Staffordshire Natural Learning and Life

Stage three

2012-01-22T19:15:00.000Z

It has taken us a while to get here but Beth is now on Stage three of the Gaps diet Intro. As well as broth and soup and casseroles (aren’t they really the same thing with extra ingredients and different levels of liquidity), yoghurt and honey she can have avocado, pancakes and eggs scrambled in Ghee.

Her appetite has really picked up and this is barely enough for her to eat so we will hopefully whizz through this onto stage four.

Stage four adds roasted and grilled meat but for some reason not fried or barbecued, cold pressed olive oil and pressed juices which I am really looking forward to. I could have them any time but fitting them in when I don’t have to doesn’t happen at the moment. Also almond bread starting with a tiny bit. That sounds a lot more substantial but a even more hard work but the diet is working beautifully, the hollow eyes and pale complexion and lack of energy have been transformed to pink cheeks and bounciness.

So tired

2012-01-17T23:55:00.000Z

It is remorseless and never ending, cooking and washing and heating and more shopping, it has got to get easier. I am abandoning the pots in a a sink of soapy water and will deal with them when I get back from a gym group Beth is trying out tomorrow afternoon. I should have prepared for that down to the tiniest detail so my ADHD can't catch me out but I am just too tired, I have the address, have looked at the route and know I need 45 minutes to get there, that will have to do. Fingers crossed my disability with time doesn't trip me up tomorrow.

Anyway some of the veg I am chopping is fascinating, this is Romanesque Cauliflower.

I have made Kefir cream cheese and whey.

And avoiding plastic is forcing me to use some of my lovely glass.

And Beth has moved on to intro stage 3 and can have pancakes, these are made with raw squash, two eggs and almond butter whizzed in the food processer till smooth. I don't really enjoy pancakes but these were at least as nice as traditional ones and didn't sit heavily on the stomach as they do, eaten with home made yoghurt and honey. Beth has another food item which she loves.

So much chopping

2012-01-16T21:37:00.000Z

And cooking and straining and shopping!

Frosty walk along the canal

2012-01-15T21:11:00.001Z

It was funny at first

2012-01-15T09:58:00.001Z

About six months ago Beth made profiteroles; they were delicious and we both over indulged a little. I got away with it but Beth started the loudest burping I have ever heard, and this went on for the rest of the day and the bulk of the next. I am afraid I laughed, it was startling and dramatic.

From then on whenever she ate something with even the tiniest bit sugar in the same thing happened and it was accompanied by stomach pain. Reluctantly, as you can imagine with a 13 year old girl, she gave up sugar. It is very surprising what has sugar in it and there were very few things we could buy, including most sliced meats.
So all was fine for a few months then she started reacting to all food, we found that two of three quality probiotics after the meal calmed things down and we continued like this for a month or two. Then that stopped working so we gave her Andrews (totally the wrong thing as we were to learn). She was able to eat without pain or burping as long as we always had this with us and then that stopped working.

We were all very concerned by this time and dh suggested going to the GP, after I laughed I said he could take her if he liked and they came back with a bottle of gaviscon. Who doesn’t hate that if they have ever been pregnant! Surprise surprise that didn’t work.
I have been interested in diet and food for a very long time and had done the Candida diet at the beginning of 2011 to help with my hypothyroid so a bit of research suggested low stomach acid, hence the inappropriateness of the Andrews.

Soooo Betaine HCL was bought and enzymes. This helped. But again only for a short time. Hot baths were added for relaxation plus chewing gum. If she chewed this all the time then the stomach was calmed and the burping controlled. This swapped stomach pain for aching jaws though so not a permanent solution.

Then, of course, this stopped working and I was forced into more research. I had heard of the Gaps diet on many of the special needs and neurodiversity forums I have been on for years. It had piqued my interest and also my fears. Fears of not being able to understand a word, medicine and nutrition have their own language which is often confusing. Human beings are complicated and the explanations of conditions and solutions are often so complex as to be overwhelming.

But there seemed to be no other reasonable solution, going the NHS route would probably take years and involve unpleasant and counter productive medication and tests so I took the plunge and bought the book.

To my delight and relief it was simple to read and explained an awful lot about what Beth was going through and why the diet my son was on for food intolerances many years ago had been so difficult for him to comply with. I had spent years feeling guilty that he reacted to all the “healthy” foods I had insisted he ate as a young child. How can anyone react to lentils and coriander!

to be continued ............

ADHD

2011-11-23T17:03:00.001Z

Two of my kids have an ADHD diagnosis (after 10 years of trying) and I have just had mine confirmed as primarily innatentive type. I am trying to explore in a less desperate way than I did when seeking diagnosis to see if I can learn little things that can make a big difference.

