Thursday: The Odyssey and Van Gogh's sunflowers

Stepping back into the Harmony Fine Arts course after several months' absence, it's good to see dd and ds2 getting creative again.

In prep for our ventures into the classics we borrowed a dramatisation of The Odyssey on audio cd from the library. Ds2 said it was a bit like ancient Steven Spielberg, how the characters were always going and doing the things they'd been warned not to.

We talked for a while about plot and suspense. I have to agree with him. Tbh after two CDs of monster after monster, storm after storm, and men doing dumb things, usually through character flaws such as greed, I'm starting to wish they'd just hurry up and drown!

Blood and cardboard

My kids definitely prefer it when we are in an autonomous education phase.

This morning I encouraged (forcefully) them to do a page or two of maths and to continue with our project on Ancient Greece. It's not asking alot. Especially when 'doing' ancient greece this morning comprised me reading a couple of paragraphs about Troy and Homer and then them assembling (or not) cardboard model of Trojan Horse. See - how hard can that be? Apparently the words blood and stone come into it. Or blood and cardboard.

Well we got as far as sticking together the background - the Troy bit. And I was feeling so generous I didn't even make them cut any of it out. Last night, well into adult time, I sat watching CSI cutting out the various items required and labelling each with the order of assembly. I actually cut out 12 - or was it 16? - tiny wheels each with little tiny cog-like flaps on the outside. I am such a martyr to home education. Needless to say they didn't appreciate it. And neither did I when my late night slaving away at Troy was rewarded by a cockeral waking me up at 5.45am and some grumpy children thinking they were so hard done by because they had to stick together some cardboard. 'It would be very easy for me to phone up the local school,' I threaten with a malicious grin.

You see, this is why autonomous education works for us. And enforced 'let's be educational' stuff doesn't. There were the kids, happily engrosed in dismantling something on the conservatory table (I think it was the old video player that they'd been using for catapult target practice). Ds1 was painting parts silver to stick inside a large cardboard box which he explained (in technical terms) was going to be a spaceship simulator (you what?). Then I went up to them and said that they had to come and do something educational. Now what's that all about?

Then I fed them lunch. It has to be healthy lunch, which is difficult. Well it doesn't have to be healthy, it's just that ds2 is doing a food diary for his fitness challenge at cubs and I don't want everyone to know that I feed my children crap. Even if I do (sometimes). The thing is, even ds2 is getting the hang of this 'let's pretend we eat healthy' lark. This morning he asked for All Bran (rather than chocolate spread sandwiches which is his staple diet). And then I gave him orange juice which I always mean to but usually never buy. And for lunch he had carrot sticks with his healthy meal. And I am writing HOME MADE next to everything on the diary. Because it is and because even if it is rubbish food at least it's HOME MADE rubbish and not PROCESSED rubbish. Well except for the chocolate spread.

The exercise diary is proving more difficult. I've realised that ds2 is probably the only one of us that does very little - except under duress - exercise (unless you count moving the computer mouse or running around hitting his brother). When I looked at the diary and couldn't think of any exercise he'd done for 3 days I decided we needed to do something. I mean, we're home educators. Not only are we meant to be nice to each other (for the record, I'm an intolerant vicious old crow), but we're also meant to be happy outdoorsy people whose children run through the hills on a daily basis singing the sound of music, while reciting their Latin homework and doing energetic back flips.

So we took the dog to the library, the very long way round. No back flips, just alot of dog poo to avoid through the park. As usual I had very nearly overdue books to return (what again??!!). And the dog barked and barked and barked really loudly outside the library while the adults inside ho hummed in that irritated ho humming way that not very polite adults do. I know because I do it sometimes (except mine is more of a ho huff followed by an irritated sighing noise). And once more I spoke to the librarian about getting a special card for home edders so we can have extended loans, because when you've got 80 books overdue for a week you need to remortgage your house to pay off the fine. And she said 'did you know you can renew them at home on the computer.' And I said.'Yes.' In my nicest politest tolerant voice.

