Began feeling more human a couple of days ago:-)
Emily and E(teenage friend) have been playing sleepover tag:-)
We took E with us to see Twilight on Sunday.Alan and I have enjoyed reading the book to Emily and I was very impressed with the film,it wasn't totally Al's cup of tea although he did enjoy it.I can't wait to read the rest of the books now!!
On Monday I took them both with me while I had my second Cranial osteopathy app and E had made a Twilight Quiz up the night before and they played it while I went in for my treatment.Emily got all 25 questions right and she was very pleased with herself!! When we dropped E off in the afternoon Emily was invited to stay and play and then she rang later to ask to stay over.Last time she stayed over I had around 20 text messages,mainly saying I love you or variations of that:-)This time she only felt the need to send 5 or 6 so she was obviously much less anxious!!When Liz the rabbit died Emily was heartbroken that she felt she had been unkind to her that day and had not told her she loved her and since then tells us she loves us at every opportunity many times a day even if she is just going out of the room!! A little game she likes is she say's, I love you and I say, I love you too, she replies I love you more and I say you couldn't possibly to which she replies oh but I could:-))This is played many many times a day....
I went round to pick her up today and was treated to a lovely Chinese lunch and story time. E's Mum is a childminder and Chinese new year celebrations were in full swing.Emily had enjoyed herself and didn't want to come home!!She was a very tired girl although she did go off for a walk with Al who had to become Carlisle Cullen(Twilight) as they went off on the hunt!!
I had a bank statement through today and found that I have rather more money in this particular account than I had thought:-)Before Christmas I had been looking through the Mindware catalogue and Harper's Bazaar and had seen some things I had really wanted to get.I knew I couldn't afford them but made a list and kept the catalogues on my desk hoping that I could jiggle the books and find some pennies and lo and behold the statement came!!I have just spent a very enjoyable time ordering and look forward to them coming:-)I am going to reorganise things in my sunroom,at the moment it has very uncomfortable Rattan furniture and is not a room we choose too spend much time in which is such a shame, so I am on the look out for a second hand two seater sofa and a chair to entice us to sit in there and I am going to put lot's of interesting things(some of which I have just ordered) on the bookshelves and then we can get busy whilst watching TV.
I have been Tagged by Laura at Wistful wanderlust and Claire at Seeing with new eyes.Thank you both, I think!! I will have to find the time to think about 8 random things and then six things that make me happy.That will have to be another night as I am going to get in a lovely hot bath and read my book.Night night.xx
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Quick catch up
We were both feeling quite a bit better last week and on the Tuesday we had quite a bit of shopping to do around town so had invited E (teenage friend) to come with us.She likes to go around the shops and the two of them spent ages in Claire's accessories and Emily chose 5 books from the pound book shop.She has a real love of books and we went into oxfam the next day and we came out with 5 more!! I have so many books on my Amazon list that I think she would like and we have loads she got for Christmas.So many books and it seems so little time to read them in!!It doesn't do any harm to have a good selection and luckily most of them are suitable up to teenage years so maybe we will get on to them.By lunch time we had stopped at Morrison's to eat and a sleepover plan was hatched.After yet more shopping we went to pick up her overnight stuff and then back home where we had a really nice evening.Milly didn't move her mattress into the spare room to sleep with E as she was tired and wanted to sleep with us, she decided to go to bed around 10 so E and I sat up watching a film.She is a lovely girl and easy company.We took her to Home ed group the next day to hand her back over to Mum:-)
We invited her to go out with us again on the Thursday and she ended up staying over again.
On the Saturday Emily and I went off to visit a friend who used to help me out when Emily was born.She had been childminder to my nephew since he was a baby and would come over and do my ironing so I could rest. As time went on we employed her to look after Emily so I was able to rest when my ME was at it's worst.She is like part of the family and as good as an Aunt to Emily.She had come out of hospital having had a gallbladder removed and a kidney.The operations were done at the same time using keyhole surgery and she had recovered in double quick time.She used to manage a local group and mentioned that they were playing a nearby venue and children of 10 could go.Emily has been keen to see them because of H's connection with them and as it is near her birthday decided that it would be good to take E and A and then have a sleepover.So that looks as though it is going to happen,just got to get the tickets.
Quiet day on Sunday (Al worked til 2 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday)I was beginning to feel low and could not motivate myself to do anything.
Monday and Emily had an app with Judith for some more Cranial Osteopathy.Bit of shopping and lunch out then home to watch a film.Both Emily and I were under the weather again and my cough had got worse and was keeping me a wake at night.
Non day on Tuesday,lots of TV and not much else.
Wed Home ed group.Plenty of running around for the children and we all had a good chat.I had been going to call my Homeopath for advice about my cough as I couldn't work out from my books which the best remedy would be( I always find coughs hard to self prescribe as there seem to be so many variables) but luckily one of the Mums is a Homeopath and told me the best Remedy to take for my cough:-)Only had three doses and there is already a significant improvement.
A was coming for tea on Wed and E was invited and was due to sleepover.Both her Mum and I suggested it might be an idea to leave a spare overnight bag at our for any sleepovers in the future that are not planned,so she arrived with that and I will make some room in one of Emily's drawers for her.The evening went well and they walked A home at 7 and came back and we had a chat and then I flaked out in the living room while they drew and played charades and Cadoo with Al.Around 10 Al went off to bed and Emily came through to sort out a film for us to watch,she mentioned that E was feeling unwell.Won't go into too much detail but it was a problem she has had all her life and we rang her mum who came to pick her up,she needed to get antibiotics which they had at home.When I phoned this morning M had decided to take her straight to cue doc and they had checked her out and given antibiotics and she was still quite poorly but not in as much pain.By this evening she was eating well and although still poorly was much better.
Had another rubbish day today.Milly has watched far too much TV which in itself is not a problem, but I feel guilty that I didn't try to offer any alternatives cos I just needed some time on my own.I had a bath and read a book which is unheard of in the daytime.We went to look after my Nephew for a while after school and got a lesson in Xbox games.They are fascinating and I can understand the appeal although I am lost and can't imagine being able to control the many elements of the game.Milly is so uninterested in gaming and even her DS is likely to be sold as she wants a laptop and she so rarely plays with it.I want to hang on to it for a while as it may be something she will go back to.
I realised tonight why I have been so low when I came on which combined with a horrible cold is enough to knock me for six.I was due to go to a Meditation group meeting tonight but just felt too low.I am going to get in another bath(can't seem to stay warm) and have an early night and hope to wake up feeling better tomorrow.xx
We invited her to go out with us again on the Thursday and she ended up staying over again.
On the Saturday Emily and I went off to visit a friend who used to help me out when Emily was born.She had been childminder to my nephew since he was a baby and would come over and do my ironing so I could rest. As time went on we employed her to look after Emily so I was able to rest when my ME was at it's worst.She is like part of the family and as good as an Aunt to Emily.She had come out of hospital having had a gallbladder removed and a kidney.The operations were done at the same time using keyhole surgery and she had recovered in double quick time.She used to manage a local group and mentioned that they were playing a nearby venue and children of 10 could go.Emily has been keen to see them because of H's connection with them and as it is near her birthday decided that it would be good to take E and A and then have a sleepover.So that looks as though it is going to happen,just got to get the tickets.
Quiet day on Sunday (Al worked til 2 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday)I was beginning to feel low and could not motivate myself to do anything.
Monday and Emily had an app with Judith for some more Cranial Osteopathy.Bit of shopping and lunch out then home to watch a film.Both Emily and I were under the weather again and my cough had got worse and was keeping me a wake at night.
Non day on Tuesday,lots of TV and not much else.
Wed Home ed group.Plenty of running around for the children and we all had a good chat.I had been going to call my Homeopath for advice about my cough as I couldn't work out from my books which the best remedy would be( I always find coughs hard to self prescribe as there seem to be so many variables) but luckily one of the Mums is a Homeopath and told me the best Remedy to take for my cough:-)Only had three doses and there is already a significant improvement.
A was coming for tea on Wed and E was invited and was due to sleepover.Both her Mum and I suggested it might be an idea to leave a spare overnight bag at our for any sleepovers in the future that are not planned,so she arrived with that and I will make some room in one of Emily's drawers for her.The evening went well and they walked A home at 7 and came back and we had a chat and then I flaked out in the living room while they drew and played charades and Cadoo with Al.Around 10 Al went off to bed and Emily came through to sort out a film for us to watch,she mentioned that E was feeling unwell.Won't go into too much detail but it was a problem she has had all her life and we rang her mum who came to pick her up,she needed to get antibiotics which they had at home.When I phoned this morning M had decided to take her straight to cue doc and they had checked her out and given antibiotics and she was still quite poorly but not in as much pain.By this evening she was eating well and although still poorly was much better.
Had another rubbish day today.Milly has watched far too much TV which in itself is not a problem, but I feel guilty that I didn't try to offer any alternatives cos I just needed some time on my own.I had a bath and read a book which is unheard of in the daytime.We went to look after my Nephew for a while after school and got a lesson in Xbox games.They are fascinating and I can understand the appeal although I am lost and can't imagine being able to control the many elements of the game.Milly is so uninterested in gaming and even her DS is likely to be sold as she wants a laptop and she so rarely plays with it.I want to hang on to it for a while as it may be something she will go back to.
I realised tonight why I have been so low when I came on which combined with a horrible cold is enough to knock me for six.I was due to go to a Meditation group meeting tonight but just felt too low.I am going to get in another bath(can't seem to stay warm) and have an early night and hope to wake up feeling better tomorrow.xx
Monday, 19 January 2009
New look !!
Adapting a recipe !! Or just bad planning?
I plan a weekly menu each Sunday and make a shopping list up from that and for tea tonight the plan was Butternut squash and blue cheese risotto.
OK into the cupboard to get the arborio rice,ummm I was sure I had a bag in there!!
Google to see if normal rice can be used.My suspicions were confirmed,seems it could but would not be creamy,not wanting to spend all that time slowly adding stock and not ending up with a lovely creamy goo.what else to do?
Put the rice and stock with wine in a casserole and put in oven to cook slowly while squash and onion cooking off in olive oil.Got wine, no veg stock powder left(somebody? had left the tub in the cupboard but there was no powder left in!!) so have to use chicken stock cube.Add squash mixture to rice when cooked and allow rice to cook a bit longer soaking up stock juices and squash juices.Looking good.Get out blue cheese to crumble in,doesn't smell right at all and on closer inspection I find that is because it is way past it's sell by date.Throw it away and use goats cheese instead!! Zest and juice of a lemon and viola. An adapted version and not a risotto but blooming tasty non the less.
