Wild Flowers

Will try to blog all we’ve been doing recently soon but I’ve been busy trying to pull things together here that I’ve wanted to do for ages. I’ve looked at my goals for this year and decided to get doing them . We’ve been out and about quite a bit, I’ve been sorting the house out (finally getting somewhere) and I’ve lost 6lbs since Saturday so it’s coming together nicely so far.

Quick round up again
Friday 16th - Swimming in the sea
Abandoned work today to run off to the beach. It was just too beautiful to stay in. We headed off after lunch and had a lovely afternoon at Dawlish Warren. Pea 1 and 2 enjoyed paddling in the sea and SweetP sunbathed and dug a moat around her sand castle. I really enjoyed swimming in the sea but the Peas weren’t as adventurous/crazy . The Peas became quite cold so we headed into the dunes to warm up out of the wind and then dashed back for Brownies.
Saturday 17th-Church fete
Pea 2 and SweetP had to help out at the church fete today as part of their Brownie duties and had a great time helping on the sweet stall (good maths practice). I gave the Peas some money to spend and left them to their own devices for a bit(more maths ). Pea 1 ended up with a large bag of toys and clothes, Pea 2 bought some baby born stuff and saved some money and SweetP was very happy to get a small bag with a pencil and book with it for 25p. I got some great books (an Usbourne dictionary, French book and two Winnie the pooh hard backs) and a stereo. I was a bit disappointed that the cd player on the stereo was broken when I tested it at home but it plays tapes ok and the radio works so not too bad for £4 I suppose and whoever donated broken goods to a church fete has some serious bad karma coming to them .Headed home instead of going to another fete as I had already spent £20!! and had a nap in front of the telly as I was feeling really tired again
Sunday 18th-day off
Did very little
Monday 19th -
Um (thinks hard) ‘normals’ and some more Marco Polo. To be honest, most days lately have become finishing ‘normals’ and then lounging in the garden playing with the guinea pigs or playing shops with each Pea owning a different shop (kebab, Brownie, sweet or charity shop mostly ) and spending vast amounts of money with each other ( £200 for a Brownie uniform seemed a bit steep ). But they all seem happy and I’m getting on with sorting the house so I figure we’ll keep going over the summer and knuckle down a bit at some later date.
Tuesday 20th- Photos and a trip back to the 1950’s
We had to trek back to Cullompton today to select SweetP’s entry for the local papers cute kid competition. Of course, most of the photos were great and I ended up spending £60 on all of them. Included in them was a great picture of all the Peas looking gorgeous and I thought this would make a great belated father’s day pressie for DEP and I can always use the little copies as presents for all the relations .
Afterwards, we grabbed some snacks from the shop we were in and headed to Killerton house for a few hours. I joined the National Trust as an educational member as the Peas ate their lunch in the car and then we explored the gardens to burn off some steam. We had a lovely time here too and headed home for music lessons.
Wednesday 21st
Popped to the library and local home-ed group to check times for trip tomorrow.
Thursday 22nd-Boat trip to hell and a bbq when we got back
Already well documented elsewhere Grumpy old people GRR! Nice time on the beach after though and a fab barbie in the evening with some of my best buddies
Friday 23rd
Swimming with the Brownies, helping one sister with bunkbed moving (left her taking a door off ) and seeing my lovely little sister back from uni for a bit. Buying some cool clothes (and having to take them back because they were too small )
Saturday 24thKillarney Springs and shopping
Peas all went with the Girls brigaders to Killarney Springs with DEP. NOT recommended apparently bit of a let down. I shopped ’til I dropped with my friend M and still went out that night in clothes I already owned .Oh and my sister nearly killed me with the moving of bunkbeds
Thursday 29th- Here we go round the…..
sixteen sided house, which was a really great day trip and throughly enjoyed by all .
Friday 30thBig fat black caterpillars
We saw loads of these today whilst out walking with my little sis and the dogs. Walked for miles, had a very expensive lunch, saw a heron, saw a cool stripey fish (not with the heron obviously ), saw a friend and her new baby and had a lovely day, until the prickles and the hysterical sobbing . Mown prickles and sandals don’t mix