So we're back now from the library. En route Ds1 collected a new supply of red elastic bands that the postman always drops, plus an empty Bob the Builder plastic tub for doing bicarb rockets, plus other assorted crap that will be swilling around my washing machine in the near future when I forget to empty his pockets. And now the kids are all watching Stormbreaker DVD from the library because none of them wanted to take a book out (probably cos I've ranted to them so much about the huge fine that I had to pay last time).

And I can't find the second packet of chocolate chips in the baking cupboard. Perhaps I have already eaten them? This is most distressing.

I am going to go and shout at the cockeral.

Question: When is a hen not a hen?

Answer: when it turns into a cockeral.

No, it's not a joke. It's a rather serious business actually.

Two mornings ago there was a strange noise outside in the early hours. I looked out, couldn't see anything (it was dark). The noise? Well it was just odd. Like a barking, croaking, gurgling, clucking sort of noise - but actually none of those.

And then this morning I heard it again. But this time it was a barking, croaking, gurgling, clucking sort of noise with 'a-doodle-doo' added at the end.

Now, I don't know a huge amount about hens. I feed them, I clean them out, I worm them, and I run around very quickly when they turn on me (especially when chicken food falls down the inside of my welly -a very dangerous situation indeed!). But the one thing I do know is that hens don't - as a rule - make any noise that involves 'a-doodle-doo'. Are you following my drift?

So my conclusion (being the Sherlock Holmes type) is that the cute fluffy chick that we raised last year, that looks like a hen and acts like a hen (well ok, so its legs are becoming mini tree trunks and it's got a nasty temper on it) is actually not a hen at all.

NOT A HEN.

Putting it simply: Lola is actually Charlie.

But it looks like a hen. Well except today, when it is looking less and less like a hen the more I examine it. But maybe that's because I have been influenced by the vocal suggestion that it may be something other than a hen (all the time it sounded like a hen, then it also looked like a hen).

My only thought is that it's one of those breeds that when I googled it said 'it's very difficult to sex these chickens, because the first you'll know about it is that they'll either lay an egg or they'll crow."

Bummer.

So why didn't somebody tell me that it takes 6 months before a hen - I mean a cockeral - starts to crow? So, it gets to puberty and starts strutting its funky stuff going 'hey, look at the cool dude here' or something like that? In a very loud and strange -'my voice has just broken' - noise. It's all news to me.

Well, whatever. All it means is that out goes 'egg-laying potential' and in comes 'potential to mightily pee-off the neighbours'.

Don't suppose anyone want a free lunch (with feathers)?

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Ok, on to the home ed now. Yes, I know my posts are completely random. You probably click on the blog link and think 'I wonder what it'll be this time - Some political rant about home education? Some funny comment about parenting (or lack of)? Or a dull list of home ed activities with some photos of kids we've never met and have no interest in whatsoever?'

Well today ladies and gentlefolk, I'm going for option C...

Here is the news:

Spring has arrived (at last)

and with it, comes that craziness that infects all who stand in the way.

Mad teacher woman with tambourine in museum reminds home ed children exactly how patronising adults can be:

(it goes without saying that I am always very very thankful when others organise home ed workshops at other locations - but there are times when the workshops serve to remind me why I home educate)

Shocking new discovery of 'hoody' mummy - freed from it's crypt it roams the museum withh unfilled-in worksheets:

Criminal mother finds exactly how quick it is between taking a photo of the stage and the theatre police tapping her on the shoulder and telling her off (approx 2 secs after this photo):

[We saw Charlie and Lola - well worth a visit if it comes to you. Lovely for littleuns. True to the original. And no silly adults in funny costumes singing stupid songs (always a sticking point for me).

Of course I'd give it a full review if the security thugs at the theatre had let me take a few more fuzzy pictures. Pah! Who do they think I am? There's this badly dressed frump of a mother who couldn't find the hairbrush, with my crappy little digital camera and 3 fidgetty kids? Like I'm going to film the whole show (in blurry wobbles with 4 heads in front of me and small child begging for jelly beans) and put it on Youtube..? Ok. Rant over. I suppose it's a fair cop, guv. I give you the full two-fingered salute.]

Child praises miracle of mother actually finishing a knitting project:

[Do they look different lengths? Nah! I reckon it's just that one leg is longer than the other.]

