And so to school...

Loopy has been so excited...so very, very excited!!

She looked so smart in her uniform {which she loves}, so very, very eager, excited and so ready

The first day was an enormous success...she caught up with lots of her friends from Nursery, made lots of new friends and was Queen Bee for the day

RV said that every time he passed by her playground she was surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls!

School was ready for her after all

***

I've been so nervous and excited for her, it's not all about me but I've had a tough couple of weeks and I am quite sad that our homeschooling journey is over...it's right that it is, that Loopy is going to school but I am still sad.

The days before school...

We kept busy...

Loopy and I chatted about tadpoles to frogs and she sat happily making a little booklet with pictures of frogspawn {made using bubble wrap}, cute tadpoles, pond weed in 3D, froglets and a few very smiley fishies

The chickens were loved a bit more...

I loved gazing at the wonderful moon...

Fonzy and I snuck down early on Bank Holiday morning, he LOVES the girls, chatting so sweetly to them when he collects the eggs, thanking them as he walks back up the path for the yummy eggs.

He also now tricks me into thinking we don't have eggs for the day, that I caught him with the eggs in the basket should have been the give-away but he still played the part

We've had a lot of wet weather over recent days/weeks {feels like months but Im sure its not!?}

As soon as the rain has cleared we have headed straight out the door, albeit for a short hour or so...

fingers crossed we get to enjoy more time outside soon

A Brand New Journey...

Such BIG changes are ahead of us now.

Thursday we went through to the appeal panel for Loopy's school place...

and won!

She will be going to the same school as all her older siblings have been to, where her big bro RV goes to and  where her younger bro Fonzy will be going to nursery in September.

Our education otherwise journey is soon to be over...

She is over the moon to be finally going to school.  

She is excited to be going to shopping for new shoes, I am excited to be able to put to use the gingham I bought years ago for summer dresses to use...but mostly she is excited to be getting a new lunchbox!!

I hope that I have done enough for her to settle into school...that she wont be too far behind her peers in terms of reading.

Exciting and scarey all in one!

Making marks...

I could hardly believe it when I woke up to do the chickens to see the weather had given us a bit of a break...first morning in what seems forever that I didn't get soaked feeding the girls.

Taking full advantage of the spot of sun, ignoring the gusts of wind that are showering us with falling blossom I set a quick activity out on the patio

unable to find the paint aprons we improvised with a coat and my apron

Im not sure that many marks were made in all honesty, the fun was in squelching the paint in-between fingers!

Loopy did her best to look like a smurf

The wind was a bit much for us and we only stayed out for around 20mins but it was a huge hit.  The cleaning of paint of fingers and hands was almost as much fun as the covering of hands and table.  A bucket of water is a bucket of fun any day of the week.

I initially set up a couple of sand trays inside...but the sand was still damp and it wasn't the best, but again Loopy had fun

Fonzy was more intent on making small sandcastles and ramps for his cars to drive over than he was 'writing', maybe when the sand is dry they'll find it a bit more interesting.  

Or maybe I need to let go of what I 'think' they should be finding enjoyable and let them get on enjoying what they're doing?!

Tidy Cupboards...

sad maybe but this little tidy has made the world of difference for me and our home-edding!

No more wasting time locating bits, everything is now in a logical order...

Literacy, Numeracy and pens etc.  Notice the maths shelf is a bit empty?  Hmmn working on this

The books have been culled...More than half went to either charity shop or boot sale.  Top shelves are for the older kiddos and we even have space to add to them.  Complete change from how it was before which left us unable to locate anything!

Games that need a bit of adult supervision or have small pieces we could lose are kept on a higher shelf, out of eyeline

 Below the games shelf worksheets that have been cut up and some spelling blocks.  Rarely used but still to hand.  Books are Loopys news book, a reading record book and a couple of workbooks.  

As I said not exciting but it all makes sense and is easy for us to use

Easter...

Easter crept up on me this year...again!

We've been busy at home this year, fighting with lots of different bug + virus's  and if Im honest Im fed up with the germs.

That said we've kept busy when we've felt up to it

On the sunny days we've gotten the paints out on the patio...

On the cold days we got the lego out in the sunny dining room

The boys kept busy with Lego for days

Just because he's so yummy ^

Loopy got busy in the kitchen...

And made the most tastiest chockie cakes

I changed and tidied/decluttered the dining room, swapping the table for the larger one and moving a cupboard

Fonzy is enjoying 'working' at the table with us

He loves counting and sorting things so this little activity is right up his street

Loopy and her friend made a 'calender' of things to do over the weekends/holidays, listing activities such as rolling down the hill, picking flowers and drawing as the most favourite.

We then cut and laminated the paper to make a little book for them.

Loopy really enjoyed the whole thing, art and writing

The re-jig of the table and supplies cupboard has given us a new lease of energy and add into the mix new reading matter we have lots of ideas in the 'pot' ready to bring to the table to do together!

I confess another book on its way to us

Again I've had a peek at the website and it seems me friendly once again!

