tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32702377274757708042024-03-27T07:23:45.091+00:00Never the same 2 days runningLife as a home educating family in West Yorkshire, England.Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-62545915576771730662020-02-26T10:25:00.001+00:002020-02-26T10:25:20.865+00:00No pressure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjT0_17qp4j20mFXITsEofinzpESwNr1MWqFrzhzspOwIXNzJo7r52ec8_ZZvQ8t9gf6iibP9z2OWTs3VBkywvG_G66zKEn6XvwPJJrmeJozJYQAFlmmy-UfBaaGT0zOc2LegOeEwl4Zo/s1600/Whatyouare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjT0_17qp4j20mFXITsEofinzpESwNr1MWqFrzhzspOwIXNzJo7r52ec8_ZZvQ8t9gf6iibP9z2OWTs3VBkywvG_G66zKEn6XvwPJJrmeJozJYQAFlmmy-UfBaaGT0zOc2LegOeEwl4Zo/s400/Whatyouare.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); color: navy; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">At this stage in our home ed journey, I need this reminder. I have occasionally struggled with comparing my HE kids to school-going kids, but for the most part, have found it easy to see the value in what we were doing albeit looking nothing like school for their age group. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1);"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><br style="font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Home Ed, for me, has always been about tailoring their learning to their interests, natural aptitudes and abilities. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1);"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><br style="font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Now we are in exam season...again. Now I feel a sense of impending judgement. It's litmus test time. Will he pass or won't he? </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In reality, I know that his education has been so much more than the ability to pass exams. He has had opportunities to follow his own interests, spend time on the things he loves and he has had plenty of time to play and just be a child. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I know that whatever results Boykin gets that it will be fine. He will do his best and that is what matters most. I will be proud of him no matter what. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In the meantime, I must not let fear of judgement of me as a HEor and parent filter down to my son. After all, I chose to HE partly to <span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 1); display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">avoid all the pressure put on kids for SATs, league tables, Ofsted etc. so there's no point doing it myself now, is there? </span></span></span>Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-61835281254379427272020-01-06T11:35:00.001+00:002020-01-06T11:35:11.815+00:00Back to the GrindstoneWell, we are back to it today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNIGcDB_LC4QIHmhxWBmrJ4rYMh-z7opnEDlMLa3VBsgx0w2YmByGxXmYs-dW4WgooItOfFxWj03gin-2hg9b8tsuukBAq5eQAyYcvvjp_vZTocGY0ORS6DcrxdCuFmwfUH6LQZJzFDtc/s1600/IMG_20200106_112712_476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNIGcDB_LC4QIHmhxWBmrJ4rYMh-z7opnEDlMLa3VBsgx0w2YmByGxXmYs-dW4WgooItOfFxWj03gin-2hg9b8tsuukBAq5eQAyYcvvjp_vZTocGY0ORS6DcrxdCuFmwfUH6LQZJzFDtc/s320/IMG_20200106_112712_476.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Boykin's boxes are all set up.
We sat down together yesterday and devised a study timetable for the week. His first exams are getting closer and without a structure in place, he has a tendency to procrastinate. </div>
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I feel like we're both finding our feet with this new, highly structured approach but hopefully it will bear fruit. I'm hoping he will feel prepared and confident when he sits the exam without feeling too pressured or worried leading up to it. </div>
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The box on the right is full of books needed for today. The box on the left is full of puzzles and activities for in between each subject for his breaks. They are totally optional and he may choose to go outside or read or just do nothing. </div>
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We'll see how it goes and tweak as necessary :) </div>
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Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-90611267015861833592019-01-04T17:21:00.002+00:002019-01-04T17:21:56.733+00:00Easing into the New YearWe've all really enjoyed the Christmas break. Personally, I'm happy to be getting back into our normal routine now and have made a start in regards to my work, but haven't made much headway into our home ed routine.<br />
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Boykin doesn't want to start back fully until Monday when The Girl goes back to college. We have started easing in gently with read alouds over breakfast and elevenses. We're currently reading To Kill a Mockingbird. It's an IGCSE English Lit text and we're going to read them all before deciding which to study properly for the exams. I'd forgotten how good this book is and I'm looking forward to watching the film when we've finished it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kill-Mockingbird-Harper-Lee/dp/0099549484/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1546621042&sr=8-1&keywords=to+kill+a+mockingbird&linkCode=li3&tag=neverthesame2-21&linkId=926097ac642ca107c9e60d301f3d60b7&language=en_GB" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0099549484&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=neverthesame2-21&language=en_GB" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&language=en_GB&l=li3&o=2&a=0099549484" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kill-Mockingbird-DVD-Gregory-Peck/dp/B0789G9LX7/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1546621274&sr=1-6&keywords=to+kill+a+mockingbird+dvd&linkCode=li3&tag=neverthesame2-21&linkId=e6723e7e22ea31c767f79e05cf7f546e&language=en_GB" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0789G9LX7&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=neverthesame2-21&language=en_GB" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&language=en_GB&l=li3&o=2&a=B0789G9LX7" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Other than that, I've managed to plan some of the books we'll read between now and Easter, and I've made some rough notes on ideas from <a href="https://raisinglittleshoots.com/buy-exploring-nature-with-children/" target="_blank">Exploring Nature with Children</a>. If you're in the UK, don't be put off by the price being in US dollars. The curriculum is written by a UK home educating mum so is perfect for our climate and wildlife. I've also ordered another <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/Refer?i=HelenR49" target="_blank">Kiwi crate</a> because he loved the one he got for Christmas. I'd like to incorporate more engineer-y tech-y stuff to our week. I'm aware that he's growing up fast and soon he'll only have time for exam slog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3wnuS0eece-IMztZjTdR0dxKouN6shGAASJdfxiEdUmqE6jyZT5VebNbfXt09unGHUM-bvrh-r4Vzecah7J4sunILQPOrrBEEeVC9dqrzbkUlB_UvkprYB8VzC1vz7Eqc3B4u3f4XieM/s1600/20190104_171545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1268" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3wnuS0eece-IMztZjTdR0dxKouN6shGAASJdfxiEdUmqE6jyZT5VebNbfXt09unGHUM-bvrh-r4Vzecah7J4sunILQPOrrBEEeVC9dqrzbkUlB_UvkprYB8VzC1vz7Eqc3B4u3f4XieM/s320/20190104_171545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Boykin's discovered that he enjoys painting miniatures, so I'm looking forward to reading to him while he does that. So far he has painted a small collection of stormtroopers from his new game. Painting miniatures was something my eldest son enjoyed as a teenager and I was so pleased when he visited at Christmas and started to pass his knowledge and enthusiasm on to his younger brother :)<br />
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We'll start on Monday with lots of reading aloud, a little maths and maybe a science experiment. I always think baking is a good way to ease in, but I think we're all so sugared out after Christmas, we might give it a miss this time.<br />
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In my news, I got a haircut. I had about 10 inches cut off. My head feels so much lighter now. I love how New Years give me a renewed sense of optimism and drive. Let's hope it carries on through to February :)<br />
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Have you had a break for Christmas? How are you planning on easing back into the new year? Or do you just jump straight in with both feet?<br />
<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-17273877736448003202018-12-24T09:52:00.000+00:002018-12-24T09:58:54.255+00:00Meery Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
May 2019 bring everything you wish for and more :)</div>
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Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-70509027512511505452018-09-19T14:57:00.000+01:002018-09-19T14:57:18.691+01:00Autumn PlanningWell, we are getting nearer and nearer to the end of our home ed journey. With only 3 more academic years left, I feel like the pressure is on to get Boykin through exams and make sure he has everything he needs to move forward to the next stage of his life. I know that this is really the last year that we will have much time for fun projects and the odd lazy day when we need a break. I know that he is getting older and has hit that time of his life when practically everything is suddenly 'boring'. He is my youngest child and I have already missed so many windows of opportunity with all three of them but I would like to try to not miss any more.<br /><div>
