Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Friday, 13 January 2012
Currently reading
I recently read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I really enjoyed it. My other regular reads are on musculo-skeletal anatomy and deep tissue massage at the moment.
Springy is reading "lots of stuff." She has pet books, Jack Russell Dog Detective, and Timothy and the Two Witches. She also loves the Guiness Book of World Records.
Springy is reading "lots of stuff." She has pet books, Jack Russell Dog Detective, and Timothy and the Two Witches. She also loves the Guiness Book of World Records.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Irish dancing
Springy has been twice now to an Irish dancing class. She loves it. I'm so pleased because it's a good cardiac workout, along with being enjoyable and good for her co-ordination and posture. At the moment she's dancing barefoot and is doing "soft shoe" style reels. She picked up the 1-2-3 move in a week (practising on the farm tracks). It also reminded me of how I used to love dancing. I did ballet and tap until I was about 11 years old and in tap I used to get distinctions. I've been learning some of the moves so that I can help her practice at home.
Springy gave the guineapigs a bath this morning. It was new guineapig Martha's first time in a full bath bathtime. With piggies that means they go swimming. They look like mini capybaras (who are also South American creatures). Our dog fell asleep on one of my knees earlier. We played three rounds, as a family, of Bananagrams. We love the game - it's a good way to increase vocabulary and spelling awareness. I'm surprised how many words Springy knows at times. She's currently reading a book called Dog Detectives. I'm reading The Lord of the Rings - I read it every year. I see it as a holiday (since we don't have a holiday otherwise) to voyage to Middle Earth and read of first Bilbo Baggins' adventures in The Hobbit and then travel with Frodo and Sam. I liked the films but feel they fell short of the books by a long way.
I've been working on the garden a fair bit the past few days. It's been quite cold outside but dry enough to dig up some of the borders, pull out some of the old and decaying plants e.g. the angelica. I've kept back some of the angelica stalk to make a musical instrument with. We're also hoping to do some willow workshops over the next week as we're moving into our block on Shelters again. This time we're hoping to have some hands on opportunities.
We finished our Old Testament block. We've covered since last year Adam and Eve (which is about questioning and disobeying authority and the loss of innocence), Noah and His Ark, Joseph and his Coat and Moses in the Bulrushes. I dislike the Bible generally speaking because I find that the deity is rather nasty and into smiting. However, I took the stories that I felt had general wisdom in them and that would meet some of Springy's 9-year change aspects. It's interesting how prone to melancholy she is recently. She was always very sanguine in nature - happy, skippy, la-de-da like a butterfly. However, in the past 6 months we have much more of a huff and a "not fair" and general "I'm not doing that" going on. It's involved at times lots of psychological ploys including the melancholic empathy thing whereby I've done "Oh I remember that when I was your age..." Some of it has been peer influence. There are a few friends that I'm having to stop her seeing - they're not bad per se but they don't have the same curbs on pop culture that I prefer. I know that this too shall pass but it can be a little exhausting at times and also a little sad to see some of them go through this change into 'attitude'. Ho hum as some of my good friends would say.
Springy gave the guineapigs a bath this morning. It was new guineapig Martha's first time in a full bath bathtime. With piggies that means they go swimming. They look like mini capybaras (who are also South American creatures). Our dog fell asleep on one of my knees earlier. We played three rounds, as a family, of Bananagrams. We love the game - it's a good way to increase vocabulary and spelling awareness. I'm surprised how many words Springy knows at times. She's currently reading a book called Dog Detectives. I'm reading The Lord of the Rings - I read it every year. I see it as a holiday (since we don't have a holiday otherwise) to voyage to Middle Earth and read of first Bilbo Baggins' adventures in The Hobbit and then travel with Frodo and Sam. I liked the films but feel they fell short of the books by a long way.
I've been working on the garden a fair bit the past few days. It's been quite cold outside but dry enough to dig up some of the borders, pull out some of the old and decaying plants e.g. the angelica. I've kept back some of the angelica stalk to make a musical instrument with. We're also hoping to do some willow workshops over the next week as we're moving into our block on Shelters again. This time we're hoping to have some hands on opportunities.
We finished our Old Testament block. We've covered since last year Adam and Eve (which is about questioning and disobeying authority and the loss of innocence), Noah and His Ark, Joseph and his Coat and Moses in the Bulrushes. I dislike the Bible generally speaking because I find that the deity is rather nasty and into smiting. However, I took the stories that I felt had general wisdom in them and that would meet some of Springy's 9-year change aspects. It's interesting how prone to melancholy she is recently. She was always very sanguine in nature - happy, skippy, la-de-da like a butterfly. However, in the past 6 months we have much more of a huff and a "not fair" and general "I'm not doing that" going on. It's involved at times lots of psychological ploys including the melancholic empathy thing whereby I've done "Oh I remember that when I was your age..." Some of it has been peer influence. There are a few friends that I'm having to stop her seeing - they're not bad per se but they don't have the same curbs on pop culture that I prefer. I know that this too shall pass but it can be a little exhausting at times and also a little sad to see some of them go through this change into 'attitude'. Ho hum as some of my good friends would say.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Crow and Dog
There on the path was a crow. It was minding its own business when along came a certain defective Shih Tzu with a short, curled but wagging tail. "Play with me," the tail begged but the crow decided to jump to the ditch and then took off to the west, away from the lonely canine.
In other news, Springy has been working on a scrapbook about her pets. I had a beautiful scrapbook set which I had always intended to use but never got round to doing so. I find the whole thing too time consuming so I have been glad to pass it on to Springy. She seems to be really enjoying printing, writing, cutting out photos, sticking bits of paper and so into the book.We've also started a new book today. It's called the Children of Green Knowe. We're reading it aloud. Springy was leaping about during the story - she wants to be a wildebeest trying to cross a river with crocodiles in, during the migration season in Africa! She has an amazing imagination and she can leap off the floor from all fours onto the sofa in single bound.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Swimming and stories
Springy has a new swimming tutor who is just brilliant at explaining things. He has a real connection with the children in terms of communicating and Springy's swimming has improved so much. Yesterday we were watching her and she was so graceful and strong in the water.