Reading Lists...

The books I have waiting to read are far too many to list!...

But I have a couple that I am enjoying at the moment, both shabby chic styling porn :)  

Neither require any actual reading if you don't want to and just looking at the pictures is enough.  I love to spot the little nic nac's that I manage to find for Priddy Priddy and spot the bits n pieces that I love around my own home

I have to confess that I saw this one in Mollie Makes and hmmed a bit but then saw it over on Attic 24 and thought what the heck

I LOVE IT!  Like I said nice n easy, no work required and plenty of feel good factor

After enjoying it so much I got a bit trigger happy and went on to get this as well

In all honesty it's not my favourite BUT I am enjoying flicking through it and am finding a lot of inspiration for Priddy Priddy 

And waiting for this to arrive

Im not sure what to expect from it...but I have had a look through Mariah Bruehl's website and it looks pretty interesting.  I have enough books now which give me the theory but Im lacking on inspiration to actually put it into action.  Her 'method/style' seems to be very me friendly.

I hold my hands up to a book addiction which would explain my 'need' for the kiddos to read, no scratch that the 'want' for them to want to read/write!  

The oldest two aren't keen readers or writers but they are exceptionally artistic and find ways to express their ideas through their artwork so I can't complain.  

And yes I know libraries are wonderful resources and use them to satisfy my cook book cravings (libraries and boot sales with the odd charity shop find thrown in) BUT I have to own the book, to be free to pick it up when the whim takes me.  I've also thought about a kindle but I am just old fashioned in that I love actually having the book!  

If I get brave I may list the books I have on my shelf waiting to be read...99% bought second hand for a fraction of the price!

It's beginning to feel a lot like...

Springtime!

The mornings are lighter and the days are longer, the blossom is either out in bloom or tightly budded just waiting to pop, the daffodils have been in bloom and dare I say it the weather has been warmer.

On the bright chilly days we've made the most of the sun that pours through the patio doors and taken up residence in the dining/play room basking the sun but hiding from the winds...

And on Monday we threw the doors wide open, made ourselves yummy milkshakes...served with stripey straws...

And played with the sand-table on the patio...

and spent the entire day outside!  

Letters were written in the sand and Fonzy practised his letter forming, shadows were made and light played with.  Tea with teddies was taken and there was MUCH giggling and very little bickering.

Simple days after a busy weekend are wonderful, the laundry pile is looking depleted, the washing smells lovely and fresh after a time on the line, the house looks much more cheerful in the sunlight which in turn makes us all feel so much more cheerful.

Here's to a good week (please!)

Jelly Wobbles...

We've stalled slightly with the reading here and Im hoping to engage her to start again, picking up where we left.  Her reading is a funny thing, not funny ha ha but funny as in mind boggling.

She has had no formal learning at school, not a year or term of learning her letter sounds from a professional,  or from watching her friends and peers on how they do things.  

I have immense pride in the fact that she is learning to read with what we have done together but I also have HUGE doubts as to whether I am doing enough and the right thing for her.  

This week I have had a major case of the jelly wobbles with home-schooling...the better weather has meant we have all but abandoned the formal work and taken to the garden once again.  All lovely stuff and to see her with the chickens, Fonzy and their capers really does warm the heart but...well it is hard to step aside from the norm and have faith in something I have no experience in.  

The school system worked for the older children and is working for RV and I'm more than sure it would work for Loopy.  

This is where we are possibly a bit different from other home schooling families I have met to date.  Most have had a bad experience with the school system, and feel let down, unable to trust the system to provide what their child needs.  We haven't had that experience in the primary school system and would have been happy for Loopy to have gone to the school her older siblings went and still go to.

Gah on good days I feel we do enough, on a recent parents evening I popped my head in the door of the Year1 class to see what was on the wall and in fairness we are working along the same lines. Concentrating on reading, 1-20 number work, we do a lot of art/design work and the only 'thing' we are missing would be the maths shapes.  

But on a bad day it feels that we should be 'working', not enjoying what we're doing and where we're at.  Her reading level is probably lower than the vast majority of her peers, her writing is sloppy...but for every negative I can (on a good day) find a positive

Whoa not sure where all that came from!  

Obviously a lot on my mind, triggered by the Nursery open day we took Fonzy along to and chatting with the staff who remember the olders ones...answering questions and feeling defensive (I didn't need to feel defensive they were all lovely but I DO feel defensive about our homeschooling for all the reasons above!)

New Book Love...

A blast from the past!  

I came across these little lovelies in the charity shop earlier this week and they are just fantastic.

I managed to pick up sets 1 and 2 

I remember so many of them from my own childhood, the pictures are just so, so familiar.  Spotting the toys and clothes in the pictures that were a part of my childhood tickled me.

I've already a good few ladybird story books etc in the cupboard but hadn't really taken much notice of the key words series or how it works.  But it worked for me, I love to read.

Basically like the phonics system there are around 100 key words that you learn by sight and by learning them it makes the deciphering of sentences easier...

Combining the our lovely phonics books with these just makes sense to me.  Loopy loves the new books, we spend an awful lot of the time she's reading them looking at the pictures, mainly her telling me which doll she thinks is best and me spotting familiar things.

The journey continues...

Our home edding journey that is

We still sit at the table 'learning' and drawing and just creating...

notice I say we?

Fonzy now joins in doing his thing and is by his own accord learning letters by just simply being there with us!

We have good weeks and bad weeks, highs and lows but the sense of pride when Loopy reads aloud to us is almost enough to make me POP!!

xxx

Let the good days roll...

on and on and on!!

Oh I have had such a great week

Thursday went a bit off plan as I had to go to college for H but we had time at home and Loopy did a bit of her new books.  Can't say she's thrilled with it but she is resisting to the idea of me wanting her to do work at the moment.  It's a bit easy for her but does go over in a more structured way of what we've already covered and will I hope pick on any gaps.

Thursday was also my lovely hubbies birthday and our 4th wedding anniversary!

{we've been together 21years though}

We stayed in had a normal evening but with cake and candles!

Fingers crossed if we can muster the energy we may go out for a meal tonight but I'd be happy enough with a nice curry and  film at home

Last night once the little ones had gone to bed I set about a tidy up of the shelving unit and home ed work space...very much overdue and needed.  I threw out a lot of paper for recycling {sad you can't keep all the scribbles} but kept an awful lot which have been put in the box.  Looking through the box was good too as I could see how much Loopy has grasped this past year and all things as they are I am happy so far!

I also found my phonics books and an old planner I did last year so have a few more ideas for activities and they have given me a little boost of motivation.

The clear up meant that I had space to get a few bits out for a Autumn shelf...our trusty little squirrels, cones from previous years, shells and special glass collected over the year as well as our Autumn/Winter fairy.

Fonzy spotted it all straight away this morning and came running upstairs saying 'oh thank you for all our winter things' {He's such a little heart melter}  We had a little look together at what was there and later in the morning he added his own special leaf

Today was RV's school assembly, he didn't have a big role but was as pleased as punch to see us there...I don't think the head was as happy as I had to step out twice as Fonzy is still a bit young to sit 'quietly' for more than 10mins or so

{hey ho}

After the assembly I made potato and leek soup and it was delicious!  What a shock that was, previous attempts at soup have failed...not sure why but today it worked.

So a lovely pot of fresh soup in the fridge for this weekend

I'm looking forward to....adding gourds to the Autumn shelf, rounding up a few of our conkers to go on there too, adding our little 'things that remind us of Autumn' card, creating a colour/letter shelf on Monday.

Hoping that I can keep the momentum up for either a bit of crochet or sewing

and find time to read through a few books to nourish the soul

and to use a few of these

Which will give me  the chance to have a glance over at my little shelves which always gives me a smile

I'm thinking apple pie...

***

Keep Calm....

it's day 33 and the time is whizzing by!

My thoughts keep turning to the return to school and it dawned on me that this will be the cheapest year for uniform that we've had for donkeys years!

Only 2 to buy actual 'uniform' for this year...and as we kept up to date with bits last year it will be mainly shoes and coats for this year.

We've had some shocking expense in previous years...over £200 on shoes alone (4pairs of school shoes, PE shoes, hockey shoes, football shoes etc...it soon adds up).  

That was the year Bob decided NOT to look at the bank statement for that month...there is only so much one mans heart and wallet can take :)

My mojo has been in overdrive up till this afternoon when it went into hiding, I've given the house a good start on a Autumn clean; tidied bits that have been left to slide during the holidays, washed walls down, finished small DIY bits that have been on the to do list for too long, tidied the garden, stripped beds and turned mattresses, cleaned windows so when the sun rays peek out from behind the clouds we get the full benefit...and manage to feed, clothe, bathe, entertain, taxi, counsel and of course LOVE the brood that is my family.  

Keeping reasonably calm, drinking tea and carrying on

'keep calm' image source

Day 30 and thoughts of schooling...

Still no sign of a place for Loopy at school...I have mixed feelings about this...last year I was quite literally scared witless as to what we would do, how would we do it, would we actually do anything?!

I will do my best on a daily basis, some days that will be enough others it wont, but either way it will be the very best I can do on that day.  

When I visualise the learning journey from now onwards I will visualise this path...

It conjures so many positive feelings and lots of positive energy.

My mixed emotions come from missing the one and one time with Fonzy that the others all had at this stage of their little lives.  And I'm selfish too, I miss having a bit of time for myself...be it to craft, read or veggitate!  

It is tiring being everything to all 24hours a day, 7days a week.  

When I look at the task at hand as a whole it overwhelms me.  

Living in the 'present' helps with this but I feel the pressure of family and friends.

Whoa self doubt is a pretty powerful emotion...

I must remind myself that all the children are fantastic, independant, thoughtful, kind, strong, generous, funny, bright, honest, friendly, ingenious, loving, united

all so incredibly valuable in their journey through life none 'learnt' at school