We officially home ed!

So it's official, we now home educate Nathan having made the decision three years ago to do so. It seems crazy that we're really doing it now though!

Yesterday we met home ed friends at the park and it was fabulous. Not another soul in there which meant the scooters could be abandoned for a good run around and we didn't need to worry about them. Our friends then came back to our house and played for a while before heading home.

I woke this morning to be told that Kenny and Nathan had been researching African tribes on the iPad already and Nathan wants to learn more. As luck would have it we're heading to the library this morning anyway so can hopefully pick up a few books relating to it. I also have clay so am thinking we could make mud huts too.

I'm very excited and also apprehensive. Our children's education is extremely important to us and there's always the concern of messing it up. Having read the recent changes to the National Curriculum and shortages in schools I can put my hand on my heart and say this is the best course for us.

I'm excited that Nathan has already found a topi she wants to explore too.

Here's to a great day

The beginning.

I've been busy trying to decide on the themes that I want us to cover over the following months and making sure that we cover enough numeracy and literacy to keep Nathan from getting bored.

I've always loved the Montessori method and have just discovered this blog here that has the most amazing hands on activities. I'm not sure if Nathan will find some too easy but Ethan will definitely enjoy doing them which will be great. If I'm honest I do forget that Nathan is only just 5. He's incredibly switched on but I think he will enjoy this style of being able to choose activities.

We will be very eclectic with our home educating and I think thats the best way.

I'll be posting our themes hopefully over the weekend! Our first study will be on Sharks as its Shark week on Discovery so it will tie in nicely.

Back soon to update!

Lisa x

Nathan turns 5....

I always feel nostalgic and highly emotional when our children celebrate another birthday. I'm not sure why, maybe because it's another year passed, they're getting bigger and oh so independent.. I'm not sure what it is.

I've gone through the pictures on my phone and chosen a selection that cover the 5 years although we have so many thousand it's really tricky.

I'm feeling slightly nervous now as well as our home ed journey will now become official as he is of legal school age. It's quite daunting really, not that we ever doubt our decision, it's just so official now!

Here he is, our first born baby, he's growing up into an amazing young boy, he's caring, compassionate and highly sensitive. A beautiful character that also has a passionate feisty temper too. No idea where he gets that from.....

Ahhhhh a few through the years x

Meal Planning Monday

So here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday - Spaghetti Bolognese - nice and easy as the boys are butters after they finish preschool.

Tuesday - Fish curry - thermomix recipe

Wednesday - Homemade Tuna fishcakes and salad

Thursday - Sweet and Sour chicken - Hairy dieters recipe

Friday - Steak, some type of potato and veg

Saturday - Homemade pizza night

Sunday - BBQ

We'll also be making a frittata for lunch and some sort of cake/flapjack.


Yum!

L x

This weeks HomeEd set up

I finally pulled my finger out and rearranged the activity shelves for Ethan as well as putting out Butterfly Lifecycle corner together. The boys have been attending our local Montessori Preschool but they finish on Friday. Nathan will be turning 5 in August and will be the official school age and Ethan, well he just doesn't want to go anymore and would rather have fun being out and doing things.

With this all in mind I need to make sure we have plenty to do at home. Here are our shelves at the moment.

Transferring activity

Colour sorting and fine motor grip

Lacing card

Transferring, control of pestle and mortar and will smell amazing!

We have also been observing our caterpillars as they have rapidly grown and are now in their Chrysalides. With this is mind I set up a nature/science corner with a few activities.

A selection of fiction and non fiction books, the butterfly garden which we will transfer the chrysalides into tomorrow and their magnifying glasses.

Here we have the Butterfly Life Cycle cards and booklet purchased from here and also a Spielgaben nature card which helps with control of error.

We'll see how this week goes but with their daddy away working I've made sure we're pretty busy going out and seeing friends so it may be that these activities last longer than a week. Once these butterflies hatch out we're going on a new caterpillar hunt to start all over again.

Heres looking forward to an amazing week.

L x

Ethan turns 3!

Wow what a busy week. Our days seem to merge into weeks and before you know it we're halfway through summer!

This week saw our littlest boy turn 3. He's such a beautiful person, so kind and caring but also a little tornado as well full of energy and mischief.

This year has seen us have terrible financial strains due to all of our predicted work contracts being pushed back until the end of the year. This has meant us living off of our savings which have just about run out. Luckily it is now picking up and there is light at the end of the tunnel. It did however make us re-evaluate how we have been with money the last few years. Pretty frivolous. 

For Ethans birthday I had to look hard at what he would like, shop around and keep it to a minimum. He received his bike, this was in the sale and a fantastic price, a couple of Peppa Pig books and puzzles and the blanket that I had made for him. Do you know what? He was ecstatic and it was the best birthday/christmas celebration we have had. Nathans birthday is a couple of weeks away and the same will happen for him. If I'm honest I've always over bought because I thought more was better. How wrong I was. I can't wait for Christmas this year because instead of scrabbling to buy them loads of stuff they don't want I'm going with:

Something they want

Something they need

Something to wear

Something to read

One more thing to please

I've also reduced the amount I spend on my food bill by at least half if not more. That used to be outrageous, as was our wasted food. I will be meal planning every week, and even once our work balance is back to normal and we have managed to get out of the debt that has unfortunately built up around us we'll never go back to how we were. Do you know why? Because we're happier. We've had more fun and been more appreciative of everything we have.

I hope you've had a great weekend.

L x

Amelia-Lilly Mia Rye

Ahhhhhh she's here. Our beautiful daughter was born on the 2nd June via Caesarian section. She weighed a perfect 7lb 9oz and is doing so well.

Here's one of my favourite pictures taken at the birth.

We're all doing well and both boys are besotted with their baby sister. I'm happy to say that every single ailment I had in pregnancy stopped completely after her birth. Amazingly I have more energy even with the night feeds!

Have an amazing weekend. We will :-) xx