[Notice the non-slip rug stuff sewn underneath? No more hall floor slides for you, my child. You have super sticky feet. Ha!]

One of the family proves that they can actually do academic work without mother threatening to send them to school ('..I'm phoning St Christophers now..what d'you mean? You're willing to do it now..?')

Small child demostrates how best to drown very tiny seeds:

(and then leave them to die from lack of water later)

Middle child demonstrates at science festival how to soak stall-holder's feet with water pump (and not apologise):

Small child makes mother freeze her wotsits off for 2 hours at science festival so small child can ask stall holder 'How big is Space?'

(I wouldn't have minded but the stall holder is her dad. )

'And how big is space?' I hear you ask

VERY.

(apparently, though I couldn't hear because my teeth were chattering too much).

Big child makes lethal additions to catapult collection (hard things to fire and targets to pretend to hit while actually aiming for squirrels):

Small child finds jelly bean on floor of theatre. Museum assistants date it to sometime in the 3rd century judging by the amount of archaic fluff attached to it:

And here endeth the news.

Very quick catch up...more later

Ok, very very quick catch up. I started this post several days ago (hence the date - today is 1st March, not 27 Feb). Weather is gorgioso today so should really be outside, not hovering on internet. Here are some recent photos...

ds1 visited huge warhammer games workshop place...


ds1 helped make flags then tried out some semaphore at the sailing club. It's harder than you think!

Ds1 tried out the crayfish trap that he bought himself. We left it over night but no success. I think it's probably still a bit cold for them to be active.

The kids tidied up their den, repairing some of the holes and adding an extension (plus a whole load more moss)

Our first visit to the allotment since, well, too long. I tidied up the compost bins and laid down some weed suppressant to try and deter those spring weeds from beating me into submission. Still loads more to do, but at least at the moment it doesn't look so bad.

We joined up with friends to make ice cream Ancient Greek boats (and then ate them!):

Dd making a dalmation picture:

The Knex workshop I (yes I) organised! A real success. Perhaps more about this another time...

And the ongoing saga with the cardboard construction of a telescope...

The perils of buying cardboard model-making sets.

You'd think I'd have learnt from the James Watt Steam Engine that took us weeks to make, and the numerous cardboard model-making sets still unused on the bookcase. And the Trojan Horse model that I ordered from Amazon and immediately regretted. But no. I went and bought a telescope-making kit. It was cheap. In fact I thought it might have been mispriced.


Then I realised, as ds2 progressed, that the part labels were written in German. And that at least one of them was incorrectly labelled. We haven't got any further, but it's possible that more is mis-labelled.

So by the time we've interpreted what it is we're meant to do (each little stage requires gluing and drying before progressing to the next stage) it could be a couple of months before we are viewing the stars through our cardboard telescope.

And then we have a Trojan Horse to make. Sometime this year.

Still, we are plodding along at Ancient Greece. Not on Ancient Greece. Not in or with Ancient Greece. But at Ancient Greece. That proactive word 'at'.

I'm trying to make it as interesting and painless for the kids as possible. Ds1 and ds2 are making lapbooks/folders. We are covering small topics. Small painless topics. So far: Athens; The Parthenon; Sparta; City States/Government; Food; homes. For each we make a little booklet to stick into the folder, sometimes photocopying pictures, sometimes printing out words, sometimes doing a bit of colouring. So very painless. Theoretically.

Next I think it'll be Greek Gods (we've been listening to the first of two CDs of Greek myths) and perhaps something about architecture and writing.

Below you can see the kids importing clip art into the wordprocessing package (some of which they'd downloaded from the internet). I gave them the task of getting pictures of a list of foods that the ancient Greeks would have eaten.

And now to the very different subject. The subject of socks.

I've been very naughty and visited a wool shop. Frugal went out the window. In came greed. Not only did I buy self-patterning camouflage 4ply sock wool to make ds1 some socks, but I also bought a pattern and some cheap wool for chunky socks. Here's the first one finished, modelled on ds1's foot (he's been wearing it all afternoon). :

They dont look quite as wholesome and natural as the wool that was used in the pattern, but that wool was expensive and rather too girly (pinks and pastels) for the boys. This is courtelle yarn, which is basically a nice chunky and soft acrylic. It's really easy and quick to knit with, though it does have a mean habit of splitting into its individual strands if you're not careful.

