Today was a lovely day.
In the morning we scuffled around, keeping each other company and gaming, chattering, eating breakfast, playing with Bene. I did some work, fed a boy, changed a nappy, talked to someone about prejudice and tolerance. We listened to Wee Free Men in snatches, which should be compulsory listening and Fran read Lord of the Flies. Somebody sewed on the sofa.
Bene showed Fran who the iPad belongs to. He also showered me in wet kisses on demand and played peekaboo from behind his own hands.
Maddy finished her animations and she and I wrote a review post together. I showed them how to plan out a website, working around them as they crafted. Amelie sewed, she and Josie played lego downstairs and took turns in building these together. The cushion is something Amelie made at the weekend, she is back to bags now. Fran and Josie went upstairs where Fran is teaching Josie to scrapbook; the joy for a little girl of such special big sister time is hard to measure.
I taught Josie how to plan a game to make more money and how to invest money to earn more money. You can learn quite a lot from Dragonvale, if you are 8. It's surprising.
Amelie and Fran helped me come up with some exercises to get some leg flexibility back. I can't carry on this unfit.
Fran made lunch, while I sorted washing and everyone else put away some stuff that was making our home feel wrong. We ate upstairs, all together, with an ear out for the briefly sleeping Bene.
Then Fran went off to revise for her first gcse, which happens this week. Maddy helped Amelie learn to use the himation software, Josie created a party, complete with writing. She and I chatted, as you do, when your 8 year old is your friend. We probably drove cars for Bene. I think we did some washing, some sorting, some stuff with a baby by our knee and the world to sort out.
We gave Bene a bath. He's very cute in the bath. He and Josie love to go in together.
It was time for gym, so off we all went. Maddy and I went to work where she helped me refine the ideas for a new logo. Then she went off on her jamming session with her friend who drums and his dad, who is a graphic designer. Logo designs had inspired her and she came back with an armful of useful things to learn more. She and I spent the evening learning a new software. She's clever and her logo is exactly what she had rough drawn. When the gymmers came back, there was dinner and chatting and bed and crochet and a baby to put to bed.
Fran goes back tomorrow. We miss her when she is gone, life feels more complete with her here. Life gets back to normal tomorrow. But everyone learned and did a lot today. It's not vey conventional but it is productive and it is happy. They make great friends to be home with these days.
I think we might be nearing the end of home educating. If it ends with simple memories of days like today, I won't mind. I think we did good.
Sounds a lovely day 🙂
You do so much at a lovely leisurely sounding pace. What time do you get up??? I don’t think I’d have completed your morning list by the end of the day.
And gcse’s in January. What’s that all about?
Gwenny gets her first gcse result on Thursday! Am v nervous! Good luck to Fran k I’m sure she’s well-prepared xxx
Jaysus you achieved in a day what we did last year!
*buries head in sand*
Sigh.. you make me want to homeschool soooo much! Jealous! xxx
Are you truly thinking of putting all the girls in school? Are they asking to go? And will you homeschool Bene? Very curious as I’ve read you for years and years! 🙂
Well, yes and no. I think Amelie is ready – and to some extent we are ready for her to go too. She’s not a child we would have thought to HE if she was our eldest. Maddy I’m not so sure and isn’t keen but the opportunity might be worth having as back up. I’ve no plans to send Josie just now at all. And Bene, who is clearly very active and gregarious may go – but it will depend on where we are by then and what schools are available.
No one quite ‘wants’ to – but for Amelie that’s mostly because shes an annoying combination of clever and lazy. We shall see.
The bigger problem really is I need to go back to work; the business needs me and on it’s current profit levels our life isn’t sustainable for much longer. So it may be a case of have to.