Confessions of a serial hermit...

We have spent 4, yes 4!!!! days with other Home Educating families in the last seven, with another to come tomorrow!!!!! I mean, what is wrong with us? We seem to be on a bit of a roll!!
On Saturday, having to cancel our plans with Han for the morning, we ended up playing host to our good friends from Wales for the evening. A bit of a surprise since I didn't know they were up this way!!! They arrived with boxes of food which we prepared together, the kids all went off and did their own thing and then we ate in two sittings!!!!
And then today we saw them again and went to the woods, where we had soup and rolls, spiced fruit buns and chocolate cakes. They all played together on the rope swings, played tag through the under growth, helped the littlies along, set up a high jump with a log and searched for a missing pen knife!!














Socialisation? But what about socialisation? This is always one of the questions asked of you when you Home Educate. Today I took 8 children and one spaniel to the woods, and not once did I feel that I had taken on too much! They all played together. Paired off at times. Took it in turns to play with the youngest ones. Helped to carry the rucksacks (even after the contents had been consumed!!!) and all enjoyed each others company. And this from 8 children aged 3 to 16. 6 boys and 2 girls. There were hardly any cross words, and the few that there were, were between siblings, and perfectly usual.
Its been a grand week. I have loved visiting friends. I have loved entertaining friends and I have loved eating out in the woods. I have loved the conversations I have had with such an interesting and wonderful group of people.

PS All these photos were taken on my new phone!! I LOVE my new phone. Good photos, even has a flash and they upload really quickly!!!

Mastercrafts and Lark Rise to Candleford

I have just watched the 3rd episode of the Mastercrafts series on iPlayer. The first was green woodworking, something that is very close to our hearts in this family. The second was thatching which is something that David has an interest in, and the 3rd was Blacksmithing. All make for interesting viewing, especially for a Home Educating family of four boys, that are very practical minded.
The message that comes through in each programme is, as we already believe, that people like to do practical things. There is something more rewarding working with a raw material and making it into something beautiful, useful and individual. It reminds me of the reason for our home educating journey here. That the boys discover what truly make sthem happy and to follow that path, rather than end up at 40 having sat at a desk job that they hate for years, and then trying to change direction. It just isn't always possible to change route later on in life. Mortgages and family commitments can prevent it, and why wait until you have muddled through life for so many years before finding out what is right for you? Why should we be unhappy and just stick at something to pay the mortgage? I don't mean not to work hard, but why shouldn't we all be able to work hard at something we enjoy?
That is the main goal for our HE journey... for the my boys find the path that is right for them.
I have also been watching Lark Rise to Candleford. I didn't see the first two series. I didn't know it existed and so would dearly love to catch up on the series on DVD (my birthday coming up next month, so you never know!!!!) as I have really enjoyed the recent episodes. Something about rural life, in its day to day simplicity that makes me crave the next installment!!!
An episode recently showed a boy being pushed in a direction that he didn't want to go, academically and work wise. It saw him rebel against it completely and he moved out to follow his desire. Only by showing love and support for his needs, were his parents able to help him decide on the right path for him. Laying down the law and giving ultimatums did not work, and was a good reminder for all of us parents of headstrong children out there!!!
We have no TV licence as the amount of rubbish out there is massive, but occaisionally I find something worth watching, which is good for the knitting projects!! Good job us women can multi task!!!
It has been a good week socially for us. Two lovely wood walks and picnics with other home educating families, saw the boys engaged in activities with children and babies of ALL ages!!!


Long may we have sunshine and good friends!!!

Bad weather and feeling poorly can be good for some things, I guess!!

So, with the weather being so miserable here and me feeling poorly, it has been a week of crafting.
My socks are now finished and I have rellay been enjoying wearing them. So comfortable and cosy!! I have been sneakily buying some wool for me to knit up once I have worked down my list of projects! I finally understand the meaning of 'wool stash'!!!!
But instead of casting on for Rob's socks (the first priority item on my list!), I have been making these...


The wool was a little dark perhaps for the top but I'm pleased with the effect. I've never really done anything with two colours before.

This egg was made up as I went along using the same principle as the banana...turned out ok, but now they want a whole set!!!

