Headless chickens

Can't believe it's been a nearly a week since I last blogged. I just don't seem to have been around to write up what's been going on.

Where to begin? To be honest, I can't remember. Have to check calendar. Wednesday - photos at playgroup. Thursday - manic shopping day with a car-less friend. Lidl, Aldi, Asda... o joy. :\ Still, I've got the store room stocked back up again. Getting ready for the hard winter ahead that everyone keeps forecasting. Need to finish stacking up some wood for the little cast iron stove thing we've got. Friday - went to an NCT coffee morning, then went running in the afternoon. Well, half jogging, half walking.

And then - Friday afternoon was my last ever school run. :) How great is that? I'm not sure eldest has a full comprehension of what it actually means, but she likes the idea of me being her teacher. It hasn't quite fully sunk in yet - mainly because I haven't written the de-reg letter yet. I'm such a coward.

Took offspring to Brewsters on Saturday morning for a treat - they've totally redone the fun factory thingy and it's actually quite pleasant, clean and tidy. No sticky carpets, ripped foam padding, and Tigger was wearing white tights and came home still looking halfway presentable. Piglet had a blast, mugged a couple of boys about a year older than her for their foam blocks, ate all her dinner and half of mine and had absolutely no fear when climbing up several storeys of soft play climbing frame. I wasn't overly impressed with food, but at least for once it was prompt, hot and everything we ordered actually arrived.

Sunday, we had friends for dinner. No mention of homeschooling. Don't think they fully approve, so we just don't bring up the subject. Politics, religion and education, we agree to differ. lol

Today has been more constructivel day. Have finally got the other computer up and running - so we have two towers attached to one monitor, and another tower that runs two monitors... only in our house. lol. Still, I also have two nice big shelves above the new computer set up, so I can start rearranging files, books, etc. Shame we didn't manage to paint to walls before putting up the shelves - looks like I'll have to live with the pea green for a while longer.

Am off to raid the kitchen now - starving as I just didn't fancy pizza with the rest of them earlier. Everyone else wanted pizza, except boring old mommy. Mommy had an apple, and several pitying glances from children with cheese and tomato all over their faces. At least they enjoyed it!

Busy day off

Seem to have had a houseful today - had a copper here for nearly an hour, going through DH's shotgun license application, the TV repair man arrived in the middle of it, and then no sooner had he gone than a couple of friends arrived with their 1 year old, in time for lunch.

Eldest went to school in tears, because she couldn't find the right water bottle. She came home in tears because Daddy wouldn't pick her up and carry her (she's a very tall, well built 5 year old!). Somethings not right there. Still, she's got 3 days and counting.

Am not so addled as I was yesterday - mainly because I haven't been dragged around the Lakeside jogging track by a masochistic associate who is intent on making me run a mile by the New Year. I don't half bloody ache though. To add insult to injury, he also insisted that we stop 3/4 of the way around on top of the little hill and do a few martial arts moves... have you ever tried to kick someone at chest height when your legs are like rubber, and it's blowing a howling gale? He seemed to think it was highly amusing.

Trying to think of something to do at Halloween. I think a bonfire is in order, but we might be off on another muddy weekend - DH's Discovery Owners Club. So that means we get back Sunday a.m., and have the bonfire p.m.. Doesn't leave much organising time. Want to make it special for the eldest though. Her first proper New Year bonfire. Maybe that's the reason why we've chosen to take her out of school at this time of year - it's our new year, time for new beginnings.

I'll stop here, before I start doubting myself again.

4 days and counting

Okay, time to post something seriously. And you can't get much more serious that this - my eldest DD who's 5, only has 4 days left at school.

At proper school, I mean. At the square brick building 5 minutes walk away that has turned her from a cute, cheeky, afffectionate little individual into a bad tempered, smart mouthed, nasty, whiny little thug.

I can't wait. I know it's going to be chaos. But, hey, how much more chaotic can it get in this house? Three girls, currently aged 5, nearly 3 and almost 17 months. A dog. A guinea pig. A DH who works 10 to 12 hours a day. Not to mention that the house is a small, 3 bed semi with the most useless kitchen this side of the border.

Still, we've managed here for nearly 18 months. We've done the whole planning permission, buildings regs thing for a great extension (two more bedrooms, two more bathrooms, a new kitchen and a playroom - yippee!!!). All we need to find now is a builder.

Half term approaching now, and we thought it was a natural break in the school year to de-reg her. It's not like we haven't been doing a kind of homeschooling for a while, it's just that I want to do it properly. She's still full of questions when she gets home, but those 2 hours between 4 and 6 are the worst times to try and work on anything with her. Middle DD and small DD (need to find blog names for them all... mind not working right at moment) both demand more of my attention at that point of the day than at any other, and when eldest is running around with knitting needles demanding to know how to knit, middle is trying to show baby how to put Brio train track together and baby is intent on feeding the dog's biscuits into the video...

3.30pm is a stupid time to finish school anyhow. Either they should finish at lunchtime, so you can have a good, productive afternoon with your children, or keep the little buggers till 6pm, at which point you can feed them, bath them and put them straight to bed. 3.30pm gives tired kids, who can't concentrate on anything they do, with too long till the tea/bath/bed time. Tired kids fight, don't learn anything constructive, won't co-operate, like irritating their siblings and in general, are horrible to be around. And considering middle DD has spent most of the day looking forward to eldest's return from school, it's awful to watch her being shoved aside by eldest in her quest for the idiot box. She'd rather watch Tweenies than play with middle DD.

Home education is the way to go. I'm convinced of it. I have been convinced of it for over 2 years.

So why, suddenly, with 4 days to go, am I running around trying desperately to reassure myself, when I've spent the last 4 months telling everyone it's such a fabulous idea?

First post

First ever blog. Exciting stuff. :)

Now I need to go get some sleep, or I'll be in no fit condition to do anything in the morning, let alone embark on the first day of my fitness program. Who says I can't run a mile?