Christmas reflections

I haven't posted for a while, and for a number of reasons.
The first, simply practical- our computer died again! Whilst we still had Internet access for emails and online activities, trying to 'write' on a phone or notebook just doesn't work for me!
The second, was adjusting to JK being at school, and Madi and I finding new ways of working.
The third was just how busy it gets in December!

So what have we been doing since my last post?

Madi made her promise and was invested as a Brownie. She is very proud to be in the Kelpie six, the same as I was all those many, many moons ago! I showed her my badge on my camp blanket, and we both had a good giggle at how simplistic and old-fashioned it is compared with hers!

At Chesterfield group we made Christmas tree decorations out of FIMO- thank you Andrea

After much waiting, Madi had her first clarinet lesson. She has enjoyed her piano lessons very much, and has a lovely teacher, but since watching Orchestra United together, she has been desperate to take up the clarinet. After our experiences of her waiting a year to take up archery but still being very committed I was less hesitant this time, but unfortunately we still had to wait for her front teeth to come through! They aren't quite there, but long enough to manage, and I am very proud of how hard she is trying. It is a lot harder to get a note out of a clarinet than a piano, but she is setting herself difficult targets, and working hard to achieve them.

Also new in December was the climbing wall. Organised by friends in the Nottingham HE community, Madi was a little unsure when we arrived, but after trying it out definitely wants to go again!

We also enjoyed a visit to Tuxford Mill with other HE families from North Nottinghamshire. After finding out how the windmill worked, we brought home some wholemeal self-raising flour which we used to make cheese scones. Absolutely delicious!

Flic and Jem bought plain flour to make soda bread, so we are going to swap later!

The end of November and beginning of December brought snow, and many regular activities and special events were cancelled. We were particularly disappointed to miss out on tree planting, the dance school presentation, and a carol service with Sunday Club, but we did have lots of fun in the snow, and the big District Brownie party still went ahead!

So did the RYSC performance.

Madi needed to have ringlets for the show, which was definitely a struggle! With grateful thanks to Lesley, we had tried hot irons and curlers but after no success went back in time and tied her hair up with rags, which was not a popular option, but, after all, one must suffer for one's art!

We'd all been asked to bring sweet items to add to the after-show buffet, and Madi was quite determined that we should make something vegan. We went with gingerbread biscuits, and had a lot of fun icing them.

The venue was packed, and the show was excellent, but it was a very long day and we were both very tired as we caught the bus back out of Nottingham.

Only to go back the following day when we walked around the Christmas market and talked about the foods from different countries available, including tasting Wurst and Paella. We also found an 'old-fashioned' sweet shop and talked about the differences (and similarities) between the sweets I used to have, and those Madi picks. We also chose some for Grandad for Christmas.

We then joined up with HE families across the East Midlands for the panto! It was fantastic to watch, but even more fantastic to see Madi and her friend A singing and dancing along!

JK's birthday was a fairly quiet affair this year. He would have been on a Scout sleepover but unfortunately it was cancelled because of the bad weather, and he didn't want to make any alternative arrangements.

That same week, Madi went to a fantastic birthday party for her friend L from drama, and also with Flic and Jem to see the new Narnia film- Voyage of the Dawntreader. We also managed to get to Game On, a group we used to attend regularly but clashes with RYSC.

On 'Christmas Eve Eve' as Madi describes it, we traditionally meet up with two other families. This year we made Christmas tree biscuits, played table tennis and computer games, had a delicious shared lunch, and created a lovely 'Get Well Soon' card for the poorly girl that couldn't join us.

Sadly my car didn't return from that visit!

hockey and hallowe'en, music and musicals

Last weekend was full of hockey for JK- regular training at Beeston followed by an U13 mini tournament, Sutton Sing U14s away v. Northern Stars, and another round of County field hockey trials!

He is also working on some new songs, and I am delighted to have discovered www.musicroom.com ! From Gang Show he has chosen Take That’s ‘Greatest Day’, ‘This is the Moment’ from the musical Sweeney Todd, and from the exam board syllabus ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘Cockles and Mussels’, all of which I was able to order and pay for online and immediately download and print out. There is even the facility to hear them played (admittedly in a rather tinky-tonky musak kind of way) following the cursor through the sheet music (is it still called that if is on a screen?!) presumably helping you learn to read music in the same way the Disney Readalong Books and CDs help smalls learn to read.

