HomeGrown Learners

Our trip to Gloucester City Farm was fantastic fun plus Wren experienced her very first horse ride, or should I say unicorn ride!!!

Today Wren and I were invited to a very special picnic to celebrate the excellence, diversity and joy of home education.

What a wonderful day Wren and I spent together today. After her new found interest in photography, I thought I'd take her somewhere where the blooms were even bigger and even better!

After dropping Jenson off at school, Wren and I called into Primrose Vale Farm Shop.

Today has been a rather laid back affair. After dropping Jenson off at school, Wren and I retreated to the Curious Cafe on the Bath Road for a late breakfast.

After all my photo shoots on Tuesday, I decided to visit the Confetti Fields again today, and this time I took Wren.

Wren and I have begun this week in true creative fashion: breakfasting in the sunshine at the Curious Cafe on the Bath Road while doing a spot of still life painting.

It's been a busy old week one way or another. Jenson was feeling off colour on Monday and Tuesday so it was nice to have him around to enjoy some of the craft activities I had lined up for Wren.

It was yesterday that provided all the adventure. Wren and I enjoyed a wonderful day out at Slimbridge, joining in on a special home ed wildlife safari. 

Yesterday Wren and I enjoyed a day out at Greystone's Farm, Bourton-on-the-Water. If you've not been before, we'd definitely recommend a visit.

The last two days have been Wren's idea of heaven: shopping for pretty dresses, eating chocolate cake, making jewellery, dressing up, cuddling cute fluffy kittens and making dens and fairy potions.

Today was all about strawberries, sunshine and lots of sparkling smiles. It's only been three days, but the joy I get from spending time in her company, listening to her stories and playing her games is really very, very special.

Five months have passed since the children went back to school and there hasn't been a single day that I haven't doubted the decision.

After a weekend of snow filled fun, we woke up Monday morning to find one of our rabbits had died. 

This is probably going to be one of my very last blogs before the children start school in January. Two weeks ago

I can say with 100% certainty that making berry paints is not for the faint hearted!

This week marks the start of Jenson's tutor sessions. He wasn't overly impressed about the idea at first, but when I told him it was either this or school he chose this! 

This last week has been a rather bitty one. On Monday and Tuesday Jenson had his usual tutoring sessions, for which we spent a good deal of time Monday morning doing a lovely project about The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

On Friday morning we had a surprise phone call from BBC Radio Gloucestershire asking if we were available that afternoon for an interview about our take on home schooling. 

This week was national tree week and to celebrate Jenson and I got involved in a brand new environmental project in Stratford-upon-Avon.

I can't recall a time when I can remember Jenson being so inspired by anything other than LEGO, but right now Blue Planet has got him gripped.

Jenson's love of Blue Planet continues and this week his fascination with the natural world manifested itself in a LEGO blue whale.

Today we headed up to Crickley Hill for a very special nature club that Jenson had specifically requested.

This LEGO clock was another little project we did this week. Jenson chose the activity and had fun finding the parts and working out how they all fitted together. 

It would be fair to say that this year we have been a bit distracted with family matters and so our effort for Children in Need fell sadly short on the day itself. What is so lovely though is how things have a way of working themselves out.

Difficult personal circumstances have proven a bit of a blow to home schooling these past few weeks.

This week, as per Jenson's request, the children have done some more fantastic animating.

We've been on a big geography bender this week; after Jenson's epic pollution project we moved onto river formations and their origins.

This week's main project has been inspired by a much smaller one: making fly agaric toadstools out of LEGO!

As well as doing our bit for conservation, this week we've also been busy making cards out of all the flowers we pressed a month or two ago.

For the last few weeks we have been on a magical journey of discovery, story telling and some serious LEGO building as we've explored the wonderful world of Greek Mythology. This has been one of our most memorable projects to date and Jenson has accomplished some of his most challenging LEGO constructions.

Over the Summer Jenson had been curious about how the landscape might have looked millions of years ago. It had planted a little seed in my head and inspired this week's trip to Dorset.

