Word searches , friends,sunshine and family days out.

We couldn't make it out today for various (very boring) reasons, so Sam asked if I could play chess with him..he's still teaching me, but it's hard as the rules are ..ahem..a tad flexible at times. He's a good teacher though.

So brain games were in order, analysing, memory, mental maths, time etc etc..that took us up to and past lunch time. 

After that Sam wanted to earn some extra pocket money for a game upgrade he's been saving for.

We worked it all out together and he got busy earning  the extra pennies he needed. I added it to his GoHenry card account and we went through the steps to buying his upgrade via online payment.

Lots and lots of sporty stuff, tennis , bowling, baseball, boxing. Jujitsu in the evening and Sensei tells us that boys are ready for their next grading in July.

Quite a few issues today but once things were calm Owen and I played a maths game outside...it was really hot and we took a pitstop for drinks halfway through. Owen decided on how we would play the game and he drew numbers on the paving stones. The furthest away were the highest values.

We played a sort of hopscotch type game with multiplication and addition. Basically, you could do what you wanted with one or a combo of two numbers..the higher the score the trickier it got. 

Afterwards Sam decided he would like to look at his Animal activity book. He chose a seabird word search activity and asked me to look up information on each bird he successfully found on his grid. He is getting much quicker at looking for the words now and organising how he wants to do it.

He then went on to some animal spot the difference games, I was again impressed with how much easier he is finding information on a page now. I think before it was blind panic and he couldn't concentrate.

After lunch we met up with friends and played at their house. The boys had a great time playing games and running round the garden, whilst all the adults caught up. Owen and I watched more Dr Who whilst Sam watched Minecraft videos and we all sat down for pizza when Blokey got home. I managed well but was ill later in the evening...it felt really great to see everyone.

An early start today as both boys were raring to go. We started off with Sam teaching me chess again. We are both new to this game so we looked at the rules and checked we were doing it correctly. Owen was trying to take over the game as we played, so I sorted him out with a few things online elsewhere. Sam is very patient with Owen when he is being tricky, even so he needs his 1:1 time with me too, so we are working out compromises as we go, to make sure he gets it.

Owen had a quick game too...

After many games of chess Sam and I did a crossword, word-search and played a few games of Top Trumps. I did manage to win one game of chess this time and Sam was very gracious about it...he thrashed me on everything else though!

After lunch Owen decided he wanted to battle me at Brain Games..Sam decided he would join us. We did various tests of different levels, Sam and Owen against me *eek* . It was a draw overall and I felt lucky to get that. Next Owen and I played Wii tennis and boxing...he thrashed me.

I finished the housework and Owen went on his PC, where he designed some outfits, including a 'bacon cape' for his Minecraft man. Sam got really interested in one of the Wonderquest videos about space and asked me lots of questions about Mercury etc.

http://youtu.be/D9lShBZI2uo

Another tricky start with Owen, I have not been on great form myself all week, so I spent some time talking with him about how we could help each other.

The post arrives and we have a new word games to try.

 We looked into the history of the Punch and Judy show and watched a performance ...Owen thought it was hilarious.

Sam and I discussed the Wonder Quest Videos some more and he told my all the wonderful things about Minecraft and how, in his opinion it was the best kind of learning. The children watched some Wonder Quests and we tried out our new board games.

Takeaway night tonight, so we all gather round the table and try each other's food...we the boys do if they are feeling brave. There was a time they couldn't even sit at the table if we had spicy food.

The next day I woke up feeling so much brighter, the sun was out and we decided to have a family day at Blists Hill Museum, in the Ironbridge Gorge. It's been few years since we went. There is a great deal more to do there than before and we had a fantastic day. 

The boys were amused and terrified of the man pretending to be the Victorian School master, loved the ginger biscuits from the bakery and looked at all the workshops and machinery with great interest. Next time we need to take more cash as they were disappointed that we ran out of money and there was none left for the Sweet Shop and all its enticing jars.

Back home we filled the paddling pool and whilst I pottered around the garden Sam decided to have an outside bath...brrrr..

The following day, we got up early and all went swimming. I don't manage to go often and was rather wobbly afterwards. It really needs both of us there because Owen needs a great deal of support in the water. Both boys did really well and everytime I manage to get there , I can see great progress in Sam's confidence and ability. The rest of the day we all chilled out doing our own thing.

It was a tough week, for a variety of reasons but we definitely ended on a high.

Maps, Minecraft, tie dye and fractions

We met up with friends today..believe me it was an achievement us just getting there, me not the children...I am all over the place! One of our friends showed the boys how to play chess and they loved it.

We also managed to do a tie dye activity and play in the park. 

More Dr Who was watched and Owen built a roller coaster with Friends online.

Owen drew runes and robots

The boys devised online quizzes for each other whilst I made calls and did paperwork. Sam watered the dog..I mean garden *coughs*

Then we played pizza fraction bingo. We then do our own thing in the afternoon because the children are off to Jujitsu later. I must remember to buy new Gi's for them, the seem to be having a tremendous growth spurt.