Tuesday we spent the day with the Newman’s , the younger girls decorating cakes with a Halloween theme to follow a meal of hot dog with beans, mushy peas and corn on the cob, all prepared by the two eldest boys- no mean feat when you consider they were catering for nine of us with no input from the grown-ups unless asked for!

Wednesday we carried on cooking, joining the Chesterfield group pressing apples and making an absolutely delicious pumpkin soup. I’ve always thought I didn’t like pumpkin, but this is one I’d definitely try again. With grateful thanks to Suzy, here is the recipe...

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
1 large onion chopped
1/2 medium pumpkin chopped into cubes (quite small as they cook faster)
1 tsp curry powder
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
oil for frying

Method
1. Fry onion until soft.
2. Add curry powder to onions and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add pumpkin cubes and coat in the onion mixture for a couple of minutes.
4. Add stock cubes which are dissolved in a pint and a half of water.
5. Add tin of chopped tomatoes.
6. Cook until pumpkin is soft then blend.

Add more water if it is too thick and maybe a swirl of cream if you are feeling very naughty!

Thursday evening Madi and friends went to see her favourite musical of the moment ‘Annie’ at the Acorn Theatre at Worksop, our discovery from this summer when she attended Theatre Week there.

Reviewing the Situation

In spite of a possible return to school for JK, we’ve quickly got back in to the swing of things. All the regular activities are underway again, and both are enjoying their chosen subjects to study.

Madi has joined a twice monthly Spanish group lesson, and is preparing for her Grade 1 Ballet and Theatre Craft exams at the weekend.

JK has been working a little more independently from his IGCSE Biology course (written by Sam Martell, HE mum), and has made a start on learning Java Script, initially using a book from the library, but with more success now with the free online tutorials by w3schools.com. These are unfortunately rather cluttered with advertising, but this doesn't seem to bother him, and he is now far more motivated than previously.

Madi enjoyed a trip to the Theatre Royal to see ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat’ with tickets she received as a birthday present, and JK joined a ‘Page to Stage’ workshop and performance of ‘Twelfth Night’ at the Playhouse with a group of local HE teens. There have also been extra rehearsals for North Nottinghamshire Gang Show with just a few more left before performance week.

back to 'school'!

If schooled children are anything like mine, they'll have really missed their evening activities over the school-imposed summer holiday.
For me, I've just lost track of all the driving around and forgotten how difficult it is to actually have a proper meal in between my taxiing!

Wicked!

Girlguiding and Scouting

Feeling not so happy tonight.

Yesterday, Madi went to her first ever Brownie Pack meeting. She has been looking forward to that day pretty much almost since she became a Rainbow! But although she turned 7 in July, nobody told us where to take her, and even after turning up to Rainbows last night where they were very quick to tell us she should now be at Brownies and would contact them "again" to make sure they expected us, 'Little Owl' was obviously clueless. In spite of that, she really enjoyed herself, and is looking forward to making her promise.

We also found out that one of her friends has joined Rainbows (completely different group) on the strength of her recommendation. That won't really mean anything to her at the moment, but I think she should be very proud.

And then tonight she has decided not to carry on with Beavers. She finds them immature and disrespectful. And yes, this is HER opinion- JK asked her too! I took her over to explain to the leaders and they commented on how many of that evening's quiz questions (about home safety and emergency aid) she had been able to answer and then grinned and said 'bye'. Madi had been unsure about Beavers for a while, and sadly I'd let my own positive feelings about Scouting influence her to give it another go.

Add to today Beth's experience of Scouting (a long story and not going to be blogged) and I'm a tad embarrassed to have been such a promoter.

Growing and Baking

Anybody that knows me will know that my fingers are definitely not green! I've struggled as best I can with the various plants that I've been given, and tried even harder when my offspring have come back from Beavers or Rainbows with something they've planted. That said, both children's runner beans and blotting paper just turned mouldy in their plastic cups (and on both attempts!).

I am in complete admiration of those that do manage to feed themselves with their own crops, and even more so of those that have managed to reach the point where they can bottle or preserve and sell their produce.

We are unlikely ever to reach that point!


This year though, Madi's sunflower plant has flowered. Ok, it's not very big but we have a flower on the third year of trying!

Even more exciting, the seeds planted as part of the Victorian kitchen session we attended have produced courgettes! (A huge thank you to Katya and Hannah- I would never have believed this possible!)