OK so the Menu making and list writing should also include a rather more in depth investigation of what is actually in my cupboard!! I always intend to check on things after I have written the list but then something else comes along and I forget!! This happens quite often and I like to think of it as a game of invention;-)
OK into the cupboard to get the arborio rice,ummm I was sure I had a bag in there!!
Google to see if normal rice can be used.My suspicions were confirmed,seems it could but would not be creamy,not wanting to spend all that time slowly adding stock and not ending up with a lovely creamy goo.what else to do?
Put the rice and stock with wine in a casserole and put in oven to cook slowly while squash and onion cooking off in olive oil.Got wine, no veg stock powder left(somebody? had left the tub in the cupboard but there was no powder left in!!) so have to use chicken stock cube.Add squash mixture to rice when cooked and allow rice to cook a bit longer soaking up stock juices and squash juices.Looking good.Get out blue cheese to crumble in,doesn't smell right at all and on closer inspection I find that is because it is way past it's sell by date.Throw it away and use goats cheese instead!! Zest and juice of a lemon and viola. An adapted version and not a risotto but blooming tasty non the less.
OK so the Menu making and list writing should also include a rather more in depth investigation of what is actually in my cupboard!! I always intend to check on things after I have written the list but then something else comes along and I forget!! This happens quite often and I like to think of it as a game of invention;-)
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Indigo,Crystal and Rainbow children....
I have recently been reading a bit more about Indigo,crystal and rainbow children.
Info here andHere
(edited to add) this
Indigo essences Homeopathic Remedys are something we purchased a while ago after our Homeopath brought them into a session, for Emily to use and we now use them regularly to benefit all of us.I am always surprised at the fact that the ones Emily picks out are exactly what she needs at that time.She just likes to pick them out by title or colour and only occasionaly asks me to read out what they say in the description.There are also books about indigo children.
Just thought some of you might enjoy reading about this subject.xx
Info here andHere
(edited to add) this
Indigo essences Homeopathic Remedys are something we purchased a while ago after our Homeopath brought them into a session, for Emily to use and we now use them regularly to benefit all of us.I am always surprised at the fact that the ones Emily picks out are exactly what she needs at that time.She just likes to pick them out by title or colour and only occasionaly asks me to read out what they say in the description.There are also books about indigo children.
Just thought some of you might enjoy reading about this subject.xx
Saturday, 10 January 2009
A snuggly sneezy saturday...
Still fighting this rotten cough/cold.:-(
Just watched the last three episodes of The Diary of Anne Frank with Emily and cried like a baby at the end.We have seen the old film and Emily is keen for us to get the book.I am also going to download the documentary that was on from BBCi.
While browsing around I also found some intersesting articles I hadn't seen before on unschooling here
Back to lie on the sofa wrapped up in my blanket to watch TV with Emily:-)
Just watched the last three episodes of The Diary of Anne Frank with Emily and cried like a baby at the end.We have seen the old film and Emily is keen for us to get the book.I am also going to download the documentary that was on from BBCi.
While browsing around I also found some intersesting articles I hadn't seen before on unschooling here
Back to lie on the sofa wrapped up in my blanket to watch TV with Emily:-)
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Making our minds up!!!
I have a really awful cold/cough and the last two days have been, by necessity, very relaxed!!We had planned to go to Tullie House Museum in Carlisle on Tues but had to change plans mainly due to how I was feeling but Mum rang and said they had snow over there and it was icy on top so probably wouldn't have gone over anyway.Yesterday was due to be our first Home ed group meeting since before Xmas,but that too was canceled.
As I had some time on my hands today I was able to browse around and went on to Sandra Dodds website and found this(scroll right down to the bottom of the page) on Peaceful parenting.I have often come across the link but never had the time to play it ,one page leads to so many others you can get lost in there and hours can go past as you get led from article to another.I enjoyed listening while I was transferring info from a very old and falling apart telephone/address book into a lovely new one I got for Christmas.
Heard news today of an unschooling 1 day conference in London in July.Dayna Martin is to be a guest speaker.It is something I might consider going to .Emily is keen to go to London and we could fit in a sightseeing tour.I will need to find out more about it first before making any decisions.It depends on finances as well,our car is likely to need replacing soon and Alan has decided to get a small runaround and sell his scooter so we have to find the cash for those:-( There is always something isn't there!!
It has actually been really nice to be having conversations with Emily planning places we would like to visit, as she is usually happier staying home.We have talked about a visit to Yorkshire.We are thinking of going to stay with my Aunt one night and then stay over in the nursing home my Nana is in for one night,apparently they have a little room we can stay in,just have to check if three of us can fit in!! We hope to visit York and relive a few memories,I lived in York for some time when I was about 6 and Alan and I had our first weekend away there.It was the weekend Aldaniti won the grand National and Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision.Just on the spur of the moment as we passed a betting shop Alan suggested putting some money on The National.That morning my stars had mentioned a certain number being lucky for me(so long ago I have now forgotten) so I picked out that Horse and put 50p on big spender that I am:-) Aldaniti bought us a couple of rounds that night!!
As I had some time on my hands today I was able to browse around and went on to Sandra Dodds website and found this(scroll right down to the bottom of the page) on Peaceful parenting.I have often come across the link but never had the time to play it ,one page leads to so many others you can get lost in there and hours can go past as you get led from article to another.I enjoyed listening while I was transferring info from a very old and falling apart telephone/address book into a lovely new one I got for Christmas.
Heard news today of an unschooling 1 day conference in London in July.Dayna Martin is to be a guest speaker.It is something I might consider going to .Emily is keen to go to London and we could fit in a sightseeing tour.I will need to find out more about it first before making any decisions.It depends on finances as well,our car is likely to need replacing soon and Alan has decided to get a small runaround and sell his scooter so we have to find the cash for those:-( There is always something isn't there!!
It has actually been really nice to be having conversations with Emily planning places we would like to visit, as she is usually happier staying home.We have talked about a visit to Yorkshire.We are thinking of going to stay with my Aunt one night and then stay over in the nursing home my Nana is in for one night,apparently they have a little room we can stay in,just have to check if three of us can fit in!! We hope to visit York and relive a few memories,I lived in York for some time when I was about 6 and Alan and I had our first weekend away there.It was the weekend Aldaniti won the grand National and Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision.Just on the spur of the moment as we passed a betting shop Alan suggested putting some money on The National.That morning my stars had mentioned a certain number being lucky for me(so long ago I have now forgotten) so I picked out that Horse and put 50p on big spender that I am:-) Aldaniti bought us a couple of rounds that night!!
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
Fun days,Holidays and dog days!!
We have had a lovely couple of days.Both Emily and I have been in good moods and have managed to have fun and laugh a lot:-)It isn't that it is an unusual occurrence but there are times when it seems hard going and I thought a nice reminder of the days we have fun would do no harm;-)
Yesterday we had an outing to the local aquarium.It was bitterly cold and frosty and the hilly roads going out of the village were a real test of nerve!!We had lunch and Emily spent some of her Christmas money at the shop then we had a whizz round the exhibits before going out to the big park(closed out of season) and trying the new exhibition centre(usually open but closed that day) Emily handled both disappointments well and we had a stroll along the harbour in the very cold but sunny weather.Dropped Milly off at home(got stuck on our hilly little drive, but managed not to panic and got up in the end and made sure we got some salt on before I attempted to go out again!!) with Alan.He hadn't been able to go into work as he had fallen on the ice walking Beauty in the morning and had aggravated the injury to his wrist he got when he had the bike accident,he isn't normally accident prone don't know what is going on recently.
I went shopping and then got home to have tea and start some searches for our holiday next year.Looks like Emily will have her wish and we could be off to Mamma Mia Island!!It is years since Alan and I went to Greece, in fact Corfu was the first holiday we had together.Our honeymoon was great because it was our honeymoon but it really couldn't count as a holiday. We hadn't actually been planning going away but Alan (the old romantic that he is)had been secretly taking driving lessons (he was in the navy and was over in Ireland)and passed his test just days before our wedding and surprised me with the fact we could have a touring holiday.We were on a very tight budget and we managed to hire a clapped out old car from some dodgy garage,broke down 500 yards from home,exchanged car for slightly more roadworthy model and drove our Best man home to Whitby where we stayed overnight then toured the seaside towns of,Scarborough Bridlington and Blackpool,staying in very dubious B&B's!! Being young and totally in love it really didn't matter a jot.Corfu was lovely though and we always said we would go back to one of the islands.Emily had fallen in love with the scenery in the film and asked to go and chose it over Disneyland Paris which was our first thought for this year.Fingers crossed we can juggle things financially to enable us to book a villa.
Today we were at home as Alan had the car.First thing this morning Emily went down to watch some TV and left me in bed,unusual because she rarely goes down on her own and hangs around "talking" to me till I drag myself out of bed. I tried very, very hard to wake up but failed miserably !! She only watched a little of Basil brush and decided she didn't want to watch anymore and came up to listen to an Agatha Christie CD.I eventually surfaced and went to make us breakfast and took it back to bed to listen with her for a while.
I then made some Banana oat muffins whilst my assistant did this.
ate a bowl of ice cream whilst talking.talking,talking!!
Emily asked to go up to the park in the village so she could climb tree's so we left the muffins to cool and went out for a while.Lot's of families making the most of the last day of the holiday and were sledging on the grassy bank in the field.We knew most of them and went over to say hi,but in reality I have so little in common with them that the conversation soon dries up.They are nice enough people but we are so far out of their clique .Their children are all at the very highly sought after local school,the one that Emily spent her Nursery Year in. We went back down onto the swings and Emily practised her jumping off,terrifies me how high she is when she leaps off!!Home for hot chocolate and a muffin.Emily had nuts and apple with some chocolate coins but surprised me by actually tasting my muffin and declaring it ok although she didn't want one. We had talked about her having one when we were walking home and she said no she wouldn't have one as she hates bananas,I just said it was a shame to limit herself and she might be pleasantly surprised at how they tasted.
When we got home I went upstairs to discover a trail of destruction from the stairs, where she had opened the pack of new socks I had left there, on to our room where pj's and various other bits of clothing were discarded all over the floor,more chaos in the bathroom and even in her room the clothes she had considered putting on and then deciding against!! I collected things up tidied around quickly.
