Five Home Ed in Kent - Homeschool Blogger

Catching Up - Again!

Sun, 3 Dec 2006 14:40:00 -0600

On Monday Joshua went out for the day with his friend Theo to celebrate Theo's birthday. This entailed a trip to the Natural History Museum, a turn around the ice rink, and lunch at a noodle house. Joshua thoroughly enjoyed the day and I was glad that he felt confident to go out without either of us.

In the evening, Theo's parents kindly invited us over to share the evening with them and some more of Theo's extended family. We were very blessed to be invited to share a meal with them all and very touched to be included in what was obviously a special family time.

This week we managed to get the second car fixed and re-MOT'd which was a relief. We've also ordered a new alternator for the Kia, which should mean THAT car gets back on the road soon!

Tuesday was our regular meeting at the indoor play area, with 7 families coming along including a new family. I know I've said it before, but it is so good to see so many different aged children getting along at this event.

We are currently doing a sponsored "Find the Cranberry" for Cancer Research and the group has also decided not to exchange Christmas Cards, but to put donations in to getting an Oxfam Unwrapped gift instead.

On Thursday we had some HE friends over for the afternoon, which was very pleasant. Again, the wide variety of ages and interests that the boys come across within their HE friends now can only be good for them. I definately know that their socialisation experience and skills have improved a hundred fold since leaving school. It is also a relief that my children now have friends that I'm happy to have come over!

In the evening we popped round to see friends, and to help them a little with their house move - always a stressful experience, but more so when it is not through a positive choice (as we've found this year) and also not this near to Christmas.

Friday I had a meeting with Bromley LA. It gave me the chance to meet the new team at the newly created Children & Young People's Service over there and to put names to faces. As before, it was a quite open and frank discussion, but I genuinely felt that we all came away from the table having learnt something about each other that can only positively contribute towards the future relationship between us.

Saturday it was time to start Christmas! It was quite interesting going back to my blog from this time last year and seeing what we did - nothing much has changed!

We've always made it a whole season experience both as a way of avoiding an anticlimax on Christmas Day, but mainly to be able to focus on Advent and the truth behind Christmas. As a family it is a special time for us.

This year is, of course, very poignant. My Dad was always such a big kid at Christmas - he had an awful childhood really and, somewhat like Roarke, determined to make the Christmas's of his married life, and later family life, the ones with the memories to treasure. Putting the decorations up, for me and for Mum, was almost unbearable. I can hear and see him in every piece of tinsel, and in every Christmas song on the radio. I never want to hear a Carpenters' song again..

Still, I had to do it, for the boys sake. Roarke is not a fan of tinsel, so our decorations centre around lights. No plastic snowmen - and the robins mentioned in last year's post got stolen last Christmas - but we have got some white icicle lights, and one rope light out the front. Inside, we have a beautiful tree, and more lights (!). I'll try and take pictures (yes I know, I always say that but rarely remember!)

One family tradition is to decorate the children's rooms. We now have two upstairs grottos! Actually, they look quite lovely. Joshua has green garlands across his (small) room entwined with coloured fairy lights, a few tinsel strands colour coordinated to his room, and some star decorations. Samuel and William (a large room) have a tree in the window (our old one) which we let the boys decorate (I had to tie my hands behind my back and promise myself not to redo it the moment they turned their backs!). There is also tinsel around all the walls, and fairy lights across it too.

I helped Mum through some of the pain of putting hers up. That was not easy. Now to face the cards...

In the evening on Saturday Grace and David came over with Theo and Toni. A lazy evening was had - watching (I must admit shamefully) The X Factor. Yeah I know! In my defense its the only thing like this I've ever watched! Somehow I've got suckered in when Samuel has been watching it!

Today I was too ill for church. I went to bed with a migraine which I can't really take anything for, whilst I'm pregnant. On top of which, the very strong winds made it very noisy. I've always been a light sleeper and very in tune with the weather which frequently keeps me awake.

So I had a quiet two hours, on the sofa. Having the boys home 24-7 you do forget just what an empty house sounds like!

The first of the two Christmas cakes have been eaten! Did I mention them? I tried two gluten free receipes. I used the Glutafin recipe with their own mix (but you can substitue Dove's flour quite easily or any other gf flour mix) and it was nice, but definately beaten hands down by the recipe from Heather on Peter Thomson's site. Do try it even if you are not gluten free - its the most moist cake ever!

So having had the legitmate reason this year for making three cakes (as also mentioned last year!) I now need to get baking again. Oh, and I made mince pies too!

We've started on our Advent pockets - I made them last year out of felt and bits and pieces, and each day after dinner we get one down and the boys get a chocolate coin. This year we are reading "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens each day. We couldn't find a children's version, so the adults are reading it and having to amend/change the language/interpret as we go along! Anyone know of an online version for children?

Talking of online books, Joshua made and printed some Christmas stories from NorthPole.com tonight. Whilst he knows all about the "real" Christmas, we never stop them playing on that site as it adds to their sense of fun and festivity. Not for all Christians, I know, but we've found a way over the years to stop the children from struggling too much with the discord between what we as a family believe and practice, and what they see around them everyday in the run up to the commercial Christmas.

www.fivehomeedinkent.blogspot.com

News

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:36:00 -0500

I was quite worried about my health recently and finally got around to making an appointment with the doctor. Sorry to be personal, but I'd been bleeding at times when I wasn't meant to be, and also had some pain.

Anyway, the short version of the story is, I'm 7 weeks pregnant!

It's all a bit much to take in. It's not that we weren't trying, just that what with one thing and another we'd forgotten about it - amazing but true. It's been over 18 months since we first decided to try for number 4 and I guess we'd given up.

The fact of the pain and bleeding is naturally a concern. These are early days, and I do tend to have "eventful" pregnancies, so all prayers gratefully received.

We told the boys. We've always included our lads from day one as we see it as a family thing and that, even if things don't work out, the children would need to know why we were all sad. Just our personal decision, I know not everyone agrees.

The boys have been great! Samuel says "hello baby" everytime he walks past me, and gives me two hugs and two kisses each time - one for me, one for baby! Joshua and Samuel are very excited - not quite sure why! William has said he wants either a baby sister or a baby puppy (!).

Interestingly, Joshua said "oh William will be put out". I questionned this and he said "well I know Samuel and I were, when William arrived and we weren't the centre of attention anymore". Such insight in one so young! I think actually William will relish not being the bottom of the pile anymore.

So, all change. It's obviously still a worrying time so it is a case of one day at a time. I'm really hoping that the pains will ease, and do not mean I'll have them all the way through, nor that the pregnancy won't hold. I have an irritable uterus, apparently, so all muscle strain, spasms, etc have an overly large effect on me. Also, having IBS, it means the two sets of muscles trigger of spasms in each other. Usually by 7 months I am having strong muscle contractions that can reach labour strength, but as only one set of muscles in involved, not both sets, I just get the pain but no delivery. Though having said that, Joshua was 4 weeks premature.

Sorry for all the detail! But my head is rather full of it all at the moment, as I am sure you'll all understand.

Joshua will be 11 on Monday. I spent the other day sorting all the baby clothes out and can't believe that some of them are now 11 years old! Eek!

Roarke's work have said Joshua can go into work with him and use their Learn Direct study centre to take english and maths, which would be good - something for him to "do" with his Dad.

William is doing well with his numbers, though he seems to have to count up to find the right number, and is a bit slower on recognising the number on its own. He can write a neat 4 - as that's "his" number!

Samuel I am still leaving to his own devices, somewhat, until I can work out the best way to encourage and support him.

Did you see about the Charles Darwin collection going online? I know that not all Christians wish to use his research, but I still personally find a lot of it has value (I just don't draw quite the same conclusions he did!).

And a personal, newly discovered favourite of mine - one of those sites you can get sidetracked into for hours - a site for "The Longest..." Look up the longest of anything recorded (like the longest abbreviation!) at this site with the longest domain name!

Fame!

Thu, 7 Sep 2006 12:20:00 -0500

Hey, we're famous (or should that be infamous...)

Thanks to Robert, our humble blog here has made it into his Kent Bloggers feature. We didn't make the radio piece that went with it - perhaps I sounded just too breathless (or soggy) having just got out of my sink hole...

Anyway, I think it was a great piece and I've enjoyed wandering around the other blogs that he mentioned.

I do hope, if anyone stops by via BBC Kent, that you stay and have a good browse through. If you are new to the whole idea of home education, you may find it useful to view our main website at www.ukhome-educators.co.uk. If you are in Kent, and interested in joining us, or learning more, you can use the feature on that site to contact us - or post a comment here and I'll try to answer your questions.

What with the Times article, and all the TV coverage this week (see my previous post), home education is definitely on the public agenda now. I hope this encourages a healthy and open investigation into how the school system is failing so many, as well as perhaps prompting parents to look afresh at the whole issue of parenting and how society today seems to force us into a particular route that maybe, just maybe, we might not want to go down..

My husband yesterday likened it to the Matrix film. I do hope you've seen it otherwise this reference could lose it's impact! Briefly, there is a bit towards the start of the film where the central character of the film, Neo, is presented with a choice by the mysterious character called Morpheus (named after the Greek god of dreams and sleep). When Morpheus and Neo meet, Morpheus offers Neo two pills. The red pill will answer the question "what is the Matrix?" (by removing him from it) and the blue pill simply for life to carry on as before. As Neo reaches for the red pill Morpheus warns Neo "Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more."

Roarke (my husband) said that the whole home education issue was like that. It is one thing to debate, discuss, or look into generally the issue of home education as an alternative to the school system. However, once you actually "take the red pill" and step into home ed, you truly see things from a different perspective. You start questioning so much that you took for granted and just, well, accepted before. It becomes an unravelling process (merrily mixing metaphors here!) where you keep coming across knotty issues that, once you deal with them, open up a whole new perspective.

We've found ourselves examining every aspect of our parenting, and then moving on to the whole issue of parenting in today's society - examining some fundamental assumptions that we realised we had. We might not be that average (ok, our friends think we are odd!) but we would never have classed ourselves as "alternative" lifestyle people (those Roarke was definitely a rebel in his younger days!). But now we find so much of the current political, social, economic and spiritual climate of our country quite frankly to leave a lot to be desired.

I found a site with an essay on this "matrix philosophy" issue and it's well worth a read - nothing to do with HE but this whole issue of whether or not to question the "status quo" in life.

Can I encourage anyone reading this, to "see how deep the rabbit hole goes" and take the "red pill" to find out more about the realities of home education?...

Tagged!

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 03:36:00 -0500

Hey, I've been tagged for the first time ever! Thanks Karla.

So, here goes:

ONE BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE:

May sound corny but... the Bible

ONE BOOK THAT YOU�VE READ MORE THAN ONCE:

Grief - I read all my books more than once! Memorably, as a young child I read through all the fiction books in my local library.. Now having moved back to the area, I'm pleased to see they've got some new ones for my boys ;0) But one that I re-read regularly? Hmm, Jamie Buckingham "Where Eagles Soar"

TWO BOOKS YOU�D WANT ON A DESERT ISLAND:

The Bible, and the complete Lord of The Rings (bought as one book, not 3!)

ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH:
The first Terry Pratchett that I read (Colour of Magic)

ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY:
"Skallagrigg" by William Horwood. An awesome book, very hard to read as it is so emotive. I was only a teenager when I first read it and it was very powerful. I have never ever forgotten the book, but have also never reread it - that's how big an impression it made.

ONE BOOK YOU WISH HAD BEEN WRITTEN:

"The advantage of hindsight"....

ONE BOOK YOU WISH HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN:

"Psycho" by Brett Easton Ellis

ONE BOOK THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING:

Dr Neil T Anderson - Victory Over Darkness

ONE BOOK YOU HAVE BEEN MEANING TO READ:

Anything by Charles Dickens other than Hard Times - the only Dickens I've ever read, and that was as part of my English A Level - which kinda spoilt Dickens for me!

FIVE PEOPLE YOU TAG:

I'm struggling here! Everyone seems to have been "gotten" already..

How about Roarke, Deb, OTHENA, Sharon, and Jules.

Home Ed Twinning Project

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 01:43:00 -0500

I recently set up a new international group (yep, another one!) which I am now going to promote shamelessly:

"To know and understand each other better" is the motivation behind the town twinning movement that started after the Second World War. The Home Ed Group Twinning Project aims to assist home schooling groups to do just that. Groups from around the world are encouraged to register, and to make a connection with another group. Groups can then build meaningful and rewarding relationships with each other, to the benefit of all the children involved.

"Education, in the broadest of truest sense, will make an individual seek to help all people, regardless of race, regardless of color, regardless of condition." George Washington Carver

Its success depends upon lots of groups registering - via a nominated contact point - so please, please take it back to your homeschooling group and pass the idea around. We already have a number of UK groups registered, all eager to build links with homeschooling groups overseas.

Plug over!

ps don't forget to keep up to date with me on my current blog, www.fivehomedinkent.blogspot.com.

Recipes

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 07:08:00 -0500

it's taken some time, as I'm still only just about on my feet again after having lost Dad, but I have finally updated our family site, and in particular the recipes (as per my entry of 14th February!).

Enjoy!

ps don't forget to keep up to date with me on my current blog, www.fivehomeedinkent.blogspot.com

Deleting Blogs

Sun, 2 Apr 2006 03:41:00 -0500

Hi HSB. I would appreciate it if you did NOT delete my blog!

Whilst I may not be posting regularly here, I did, and I still refer back to my posts frequently. I direct other people to them, when there is useful information to look up, and it is also a great way to keep in contact with my many friends here.

I appreciate the need for space that is seemingly driving the need to delete unused blogs - but is there not some middle ground here? Is there a way to have just one page, that is a holding place for the Blog, with clickable links to the archives - just as there are links to the archives on the side anyway?

I would be very distressed to think that my blog here would go, and would not be available for reference anymore.

Moving On

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:01:00 -0600

I'm moving!

Well, my blog is.

An issue has arisen which means that I am not comfortable using the Homeschoolblogger site anymore. It is in connection with TOS, and relates to their forthcoming tour of the UK.

I hope that some of you will visit my new blog (http://fivehomeedinkent.blogspot.com/) and bookmark it so that you can continue to follow our travels. I will still visits my friends here, and read your blogs as I have gained great benefit from them.

Best wishes,

Ann

Art and stuff

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:42:00 -0600

I have continued to feel better today, which is great. I'm currently working on updating the recipes on our family site (as per J's request!) - I'll let you know when it's finished.

W is determined to be a big boy like his brothers. He wants to get dressed unaided, doesn't want a "baby" (melamine) plate and bowl anymore, but a "big boy" one (china) like his brothers. He also has asked for full sized cutlery instead of the toddler set he was still using. <sigh> My little baby has grown up.

J came down today from his room asking if I had any books on art. He is looking for inspiration (his words) and thought that if he learnt more about art and famous artists, it may inspire him. He searched through all his encyclopedias, including the one on his computer, looking for reference to art. I also gave him some sites to look at online - the Tate and Sanford Art Adventures being particularly interesting for him.

W spent ages on some colouring, copying his eldest brother by designing a map. He has an amazing imagination, and always regales us of a morning with details of the dreams he had the night before.

It is a good job we had our valentines meal last night - poor dh came home with an awful headache and is going to bed now, with the boys. Yesterday we had taken a self-test for Candida, and it does indeed look like he is suffering with it. It certainly ties in with his symptoms. (click on this link then scroll down to look for the words "Simple Home Candida Test")

Tomorrow, S is out most of the day with his old school friend, and J has his friend over here. I guess W and I will be playing together then!

Sprouts and valentines

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:05:00 -0600

I continue to be grateful for all your prayers, as I am definately recovered. Whilst I feel as wrung out as a dish cloth, my aches and pains have all gone.

This morning S went out with his (one) friend that he had from his school days. His mum and friend took them to a play park, had lunch, then called in for a cup of tea when they dropped S home. Sadly, his friend is being bullied at school too and is not very happy.

Whilst they were out, I took J & W to the library, then out for a drink at a cafe as a treat. We then went to get some fresh vegetables. I'd discussed moving to a more raw-based diet with J over his drink. I was very proud of him at lunch - in light of what we had discussed, he had a plate of crudites (with branston pickle!) and some rice cakes.

My first attempts at home sprouting were ready today - they are a bit on the short side (lack of warmth I think), but they certainly tasted ok.

J spent more time today on the Brain Pop site which he is really enjoying - I'd really recommend looking at it if you haven't already.

I also found a nice site for younger children looking into healthy eating which is worth looking at.

This evening, as dh is off work (but will be working tomorrow, 14th), I gave dh the card that I had made him for valentines. I felt a bit goofy giving him a homemade card, but he seemed to appreciate it.

We have never bought each other birthday or Christmas presents, but we have always gone out for a meal or a day on Valentines, and on our wedding anniversary (which somewhat sadly is 9/11). I guess to us marking our union is so much more meaningful to us than another year in age. As Christians, also, we don't find giving each other presents a reflection on how we feel about Christmas. It grieves both of us that this year we cannot afford to go out for a meal - the first time in 12 years.

Still, the boys are ready for bed sharp, and we have waited to have our dinner when they go up in a short while. We have a saved-bottle of wine in the fridge, and we will still celebrate our relationship together, and thank God for the blessing that our marriage is to us.