Still haven't sorted the computer, it is getting very complicated and I have given up for now. I just access the web from other people's houses instead lol. Tonight A and her friend from Blackpool are heading up the road to my Mum's to have a night of music and msn while the house is empty as they are missing the internet!

This evening I have dropped M and D at their big annual dance show held at a boy's school. They are there from 6-10.30 tonight (the same yesterday) and 1-5.30 tomorrow. They are in classrooms next door to each other which I am glad about. I chaperoned the first show last night. The show went well but the noise of being stuck in a stuffy pokey classroom with 18 girls aged 10-13 all excited was terrible after a few hours. D was not well towards the end of last night and is very pale today. But she has still gone to perform tonight. I have mentioned it to the staff so she can have quiet time if it all gets too much. M loves it as she in a classroom with her friend from the dance school and they are all so happy to do this show. There is probably also the novelty of being in a classroom. Both my girls are in maths classrooms so maybe they will learn something from the wall displays rofl. Must mark that down for the LA!! I am going to watch it tomorrow with A. I feel bad as A's friend will have to stay home alone tomorrow as the show is sold out. I didn't know she was coming till the day before she arrived so I couldn't plan it in advance. These tickets sold out very quickly.
Bev Hughes was watching it last night. I should have took her to one side to ask about lone parents and their income cuts!

So it has been lots of performing, both on radio and in dance shows, recently. I on the other hand have been down to the allotment. I built a really big raised bed last week and sowed some rocket, dwarf beans and mixed lettuce leaves. I have also harvested some peas. I am so happy pottering in the earth. I wonder if I could get paid for working 16 hours a week on my allotment???
As you can see, thinking of how/what/when questions relating to my impending employment status once the white paper is issued on lone parents welfare reform is occupying a lot of my thoughts. Sometimes it stresses me and I find myself shouting more at the kids which then makes me more stressed. Sigh, gotta role with it and breathe more.
Lottery ticket anyone?

I am tired of blogging!

We had a day the other week when lots of "educational" things went on but I never made a note of them and now I can only remember bits. This is something I want to work on sorting out. I think it is a shame to feel I have to make a note of everything educational that just happens. Work books and schooling are so much easier in many ways. It is the things discussed that I forget.

Someone once said that even though autonomously educated children are chatting about educational topics, living life, doing days out etc, that so are schooled children AND they are doing academic work too.

I no longer class myself as autonomous - well maybe part time but I have been doing structured stuff with the kids. Autonomy doesn't work for us it just leads to a life of more struggle. I can honestly say if I could go back I would either purchase a curriculum or design one myself. I have done too many things out of guilt and reading the autonomous propaganda about letting kids play, they learn anyway. Well they do learn - maybe the exact channel and time of Hollyoaks every day and the plots of said soaps, but that is in my mind not an education.

I wish I had read autonomous articles that state to be successful you have to take every opportunity you have to teach, teach, teach. If you come from working class routes as I do that isn't part of your natural make up and you have to make it become so. This is why most autonomous middle class educators say they don't teach but that is because they don't think what they do naturally is teaching but it is. I will write this up as an article and send it to some newsletters as I wish to help other newbies that think if you are available and have a rich environment your kids will just want to read/write/play with maths etc because it just is not true.

Ok off my soap box now.

My modem is not working so I am hardly getting on-line. I am at my Mum's but am off home shortly to do some reading instruction and workbooks with my kids.

The older girls are broadcasting live at 3pm today on All FM. I am looking forward to that!

Everything is going swimmingly here and busy as usual.

Recent activities:

i) M had a go at kayaking in the rain with a home-ed session. She had a wobbly lip before entering the water but I encouraged her and she absolutely loved it. She was a little cold but happy at the end.

ii) The girls are still continuing radio training and enjoying it. They broadcast live on the 23rd June and have the option of a regular show if they wish. They have been practicing with the help of a baby alarm and a box with levers on that they created!

iii) A, M and J had a session of squash the other day which we had not done before. I ended up coaching J as he got frustrated. M beat everybody including the coach, he couldn't believe she hadn't played it before. She might go this Tuesday to have another go at the club.

iv) M turned 9 on Thursday and we held her a birthday party on Saturday. The theme was nintendo so the kids dressed up accordingly. M had made a big pikachu painting and the kids had to pin the tail on. Bless her! With my 4 there was a total of 10 which seemed enough. The weather was nice for it too.

Along with these and the regular dance/drama/french/singing just to name a few, life is good. I'll update again soon lol!