Unfortunately none of us actually like courgettes, but most fortuitously there was a recipe in this week's First News for courgette cupcakes! I admit they don't exactly sound delicious, but Madi loves baking, and JK might not realise they have a vegetable in them if we put enough icing on!

Ingredients
1-2 courgettes (250g), grated
handful of sultanas
juice of one orange
2tbsp honey
3 eggs
sunflower oil (175ml)
brown sugar (200g)
self-raising flour (225g)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
handful of flaked almonds, toasted and chopped
2 limes, zested

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180oC and line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Grate the courgettes and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
3. Stick the sultanas in a pan with the orange juice and honey. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes until the raisins are plump and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
4. Crack the eggs in a bowl with the sunflower oil and sugar and whisk until creamy.
5. Sift over flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
6. Fold in with the almonds, the grated courgettes, the sultanas and the grated zest of two limes.
7. Dollop into the muffin cases and bake them for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when stuck in the middle.
8. Leave the muffins to cool a bit in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Beat the cream cheese with icing sugar and the juice of two limes until smooth and creamy.
10. Spread the icing over the cooled muffins and decorate with whatever takes your fancy.

Starship Discovery

This week Madi has been attending a Holiday Club at the Methodist Church, aiming to provide 'a fun, informative and action packed bible based programme of events'.

I was not brought up with any religion myself, and as parents we were agreed that we would not enforce our own (differing) beliefs on our children, but allow them to explore faith and spirituality and reach their own decisions.

Before we moved house, JK was a chorister at our local Church, and attended a maintained Church of England school. He therefore has experience of many Christian customs and practices, what to expect to see and do in a Church, and some knowledge of the Bible. It has occurred to me recently that although we have made visits to learn more about Buddhism, Islam and Judaism over the past year, and followed these up with reading, talking and more, it has not really occurred to me to look at Christianity with Madi.

The Starship Discovery Holiday Club seemed to provide an ideal opportunity for this. Through singing and dancing, puppetry, stories and crafts, Madi has learnt a number Bible stories over the week, including memorising several verses, and particularly more about what it means to be a Christian. Each day she has come home with a worksheet with puzzles, games and colouring and has sat herself down (I wanted to say 'religiously' here!) every afternoon to enthusiastically complete what she describes as her 'homework'.

On Friday, after we had dropped off her friend, she was quiet, so I asked her if anything was wrong. She explained that they had been asked if they wanted to be Christians, and that she was worried they would think she was ungrateful or a bad person because she hadn't said yes. She went on that she had really enjoyed the week, but that she didn't know enough about it yet, or about 'all the other religions' to make a decision! A very proud parent moment for me!

We talked about what she had said, and agreed that she would make a proper 'Thank You' card for them to make sure the leaders knew that she really appreciated them giving up their time and that she had enjoyed herself very much and had learnt a lot and would like to learn more. We also agreed that she didn't have to make this decision yet, or ever, if she didn't want to.

Space Hop!

Madi has joined the library's summer reading challenge again this year. The idea of the scheme is to encourage chidlren to read 6 books borrowed from the library over the school summer holiday, for which they are rewarded with stickers and other rewards, and a medal and certificate on successful completion. Whilst finding it slightly alarming that it should be necessary to try and bribe children to read in this way, Madi (like JK when he was younger) does enjoy collecting the rewards. The theme this year is 'Space Hop'. Her first choice was 'Gargoylz go to a Party' by Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler. Hmmm, not a great hit. Each book in the series comes with a rubber gargoyle toy, which I'm sure is very appealing to children, and with a code hidden in the story to activate a new game on the Gargoylz website. More attempts to bribe children to read! Of course, the library copy does not have the toy attached, and Madi wasn't really very impressed with either the game on the website or the story itself. She had chosen it as she thought the cover looked fun and exciting, but unfortunately the cover was as interesting as it got.

The fourth title in Sue Limb's Ruby Rogers series- 'Get a Life!' was her second choice, and was much more like the stories Madi usually chooses, and unsurprisingly was much more popular, although it still didn't reach the standard of her old favourites Horrid Henry, Clarice Bean and Daisy. Still, she will look out for more of these.

On our next visit, Madi chose 'Bill's New Frock' by Anne Fine and 'Bacillus and the Beastly Bath' by Ann Jungman.

