"Hitler outlawed home education for just that reason, he understood that to control the minds of the people you have to get children away from their parents as early as possible" - Firebird
"As you can see, Nanny hates it when she doesn't have a direct input into the upbringing of children; she immediately cries "abuse" at anyone who seeks to distance their family from the state." - Nanny Knows Best: A nation of snoopers
One of the reasons (not the main one, but definitely one,) I wanted to home educate was to properly integrate our children into society. I fail to see how that can be fully accomplished at school, other than by what you do out side of it to supplement it, if you see what I mean.
'Socialisation'. I had never even heard that word until I started telling people we were to home educate, then they were asking - 'but what about socialisation?'
Sorry to come all MA in Library and Info studies on you, but would you PLEASE define what you mean by socialisation?!
Do you know, I don't think anyone who asks that question actually has any idea what they mean by it. Do they mean - what about your kids playing with other kids? Well for a start, I have five ids, so playing, falling out, saying sorry, making friends again and learning to share all kinda just happens at home. And just because we homeschool doesn't mean we are never going to speak to any of their old friends again, or stop going to karate, or swimming, etc etc. So I really don't understand the concern there.
Or do they mean - how will they learn how to behave properly in society? Well really, how DO they learn that it in school? Is society REALLY about being in large groups of people of exactly the same age as you, obeying an arbitrarily appointed timetable, fostering an 'us and them' mentality with any type of authority figure, perversely encouraging sub and counter cultures that are potentially damaging and manipulate an individual away from their family in terms of shared principals, etc etc etc.
I could go on. And this sounds like I'm anti-school and I'm not, necessarily, it's just so naive and patently inaccurate to see school as turning out huge streams of perfectly behaving useful citizens. Schools - even good schools - have negative aspects as a result of the very essence of their being. Essentially, I see them as limited by having huge numbers of pupils, few numbers of teachers, and therefore the only logistical way to people manage is to have didactic curriculums, imposed timetables, etc etc.
I could go on about the governments sinister intention of indoctrination through their imposed curriculum but I won't. For a start they're not focused and organised enough to make this truly effective to any degree anyway, in my opinion. Papacrow is reading over my shoulder and says it's a case of simple dogma... Hmmm, thoughts on a post card please!
Anyway, I see school these days as being basically a child care option. I take John Holt's view that children will learn where-ever and however, the job is to enrich and facilitate and not get in the way of the process by insensitive, intrusive 'teaching'. Therefore, if a child is somewhere for a large block of time then an education has to happen somehow.
Papacrow and I made a decision when we had children that we did not want to pursue full time child care, we wanted one of us to be at home caring for them. We wanted to take care of our children ourselves, as that was one of the reasons for wanting to have them in the first place! We've juggled and made sacrifices accordingly, and then when they reach five they trot along to free day care?! It just doesn't make sense!
Not to mention I have issues with some of the things in the compulsory curriculum. Not just what is taught, but that it's there at all... Sex education for example, and we're back to socialisation again... I just get this impression that school is supposed to deal with it all... Yes, all families are different and I see that the curriculum is trying to pick up the slack and fill in the gaps, but it just looks to me like society is expecting everything to be done for them. I don't want the state to teach my children about sex for me. I don't want the state to teach my children about society and politics and citizen ship for me- I feel I'm more objective for a start!
Now, I happen to consider myself to be reasonably responsible, with sound basic moral principles and a strong social conscious. I want to share and model this with my children.
And I think this is what frightens the state. For two main reasons - one, there is no way of knowing that I am responsible, no way of quantifying that, no way of checking that my definition of responsibility corresponds with their definition, no way, to be frank, to ensure that I am a loyal Briton and not a crazed fanatic lurking here and raising a band of terrorists - and two - I am free thinking (I hope) and aim to give my children the space to grow up the same - to be free thinking independent individuals who will think about their decisions and strive for freedom and justice and equality for all.