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To try to keep my self-inflicted pressure cooker under control, I bought a planner. Something of The Girl's natural inclination to organise has finally rubbed off on me :) I have seen how she has flourished and grown in independence. I was impressed by how well she managed her time during her exam years because she made such good use of her planner. And, of course, I was overjoyed to celebrate her successes with her. She wasted no time in worrying, procrastinating or forgetting what needed doing. After years of resisting timetables and the like, I began to think that she might have point - planners are the way forward. Home ed is a truly family experience and we can learn, not only alongside our kids, but also from our kids ππ</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D8ctCR7Z6G5EBy8YpiqBFKmdjvbno-4JNveNlv0maCYzRhdx3fgkzgjF8NaWs2M3lAjLznXS5vYpxUiaMaaQbTG8T3rCapKUzidedLbet3Xnd_Za3UFGghbcvcplFtLGR5O0BoQ1E-vX/s1600/20180919_144327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D8ctCR7Z6G5EBy8YpiqBFKmdjvbno-4JNveNlv0maCYzRhdx3fgkzgjF8NaWs2M3lAjLznXS5vYpxUiaMaaQbTG8T3rCapKUzidedLbet3Xnd_Za3UFGghbcvcplFtLGR5O0BoQ1E-vX/s400/20180919_144327.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With planner in hand, I sat down with Boykin and together we discussed what he wanted to learn, and how he wanted to learn it. We are continuing to use some resources that we have been using for years now - <a href="https://www.cimt.org.uk/projects/mep/index.htm" target="_blank">MEP maths</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2QI4ris" target="_blank">Galore Park</a> books in particular. He also insisted that his music practise was put on the plan, opportunities for exercise and space for personal projects. I also added in some of the reading material from Ambleside Online for Year 8. (American grade system is a number lower than British school years.) On The Girls' advice, we have colour coded it π</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHCtvkXDIm8PolRRtMQGv8IrzSIE8t3GvkGAo07UXiJVYuiqBZItPJ8GiN9yjK69AydrJ3QDzmw3Vdi3aS7Rd-nM9-uwwBW134dENbtUQWtzmCmg916d1Llcqf7FbH3IY4rMdTSSi5izZ/s1600/20180919_111559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHCtvkXDIm8PolRRtMQGv8IrzSIE8t3GvkGAo07UXiJVYuiqBZItPJ8GiN9yjK69AydrJ3QDzmw3Vdi3aS7Rd-nM9-uwwBW134dENbtUQWtzmCmg916d1Llcqf7FbH3IY4rMdTSSi5izZ/s400/20180919_111559.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, just because we have a plan doesn't mean that we can't go off on our own little jaunts into learning off-piste, as it were. It doesn't mean that we have to follow The Plan to the letter EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. We have not failed if we choose not to follow The Plan that day. We are not ruled by The Plan. The Plan gives us an anchor, a framework to follow to keep us grounded and on course for Boykin's goals. It is a tool to help us both see what we have done and what we need to do.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG0ypekZNUDuj8fqVRhAwVm5fDjHMyqF5yDYZNo_QKWE_3h3q5OP6v1CiH0VafcXi9qTIFPbb1W5bS1swRHJTklXD8c2wq9ZUHkZPuAdFpignrL7IhUp-4pjnXNbDXtjyWcsU8abnmxeS/s1600/20180919_145054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="589" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG0ypekZNUDuj8fqVRhAwVm5fDjHMyqF5yDYZNo_QKWE_3h3q5OP6v1CiH0VafcXi9qTIFPbb1W5bS1swRHJTklXD8c2wq9ZUHkZPuAdFpignrL7IhUp-4pjnXNbDXtjyWcsU8abnmxeS/s400/20180919_145054.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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How do I use my planner? Well, at the front I have constructed a master copy of The Plan - The Master Plan π Every week, I fill in the respective page with a pencil, blocking out sections for home ed groups, family days out, necessary shopping trips, my work time and expected lazy days following a busy period. As we go through the week, I use the colour coding to mark off what we have completed and make any changes that come up due to unexpected events. At the end of the week, we sit down and admire our lovely colourful page and see how we have spent our time. We can also see what subjects have been neglected a little and tweak the following week accordingly. It helps Boykin to keep track of how much music practise he has done, and how much exercise he has had. It helps me to keep my working hours constrained rather than letting them spill out and interrupt everything else.</div>
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It's still early days yet. I wonder if we will still be using it at the end of the academic year? I wonder what we will learn from the experience? I am hoping that I will learn to compartmentalise my day properly so that work stays in its rightful place and that I learn to balance my time and energy better. Boykin is hoping that it will give him the skills needed to move into more formal study and prepare for college. To him, three years seems like a long time, but for me it will pass in the blink of an eye!</div>
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Do you use a planner to organise your home ed lives? Do you use it just for planning learning time, or does it include all aspects of your family life? Has it helped or hindered you over the years? I would really love to know other people's experiences and planner recommendations π</div>
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Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-532855004315735432018-03-09T12:41:00.000+00:002018-03-09T12:41:34.786+00:00The Last Flat TravellerHave you read the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2HiErVn">Flat Stanley</a> about the adventures of a boy who gets flattened by a notice board falling on him? Luckily, he's unharmed apart from being flattened like a pancake. This opens the way for new adventures, including being put in an envelope and posted to a friend's house for a holiday.<br />
Well, flat travelling is inspired by this book. There's even an international <a href="http://www.flatstanleyproject.com/">Flat Stanley Project</a> where children all over the world can exchange flat characters with each other. There are even groups specifically for home educators - <a href="https://educationpossible.com/join-the-homeschool-flat-traveler-exchange/">Homeschool Flat Traveller Exchange</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/122503458183504/">Herron's Nest Flat Traveller Exchange.</a><br />
The idea is that you make a flat character to send as a guest to another family. They, in turn, send you their flat traveller for you to host. Flat travellers are pictures of people, animals, cartoon characters that are laminated with your name and address on the back in case you lose it. We've had a few flat travellers over the years, some hand-drawn (Lucy the robin), some were magazine cut-outs (Dr Who) and the last one was a printout of a photo found online, Mr Quack the Duck.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Quack the Duck</td></tr>
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Our flat travellers have been to various US states, Canada, Zimbabwe, Australia and England. We've received exciting packages containing small gifts, photo albums, books, sweets, receipts, travel tickets, photo CDs and the all-important journal. Sometimes this has been as short as a side of A4, sometimes as long as an exercise book. They have all been eagerly anticipated and gratefully received. We have learnt so much about different countries and have been privileged with small insights into other people's lives and home ed journeys.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mementoes from our flat's travels</td></tr>
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Much as we have loved receiving our parcels, we have equally loved sending them. We've loved taking photos with our visiting flat travellers and choosing small gifts and souvenirs to send home with them. It has been fun collecting postcards and putting together journals to try and give another family a small insight into where we live and what we do.<br />
Boykin has good memories of our flat travelling adventures, it's been about 5 years since our last one and he decided he wanted to do one more. He write to his penfriend and asked him to swap. Luckily, his penfriend had also done flat travellers before too, so they both knew what was involved π<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making Pengy McPengface feel at home</td></tr>
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I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to do a flat traveller just one more time. We took Pengy McPengface to different places, took photos, bought souvenirs, wrote (briefly) in the journal and sent him home again. It was fun to flat travel again, and exchanging with his penfriend was a special visit for our last flat traveller π<br /><br /><br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=neverthesame2-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=1405266589&asins=1405266589&linkId=e96ebde1a86ba69fb04d266bf87ab619&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-31940116196466274152018-01-15T17:34:00.001+00:002018-01-15T17:34:06.292+00:00Chewy MoonI was sent a box of <a href="https://chewymoon.com/">ChewyMoon</a> snacks to review. We received a box of 10 different snacks which were added to the packed lunches of both my kids and myself.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9sSA2-T-YHYBUZpN7IWRhqTGu7uFSMA1AjRhB2ucima5in_n_PEMW60HS0AMSk5vnV-b8Xiw7Txb7RhNjqriglVsbHwZiX0eKW4UTFABCwVho5BqZfRC8pQd6pjTMhffH4iGJ8cJzfyh/s1600/20180113_snack4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>I have to say, I was quite impressed with the assortment of sweet and savoury. My children preferred the sweet snacks - they're favourites were Strawberry Munch and Tutti Frutti.</div>