Getting diagnosed was a traumatic struggle (and that is no exaggeration), the cards are stacked against you if you have ADHD due to the incompetence and tendency to lose things of the NHS. I may blog about in another post if I find I can without endangering my blood pressure, not there yet.

One of the items I watched at the beginning of my journey to diagnosis was this Horizon episode from from 2005.

It both helped and hindered as it is mostly about hyperactive types and although one son has that I and my other son present very differently. I find the single mother with two kids charming in this, to have kept such an open attitude despite the unfair blame she has been subject to for most of her life is wonderful. Maybe I had it once but it has been totally knocked out of me at the moment due to the intense struggle and lack of support and understanding I have experienced in getting this far.

We are going around the houses with the NHS at the moment for a diagnosis for my last child, she presents unusually as well but is almost as a carbon copy of me. But it wouldn't do to really listen to the parent would it so on with the endless tests we go. And I have to say it is an improvement on the blame the parent attitude I experienced first time round.

Anyway, I am going to go looking for a video on innatentive type although that may be less easy to find as wandering round the house saying why am I here, what am I looking for, makes far less dramatic TV.

{this moment}

2011-10-21T22:57:00.001+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

More at Soulemama

I can read

2011-09-03T21:26:00.000+01:00

There have been many steps on Beth's autonomous journey to learning but reading a book that she had attempted and failed to read many times in three hours today needed celebrating.

It definitely required a cake!

And you couldn't possible read just on book when this new leap is happening could you!

Well that stopped us in our tracks!

2011-07-14T09:48:00.004+01:00

Our busy week ended when Beth banged her head on the kitchen surface by standing up into the overhang of the breakfast bar, ouch!!! Composite stone looks great but doesn't feel to good on impact!

So sadly our HE trip to Wicksteed was off, and we had a quiet few days while her head recovered, allowing the scratches and bruises gained playing in the trees at Mora to heal as well.

Since then I have been trying to sort out all the washing, find last years list and generally prepare for Hesfes so that the packing is not the usual torture. Beth has had a sleepover and friends to play so it has not been too boring for her. She has been downloading drawing programs on to her ipad and rapidly producing some lovely artwork.

Ice skating tonight, Harry Potter tomorrow and The Sound of Music on Saturday, followed by more preparation for going away. Must decide whether we are taking two cars, one being the Bambi or putting up with the usual stress and panic of all we want to take nearly not fitting in the car.

Ds1 went off to Scotland to get the keys to his flat for next semester so cooking became a bit simpler and baked potatoes could go on the menu with no guilt. Not that I am eating much carb at the moment, fighting the fatigue caused by my thyroid issues has lead to a mainly organic diet with much more protein, second mortgage time soon!

Ds2 has finally finished school so no more school kids here, hurray! Seriously his school had gone from a non uniform school with an emphasis on pastoral care to a fenced gated prison with a uniform that reminds me of Playboy when I see the girls! Trying not to read too much into that.

His BTEC A level equivalent media film was entered into a local competition where it won best soundtrack and was shown at the leavers event and enough other events to make him totally bored of it and his Mum very proud. I am impatiently awaiting the youtube upload so I can link it here. It took the mickey out of the school in a way that delighted the pupils and many of the staff who may well not be enthusiastically behind the recent changes.

His GCSE equivalent film won the school showcase a couple of years ago.

Now he just has to sort out what he is doing next, but he is tidying his room as a female friend wants to come round to play computer games. I have wished for this for a long time (the room tidying that is) but genuinely was giving up hope. So maybe more miracles will happen : )

2011-07-06T22:01:00.004+01:00

A lovely day at Moira Furnace with a talk about Victorian laundry day and a tour of the furnace. It was nicely balanced and kept the little ones attention without patronising the teen!

A picnic followed and when I just couldn't tolerate the hot then cold weather any longer Beth found a friend to take her home and I came back to a lovely refreshing hot bath.

Swimming at Watermeadows

2011-07-04T22:39:00.000+01:00

What better to do on a hot sticky day than wild water swimming, wished I had bought my own costume it looked such fun.

I took my camera with a telephoto lens on to try and get some bird photos but I hadn't taken Sophia into account, it was a full time job preventing her from bouncing over picnic blankets, stealing food and being far too loving to the little ones.

I did manage to capture a swan though!

More on Reborning

2011-07-03T22:29:00.000+01:00

The baby is finished now and has a hastily constructed tiny vest, more sewing to be done soon. Beth has really enjoyed the project and is loving the doll which is very different to her other dolls as it is weighted with tiny glass beads and therefore much closer to the real thing to hold. Thankfully though it makes no demands, a puppy is enough!

Reborning

2011-06-28T19:45:00.002+01:00

to be continued .....