In short, gentlemen (and ladies), this is why we have yet another inquiry into home education because, as home educators, we are opting out of the mental spoon feeding, we are thinking for ourselves, and thus we are a section of society that scares a large homogeneous organisation like the government rigid. They can't even lump us into another of their handy tick boxes, because with the community of home education we are all so individual and disparate!
I'm not even anti government - in the sense of the system and the principle. I'm not even, to give a more specific example, anti health visitor or anti home ed visit - we use both services. I'm not EVEN anti inquiry.
What I AM against is ill conceived INCREDIBLY badly written audits. Hey, I worked in Clinical Audit for the NHS for three years. I can write one of these. And, without even blowing my own trumpet, a heck of a lot better.
If you ask me (and I'm sure you're not but I'm going to tell you anyway) they're not even sure what they're asking anyway. As many other people have already pointed out, the questions are INCREDIBLY vague, nothing is even remotely defined, and that irritates me no end. Never mind that many people have included huge amounts of qualitative data in their replies (i.e., lots of explanatory text rather than just yes/nos), the questions are so loose and open (due to their lack of definition) that many people could give different answers for the same reasons, meaning the same thing... What I'm trying to say is that the whole thing is so woolly that any attempt at quantitative analysis of the data is going to be impossible because it's just going to be so wildly inaccurate.
I could almost bet my bottom dollar what the outcome is going to be - more inquiry/surveys/questions/work needed.
commented - 'Actually I want to pick your brains, mamacrow, about home schooling lots of little people of different ages. Perhaps a blog post about it maybe?'
The thing is, it's one of those things I don't find strange, having had several children for some time!
I mean, ANY time spent all together (and after all, they're learning all the time whether you're doing something overtly schooly or not) needs some thought on making sure everyone is happy...
I think it's about interaction in our house, making sure someone isn't yelling over someone else... or crawling over!
Sometimes I do have to do canny mini-occupying strategies so the older ones can get on with something in peace, but the need for that fluctuates and has definitely lessened over time...
Partly because, so long as there isn't a definitesafety issue, I let the minis (Fluff and Petal I mean) join in and use pretty much anything. And partly because we've all shaken down with each other and are used to being with each other 24/7. (Interestingly, arguments and fights have dwindled to almost nothing - very interesting, huh?!)
And to be honest, when you have more than one child, you're always looking out for each individual's individual needs to be met, aren't you?
Of course, one of the defining factors of their individual needs will be their age, (and how those age defined needs interact and conflict with everyone elses's) but it's just one of the many fluctuating variables that will help you recognise what everyone wants, and how to fit it in...
For example - Saurus is happy typing away at his piece on the Battle of Jutland for a minute, so you can hear Wig storm through some more Peter and Jane (his new obsession) and read Fluff a Thomas story (his enduring obsession) before changing Petal's dirty nappy and pulling out some wooden spoons for her, by which time Saurus needs to dicuss further points which you can now give your full attention to because you've dealt with Wig, Fluff and Petal so they're happy for ten minutes.... Then you can listen to Roo about snail's saliva glands, or hedgehog gestation or types of penguin or whatever it is before getting back to Wig about his diary entry and then Fluff and his soggy pull up etc etc while trying (gently) to get them to talk at you ONE AT A TIME PLEASE!...
It doesn't always work! But really, writing this, to me it's just general day to day parenting of a five children family... But then, home schooling for us is a lifestyle choice - an extension and a fulfilling of our parenting style and choices.
When I rolled out of bed today it was to a quiet house this time. It was CHAOS far too early yesterday so we reverted to the 'you can't get out of bed until a parent tells you that you can (apart from the toilet)' rule.
So I pulled the curtains in peace and joy of joys - sun! Blue sky! I stood there for a minute thinking pleasurably about what Saurus would want to do on his birthday - library, maybe dinner in town, definitely go to the park - and it hit me.
Why do you homeschool? Because it's NICE. FUN. ENJOYABLE.
You know, I think that's some of the objection in random 'tutter's' minds... Life shouldn't be fun should it? CERTAINLY education shouldn't be... Of course children can experience bullying at school, unfair teachers, topics or approaches they just don't gel with - that's life. Get used to it.