The packaging is really sweet - each box has it's own cartoon character with a little back story, a joke and a poem. There's a sticker in there too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9sSA2-T-YHYBUZpN7IWRhqTGu7uFSMA1AjRhB2ucima5in_n_PEMW60HS0AMSk5vnV-b8Xiw7Txb7RhNjqriglVsbHwZiX0eKW4UTFABCwVho5BqZfRC8pQd6pjTMhffH4iGJ8cJzfyh/s1600/20180113_snack4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBhvAtD4GIr_Wnik-zxZyQ1A6SrBovte9NMDv2yosyvPGF5zJuRVqa1hHmkWp8Fvn0AcTC7v8uH1vDuYunnLKBC_d7q1rMy0pMtIXLRmchEZIeGY5LrdvkBLeR2B_OgvVnSZdMbyq3XkE/s1600/20180113_snack6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBhvAtD4GIr_Wnik-zxZyQ1A6SrBovte9NMDv2yosyvPGF5zJuRVqa1hHmkWp8Fvn0AcTC7v8uH1vDuYunnLKBC_d7q1rMy0pMtIXLRmchEZIeGY5LrdvkBLeR2B_OgvVnSZdMbyq3XkE/s320/20180113_snack6.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<br />Inside the postage box, we found a sticker book, two collectable cards, a mini comic, an information book for parents and a biology card all about the bones of the hand. I have to say, as a home educator, I liked that bit bestπ<br /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<br />Boxes start at Β£2.99 for 5 snacks and go up to Β£9.50 for a sibling box of 20 snacks. And you get your first box free, and if you use code <b>AEP4LUV</b>, you'll get the 3rd and 5th box free too π<br />
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And best of all, they've teamed up with Mary's Meals so that for every box sold, hungry children get fed.<br />
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<strong id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516035015164_2889" style="font-weight: 700;">How is ChewyMoon different?</strong><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; border-spacing: 2px 2px; color: #070707; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<ul id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516035015164_2757" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #070707; display: block; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 2px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 40px; padding-right: 40px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516035015164_2887" style="display: list-item;">Delicious all-natural snacks, created by nutritionists and approved by kids</li>
<li id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516035015164_2886" style="display: list-item;">Perfect for lunchboxes and snacks on the go</li>
<li id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516035015164_2891" style="display: list-item;">Comes with an exciting activity pack for the kids and nutrition guides for parents</li>
<li style="display: list-item;">Every box sold also feeds a hungry child</li>
<li style="display: list-item;">Β£4.99 for 10 snacks (delivered fortnightly, free postage)</li>
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<b></b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Disclaimer: I was sent a box of 10 snacks to review. I received no other compensation for this post. These are my photos and my honest opinions.Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-12143625025275566692017-10-13T14:07:00.000+01:002017-10-13T14:09:58.959+01:00Weekly newsIt's been a busy week. We've managed to get some work done on <a href="http://www.picturebookexplorers.co.uk/dogs-don-t-do-ballet.html">Picture Book Explorers ~ Dogs Don't Do Ballet</a> in acknowledgement of <a href="http://worldballetday.com/about/">World Ballet Day</a> last Thursday and we've been to two home ed groups too. One of them was a short social meet-up at Lazerquest and the other was our monthly themed session where we looked at Mythical creatures,<a href="http://www.currclick.com/product/14927/Mythological-Creatures-Around-the-World-Lapbook?affiliate_id=5469"> a topic</a> that Boykin has been working on at home already :)<br />
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I took an activity based on minotaurs and mazes. We made <a href="http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/greece/m-minotaur.htm">toilet roll tube minotaurs</a> and did mazes from a really hard maze book. I also took our big box of building blocks (such a useful HE tool, even at this stage) for building mazes. <br />
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Other activities included, making a fire breathing dragon, making fairy/leprechaun traps and identifying strange looking animals - are they real or mythical?<br />
There are some really strange looking creatures out there! The <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/aye-aye/">aye-aye</a> was Boykin's favourite. We both though it looked like something from Harry Potter :)<br />
I'm collecting ideas on my <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/belzibow/mythical-creatures/">Mythical Creatures Pinterest board.</a><br />
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It's quite nice re-exploring the <a href="http://amzn.to/2ghne7b">Dog's Don't Do Ballet</a> book, Boykin has had chance to relax a little after the <a href="https://englishweather.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/quick-update.html">Earthquakes lapbook</a> we completed last week. We've practised ballet moves, revised apostrophes, explored rotational movement (more dancing) and done some art work. There's a little more to come - more ballet moves for maths and a marshmallow-based recipe :) We've not managed everything this week, I wanted to go to the woods for a walk to gather leaves, but we've not had time yet....<br />
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The Girl is loving college and I think we're beginning to get used to her not being with us every day. It makes me appreciate the days when she is there, working on her music while Boykin works on his project. We still feel like a fully HE family, even if we're not, technically. I wonder if that will ever change?<br />
<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-67323728008050786882017-09-29T23:50:00.001+01:002017-09-29T23:50:49.016+01:00Quick Update Life has changed. Boykin is the only home educated child in this house now.The Girl passed her exams and is now at college studying music. I am still adjusting to not being the main organiser of everything educational and getting used to early mornings whether we like it or not. I'm not quite doing the school run, but I have had to drive The Girl into town (in my pyjamas!) if her train has missed or been delayed too much. It all feels a little odd, but we're getting there :)<br />
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This week home ed-wise, me & Boykin have been to a park meet up, done some maths, failed to open a Latin book but succeeded in completing a two week earthquake project :) We had loads of fun with all the hands-on projects and learned loads along the way. After last year's heavy focus on exams, it feels like proper home education again. Yay!<br /></div>
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These are just a very few of the activities we did. It's been such a good fun project :)<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-90655565939908393112017-02-24T15:32:00.001+00:002017-03-04T12:30:02.986+00:00100 Ways of Home EdFollowing on from <a href="http://www.happyhandley.com/2017/02/100-days-home-education/">Happy Handley's</a> post yesterday, it's my turn to take part in this blog relay π <br />
The next post is written by a home educated young person at <a href="https://midnakit.wordpress.com/2017/02/26/100-ways-to-be-home-ed/">Midnakit's Art Blog.</a><br />
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A blog hop of 100 ways of home ed can only ever be a tiny slice of a view into the world of home education. There are as many ways to home ed as there are families doing it. This is our way - currently π (I'm killing two birds with one stone here, doing my blog hop post and my #100daysofhomeed roundup post too. Cheeky, I know π )<br />
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I find it hard to label our style of home education. We're not <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling">unschoolers</a>, although after a chat with a local unschooler, I realise I do share many of the same principles. We're not school-at-home, although we do sit down to do work at a table, have maps on the walls and have always used a maths curriculum. We're not following a <a href="https://www.classicalconversations.com/classical/classical-education">classical education</a> although we do study Latin. We're not <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/what-is-the-charlotte-mason-method/">Charlotte Mason</a>, although I have used living books and short lessons; still use narration; love picture study; think that music is vital and believe strongly in children spending time outdoors. We're not <a href="http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=homeschooling;id=137;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etimsellers%2Enet%2Fsteinerhomeschooling%2F">Steiner</a>, although I love toys made from natural materials and believe in educating the whole child, not just the mind. We're not <a href="http://www.montessori.edu/homeschooling.html">Montessori</a>, although I've had trays and boxes of ready-to-go activities for them to choose themselves and I bought mats so they could have clear don't-interfere-with-my-work spaces. We're not <a href="http://www.home-education.org.uk/articles/article-autonomous-education.pdf">autonomous</a> anymore, although they choose a lot their own subjects to study and topics to explore. I guess we are eclectic - a little bit from here, a little bit from there. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 8</td></tr>
