Half term happiness

So we generally stick to terms of the school calendar because it makes life easier to see friends who are schooled.

Hence, come the weekend of half term we eased up on the lesson work and had lots of fun.

The Tall Ships festival was at Gloucester Docks and we had a fab time 2 years ago but this time we missed being able to go because it was his Great Grandads 86th birthday so we went to Wales to celebrate.  We has a quick walk round the Docks in the evening but everything was shut up by then.  

Great Grandad was very interested about the home ed aspect of our life and Barnaby took on board advice about trying hard at Maths (!). It was nice to think that at 86 someone still has an open mind about the ways in which kids differ and why school isn't always to most suitable place for them.

We went to see the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular in Cardiff which, for 2 fans like us, was spectacular indeed!  2 hours of the most powerful orchestral music and footage on big screens,  being accompanied by Daleks and Cybermen and Ood (among others!) This nicely kicked off Barnabys Dr Who project and he has spent much of the week on and off organising folders, contents lists and sticking stickers on the cover pages!  Oh, and using it as an excuse to watch lots of episodes! 

Actual real life scary Daleks! 

Waterfight with Amy and Zoe

Wednesday we went to Bicester to see some friends and Barnaby,  despite the horrible weather,  coaxed the girls into a water fight which was the highlight of his day.

Turns out you can build a den
anywhere! 

The weekend was spent with Daddy who took him to The Natural History Museum and spent time designing their go kart project which has been inspired from watching Scrapheap Challenge.  It will give Barnaby something to get his teeth into under the expert guidance of his Dad.

Other stuff:

• Sports club 
• Beavers
• Football 
• Park with friends 
• Conquer Maths
• Sudden fascination with Top Gear.  
• Dismantling some of his toy cars and seeing their components,  then using a magnet inside one of them to test various metals to see what is magnetic and what isn't. 
• Learning about the Vikings - inspired by a Time Team special. Toby Robinson found a viking poo which was about the size of his head which of course,  being 7, was THE most fascinating (and hilarious) thing ever.
• He's been practising his flags of the world.  
• We spent hours making lego together.

At the Natural History
Museum with Dad

Interest remains from the election about politicians and what David Cameron does on a daily basis so we often discuss that. Oh, and he has been running a mile or two every day on the treadmill. 

At the moment he's switched off from reading books at bedtime but he will quite happily sit and do complex sticker books to build robots,  and read out all about them, so that'll do me for now. 

We went to a farm park the other side of Bristol today and he was willingly reading all the information about the animals as we went round.  He appeared to have a bizarre affinity with the goat who all rushed over to the fence to see him as soon as he arrived but they weren't bothered about anyone else. Was quite cute really. Lunch was eaten on a go kart which he managed to work out how the steering and wheels were attached so he could tell his Dad how they were going to do it on theirs! 

Every goat needs a pink diamante collar!