Excuse me?!
If we have this attitude NOTHING is ever going to change, not for an individual, not for a community large or small.
Respectful as I am of other's opinions and religious beliefs, life, while not always a bed of roses is NOT supposed to be a constant veil of tears.
Wow. I'm sitting here writing this and it's 11.16pm. Another 2hrs and 20 odd minutes and you will be 12. 12. Wow. Next year you'll be a teenager! That's an even scarier thought, but one that makes me feel nice and smug when I think of the people that told me I'd be crazy to have a baby in my first year of university...
They were right, but who wants to be sane?!
I remember taking you in to see my friends once, you couldn't have been more than 1 or so, and life had emerged from the fogs of sleep deprivation. I sat your bottom on a handy railing while I held you and in between sentences I looked at you and realised you now had golden flecks in your blue blue eyes, and thought, amazed, how beautiful you were... That out of all the panic and chaos and upset, you could come... I had an inkling, then, that maybe things were going to be ok in the end after all...
We're rather alike, you and I - sometimes a bit TOO alike if you know what I mean! Yes, we drive each other crazy at times, and rub each other up the wrong way and all that but... I now, at last, realise it's ok, we'll be ok. I've finally stopped feeling so damned anxious about it all. We've survived - we made it baby!
And a very happy birthday - hopefully this one will be a tad more lucid than the original one!
How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? G.K. Chesterton
I'm ashamed to say this is new to me. I evidently need to read more Chesterton because I LOVE it! In fact, I may be using it as one of my stock replies from now on!
Oh dear. I pride myself that we're a nature savvy family... We watch Spring Watch and Autumn Watch and Animal Park and all sorts of nature programmes and Roo has his own personal animal scrapbook and we have a book to note down birds we've spotted and everything...
Wig: - (watching Roo pulling and stretching an animal gummy sweet) It's a snail! No - I mean a snake!
Gill said she tagged me 'because it's bound to be fascinating.' Hmmm. While that was LOVELY to read, I'm now slightly scared this post is now overhyped and y'all are expecting something that's actually interesting and entertaining...
Ah well, here goes -
1. I'm a qualified librarian.
2. When I was at university, I weight trained, and although I can only bench press 50lbs (and that on a good day) I can squat thrust over 100lbs. Mind you, not that I've checked for some time, I'm more into yoga now.
3. I practiced Muay Thai (Thai kick boxing) for several years and got quite tired of people finding the idea of a kick boxing librarian hysterically funny.
4. I used to teach horse riding. One of my pupils who started off as a slightly terrified 6yr old is now tall than me with a smashing figure and teaches riding herself, which I find slightly terrifying.
5. My dad served in World War Two. Yes really. He was in his 60's when I came along, there was an age gap of approximately 35yrs between him and my mum.
6. I worked in the NHS for five years in Mental Health, and still get quite hot under the collar about discrimination.
7. I can play the violin - though haven't for years - play the piano a TINY amount, and sing a bit. I have found sight reading music to be one of my top five most useful skills, and have sung a bit in church choirs with my mother-in-law.
8. I've always written - stories, poems, song lyrics, anything. My mum's still got an exercise book from when I was 5 somewhere with this long involved story about a family of potatoes living in the potato rack.
And I don't think I'll tag anyone else - I know that's cheating, but I only read a handful of blogs. Some Gill's tagged already and others are big important American professional writers and I feel kinda shy about tagging them :-o
p.s. Here be the rules, so you know how to break 'em...
1. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.
5. For the recipients, leave a comment for the person who tagged you, so they can go and read your answers.
I hate people who blog a relentlessly positive view of their lives, not necessarily leaving out crisis or tragedy, but out doing Polly Anna when they come along... C'mon, you must feel down sometimes?!
I hate people who blog a relentlessly negative view of their lives, not necessarily leaving out lucky happenstances, but out doing Victor Meldrew when they come along... C'mon, you must feel happy sometimes?!
I hate people who pride themselves on being rude and unlikeable. I mean sure, I am what I am and all that, and sure, don't change yourself to please the world, but... Surely common politeness is not going to kill you?!