Ashby Outdoor Pool

2011-06-27T22:54:00.000+01:00

A lovely afternoon at Ashby outdoor pool which opens during term time if the weather is good.

{this moment}

2011-04-29T21:43:00.003+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember post.

More at Soulemama

A little bit of creativity

2011-04-29T21:28:00.006+01:00

Pottery again today, it is my weekly therapy and we both love it.

We are beginning to decorate our creations, this week with coloured slip which will be glazed with a transparent glaze. No one knows how the colours turn out as they have not used them before so I have taken a couple of before pics to remember the differences.

And Beth's apple is coming on well and attracting a lot of admiration.

We are holding our breath that everything survives the kiln.

Amongst the bluebells

2011-04-20T22:34:00.000+01:00

We don't always make it but we did this year : )

We made it before, here.

Too much thinking, not enough doing

2011-03-06T12:34:00.000Z

most of it not very coherent, so late, of course, (should I just accept that this is part of who I am?) is my
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember post.

More at Soulemama

{this moment}

2010-11-05T12:15:00.001Z

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

More at Soulemama.

What do I do when I get a virus

2010-10-18T14:41:00.001+01:00

right, i do quite a lot when I can be bothered.

First and most important for me is
Naiouli oil, it opens the passages and can cut off a cough in it's tracks

This is my essential oil bible http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fragrant-Pharmacy-Valerie-Ann-Worwood/dp/0553403974/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287222859&sr=1-1

I buy my oils here, superb quality and exceptionally reasonable.

http://www.essentialoilsdirect.co.uk/

Then lavender oil, all around the throat, in front and behind the ears, the sinuses forehead and back or the neck, every hour if you can remember. It is anti viral anti bacterial, reduces inflammation and improves blood flow, and relaxes you mind to boot.

then ibuprofen and paracetamol, if you use them early enough you don't have to take much, they reduce inflammation and open up the airways too, reducing stress on sore parts, lol.

Then a lavender roll, heated pad full of barley or something like that, relaxes everything and is sheer bliss.http://www.lakeland.co.uk/dotty-purple-lavender-warmer/F/keyword/lavendar/product/42718

Then a good tv programme or film, I love mindless house makeovers, let yourself be young and have a duvet day.

With a vit c drink

May be more will link my blog, but this is enough for you to be going on with yes?

Will put this on living and life, lots of colds about, got one myself and just about surviving with a small part of the above and lots of calming wine!

Dotty Purple Lavender Warmer - Lakeland, the home of creative kitchenware

www.lakeland.co.uk

For a friend who feels a bit frazzled, indulge them with our pretty purple warmer Filled with lavender and wheat, - £9.99. none

Around the house by Beth

2010-10-11T04:18:00.001+01:00

International Freedom in Education Day and why Home Education works for us

2010-09-17T01:35:00.001+01:00

As I my time is being gobbled up at the moment trying to sort out the catastrophic result of trusting the authorities with the education of one of my children I have decided to celebrate International Freedom in Education Day with a picture blog, always a more natural story telling medium to me. And for the same reason this post will be my totally belated contribution the the blog carnival over at Jax's about home education and why people chose it.

I hope these pictures will show the freedom and happiness home education has provided for one little girl. A little girl who was so unhappy in school that she was able to talk, for the first time in many months, without ranting and without pause for an hour about all the reasons school was illogical and hypocritical and was not supporting her learning or her mental health. A little girl who did not allow a second to pass between the first realisation that home education was a possibility and and her passionate exhortation to be allowed to leave the school that had become a place of torture for her. A child who for a long time had been too stressed and exhausted to learn at school or at home. A little girl who was at the time beside herself with anguish, confusion, rage, betrayal and despair but in that moment took back control of her own future and shifted it onto a profoundly enabling and empowering path that changed our perception of many things we had taken for granted for ever!

to be completed

Not on Top Form!

2010-08-28T20:33:00.000+01:00

Ideally this would have been completed some weeks ago however my mastery of procrastination means that it is still on my list.

So although I can't wait to put my ebay bargain in its proper place,

today I have decided that pretending to be effective when I am not up to it is counterproductive so three of us snuggled down on the sofa and watched When Harry Met Sally, no nobody can say that is not educational, (not it's not that clip!)

And some things are progressing, I did manage to do some window shopping yesterday and recorded some of the things I saw for myself and DD1, can you guess which is for which?

Clay Modelling

2010-08-27T13:45:00.000+01:00

There has been some fun being had here lately with some excellent air hardening clay obtained for a bargain price at the request of DS1 at the beginning of the summer.

All this creativity doesn’t do much for the state of the kitchen table though!

A Birthday and some help with the garden

2010-08-26T13:46:00.003+01:00

How hard it is just to post a picture and maybe a sentence, that is what I promised myself I would do about a week ago, so here we go, better late than never.