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That's what I love about home education. The flexibility, the opportunity to adapt and change when things stop working. The ability to be able to refresh, review and act quickly to improve the way we learn. I say 'we' deliberately because I'm learning all the time alongside my children. And I don't only mean "Ooh! Look what I learned in my daughter's GCSE book today". I mean ALL learning - learning about my kids, myself, the world around us, how things work, how to do new things and, most importantly, learning how to help them learn. I LOVE LEARNING!!!!! <br />
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So, what are we learning at the moment? I'm learning that I much preferred our lives before exams took over :/ We had so much more freedom to learn what we wanted and to follow the rabbit trails from our unit studies without feeling constricted by time or other pressures. Boykin is learning that he wants to spread his exams out over three years instead of two after observing his sister. The Girl is learning about time management and how to spread the workload rather than leaving things to the last minute. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 9</td></tr>
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In our day to day, The Girl is studying for her English GCSE and an Art & Design BTEC award at a not-very local college. She attends one day a week. It has meant weekly sleepovers with a friend, early car journeys through rush hour, packed lunches and homework challenges. But it's been worth it. Her friendships have deepened, she has gained confidence and it has given her a stepping stone into college life in preparation for going full-time next year. <br />
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She's also studying IGCSE Geography at home, practising hard for Grade 6 music exams and preparing for her Grade 5 Music Theory exam. She's been offered conditional places at two colleges to study music :) If she doesn't meet the conditions, we have a fab Home Ed back-up plan that will still get her to university, if she decides to go there, or into work, if she doesn't.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 10</td></tr>
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As well as learning what she needs for exams, she's also learning about fitness, nutrition, cooking, fashion, make-up, pop music, meal planning, housework, hygge, books, inter-personal relationships, managing finances, computers, gaming - both board & video, music appreciation, the importance of family, the importance of community, politics, current affairs, practical maths, Japanese culture....... the list goes on. All this learning, both incidental and deliberate, is just as important as the exam prep that she's doing. More important in some ways - the exams will help her get to the next step in educational institutions, but the rest will set her up for life. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 11</td></tr>
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Boykin enjoys book learning. He likes to sit down and use text books in a way that neither of my other two did at that age. He has chosen to learn <a href="http://amzn.to/2msuSss">Latin</a> and he's loving it. His young mind grasps and retains concepts so much more readily than mine. I've learnt that I'm going to need my own exercise books to be able to keep up with him. And that will be a good thing because my studying Latin alongside him in the way I know how, will help him to learn new study skills as we learn side-by-side.<br />
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He's also asked to study science and is following a basic experiment course on <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/">Futurelearn</a> as part of the wider study using the <a href="http://amzn.to/2msqj1p">Galore Park Science Book 2.</a> And he studies <a href="http://www.cimt.org.uk/projects/mep/index.htm">maths</a> and is practising <a href="http://amzn.to/2kUy1Fd">handwriting</a> - no choice there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 12</td></tr>
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He's also learning how to play the ukulele; how to survive at scouts; ninjitsu; parkour; film making - editing footage and sound, scriptwriting, acting, camera work, how to use equipment, special fx etc.; map reading; housework; the importance of family and community; theology; gaming - both board & video; inter-personal relationship skills; cooking; manners; film studies; craft; art; Italian; comic making; the TV industry; theatre; history; history of music;climbing....again, the list goes on.<br />
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We have developed a routine over the years, which has served us well for a very long time. We start the day (after breakfast, of course) with maths. This is followed by a household task - all tasks are shared so we do it together. Then music practise comes next, followed by another household task. When they were younger, we would then work on our <a href="http://englishweather.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/unit%20study">unit study</a> - usually a <a href="http://englishweather.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/thoughts-on-five-in-row.html">literature</a> <a href="http://www.picturebookexplorers.co.uk/">based one</a>, so this part of the morning would start with reading a book together accompanied by hot drinks and biscuits. This meant they were happy and enthusiastic to begin the activity - it could be more reading, some writing, discussion, a craft, some research, an experiment, some cooking, poetry, music, art, drama - even dancing. Then they would complete a lapbook piece and then it would be lunchtime, followed by free play time, or a walk, or a trip out, or a game, or a theme related film, or another read-aloud, or just doing jobs that keep a household running (me, usually). Evenings are often filled with groups and clubs - the ones that some people consider to be extra-curricular but, in our home at least, are definitely IN the curriculum ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 13</td></tr>
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As time has passed, maths for Boykin and music practise for both remain, as do the household tasks. The unit study has been replaced by textbooks and for The Girl at least, the free play time is now time for homework, although we do seem to go to a lot of HE groups in the afternoons these days. The Girl writes her own timetable too. Things will change again in September when I am back to one HE child - exam pressure will be removed and unit studies will kick in again, for a year or two at least π<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 14</td></tr>
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The photos give a snapshot of our week so far - games, books, holidays with friends, walks, climbing classes and a birthday. Other stuff happened as well π<br />
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Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-29732995526102763742017-02-14T21:42:00.000+00:002017-02-14T21:46:26.977+00:00Round up timeThe #100daysofhomeed has started up again. I was intending to start on Monday, but was delayed until Wednesday because we were just too busy.<br />
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On Monday, we had an early start to the day taking The Girl to college for the assessed part of her Art & Design course. We had to rush back to town in time for Boykin to take part in the presentation to finalise his <a href="http://www.artsaward.org.uk/">Bronze Arts Award</a>. <br />
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He has worked so very hard for this and has been so inspired. We were lucky enough to have the sessions run by our local library service. The art medium was film. They did some group work making short animations and a short film. He did all the editing and made the credits - moviemaker is brill for this. He then found <a href="https://hitfilm.com/express">special FX software</a> and learnt how to use it to create the special effects they wanted for teleportation. He also transcribed the script (my once reluctant writer) and borrowed sound equipment to re-record the sound track because the original was too quiet. He enjoyed making cardboard awards for everyone who took part - including the librarians and put the finished film on DVD for all the children too. I have never seen him so inspired by anything before and am extremely grateful to our local library staff for making this happen. We're so hoping that they will all be still there in a couple of years time when he is old enough to take the Silver Arts Award :)<br />
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On Tuesday we had book group. It was a very busy session with 15 children and their adults. As a group, we had been reading folk tales and fairy stories in preparation. As a family, we read <a href="http://amzn.to/2ldX9Gm">Tales of the Peculiar</a>. Some children brought reviews and artwork to share and some had accepted the challenge to write their own folk tale. We finished off with games using the <a href="http://amzn.to/2lMOzvR">Story Cubes</a>.<br />