Summer School at Eastwood Comprehensive

Just a couple of weeks after putting on Bugsy Malone in a week, JK is off for more performing arts, this time at a local comprehensive's summer school, and with his friend Jack from ice hockey. It isn't always easy to find out what JK has been doing, but I know he has enjoyed the chance to work with music technology, and they have been doing a lot of filming, another new opportunity for him. A particular highlight was a trip to the National Media Museum in Bradford, where they also watched Shrek 3 on the IMAX. And his Facebook account would suggest he made a lot of new friends too!

socialising

As it is the school holidays, JK has been spending more time than usual 'socialising'. This might not seem worthy of a post itself, but when he was at school, JK didn't really have friends. At least not in the way that society expects. So I am really pleased that over the past two weeks, as well his regular activities and HE groups, he has met up with schooled and non-schooled friends of both genders and different ages on the park, for a bbq, laser quest, a birthday party, a football session at the leisure centre, and even a local festival. And that is quite apart from the time he spends on MSN, XBox live and Facebook!

reviewing the situation

Although we started our education together in January 2009, and haven't really kept to school terms or years, we seem to have naturally reached a review point, and over the past week we've spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what we would like to be doing next. Maths is my stickler, mainly in case either ever returns to school. Madi had a subscription to Whizz Maths last year, but we haven't renewed, partly due to a a huge price hike, but mainly due to the fact that she found their protracted methods rather frustrating. We also found some topics came up a lot, and that these tended to be neither interesting, useful, nor challenging! She also rarely uses Education City now, and I think she has probably outgrown it, so we won't renew that subscription either. However, both have enjoyed Mathletics so we will continue with that. JK will continue with Conquer Maths and MathsWatch GCSE, supplemented with CIMT where necessary, and I have also managed to buy MathsWatch at KS2/3 from the Fareham & Gosport HE Group for Madi, which we will use alongside lots more times tables workbooks and online practice with Tutpup, Free Rice and Timez Attack. Madi is taking part in the library summer scheme again (more about this later), but JK has decided he is now far too mature to require stickers and rewards for reading! He is a real fan of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books, and so I actually bought the latest instalment rather than making him wait for it to reach the library; he devoured it within days. He has read, re-read and re-read this series so many times I am really keen that he moves on to something new. He has always been a series reader, so I shouldn't really worry about it, but to prompt him I bought two of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series (BOGOF) as someone mentioned to me that their son preferred reading books of his own than library books. Meanwhile we have been listening to an audiobook of the first of Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mystery series, 'The Thieves of Ostia' . This has proven really popular with them both, and the first 15 books in the series were available from The Book People for just £9.99! That should keep them going a while! It has also sparked an interest from JK in learning some Latin. We have a copy of Minimus, so we will make a start with that. Although it is aimed primarily at KS2 children, it will be a fun introduction and we can always move on to something more substantial if he wants to continue. Meanwhile Madi has decided to give Spanish a go. We have plenty of resources, DVD, CD and workbooks (including the dreaded Muzzy which we have tried a couple of times before, but we'll try again- you never know!). With the 'Back to School' offers on, I've also picked up a nice range of different workbooks covering all sorts of topics for her to pick and choose from in her own time, and we hope to include mini-projects on the Romans, and weather, possibly as lapbooks, which seem to be very popular with some of her friends. And I am determined we will complete one of the cross stitch designs that she has started! Madi has recently returned to swimming lessons, and has been enjoying trampolining and gymnastics sessions over the school holidays, and she would like to carry on with these, so has decided to give figure skating a break for a while. She is also looking forward to getting back to hockey and lacrosse, and has her new archery club. Dancing exams are looming, so she has decided to focus on ballet, tap and theatre craft, and not continue with jazz. She has been watching 'Orchestra United' which "charts the creation of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra, which brings together a cross-section of young people from Manchester's vast cultural and ethnic community" [C4 website] and with JK about to take part in a saxophone 'band' workshop she has decided she would like clarinet as well as piano lessons if funds will allow! JK has been teaching himself some HTML from instructions on the internet, and is about to move on to JavaScript. As yet he is undecided whether to continue working towards Biology IGCSE or attempt an OU level 1 course with more in-depth study of computing and ICT. He still aims to complete his ECDL tests, and the Bronze Arts Award. With this in mind he has enrolled for the cast of Disco Inferno, and has had a taster singing lesson. No hesitation, of course, about continuing with ice hockey and field hockey, and he has managed to interest a friend in coming to lacrosse with him. He is less sure about his saxophone lessons, as he doesn't feel he is making a lot of progress, and although he is very keen to carry on with Scouts, his current troop is now very thin on the ground and the leaders are struggling to deliver a programme that excites the kids. I had considered helping, but I feel that he gets far more out of Scouts without a parent there. This one will be a difficult decision for him.

