Wednesday 13 May 2015

Flying the Flag


I think we need a "Home Educating Pride" flag, or perhaps T-Shirts. I know such things are available, commercially, but I don't have a spare £15 for a single T-Shirt. Plus, probably, import duty from The States.

My little darling has been flying the flag high this week, and I'm incredibly proud of her.

Personally, I've been having a hard time trying to find a way to keep track of what we actually do, some weeks it's almost nothing, some weeks we do loads but she has what's basically a very well rounded education. The reason this is important is partially peace of mind, and also we lost our lovely home ed contact lady at the council this year. I know, most home educators are very anti local authority, but I personally really liked the Advisory lady we had. The most disturbing thing is that the Council home education advisory service has been transferred to Education Welfare. Yep. The Truancy team. The Truancy team who are known to be incredibly anti home ed. See my issue?

I have no way to begin to explain how inappropriate this is, but there we go. Through the grapevine, it seems that they've already been seen to be unlawfully throwing their weight around with newly deregistered families in the area, less than a month after the changeover and I basically want to be covered just in case. I do NOT trust them as far as I could spit them.

Also, they'll expect at least an educational philosophy letter next April. They want information? Oh believe me they'll get information. I'm actually planning to send them a typed, padded out copy of my full diary, plus a monthly spreadsheet of what's been covered... it'll cost me a fiver in postage for the pages and pages I'm planning to send and for it to be a tracked delivery, but what the heck?

Anyway, my problem is finding a quick-view version of my daily diary that really works. Apologies for my handwriting. The code on each entry tells me the basic subjects covered. This wasn't even a busy week!!

I'm thinking... spreadsheet. Eventually I hope to make record keeping Squidge's job.


I'll find something that works eventually. And hey, at least I can read my writing.

After watching me hem and tape some new curtains for my friend, and mend and service my friend's sewing machine this weekend, Squidge had a hankering to get her Yule gift out for a play. Using a set of teatowels from the 99p shop, she very competently made a tote bag for her her "Bestie".



On Monday we had said "Bestie"over for giggling and fun. After lunch, we took a short walk to the park, via the shop for ice lollies and vimto. Both girls found other kids to play with at the park, were polite and friendly and basically awesome. Proof that home ed kids are not isolated and weird. ok, mine's a bit weird..... Well, no. individual.

Yes, even when they were climbing trees and looking like monkeys, they were still flying the flag high for the awesomeness of our lifestyle.

This was on the walk home, they're just so sweet together. The height difference reminds me of myself and my "Bestie" at the same age; only I was the short one.



Squidge and I have been walking much more, it's been so much fun. We've done at least 4 miles a week recently which to some isn't much, but to us is epic. This was Squidge walking home from a fun session of swimming last week. A fun session where she'd plucked up enough courage to get in the deep end and then swam 5 lengths!!! Bear in mind that this time last year, she couldn't swim at all. 

This is her entering the parkland beside the sports centre. Awww. 


Beginning to walk to swimming lessons has revealed stuff I never even knew was in our town. I've been living here since 2005, how did I not know this was here?!



Just lovely. 

Going back to the fun day with Bestie, she spent pretty much the whole afternoon in a tree and no injuries were sustained. Later in the evening, she decided o run through the house to get a second helping of pudding... and fell awkwardly on her foot. The pain she was experiencing really scared me because it was similar to the pain I sustained when I broke my foot a few years ago. So, after an hour of having ice on it ,we went off to A+E.

Two nurses, one radiographer and a doctor agreed with me that it seemed broken. The XRays however, didn't!!! the Doctor actually reviewed the things TWICE because Squidge's pain didn't tally up with a clean XRay. But eventually it was decided that she's not broken it. I'm incredibly thankful, we go on holiday in just 6 weeks and for her to miss the joy of staying on a chalet park with an indoor pool would have been tragic. 

The Doctor informed me that I have to keep her off school for the rest of the week. She told him she's home educated, so he said "well, just... erm... stay off your foot."
So this has meant she's missed gymnastics, we've got to rearrange two playdates and she's missing a trip to a room full of trampolines. Poor Squidge is not happy. This was her yesterday. Today she's able to put more weight on it, but it's still not right. She's angry at not being able to go for our every-other-day-walk, and frankly, so am I. HEAL QUICKER!!!


Aside from the educational aspect of a late night in the hospital and fun days walking in the local parks, the other things from the last couple of weeks that are vaguely educational are knitting, using my yarn bowl; and finding out that my 9 year old can make a mean mayonnaise and no longer panics if it seizes because she's amazing. 



Here's to the future, to the healing child and to me working out how the heck to keep track of everything. 






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