I hate people who pride themselves on being free spirits when actually that means that they lack the manners or consideration to even attempt to turn up on time. Ever.
I hate people who welcome you into their group and make you feel part of it and that you've finally found somewhere to belong, and aren't we all so like minded? And then they turn around and make it very clear that you do not fit in and never will, but do it so subtly that you can't even rant or protest because it's probably all just you being over sensitive or being hormonal, and hey - you're actually socially inept but in denial about it so you can never improve and it's ALL YOUR FAULT.
I hate kitchens that don't have plumbing or even space for a dishwasher.
I hate the way Saurus's face gets whiter and white and he gets twitchier and twitchier and asks silly questions and I get all irritable and snappy and then I totally feel guilty for the rest of my life for not feeling rushes of maternal love every time I see him, and because it's all my fault and I'm totally psychologically scarring him for life.
I hate the weather where having the heating on makes it a little too hot (and worrying about the cost) and having the heating off makes it a little too cold and I'm convinced I'm making all the children ill, even though the older generation always slept in freezing cold bedrooms and were apparently disgustingly healthy (apart of course from the many who died in childhood).
But most of all I hate hate hate blog posts that are rambly lists of ridiculous things that the author hates and that blight their lives, when they have food and shelter and can walk out in the street without being shot or stepping on a mine or recruited into a drugged up army by force.
Why yes, I'm feeling a touch on edge at the moment, why do you ask?!
I quite forgot it was the inauguration today... Luckily Papacrow remembered - he's been following Obama's campaign since May when he was facing off against Hilary in the primaries - and we were all (well, nearly all) riveted to it.
I was slightly disappointed that the historical 'America's great legacy' references in his inaugural address were all about immigrants, but at least Native Americans were referred to in the Reverend Joseph Lowery's benediction and the poetry reading.
The best thing about it? The lovely feeling that we COULD sit there and watch it ALL, ALL together, and not have to rush off and get dinner on the table on time because they all had to get to bed on time because they had to get up in time for school the next morning!
My favourite image? Well, apart from Aretha Franklin's hat (where DID she get that hat?!) it was the view of the bank of important people sitting behind the podium as Rev. Joseph Lowery (a civil rights leader) gave the benediction... Men, women, old, young, black, white, Asian etc all sitting together. Now I know they must have very carefully arranged on purpose and the effect calculated very carefully, but it was good to see.
A new beginning? I hope so. Lets hope that the righting of problems and issues in the Native American communities are as high profile as other areas of need, rather than being swept under the carpet (even the good that does get done) yet again.
I picked up Mimi Doe's Busy But Balanced this morning for the first time in ages, and, opening it at random, I found this -
"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change." Thich Nhat Hanh
Which was PERFECTLY what I needed. (Except I am slightly distracted by the spelling 'lettuce'. I am CONVINCED it should be 'lettice' but maybe that's just me?!)
Lots of great fab amazing educational fun stuff has been going on here, but I'm not going to tell you about it - I'm going to rave about the books I got today instead!
Saurus and I went out together for some bonding time... I took him to karate, we had chips, then went to THE BEST BOOK SHOP IN THE WORLD.
Actually, that photo must be a couple of years old... How can I tell? Well, it's a bit like plant, despite it theoretically being a limited space it - the piles of books that is - still grows by the same amount each year. Actually, you can actually see over the counter here, so it's probably more like four or five years ago.
To cut to the chase - Thoreau's Walden, which I've wanted for YEARS and I'm ashamed to say haven't read (am remedying that now, and I have read Skinner's Walden II if that gets me any brownie points), a Patrick Moore book on space that Saurus fancied (and we're having an astronomy month later in the year) The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (again, I'm ashamed to say I've never read it, and Laurence of Arabia is the month topic in October), a book on WWI tactical mistakes (should be jolly) and some Biggles for Saurus - he's mad on them, and even got a discount from the shop owner, for being 'valued customer' :D
Did I mention it is the best book shop IN THE WORLD?!