Despite my general crapness we made more bread ( where the hell are they putting it all ..must be a growth spurt) and I managed to get my head together to enjoy a meet up with friends. It was made extra special because we saw some people we have been missing a great deal. The children had a wonderful afternoon. Back home for meatballs and noodles, Dr Who, cuddles and chats. Bedtime was a long process but this was because the children wanted to list all the good things about the day...the list was long. So no matter how crappy I feel, my spirits are alway buoyed up by their happiness and giggles. This parenting business is not easy, there is no manual, but these two little people light up my world.

Painting to the back ground music ( Owen' choice) of The Eye of the Tiger, Foo Fighters and Def Leopard ...I between air guitar moves and passing the mike ( felt tipped pens ) to each other for solos we made these.

Sam taught me how to play chess and thrashed me.

More painting

An easy, do as we please day today because I needed to throw a sickie and sit by my 02 tank. Blokey brought fish and chips home and we watched Dr Who and played games together.

Owen and Sam did collaborative builds on Minecraft and played with friends. 

The next day it rained constantly so Blokey replaced a hard drive and set a new Minecraft server up for the boys. Owen had finally been white listed on to another home ed server and I got an excited stream of consciousness:

Owen: it's fabulous...enderdragon riding blah blah, into space blah blah..do so many new things blah blah ..loads of new friends ...ramble.

Me: that's lovely sweetheart.

Owen: more indecipherable chattering as he runs back upstairs.

We could hear hoots of laughter from Sam whilst he made new friends and played happily. He didn't need much input from me today but we enjoyed lunch together and a roast dinner in the evening. Both boys read a great deal too.

There was Dr Who and some logic games and a lot of tired out sitting down and resting from me.

We gave Blokey his 'farters' ( hilarious misspell on the card from Owen) day cards and present at breakfast.

Then Sam and Blokey went swimming and to the DIY shop having time together. I spent some 1:1 time playing on the Wii. He whipped me at both tennis and boxing but I pulled off a last minute win in baseball....despite him running in front of me and talking non stop to put me off my swing..*chortle*

We all had lunch and Blokey uploaded a map the boys had been asking for

http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/climate-hope-city/

And they invited some friends onto their server to play.

Later the menfolk went to the cinema to see Jurassic World, so I had a quiet few hours. I managed to get quite a lot of jobs done but am still a bit fragile and over did it this morning...which I am paying for now.

Sun, Robots and Jelly in June

Monday 

Owen and I built a wind up Robot together, he was very patient with all the fiddly parts and concentrated incredibly hard all the way through.

 

Sam and I chatted about various things he needed to know answers to. He did some spinning and singing and between we played jenga.

Tuesday

Baking bread

I was quite unwell again and had to make some calls to the hospital to sort out medication issues . The boys kept themselves busy building and playing. Sam is making new friends on the Home Ed server, which is a big step for him. We played board games, the children read and attended their jujitsu class later.

Wednesday

Word games using the wordfued app. Nanny and Grandad came and they played Wildcraft, Owen amazed Nanny by explaining the uses of various herbs. Later they went for a bike ride and play at the park whilst I rested up. We had a roast dinner.

Thursday

Beautiful weather again. A Dr who marathon ensued whilst I did my jobs around the house.

Late morning we set off to a park we like. There we enjoyed a picnic, climbing, exploring, water fights and eating ice creams on the way home. Adults and children alike enjoyed this and I got sunburnt.

Later Sam and I talked about the best bits about his day, whilst he very happily, ate jelly in his underpants.

Back home the boys installed some mods on their pc's and played together. They then played outside with the children in our street and we all enjoyed a chicken stir fry together for our evening meal.

Friday

Talking about stag beetles and looking up facts. Bird watching and working out pocket money.

Playing games together, more baking, me doing paperwork , Gary's mod and meeting Ballistic Squid online, riding bikes up and down the road with the other children after school...lots and lots of reading.

Swimming for Blokey and Sam today. Owen decided he didn't want to go but then had a meltdown 10 mins after they had left. We had a good chat about it and hopefully next week will be easier for him to decide.

I wasn't very well today and conceeded defeat in the afternoon. Blokey held the fort, playing games and making additions to the children's PC's that they needed help with.

On Sunday we took the boys to an extra Jujistus course. They both had a brilliant time and chilled in the early evening. Sam played online with his friend, Owen and Blokey sat together enjoying more Dr Who episodes. I cooked the children a large meal, which they devoured eagerly.

Biking, Playing , Learning and Coping strategies.

Today we planned how we want things to work for the next month ahead. We find that we have to do this every so often or the boys start to get bored. No matter what the journals say about 'routine' and Aspergers, it often doesn't seem to work here...novelty being the preferred route for Sam and Owen. I have to admit it's one of the hardest aspects of Home Ed for me ..a nice little routine and timetable would be so much easier to plan round...but I know to our cost, that this route leads to unhappy boys.

The children then wanted to watch 24 hours in the Past , this episode the characters are living in a Victorian workhouse. These programmes always spark lots of conversations and interest.