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Finally on Wednesday, I got round to taking the first #100daysofhomeed photo. We went to our local themed group where the topic was "Activities inspired by <a href="http://amzn.to/2kQ2Itz">Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children</a>". (Spot the connection?) There was a loop challenge, the opportunity to learn about Wales, WW2 propaganda posters to look at, DNA building, finger-printing, hollowgast making and trick photography :) They all had lots of fun and we had a splendid lunch, as usual :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 1</td></tr>
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On Thursday, we were all feeling the worst for wear with bad coughs, colds and general snottiness. We stayed home. Watched lots of films and did a little book learning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41Tn2-MwTxuekbxtL-hKJgXPlpsgxoIXl9kBT7lqHjkdoMEFzYNAGtBZ5krmjrU9Tlj_XSlG1BLIPrhO0NuP30oFUK2YWl082uFwVW0cJhiUevytuTR8zVqL4AYXJ-kCJL9HmmJrJIKZr/s1600/day2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41Tn2-MwTxuekbxtL-hKJgXPlpsgxoIXl9kBT7lqHjkdoMEFzYNAGtBZ5krmjrU9Tlj_XSlG1BLIPrhO0NuP30oFUK2YWl082uFwVW0cJhiUevytuTR8zVqL4AYXJ-kCJL9HmmJrJIKZr/s320/day2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 2</td></tr>
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On Friday, we spent the day recovering a bit more. More films, more book learning and little visitors :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzP0YXk2LP92fMxsEEiMVOUAEx8G6-7SNdVrVA9EiiRRt63Q6QAMkR5PJmSw7gLyPWINY48E_2mmJ7FIEF4YERPYwOCYOuh8oRPGldXL3C7JvMxjt0kNmSP-GguJIox-MudKixJsizM9xz/s1600/day3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzP0YXk2LP92fMxsEEiMVOUAEx8G6-7SNdVrVA9EiiRRt63Q6QAMkR5PJmSw7gLyPWINY48E_2mmJ7FIEF4YERPYwOCYOuh8oRPGldXL3C7JvMxjt0kNmSP-GguJIox-MudKixJsizM9xz/s320/day3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 3</td></tr>
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On Saturday, everyone felt a bit better. There was drama class, shopping and a sleepover.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rmH25EmvNHEkxizup-ypAFY___3U8LH98XAG6dMiYO0xH5QNZeOaihGfb9ZrJXhBwxcz_isi1ThijM41VnbvxNGsnm0mr8_7RnYk7tCha1aN0dhWE52x1Kd3adHjpUIC6rORsiDnaTeM/s1600/day4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rmH25EmvNHEkxizup-ypAFY___3U8LH98XAG6dMiYO0xH5QNZeOaihGfb9ZrJXhBwxcz_isi1ThijM41VnbvxNGsnm0mr8_7RnYk7tCha1aN0dhWE52x1Kd3adHjpUIC6rORsiDnaTeM/s320/day4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 4</td></tr>
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On Sunday, The Girl went to try out the gym. Most of the afternoon was spent playing <a href="http://amzn.to/2lMPrka">Lego Dimensions</a> and keeping an eye on the snow. Sadly, there was only ever a smattering :(<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 6</td></tr>
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On Monday, The Girl went to college and Boykin got in some book-learning. It felt so strange to have him at home instead of taking him to his Arts Award group :/ The afternoon was spent mainly at music lessons and making pancakes. Apparently, we all need to practise for the big day ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTp_Pllp8ILYUR1gT8ht-P5zewPrddV_ygwWJO84s1TSlCcMvl_bCwNek8KXudMNv-yAh-68ScP_A53YhZCwiFsNqxWktzapzZTsvF0-0Se0yf84r1qBnyHxrHgLn1PD8W89AQnR_77Wy/s1600/day6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTp_Pllp8ILYUR1gT8ht-P5zewPrddV_ygwWJO84s1TSlCcMvl_bCwNek8KXudMNv-yAh-68ScP_A53YhZCwiFsNqxWktzapzZTsvF0-0Se0yf84r1qBnyHxrHgLn1PD8W89AQnR_77Wy/s320/day6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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#100daysofhomeed Day 7</div>
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And that brings us to today. So what did we do today? Yoga first thing, music practise, science, Latin, geography, archery, Laserquest, and primary research for a BTEC. All followed by a lovely cup of tea and toasted teacake with my mum :) Roll on bedtime. I'm exhausted!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#100daysofhomeed Day 7</td></tr>
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Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-66505942767601370982017-01-14T11:28:00.000+00:002017-01-14T11:28:55.404+00:00ExplorersAt our local group session this month, we looked at Explorers.<br />
It was a lovely relaxed session with lots of playing out, despite the high winds. <br />
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Unfortunately, I only got one photo :/<br />
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Some of the activities were -<br />
making a timeline of famous explorers; <br />
designing a figurehead for a Viking longboat; <br />
learning about different landforms and making them out of plasticine; <br />
draw an explorer - what would they wear and what would they take with them; <br />
learn about navigating by the stars and make star charts; <br />
compass group games - indoors and out;<br />
make your own compass :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehFpaN93puBwcNAQxLy4E6W9ORB4HTNvWFjLScvxHa_XcMV9KAWNjKv2jx7gm9F7cfvY5VLB7DHTxLQXpowavND_GAjx84rJu39OczkU5240otsyKsAwgoa13GBqv6S3azEKb08fwoDvc/s1600/20170111_113201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehFpaN93puBwcNAQxLy4E6W9ORB4HTNvWFjLScvxHa_XcMV9KAWNjKv2jx7gm9F7cfvY5VLB7DHTxLQXpowavND_GAjx84rJu39OczkU5240otsyKsAwgoa13GBqv6S3azEKb08fwoDvc/s320/20170111_113201.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<b>To make your own compass you need:</b><br />
a real cork<br />
a sewing needle<br />
a bar magnet<br />
a bowl of water<br />
a pair of large scissors (much easier to use than a knife)<br />
double sided tape<br />
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1. Cut a 5 - 10mm thick slice off the cork with the scissors.<br />
2. Rub the sewing needle with one pole of the bar magnet, making sure that the strokes go in one direction and not backwards and forwards. The more strokes, the stronger the magnetism.<br />
3. Put a small piece of double sided tape onto the cork.<br />
4. Stick the needle on to the cork, keeping it as central as possible.<br />
5. Place the cork into the shallow bowl of water.<br />
6. Watch your needle point to the north :)<br />
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The needle in our picture was stroked from eye to point with the north pole of the bar magnet. This makes the eye point to magnetic north. You could try using the South pole of the magnet and see what happens :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://quizlet.com/23594333/magnetism-flash-cards/">Magnetism Flashcards</a><br />
<a href="http://sciencequestionswithsurprisinganswers.org/2013/11/15/why-does-a-magnetic-compass-point-to-the-geographic-north-pole/">Why a compass needle points north</a><br />
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Books about Explorers:<br />
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<br /><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=neverthesame2-21&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=0746005148&asins=0746005148&linkId=3846028d18205cb487479d7f60e505d9&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=neverthesame2-21&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=1409549941&asins=1409549941&linkId=acf5ca21c29e97192953977aa8aae19e&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=neverthesame2-21&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=1840119438&asins=1840119438&linkId=cd11c401f4428bd0f3d3e5ed5a99583c&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-26006607409439666392017-01-03T16:36:00.000+00:002017-01-03T16:36:23.350+00:00Boykin & Science Pt 1OK. So I don't really have any other parts planned, but you never know. I think this could well be an ongoing theme for the next few years.<br />
<br />
Here we are branching out into new territory. Boykin likes text books. Boykin likes Galore Park text books. We are currently using them for <a href="http://amzn.to/2ivq2wa">Latin </a>on a daily basis and <a href="http://amzn.to/2j4KiWy">English</a> on a bit of an ad hoc basis. (Most English work is done as part of a wider topic or unit study.)<br />
<br />
I picked up the Galore Park So You Really Want To Learn Science (henceforth known as SYRWTL) <a href="http://amzn.to/2iLqior">Book 1</a> and found that we had pretty much covered it all with the <a href="http://www.fiveinarow.com/">different</a> literature-based <a href="http://www.picturebookexplorers.co.uk/">unit studies</a> that we have used. We had already done the experiments, so we simply read the chapters and verbally answered the questions at the end of each one. It took us about 3 months all told.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=neverthesame2-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=1902984218&asins=1902984218&linkId=495149335b09ca52c8c35d4e05a98776&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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<br />
Now we are set to tackle <a href="http://amzn.to/2ivjy0f">Book 2</a>! *<br />
This one book is written to cover the whole of KS3 and is geared towards the Common Entrance Exam. None of this is particularly relevant to us - there will be no testing or exams at the end of this book. I'm hoping that by studying the book together, Boykin will be better prepared to tackle the GCSEs. (He has already expressed an interest in taking physics.) And I will be better prepared to support him through that. (I did O Level physics back in the Dark Ages.) I'm also hoping that if any problems or challenges arise, I will be able to spot them early enough to know whether or not to get a tutor or sign him up to a science class. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=neverthesame2-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=1902984374&asins=1902984374&linkId=fb6f48ec26a9401f0aad8a35eb0c490f&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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As it is, I'm hoping to make his experience of Book 2 much more interesting, engaging and challenging than his experience of Book 1 (which was mostly covered whilst waiting for his sister to have her music theory lesson). I will be finding YouTube videos, making minibooks, suggesting online activities, setting up hands-on stuff and conducting experiments.<br />