I can’t really remember what we did on Thursday - which is worrying as it was only two days ago . I presume it was the normal round of things and some schools progs.
Anyway, I remember from 3:30 onwards . We collected a friends son,Dan, from school and headed off to the local swimming baths for their free swim session. Unfortunately, you have to join the scheme first with some proof of residency but the very kind lady waved us through and we promised to remember our proof next time. It was great as it only cost £1:50 for me and all the kids were free. Swam for 45 mins and all the Peas swam widths in the big pool and were really enjoying themselves and then rushed to change quickly in order to get home for the match. It was lovely driving back as there was minimal traffic for rush hour and we only missed the first 7 mins of the footie. Despite Dan warning that the Peas had better not talk during the footie as he wanted to watch it, he vanished before the end of the first half to plant seeds in the garden with SweetP . I started tea at half time and left it all cooking to continue watching the match. Dan and the Peas all wandered back into the front room to watch the match and I went to turn the sausages as England scored the first goal - I bet I was the only one swearing at the England players at that point
Saw the second goal so was a bit happier, had a very late (and slightly burnt) tea and dropped Dan home before early bed for all of us.

Thought about heading to the library today but the sun’s making us all feel lazy so indulged in plenty of sunbathing and ‘normals’ in the garden. Pea 1 is very proud of her sunflower as it’s looking quite healthy but no growth from any of our veg yet- I thought it was too late in the season for much luck but I’d hoped for something at least .
The current English workbooks are causing a bit of a stir as they involve quite a lot of writing and the Peas are not enjoying it. I’m happy to relax it as I know they can write long stories when inspired so don’t feel that I have to push it now. I always hated to be given silly titles and be told to write meaningless tripe to occupy me at school. I love writing now but for a long time the joy disappeared from it .
After lunch, the Peas all helped make lasagne and fruit flan and asked DEP if he would like to come over for tea. He had planned to pop over, as he likes to see the Peas on his birthday (I’m the opposite ) but couldn’t come to tea as he already had plans. The afternoon was taken up with a flurry of card making as we have 3 birthdays (DEP’s, Greatnanny’s and grandad’s 70th) and fathers day this week . I was really proud of the effort that they put in and some lovely cards were made. Then it was off to music, a quick catch up with some friends in the park and a cuppa at the Young Strings cafe before home to our ‘here’s one we prepared earlier’ tea .
DEP came around later on for his cards and my friend Fi popped in too so bedtime for the Peas was later than usual with no reading time- Pea 2 was most annoyed because she has almost finished Lemony Snickett book 1.

Tuesday morning was much the same as Monday. After lunch, we headed to Cullompton for a photo session for SweetP. We could have gone to a local session but we were waiting for her tooth to fall out and it just hasn’t happened so we had to attend this - the last session. I had suggested that she enter the local paper’s cute kid competion as she could have her picture in the paper and we could have some nice piccies of her. She liked the idea and has grand plans of winning as she wants the digital camera they’re offering as a prize ( being a librarian has been forgotten, she now wants to be a photographer ). Despite the fact that she’s very cute ( obviously I’m biased but everyone says so) she hasn’t a rats chance in hell of winning as it’s one of those ‘the people decide’ competions where you have to send in slips- I’d rather have judges but I suppose you don’t make lots of money from that!
She enjoyed having her picture taken and Pea 1 and 2 got in on the act too. I’m sure they’ll now try the hard sell for a photo package but we need a present for fathers day so may fork out . The photographer complimented SweetP for her manners and she had a conversation with him about the composition of the photographs. I think she was very self conscious about her loose tooth but soon forgot and posed like a pro. We picked out some sweets for the drive home ( and a pingpong set for £1.99) and headed off again- my sherbet fountain was broken and went all over my skirt grr, I hate losing sherbet .
Music lessons followed and SweetP’s teacher has decided that her violin is o.k which is great and the practice is paying off as she’s going great guns . Pea 2 had a talk with her teacher too and is feeling a lot happier.
Home for Springwatch and bed.

Before the world cup began, I decided that we could use it to our advantage (honestly Mr LEA advisor it’s not watching football all day, it’s education in action ). We could learn about all the countries and find them on the map, we could eat some food from any country that England play and Pea 1 loves football at the mo so I’ll be able to interest her in anything football related (oh and we may play a bit ). So we divided all the groups up into 1 team each in each group (though we’re sharing England ) That led to this:
Pea 1-”mummy, what colour are my team?”
Me -” I’m doing tea, I can’t look.”
Pea 2- “mummy, what colour are my team?”
Me -” I’m doing tea, I can’t look.”
Pea 1-”I think I know mummy-Ecuador are the ‘ethnic’ ones”
Me- “who are they playing?”
Pea 1-” Poland”
Me-” yes dear, you’re right ”
Pea 1-” Pea 2, Pea 2, I know that the ethnic team are Ecuador”
Pea 2-” what - the blue and yellow ones?”
I had visions of little blue and yellow men running up and down the pitch .
I think the political correctness is a result of baby Annabelle.