This week is our geology and fossils week so what better way to kick things off than with our very own excavation of our beloved fox, who we found on the side of the road and buried in our garden six weeks ago. 

Thursday and Friday saw preparations get under way for our first ever car boot sale or table top sale as Jenson has been calling it. He's desperately trying to save up for a new LEGO box and came up with this idea over the Summer. 

Today was our first official day back at (home) school after an enjoyable Summer spent mostly by the sea. I know there are some home schoolers out there who don't believe that learning ever stops for a child, but for me, I needed a break even if the children didn't! 

Today marked a bit of a landmark in our home ed journey so far. Jenson's friends broke up from school and are now officially on their Summer holidays. Does this mean we are too?

It's been a while since my last blog but there has been plenty going on, not least our epic trip to Plymouth this week to look at a school.

Despite the title of this blog, yesterday was anything but marvellous. The medicine on the other hand came in the form of wine. 

Today was a bit of an epic as it turns out. Despite being a Sunday, it wasn't a day of rest. In our world of home schooling learning never stops, whether it's learning how not to kill each other or learning about more traditional subjects, we seize any opportunity.  

The children and I spent the latter part of the week in Devon. It was a fleeting visit but it's surprising how much beach time one can squeeze into 36 hours.

The natural world has provided us with a wealth of learning material these past few months and this week was no different. Sadly on this occasion, it was a lesson about how cruel nature can be. The story didn't have a happy ending. 

Despite yesterday's butchered jelly fish, it didn't deter us from our next dissection project. The challenge came in the form of a dead fox.

With a full weekend of work for me, Simon and the children had headed to Devon to enjoy some sun, sea and sand.

Off the back of Jenson's successful LEGO animation production last week, this week's LEGO Club stuck with the same theme.

Today we have been on an amazing animation adventure where both Jenson and Wren produced their very first full length feature animated films! 

It's hard to know where to start with this blog to be honest. It would be fair to say there was a massive fall out after the excitement of Wren's painting party on Tuesday, which left us all feeling exhausted on Wednesday.

The Great British Bee Count began on 19th May 2017 and has been going on across the whole of the UK for the last month or so. It comes to end this Friday. It's an initiative that takes place every year and was set up by Friends of the Earth to help raise awareness about how much trouble our bee populations are in.

For the last eight weeks the children and I have been observing a pair of nesting blue tits in our garden. We have spent many enjoyable days watching these delightful little birds getting on with their business and we miss them now they have reared their young and flown away. It has been a wonderful learning resource and has provided a fantastic insight into their world.

The world of home ed takes us on some surprising adventures. Today for example we acquired some caterpillars from a friend who had posted something on Facebook. I'm not sure how she ended up with a pot full of the little creatures but they have been a fantastic learning resource for the children. 

After another terrible night's sleep for Jenson, he slept in this morning until 9am and I've noticed a sharp lift in his mood as a result.

WOW! What a scorcher it has been. I was fortunate to have the weekend off but with Simon in London on Saturday and me and the children all feeling a little tired/hung over from Friday's grand day out and evening shenanigans we holed ourselves up and chilled with movies rather than attempt anything strenuous. 

Today we paid a rather impromptu visit to the Three Counties Show Ground to see the rural and countryside show. It was a super day out and one that I'm so pleased to have done today rather than at the weekend when the temperature is set to sore. We also benefited yet agin from a quieter day without all the crowds of families.

Yesterday I took the children to Sudeley Castle for a day of fun in the sun! It was a PE class with a difference as we climbed trees, scaled the fortress, took on the assault course and generally wore ourselves out!

Today has been another surprising day where Jenson has learnt about things I never knew we would touch upon when I woke up this morning!

We are really feeling the highs of home ed again after a tough couple of months where, to be honest, it felt like we were wading through mud. School had become a serious contender again as things reached breaking point. So what's changed?

It would be fair to say that over the last few days we have fully embraced Cheltenham Science Week! 

Today we've been on chocolate overload as we discovered everything there is to know about chocolate.

