Beachcomber
Friday was windy but very sunny and so a great day to get down to the beach and explore.
Before that though I had woken up to find Jenson in exactly the same place as I had left him last night: in Grandad's conservatory hammering away fiercely at his BRIO creation! He spent most of the morning there, refusing to even come in for his breakfast, which he ate out there. I eventually managed to tear him away and outside to the beach but only when he had finished putting the final touches to his masterpiece, which Grandad needed to help with!
It was super to get on the beach even though it was pretty cold and very windy. The children are hardy and spirited souls, qualities that I think are important. They'll do well in life with some determination and passion.
Wren dabbled in beach combing but it was Jenson who took a real interest in collecting things. I must say I was thrilled to see him so keen. Scouring the beach is something I also love. The thrill of finding a giant lobster claw or complete shell from an edible crab is so exciting! It was super nice to see him outdoors enjoying the fresh air and taking a keen interest in nature and his environment.
We were at that particular stretch of beach for an hour or more before we decided to take a walk along to see what other treasures we could find. Things took a slight turn for the worse when Wren face planted the ground, grazing her lip and thus lots of blood and thus lots of screaming! We'd had a good innings down on the beach though so homeward bound we went.
Jenson very sweetly tucked Wren up on the sofa with her meow before heading into the conservatory with Grandad and I to go through all his beach finds. I must say, it was a really rather pleasant afternoon. The warmth of the sunshine warmed our backs as we helped Jenson to identify his treasures using one of Grandad's old books. It was really super to see. This type of learning feels so much more tangible than the stuff Jenson was getting at school.
After identifying his finds, we next encouraged Jenson to label everything. This took some time as he doesn't have a great attention span and tires quickly when faced with the task of writing. I have my wily ways though, which mainly involved playing a game called, 'I'm going to eat you unless you write another label!' Jenson quite liked the idea of being eaten so I had to rename the game, 'I'm NOT going to eat you unless you write another label!' We got there in the end and had a lot of fun in the process.
Labelling his collection was another challenging task as he doesn't seem very good at remembering things! I probably sound really mean but it's just something you notice as their Mother. He did manage it though and I felt very proud of him. From collecting to identifying to ordering and finally labelling, Jenson saw this whole process through from start to finish. A really important thing for him to be able to do.
There was still time for a bit of creative fun too as we all tried to see who could make the best sea monster. This was my attempt below.
Grandad's effort using egg sacks and stones and Jenson's brilliant interpretation of a sea monster using the under carriage of a crab, crab claw and lobster claw.
The day didn't end there. Whilst I nipped out with Wren, Grandad helped Jenson with a little project. I came back home to find a wrapped present, card and a special party tea waiting for me! I found out afterwards that Jenson had asked Dad to help him organise this special treat. I was very touched. Jenson is a very sensitive lad who shows great thought and care towards other people and their feelings. I only hope home schooling him will help to enhance and nurture this special quality further. I was also pleased to get some positive comments from my Dad and Simon, who both told me how well I do with the kids and that I'm doing a good job teaching them.