Today has been utterly boring. We’ve done nothing of note but veg out and watch the football. This morning started late, the Peas watched Springwatch over breakfast and ‘normals’ were finished. There was much cheering as we finished reading Understood Betsy as our Ambleside reading ( the Peas haven’t really enjoyed it but I thought it was a lovely book and may buy it to pop on the bookshelf . I think Pea 1 would have enjoyed it if she had read it herself). Also read some poems (our current poet is James Whitcomb Riley and he’s not as enjoyable as our last poet-Eugene Field ) and a bible story.
That was really the morning done with, apart from music practice, which was a bit of a strain today. SweetP is having problems with her violin-it’s too big and she can’t comfortably reach the strings for notes. She’s perservering but feeling a little unhappy. Hopefully her teacher will be able to get a smaller size soon as she’s so keen that I’d hate for her to lose enthusiasm. Pea 2 is another story. After the cello concert at the weekend she’s feeling very disheartened. She’s upset because she didn’t get to play the group piece she thought she would and also because she feels that all the other children are performing longer pieces and that she’s not that good yet. I had a nice cuddle with her and talked through how she felt but, to be honest, she doesn’t practice anywhere near as often as she should and has only herself to blame if she feels that she’s not progressing. It seems that she has been wanting to take her prep test for a while but hasn’t said anything . I mentioned it to her teacher a few weeks ago and I think that that has brought the issue to the fore. We discussed practicing far more often, putting the effort in and I promised to talk to her teacher so she seems a bit happier now.
After lunch, we played a few games of Steve the sewer bunny on Discovery kids, read a story about Joan of Arc, handled guinea-pigs and rabbits, played some games, Pea 1 half painted a wooden jeep and Pea 2 and SweetP read their library books. Pea 1 had an almighty flip out about no-one playing a game with her , then another one later on when we were all playing her game and had to be restrained by me until she’d calmed down : It’s strange how she always seems to have meltdowns like this if she’s been at DEP’s for the weekend/over night. She comes back and has a wobbly day quite rarely now but it used to be a frequent event.
Then we watched some football, had some junk (and veg) for tea and drove Pea 1 to Girls Brigade. I meant to walk the dog down but we left it too late and I had shopping to get so fitness failed again . Got some shopping and stopped at a friends for a cuppa and chat. She starts back to work tomorrow and isn’t looking forward to it-she likes her job but sorting the tax credits and stuff is a nightmare. Last time she was left virtually penniless and in debt when she took the advice of her ‘lone parent advisor’ . It was nice to catch up though but all too soon I had to leave to go to the cash point to get money for the G.B summer outing (£45!!!!! for us all to go, including DEP as it’s his day with them) and pick up Pea 1.
Unfortunately, whenever we seem to have a busy home-ed week, I’m too busy to type it up and so this blog really consists of ’same s!*t, different day’ to my mind . Hopefully when (if ) the computer goes downstairs or I get a laptop ( rofl ) I may find more time to include some interesting home-ed

Can’t sleep . At the birthday party I attended last night I let slip about a friend’s pregnancy. It didn’t seem to matter at the time, as it was old friends inquiring and they were unlikely to see pregnant friend so no harm done but, then I realised that some neighbours of the pregnant friend’s parents were there and may have overheard and the parents don’t know yet as it’s so early and so now i’m worrying that the secret’s out and pregnant friend will be livid . I wish that I wasn’t such a gossip as I’ve told quite a few people and am now feeling very bad .
Lots of football related home-ed going on here. Will try to write something this week but I’m an awful blogger sorry

Chris Moyles can’t be out. He’s too good. Tears and anger from all here. Horrible rugby player only got through because he sang a Robbie Williams song-he didn’t even sing it well .
We may have become too involved in celebrity X factor. It’s too late for us but as everyone else has been watching BB, you can still save yourselves

P.s Will update when I feel inspired