I was a bit worried it might have really lumpy seams as it's knitted on 2 needles (makes it even quicker!) with the seam sewn up afterwards. However ds1 hasn't complained so far.

I don't know what they'd be like inside shoes, but they make great slipper socks (if a bit slippy).

Maybe I'll be able to use up some of the other chunky-thickness wools in the loft now I've got the hang of it.

Now I need to knit the second sock before he wears this one out.

Knit knit knitting along...

I feel like I should be posting up lots of pictures like usual, but to be honest we haven't done much that requires journalistic comment.

Ancient Greece is still ticking along. The kids have been listening to a CD on Ancient Greek stories - a sort of whistle-stop tour of the Greek Gods and how mean and vile they were. Those ancient Greeks were a bloodthirsty bunch weren't they? I mean Gods eating their own children, just to prevent some prophecy coming true..?! I might try that on my bunch next time they complain about having to write a sentence.!

Yesterday we had a home ed knitty day. A CHILD-FREE knitty day, for parents ONLY. A knitty day out in the country in a wonderful -if chilly - little building on an organic smallholding (I think that would be the right word?) of one of the home educating families.

I'm progressing on one of my many unfinished craft projects (currently a cotton blanket, about 7 squares in and a long long way to go). I still have 1 1/2 fingerless gloves to be completed, a tank top for me (well 1 1/2 tank top), the weird body of a crocheted loopy dog, a finished tank top which doesn't really fit and I don't know what to do with it, and some unidentified Tamagotchi (er no, Amigurumi or whatever) pink body parts (I think they may have been intended to be an easter rabbit - last Easter).

And I've just sent for some sock wool off Ebay for ds1, who has finally agreed that I can knit him something. It's a slightly horrible self-striping combination of browns and creams, but it's the one he chose and who am I to argue with a 11-yr-old? He wants socks. I wonder if a visit to a certain home -ed family may have swung his decision? He did want a camouflage-patterned complete balaclava (with just small eye and mouth holes), so I'm quite relieved that he's decided on socks instead. I just need to remember how to knit socks...

Groovy Greeks and DIY

Well it's been a slow day here. Apart from a visit to the Ancient Greeks this morning (lapbooking the Mycenaeans to be precise), the day has just drifted. I was sceptical about the lapbook approach, thinking it all seemed rather contrived, but it is a good way of presenting information in small bite-sized chunks. Ds1 is more reluctant to participate, but it seems an effective - and painless - way of learning for ds2. (Dd was keen to do one on dogs, but her attention lapsed after colouring in the first picture lol. ). And I'm learning too: if we did anything on Greeks at school it must have completely bypassed me.

We have a box set of cheap DVDs on Ancient Greece and played the first one in the set last week. They're not the most exciting documentaries (I think we've been spoiled by some good BBC ones), but from the things that ds2 has been mentioning today he's taken on snippets of the information. We always find this with DVDs and tv documentaries, how much the kids take on and how much they remember. Far more than me most of the time! I confess that I bite my tongue when parents say that they don't let their kids watch dvds or access the computer. I know it's a personal preference, but if you have children who struggle to access information in books, or who learn in a very visual or auditory way then DVDs/tv documentaries/the web can be such a wonderful resource. It's a shame to dismiss them completely.

[Thinking of this, Ds1 answered a question on the programme 'Eggheads' a few days ago. It was about a particular dynasty. When he answered correctly I asked him how he knew. 'Oh don't you remember, we did all about that when we did China last year.' Erhum. Let's just say he has a better memory than me.]

Over the weekend we were busy doing some house things.

Dh trimmed a shelf we found in the garage and then translated a dog template that I'd made into a wooden bookend.

Here the kids are helping to put up the brackets.

And here's the MDF scottie dog after his second coat of paint.

And the finished result (the wire going underneath are dd's Christmas lights that stay up all year round):
In the meantime I was solving the dog overcrowding situation and making one of these:

Which allowed for some rehoming: