So summer came and went. Wasn't much of one really. The minute a hose-pipe ban was declared, it was mostly grey clouds. I could really do with a holiday after our failed camping trip but will have to make do with staying home as the budget doesn't quite stretch. as usual!

Anyhow, A got her GCSE results. She did really well. An A in Sociology and a B in Biology. She has now registered for 3 more GCSE's at evening/day college and they are all FREE!! She has also enrolled onto the National Diploma in Performing Arts at a college in the city. She only has 2 full -long days and a half day per week so should still be able to fit in all her socialising. It is weird when she is at college as it is a long time to go without seeing her which is something I am having to adjust to. Most people probably go through this when their children start school at 5, at least I got to wait till she was 16.

I have been helping D with her future plans which involve GCSE's as well. I think she will sit Maths next year then do 2 the following year as well as a first diploma at college - this bit I need the LA's help with so am in contact with them. It is weird having to think so far ahead but needs must.
It is getting harder to do some GCSE's via distance learning and many places offer IGCSE's but the exam centres for those are more spread out and expensive.

I am in a bit of a trough at the moment and struggling with the direction I feel my life should be going in. It seems I move forward then get knocked back big style, crushingly, then have to re-build myself and start again. I am crushed right now and struggling to pull myself together but I will. I contemplated and searched for a part time job thinking I can fit that round the home-ed for a few afternoons a week. If something comes up then it is meant to be, if not I will go self-employed. On many days this is the preferred option as I don't want to leave my kids really, but having some income to be able to do anything would be lovely. I am praying a lot on this as well as for many other things.

In fact it feels like I spend more time praying than living right now.

TO DO......

It is August, it should be my chilling time but I am about to blog here things that need doing between now and the end of September, mainly as a reminder to myself.

1. One hour a day where possible hacking back Ivy, brambles and other horrible plants in the garden and the removal of grass where it is not supposed to be.

2. De-clutter and sort, small kids bedroom, front and back rooms. Essential purchase for this is IVAR shelving unit, approximate cost:
5 shelves £20, one side unit £10 and back brace £2, totalling £32. Whilst at IKEA I really do need 3 kitchen chairs so will have to gather about £65-£70 before heading there.

3. Decorate at least one of the downstairs rooms - always a big job but needs doing badly. I will probably do the back room first as I am claiming this as my room with no kids stuff in there, that will all be in the front room which I only sit in if I am watching TV though it has a decent sofa. The back room is more Japanese style..ie. sitting on the floor!

4. Plan what I am doing with M and J come September.

5. Sort out GCSE work for D and juggle money to see about purchasing 4 for her.. eeek, that'll be approximately £280 deposit with 8 installments of £140 then....

6. Look through Adult ed brochures and sort out any courses A wants to do.

7. Sort out my OU course.

8. Clear and sort out shed - need sunny day for that which is not very forthcoming at the moment...


9. Keep looking for part-time job that I can fit around the kids and still home-educate - I will not put them in school but would like 16hrs work a week as I reckon I could juggle it. I pray on this so am not stressing, just trusting.

I think that should keep me busy then, as well as running the kids to various over summer activities and sorting them for holidays. I am also planning a day trip to a beach in Wales to make up for our lost holiday. I have about 8 weeks to get all that done so better crack on!

Summer is here but you wouldn't currently know it. It is about 15 degrees which means I feel cold.

We have got through A's GCSE's... just got to wait for the results now. I still have to ring OOL as I have not received a form from them that I should. I also have to pay for the exam she took at the local centre. We did well getting her Sociology for free. I am proud of the fact in 8 months I managed to pay for A's biology GCSE which cost about £330. The problem is D wants me to buy 4 for her to start in September which will mean 8 monthly payments of approximately £140... I will have to find it though but it will make for a tight Christmas...again!
A is going to college in September, she has plans for the future that may mean she only does a year there. I have no problem with what my kids choose, I have always said to them I am happy as long as they have some kind of plan/goal/drive. I could not bear them to just sit on Facebook all day - though A knows this winds me up and makes jokes about being a NEET for the future!

We are supposed to be going camping with a group of people tomorrow. After much deliberation though, I have decided to cancel. The forecast is awful. 17 degrees warmest temperature. Rain nearly every day. I have camped in these conditions but just can't justify spending money on doing it now. It will not be a holiday so I have told the kids we aren't going. The youngest are sad and are hoping their Dad will take them. I would like to take them in August if and when the weather gets back to being like summer. It's a shame because until recently it was lovely and warm here. Our area is under a current hosepipe ban - the first for 14 years - as water levels have plummeted due to lack of rainfall.