As I came down the stairs with some of the things I felt a little frazzled,she was going into the living room and I said,
Milly I love you very much and I know you had other things on your mind but it would help me enormously if you could help out a little by picking up things after yourself instead of just leaving them on the floor in every room.
Sorry Mummy
She then went outside and came back and presented me with this as I was sitting reading E mails:-)
Freshly picked from the garden.She said she wanted it to be flowers and it was the only thing she could find with any colour!!
Started reading The dog star by Jenny Nimmo this morning(Interrupted as Milly decided she couldn't sleep and has come down again so we have just finished the book.)At present we have so many books we have started and she has decided to start another and we are flitting from one to the other.Her and Alan have just finished a Jacqueline Wilson one(she joined in a challenge at the library to read or listen to 3 book over the holidays)and have now started The Golden Compass again,They started it shortly after seeing the film but she got them on CD/tape from the library and has been listening to them on and off ever since!! The reason she wants to read the book is because the CD she got of the first book was a dramatization and a shortened version, not cover to cover like the other CD sets she borrows of the Subtle Knife and the Amber Spy Glass.We have a warriors book on the go and also Sophie's Story a book we have read before that she loves and desperately wanted for Christmas.
I found a website on the radical unschoolers site that has taken quite a bit of our time up this afternoon Furry Paws You can create your own dog and feed it train it etc.Early days to give any detailed feedback but so far she loves it and has created two dogs already.It has also inspired a fantastic story that she narrated to me while I was washing up then continued when I was in the bath and getting ready to go into town to have my hair done.Alan had the pleasure of a walk with her where she apparently never stopped talking all the way round as she added to the story!!
Yesterday we had an outing to the local aquarium.It was bitterly cold and frosty and the hilly roads going out of the village were a real test of nerve!!We had lunch and Emily spent some of her Christmas money at the shop then we had a whizz round the exhibits before going out to the big park(closed out of season) and trying the new exhibition centre(usually open but closed that day) Emily handled both disappointments well and we had a stroll along the harbour in the very cold but sunny weather.Dropped Milly off at home(got stuck on our hilly little drive, but managed not to panic and got up in the end and made sure we got some salt on before I attempted to go out again!!) with Alan.He hadn't been able to go into work as he had fallen on the ice walking Beauty in the morning and had aggravated the injury to his wrist he got when he had the bike accident,he isn't normally accident prone don't know what is going on recently.
I went shopping and then got home to have tea and start some searches for our holiday next year.Looks like Emily will have her wish and we could be off to Mamma Mia Island!!It is years since Alan and I went to Greece, in fact Corfu was the first holiday we had together.Our honeymoon was great because it was our honeymoon but it really couldn't count as a holiday. We hadn't actually been planning going away but Alan (the old romantic that he is)had been secretly taking driving lessons (he was in the navy and was over in Ireland)and passed his test just days before our wedding and surprised me with the fact we could have a touring holiday.We were on a very tight budget and we managed to hire a clapped out old car from some dodgy garage,broke down 500 yards from home,exchanged car for slightly more roadworthy model and drove our Best man home to Whitby where we stayed overnight then toured the seaside towns of,Scarborough Bridlington and Blackpool,staying in very dubious B&B's!! Being young and totally in love it really didn't matter a jot.Corfu was lovely though and we always said we would go back to one of the islands.Emily had fallen in love with the scenery in the film and asked to go and chose it over Disneyland Paris which was our first thought for this year.Fingers crossed we can juggle things financially to enable us to book a villa.
Today we were at home as Alan had the car.First thing this morning Emily went down to watch some TV and left me in bed,unusual because she rarely goes down on her own and hangs around "talking" to me till I drag myself out of bed. I tried very, very hard to wake up but failed miserably !! She only watched a little of Basil brush and decided she didn't want to watch anymore and came up to listen to an Agatha Christie CD.I eventually surfaced and went to make us breakfast and took it back to bed to listen with her for a while.
I then made some Banana oat muffins whilst my assistant did this.
ate a bowl of ice cream whilst talking.talking,talking!!
Emily asked to go up to the park in the village so she could climb tree's so we left the muffins to cool and went out for a while.Lot's of families making the most of the last day of the holiday and were sledging on the grassy bank in the field.We knew most of them and went over to say hi,but in reality I have so little in common with them that the conversation soon dries up.They are nice enough people but we are so far out of their clique .Their children are all at the very highly sought after local school,the one that Emily spent her Nursery Year in. We went back down onto the swings and Emily practised her jumping off,terrifies me how high she is when she leaps off!!Home for hot chocolate and a muffin.Emily had nuts and apple with some chocolate coins but surprised me by actually tasting my muffin and declaring it ok although she didn't want one. We had talked about her having one when we were walking home and she said no she wouldn't have one as she hates bananas,I just said it was a shame to limit herself and she might be pleasantly surprised at how they tasted.
When we got home I went upstairs to discover a trail of destruction from the stairs, where she had opened the pack of new socks I had left there, on to our room where pj's and various other bits of clothing were discarded all over the floor,more chaos in the bathroom and even in her room the clothes she had considered putting on and then deciding against!! I collected things up tidied around quickly.
As I came down the stairs with some of the things I felt a little frazzled,she was going into the living room and I said,
Milly I love you very much and I know you had other things on your mind but it would help me enormously if you could help out a little by picking up things after yourself instead of just leaving them on the floor in every room.
Sorry Mummy
She then went outside and came back and presented me with this as I was sitting reading E mails:-)
Freshly picked from the garden.She said she wanted it to be flowers and it was the only thing she could find with any colour!!
Started reading The dog star by Jenny Nimmo this morning(Interrupted as Milly decided she couldn't sleep and has come down again so we have just finished the book.)At present we have so many books we have started and she has decided to start another and we are flitting from one to the other.Her and Alan have just finished a Jacqueline Wilson one(she joined in a challenge at the library to read or listen to 3 book over the holidays)and have now started The Golden Compass again,They started it shortly after seeing the film but she got them on CD/tape from the library and has been listening to them on and off ever since!! The reason she wants to read the book is because the CD she got of the first book was a dramatization and a shortened version, not cover to cover like the other CD sets she borrows of the Subtle Knife and the Amber Spy Glass.We have a warriors book on the go and also Sophie's Story a book we have read before that she loves and desperately wanted for Christmas.
I found a website on the radical unschoolers site that has taken quite a bit of our time up this afternoon Furry Paws You can create your own dog and feed it train it etc.Early days to give any detailed feedback but so far she loves it and has created two dogs already.It has also inspired a fantastic story that she narrated to me while I was washing up then continued when I was in the bath and getting ready to go into town to have my hair done.Alan had the pleasure of a walk with her where she apparently never stopped talking all the way round as she added to the story!!
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Enjoying a few new christmas traditions.....
Each year we buy a new bauble for the tree and the last few years Emily has chosen.This year's is a rather lovely diamond drop glitzy affair.Sorry the picture isn't great!!
Prior to Christmas we had a couple of parties and met up with friends and had a thoroughly nice time.Xmas eve we spent some time with my sister and her family and a group of their friends.We left after a couple of hours and got home to do our traditional Xmas eve walk around the village.We started it many years ago when Emily was very small as she had wanted to go on a Santa hunt to see if she could see him in the sky.It was a lovely evening, very cold but still and we all enjoyed taking Beauty round with us.We sang a couple of carols going round and got home to throw out the oats with glitter for Rudolph to find his way to us.Then inside for a mug of hot chocolate and Milly opened a present I had got specially for tonight, Nims Island.We all enjoyed watching it,Emily and Alan had seen it at the cinema but it was my first time. Around 10.30 after setting out a plate for Santa and Rudolph Alan and Milly headed to bed to read.She had wanted us all to go to bed together so she could put a chair near the door!! She said she still believed in Santa but wanted to make doubly sure it wasn't us putting the presents out!!
Xmas morning started at 6.30, a bit of a lie in after the 5.00 start last year;-)Milly found the stocking Santa leaves on her bedroom door had opened that in bed with us, then we went down.Milly had decided she would open all her presents in the morning. In previous years we had saved some to open up with family at whoevers house we were eating lunch and even kept some for boxing day.For many years we had gone along with other peoples traditions and it took quite a lot of the joy away from Emily's day.She is a very immediate kind of gal:-))
We decided last year that we were going to do things differently this year and do things in a way that enabled Emily to enjoy it to the fullest.She had a whale of a time opening one after the other:-) I did take pictures but most are very shaky .This was taken later and it is one of her favourite presents from Santa.
After bacon rolls this is pretty much how we all felt:-))
After a clear up we placed all the presents back near the tree.Last year we also decided that it would work better for us to do our christmas dinner on a different day, to enable us to be fully present with Emily and be able to spend time playing and just being together so we had no preparation to do and didn't need to be going back and forth putting things on and checking things out,I was much less frazzled. We had a lovely relaxed day watching Dr Who(new DVD boxed set)and checking out some of her toys and had a lovely walk on the beach with Beauty in the afternoon.Quite uneventful apart from a few frayed nerves and moodiness caused by being so tired and Emily wanting to go barefoot, yes even in the midst of winter she gallops about the beach barefoot.It wasn't so much going barefoot that was the problem, more the clobber that we ended up carrying,socks wellies,shells etc and the faff of getting back to the car having to navigate our way across a rather deep channel of water and not having hands free to hold on when the sides gave way and I toppled down !!I can laugh now but wasn't a happy bunny at the time ;-)
We then drove a short way to the big playground and a rather sticky incident with a merry go round thing brought the trip to an end with tears from Emily(claimed she had a broken leg) and sulks from Daddy(it was his fault,but he hadn't meant it and could not understand all the dramatics!!)however I managed to lighten the mood and we had a good laugh on the way home.We made steak in a lovely pepper sauce with chips and veg and Emily had chosen chicken dippers and chips!!More Dr who on TV and an evening watching bits of TV, reading new books. An early night for Emily and I finished off a super Christmas.
Boxing day was spent over at my Mums with my sisters and husbands and our nephew.She had made Roast beef and yorkshire puds Mmmmm good food and wine,lots of laughter and games.
