I have been coming to the conclusion, over the last 6 months or so, that the only possible explanation for having ended up with a Joey Maynard brace of girls is that i willed them on myself with all those Chalet School Stories. And having done so, not to subject them to some form of Chalet School upbringing would be, quite frankly, a disgrace 😉
And so, dear readers and regular raisers of eyebrows, i have decided that this year i am going to instill some Chalet School values in them. They are going to get Joey Maynard as a mummy. Woefully, this is not going to include me getting a staff of 4 to help me care for my brood of 13, nor is it likely to involve any sort of mountain-top living, with a conveniently rich and masterful husband who sends me to bed for a fortnight if i look peaky. It could well be a bit short on cake and rich, creamy hot chocolate too, judging by the current state of the fridge. In fact, i suspect the biggest change for me is likely to be having to give up the computer and say “in a minute” less often. Joey was a childrens’ novelist though, so maybe this year is the year for that.
All that aside, this year is going to include…
*table manners (if i have to beat them into them!)
*more exercise that happens outside.
*sewing and that sort of craft.
*practical life skills i’ve lapsed on.
*learning a language together in a functional, everyday sort of a way.
*helpful chores around the house
*better order and tidiness for all of us.
*more sensible structure to our days (not our HE, our days.)
*some regular quiet time for us all.
*all of us showing a little more respect for each other and doing as we are asked when we are asked.
I’ll draw the line at morning and evening prayers, that isn’t our style really. I won’t even make them wear a frock and sunhat. But you know, just a little bit of Chalet School never did anyone any harm 😉
rofl! I’m desperate for Big to be old enough to read chalet school…
yep – it used to make me want to live in a spartan cubicle and speak german all day. I can’t understand why my parents didn’t support me endeavours more!
Well, you’ve got four of them…why not use the tried and trusted “dinner winner” method? As soon as Titch is old enough to join in, I’m going for it 😉
All sounds very sensible. We’re aiming for a bit of that here too.
You could learn Dutch, since it’s spoken in The Netherlands and in the north part of Belgium you could go there to practice 🙂
Must admit to being oblivious to the charms of Chalet School books, I was more of a biggles kinda boy, presume JM was a teacher or soemsuch?
I reckon frocks and sunhats all round sounds good 🙂
Once upon a time I did intend to have German days and French days here, but my German and French are nowhere near up to it. Perhaps when I’ve been home-educated for a bit longer we might manage it…
frocks are a definate must-you could do matching sound of music type ones! I loved the chalet school books and the malory towers series. shame they aren’t the sort of thing sam will enjoy.
another vote for the frocks and sunhats…. and good luck with the rest, I suspect I should really do some of the same here really!
*hangs head in shame* never read Chalet school books, did read Malory Towers are they similar? The art stuff looks good and lots of fun!
*waves at sue* hello, oh stalwart of the HE world 🙂
I’m simply aching for the days when we can have full on chalet school life here – i think i might draw a line at triplets though 😉
Oh, I so wanted to be Joey Maynard too! Are you going to have triplets next?! With only two boys I thought I’d be the only person ever to read these books in our family, but my younger son enjoyed them when he was about 10 or 11, and still (at 17) re-reads them occasionally when he wants something light and cheerful. I think German and French days would be a brilliant way of learning the languages…
I like the netherlands – we had a couple of holidays there – i don’t recall it being a particularly easy language to learn though! I think i knew how to say please and thank you as a teen and even they elude me now!
Must confess to never reading them either(another resolution for me), but sounds good to me. Another vote for the frocks and sunhats, I love that sort of thing.
Now I *really* want to live at your house 😉 I recently went on a spree on Ebay collecting some more of the ones I hadn’t read and it really make me long for that kind of life. I want to see the pic of you in a nice warm shawl with your hair in coils round your ears though! Can we also rely upon you to have to melt some chocolate in some goats milk over a pan at some point during the year? Please?!
ROFL!
Oh Sally, you needed girls…
Nope I’ve never read them either – did read Malory Towers and St Clares though. Probably just as well really, judging by what you’ve said that sort of lifestyle is unlikely to appeal to me or my children! 😉
I reread the Malory Towers one last year and just thought they were so awful. Darrell was just nasty. I far prefer Chalet School girls – there are the perfect ones in the background, ready to be headgirl, the flawed but nice ones like Joey and the evil to be moulded or expelled ones. Hurrah for simplicity and frocks 🙂
Oh I loved Malory Towers, my poor mum loved the Chalet school ones, but didn’t succeed in making me like them. I loved the way life was so fair and the bad girls got their come-uppance, with a bit of compassion on the side if there were understandable reasons for their wickedness.