Did I forget to mention we went to the Panto last weekend?
I did?
Well it was AWESOME!
Yes, finally my turn to go (Papacrow's been two years in a row due to babies and bumps and things like that) and I took Saurus, Roo and Wig and we met up with my sister C, and her daughter L and her husband, and it was very very cool...
The local theatre dates back to the Victorian era and is beautiful, and the production was really good - they had obviously pared back on sets and cast numbers (credit crunch hits everywhere evidently) but this actually improved the whole thing - the songs (a mix of contemporary and traditional musical) were top notch, all the set dance and song pieces were great, they had all the old jokes in, loads of shouting and all that...
We all loved it, and talked a lot about panto, and miracle plays and mummer's plays and the Comediadel art and all that.
Yeah, it was a little pricey, (by our standards, we went on the penultimate day AND got a discount) but worth EVERY penny
It was AWESOME! I'm SO glad we all went - even for the bits where Saurus freaked out at the pigeons and the musuem guide turned out to be a creationist.
We all loved it and the minis were the best behaved of the lot! (Well, almost.)
Because tomorrow - tomorrow we are going on the train to London, to go to the Imperial War Museum.
ALL of us.
Because I can't bare to leave Papacrow and the minies behind, or be left behind with the minies myself as usually happens.
I KNOW it's a recipe for disaster. I KNOW I'm just caught in the idyllic dream of a 'family outing' where we all trip through Waterloo station with beatific smiles on our faces.
Cor lummy chief. Papacrow - who hasn't read this blog for AAAAGES, I had presumed he'd forgotten all about it - read it this morning.
He then had a COMPLETE about face from his usual sensible 'not the right time to expand the family' stance.
He even did a straw poll of the kids to find out what they thought the perfect amount of children was to have in a family.
Results -
Saurus - 6 or 7. Roo - initially said 7, then decided no, 5 as it is now. Wig - 7 or 6. Fluff - I like my Petal crawling around. One more Petal please. Petal - grinned hugely and waved at the ceiling like she was watching baby angels.
Is it VERY wrong of me to want to have another baby?
I mean, I have five already. It's probably not a very responsible idea, on the finance, space, capacity and certainly patience fronts. Well, actually, definitely not.
And all the while people - some very dear friends of mine - are struggling to get pregnant just for the first time, are struggling to stay pregnant, have such terrible loss...
Not to mention the whole 'the world is over populated and no one should have children' school of thought.
I honestly thought I got broody round the year, year and a half mark because in the past I have had to go back to work.
Well here I am at home full time, surrounded by my babies - the good AND the bad bits - and busy busy busy but... I've begun to hear a little voice calling at me again...
'Hey! Here I am! Are you listening? I REALLY want to be part of your family - it'd be so much FUN! C'mon, hurry up now, I can't wait to meet y'all..'
Yesterday you were 8. I'm having a hard time getting my head round this, I'm not sure why... I had no problem with you being 5, or 7... Maybe because they're both odd numbers that visualise strongly as a pyramid? 8 doesn't. 8 sounds - all grown up and scary :-o
And you're not exactly fighting it are you? Every time I manage to get you fed up enough for your ribs not to show, you stretch another few inches over night. Plus as ever, your rotating palate is in action - foods you used to love can be deadly poison at any give moment and vice versa. Mind you, you did get your first teeth ever so late. Not until you were nearly 2 - I thought you were never going to get any! That may have something to do with your particular approach to texture...
Your presents kinda sum you up - a book on how to look after tree frogs, a book on a 1001 things to make from plastic bottles, a magnetics racing car, mechano, a flying sting ray space ship - which is really quite deadly, I found Fluff and Wig watching you fly it from under the safety of a layer of cushions the today - and a DS (which, I hasten to add, you saved up for, asked for money rather than presents from Aunts and Uncles etc, and sold your game boy to Wig) and a game to play on it where you're a dinosaur. Perfect.