We had our Christmas dinner on the Saturday evening.I got it all made whilst Emily was taken out for a long walk by some new friends we have made, she had a great time and was home just in time for tea.She was invited to spend time the next day with them on another long walk and then came down with this awful virus:-(
A couple of quiet days watching lot's of new DVDs and busy nights,cuddling when she awoke in pain, getting drinks for sore throats and rubbing sore legs.
Over the last few days Milly has gradually been taking her presents from under the tree and playing with them or reading them or making them.She likes to open things quickly but then enjoys taking her time to go through them and explore them at her own pace when she is ready.Gradually the pile under the tree is going down and finding new homes throughout the house.
Going into 2009 in a quiet fashion but looking forward with great optimism for a good year full of fun and joy.
Wishing all of you some fun and joy too for 2009.xx
Prior to Christmas we had a couple of parties and met up with friends and had a thoroughly nice time.Xmas eve we spent some time with my sister and her family and a group of their friends.We left after a couple of hours and got home to do our traditional Xmas eve walk around the village.We started it many years ago when Emily was very small as she had wanted to go on a Santa hunt to see if she could see him in the sky.It was a lovely evening, very cold but still and we all enjoyed taking Beauty round with us.We sang a couple of carols going round and got home to throw out the oats with glitter for Rudolph to find his way to us.Then inside for a mug of hot chocolate and Milly opened a present I had got specially for tonight, Nims Island.We all enjoyed watching it,Emily and Alan had seen it at the cinema but it was my first time. Around 10.30 after setting out a plate for Santa and Rudolph Alan and Milly headed to bed to read.She had wanted us all to go to bed together so she could put a chair near the door!! She said she still believed in Santa but wanted to make doubly sure it wasn't us putting the presents out!!
Xmas morning started at 6.30, a bit of a lie in after the 5.00 start last year;-)Milly found the stocking Santa leaves on her bedroom door had opened that in bed with us, then we went down.Milly had decided she would open all her presents in the morning. In previous years we had saved some to open up with family at whoevers house we were eating lunch and even kept some for boxing day.For many years we had gone along with other peoples traditions and it took quite a lot of the joy away from Emily's day.She is a very immediate kind of gal:-))
We decided last year that we were going to do things differently this year and do things in a way that enabled Emily to enjoy it to the fullest.She had a whale of a time opening one after the other:-) I did take pictures but most are very shaky .This was taken later and it is one of her favourite presents from Santa.
After bacon rolls this is pretty much how we all felt:-))
After a clear up we placed all the presents back near the tree.Last year we also decided that it would work better for us to do our christmas dinner on a different day, to enable us to be fully present with Emily and be able to spend time playing and just being together so we had no preparation to do and didn't need to be going back and forth putting things on and checking things out,I was much less frazzled. We had a lovely relaxed day watching Dr Who(new DVD boxed set)and checking out some of her toys and had a lovely walk on the beach with Beauty in the afternoon.Quite uneventful apart from a few frayed nerves and moodiness caused by being so tired and Emily wanting to go barefoot, yes even in the midst of winter she gallops about the beach barefoot.It wasn't so much going barefoot that was the problem, more the clobber that we ended up carrying,socks wellies,shells etc and the faff of getting back to the car having to navigate our way across a rather deep channel of water and not having hands free to hold on when the sides gave way and I toppled down !!I can laugh now but wasn't a happy bunny at the time ;-)
We then drove a short way to the big playground and a rather sticky incident with a merry go round thing brought the trip to an end with tears from Emily(claimed she had a broken leg) and sulks from Daddy(it was his fault,but he hadn't meant it and could not understand all the dramatics!!)however I managed to lighten the mood and we had a good laugh on the way home.We made steak in a lovely pepper sauce with chips and veg and Emily had chosen chicken dippers and chips!!More Dr who on TV and an evening watching bits of TV, reading new books. An early night for Emily and I finished off a super Christmas.
Boxing day was spent over at my Mums with my sisters and husbands and our nephew.She had made Roast beef and yorkshire puds Mmmmm good food and wine,lots of laughter and games.
We had our Christmas dinner on the Saturday evening.I got it all made whilst Emily was taken out for a long walk by some new friends we have made, she had a great time and was home just in time for tea.She was invited to spend time the next day with them on another long walk and then came down with this awful virus:-(
A couple of quiet days watching lot's of new DVDs and busy nights,cuddling when she awoke in pain, getting drinks for sore throats and rubbing sore legs.
Over the last few days Milly has gradually been taking her presents from under the tree and playing with them or reading them or making them.She likes to open things quickly but then enjoys taking her time to go through them and explore them at her own pace when she is ready.Gradually the pile under the tree is going down and finding new homes throughout the house.
Going into 2009 in a quiet fashion but looking forward with great optimism for a good year full of fun and joy.
Wishing all of you some fun and joy too for 2009.xx
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Nearly there!!!
Christmas presents wrapped (nearly).
Food for Xmas period bought(nearly).
Cards all delivered(nearly).
Presents that need delivering done(nearly).
House sorted and decorated ready for the big day(nearly)
Emily fit to burst with excitement(nearly)
Alan's man flu gone(nearly)
What a week,it seems we have not stopped. I have moved seamlessly from pleasurable get togethers with friends, to being stuck in long ques in one shop or another,and I can't even recall my experience in the main post office without a shiver!! The Que wound round about 4 times and there were three sections open,after 20 mins we all perk up as another section was opened,our excitement was soon dashed as one of the other sections promptly closed!!
A young girl and her boyfriend attempted to jump the que and stood in front of the lady in front of me.I remember thinking naively that they couldn't possibly be intending to do it as blatantly as that and they must not be aware the que went on behind me but oh yes they were and as the que moved forward slightly they attempted to go in front of the lady.She turned to them and said there was no way they were going to push in in front of her and all hell broke loose with the young girl shouting and swearing and getting right in her face and threatening to punch her!She claimed she had been waiting in line for ages.Everybody in the que just stood and stared and I felt I had to back the woman up, so shaking like a leaf and with visions of been thumped I said that she hadn't been there for ages and that they were in fact behind me.At this point the woman in front shouted to ask the tellers to call the police as she was being threatened,they looked over but never attempted to phone!! However at the mention of the police the guy with her suggested it was daft to get the police involved and suddenly like a real gent he waved me forward graciously saying you go before me love!!Why the change of heart? During another heated conversation they got into with a lady behind me it transpired the guy was wearing a tag and would obviously not want to have the police called.The girl kept whispering behind me about what she was going to do to the woman when she got outside,she looked perfectly fine, a pretty girl,nicely dressed but obviously very used to situations like this.I am sure if it hadn't been for the guy needing to stay away from trouble it could easily of escalated because it was so obvious she was not going to back down.I can't tell you how badly shaken I was.I used to Manage a discount retail store in Liverpool centre and had to deal with shoplifters every day of my life.I was threatened so many times it became just a part of the job.I was on first name terms with some of the police officers.I have been away from that kind of thing for so long and have never been involved in the kind of violence since then and to see it at such close quarters and be reminded that so many folk live with it day in day out was sobering.When I was working and had to tackle a shoplifter my reactions were very often instinctive and that day in the post office I was impressed with the lady in front of me for sticking up for herself and instinctively felt I should back her up,as well as the fact I was also livid they thought it was OK to just jump in the que with total disregard for anyone in it.Sometimes it is perhaps safer not to get involved but sometimes instinct just kicks in.
My thoughts about the couple have moved on from anger about the way they made me feel to sadness that the life they live appears to have so much violence in it.I am thankful for the life I live and the love and respect that surrounds me.I am so glad my life isn't touched by the kind of violence that was once an every day occurrence for me.My heart goes out to others that are not so lucky.
A timely reminder at this time of rushing around and jobs to do before the big day to be thankful for the things that really count.
An opportunity missed to remember how lucky I am and focus on the good instead of the hate (nearly)
Merry Christmas to all of you, I hope you have a wonderful time with your families and that Santa brings you all you wish for.xxxxxx
Food for Xmas period bought(nearly).
Cards all delivered(nearly).
Presents that need delivering done(nearly).
House sorted and decorated ready for the big day(nearly)
Emily fit to burst with excitement(nearly)
Alan's man flu gone(nearly)
What a week,it seems we have not stopped. I have moved seamlessly from pleasurable get togethers with friends, to being stuck in long ques in one shop or another,and I can't even recall my experience in the main post office without a shiver!! The Que wound round about 4 times and there were three sections open,after 20 mins we all perk up as another section was opened,our excitement was soon dashed as one of the other sections promptly closed!!
A young girl and her boyfriend attempted to jump the que and stood in front of the lady in front of me.I remember thinking naively that they couldn't possibly be intending to do it as blatantly as that and they must not be aware the que went on behind me but oh yes they were and as the que moved forward slightly they attempted to go in front of the lady.She turned to them and said there was no way they were going to push in in front of her and all hell broke loose with the young girl shouting and swearing and getting right in her face and threatening to punch her!She claimed she had been waiting in line for ages.Everybody in the que just stood and stared and I felt I had to back the woman up, so shaking like a leaf and with visions of been thumped I said that she hadn't been there for ages and that they were in fact behind me.At this point the woman in front shouted to ask the tellers to call the police as she was being threatened,they looked over but never attempted to phone!! However at the mention of the police the guy with her suggested it was daft to get the police involved and suddenly like a real gent he waved me forward graciously saying you go before me love!!Why the change of heart? During another heated conversation they got into with a lady behind me it transpired the guy was wearing a tag and would obviously not want to have the police called.The girl kept whispering behind me about what she was going to do to the woman when she got outside,she looked perfectly fine, a pretty girl,nicely dressed but obviously very used to situations like this.I am sure if it hadn't been for the guy needing to stay away from trouble it could easily of escalated because it was so obvious she was not going to back down.I can't tell you how badly shaken I was.I used to Manage a discount retail store in Liverpool centre and had to deal with shoplifters every day of my life.I was threatened so many times it became just a part of the job.I was on first name terms with some of the police officers.I have been away from that kind of thing for so long and have never been involved in the kind of violence since then and to see it at such close quarters and be reminded that so many folk live with it day in day out was sobering.When I was working and had to tackle a shoplifter my reactions were very often instinctive and that day in the post office I was impressed with the lady in front of me for sticking up for herself and instinctively felt I should back her up,as well as the fact I was also livid they thought it was OK to just jump in the que with total disregard for anyone in it.Sometimes it is perhaps safer not to get involved but sometimes instinct just kicks in.
