Brief update of learning 16.10.15

Well this week has flown by. 
Firstly things are really sinking in with French. I wasn't sure how well he was getting on with it but week 4 and I was amazed to sit and watch him answer the tutors questions, in French.  As always with my boy he knows more than he lets on and though 'shy' isn't a word you'd usually use to describe him, he is when he's worried about getting things wrong in front of the others in the group. He was like it at school. But his confidence is growing each week. Badgers was all about learning the recovery position which he had been practising in the week. He was pleased he got it all right.  He's taking his first aid training very seriously which I love to see,  but they seem to teach him in a fun way so he remembers it. We attended home ed group again this week, that's the third week we have made it. It's a new group so is not that busy, he is the oldest there but he loves having 3 hours charging around and playing with his new friends. He was a bit quieter this week playing with the lego but as long as he's chatting to his mates while he does it,  he's happy.  Sports club is a highlight of the week. He's  always pink faced and sweaty from hockey or dodgeball.  He went to a school friends for tea, and then to Beavers which was learning all about Dogs for The Disabled.  They have got a really packed schedule at Beavers these days, something different each week which is great. Wednesday we visited Smyths toy shop. I decided to do maths and English in there. He went through all the aisles looking at everything he fancied to make a list for Christmas. He wrote down everything he wanted.  This worked out really well as he hates writing so I knew that if he took the time to write the item down he really really wants it!! We also looked at offer prices, working out what was better value or what the saving of a sale price was. Other stuff: he learnt how to check tyre pressure and put air into the car tyres,  he's read loads (for him) , listened to Roald Dahl stories nightly,  started a list of spellings, completed a rugby trail at Roots coffee shop searching for clues and letters to make a sentence (for which he was rewarded 2 celebration chocolates! It kept him entertained for the best part of an hour!), looked at different types of rock formations,  looked at pie charts, tried really hard with telling the time,  has learnt all the words to 'Eleanor Rigby', beat his personal best at skipping and finally we have started looking at the War which is a blog post within itself. Overall his interest in learning is really increasing.  I guess we've been at this home ed stuff 6 months now.  We have both found our feet and gained confidence in what we are doing. It is great to have the freedom to run with his interests and apply what we've learnt in other areas to something he finds fascinating.

Crumpets and Coagulants

This morning started abruptly at 6am. 

I say abruptly,  I'm used to getting up at that time but Barnaby always takes a few days to settle back down after being at his Dads for the weekend.  So he didn't really want to be awake but couldn't get back to sleep so I agreed to him watching Percy Jackson while having something to eat.

The peace didn't last long. I heard a panicked squawk and a nasally call for help.  Turns out he'd had a somewhat explosive nosebleed after falling off the bed. Only the second in his life and the first one I've had to deal with. 

It took quite a while to ease up, and just provided extra evidence for my "you know you're a parent when...." list by asking "have you been ferociously picking your nose?! " and "have you shoved anything up there?!" 

Anyway, we ended up having a long discussion about blood, it's purpose, white blood cells, red blood cells and and how it manages to stop itself. I took great joy in over using the word coagulant, mainly because it's one of my favourites. I spent some time working in a Blood Component Technology business many moons ago and decided then that coagulant is a firm favourite, alongside my other favourite word: anticoagulant. 

I'm nothing if not predictable. :)

Barnaby,  pleased to be having such an insight so early on a Monday morning, was rather interested once he'd calmed down that the blood on the inside of his body that was quite persistent in being outside of his body would eventually stop. 

You're craving crumpets now, right?

Needless to say, when it did, the first question was " Can I have three crumpets for breakfast this morning?" It seems, as I have suspected for many years, crumpets make *everything* better. 

So, after a shower and chores we started some impromptu grammar/punctuation/spelling after he found a load of love letters girls had given him when he was 5.