You really haven't changed much... You were a very DISTINCTIVE baby - very long and thin with HUGE flipper like feet (maybe that's why you like penguins so much, you have the same kind of feet) and even at a few days old, a VERY strong idea of what you wanted and what you DIDN'T. It was a very distinctive pregnancy too, come to think of it - I was sick all the way through. It very nearly put me off ever getting pregnant again.
You've got over the 1hour long temper screaming sessions, thankfully, in fact you are extraordinarily sweet natured - for ever finding things to help out with - sweeping the kitchen floor, for example. However, you are still classed as a force of nature - there are hurricanes, tsunamis, and Roo. One just gets out of the way :)
You are also very loving and hugging and kissy - but only in private. Never, since turning five, in public - hence the patented Roo finger hug.
I'm very very grateful you came along at the end of my degree. Home just isn't a home without a Roo - every family should have one. They just can't have our one!
xxx
ps and finally - yours and Petal's room!
You can just about see (in the second one) that the ceiling is a darker purple, and (if you squint a bit) that there are glittery stars on the wall.
I'm sorry your birthday letter is oh so very late. I'm still reeling from the fact that you are now three years old. Wow. Really?! Also the fact that your birthday is on the 27th of December also makes things extra - hectic, shall we say...
Wow do I remember the Christmas you were born! I was NOT comfortable. And then on the morning after boxing day - snow! Magical. Papacrow and your brothers rushed out to play in it - we lived bang smack next door to a huge park then. And then you decided to hurry up and arrive - in the day time, unlike all the rest of your siblings, who favoured the middle of the night.
The funny thing is, your birth is the one that felt the most tranquil, the least scary. I knew exactly what was going on and where you were every second (the midwife was most impressed) - and yet there was miconim in my waters when they broke (a sign the baby is distressed) and a little while after you were born you started looking blue and sounding grunty and off we were whipped to hospital in an ambulance, with siren's screaming and everything.
The other funny thing was, that was how the pregnancy had started - I had severe and mystery abdominal pain - the worse pain I have EVER experienced. I really thought at one point that I was going to die, simply from the sheer amount of pain. Anyhow I didn't, my period stopped and I was having all the little signs that I was successfully pregnant, but the tests kept coming back negative... So then I was ticking the boxes for all sorts of scary things, ovarian cancer, for example. Then I finally got sent for a scan to see the extent of the problem and there you were! It was lovely surprise :)
So the pregnancy was bookended by ambulance rides... You were fine as it happened, just cold. The labour was no quicker than several of my others but for whatever reason didn't agree with you... I was five days overdue and afterwards one of the midwifes commented the placenta was looking quite gritty so maybe you were feeling as crap as I was!
We had to stay in hospital overnight - me, the hospital phobe. But we had our own room, and for some reason I didn't panic at all but took it all quite cheerfully, it was just a shame that after pains get worse with each subsequent pregnancy and birth... That and the baby across the hall that never shut up...
So here we are, and now you are three. Your curls are to die for - though you've always been a dark brown, and it suits you. I'm extremely envious of your eyelashes. Your vocabulary has expanded over night - you're reminiscent of Roo with an endless commentary and rarely pausing to draw breath.
And you're already a world authority on steam trains. Well, ok, a family authority on steam trains.
Happy happy happy birthday. I couldn't imagine our family without you, even when you are screaming incessantly and I rush up concerned and ask -
'What's wrong? What's up? What happened? Are you hurt? Why are you crying?'
and I get the answer - 'I d-d-don't knooooow!'
Happy Birthday Fluff, and here's to many many more. xxx
World War One. This is already proving awesome, as all I know about WWI is from poems and plays and literature... The war poets, Journey's End and Biggles to be precise... Which while giving me an admirable grasp of the individual's experience, taught me little or nothing about the causes and alliances and troop movements and etc etc etc... So I'm finding it all really fascinating.