I'll upload my links and ideas as we go along and share them via the topics page. It will be slow, we're only in the first year and we have a couple more years to go before it's time to look at GCSE syllabi. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below if you wish to join us and can make use of the resources :)<br />
<br />
So, for starters, to go along with the introductory section about scientific investigation, I have signed him up for his first <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/science-experiments/5/welcome">Futurelearn course</a> :)<br />
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*Galore Park have recently updated their books. <a href="http://amzn.to/2iztnYJ">Biology</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2iLJbr5">Chemistry</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/2izwErk">Physics</a> are now covered in three separate volumes. Additional material has been added to stay in line with the current exams. <br />
<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-50566772955148125772016-12-24T17:13:00.004+00:002016-12-24T17:13:47.673+00:00Merry Christmas Everyone!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-85881450714846803502016-11-14T22:19:00.001+00:002016-11-14T22:19:06.298+00:00Cathy Come HomeOne of the perks of being a home educator is the annual <a href="https://www.intofilm.org/">Into Film Festival</a>. We usually go to see a whole host of films, but this year we have picked only four. This isn't because there aren't the usual number of great films to see, but rather because this is the last year that The Girl will be HE (most likely) and so the focus is on other things - like college courses, IGCSE work and music lessons.<br />
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Anyway, today The Girl and I went to the <a href="http://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/">Showroom</a> in Sheffield to see <i><a href="http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/438481/">Cathy Come Home</a></i>, the 1966 play directed by Ken Loach. It was followed by a Q & A with representatives from the <a href="http://www.syha.co.uk/">South Yorkshire Housing Association</a> and <a href="http://www.roundabouthomeless.org/">Roundabou</a>t, a charity working with homeless youth.<br />
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It's amazing to think that this play, released 50 years ago this week, influenced attitudes to homelessness and the housing crisis so much that it caused laws to be changed. I remember seeing it as a child and the impact it had on me then. It was interesting to see what impact it made on The Girl today.<br />
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I really want to take her to see <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5168192/">I, Daniel Blake </a></i>now. I think there will be more interesting conversations to come.<br />
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<i>Cathy Come Home</i> is available to watch on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8fVnXXMw60">YouTube</a> or <a href="http://amzn.to/2g91cT6">Amazon</a>.<br />
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-26657513227276715502016-10-13T22:52:00.000+01:002016-10-13T22:52:07.284+01:00A different group every dayThis week has been BUSY with home ed groups.<br />
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On Monday morning, Boykin went to his Bronze Arts Award group at the library. Progress was made on the Lego stop motion animation that he is making with three of his friends there. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it when it is finished.<br />
He then went back to his friend's house afterwards where they spent the afternoon trying to complete a Lego bridge building challenge. I love how home education can be shared with other families :) I'm very grateful for it.<br />
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On Tuesday, The Girl finished her volunteering at the local library which she was doing as part of her D of E. They gave her a glowing report and a card and box of chocolates as a thank you :) We love our libraries!<br />
In the afternoon, both children enjoyed playing Laserquest with a group of other home ed families. They had a great time and I got chance to chat to other parents and have a cup of tea :)<br />
In the evening, we went to the theatre as part of a home ed trip to see <a href="http://www.magmanus.com/shows/attached/">Attached</a>, a circus show. It was funny and clever. Boykin wants a Velcro suit now. <br />
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Yesterday, The Girl was at college. me and Boykin spent the day at our local themed session. This month it was Disney & Animation. Activities included a Disney timeline game; a Peppa Pig game; a pin-the-tail-on-Eeyore game; icing mickey mouse on digestives; stop-motion plasticine animation; creating animated figures using plastic cups; Disney animal related parachute games and decorating Gingerbread Men on biscuits made by one of the older girls :)<br />
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This morning, The Girl and one of her friends went to their music theory lesson whilst Boykin went to the ninjitsu group. We raced to town this afternoon to go to a tour of a small museum in the local university where we are hoping to attend some workshops over the coming year.<br />
It was a lovely session. They got to see behind the scenes, handle artefacts and play with a gigantic computer screen-thingie. <br />
Afterwards, The Girl went shopping with her Nana and Boykin came home to spend some time on his latest computer project.<br />
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I think we will all be glad of a quiet day at home tomorrow :) <br />
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-5438294286506631132016-10-09T21:16:00.000+01:002016-10-09T21:16:49.796+01:00Still adjusting........to all the changes that go with The Girl doing one day of college a week. I didn't think it would have as much impact as it has done. Boykin is also out of the house for almost a full day a week too, but on a different day. He's taking part in a <a href="http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/?id=65">Bronze Arts Award</a> group and then goes to his friends for a few hours afterwards. I'm juggling tutoring on one of those days and on the other there are two lots of music lessons to fit in as well.<br />
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I'm trying to ensure that The Girl still gets some positive HE group experiences in this last year at home so have organised a few theatre trips and a museum takeover day in the next couple of months on top of the usual groups that we do. I'm finding that she doesn't want to go to all the groups anymore because she has so much studying to do for upcoming IGCSEs and music exams. This can be a bit tricky when Boykin does want to go, depending on where it is and how long we will be out for, of course. Tuesdays were our at home pyjama day for a while but so far, it doesn't seem to be happening that often anymore :( I think our pyjama days will now be tied in with school holidays and I think we're really going to appreciate those holidays this year. <br />
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Despite all the nearly-daily activities that they do, we still had time to take a day out to <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme">Lyme Park</a> in Cheshire as part of The Girl's studying of <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dUAQiv">Pride and Prejudice</a>. </i>It's the stately home used as the exteriors of Pemberley in the <a href="http://amzn.to/2dH5xsP">BBC series that starred Colin Firth</a>. It's well worth the visit. We'll be going back again because we didn't get time to see much of the park and when we were still only halfway round the house there was a fire drill.<br />
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Boykin was given a trail sheet to take round the house which he enjoyed and which encouraged him to look at things in more detail. There's a wonky fireplace; a secret panel so that the family could spy on their guests; a library where you can sit and read books; a writing desk where you can write letters that they will post for you; a butler's pantry where you can have a go at cleaning the floor; a nursery where you can play with the toys and rearrange the dolls house and a school room where you can play a piano and leave a message on the blackboard. As usual, we took our time and made the most of everything :)<br />
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We enjoyed the gardens and then went to the playground. It was pretty late in the day so we had it all to ourselves which was fun for me because I get to climb up the towers and stuff too ;)<br />
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-39099614245604243742016-09-03T20:40:00.000+01:002016-09-04T08:36:38.346+01:00SWAK toothbrushI love to learn about businesses run by other home educators. and was delighted to be offered the chance to review a SWAK toothbrush and support another Home Ed family :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMSLbG8y29bBn7kvv7S8UdRRWawVY0iRDxj_ya01gAMILJn20rjpEjgU75PGlxK9YU99nNgZyPvjF7J1vDMLcXqLUIoJ8V5s6ioMJ8GXN-yB2pdYq_4eh7yGBJAS1g-ZFTK2E4sF-5QeN/s1600/swakblogpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMSLbG8y29bBn7kvv7S8UdRRWawVY0iRDxj_ya01gAMILJn20rjpEjgU75PGlxK9YU99nNgZyPvjF7J1vDMLcXqLUIoJ8V5s6ioMJ8GXN-yB2pdYq_4eh7yGBJAS1g-ZFTK2E4sF-5QeN/s320/swakblogpic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well, to be honest, I didn't really know what one was when I agreed to try it. I suffer from sensitive teeth and have to use <a href="http://amzn.to/2bMcV8V">Sensodyne toothpaste</a> regularly or else my poor old teeth start to hurt. I wasn't convinced that this toothpaste-less toothbrush would be any good for me.<br />
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Anyway, the SWAK toothbrush arrived, looking longer and thinner than I'd expected with this funny little round head. I began to use it as per the instructions with a small dollop of sceptism. I have to say, I was really surprised how easy it was to use although it took a bit of getting used to; not having to apply any pressure was a bit weird at first. After I'd given it a good go, I can confirm that my teeth felt smooth and clean afterwards, although I missed the minty taste that I associate with newly cleaned teeth. <br />
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I love the convenience of being able to clean my teeth anywhere and not being tied to the bathroom sink. Both Boykin & The Girl have requested one and, as they are both over 7*, I have agreed to buy them. One of the things that we all like about them is that the little wooden heads are replaceable but you keep using the same plastic handle for ever, potentially. The Girl has recently been impressed by the <a href="https://ecocycle.org/ZeroWaste">Zero Waste Movement</a> and this totally fits in with the philosophy of reducing our plastic waste. <br />
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You can buy your own toothbrush <a href="http://www.swak-shop.com/">here</a>. There are a selection to choose from and they also sell tooth oil and tooth salt too. <br />
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* Under 7s need full parental supervision with SWAK toothbrushes.Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-24271334974779763322016-08-31T22:18:00.001+01:002016-08-31T22:18:28.452+01:00Changes AfootWell, it's feeling like Autumn here as the pavements are starting to grow a layer of leaves. I always find Autumn inspires me to start new projects and dust down the old way of doing things. My two youngest children seem to have inherited this feeling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh-KFrDxycV_YdSww9Yax7qw0kwc9hghK-N7e5ylj3EOsfP5CeOevPq3Sr5rRUGQ9KUgHTnCNikUhaNzgn84-QkQO05NGaY7QiNsJ2xdJ_0H8D7eJxRoY66L7YNk6QQHhdhv_cwflq3_-/s1600/WIN_20160831_21_28_56_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh-KFrDxycV_YdSww9Yax7qw0kwc9hghK-N7e5ylj3EOsfP5CeOevPq3Sr5rRUGQ9KUgHTnCNikUhaNzgn84-QkQO05NGaY7QiNsJ2xdJ_0H8D7eJxRoY66L7YNk6QQHhdhv_cwflq3_-/s640/WIN_20160831_21_28_56_Pro.jpg" width="307" /></a>We spent Monday afternoon devising new schedules. Each person organised their own days in the way that suits them best. I've recently come across <a href="http://www.rocketcitymom.com/bullet-journaling-in-the-new-year/">bullet journaling</a>, and even though I know I will NEVER be so organised, I have found it helpful to use some of the ideas from it.<br />
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We took a trip to IKEA and bought 3 magnetic notice boards, one for each of us. Each board came with 4 hooks and 3 magnets. We've used some of the hooks to hang the boards one below the other. The rest are hanging from the bottom board.<br />
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Having an "it'll-come-in-useful-one-day" nature, combined with a "I-hate-throwing-things-away" streak, means that I <strike>have</strike> had a big jar of bottle tops and a roll of <a href="http://amzn.to/2bCf7zp">magnetic sticky tape</a>. Perfect for making personalised magnets. A couple of episodes of Star Trek later, we had a couple of handsewn drawstring bags to hold any unused magnets. These hang neatly from the hooks at the bottom of the bottom board ;)<br />
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So why have we found the need to try to become so super organised? Well, The Girl is entering her last year of Home Ed *sniff* and will be taking a few exams this year along with some more music grades. She has just enrolled at a not-so-local college to take GCSE English and will inevitably have homework. With one GCSE under her belt (she passed her maths :) Hooray!!!) she has realised that time management will be quite important if she wants to study for two more at home.<br />
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Boykin is 'attending' Hogwarts this year and so he has made a simple timetable that will cover all his morning studies. I love how he's managed to put maths under Magical Theory and Physics under flying ;) <br />
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And me, well, I have to be on hand for any studying that The Girl will be doing at home whilst also pretending to be Professor McGonegal with Boykin. On my board, I've also included housework, prayer time and all my work tasks - from the <a href="http://www.picturebookexplorers.co.uk/catalogue.html">latest lapbook</a> to maths & <a href="http://www.echo.education/index.php/igcse-geography-course/">geography tutoring</a> to blogging and updating <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/picturebookexplorers/">FB groups</a> ... and everything else in between. I'm not quite sure where my organising local HE stuff fits in really - it's not quite work cos I don't get paid for it, but it sometimes feels like it.... in a good way, of course :)<br />
<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-58599686606976170432016-06-17T08:38:00.000+01:002016-06-17T08:38:26.890+01:00Wild Animals SessionThis month's theme at our local HE group was wild animals.<br />
There were about 5 families who are all regulars. It was a lovely sunny day so much of the time was spent playing out.<br />
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Activities on offer were making paper elephants....<br />
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....finding where in the world each animal lived on a giant world map...<br />
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...play 'Which animal am I?'. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the lovely lift-the-flap poster that one of the other mum's made with a series of questions using a tree diagram to find the answer.<br />
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Outside, they could meet with some real ducklings and learn about wild ducks...<br />
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...listen to a story & play a team general knowledge game using Brainbox Safari.<br />
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If you want to know how to make paper elephants too, they were inspired by this video.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1rv-IbAZozs" width="560"></iframe>
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Other resources for studying wild animals:<br />
<a href="http://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/face-masks">masks</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/spotting-sheets">spotter sheets</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ngkids.co.uk/animals">NGkids</a><br />
<a href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/animals">Animals on Activity Village</a><br />
<a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/elephants.php">Elephant unit study and lapbook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/ks2_lessonplans/science/variation.shtml">BBC Bitesize variation</a> - the variation worksheet has a simple tree diagram<br />
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</iframe>Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-81303139196425594282016-06-05T23:03:00.000+01:002016-06-05T23:03:03.371+01:00Games ExpoYesterday, we went to Birmingham NEC for the Games Expo.<br />
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I am very fortunate in that Number 1 Son and his fabulous girlfriend organised the whole day for us. They booked train tickets, sorted out travel times and tickets to the event too.
All I had to do was get me, Boykin and The Girl up at 6am to get to the train for 7.30. Luckily, I did it :) Just!
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It was our first games expo and I was surprised at how many people were there. I didn't realise that board games were so popular. We were also surprised at how many people were there dressed up in sci-fi and fantasy costumes. After having recently spent a fair few hours watching <i>The Big Bang Theory</i> on Netflix, I half expected to see Sheldon et al at any moment ;)
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It was fun playing giant versions of games we'd never played before, Yeti was a favourite. I quite liked the look of giant Ticket to Ride as well :) There were so many different games that I reckon I could've found a game to go along with every project we have ever done or could possibly ever do :)<br />
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Personally, I love all the wooden games and wooden storage systems and I think that dice rolling towers are a fab idea.<br />
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We decided that we all want a games table with cup holders and a cover so that you can keep your games out to finish later - there'd be no piling up of papers on that!
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If you like playing games, its well worth going, Family tickets aren't that expensive and the train station is just a few minutes walk away. Plans are already afoot to go next year with costumes and more money :)
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<u>Games we liked</u></div>
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Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-17051478992275038512016-05-19T22:41:00.000+01:002016-05-19T23:02:43.652+01:00Harry Potter DayEvery few months at our local themed session, we hold a vote as to what themes to cover in the next few sessions. The kids choose some and the adults choose some. This month, by very popular demand, the theme as chosen and voted for by all the children was Harry Potter :)<br />
There was lots of role-playing outside involving various Harry potter characters. There were cloaks, wands and a cloak of invisibility.<br />
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Activities included Sparkly magic pictures...<br />
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<br />
...potion making....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIx9Dd9hy7YfKIXFejIkTk6ZJ3PzIAl3LXCk0mLk08kjRunKgaRMFnpwwDUNhXMrYF1_uwOVHv_zzznuhOkcmereomGzQZrQp_2PG6eQnWDf1sOLvlORHP6C2gqqlOY2JIkkd9qMxgkpl/s1600/making-potions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIx9Dd9hy7YfKIXFejIkTk6ZJ3PzIAl3LXCk0mLk08kjRunKgaRMFnpwwDUNhXMrYF1_uwOVHv_zzznuhOkcmereomGzQZrQp_2PG6eQnWDf1sOLvlORHP6C2gqqlOY2JIkkd9qMxgkpl/s200/making-potions.jpg" width="122" /></a></div>
<br />
...making The Monster Book of Monsters...<br />
<br />
....Create your own Spell...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoUBCwf017tMXnJ4F64Ss20fXyXSJdDIZp5UiaWLKp7R5dqUN6K_FrREN2Sb-CWaCyNhVwfYcezxh5ib3gsC3yY0Wz1dOUukKVTCxiil8aShk33IhsggvKDP6ivw61FTPd9dqzbiHKubh/s1600/makeaspell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoUBCwf017tMXnJ4F64Ss20fXyXSJdDIZp5UiaWLKp7R5dqUN6K_FrREN2Sb-CWaCyNhVwfYcezxh5ib3gsC3yY0Wz1dOUukKVTCxiil8aShk33IhsggvKDP6ivw61FTPd9dqzbiHKubh/s400/makeaspell.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
....Herbology....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5B8lYppqUoCIh7lyGMJ3gplSZaVRqd5Qxxcr4XpJpFfKMzFx9hshEGJAsnx_saUaagdKsHfVfKvPgvrvngtDEAcoR5iWFffVq3RAjkdJYHHIHTpfkmM09BoI9a-XOCHEbHF59rtHCOiv/s1600/HPcluedo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>....and various Harry Potter themed games.<br />
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You can download a copy of the 'Create Your Own Spell' activity sheet (designed by Boykin) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzFEXB7wVtsqYUVJcXNIUE1OZ00/view?usp=sharing">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-11716392081990195582016-04-06T21:13:00.002+01:002016-04-06T21:13:43.138+01:00The RadishAfter keeping an almost daily blog for a month, it seems like such a long time since I've posted ;)<br />
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So, what have we been doing in the last 6 days?<br />
We ignored April Fool's day by accident and went to a local Home Ed craft group where Boykin tried his hand at reverse glass painting. He was very pleased with his efforts. It's quite tricky in that you have to paint first the parts of the design that you would usually paint last. I remember that we did something similar with a chocolate kit that we had once....<br />
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On Saturday, The Girl started her Duke of Edinburgh volunteering activities at the local library. I'm really impressed with how well organised they are. She came home with forms to sign, information about what is expected of her and how they go about supporting D of E volunteers at all levels. She has a lovely mentor in one of our local librarians and I'm sure she will get a lot out of it :)<br />
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We had a couple of easy going days spent mostly at home. It involved some maths, some movies and some music. Oh, and lots of Agatha Christie.<br />
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Tuesday was book group day. Hence the abundance of Agatha Christie in the previous few days. I really recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008165092/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0008165092&linkCode=as2&tag=neverthesame2-21" rel="nofollow">The Double Clue</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0008165092" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
. It's a collection of four short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. We none of us guessed whodunnit. We took the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00871UIRO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00871UIRO&linkCode=as2&tag=neverthesame2-21" rel="nofollow">Cluedo Board Game</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B00871UIRO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
to book group to play, in keeping with the theme. I'm glad we did too because the local library was pretty noisy with a craft workshop going on. I'd forgotten that things like that happen in there during school holidays. At one time we'd have been there joining in, but they're both a bit big now really :/<br />
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After book group, Boykin went to his friend's house for a birthday sleepover. The Girl treated me to a splendid evening of games, chocolate and a film and I treated her to Chinese takeaway. We played <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000809OAO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000809OAO&linkCode=as2&tag=neverthesame2-21" rel="nofollow">Ticket to Ride Europe</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000809OAO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DE6FZCK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DE6FZCK&linkCode=as2&tag=neverthesame2-21" rel="nofollow">Scrabble </a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B00DE6FZCK" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
. We decided to watch <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001JJBC5S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B001JJBC5S&linkCode=as2&tag=neverthesame2-21" rel="nofollow">Slumdog Millionaire</a> while Boykin was away<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=neverthesame2-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B001JJBC5S" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
because he is too young for it. I think I'm too young for a lot of it too. It's a good film but I found parts of it are very distressing :( You can read about it on<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/?ref_=nv_sr_1"> IMDb</a><br />
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Today, there was more music practice, more maths and lots of shelf building and I cooked dinner for a change :)<br />
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Maths involved <a href="http://surds.co.uk/">surds</a> and tricks :) <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dTXMhOGI9Z8" width="560"></iframe>
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Oh, and do you remember that Boykin was <a href="http://englishweather.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/challenged-day-8.html">observing seeds germinating</a>? Well, one of them survived and produced a leaf as well as a root. He planted it in a plant pot yesterday and today it had nicely perked up. The Radish :)<br />
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</iframe>Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-45751224164740624892016-03-31T23:59:00.000+01:002016-04-01T08:40:52.105+01:00Challenged!! - Days 29, 30 & 31Well, I almost succeeded in blogging every day for a month :)<br />
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The last couple of days have flown by with me doing a lot of work which meant they've taken full advantage and have caught up on <strike>lots </strike>a little screen time. No.1 Son bought Boykin a subscription to Marvel comics which means he has access to 17,000 of them online. Consequently, Boykin has been catching up on his reading ;)<br />
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He did fond time for a bit of maths. He's still working on transformations and did some tessellation.<br />
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The Girl has been getting back into the swing of things with maths, music practice and Marvel comics. She's still cooking all the meals but hasn't been able to continue with her garden project due to weather, visiting and visitors.<br />
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We've had visitors every day for the last three days. There's been lots of playing out for them and cups of tea for me. It's been lovely seeing old friends again :)<br />
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Tomorrow, we're going to a local Home Ed craft group, so things are starting up again after the Easter holidays. It feels weird though that we have another week at least before all their non-HE classes and groups start up again. Although, it is quite nice having more days at home to be able to be more relaxed about life, just like when they were little :0)<br />
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<br />Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270237727475770804.post-20024397769789866352016-03-28T10:02:00.000+01:002016-03-29T10:02:40.570+01:00Challenged!! Day28A pyjama day.<br />
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They decided on our activities for today :)<br />
We played City of Zombies, had a talent show, watched Avengers Assemble, played Disney Infinity and ate lots of chocolate.<br />
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An Easter extension day :)Belzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960399891811534008noreply@blogger.com0