Our current reads are:
Mrs Pepperpot (which is on hold whilst we read:)
The Cat Who Decided
We're doing a transition from Class 1 into Class 2 stuff.
Springy surprised us today because she was asking how many months she had been alive and I said she needs to do 7 x 12 and then she said her friend who is 8 must be 96 months! Somehow she figured out the twelve times table even though we haven't covered it properly yet. It was a lovely moment - and she was puzzled by it too because she didn't know how she knew the answer.
Springy had to write a food list for her Healthy Eating badge - she wrote down fruit and vegetable words. I helped her with the spelling but she did quite well.
Our current reads are:
Mrs Pepperpot (which is on hold whilst we read:)
The Cat Who Decided
We're doing a transition from Class 1 into Class 2 stuff.
Springy surprised us today because she was asking how many months she had been alive and I said she needs to do 7 x 12 and then she said her friend who is 8 must be 96 months! Somehow she figured out the twelve times table even though we haven't covered it properly yet. It was a lovely moment - and she was puzzled by it too because she didn't know how she knew the answer.
Springy had to write a food list for her Healthy Eating badge - she wrote down fruit and vegetable words. I helped her with the spelling but she did quite well.
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
St George's Day
We took part in a St George's Day parade at the weekend. It was good fun - I mostly followed Springy around with the camera.
Our puppy is gorgeous. She's getting dog "eyebrows" now which gives her lots of expression. Today she had a fantastic time playing with another dog and they rough and tumbled on the green.
Springy and I did a form drawing session today. We also read Pico the Gnome which is a sweet story. Springy is having trouble finding the ground and the sky in terms of balancing her form drawing but is still doing very well. She made a spell book the other day - we stayed off writing for months and now she keeps writing under her own volition. She decorated the front in the Stockmar crayons and has written some spell-like poems inside. They're copied from My Secret Unicorn, a series of books she has been reading. She also sometimes writes her own poems and is forever telling me ones she has made up, on a verbal basis.
I'm reading a book on painting in the Steiner schools. It's really interesting and has given me a new insight into the colours and the way painting is covered. Rather than using nouns to describe the way the paint colours relate (which is the incorrect emphasis of many of the "waldorf" styled consultants) they say the correct way is on using adverbs and adjectives - the colours are the entities themselves. Having recently taken a workshop on Goethean and Steiner's thoughts on colour this is starting to make more sense to me. The colours themselves are the spiritual elements and essences.
The opposite of the painting is the form drawing which relies on outlines and can be done in bold colours.
Our puppy is gorgeous. She's getting dog "eyebrows" now which gives her lots of expression. Today she had a fantastic time playing with another dog and they rough and tumbled on the green.
Springy and I did a form drawing session today. We also read Pico the Gnome which is a sweet story. Springy is having trouble finding the ground and the sky in terms of balancing her form drawing but is still doing very well. She made a spell book the other day - we stayed off writing for months and now she keeps writing under her own volition. She decorated the front in the Stockmar crayons and has written some spell-like poems inside. They're copied from My Secret Unicorn, a series of books she has been reading. She also sometimes writes her own poems and is forever telling me ones she has made up, on a verbal basis.
I'm reading a book on painting in the Steiner schools. It's really interesting and has given me a new insight into the colours and the way painting is covered. Rather than using nouns to describe the way the paint colours relate (which is the incorrect emphasis of many of the "waldorf" styled consultants) they say the correct way is on using adverbs and adjectives - the colours are the entities themselves. Having recently taken a workshop on Goethean and Steiner's thoughts on colour this is starting to make more sense to me. The colours themselves are the spiritual elements and essences.
The opposite of the painting is the form drawing which relies on outlines and can be done in bold colours.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Puppies and poopies
We're having a backwards step with the puppy at the moment, although she has managed to get her poopies in the right place...mostly. However, wees are going all over the kitchen floor! We've had some lovely walks so far and puppy is responding to "Sit", "Down", "Come" and today we managed a first "Roll over" in terms of doing the first stage of the move. She's a bright little puppy but Springy is a little jealous of her at times (which has been interesting).
Springy has had a nice weekend and we went to visit some friends we haven't seen in ages for a playdate and they came around today too. It was really nice and they were very interested in the puppy.
Today I wanted to do some gardening but instead the weather stopped it as we had galeforce winds (after a lovely morning start). I really want to clear up the front because I left all the Michaelmas daisies in place for all the insects etc but now the front needs a good tidy up. I'd also like to have a few more primroses in place and cut back things that are stopping the light from reaching the rose bushes and so on. Instead, I had a nap...just fell asleep on the sofa with sheer exhaustion.
Springy needs to do a little bit more knitting than she has been. She's reading My Secret Unicorn: The Magic Spell. Apparently, it's good and I've been reading the Rainbow Magic books.
We watched Prince Caspian - talk about inappropriate for under 12s! It was incredibly violent (I did read these books as an under 10 year old but don't remember them being graphically violent but...it just irritates me that the film classification was so wrong). Anyway, I've said no to any more viewings of it (we borrowed it from the library and C chose it). I want to read The Hobbit to Springy but there is no way I will allow a viewing of The Lord of the Rings. I'd ideally like her to be able to read the books first. I've told her if she wants to see Harry Potter films she has to read the books first (which should take long enough in years).
She's also reading Animal Ark: Hamster in a Hamper by Lucy Daniels (actually by a book company who have utilised the name for a whole series). Because I work part-time as an editor it makes it really difficult for me to read books these days because if I'm working on one I have to focus myself entirely on that otherwise I get the plots muddled up between books. It's a bit annoying having to wait until the next book is finished and I got a book from the library called The Various which looks quite good.
Brownies was really good again - the theme was St David's Day and Springy dressed in red for the Welsh dragon. We had Welsh cakes too.
Springy has had a nice weekend and we went to visit some friends we haven't seen in ages for a playdate and they came around today too. It was really nice and they were very interested in the puppy.
Today I wanted to do some gardening but instead the weather stopped it as we had galeforce winds (after a lovely morning start). I really want to clear up the front because I left all the Michaelmas daisies in place for all the insects etc but now the front needs a good tidy up. I'd also like to have a few more primroses in place and cut back things that are stopping the light from reaching the rose bushes and so on. Instead, I had a nap...just fell asleep on the sofa with sheer exhaustion.
