Wildkratts was watched then we talked about and looked at 1940's Japanese American Internment camps:
https://shoyulearning.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/minecraft-and-crafting-to-learn/
Zigzag app which is frustrating, hard and very funny.
The Roman Coliseum
We also had a very poorly dog and we had to see to her needs all day and take her to the vets. She is really old so we were quite worried about her. She was given some medicine and seems to be picking up a bit already. Many cuddles were dispensed.
Sam and Owen played on their PC's whilst I did chores. They also did some money work and Jujitsu class. I made birthday arrangements and generally sneaked about, trying to arrange surprises.
Blokey and Owen started taking Owens 'new' bike apart so they could paint it red and black. Owen really enjoyed having his dad at home today and doing jobs with him.
Sam and I looked at mods for Minecraft and did some problem solving. Both boys did a lot of reading and playing with their friends. The also did some money work and building.
We got their bikes from here, it's a brilliant place:
http://www.back2bikes.org.uk
An early start with two very giddy boys...think plaiting sawdust for the first hour ! I pottered in the garden doing jobs whilst the boys chatted over breakfast.
After breakfast and sorting out our medications, we did some word searches together using this app:
The next request was to do another session on Google camp. It's space this week. The boys loved it and enjoyed the footage from the international space station. They discussed how astronauts eat in space and how they choose suitable meals.
We got some exercise using the Wii sports game...the boys thrashed me again. They were even good enough to give me some pity points and I still couldn't win.
After many games of tennis, Sam and I wanted to do brain training. Owen started another word search on Greek Gods, which led him into further research using the iPad. He was fascinated by the subject, like father like son.
Meanwhile Sam and I were still battling it out with various brain games. He's really coming on and managed to complete many more, at harder levels than before.
Much reading and dispensing of wisdom later, Owen decided he wanted to do sprint brain games. The boys formed a team against me...I won the first round but they trounced me on the following two. There was a mass of shouting and fumbling and exasperated yells. Only my two can make brain training into a physical exercise! They do tonnes of excited jumping, spinning and running on the spot.
Owen has asked me to get him a world atlas, this was sparked by his interest in Greek mythology so we have been looking at what is available. He hasn't quite decided which one he would like yet.
Over breakfast he talked to me about bullying. He often doesn't understand the concept of this and it took some teasing to get to the route of his concern. Turns out he's struggling with some of the social aspects with his friends online. Trying to pull what happened apart is ...tricky but it would seem his inflexible way of thinking is causing him issues and he believed he had upset a dear friend.
We spend some time talking about how he maybe able to approach it..but it's so hard for him to get his head round. I feel sad he can't see what's happened or that he can put it right because he is being so rigid. I also feel very sorry for his friend who must be very confused by his behaviour. He's desperate to make it up with her and despite asking for my help, he is refusing all reasonable suggestions about how to sort it out.
I managed to speak to his friends mother and it was all sorted in no time. However, he went on a bit of a rampage and upset some other people the same day. I have explained he needs to work round this himself now and gave him some pointers. I got frowned at.
We played board games, Frustration never fails to live up to its name. Then watched some wildlife programmes. Both boys are coming down with a bug, so we cancelled our meet up with friends and decided to do stuff together indoors. This may explain the poor impulse control I have been seeing this week.
Wii tennis was played, as was boxing, brain games and ski jumping. We also did some balancing games to help with our coordination. I cooked veg soup and the boys sat and discussed social problems they were still puzzled about.
We made a trip into Stafford to re do our passport photos...don't ask..lets just say it's a tedious business and leave it there shall we?
By the time we had sorted this out it was noon, so we suggested pizza express to the boys. They were surprisingly keen and even attempted a new food. Dough balls with salad and garlic butter for starters...a new favourite and a great success.
Next they had pizzas and Sam enjoyed dipping his into the remainder of his garlic butter. Owen did very well with his pepperoni pizza but was so full, he didn't want his dessert. Sam was more than happy to polish off his both his own and Owens chocolate brownie. Whilst we waited for our various courses, we played word search games, did puzzles and created silly faces with stickers.
Owen too full for pudding...
Sam of the two desserts
Back home we decided to go for a bike ride to the park and had a play there. Since we had a big lunch, we ate sandwiches in front of the TV and played/ chatted till bath time.
A very rainy day and a trip to Shrewsbury today to visit my parents and sort out 'boring paperwork'. We played dominoes and eye spy before heading back home. The children went off to play Minecraft with friends online and I checked out some new resources and wrote up a list of possible activities for the week ahead.
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