After this Owen wanted to watch a programme about the Bradford Football Club fire, it's now 30 years ago. He knew I used to live there and that I knew people who had been in the stand that day. We watched some of it, I found it quite hard and Sam managed about 3/4 before he felt he didn't need to see anymore. We discussed how things have changed and how Health and Safety was tightened up after the tragic events..wooden stands were closed or taken down. 

Monday

Sam started reading the Hobbit an Unexpected Journey on his new, much loved Kindle He is really enjoying it..'it's quite a lot like the film..you know the Hobbit one'. We had an amusing conversation about the film being based on the book, but he decided I was pulling his leg.

We watched some of the BBC natural history programmes about Sharks and the children enjoyed telling me various 'Shark Facts'. Sam has always been particularly interested in marine animals....it all started with the BBC's excellent cartoon programme Octonauts. Both of them often surprise me with their knowledge.

We played some incredibly long games of scrabble and I was amazed at how much better they can cope with the game since we last played it. 

Sam wanted to practice his writing :

There was much playing with friends online, building, typing and chatting.

Owen also wanted to watch quite a few Horrible histories programmes so we did that together and chatted about the various facts.

Tuesday

A very tight game of scrabble..I can only play this with a ratio of one child or it becomes a 'contact sport'.

I just beat Sam ( accidentally ) on the last turn...he wasn't happy and asked me to put a picture up of his distained face. So here he is....we were both trying not to laugh.

We looked at the new Lego Worlds Game available on steam and Sam worked out whether he had enough money to buy it. He had more than enough on his GoHenry card so was quite happy to spend his saved pocket money. The game is on early access, to enable people to evaluate and feedback their thoughts on the development process.

This was Sam's very first online purchase with his Go Henry card...his little face was a picture...he put all the card details in. I explained what each part of the process was, which bits were which on the card and we clicked buy. Both boys also made purchases in a shop recently, using a chip and pin machine. I felt stupidly proud of them both and it's all good life skills for them to learn.

Owen has done some building in Minecraft realms with his friends, listened to a music, got his upgraded PC working and looking how he wanted it, read vast amounts of books and learnt 'shed loads' of historical facts. He also laughed at me a great deal...'you are daft mum'.

Due to my recent unexpected hospital visit, they felt should learn about calling the emergency services..though thankfully we haven't had to use that ;-) they found it absolutely hysterical. 

'So we only do it if we can't wake you up?'

'Yes that's right'

'Can we poke you with a stick?'

'I suppose....'

'Can we scribble on your face with felt tipped pens?'

'....in theory..yeeeeesssss...however, I don't think it would look very dignified if the emergency services arrived and I had 'Mrs Turd Blossom' written across my forehead'

They both shoot each other knowing looks and snurtle..

..and it's at that point, you realise you are doomed to have 'I am a winky' indelibly etched on you face.  I think that I may never sleep again and console myself that it's good writing practice.

Wednesday

We played Monopoly in the morning and all the money I gave out of the bank was checked scrupulously by the children.

A trip out to Trentham gardens with friends..it was hard getting Owen out the door but he had a great time once we were out. They were very excited to find a new slide had been built and we enjoyed a picnic in the sunshine.

Thursday.

Is it Thursday ? Yeah..Thursday. It's still early morning and I feel I have done a days work already. The children we FULL ON...it was good but also completely exhausting. Games and questions galore over breakfast...conversations went thus: 'I can't actually make the breakfast you are demanding, play monopoly, answer Minecraft related questions and write out the alphabet all at once' ...DUDES PLEASE!

There was an incident where Owens farm got destroyed on Minecraft today, he impressed me by handling it very calmly and took positive steps to recognise his mistakes and find ways to deal with his disappointment both practically and emotionally...I was incredibly proud of him.

Anyhoo all these things were done..but I had to keep breaking down the simultaneous order of the requests. So they are now off doing stuff together and I am sitting here  feeling like I have been tasered by the Home Ed fairy.

Friday 

There was quite a bit of 'Sam can I please finish my breakfast first love? ' my head is killing me this morning and I feel mean but I know I am too tired for a repeat performance of yesterday's 4 hour marathon. So I managed to get some housework done, whilst they were engaged on their Pc's.

Later we went out on the bikes and met friends at the park. We enjoyed chatting and playing most of the afternoon before cycling home.

Saturday was a quiet day at home, Blokey and I doing jobs and preparing the boys for a trip out on Sunday.

Sunday was a big day for me meeting other sufferers of Cluster headaches, some whom I had known for years. I had a very informative day at the conference finding out on up coming research and development. I was made incredibly welcome by my OUCH family.

Whilst I was there the menfolk had a wonderful time visiting the Maritime Museum, The Liverpool Tate and the museum of Slavery. There was a sailing festival on at the Albert Docks and they had great fun looking round, watching the performers and having a meal together. 

We all drove home together in total agreement, that it had indeed been a 'most excellent' day and we defiantly need to go back.