This past week has been a complete disaster. Our trip to London the previous week left both Jenson and myself feeling extremely tired and the  events in Manchester have left me feeling very unsettled. Consequently, I spent three days this week caught in a battle of wills. By Thursday I'd had enough and was so desperate for a truce that I whizzed the three of us down to our holiday home for a 24 hour detox by the beach. 

Last week was a busy one as momentum picked up with the sale of our London pad. We were also celebrating Jenson's birthday and I had a few photo shoots to squeeze in too. Blog writing is down to one a week at the moment as the workload cranks up. 

The subject of schooling isn't going to go away and this morning's trip to Rendcombe College further highlighted the problem we face. 

On Tuesday we celebrated Lost Sock Awareness Day. It takes place on May 9th every year, to commemorate all those odd socks that started life as a shiny new pair and to mourn the ones that are missing. 

The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is, quite simply, wonderful. It is a haven of calm and tranquility quite unlike anything I have experienced before. Turns out it isn't just a sanctuary for donkeys, but also people. It would be fair to say it has been the best three days Jenson and I have ever spent together.

I'll be updating this blog post all throughout the Summer to keep a record on how all our seedlings are getting on. 

After all that bubble blowing with his LEGO wand, Jenson continued to make more magic this afternoon!

After a lovely Easter weekend spent in Kent with family, came the hideous car journey back to Cheltenham. The man at the petrol station had no idea how ironic his statement was when he asked if that bottle of wine I was buying was to get me through the traffic!

After a busy morning making our Easter trees, we spent the afternoon working in the garden on our wildflower meadow. After preparing all the ground last week, today we were sowing the seeds!

Today's Little Bud's Gardening Club was an Easter special! It was nice to welcome back some of the children who had attended two weeks ago and brilliant for them to see how much the seeds had grown that they had planted. More on that later though. 

Our special Easter themed LEGO Club was cracking good fun today! There was plenty of creative thinking from both the parents and the children as we all tried to make some fantastic Easter Lego models and mosaics.

Although we've been working really hard on our wildflower meadow for the last few days, there has still been plenty of time for play as well as some reading and writing exercises.

Inspired by The Great British Bee Count that is taking place from 19th May to 30th June, we have decided to create a wildflower meadow in the hope to attract more of these wonderful insects to our garden. Over time, I hope it will become a great place of learning and interest for Jenson and Wren, where they can discover more about nature, eco systems and habitats. 

Today was LEGO Club and this week, after flicking through our Unofficial Guide to Lego, Jenson had decided he wanted to make LEGO sensory bins and LEGO ice excavations.

I'm all wiggled out after today's Giant Wiggle, where we raised a super £75, which is enough to fund an anti-bullying workshop for children in schools. The day was a brilliant success.

Inspired by my new book titled The Unofficial Guide to Learning with Lego, today Lego Club hosted its very first structured session! The topic was balloon powered Lego cars.

Today we enjoyed a very special science demo day to celebrate British Science Week at A Place to Grow. 

Today was our last day in Devon, at least for a few weeks, so we spent the morning on the beach making the most of our final few hours. 

British Science Week officially kicks off on Friday but we've been getting into the swing of things early on the basis that the weather forecast for next week looks much improved and therefore we don't want to be stuck inside conducting science experiments when there is a beautiful beach to enjoy. Ah, the beauty of home education. 

Learning with Lego is the name of a new book I recently bought to help develop Jenson's love of all things brick. It is titled as the unofficial guide but has become our Bible!

Today we went on an exciting train ride, but not in the conventional sense! Jenson's old train set provided the inspiration and his love of Lego fuelled the activity. 

If World Book Day had been today we would have written our story about The Grinch, such was Jenson's mood.

World Book Day was a world away from this time last year. There was no dress up in your favourite character but instead a story with a script made up entirely by us.

Yesterday, we were up and out of the house at the same time as our old school run friends, but instead of making the dreary plod around the park we were jumping in the car and heading to Devon.

This week we've been focusing on ice and what happens to water in its different states. We've also been trying not to kill each other: the home school honeymoon period is definitely over. 

Today Jenson and I had a great adventure at Bristol's fabulous science museum: At Bristol. We had joined a home ed special Maths Mission themed activity day.