New Youth Theatre

Just found some photos of the shows the kids have been in over the last year and a half, and couldn't help myself but post them! Thanks to Simon at SDR Digital Photography for some fantastic reminders!

Oliver! [Christmas 2008]

Bugsy Malone [Easter 2009]

The Wizard of Oz [Summer 2009]

The Aristocats [Christmas 2009]

Guys and Dolls [Christmas 2009]

Footloose [Easter 2010]

This term JK is rehearsing for Disco Inferno, to be performed at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield, in November. He is really enjoying camping it up for his role as Nick Diablo, a gaily dapper 1970s nightclub owner, who captures souls! Both are also rehearsing for the North Nottinghamshire Gang Show, a variety show performed by members of Scouting and Guiding, also at the Palace Theatre, but in October. Madi has decided to give New Youth Theatre a break this term, and has joined the Regional Youth Shakespeare Company to put on their own old-time music hall show - 'The Christmas Club'.

Floralands

The weather was beautiful yesterday, and we went out to a Maize Maze and farm park with another HE family. Boys and girls (ladies of a certain age and girl?!) set off separately to collect the 11 clues hidden around the maze to solve the puzzle. I'll admit the boys did much better than the girls (although I suspect there may have been some cheating going on) but I also have to admit we still haven't found even half the clues let alone solved the puzzle! Madi still loves worksheets, bless her, and worked her way round the farm park code quest but was a little miffed that there was no reward.

'Back to School'

Yes, the signs are up everywhere, it's time to start thinking about 'Back to School'. On a serious note they are a constant reminder that I have been thinking about this a lot anyway. JK and I have not been getting on well, and I wonder if he would prefer to have more time away from me, and to feel more independent. I guess it's only to be expected as he rapidly approaches that dreaded 13th birthday, he increasingly seems to resent my existence!

So one option would be a return to school. Over the past few weeks we have talked about this, but although he was slightly unsure when I first suggested home education, he is now absolutely adamant that he does not want to go to our catchment comprehensive (even when I won't let him go on Facebook after 9pm!). In fact, he won't go out of the house alone at lunchtime, and physically flinches if we walk past a group of pupils in uniform together. Yet, he does have friends that go to schools, including a couple at this one, so I'm not really sure why. He has made incredible progress socially since coming out of school, in no end of ways, but he still isn't truly happy and I have no idea how to help him with this at the moment, so I guess this is just one of the difficult parts of the journey and I'll have to keep listening and thinking and trying to understand and offering suggestions.

On a much lighter note, 'Back to School' also means some great stationery offers, which I'm more than happy to take advantage of. Today I've been stocking up on those fantastic pens that you can rub out and write straight over, and bought a beautiful new diary to start planning ahead for when things get back to normal in September. And we managed to buy big white pants and crop tops for Madi ready for Gang Show on a 342 offer.

Good news, apart from struggling with JK, which, sadly, I think may be an ongoing theme :-(

more pre-blog favourite moments...

a behind the scenes tour of Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham (JK's own picture)

Olivia's diary

using a microscope at Cottam Power Station, near Retford

growing a grass caterpillar

making glass paperweights at Sherwood Forest Craft Centre, Edwinstowe

drawing animals and learning about their habitats at Wollaton Park, Nottingham

making marzipan fruits (notice the iron in the top right corner of the picture, as this doesn't get used very often!)

walking like a dinosaur at the New Walk Museum, Leicester

dressing up as a Stuart at Bishop's House, Sheffield

the science of chocolate making at Chesterfield

learning about the secret activities that went on in Clumber Park during WW2- the children are lying down in a trench and were then covered with ferns to see how easily they could be spotted from overhead. more WW2 at Clumber Park- this time the children are about to experience the darkness and noise of an air raid shelter

Flat Stanley's visit to The Deep in Kingston-upon-Hull

Learning about WW1 in Chesterfield

Fungi foray at Bestwood Country Park, Nottingham