2 sausages so far and one fried egg, also of my own design, made up as I went along. Really pleased with this!!!
And the two older boys have also been making things....not knitting but sewing.
Jonathan made this drawstring bag for his marbles from the bottom of the leg of his old camo trousers....


And Tom has re-vamped this strap for his car, by sewing a loop on to one end and a hook on the other! He wants to test it out for strength one day soon before he takes it off roading!


And this of their own free will!!! And self taught, pretty much.

Why didn't someone tell me it was pancake day!!!!!

Is it just me, or do these things pass other people by too? It was a good few days before I realised that we had missed it. Maybe the rack with the pancake mix and lemon juice in Waitrose the previous week should've sparked something off?!!
Anyway, we had pancake day or Shrove Tuesday this week instead... Tom made the batter and between him and Jon they cooked and tossed pancakes for us all.
And then they obviously got a little bored of normal pancakes...




Tom called them Smurf pancakes!!!
I think I need to be more attentive about these special days....



Photo credits....first one of Louis was taken by William,
the first blue pancake picture and second Louis photo by David.

I have come down with an horrific sore throat and that, coupled with my on going throat issue is actually rendering me quite pathetic!
That said, I have still made bread in my newly acquired breadmaker (Thank you Freecycle!!!!! Mine died on Saturday evening and I had been offered an almost new one and collected it within 24 hours!!! Fantastic!!!), done 3 loads of washing, made minestrone soup and cleaned the oven (yes, I know, why does it always feel so urgent when you feel so poorly?) and finished kntting my hat, and knitted most of the second one of my socks!
But, because I was so stationary yesterday, David and Will both played with the meccano in the living room and David built a fabulous digger following the set of instructions.....


And Will made this ladder to go with his fire engine. It's a portable one that they can move around easily!!!



Tom and Jon went to the farm shop for layers pellets and then Jon and David walked the dog.
We watched My Fair Lady in the afternoon in front of the fire while it snowed outside, and then David and I played cards before bed.
Jonathan made shortbread, which was enjoyed by all, and Tom took over at tea time, dishing up the jacket potatoes that I had put in the oven earlier.
So this afternoon, I am planning on finishing my sock, and then trying to decide which of the items on my long list of crafts to start next! I look at my sock wool stash and think I must start to make a dent in it, but then I look at the lovely green cotton yarn I have for face cloths and want to see them knitted up. And then of course David is wanting a balaclava like Jonathans, and Will is requesting a Waldorf baby doll....not enough hours in the day!!!
At least it is freezing cold outside and there is still snow on the ground, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on much by staying in by the fire again this afternoon. In fact, I'm relishing the excuse!!

We've gone 'Knitting Bananas'!!!

This is Will casting on for a carrot while I am busy next to him putting the finishing touches to our little creation.
And here he is, really getting to grips with the 'knitting'!!

Yes, he is still wearing his pyjamas and is is most definitely the afternoon!!!!


Yes, this afternoon we knitted this little cheeky banana from this pattern
Tomorrow I might try the hot cross bun!!!

This roundhouse.

People who know me, will know that I long to live in a roundhouse or a yurt or wooden house in the middle of the woods somewhere in Wales.
Obviously the logistics of this with 4 boys is somewhat horrific!!!! But maybe one day......when the country runs out of oil and food, and the government are forced to let us do such things, instead of putting ridiculous obstacles in the way of us lunatic people who want to do it!
Anyway, this morning Will and I tried to build a roundhouse with the duplo bricks but to be honest, even with Will's amazing imagination and my determination to make it work, it didn't really turn out that well.


Then David started talking about Hagrid's hut and that Lego have a set...


so we looked on their website and found the instructions to build it. We also looked on Ebay to see if we could buy one, but as we are both far too impatient, we went upsatirs and dug out all the bits from his Lego box that looked like they might be useful!!!


And this is what we made!!!!



It took a long time to find enough of the right sort of pieces and my back is aching now with bending over the floor (again!!!) for so long, but it was worth it, David is so pleased with it. I know the blue roof is a little bright, but that was the colour that we had most tiles in and it looked better in one colour, rather than a hotch potch of different greys and black. With David's knowledge of what bits we do have and me with the technical construction, we made a great team!!!!
A shame my hat didn't turn out too well.....but my loss is Will's gain!