Yesterday was another really easy going day at home school. We had lots of fun creating story boards using pictures from the children's old Gruffalo themed Christmas calendars.

Quite simply, today was just a really nice day. We didn't plan anything or do too much, the day just unfolded fairly naturally.

As lots of you will know, this weekend we took part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. I say we, it was more me but I had a bloody brilliant time! I've been dubbed as the new Gill Oddie!

This morning we had to get Remy to the vets to have her stitches taken out. Jenson wasn't at all keen, preferring instead to play with his Lego.

This morning Jenson and I were at Slimbridge Wetland Centre for their first ever home ed session! I had been really pleased to bag a place on this very popular session, having seen it pop up on my Facebook feed. I had called them straight away and managed to get the second to last place! 

It's a new year and it feels like we are really finding our home ed feet. I know when we started this journey there were a few doubters, there probably still are. I however am no longer one of them. I don't care what anyone else thinks. Jenson thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread and his is the only opinion that counts.

This blog was a bit of an epic one to write! Even if you don't read all the text, do scroll through the pictures as there are some lovely ones of Remy's party towards the end.

I had a rare day off from home schooling today as Jenson was at the Cheltenham Animal Shelter for a special home ed day that I had organised for a small group of children.

Today I decided to take Jenson and Wren to The Novium Museum in Chichester. There is a Tim Peake exhibition running at the moment and I thought Jenson would like it. He loved it!

Jenson has a keen interest in submarines and is particularly interested in periscopes at the moment. What better way to learn all about them than by visiting a real life submarine at the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth! 

The home ed life is certainly proving to have great variety! After yesterday's up and downs, today was a new day with lots of new fun to be had. Who knew when we woke up this morning that by this evening we would have made some life size art!

It's been a day of mixed emotions. Our beloved dog Remy has been diagnosed with the canine equivalent of breast cancer. We won't know more until Wednesday. It left me feeling very upset and certainly not in the mood for a party, which is what Jenson and Wren had in mind from the moment they woke up. There's nothing like having kids though to pull you out of your thoughts and back into life and to be fair, a good party was what I needed to cheer me up.

It has been a stop start sort of week as we've found our home ed feet again after the Christmas break but yesterday we enjoyed a really super day out at Bourton-on-the-Water. 

We've started 2017 rather slowly. We spent a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas on Lundy Island and have continued its relaxed pace of life with ease!

Today we've enjoyed conducting some science experiments using a kitchen science kit that my sister bought the kids for Christmas. Each experiment requires certain apparatus from the kit as well as common kitchen ingredients.

Yesterday was a fun, fact packed Wildlife and Wetlands Trust Wednesday. Turns out home ed is as much about making happy memories as it is about learning. 

We had a quiet day today after yesterday's busy activities. We were all still in bed at 8am and lounged around in our pyjamas most of the morning. I did a few emails and cleaned out the chickens while the kids did Lego/craft/watched Stick Man.

I've been involved in many school nativity plays over the years, both as a participant when I was little and watching my little ones as a parent. Today's take on the birth of Jesus was by far the most original and inspiring.

I think it would be fair to say that today was pretty difficult. It all started this morning. I could hear Jenson struggling with his Lego as I struggled to pull myself out of bed after a difficult night spent with Wren who had joined us at about 2am.

This morning we were at Nature In Art for a special home education craft event. If you've not been, Nature in Art is a museum and art gallery at Wallsworth Hall inTwigworth, Gloucester. It is dedicated exclusively to art inspired by nature in all forms, styles and media.

So the really mad part of our trip to the MAD Museum was driving back home afterwards. We had barely got out of Stratford before I felt a strong judder in the car. It could only mean one thing: flat tyre.

Our trip to the MAD Museum in Stratford-Upon-Avon on today was mad for lots of different reasons!

Today Jenson and I visited The Glass Hub; an independent glass school in Wiltshire running glass courses and masterclasses in glass blowing, casting and kiln forming. 