Springy needs to do a little bit more knitting than she has been. She's reading My Secret Unicorn: The Magic Spell. Apparently, it's good and I've been reading the Rainbow Magic books.
We watched Prince Caspian - talk about inappropriate for under 12s! It was incredibly violent (I did read these books as an under 10 year old but don't remember them being graphically violent but...it just irritates me that the film classification was so wrong). Anyway, I've said no to any more viewings of it (we borrowed it from the library and C chose it). I want to read The Hobbit to Springy but there is no way I will allow a viewing of The Lord of the Rings. I'd ideally like her to be able to read the books first. I've told her if she wants to see Harry Potter films she has to read the books first (which should take long enough in years).
She's also reading Animal Ark: Hamster in a Hamper by Lucy Daniels (actually by a book company who have utilised the name for a whole series). Because I work part-time as an editor it makes it really difficult for me to read books these days because if I'm working on one I have to focus myself entirely on that otherwise I get the plots muddled up between books. It's a bit annoying having to wait until the next book is finished and I got a book from the library called The Various which looks quite good.
Brownies was really good again - the theme was St David's Day and Springy dressed in red for the Welsh dragon. We had Welsh cakes too.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Maths legs
Springy and I have been doing lots of conversational learning over the past few days. One of the things we discussed is how we're related to chimpanzees and orang utans (she did the asking). It started with "Mummy, did I used to be an orang utan?". It's not easy explaining evolutionary theory to a 7-year old but I think I answered her question without getting too technical and too over her head (and mine). I asked her about rats and mice - are they similar but not exactly the same? She responded in the affirmative and then we talked about whether she looks exactly like grandpa and grandma or her very tall uncle - no. We talked about going back and back and how if lots of tall people got married and had children they would more likely have tall ones and so on. She grasped it and understood that somewhere in the distant past, there were some creatures that were related to us and also related to chimpanzees but were not exactly like us.
My mother upset me today because she did her view on home education having asked what we did today. She really is unable to think outside her little box on school-based learning and thinks Springy should be in a school in order to have a "normal education". I then got told how when we were visiting, she had noticed that Springy is not able to read properly! I was then told how another child she knows reads "yellow books" at school - naturally my mother was not able to name the particular reading scheme which might have put it into context. Springy reads, fluently, and best of all enjoys reading. We still do story time together and at the moment this is Enid Blyton's The Wishing Wand.
We did some maths later this evening. We were playing with some of her toy animals and I just started to ask about their legs. It was really good fun asking Springy questions like "If you have 4 cats how many legs all together?" and "If there is a guineapig and a spider and then you stand near them, how many legs all together?". She looks up as she's working it all out - we did mental arithmetic in division, multiplication, subtraction and addition. She's still getting a few answers wrong but it doesn't matter and what's even better is she doesn't want me to stop asking her more questions because she likes doing problem solving and we have a giggle thinking of all the creatures going to and fro.
My mother upset me today because she did her view on home education having asked what we did today. She really is unable to think outside her little box on school-based learning and thinks Springy should be in a school in order to have a "normal education". I then got told how when we were visiting, she had noticed that Springy is not able to read properly! I was then told how another child she knows reads "yellow books" at school - naturally my mother was not able to name the particular reading scheme which might have put it into context. Springy reads, fluently, and best of all enjoys reading. We still do story time together and at the moment this is Enid Blyton's The Wishing Wand.
We did some maths later this evening. We were playing with some of her toy animals and I just started to ask about their legs. It was really good fun asking Springy questions like "If you have 4 cats how many legs all together?" and "If there is a guineapig and a spider and then you stand near them, how many legs all together?". She looks up as she's working it all out - we did mental arithmetic in division, multiplication, subtraction and addition. She's still getting a few answers wrong but it doesn't matter and what's even better is she doesn't want me to stop asking her more questions because she likes doing problem solving and we have a giggle thinking of all the creatures going to and fro.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Next year - 2009
It's not very long until 2009. Springy will be starting Brownies next year which she is looking forward to, along with continuing with her Beavers and swimming. I have been trying to find dance classes but to no avail.
Her reading is great. She has a dictionary and I will be asking her to make more searches in it during next year to find new words for herself to discover. She's been making her own word searches and loves the ones I have been giving her with various themes. She enjoys word puzzles and I think she will soon be into simple crosswords. She really wants to do joined up writing so I have explained that she needs to do more Form Drawing first and that it will get there if she practices with lines and curves first. We now have a Spelling Word Book which is an exercise book that I place words in that she would like to spell. Springy also has her own poetry book - again it's just an ordinary exercise book but she has been inspired to write her own poems and illustrate them on its pages.
In terms of maths we will continue with the four processes and lots of mental arithmetic for a while yet. We've covered Roman Numerals but I would like to do a recap on them with her and go on a Roman trail in the Spring and visit Roman remains with the numerals on. Our Times Tables need more recitation and drilling.
Her reading is great. She has a dictionary and I will be asking her to make more searches in it during next year to find new words for herself to discover. She's been making her own word searches and loves the ones I have been giving her with various themes. She enjoys word puzzles and I think she will soon be into simple crosswords. She really wants to do joined up writing so I have explained that she needs to do more Form Drawing first and that it will get there if she practices with lines and curves first. We now have a Spelling Word Book which is an exercise book that I place words in that she would like to spell. Springy also has her own poetry book - again it's just an ordinary exercise book but she has been inspired to write her own poems and illustrate them on its pages.
In terms of maths we will continue with the four processes and lots of mental arithmetic for a while yet. We've covered Roman Numerals but I would like to do a recap on them with her and go on a Roman trail in the Spring and visit Roman remains with the numerals on. Our Times Tables need more recitation and drilling.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Feeling better
Springy and I are both over the worst of our colds. Springy had a temperature most of last week and we had to take it very easy. She missed swimming and Beavers and we hardly went outside.
We've been practising The Fork and the Spoon - a song from the Oak Meadow First Book of Recorder. I'd love to do more violin and piano lessons with her but just cannot afford it at the moment.
Today was nice - Springy and I played dominoes (she won...twice) and then The Hedgehog Game with the variation being that we had to add up the dice values in French.
I told her the Shingebiss story again tonight (from the link below):
Shingebiss' Song:
(Am) North Wind, North Wind, (G) fierce of feature,
(Am) You are still my (G) fellow (Am) creature.
(C) Blow your worst, you (G) can't scare me.
(Am) I'm not afraid, and (G) so I'm (Am) free.
Springy has read up to book 21 of the Rainbow Magic series which means that she is on the last book of the entire boxed set (from The Book People).
We've been using our peg loom to make a possible rug (in a synthetic pink wool - lovely and soft but not very natural!). When I say a possible rug I mean that if it turns out big enough then it may end up as a rug but it's about the width of a scarf.
We baked foccacia bread this morning and C made soup (with kidneys - smell terrible but at this time of year we need their nutrients). Today at lunchtime we were out in the garden with the bantams and the guineapigs. I pruned the other butterfly bush and tidied up a few areas in the garden. Part of me dislikes tidying up too much because it is those places where insects tend to settle down and hide for the winter but at the same time I need the garden to look as if it belongs to a home, rather than just a piece of wildlife scrub.
Springy has some nice new front incisors growing and one wobbly tooth (as well as a gap on the bottom 2nd left incisor).
We've been practising The Fork and the Spoon - a song from the Oak Meadow First Book of Recorder. I'd love to do more violin and piano lessons with her but just cannot afford it at the moment.
Today was nice - Springy and I played dominoes (she won...twice) and then The Hedgehog Game with the variation being that we had to add up the dice values in French.
I told her the Shingebiss story again tonight (from the link below):
Shingebiss' Song:
(Am) North Wind, North Wind, (G) fierce of feature,
(Am) You are still my (G) fellow (Am) creature.
(C) Blow your worst, you (G) can't scare me.
(Am) I'm not afraid, and (G) so I'm (Am) free.
Springy has read up to book 21 of the Rainbow Magic series which means that she is on the last book of the entire boxed set (from The Book People).
We've been using our peg loom to make a possible rug (in a synthetic pink wool - lovely and soft but not very natural!). When I say a possible rug I mean that if it turns out big enough then it may end up as a rug but it's about the width of a scarf.
We baked foccacia bread this morning and C made soup (with kidneys - smell terrible but at this time of year we need their nutrients). Today at lunchtime we were out in the garden with the bantams and the guineapigs. I pruned the other butterfly bush and tidied up a few areas in the garden. Part of me dislikes tidying up too much because it is those places where insects tend to settle down and hide for the winter but at the same time I need the garden to look as if it belongs to a home, rather than just a piece of wildlife scrub.
Springy has some nice new front incisors growing and one wobbly tooth (as well as a gap on the bottom 2nd left incisor).
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Thank goodness for tangrams
I've still got no voice at the moment and when I do have one it's painful (laryngitis) and I then cough like mad and my sinuses pour like a waterfall (nice image...not!). Home education still has to go on though.
Last night Springy did some tangram pictures.She's still loving her Rainbow Magic books and is onto the second set (given that they are very short she can read one a day). I read her the Michael Hall reader for November as her bedtime story (inbetween coughing and my voice going - not great). At lunchtime she helped me to cook some pasta with some vegetables. She had questions about how the kettle worked (told her in brief it had something called an element in it that worked with electricity and that heated up and thus heated the water and mentioned that in days before kettles, people would have to boil up water over the fire or on the cooker in a pot or with a non-electric kettle).
This recipe for Dundee Cake sounds delicious and I hope to be able to get one ready for C for Christmas: http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/pdf/receipts_dundee07.pdf
Last night Springy did some tangram pictures.She's still loving her Rainbow Magic books and is onto the second set (given that they are very short she can read one a day). I read her the Michael Hall reader for November as her bedtime story (inbetween coughing and my voice going - not great). At lunchtime she helped me to cook some pasta with some vegetables. She had questions about how the kettle worked (told her in brief it had something called an element in it that worked with electricity and that heated up and thus heated the water and mentioned that in days before kettles, people would have to boil up water over the fire or on the cooker in a pot or with a non-electric kettle).
This recipe for Dundee Cake sounds delicious and I hope to be able to get one ready for C for Christmas: http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/pdf/receipts_dundee07.pdf
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Reflexology
I'm studying several complementary therapies at the moment. Reflexology and Indian Head Massage are the two I'm most interested in (other than crystal healing which is something I am also fascinated by). I will be a fully qualified Reflexologist for insurance purposes by late spring, having done over 90 hours training and practice as well - spread out over 9 months. The Indian Head Massage is something I will qualify in (again for insurance purposes) by spring too (35 hours training - spread out over 3 months).
I also need to redo my First Aid certificate to ensure that I am up-to-date on current practice and in event of emergencies arising and then I will continue with CPD. I hope to upgrade my Reflexology to AOR standards.
Today was lovely in that C and I gave Springy a box set of Rainbow Magic books. We held it behind us and said that we considered her to be a star reader and that because of this we felt she should have more of her favourite books. Her face was like the sun sparkling on water as she smiled.
I also need to redo my First Aid certificate to ensure that I am up-to-date on current practice and in event of emergencies arising and then I will continue with CPD. I hope to upgrade my Reflexology to AOR standards.
Today was lovely in that C and I gave Springy a box set of Rainbow Magic books. We held it behind us and said that we considered her to be a star reader and that because of this we felt she should have more of her favourite books. Her face was like the sun sparkling on water as she smiled.
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Rainbow Magic still going strong
Springy's fascination with Rainbow Magic is still going strong. I found a boxed set on The Book People website so ordered it since it is so nice to have her enjoy something.
Last night we were meant to be going to a firework display but it got cancelled because of the weather.
also, last night, I heard a noise when I was in bed and worked out it was coming from the bin next to the toilet. I got up very quietly and sneaked my way across the landing, turned on the light and a little fat, roly poly mouse scurried out of the toilet (room), across my foot and into Springy's room. It was so cute but it really is the enemy at the moment. One has chewed my velvet cloak at the bottom and yes, I'm too old to prance about in elven velvet cloaks these days but it is the principle of it - the mice have to go. I'm not sure how many we have but I am fed up of little poos and wees everywhere. Not only that but it or they raided Springy's dollshouse and chewed to pieces all the little wax fruit that she had made. They also chewed her froggy rucksack a little and destroyed the little nature area with acorns and corn dollies. I have set traps but they seem to be avoiding them and know how to set them off, take the bait but not get caught - smart mice. I have been ensuring that nothing is left out for them in the kitchen. We certainly have less woodlice and spiders than normal so perhaps they have been surviving on these. I keep wondering if I will find out what the major food source is (although everything is in jars and cupboards, swept up crumbs into the bin etc). Hmmm...if one could only talk to them because we do have waste but they just chew on everything.
Last night we were meant to be going to a firework display but it got cancelled because of the weather.
also, last night, I heard a noise when I was in bed and worked out it was coming from the bin next to the toilet. I got up very quietly and sneaked my way across the landing, turned on the light and a little fat, roly poly mouse scurried out of the toilet (room), across my foot and into Springy's room. It was so cute but it really is the enemy at the moment. One has chewed my velvet cloak at the bottom and yes, I'm too old to prance about in elven velvet cloaks these days but it is the principle of it - the mice have to go. I'm not sure how many we have but I am fed up of little poos and wees everywhere. Not only that but it or they raided Springy's dollshouse and chewed to pieces all the little wax fruit that she had made. They also chewed her froggy rucksack a little and destroyed the little nature area with acorns and corn dollies. I have set traps but they seem to be avoiding them and know how to set them off, take the bait but not get caught - smart mice. I have been ensuring that nothing is left out for them in the kitchen. We certainly have less woodlice and spiders than normal so perhaps they have been surviving on these. I keep wondering if I will find out what the major food source is (although everything is in jars and cupboards, swept up crumbs into the bin etc). Hmmm...if one could only talk to them because we do have waste but they just chew on everything.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
All Souls Day Cakes
These were made a little early but were great fun for our "lesson" this morning. They involve a lot of simple mixing and at the end the dough is nice to roll about and then squash and mark. They smell really nice too (not to mention the taste - yummy!).
All Souls Day Cakes
All Souls Day Cakes
1/4 cup of caster sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup of plain flour (sifted) + a little extra flour for dusting
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup of raisins, currants or sultanas
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp mixed spice
Splash of milk
1. Cream sugar and butter together.
2. Add the egg yolk
3. Sift flour into mixture
4. Add spices
5. Add in enough milk to make a soft dough.
6. Grease a baking tin
7. Heat oven to about 180deg C
8. Take dough and take enough in hand to roll small balls out. Squash ball slightly to make a small cake shape and then put a mark on the top of the cake (in days gone by people used to make the sign of the cross on the All Soul cakes but you can mark on initials etc).
9. Put the cakes onto the tin and put in oven for about 15 minutes.
10. Cakes should be golden brown upon removal. Cool slightly and then eat (care with sultanas as they may be hot still). You can add butter if you wish but they are moist enough to eat on their own.
Our current read at the moment is Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson. We love these books and Springy listens through the chapters which are quite long and peculiar in nature. We talked about the North Pole today and the way the sun goes to bed for months and then doesn't go to bed for months. Springy thought this quite strange. she knows that where we live the sun sets either over the church at midsummer or over the fields in midwinter and we always watch the sunsets (as they are so beautiful) so she seems to be quite observant of where the sun goes to bed (we can't see the sunrises here though). A few months back, Springy and I watched a Joanna Lumley documentary on the aurora borealis which was amazing to see - one day I hope both Springy and I can see it in person.
Back to the Moomins - I grew up watching a beautiful stop-motion animation of the Moomins. Since then they have been tragically turned into a cartoon animation of extremely low quality which we won't be watching anytime soon. The books though are always a delight and this particular one is very relevant to the impending cold of winter coming upon us. We were reading the bit today about the troll (Moomintroll's forebear) who lived behind the stove. It made me wish we had a woodstove because I'd love to imagine a troll of sorts rattling around behind one. Ah, atheist pagan that I am...
Our current read at the moment is Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson. We love these books and Springy listens through the chapters which are quite long and peculiar in nature. We talked about the North Pole today and the way the sun goes to bed for months and then doesn't go to bed for months. Springy thought this quite strange. she knows that where we live the sun sets either over the church at midsummer or over the fields in midwinter and we always watch the sunsets (as they are so beautiful) so she seems to be quite observant of where the sun goes to bed (we can't see the sunrises here though). A few months back, Springy and I watched a Joanna Lumley documentary on the aurora borealis which was amazing to see - one day I hope both Springy and I can see it in person.
Back to the Moomins - I grew up watching a beautiful stop-motion animation of the Moomins. Since then they have been tragically turned into a cartoon animation of extremely low quality which we won't be watching anytime soon. The books though are always a delight and this particular one is very relevant to the impending cold of winter coming upon us. We were reading the bit today about the troll (Moomintroll's forebear) who lived behind the stove. It made me wish we had a woodstove because I'd love to imagine a troll of sorts rattling around behind one. Ah, atheist pagan that I am...
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Writing our educational philosophy
Every year, at the end of what would be our "academic year", I write out what we have done in each year. I've never showed it to anyone in the LA, nor would I want to be forced to, but I quite enjoy writing up the summaries of what we've done. I don't do a detailed thing (because I don't see it is the LA's business - since I have legal responsibility) but if asked, at least I have something and have given myself lots of practice. I often laugh when I've seen school brochures at some of the way they write things that makes out that the schools are doing such a great job, especially when I have had insider knowledge on the school and that all is not as it seems. It's such a shame that schools are businesses.
We had a lovely day today. We did a country fair and there were lots of animals on display - goats, pigs, sheep, cows, rabbits, chickens, ducks and dogs. Springy enjoyed it although there was a lot of walking about to do (she was very tired by the end and I ended up picking her up and carrying her for a rest). We got some nice craft bits and bobs from there as well and I can't wait to do some felting and so on. We also got some little knitting needles for her. She's done really well with her knitting and has made a little dolly blanket/rug out of wool. It will be nice to keep her going. There was a bantam chicken that was there who was adorable and Springy held her. We also held a number of rabbits.
Yesterday we went to a school fair and there were some dancers there. Springy managed to copy their moves by watching them - not all - but it was still rather impressive for a 6-year old. Her visual/kinaesthetic learning is good. She spent the afternoon hopping from haybale to haybale, playing with some friends she knows and doing cartwheels and handstands. She's been reading The Magic Treehouse books herself. We read them some weeks back and, although the grammar and research are not great for any of them it's still nice to have her read something that she has chosen and enjoys to read. She also loves the Mr Men books.
We've nearly finished The Little Wooden Horse - we let it slip a bit but we're almost at the end of his journey.
The sky tonight is beautiful. The rainbow of the sky colours has left the black outlines of the trees and buildings across the way to be set off by the reds and oranges - which are a rust colour. There are some cloud layers that earlier were skimming their way across the sky but have now slowed down so their mutability is barely visible.
C and Springy went swimming together last week. Her swimming lessons have ended and won't start up again until the autumn so they went swimming with some friends of ours. Springy swam front crawl and backstroke and managed a lot on her own so she is swimming properly now. I didn't go but she was so pleased when she got back and C gave her free reign in the pool to play rather than be instructed. I must admit I get the feeling that our swimming instructor needed a holiday because she has been a bit short the past few weeks which I will monitor in the autumn. Springy doesn't respond well and she was not using play or verbal instructions that build a visual picture - in basic terms our swim instructor seems to be tired out, short on fuse and is being developmentally inappropriate for children who are 4-6 years old (which she didn't used to be so I'm hoping it is just an end-of-term thing).
Our other group thing also broke up for summer. It's funny but when Springy was 4 and 5 and all her friends were too tired to see her after school then she did get a bit lonely but she now can go most places and find friends who are either home educated children or ones she knows from swimming or other club events she has attended. We're having to sort out a new French tutor - our old one got herself a good job which means she can no longer offer French club. We have a new one who is a parent of one of Springy's friends but I don't know how it will work out because she doesn't have teaching experience (saying that she does teach her own son and she's a native French speaker).
Last night, Springy and I watched the bats outside her window. The moths and other insects were being attracted to the light of her bedroom window and so the bats were coming in really close to the glass - sometimes just a foot away from our heads. They were doing the most daring aerial manouevres (probably normal for a bat though!). Springy loved it.
One of our other friends has de- televisioned her home and I must admit it's so tempting to follow this. However, tonight we had a DVD called Night at the Museum which so far I have said no to Springy watching because I thought it would be much too scary. We watched it all together and it was such a sweet and funny film. I'm glad I waited until Springy was nearer to 7 though.
We had a lovely day today. We did a country fair and there were lots of animals on display - goats, pigs, sheep, cows, rabbits, chickens, ducks and dogs. Springy enjoyed it although there was a lot of walking about to do (she was very tired by the end and I ended up picking her up and carrying her for a rest). We got some nice craft bits and bobs from there as well and I can't wait to do some felting and so on. We also got some little knitting needles for her. She's done really well with her knitting and has made a little dolly blanket/rug out of wool. It will be nice to keep her going. There was a bantam chicken that was there who was adorable and Springy held her. We also held a number of rabbits.
Yesterday we went to a school fair and there were some dancers there. Springy managed to copy their moves by watching them - not all - but it was still rather impressive for a 6-year old. Her visual/kinaesthetic learning is good. She spent the afternoon hopping from haybale to haybale, playing with some friends she knows and doing cartwheels and handstands. She's been reading The Magic Treehouse books herself. We read them some weeks back and, although the grammar and research are not great for any of them it's still nice to have her read something that she has chosen and enjoys to read. She also loves the Mr Men books.
We've nearly finished The Little Wooden Horse - we let it slip a bit but we're almost at the end of his journey.
The sky tonight is beautiful. The rainbow of the sky colours has left the black outlines of the trees and buildings across the way to be set off by the reds and oranges - which are a rust colour. There are some cloud layers that earlier were skimming their way across the sky but have now slowed down so their mutability is barely visible.
C and Springy went swimming together last week. Her swimming lessons have ended and won't start up again until the autumn so they went swimming with some friends of ours. Springy swam front crawl and backstroke and managed a lot on her own so she is swimming properly now. I didn't go but she was so pleased when she got back and C gave her free reign in the pool to play rather than be instructed. I must admit I get the feeling that our swimming instructor needed a holiday because she has been a bit short the past few weeks which I will monitor in the autumn. Springy doesn't respond well and she was not using play or verbal instructions that build a visual picture - in basic terms our swim instructor seems to be tired out, short on fuse and is being developmentally inappropriate for children who are 4-6 years old (which she didn't used to be so I'm hoping it is just an end-of-term thing).
Our other group thing also broke up for summer. It's funny but when Springy was 4 and 5 and all her friends were too tired to see her after school then she did get a bit lonely but she now can go most places and find friends who are either home educated children or ones she knows from swimming or other club events she has attended. We're having to sort out a new French tutor - our old one got herself a good job which means she can no longer offer French club. We have a new one who is a parent of one of Springy's friends but I don't know how it will work out because she doesn't have teaching experience (saying that she does teach her own son and she's a native French speaker).
Last night, Springy and I watched the bats outside her window. The moths and other insects were being attracted to the light of her bedroom window and so the bats were coming in really close to the glass - sometimes just a foot away from our heads. They were doing the most daring aerial manouevres (probably normal for a bat though!). Springy loved it.
One of our other friends has de- televisioned her home and I must admit it's so tempting to follow this. However, tonight we had a DVD called Night at the Museum which so far I have said no to Springy watching because I thought it would be much too scary. We watched it all together and it was such a sweet and funny film. I'm glad I waited until Springy was nearer to 7 though.
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Currently reading...
We're currently having a read aloud of The Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray... It seems very sweet so far.
I love sitting down with Springy and doing a chapter or two each day with her.
I love sitting down with Springy and doing a chapter or two each day with her.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Butter and bicycles
Today Springy and I heard some more from Rumer Godden's The Dolls House. Marchpane is causing a lot of trouble for Tottie and her family. We're nearly at the end.
Springy also heard more from Mummies in the Morning - the third book in The Magic Treehouse series. I like the stories but have to say that the author needs some writing lessons to learn how to write proper sentences.
This afternoon we baked some chocolate chip biscuits and then we made some of our own butter in a small kilner jar. I have some lovely milk that is very rich; it's made from Jersey and Guernsey cow milk. We poured off the top cream and dolloped it into a kilner jar. Springy and I took turns in shaking it and it wasn't long before we had some golden butter and a small quantity of buttermilk to drink. I'm hoping that when we go strawberry picking we can do this again and use the buttermilk in the recipe for scones and then have strawberries, scones, butter and cream - yummy!
This afternoon we went for a bicycle ride (well I went on my scooter since I don't have a bicycle). It was so warm today - the breeze was from the East and I managed to do two loads of washing as well as some orders that needed sending off.
My cold is improving but I still have tonsilitis and pharyngitis. My left ear still feels strange too. Yesterday I had some sage tea as well as a steam inhalation.
I forgot to write an update on the duck situation. We get mugged every day by the three ducks. Mrs Duck escaped from the fox but has abandoned her nest. This resulted in her being courted again and her regular white-breasted suitor and another male have been hanging around with her. We gave up incubating the duck eggs (I'm sure I posted on this but can't find it).
Springy also heard more from Mummies in the Morning - the third book in The Magic Treehouse series. I like the stories but have to say that the author needs some writing lessons to learn how to write proper sentences.
This afternoon we baked some chocolate chip biscuits and then we made some of our own butter in a small kilner jar. I have some lovely milk that is very rich; it's made from Jersey and Guernsey cow milk. We poured off the top cream and dolloped it into a kilner jar. Springy and I took turns in shaking it and it wasn't long before we had some golden butter and a small quantity of buttermilk to drink. I'm hoping that when we go strawberry picking we can do this again and use the buttermilk in the recipe for scones and then have strawberries, scones, butter and cream - yummy!
This afternoon we went for a bicycle ride (well I went on my scooter since I don't have a bicycle). It was so warm today - the breeze was from the East and I managed to do two loads of washing as well as some orders that needed sending off.
My cold is improving but I still have tonsilitis and pharyngitis. My left ear still feels strange too. Yesterday I had some sage tea as well as a steam inhalation.
I forgot to write an update on the duck situation. We get mugged every day by the three ducks. Mrs Duck escaped from the fox but has abandoned her nest. This resulted in her being courted again and her regular white-breasted suitor and another male have been hanging around with her. We gave up incubating the duck eggs (I'm sure I posted on this but can't find it).
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Currently reading...April 2008
Our read togethers at the moment are:
The Doll's House by Rumer Godden
Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne (found a set of 1-4 in a charity shop)
We also read Kenneth Grahame's The Reluctant Dragon (illustrated version) as today is St George's Day and it's a much nicer ending for a dragon.
Anna and the Flowers of Winter by Nettie Lowenstein (we have violets on our lawn and this story is about a girl called Anna who has to look for violets in winter - it's a lovely fairy tale and the illustrations are beautiful).
The Doll's House by Rumer Godden
Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne (found a set of 1-4 in a charity shop)
We also read Kenneth Grahame's The Reluctant Dragon (illustrated version) as today is St George's Day and it's a much nicer ending for a dragon.
Anna and the Flowers of Winter by Nettie Lowenstein (we have violets on our lawn and this story is about a girl called Anna who has to look for violets in winter - it's a lovely fairy tale and the illustrations are beautiful).
Monday, 10 March 2008
Thoughts on the year
With us the legal compulsory age for school (which means education)here in England is the term after the child's 5th birthday and in ourcase that was January 2007. So this January was the start of our 2nd official year of education. However, January is winter and althoughI believe that learning is 24/7 I always find our energies start topick up with spring.Spring springs us forward, Summer for us is a hive of learning,Autumn is harvest (we go fruit picking late August/early September),whereas winter has more rest and hibernation (it can be very stormy). In the spring and summer the world outdoors opens up more with gardening and so on. It's lovely to hear the dawn chorus in themorning (it's already started) and see snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils. In the autumn we planted lots of tulip bulbs so we should be seeing these soon as well. I find that the seasons change our focus of learning (seasons here tend to be spring which is wet but some sun, summer which is wet but more sun, autumn which isusually quite sunny but wet and winter which is just wet and cold!). ;) I love December but January and February feel neverending(duvet months - want to go outside to get some daylight but it can be so horrid with the weather that it puts me off) so the January legal start doesn't really fit in with our own cycles and September wouldn't work either. This is because we have birthdays, ballet visits, theatre visits and St Nicholas/Yule/Christmas in December which are all learning opportunities but too soon after a "start date".
Therefore, I feel that when we start on academics (I'm having so much trouble with the term grades at the moment - it just doesn't sit right with our philosophy towards education and life) it will be just after Easter and really in very small doses with lots of play and lots of nature walks and so on, as we do anyway. Summer is great because we draw out spirals and shapes in the sand which is amazing because you can make them so big - we've been walking forms this way for a few years now, just by playing (except last summer which was...wet, really wet with floods).
Books we enjoy reading
I loved the Faraway Tree books and still love them. The Wishing Chair ones are also excellent by Enid Blyton. Springy also loves Milly Molly Mandy byJoyce Lankester Brisley - nothing really happens in the stories but this is why she loves them (as do I) and they are so gentle and the little girl gets back home safe and sound without anything major happening. We also like Teddy Robinson stories too.
Therefore, I feel that when we start on academics (I'm having so much trouble with the term grades at the moment - it just doesn't sit right with our philosophy towards education and life) it will be just after Easter and really in very small doses with lots of play and lots of nature walks and so on, as we do anyway. Summer is great because we draw out spirals and shapes in the sand which is amazing because you can make them so big - we've been walking forms this way for a few years now, just by playing (except last summer which was...wet, really wet with floods).
