all day having been busy. I think I'll draw a veil over the next few hours and Sunday morning when I let Dad take the kids to church. Great one..... lovely Christian family off to worship, oh where's mam?? At home hungover. Never ever again!!! Bluurrgghhh.

We looked after my godson and his brother later on that day, thankfully I was a bit better by then! They evened up my family beautifully, three boys three girls. I booted them outside most of the time, all six that is not just the visitors haha, there was lots and lots of mud involved.

Monday was our trip to see the Tempest, which we absolutely loved. They interpreted it so well, remaining true to the Bard but also funny and relevant to screen obsessed 21st century kids. We'll be back for more! Isaiah denied enjoying it but I saw his face during the performance, Flossie engaged with it, Martha found it even better because she was sitting with some new friends, and Prospero was very easy on the eye, not like the grey bearded old man he's meant to be at all, so I was happy ;-) We then tried to do some catching up, I cleaned my rabbit and the children helped.

On Tuesday we did some work, then I reassured myself Newcastle is still there, I haven't been well enough to go yet this year. I think I've mentioned before that I only survive living here, much as I love being by the sea, because such a civilised city lies 12 miles or so to the west. Thankfully it was pretty much as I left it. Later we looked after B's boys while she went for a 'procedure' - yack, the things we women put up with :-(

So far today we're looking after M's baby and have walked her dog, she's had a minor op. It's definitely the week for returning all the favours we received a few weeks ago, which feels good. We all love walking the dog anyway, I think as an educational experience it's just as valid as Math U See or Llatl, and far better for the soul! We may plod on with something a little more academic later on though, we have plans tomorrow and Friday so that'll be it for the week. Such autonomy is the privilege of Home Educating - we love it.