My thoughts about the couple have moved on from anger about the way they made me feel to sadness that the life they live appears to have so much violence in it.I am thankful for the life I live and the love and respect that surrounds me.I am so glad my life isn't touched by the kind of violence that was once an every day occurrence for me.My heart goes out to others that are not so lucky.
A timely reminder at this time of rushing around and jobs to do before the big day to be thankful for the things that really count.
An opportunity missed to remember how lucky I am and focus on the good instead of the hate (nearly)
Merry Christmas to all of you, I hope you have a wonderful time with your families and that Santa brings you all you wish for.xxxxxx
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Drumming and dressing.
Busy busy day today = one tired Mummy.
Off to do some shopping this morning before Home ed group.Fabulous drumming workshop at Home ed, the sound of 20 or so Djembes was amazing;-)I didn't drum as it would have been too much physically for me but I loved watching and listening.Everyone young and old really enjoyed it and we are talking of doing more workshops regularly.That would be two activities we have found that will become regular,we go to a local farm and do pottery,walks in the woods to make memory sticks,and last week we made wreaths.Some of the kids joined in but most of them chose to be outside in the frost.In future we aim to do orienteering and den building amongst other activities.The kids love it there,a river and lots of space to wander.The couple that run it are really inspirational and a valuable lesson in the fact that you never stop learning as they diversify and try new ventures.
After home ed a quick stop off at home to drop things off and then out again into town to exchange some clothes I had bought for Emily that were too small.I was intending to go back on Saturday and was surprised when she said she would come in as she hates shopping.On our journeys through town to pick Alan up on an evening she had spotted a shoulder back in the window of New Look,it was perfect to hold her Alethiometer and has decided that some of the money she makes from her car boot sale on Sunday will go to the bag, so she wanted to check it out.They only had two left so I bought it for her and she will repay me.Got all the clothes changed,bit of a mad dash and then picked up Al.
Home to make tea while they walked Beauty.A little strictly take 2 and then tree dressing,with dancing hyper excited child:-)Mulled wine and lots of toasts by Milly for happiness and family time at Xmas and peace to mankind:-)I have just finished wrapping a few more of the family presents and just have Milly's to do at the weekend,they are scattered all over the house in various cupboards so I hope I remember them all!!
I have clutter in the living room with box's of Dec's and candle holders etc waiting to find a home around the house.I have clutter at the top of the landing as we have cleared so many toys from Emily's room for the car boot sale and more clutter sitting on her bedroom floor waiting to be sorted.I will be glad to get this weekend over with so I can sort the place out and get it all back in the loft out of the way.
A day at home tomorrow,probably in PJ's :-)We sent for a darker henna to go on Emily's hair to give a chestnut red colour, so will be elbow deep in cak for a while in the morning and while she is cooking for as many hours as she can sit with cling film on (her record so far was 4 hours) we will be pricing all the toys for the car boot,whilst constantly wiping the henna that drips from under the clingfilm!! It is a faffy job but the colour is great and has lasted ages as well as giving her a great shine on her hair.Thanks to Jax for recommending LUSH.
Off to bed now,hoping I can sleep as I have had two terrible nights waking up lot's and not able to get back to sleep:-(
Night night xx
Off to do some shopping this morning before Home ed group.Fabulous drumming workshop at Home ed, the sound of 20 or so Djembes was amazing;-)I didn't drum as it would have been too much physically for me but I loved watching and listening.Everyone young and old really enjoyed it and we are talking of doing more workshops regularly.That would be two activities we have found that will become regular,we go to a local farm and do pottery,walks in the woods to make memory sticks,and last week we made wreaths.Some of the kids joined in but most of them chose to be outside in the frost.In future we aim to do orienteering and den building amongst other activities.The kids love it there,a river and lots of space to wander.The couple that run it are really inspirational and a valuable lesson in the fact that you never stop learning as they diversify and try new ventures.
After home ed a quick stop off at home to drop things off and then out again into town to exchange some clothes I had bought for Emily that were too small.I was intending to go back on Saturday and was surprised when she said she would come in as she hates shopping.On our journeys through town to pick Alan up on an evening she had spotted a shoulder back in the window of New Look,it was perfect to hold her Alethiometer and has decided that some of the money she makes from her car boot sale on Sunday will go to the bag, so she wanted to check it out.They only had two left so I bought it for her and she will repay me.Got all the clothes changed,bit of a mad dash and then picked up Al.
Home to make tea while they walked Beauty.A little strictly take 2 and then tree dressing,with dancing hyper excited child:-)Mulled wine and lots of toasts by Milly for happiness and family time at Xmas and peace to mankind:-)I have just finished wrapping a few more of the family presents and just have Milly's to do at the weekend,they are scattered all over the house in various cupboards so I hope I remember them all!!
I have clutter in the living room with box's of Dec's and candle holders etc waiting to find a home around the house.I have clutter at the top of the landing as we have cleared so many toys from Emily's room for the car boot sale and more clutter sitting on her bedroom floor waiting to be sorted.I will be glad to get this weekend over with so I can sort the place out and get it all back in the loft out of the way.
A day at home tomorrow,probably in PJ's :-)We sent for a darker henna to go on Emily's hair to give a chestnut red colour, so will be elbow deep in cak for a while in the morning and while she is cooking for as many hours as she can sit with cling film on (her record so far was 4 hours) we will be pricing all the toys for the car boot,whilst constantly wiping the henna that drips from under the clingfilm!! It is a faffy job but the colour is great and has lasted ages as well as giving her a great shine on her hair.Thanks to Jax for recommending LUSH.
Off to bed now,hoping I can sleep as I have had two terrible nights waking up lot's and not able to get back to sleep:-(
Night night xx
Sunday, 7 December 2008
A little muddled, but a post at last!!
I miss blogging every night.I really used to enjoy getting my thoughts straight and recording our days.Here we are again and weeks have gone by without posting.Our evenings have changed and we have found a kind of rhythm that works for us but I still haven't got back into sitting down each night to blog.To be honest I have started a couple of posts and then found that I couldn't put into words the thoughts and feelings I was having so I saved to draft and hoped to come back when my head was clearer!!Needless to say I have just spent time deleting the muddled posts.Not too sure why I haven't been able to get it out and written down .I hope this isn't destined to be another half finished attempt.
I have been mulling over the last 20 months since we took Emily out of school. This whole journey has been about so much more than just swapping school for another way to educate Emily.It has always been about finding a lifestyle that would enable us to live and learn with freedom, where learning was not separated from living,where Emily could learn at her own pace, in her own way, to enable her to shine and for her particular talents to emerge without being nipped in the bud by the system or for that matter by us,however well intentioned we are it is so easy to try to steer her in another direction,to think we know best what she needs.We aim to open the world up to her,(metaphorically of course, we do have a tight budget ;-o) but accept if she isn't keen on any particular journey,because it might just be that journey is more important to us than it actually is for her at that time.To set aside any expectations and dreams we may have had for her future, to enable her to make and live her own dreams.Emily being Emily meant the normal methods of school and parenting were not cutting the mustard ;-) I feel as though we have come such a long way from the start of our home ed journey,we have all grown and the things that were important to us have probably become even more so.It has been quite an intense period,evaluating how we live and the parenting strategies we use,letting go of other peoples expectations and creating a way of living that is peaceful and respectful.I have read so many books websites and blogs with advice on how to achieve the kind of relationship we want to have as a family and I think it has taken time to digest this info and to filter the things that I feel can work for us.In our relationship, as with many I am sure, I tend to do all the research then pass on the nuggets to Al and have a chat about it before moving forward.Parenting in a different way to the parenting you received takes a whole lot of effort before it becomes a natural process because in stressful situations we fall back into auto response.My parents did the best they could . I believe there is a better way and I aim to find one.I have always liked something I heard many years ago and it helps me to accept my mistakes in life and the mistakes others have made that affected me " when we know better we can do better",( Edited to add, just found out it is a Maya Anjelu quote)we don't always know better but when we do I believe we should try to do better.We have come a long way,we now see learning in every aspect of life and I very rarley find myself thinking how educational something will be and buy things or go on trips because I think Emily will enjoy them not because she might "learn" something.We still have a way to go and are by no means perfect but the life we are creating feels good,it's good to do things that create joy.
As a family we have our own particular challenges to making things work, as tiredness plays such a large part in my life it is hard to find a balance.Exhaustion does mean that some days are pretty difficult but I aim to do the best I can and move on without too much self criticism, in the hope that the next day will be better. I have been attending a weekly group meeting organised by the NHS for Chronic Fatigue/ME.Over 8 weeks we have been learning about Mindfulness, living in the moment and how it can help living with pain and fatigue.I have also continued on the hypnotherapy course I started in May which includes meditation,positive affirmation and visualisation.So all in all there has been a great deal of information for me to take on board.Mindfulness is not just useful for those of us living with illness, to be fully present in the moment when we are going about our daily lives can have a major impact on anybodies health and state of mind.
Emily has been going through a phase of hibernation after a growth spurt( she has grown a lot, we just got some tops and jeans from tesco today and she is in the 12/13age size!!) so there has not been too much happening to blog.Milly has been complaining about pains in her legs and ankles and general pain all over.I had thought these were growing pains and after a visit for some Cranial osteopathy this was confirmed.Her tendons have not caught up to her bone growth and that is causing the pains in her body and almost constant headaches because of the muscles in her neck.Judith also tried a new technique she had just learnt, which is good for children who did not take their first breath on their own when they were born and were on a ventilator.It is said to release tension held in the cellular memory.This can have great benefits both physically and emotionally.Alongside a Homeopathic remedy she is back on form and we are more likely to be doing blog worthy activities ;-)
I have been mulling over the last 20 months since we took Emily out of school. This whole journey has been about so much more than just swapping school for another way to educate Emily.It has always been about finding a lifestyle that would enable us to live and learn with freedom, where learning was not separated from living,where Emily could learn at her own pace, in her own way, to enable her to shine and for her particular talents to emerge without being nipped in the bud by the system or for that matter by us,however well intentioned we are it is so easy to try to steer her in another direction,to think we know best what she needs.We aim to open the world up to her,(metaphorically of course, we do have a tight budget ;-o) but accept if she isn't keen on any particular journey,because it might just be that journey is more important to us than it actually is for her at that time.To set aside any expectations and dreams we may have had for her future, to enable her to make and live her own dreams.Emily being Emily meant the normal methods of school and parenting were not cutting the mustard ;-) I feel as though we have come such a long way from the start of our home ed journey,we have all grown and the things that were important to us have probably become even more so.It has been quite an intense period,evaluating how we live and the parenting strategies we use,letting go of other peoples expectations and creating a way of living that is peaceful and respectful.I have read so many books websites and blogs with advice on how to achieve the kind of relationship we want to have as a family and I think it has taken time to digest this info and to filter the things that I feel can work for us.In our relationship, as with many I am sure, I tend to do all the research then pass on the nuggets to Al and have a chat about it before moving forward.Parenting in a different way to the parenting you received takes a whole lot of effort before it becomes a natural process because in stressful situations we fall back into auto response.My parents did the best they could . I believe there is a better way and I aim to find one.I have always liked something I heard many years ago and it helps me to accept my mistakes in life and the mistakes others have made that affected me " when we know better we can do better",( Edited to add, just found out it is a Maya Anjelu quote)we don't always know better but when we do I believe we should try to do better.We have come a long way,we now see learning in every aspect of life and I very rarley find myself thinking how educational something will be and buy things or go on trips because I think Emily will enjoy them not because she might "learn" something.We still have a way to go and are by no means perfect but the life we are creating feels good,it's good to do things that create joy.