I have had some amazingly happy and some difficult times recently. The happy due to events I can't really share on here which is odd. The sad because a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recently had to have a double mastectomy and has further surgery to go through. It has shocked me and made me change the way I look at life. I think this is a good thing.
I have decided to be more free and spontaneous.. I'm even going to sort out my passport. I am planning some trips next year without the kids. I will always make sure they are taken care of as I am their Mother, but life is so short and I want to enjoy it so am looking for ways to create a bit of adventure for myself. I will keep you posted. The teenagers think I am having an early mid-life crisis..... rofl

Here are some recent pics:
A and I appeared on BBC Radio Manchester, speaking about youth hostel holidays for youngsters. It was short but we had a fun time!

When it was sunny we had a barbecue and invited folk over - mostly teens :-)



There you go, photographic proof that we did have some sun. Now if I could just find the solar powered marble run that I put in a safe place, before the summer is over, it would be a good thing!

Time for some photos I think.....

Not got much time to blog due to exam deadlines and madness,, so here are some pics.
Growing season is under way, hampered by a current lack of sun....
J watering the potatoes

These are our potatoes for schools competition. Soon ready to harvest.


At the end of April, J had his 8th birthday, here he is opening his pressies.


M recently celebrated her 11th birthday so we went 10 pin bowling as a family and chose a day before the schools broke up. It was so empty and such fun we will be doing it again! I lost badly but then I was recovering from a dislocated ankle... well that's my excuse anyway.....

There are so few photos of me because it is me taking them all the time. This is a self done shot at bowling, with 2 of my girls!

This is a usual scene on this sofa, many children gathered round a screen! Till I think they have been on it enough and I encourage them out into the fresh air!








The only male, apart from J, in this house, my lovely cat Ebb.. just do not touch him unless it is between 11pm and midnight as for some reason he turns into a softy then. Before that, you will be clawed!!





















Back with a longer update soon....

Planet Aimée

I just had to write this as we have had such a laugh today. Molly and Jude were doing a presentation about planets. When they had finished, Aimée jumped up and presented her planet.

Here it is:

PLANET AIMÉE

The planet Aimée is the 3rd planet from the sun - same as the earth.

Planet Aimée is an over-active living organism. The planet is often known as the lonely planet as it enjoys the company of other planets, at all times.

The planet Aimée is the most beautiful planet with it's bright pink hazey glow.

Planet Aimée is made out of a delicate substance and is filled with a gooey centre.

Aimée is the smallest planet in the entire solar system.

Today is the day

Today I shall be voting - for a party I have never voted for before. The whole fight the home-educators have had to endure over the last 2 years has meant I have learned a lot about the politial process and studied politics in more detail.I have shared what I have learned with my kids as I would like them to know more about how our system works and more importantly what you can do as an individual to help change policies or prevent bills being passed.
So I shall be sleeping infront of the tv tonight waiting as the results come in to find out who wins and then calculate how long it may be before we have to put on our home-ed armour again and defend our rights to educate our children as we choose.
A right that currently seems so fragile......

Eyjafjallajökull - You're doing it wrong!

It is a lovely sunny day and M is supposed to be going swimming with 2 friends. But she is still in her pyjamas and making no effort to change that, despite me saying she may not be able to go if her lift turns up.

I have made no plans today which is not a good start at all. Must try harder...

I have some top trump cards the younger two made on planets that I need to laminate.
I am going to look up some information on Iceland as I am quite interested in the country now and wonder what it is like to live there. This will no doubt be shared with the kids.
Late last night we stayed up late trying to learn how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull. We found this video which had us in stitches and we still haven't cracked it, but are getting there.



We have been looking at flight path of planes which has been interesting as they opened the air space again. Although this prompted some fear in my dd as she asked whether a plane would come down on us in the night.....

We have also been looking at volcanoes and watching every day the Icelandic Met office page for any news on whether Katla is going to blow, which would have severe consequences for the UK.

As well as all the geography related stuff we have also been looking at and discussing politics. Using the BBC site and others it has made us aware of the lack of democracy and how although we have a vote each, we are pretty much powerless to change anything. Here it is a safe Labour seat, though the borough is Tory. Thus we have had no campaigning by LibDems.
I have now got a book on politics so we read up on hung parliaments, structure of government, Quangos etc. As a family, we watched the live TV debate together and discussed psychology.

Basically learning all the time, even though I feel not much is happening!