He went through and corrected the capital letters, the commas, the lack of question marks and some of the spelling. It also gave me opportunity to talk about apostrophes in cannot/can't, do not/don't, are not/aren't. 

It should be said that at the girls writing to him at this stage were the ones in his class - at the same point he could barely spell his own name, thus the letters were pretty spectacular. Besides which, I thought that "will you mary me?" was really quite cute. 

But it just goes to show that there are lessons everywhere: through a nosebleed and a tidy up we've learnt all sorts of things before it's even 8am! 

Happy days! 

What a load of......

Over breakfast we begun a discussion about poo.

Specifically, food, digestive systems -and the problems with mine- and how poo is made.

Barnaby has always been fascinated with the book "I know where my food goes" which he's had for years. When he was three his favourite word was oesophagus.  

But now I'm able to explain in a bit more depth about digestion and just why sometimes I can look like I'm 9 months pregnant or am in agony after eating.  

We got out his science book about the human body and had a good look at the intestines, got the tape measure out to see where 5 metres of small intestine would stretch to (that will be to the back of the conservatory!) and ended up discussing how you can judge health by your poo, the importance of water in your system, hiccups,  burps and farts.

For a boy who thinks toilet humour is hilarious he managed most of it without fits of giggles too!

Not quite how I imagined our breakfast discussion would be pre-8am but interesting nonetheless...

Our new routine

So, a couple of weeks ago I needed to talk to Barnaby.  

Talking whilst in the car, or on a walk means I may have his undivided attention for about 4 minutes so I took the chance.  :)

I explained that my life isn't working for me at the moment.  I am a single Mum,  a home educator,  I run my sewing business AND I've recently taken on running sessions in a local pottery studio  My life is chocka. And it wasn't working because whatever I was doing at any one time I was panicking about all the other stuff I wasn't doing and so felt like I was constantly chasing my tail. Something needed to change.

And changed it has.

Now I get up at 6am.
This seems more than a little ironic as I've had more than my fair share of sobbing about Barnabys pre - dawn wake up calls in his little life. He was a 6am riser every day of his life until he finished school.  Now his natural time to wake is about 8am.  I can't deny I've totally made the most of this the last couple of months but it wasn't helping, as by the time we were ready to start the day half the morning had gone.  

So now, the new rule is that breakfast is 8.30 and if he wakes before then he can play and potter and watch a dvd in his room but 6am til 8.30 is my time. Alone.  In the dark.

I work, I do the food shop, I stick a wash on, I sew, I drink coffee in absolute silence.  And I'm loving it!

9.30 is chores: his are written on the new kitchen whiteboard (which,  by the way: best idea ever. He wipes off chores when they are done,  he practices his handwriting and spelling,  he writes me a shopping list, he does his sums.)

10.30 -1pm is lessons - whatever we choose, they may be outdoor or in, games or puzzles,  reading or French,  arts and crafts, or even some educational TV.

1pm is lunch then the rest of the day is free

Yes. Free.

He *only* does about two hours of lessons a day.

School peeps I mention this to have a look of horror.  But then I point out that because their child is in school 9-3 they are lining up for assembly,  getting changed for PE,  having 2 breaks and a lunch,  sitting through two registrations....  Really they are getting as much time learning as my boy.

In the afternoon our 'free' time ranges from going to the tip or a walk in the woods. We could visit friends, or the library or do drawings or bake a cake... Of course,  you and I know this is still learning but for goodness sake don't let Barnaby know ;)

Usually there is also a lesson or a club at some point during the day. Currently he is signed up for French, St Johns Ambulance,  sports club, Beavers, fortnightly Forest School and Youth club.  He's considering joining chess club. And we've started attending the weekly home ed meetings when we can, so even more chance to run around and play with his mates.

Our week is full and noisy and busy. 

But at least now we have a routine we both know where we are and what we are doing. And for the last week we've implemented it, I've had the luxury of concentrating on the actual thing I'm doing at the time.

Long may it continue!