Groups,classes and lots of socialization!!!!

Al and Emily are through in the other room watching Dr Who, so I thought I would take the opportunity to catch up.
We have had a few busy days.

Wednesday was the Home ed group and we had a good time,it is a small relatively new group and there are a mixed bag of home edding styles but I would say the majority are relatively structured in their approach with a few of us in the more unstructured lane. The group has been fairly relaxed with the Kids preferring to play rather than having any structured activities, although there are things put out to do if they choose to. The children range from 5 to 14 and are mainly boys, Emily has made friends with the only other girl who is 13 and they have very similar characteristics and get on well. We went for a cuppa to their house afterwards and then I took them both off to do the food shop and have tea in the cafe as they didn't want to part, then they had more chat when we dropped her back at home.

Thursday is the food coop and another friend and her two home educated children go along , so the kids had a play and then set about putting a show together involving stage setting up behind the curtains in the village hall and dancing and miming to pop party 5 songs. It was great to see Emily so uninhibited and dancing freestyle on the stage/table even when people where coming in to collect the bags of veg.
I love the opportunity to have a real good chat with the other two girls that help out as we all have lots in common and the chat is always illuminating.

After a very late lunch of homemade pizza we had a read and then it was off to recorder,major strop because she was tired and didn't want to go, hates it, it's boring and I already know music!!!!! I have not pushed her to go to classes at all but she asked to go to recorder( granted it was a stage when we were reading The Roman Mysteries series and she was living as the character of Nubia and wanted to play the flute!!)after the class she was full of the new note she had learnt and seemed to have enjoyed it, she also goes to Brownies which she usually loves but didn't want to go this week, swimming which she usually loves and gymnastics which she says she hates on a sat morning but always comes back having enjoyed it, What to do???? I know as we are supposed to be following the unschooling way it should be her choice but I can't quite get there and I think it will be some time before I can feel easy about giving them up when I know some of it is just Emily and the way she is and not that she actually hates the class. Bit of a dilemma, need to work on it.....

Today started around 8 and we had a cuppa whilst I helped her add an entry to her blog and then she did 10 Min's on Education city and a stint on club penguin, a quick play and then we read more of Sophie's story which is about a chimp that was hand reared and lived with a family alongside their son and the journey from birth at Chester zoo back to Africa, it was in the children's section at the library but it is very adult and has a lot of very factual info about apes in and I am quite surprised she is into it although I have been asked to move on when it gets particularly heavy!!!We read Marley and Me some weeks ago and had a good cry at that and I think we may find this one emotional as well.
Late morning we went out with the same friend from yesterday(haven't told anyone about the blog yet so haven't got permission to put in names bear with me!!)We decided to go to a soft play centre and have lunch so we had a good couple of hours and the kids got a great workout in a deserted soft play. When we got back it was time for Emily's regular Friday date with her best friend and she went to her house tonight, so I got home and cleared a mountain of paperwork and paid bills before I even got my boots off.

I am looking into doing some kind of business from home and have a couple of possibilities that I am looking into, so I did some research into them. This would be quite a step for me as I will have to ensure whatever I do will enable me to pace myself and not end up poorly . I am very excited to think about getting back into the world of work but will have to curb my natural tendencies to overdo things and give too much energy to it to the detriment of the family, my main priority will still be Emily but it can only be a good thing for her to see me having another interest and even being able to be involved in it should she wish.

Emily has had a daemon ever since she saw The Golden Compass and it changes into an otter at times soshe is looking forward to watching a documentary about otters tonight at eight and then I think Milly and I will have an early night.