I feel we are really settling into the home school way of life. We never have a set plan for the day; at the moment I am led by the children's interests. This seems to be working really well for us. I know this might have to change as Jenson gets older and unschooling may have to give way to more formal learning, but for now I feel that what we are doing fits really well with where Jenson is at.

We are into week three of Lego club and what a great turn out! After the success of week one and the disappointment of week two, the verdict was still out on how today would go.

Friday was eventful. The morning started with the cry of Jenson: The bird's on fire!!! Not good I thought as I jumped out of the shower to address the situation undressed! 

Our best days are the ones that unfold naturally; where little is planned. Today for example we started off in the den before heading out to Montpellier Park to meet friends. I must admit that today's trip to the park was more a chance for me to meet my friends than Jenson's but the kids still had a great time running around for two or three hours getting lots of fresh air. 

I was nursing a bit of a headache this morning after several bottles of wine last night with the Mums from school! Timmy Time saved me until about 10am when I finally started to come round.

I'm a bit behind on the old blogs as photo editing has taken priority for the last few nights, but here is a day out that we had on Tuesday.

Quite a lot has been going on since my last blog. I had a full day of work on Friday and then the weekend was spent celebrating Simon's birthday. It's been a nice couple of days. The children in particular seem particularly happy. Dare I say it, but I think Jenson is finally shaking school out of his system. Even one of our friends said he noticed how much calmer he was.

I was left feeling very proud of Jenson again today as he made a big fund raising effort to support Children In Need. With my help and encouragement, he baked lots of spotty biscuits that we then sold by knocking on people's doors in return for a donation.

Today marks one of my proudest moments as a home educator: Jenson made his very own 'fairy tooth pillow.'

This morning was a big LEGO step forward in our home ed journey. We opened our doors and hosted a wonderful 90 minutes of LEGO led play. It was Cheltenham's first ever LEGO club and after today's success I'm hoping for a similar turn out every week!

Wow! What a wonderful windy morning we spent on a desolate and deserted Woolacombe Beach! I don't think I can ever remember it being so barren and yet so beautiful. The wind whipped the sand across the beach in poetic style; dunes danced to the beat of the blustery conditions and the sea sang some serious tunes.

It was a bit of a struggle today. The sunshine from yesterday seemed as distant as the fun we had. Some pyjama play preceded a brief beach visit, which mostly involved eating all the lunch I'd made for them so by lunch time, (when they were actually hungry) we had no food. They had a nice enough time squashing some old sandcastles that we'd seen a little boy make the day before. Jenson enjoyed climbing the rocks, but Wren was cold and not in the mood.

This morning we scooted down to our North Devon bolt hole by the sea in the hope of some late Autumn sunshine. We weren't disappointed! 

Last Thursday we were up the Bath Road and popped into Roots and Fruits for a loaf of their very yummy bread. They had oodles of unwanted pumpkins lining their shelves, each reduced to just £1. Lurking among them all I spotted something very large, very round and very orange! Jenson got super excited at the enourmous size of the pumpkin and I got super excited when I was told it was reduced from £12 to just £2!! We had a very brief lesson about bargains as I lumped the thing into the boot of the car.

The day began with the words, "The dog's done a poo! (pause) There are two poos! (pause) There's a wee! Mummy get up!!!" Thankfully things improved as the day went on!

Fair to say it was a very slow start to the day. My tummy bug was proving hard to shift, and no matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes firmly shut, the dulcet tones of my children were hard to ignore! 

Today was a big day as Jenson's friends returned to school after half term and we took our first official step into home schooling. It seemed apt that we should be spending the day preparing for and having a party. Although it was to celebrate Halloween, a part of me couldn't help but feel how fitting it was that we should also be celebrating this momentous day. 

Today was a real half term day spent with school friends at the Cotswold Farm Park. It was a Halloween themed week at the farm and anyone in fancy dress got a free go in their lucky dip! I arrived at 10.30am with a skeleton and Little Bo Peep

For weeks now I've been thinking of opening sentences to write for my first blog and now that I'm stood here, fingers poised, ready to type, my mind is a maze of sentences and jumbled words of where to start.