We got some GREAT books out of the library and learnt LOTS about the causes (going back several hundred years and learning all about general tensions in the area - it really was a very good book... Talked a bit about nationalism too and the problems with it...) I had no idea Serbia was such an influential power! Actually, I'm staggered as ever at how ignorant I am :(
We've got a dvd of a recent tv series on WWI particularly the tanks and planes to watch and are going to visit as many honour plaques as possible - in as many odd places as possible, i.e. not just War Memorials and Churches - I've got one in a local public school and one in a Post Office lined up already. We're also planning to all go to the Imperial War Museum - entry is free, they've got a huge WWI exhibition on the moment that is also free.
Yes you read that right - ALL of us. I'm desperate to go - have never been - and am tired of being left behind! So that should be interesting if it comes off! We're planning to ask Grandad to come along too - he was in the army (though not quite old enough to be in either world war! My father did serve in WWII though) so it's an area of interest for him.
We're also reading Biggles (we were already but hush, it still counts!) and I bought 'Tommy's War' recently for Papacrow so we've got lots of good stuff... As luck has it, 'Granddad's Great War' a one man show by the grandson of a great war soldier based on his dairies (published as 'An Unimportant Solider' is on locally at the end of the month.
And WWI is one of Papacrow's areas of interest so they're doing lots of enactments up and down the corridor - building barricades and advancing at a walk on the blow of whistle and all getting shot (after working out the bullet rate and range of course).
I could get all bogged down on how it's a completely illusory concept that has little or no interface with the actual turning of the earth and seasons and moons etc - but I won't :-)
I thought about what I need to work on this New Year - patience and love, as ever. Not shouting, being nice, working hard on endless tasks that everyone else undoes, etc etc.
Then I thought - actually, my resolution is only to make resolutions that I have a realistic chance of keeping.
So my resolution for 2009 is - (drum roll please)
To eat good quality dark chocolate near the end of every month :D
That may just well take care of the other ones (patience, love, blah blah blah) anyhow... It's all down to imbalanced brain chemistry - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
I’m not going to use real names here, and I just want to reasure people that these are nicknames - I did not name my children this for real!
Saurus - born 27/1/97, therefore currently 12, he’s football mad and could kick a ball pretty much as soon as he could walk. Has very blue eyes like his father’s, though his blond curls are now brown and wavy - when he lets it grow. He generally likes his hair short and spiky. Usually to be found with his nose in a book when not kicking something or welded to his PSP.
Roo - born 8/1/01, therefore currently 8. Eyes that can’t quite make their mind up whether they’re green or brown, so generally settle for hazel. Hair was never as curly - it just curled up at the edges when he was 2ish, so that he looked like a honey blond x-wing! It’s a reddy brown now and straightish and looks awesomely retro when he lets it grow. Obsessed with building things, climbing and anything arty or crafty, and loves nature, animals, bugs etc.
Wiggle(also known as Wig or Mr Wiggins) - born 21/9/03 so currently 6, very blue eyes and golden curly hair - a real heart breaker! Obsessed with cricket - was the youngest ever member of the local cricket club at 2, he’d actually been playing at home for about a year already - and karate - again was the youngest memeber at the club at 2, after begging to join in with his brothers and doing the whole class at home, over and over, and is now a green belt. Is currently planning to take up horse riding. Loves lego and can construct sets well above his age level.
Fluff(also known as Fluffkin) - born 27/12/05 so currently 3. Hazely brown eyes, soft brown hair which is INCREDIBLY curly, nearly an afro except it’s too soft in texture. Anything his older brothers do/have, he is convinced he should do or have! Is really articulate and very handy with his brother's lego. Completely obsessed with trains.
Petal(also known as Madam) - born 28/8/07 so currently 2. Having always sworn that any daughter of mine would NEVER be called Petal, Precious or Princess, she naturally quickly became the Precious Petal Princess. More often, she is ‘oooo’ Power Petal! Or Poopy Petal, which is even more often appropriate. No longer needs a stool to climb everywhere :-(
Last but definitely not least -
Papacrow. As bonkers and sexy as he was when we first met 14 years ago - more so in fact!
Is this not the COOLEST thing IN THE WORLD?!
You can just about see (in the second one) that the ceiling is a darker purple, and (if you squint a bit) that there are glittery stars on the wall.