Books we enjoy reading
I loved the Faraway Tree books and still love them. The Wishing Chair ones are also excellent by Enid Blyton. Springy also loves Milly Molly Mandy byJoyce Lankester Brisley - nothing really happens in the stories but this is why she loves them (as do I) and they are so gentle and the little girl gets back home safe and sound without anything major happening. We also like Teddy Robinson stories too.
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Learning To Read
This is something that I feel I have to blog about.
Although interested in what are classed as "holistic" methods which often delay academics (hooray since they are given much too early), I believe that home education gives a different perspective than a school model of learning to read.
Springy can read at the age of 6. I was curious as to where she was and slipped in a reading game (to grown ups they are the Schonell and Burt reading tests). Her reading age is 8 years 4 months now and she enjoys reading. She still enjoys being told stories but when she can't sleep at night, she either wants to play in her room or read a book.
When she was younger (and still) we read and told stories, did puppet plays, sang lots of rhymes, recited poems and went on nature walks. The latter are great - whether it's just being out in the garden or going for a walk down a lane to see the hedges you can learn so much. Nature walks need to be child-paced. They love to stop, bend down, splash in puddles, pick up stones, watch beetles cross in front of them, see a spider on its web, follow the swifts as they dip or laugh at a pied wagtail in a carpark. All this is helpful for a small child in terms of they are in their body, they are breathing, they are moving and their eyes are tracking, their noses are inhaling and their fingers are touching leaves, ladybirds, cobwebs and muddy puddles. If they go all year round they see the seasons change (depending on where you live), they get rained on, the sun shines, the wind blows and plays with the leaves and so on.
If you tell The Enormous Turnip over and over, your child remembers it. They feel what it is like to pull and pull and finally, Pop!, out comes the turnip. If you tell them the Gingerbread Man they know "run, run as fast as you can" - the poetry of the language comes alive through assonance and alliteration but they just feel it as a giggle or joy.
She started about 18 months ago with wanting to play I Spy and although in Waldorf circles it probably is too much of a head thing, my attitude is that she is enjoying it. She has learnt loads of nursery rhymes (as I did) and no doubt she will pass them on to her children. They are full of phonemes and they sound nice too (well apart from some of the violent ones but we left a lot of those out).
In the past year or so our wet-on-wet painting has resulted in Springy announcing that she can see shapes. She sees shapes in her curtains - things that are not are appearing to her. Some of these shapes are now letters but she is dualist - they are things such as fairies as well as letter shapes. If she only saw the letters then I would be concerned but she's between worlds still and her imagination is very beautiful.
She started to ask what words said. Goats' Milk she could read on the carton over a year ago now. It was guesswork but I could not lie to her - "Yes, that says Goats Milk". And more words started to trickle in and now there is a flood and if she doesn't know and it seems to be relevant and she's not too busy bouncing then she will ask. She wanted to write her name so I showed her and now she writes little letters with "I Love you mummy" on and draws little pictures alongside. I have a draw full of her cards and pictures.
With reference to her reading, if this was a child who at 5.5 and 6 years was only wanting to sit with a book then I would be concerned. However, Springy is a bouncy thing who spends the day moving about, will cartwheel and leap onto cushions and although I'm a "holistic school" education failure because I have an early reader and writer I don't care. By home education standards I'm the only board that counts and I know we still have a long way to go but 0-6 years has been great so far. :)
Although interested in what are classed as "holistic" methods which often delay academics (hooray since they are given much too early), I believe that home education gives a different perspective than a school model of learning to read.
Springy can read at the age of 6. I was curious as to where she was and slipped in a reading game (to grown ups they are the Schonell and Burt reading tests). Her reading age is 8 years 4 months now and she enjoys reading. She still enjoys being told stories but when she can't sleep at night, she either wants to play in her room or read a book.
When she was younger (and still) we read and told stories, did puppet plays, sang lots of rhymes, recited poems and went on nature walks. The latter are great - whether it's just being out in the garden or going for a walk down a lane to see the hedges you can learn so much. Nature walks need to be child-paced. They love to stop, bend down, splash in puddles, pick up stones, watch beetles cross in front of them, see a spider on its web, follow the swifts as they dip or laugh at a pied wagtail in a carpark. All this is helpful for a small child in terms of they are in their body, they are breathing, they are moving and their eyes are tracking, their noses are inhaling and their fingers are touching leaves, ladybirds, cobwebs and muddy puddles. If they go all year round they see the seasons change (depending on where you live), they get rained on, the sun shines, the wind blows and plays with the leaves and so on.
If you tell The Enormous Turnip over and over, your child remembers it. They feel what it is like to pull and pull and finally, Pop!, out comes the turnip. If you tell them the Gingerbread Man they know "run, run as fast as you can" - the poetry of the language comes alive through assonance and alliteration but they just feel it as a giggle or joy.
She started about 18 months ago with wanting to play I Spy and although in Waldorf circles it probably is too much of a head thing, my attitude is that she is enjoying it. She has learnt loads of nursery rhymes (as I did) and no doubt she will pass them on to her children. They are full of phonemes and they sound nice too (well apart from some of the violent ones but we left a lot of those out).
In the past year or so our wet-on-wet painting has resulted in Springy announcing that she can see shapes. She sees shapes in her curtains - things that are not are appearing to her. Some of these shapes are now letters but she is dualist - they are things such as fairies as well as letter shapes. If she only saw the letters then I would be concerned but she's between worlds still and her imagination is very beautiful.
She started to ask what words said. Goats' Milk she could read on the carton over a year ago now. It was guesswork but I could not lie to her - "Yes, that says Goats Milk". And more words started to trickle in and now there is a flood and if she doesn't know and it seems to be relevant and she's not too busy bouncing then she will ask. She wanted to write her name so I showed her and now she writes little letters with "I Love you mummy" on and draws little pictures alongside. I have a draw full of her cards and pictures.
With reference to her reading, if this was a child who at 5.5 and 6 years was only wanting to sit with a book then I would be concerned. However, Springy is a bouncy thing who spends the day moving about, will cartwheel and leap onto cushions and although I'm a "holistic school" education failure because I have an early reader and writer I don't care. By home education standards I'm the only board that counts and I know we still have a long way to go but 0-6 years has been great so far. :)
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