As a family we have our own particular challenges to making things work, as tiredness plays such a large part in my life it is hard to find a balance.Exhaustion does mean that some days are pretty difficult but I aim to do the best I can and move on without too much self criticism, in the hope that the next day will be better. I have been attending a weekly group meeting organised by the NHS for Chronic Fatigue/ME.Over 8 weeks we have been learning about Mindfulness, living in the moment and how it can help living with pain and fatigue.I have also continued on the hypnotherapy course I started in May which includes meditation,positive affirmation and visualisation.So all in all there has been a great deal of information for me to take on board.Mindfulness is not just useful for those of us living with illness, to be fully present in the moment when we are going about our daily lives can have a major impact on anybodies health and state of mind.
Emily has been going through a phase of hibernation after a growth spurt( she has grown a lot, we just got some tops and jeans from tesco today and she is in the 12/13age size!!) so there has not been too much happening to blog.Milly has been complaining about pains in her legs and ankles and general pain all over.I had thought these were growing pains and after a visit for some Cranial osteopathy this was confirmed.Her tendons have not caught up to her bone growth and that is causing the pains in her body and almost constant headaches because of the muscles in her neck.Judith also tried a new technique she had just learnt, which is good for children who did not take their first breath on their own when they were born and were on a ventilator.It is said to release tension held in the cellular memory.This can have great benefits both physically and emotionally.Alongside a Homeopathic remedy she is back on form and we are more likely to be doing blog worthy activities ;-)
Friday, 14 November 2008
It's not so bad...
Having to juggle who has the car is proving a little bit of a pain now.I am so used to having access to it and not having to plan things.I am missing that spontaneity.We have a bus service of sorts!!Every couple of hours we can get a bus to the two nearest towns ,trouble is there is not much to do apart from shopping and that is not high on Emily's agenda of fun things to do;-)
Luckily however,I have a daughter who would probably not mind if we never had to go out again,she adores being at home.She never has to get out of PJ's, although this is evidence that going out in them isn't actually a problem for her!!She very often leaves them on to go on a walk with Al when he gets home from work.
The last two night have been still, so we have had tea and then lit the burner and spent a couple of hours outside.
Rice pudding from the slow cooker Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Milly has bounced( I joined her for a while tonight we had such a laugh)she has swung high,and she has talked and talked and talked:-)
It really isn't so bad that Alan needs the car,our life here is never hectic it is usually a slow relaxed pace but not having the car lets me off the hook, it means we have had even more time to let things develop at home and not feel guilty that you need to be out there doing something,learning something,seeing someone.It's good to just chill and spend time together .......
Luckily however,I have a daughter who would probably not mind if we never had to go out again,she adores being at home.She never has to get out of PJ's, although this is evidence that going out in them isn't actually a problem for her!!She very often leaves them on to go on a walk with Al when he gets home from work.
So our days have been spent doing a lot of reading.We have finished Percy Jackson and now look forward to next May when the final one comes out.Alan and Emily have been reading Micheal Murpogo Alone on a wide seaThey very often slope up to lay on our bed for half an hour or so while I make tea as well as reading before bed.And I have just started reading Jacqueline Wilson's Kiss to her.
I bought a set of bells from Bright minds.I hoped Emily would take to them as she has been enjoying investigating music recently.I left them on the table and the next morning as soon as she saw them she started to play and she spent a long time learning Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twinkle and Old McDonald.I took these at 9 o'clock at night when she was in full flow ;-)This is a girl who usually shy's away from anything involving the coordination it takes to do this, so I was so happy she enjoyed them.
The next morning she was back to it this time with added bubble power!!
She worked out her own way of laying out the bells which seemed as though it would be complicated but it worked just fine for her.I managed to keep my mouth shut and not give any unsolicited advice ;-)
We started a structure with marshmallows and toothpicks and she decided we should make a model of the Titanic.When she got out the book to look at the model she decided it was perhaps a little ambitious!
Milly has been recording some stories on her Dictaphone that my Mum and Dad bought her.She had filled it and initially had said she wanted to have the stories typed out and it sat in my filing tray waiting.I reminded her now and again and said I would type them out (she would need to be with me to keep stopping the machine and decide on bit's she didn't want in )but she kept putting it off.the other day she decided she didn't need to keep all the old stories and got Alan to delete them and she went off in to the living room to record a fresh.
She has been drawing many characters that are in her stories as well, a few of which she has said I can share with you.As with everything else, Emily has her own style and does not want advice or assistance.She won't draw in pencil so she can rub out mistakes she draws in Biro.These drawings have been evolving over time,little details are perfected and new things added.She is not interested in books that give step by step guidance.I love her drawings, they are quirky and individual I hope she continues to follow her own tune and continues to get as much enjoyment out of doing them as she does now.
This is a goth girl with her daemon and a skull on her t'shirt and a low slung belt chain.
Another goth girl,with black makeup round her eye's. She has 100's of bangles on her arms and stripey fingerless gloves.
Here is Lissy who is a big player in a lot of her stories about Bolvanger.She has a golden compass bag on and her daemon Pan is in her pocket.
This was the first one Emily drew with short hair as she had always wanted her girls to have long hair.
The last two night have been still, so we have had tea and then lit the burner and spent a couple of hours outside.
Rice pudding from the slow cooker Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Milly has bounced( I joined her for a while tonight we had such a laugh)she has swung high,and she has talked and talked and talked:-)
It really isn't so bad that Alan needs the car,our life here is never hectic it is usually a slow relaxed pace but not having the car lets me off the hook, it means we have had even more time to let things develop at home and not feel guilty that you need to be out there doing something,learning something,seeing someone.It's good to just chill and spend time together .......
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Halloween fun
Alan ended up having a week off work,his strains and sprains are still causing pain but he is mobile and feeling much better now.The bike is still in the garage and it may be a while before we get it back.We are having to juggle things a bit so we can have the car some days and he will get the bus and other days he will have the car or he will get the bus in and we will pick him up after work.Hope it won't go on for too long!! We are looking into getting a second car when the bike is fixed, but it will have to be really cheap and at the moment we are weighing up the pro's and con's.
We have taken a few photo's over the last few days.Milly has been experimenting with different camera angles!!
For Halloween she wanted to go trick or treating before we went off to a party hosted by our friends.We did her hair and makeup and she asked me to put some makeup on and do my eyes, here are the results plus some of the other things we have been up to this weekend.
She didn't want all the over the top stuff with white face and blood we usually do.She wanted to be a vampire.
We have taken a few photo's over the last few days.Milly has been experimenting with different camera angles!!
For Halloween she wanted to go trick or treating before we went off to a party hosted by our friends.We did her hair and makeup and she asked me to put some makeup on and do my eyes, here are the results plus some of the other things we have been up to this weekend.
She didn't want all the over the top stuff with white face and blood we usually do.She wanted to be a vampire.
A very sweet looking vampire!
Swirls on the eyes and a bat on her cheek.Two red vampire teeth marks hidden by the skulls scarf.Off she went trick or treating with Al.They didn't go to many houses she only wanted to be out a short time and came back with a reasonable amount of goodies.She tucked in to a few sweets and then told me about the man who had given her a home grown apple and a satsuma.She decided they were her favourite things,although the apple prooved to be sour and too hard.....
A few pictures by Milly using some "interesting"close up angles!!
Pumpkin carving,Milly enjoyed pulling out the insides and drew the design,then I carved it out.
Sunday was a beautiful day.We started off the morning slowly. I began to bake banana bread pretending to be the ships cook in a game we were playing, while Alan and Emily sailed to Bolvanger on the dining room table!! I then realised I had no eggs and Alan whizzed off to a local farm where they have eggs for sale.They leave them at the end of the drive with a box for the money to go in and you help yourself.£2.00 for a dozen free range eggs.(Edited to add)Didn't read well when I looked at it. I was making the point that they were a good buy, not that I had ripped them off by only paying £2.00;-)
Emily's friend A was coming to lunch and then we were all going off to the cinema to see Mamma Mia so we decided to bake soame fairy cakes that they could ice after lunch.I got out the ingredients and as I laid the seive down on the counter saw it made a nice pattern, so I wondered if Emily would be interested in some flour art!!
I cleared the counter after we had done the cakes and she came over and saw the design and set about working with it in a Milly fashion!!
Add some water
Mix and mould.
What about some coloured water?
Mmmmmmmm lovely
Ok could we make a volcano? With black food colouring?
What about more vinegar and some red food colouring?
Wow,I love it.....
While we were baking utube had provided us with the background music.After baking what better than a little table dancing to Elvis?
She had searched out the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams,she had heard them on the radio while in the car with Alan the other day and really liked the song.On the side bar on u tube Marylin Manson also had a version so she decided to look at it.Rather different to the Eurythmics!! She said she wouldn't be saving it to her favourites,she didn't like the version of the song but was very interested in the video.She reckoned he was like a zombie and didn't think he would have a daemon,it seemed he had no soul,it had probably died at birth!!
We have lovely mature tree's in the garden.The down side is the amount of work they take at this time of year:-( Alan didn't mind too much today as it was nice and dry and hardly took any work at all to get a big pile.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
What a day....
We went off to the cinema this morning to Watch WallE.Bit of a shock to the system to be up and out at 9.00 as the film was showing at the ungodly hour of 10.00!!
Milly had been saying last night she wasn't wanting to go and I had said that I thought she would enjoy it when we got there.Anyhow I half expected her to refuse to go this morning,luckily she didn't and we really enjoyed the film.I cried!!
She didn't want to go to home ed group afterwards though:-( I am finding her refusal to go places really hard to take.I know the group is mainly boys and that she really isn't always keen to join in the war games!!She isn't the type to go and just join in and you don't always get "invited" into a game. She refuses to travel to another group to see if we can find more girls to play with.She doesn't want to join any other clubs or groups and I think I would find it easier to accept if I felt she was really happy.She has a couple of good girl friends and we try to see them regularly but I know she would love to see them more, that would be easy for us but they have different schedules!!I suppose from her point of view it isn't more friends she needs but more time with the friends she has.It's an old problem that keeps reoccurring, usually when I am feeling S**t.
To top the day off I have just got back from picking Alan up from accident and emergency.
Emily and I had been in a shower to wash hair and I came down to make a cuppa and realised Alan was late.Just as I began to rack my fuddled brain if he had told me he was on late call tonight the phone went,Alan asked if I could get in the car and bring the camera,he was just on the outskirts of the village.At first I thought he had seen something spectacular he wanted to show Emily and I and to have a photo(silly woman!!!!)He went on to say he had come off his scooter, he was OK but needed to take photos. We jumped in the car and headed off to find him.As he had been coming up the hill into the village a tractor had pulled out of a field,Alan had had to put his brakes on to go round the front and because there was mud on the road he skidded and flipped over and ended up in the hedge!! Luckily a guy who lives in the village was coming up after him and he and the farmer helped him up.It was the guy from the village that suggested taking photo's of the mud on the road and the fact there were no signs warning motorists.
The farmer had said he would get a truck to move the bike for us.When we got there Al was a little shaken but upright although he was hurting all over and particularly his left ankle and wrist.Emily was great,very concerned for him but not upset and kept really calm.After discussing things a while we talked about calling the police so we would have the incident logged.At that point the farmer came with his truck.Alan explained about the police coming and he went off again and said to ring him later.Any how one hour later Emily and I were still sat in our car, in between two police cars with flashing lights,while statements were taken and an ambulance turned up for Al.The machine to clean the road arrived alongside the farmer to pick up the bike.It was a busy place!!Alan then went of to A&E to be checked over,he didn't want us to follow him and have to sit around waiting so we dashed into town to get some chips, Milly was starving and I couldn't face cooking.On the way into town Milly looked at the clock and asked if we would be back in by 6 so she could watch the Simpsons, as it was supposed to be a Halloween special(her and Alan watch it together every night) I had to laugh ;-)
We picked him up around 7.30 ,he is in a lot of pain but luckily just a sprain to his ankle and wrist with bruising along his side, which I am sure will be very colourful tomorrow. He has been fed and in a nice warm bath and nurse Emily has taken him to bed.
Tomorrow we will asses the damage and decide where we go from here.He got the scooter because we couldn't afford to run two cars, but he had an accident last year on black ice and now this.I know accidents can happen in cars, but I don't really want to test out the saying "third time lucky".
Milly had been saying last night she wasn't wanting to go and I had said that I thought she would enjoy it when we got there.Anyhow I half expected her to refuse to go this morning,luckily she didn't and we really enjoyed the film.I cried!!
She didn't want to go to home ed group afterwards though:-( I am finding her refusal to go places really hard to take.I know the group is mainly boys and that she really isn't always keen to join in the war games!!She isn't the type to go and just join in and you don't always get "invited" into a game. She refuses to travel to another group to see if we can find more girls to play with.She doesn't want to join any other clubs or groups and I think I would find it easier to accept if I felt she was really happy.She has a couple of good girl friends and we try to see them regularly but I know she would love to see them more, that would be easy for us but they have different schedules!!I suppose from her point of view it isn't more friends she needs but more time with the friends she has.It's an old problem that keeps reoccurring, usually when I am feeling S**t.
To top the day off I have just got back from picking Alan up from accident and emergency.
Emily and I had been in a shower to wash hair and I came down to make a cuppa and realised Alan was late.Just as I began to rack my fuddled brain if he had told me he was on late call tonight the phone went,Alan asked if I could get in the car and bring the camera,he was just on the outskirts of the village.At first I thought he had seen something spectacular he wanted to show Emily and I and to have a photo(silly woman!!!!)He went on to say he had come off his scooter, he was OK but needed to take photos. We jumped in the car and headed off to find him.As he had been coming up the hill into the village a tractor had pulled out of a field,Alan had had to put his brakes on to go round the front and because there was mud on the road he skidded and flipped over and ended up in the hedge!! Luckily a guy who lives in the village was coming up after him and he and the farmer helped him up.It was the guy from the village that suggested taking photo's of the mud on the road and the fact there were no signs warning motorists.
The farmer had said he would get a truck to move the bike for us.When we got there Al was a little shaken but upright although he was hurting all over and particularly his left ankle and wrist.Emily was great,very concerned for him but not upset and kept really calm.After discussing things a while we talked about calling the police so we would have the incident logged.At that point the farmer came with his truck.Alan explained about the police coming and he went off again and said to ring him later.Any how one hour later Emily and I were still sat in our car, in between two police cars with flashing lights,while statements were taken and an ambulance turned up for Al.The machine to clean the road arrived alongside the farmer to pick up the bike.It was a busy place!!Alan then went of to A&E to be checked over,he didn't want us to follow him and have to sit around waiting so we dashed into town to get some chips, Milly was starving and I couldn't face cooking.On the way into town Milly looked at the clock and asked if we would be back in by 6 so she could watch the Simpsons, as it was supposed to be a Halloween special(her and Alan watch it together every night) I had to laugh ;-)
We picked him up around 7.30 ,he is in a lot of pain but luckily just a sprain to his ankle and wrist with bruising along his side, which I am sure will be very colourful tomorrow. He has been fed and in a nice warm bath and nurse Emily has taken him to bed.
Tomorrow we will asses the damage and decide where we go from here.He got the scooter because we couldn't afford to run two cars, but he had an accident last year on black ice and now this.I know accidents can happen in cars, but I don't really want to test out the saying "third time lucky".
Monday, 20 October 2008
An anotomy vibe.
Had a mixed day today.I have been under the weather and had spent two days in bed over the weekend with a horrendous migraine.I got up at nine this morning feeling terrible and pottered around. Milly woke at eleven( she was in bed by 10 last night so she was obviously in need of extra sleep) and things didn't really get off to a good start cos she was feeling under the weather too:-(
Any how we plodded on.I was very cranky and finding it really hard to give as much as I would normally.She is so sensitive and picks up on my moodiness as being angry and this then makes her unhappy.Didn't make me feel too good either,I do hate being in that frame of mind. At least she feels able to tell me how it affects her and when she pulled me up about it we had a chat and then a giggle and things were a little better in the late afternoon.
After Alan had gone to his Tai chi class we decided to have a game of Anatomix.It's a board game where you answer multiple choice anatomical questions to get pieces of a jigsaw. We hadn't played it for some time and on the few occasions we had played in the past Emily had always wanted to be a partner to someone so I was pleasantly surprised that she said she would play.I gave her the option of not having to answer questions but she said she would answer questions for her pieces,I did say that we could change the rules any time,if she felt flustered(she usually hates to play games where she is under any pressure to answer questions or with timers or anything like that)She answered all her questions and her sources of anatomical knowledge tickled me,one answer she remembered from a Miss Wizz story,one was from a programme we had seen on TV and another was from another story we had read ,the name of which escapes me at this moment!.On one of the multiple choice questions about what the back of our body is called, she said "oh that is easy because a sharks dorsal fin is on it's back". She also remembered quite a few answers from the previous times we have played.Needless to say she got all her pieces first and beat me.I didn't let her win although there were a few questionable calls as to where the needle pointed on the spinner;-)
The other thing I think worth mentioning was that she read all the questions herself with a little help for some of the medical terminology.She would say that she can't read ,so that may still be a lack of confidence. Knowing the patterns Emily has shown over the years in her development, from crawling,walking,cutting up food,basically any steps she has made,I would be more inclined to believe that it is just not easy enough for her yet,she just does not read as quickly as she would like to. That is probably why she still prefers to be read to or to listen to a tape or CD.Since we took her out of school we have never asked her to read, she has on occasion offered but generally we have read to her and for her when asked.She has had no "practice" at so many of the words she was reading tonight.What she has had is a great exposure to words by being read to "a lot" and listening to story tapes "a lot".Talking ,watching TV all ways in which words in context and in a way that interests her are abundant.I truly believe that when she feels ready to read a book she will just take off and "do" it.
When we had finished the game I reminded her of the website we had been on last night where we got to do virtual Knee surgery.Over the months since she has been off school there have been so many times I would mention doing something I knew would be of interest to her and she would say no.I have found if I leave a screen on the computer open or actually go on it myself while she is in the room with me,she will generaly show interest and get involved so I did that last night and we were on for ages.Tonight she was keen to go back on and she choose to read about dissecting a cows eyeball( I have to say I was quite glad that the video footage wouldn't play on here) and she checked out the pictures of hip surgery but didn't have time to do the operation as she wanted to watch a documentary on channel 4 she had seen advertised the night before,about animals in the womb.
Any how we plodded on.I was very cranky and finding it really hard to give as much as I would normally.She is so sensitive and picks up on my moodiness as being angry and this then makes her unhappy.Didn't make me feel too good either,I do hate being in that frame of mind. At least she feels able to tell me how it affects her and when she pulled me up about it we had a chat and then a giggle and things were a little better in the late afternoon.
After Alan had gone to his Tai chi class we decided to have a game of Anatomix.It's a board game where you answer multiple choice anatomical questions to get pieces of a jigsaw. We hadn't played it for some time and on the few occasions we had played in the past Emily had always wanted to be a partner to someone so I was pleasantly surprised that she said she would play.I gave her the option of not having to answer questions but she said she would answer questions for her pieces,I did say that we could change the rules any time,if she felt flustered(she usually hates to play games where she is under any pressure to answer questions or with timers or anything like that)She answered all her questions and her sources of anatomical knowledge tickled me,one answer she remembered from a Miss Wizz story,one was from a programme we had seen on TV and another was from another story we had read ,the name of which escapes me at this moment!.On one of the multiple choice questions about what the back of our body is called, she said "oh that is easy because a sharks dorsal fin is on it's back". She also remembered quite a few answers from the previous times we have played.Needless to say she got all her pieces first and beat me.I didn't let her win although there were a few questionable calls as to where the needle pointed on the spinner;-)
The other thing I think worth mentioning was that she read all the questions herself with a little help for some of the medical terminology.She would say that she can't read ,so that may still be a lack of confidence. Knowing the patterns Emily has shown over the years in her development, from crawling,walking,cutting up food,basically any steps she has made,I would be more inclined to believe that it is just not easy enough for her yet,she just does not read as quickly as she would like to. That is probably why she still prefers to be read to or to listen to a tape or CD.Since we took her out of school we have never asked her to read, she has on occasion offered but generally we have read to her and for her when asked.She has had no "practice" at so many of the words she was reading tonight.What she has had is a great exposure to words by being read to "a lot" and listening to story tapes "a lot".Talking ,watching TV all ways in which words in context and in a way that interests her are abundant.I truly believe that when she feels ready to read a book she will just take off and "do" it.
When we had finished the game I reminded her of the website we had been on last night where we got to do virtual Knee surgery.Over the months since she has been off school there have been so many times I would mention doing something I knew would be of interest to her and she would say no.I have found if I leave a screen on the computer open or actually go on it myself while she is in the room with me,she will generaly show interest and get involved so I did that last night and we were on for ages.Tonight she was keen to go back on and she choose to read about dissecting a cows eyeball( I have to say I was quite glad that the video footage wouldn't play on here) and she checked out the pictures of hip surgery but didn't have time to do the operation as she wanted to watch a documentary on channel 4 she had seen advertised the night before,about animals in the womb.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
In the pink
Mum take a picture for your blog.Couldn't resist as she is not always keen to go on here!!Like a little hamster with her mouthful of sugarsnap peas.....
Oh this is sooo comfy....
Oh ok I will share it seen as though it is yours....
Oh this is sooo comfy....
Oh ok I will share it seen as though it is yours....
Found this here
Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.
What I Like About Being an Audrey
What's Hard About Being an Audrey
Audreys as Children Often
Audreys as Parents
Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...
You Are an Audrey!
You are an Audrey -- "I am at peace"
Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.
How to Get Along with Me
- * If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure
- * I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this
- * Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit
- * Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally
- * Ask me questions to help me get clear
- * Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery
- * Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings
- * I like a good discussion but not a confrontation
- * Let me know you like what I've done or said
- * Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life
What I Like About Being an Audrey
- * being nonjudgmental and accepting
- * caring for and being concerned about others
- * being able to relax and have a good time
- * knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around
- * my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator
- * my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now
- * being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe
What's Hard About Being an Audrey
- * being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive
- * being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline
- * being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally
- * being confused about what I really want
- * caring too much about what others will think of me
- * not being listened to or taken seriously
Audreys as Children Often
- * feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant
- * tune out a lot, especially when others argue
- * are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves
Audreys as Parents
- * are supportive, kind, and warm
- * are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective
Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Music and bouncing
We have a keyboard that Alan bought from a guy at work for a very reasonable price.He set about learning to play and got books etc and spent time on an evening getting to know the keyboard.He has never played a musical instrument and came to a place where he needed some help,as yet we have not managed to find someone nearby that he can go to for lessons.
Emily has never been really interested in playing it to make music but has used it to "play" along with some of the tracks on the system.When we got it the idea was that if it was available and she found it interesting it was a way for her to "play" with music.
Over the last week she has been listening to The Amber spyglass and Then Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.While listening to the Cd's she has spent a lot of time at the dining room table writing and drawing. In this area is the keyboard and over the last few days she has been tinkering with the keys "making" music.
She loves to play me her tunes and I can almost see the cogs turning in her mind and the connections that are being made as she listens to the notes and then puts them together in her tune. She has said she wants lessons as she feels so at home on the piano.I don't think at this time lessons are what she needs.I think there is a danger with lessons that she could engage for a while and then because of the repetition and difficulty with coordination she would give up and see it as a failure to be able to play, perhaps never to go near the keyboard again.I do wish I knew someone who could "Play" with her and not feel they had to "teach" her because I know she would get something out of that,if it was taken at her pace and in a very informal way.
That's the request out there,let's see what the universe provides;-))
Her guitar which is also in that area gets picked up,strummed for how ever long it holds her interest and is then put back until the next time.I see Emily's learning as a series of building blocks, little parts that come together over time, be it weeks months or years, to build her knowledge of that subject, to whatever extent she wants to take it.
Music has been playing a bigger part in our days, she has also expressed a wish to get a set of drums(an interest brought on by her friend E who plays)Bongo drums have also been mentioned a few times.
Milly has not been getting as much exercise as she used to and although she does go walking with Al and Beauty sometimes for well over an hour she doesn't want to go every day.She is also wanting to be at home and generally less active.Since we have lifted restrictions on food (I have not made a big announcement to Emily, but have just been saying yes to her requests for food)she has been eating enormous amounts and has put on weight.It is a combination of going through a growth spurt,hormonal changes, lack of exercise and the initial binging on chocolate and crisps.I was racking my brains in an attempt to provide a way for her to get some exercise without using coercion, in a way I knew she would enjoy.I remembered the mini trampoline we had and I brought that down near to the CD player and within minutes with no prompting from me she was bouncing away while listening.It is out all day and she is on and off all the time.
Over the last week or so I have found the initial binging on chocolate etc has eased.Although she is still eating more than I would choose for her.
On Sunday I was preparing Toad in the hole and had taken a bag of sugar snap peas out of the fridge,I heard Emily exclaim OHHHH and looked around to see her picking a handful of peas up to munch on with the same look of enjoyment as she would a chocolate bar.She did the same when the shopping came and asked for a large piece of cucumber to be cut off and she ate it while we all unpacked.She doesn't like a lot of vegetables but really likes the ones she does eat .When the opportunity arises we have talked a fair bit about food and how certain things can affect you, not in a concerted effort to get her to stop but to give her the information to make an informed choice.I have continued to buy chocolate,crisps,sweets every week and stock the drawer up if we run out as often as I can within budget.I make snacks up with assortments of the things I know she likes and include sweets,chocs etc with fruit and nut's and seed's.I have found my attitude is gradually changing,after the initial period of adjustment and panic at letting go of control I feel calmer and much more trusting.It feels good :-)
This afternoon I went out to do a little training with Beauty and throw her ball around,I left Emily at the computer watching something on BBCi.I was only out ten minutes or so and expected to come back in and see her still sitting there watching but she had paused the programme and was writing a story,she actually never went back to the computer as she ended up going on to something else. It struck me that way back when we let go of TV restrictions we were scared that she would not do anything else if given the choice,how wrong we were.
Emily has never been really interested in playing it to make music but has used it to "play" along with some of the tracks on the system.When we got it the idea was that if it was available and she found it interesting it was a way for her to "play" with music.
Over the last week she has been listening to The Amber spyglass and Then Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.While listening to the Cd's she has spent a lot of time at the dining room table writing and drawing. In this area is the keyboard and over the last few days she has been tinkering with the keys "making" music.
She loves to play me her tunes and I can almost see the cogs turning in her mind and the connections that are being made as she listens to the notes and then puts them together in her tune. She has said she wants lessons as she feels so at home on the piano.I don't think at this time lessons are what she needs.I think there is a danger with lessons that she could engage for a while and then because of the repetition and difficulty with coordination she would give up and see it as a failure to be able to play, perhaps never to go near the keyboard again.I do wish I knew someone who could "Play" with her and not feel they had to "teach" her because I know she would get something out of that,if it was taken at her pace and in a very informal way.
That's the request out there,let's see what the universe provides;-))
Her guitar which is also in that area gets picked up,strummed for how ever long it holds her interest and is then put back until the next time.I see Emily's learning as a series of building blocks, little parts that come together over time, be it weeks months or years, to build her knowledge of that subject, to whatever extent she wants to take it.
Music has been playing a bigger part in our days, she has also expressed a wish to get a set of drums(an interest brought on by her friend E who plays)Bongo drums have also been mentioned a few times.
Milly has not been getting as much exercise as she used to and although she does go walking with Al and Beauty sometimes for well over an hour she doesn't want to go every day.She is also wanting to be at home and generally less active.Since we have lifted restrictions on food (I have not made a big announcement to Emily, but have just been saying yes to her requests for food)she has been eating enormous amounts and has put on weight.It is a combination of going through a growth spurt,hormonal changes, lack of exercise and the initial binging on chocolate and crisps.I was racking my brains in an attempt to provide a way for her to get some exercise without using coercion, in a way I knew she would enjoy.I remembered the mini trampoline we had and I brought that down near to the CD player and within minutes with no prompting from me she was bouncing away while listening.It is out all day and she is on and off all the time.
Over the last week or so I have found the initial binging on chocolate etc has eased.Although she is still eating more than I would choose for her.
On Sunday I was preparing Toad in the hole and had taken a bag of sugar snap peas out of the fridge,I heard Emily exclaim OHHHH and looked around to see her picking a handful of peas up to munch on with the same look of enjoyment as she would a chocolate bar.She did the same when the shopping came and asked for a large piece of cucumber to be cut off and she ate it while we all unpacked.She doesn't like a lot of vegetables but really likes the ones she does eat .When the opportunity arises we have talked a fair bit about food and how certain things can affect you, not in a concerted effort to get her to stop but to give her the information to make an informed choice.I have continued to buy chocolate,crisps,sweets every week and stock the drawer up if we run out as often as I can within budget.I make snacks up with assortments of the things I know she likes and include sweets,chocs etc with fruit and nut's and seed's.I have found my attitude is gradually changing,after the initial period of adjustment and panic at letting go of control I feel calmer and much more trusting.It feels good :-)
This afternoon I went out to do a little training with Beauty and throw her ball around,I left Emily at the computer watching something on BBCi.I was only out ten minutes or so and expected to come back in and see her still sitting there watching but she had paused the programme and was writing a story,she actually never went back to the computer as she ended up going on to something else. It struck me that way back when we let go of TV restrictions we were scared that she would not do anything else if given the choice,how wrong we were.
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