Learning from Letters

Some interesting things have occurred this week and some good stuff has happened. One (not necessarily good, not necessarily a problem) is that the LEA has caught up with us again; when we moved i wrote to them and told them our new address but i never heard from them and didn’t think much of it really. Last time i spoke to the chap i had sent him a 32 page report and he admitted he had only read bits of it. I just assumed they weren’t doing yearly checks any more. Anyway, we had a letter here this week saying that we’d not replied to 2 other letters but that might be because we’d moved. The address he has written to isn’t the one i originally wrote in and gave (our postcode and addressed slightly between buying and moving) so i’m curious as to where he got it from. However, no matter. I’m thinking i might actually have a visit this time, just to ring the changes, so long as he understands that we don’t keep samples of work in any way. I’ll speak to him on Monday.

I’ve had a birthday, which was very nice and Fran has reprised the cake she made the other week as part of a 3 course meal she did on her own (from her “Jacqueline-Wilson-Diary-2008!”) It was extremely nice, Victoria Sponge made with nectarine and Kiwi filling on Black Cherry jam. Yum. Max has made a variety of lego cars and structures with the girls and then they did endless experiments on timing various things going up and down the hallway; Happy Street trains with new and old batteries, themselves, rolling balls and fruit, silly walks and the variety of lego things. Lots of talk of time, energy, engineering and the like.

I found some spelling tests and Fran has been doing those and Maddy has cracked her 4 times table, adding across hundreds and has made a good start at joined up writing.

This week the girls went to HE group; i was supposed to go but had to do something else instead so Max lost his HE group cherry, took them and ran a table making The Green Man out of Fimo. Went down well apparently and he really enjoyed it too; girls were ever so pleased he took them.

We’ve also read loads of stories and enjoyed lots of family time together, feels just great and we seem to be getting into more of a routine now. Hopefully the business will be moved in a week and then we’ll have to feel our way through how that will work. On the other hand, we’ll have a whole extra room in the house (unless i succeed in turning it into a nursery room! 🙄 ) and we plan to leave lots of the shelves in there and use it as an HE room/half finished projects room as well as somewhere to have an extra computer set up more permanently.

Amelie and Josie seem to be forming more of a bond too, which helps lots in terms of them playing; Amelie spends less time normalling, though she does love to do them and they are gradually more able to play together when others are still busy. Amelie joins in with most things though and her maths is pretty good, never mind her reading. She’s finished her first Studydog now and is ready for the next level.

Everyone is back at Rainbows, Brownies and dancing; all the big 3 have 4 lessons a week now (on 4 different days…. argh) plus Brownies and Rainbows. Must fit in swimming, but can’t entirely face the thought of more stuff!!!!

Today has been very nice; currently the middle 2 are making necklaces with this Bead Shop kit and Fran has learned to crochet with this set, which she got for Xmas. She’s currently on a second necklace for a small cousin. While Fran and Maddy were out at ballet, i wii’d and gamecubed with the little 2, then read a story, then did jigsaws and then we’ve all watched Happy Feet. I’ve also managed to count and pack one of the brands ready to move it (it’s tricky doing this as we need to leave a weeks stock here and that’s unpredictable. If there is one thing more likely that selling something you’ve just sold out of, it’s selling something you’ve just moved to several miles away!) But we are getting there. The computer is ordered (an EXTREMELY cheap one which i am determined to keep organised and uncluttered!) and i’ve started planning how it will all work.

And here is Josie’s penguin collection. We were counting them at 4am before she would go back to sleep. I’m endeavouring to ignore the implications of that!

In amongst that lot are Baggy, Daddy, Pluffy, Baby, Admiral, Emperor, Pingu and Pinga and Penguino. Obsessed? Noooo.

Edited to add: Fran and Maddy got the Theatre Arts Stage 2 results; they both got 82, Highly Commended and really nice remarks too. Fran was complimented on being clear and graceful and Maddy on good acting and confidence. Proud of them both.