One of dd's babies (very important to call them this) had a birthday yesterday and we were lucky that we had a lovely local home educator helping with the garden and his daughter came with him.

So she had help to make Sam's cake and I had help with the jungle that the garden has become following a year of neglect.

Party time at Hesfes

2010-07-23T08:40:00.000+01:00

{this moment}

2010-06-26T00:54:00.003+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspiration from Amanda at SouleMama

Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T22:25:00.000+01:00

Space Phenomena - exploring laser technology and radar systems.

2010-06-21T22:21:00.000+01:00

Mad Science Session at he Hope Centre.

More here.

Realising a dream!

2010-06-19T00:31:00.007+01:00

My eldest daughter and husband have just bought a cottage needing renovation at auction.

They have been looking for the perfect property for some time.

This comes complete with roses round the door.

It is in a lovely location, in the country but close to the city.

There is a lot of work to do but it will be so worth it.

They are just a bit pleased.

More here.

Proud Mama Moment

2010-06-19T00:01:00.011+01:00

Jamie (ds2) performing live supporting his friend in a gig that formed part of his media course.

More here and here..

{this moment}

2010-06-18T18:08:00.007+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspiration from Amanda at SouleMama

{this moment}

2010-06-11T18:15:00.003+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspiration from Amanda at SouleMama

There must be a way!

2010-05-31T11:27:00.016+01:00

I have been on my own since about 11 yesterday as Bruce and Beth set off to collect Will from Scotland and I had high hopes that without the feeling of responsibility for Beth and taking Ritalin I would be able to power through my list. This is very necessary as it is Jo's birthday tomorrow and we are hosting the meal and Beth has met a friend who lives in Loughborough so we may be hosting a school family in the near future and normal chaos is enough to get one's head around if HE is new.

Well I have never hyperfocused on the wrong thing or procrastinated so much, I was so mad with myself that I couldn't sleep and ended up watching watch again into the early hours and sleeping on the sofa - not a hardship, it is large and very comfy. I am only beginning with Ritalin and the dose is the starting dose and not expected to solve all problems but it is becoming very clear to me that when the books say that more than medication is needed they are right. Thinking about this this morning I suddenly thought about my to do list and how it is just a muggy blur in my mind when I am not looking at it and even when I am looking at it it doesn't do much for me. Now I am quite a visual person and in my sorting have uncovered a mind map type list that I made some time ago but that hadn't really worked so I thought what about drawing it.

So here it is and it is really helping so far, it is like it delivers information to my brain in a more accessible way, could be the novelty of course but I am blogging it so that I don't forget that I did it and am able to make a considered decision about whether it works.

Looking at it, I think it helps that it is in no particular order, hmmm!

{this moment}

2010-05-28T15:38:00.001+01:00

Can't believe I have posted nothing but these for three weeks, I have lots of posts to catch up on but can't seem to find the time. Does anyone have a strategy or method for blogging super efficiently?

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspiration from Amanda at SouleMama

{this moment}

2010-05-21T22:17:00.001+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspiration from Amanda at SouleMama

{this moment}

2010-05-14T15:44:00.001+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

SouleMama

Great Central Railway and walk from Loughborough to Rothley

2010-05-09T00:30:00.000+01:00

{this moment}

2010-05-07T16:43:00.003+01:00

this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

SouleMama

Hesfes

2010-05-01T11:26:00.003+01:00

Just got to get my house and garden ready for visitors before then, no mean task! Wish me luck.

Happy Girl

2010-04-30T12:39:00.000+01:00

this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

SouleMama

Swimming

2010-04-27T00:15:00.000+01:00

Followed by grass sculpture.

{this moment}

2010-04-23T17:23:00.005+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

SouleMama

Rubbish

2010-04-23T10:32:00.002+01:00

Was the subject of Wildlife and Wellies this Friday

The pleasure this big pile of rubbish brought to some of the young boys was a joy to behold : )

The different treatment of rubbish can include composting the waste fruit and veg

Lining up for the sort the rubbish race

Wonder if my compost bin looks like this inside, somehow I doubt it, where are all the slugs?

Using compost to plant sunflower seeds plus handing out seeds for gorilla planting

More info and goodies here

Busy Day

2010-04-22T22:38:00.000+01:00

Starting at 11.30 am at the Hope Centre Nottingham for Mad Science, Rocks and Minerals with the lovely Lynda.

Covering the different layers of the earth

Categorisation, including ven diagrams

Describing rocks and guessing their hardness number

and volcanoes.

Lots of playing and some chilling

Food!!!

Then using my iphone maps app I found a park near the Ice Centre to while away an hour while we waited for Beth's lesson, having decided that £10 for 20 mins bowling was too much!

So this is Victoria Park

with a curious tower

and St Mary's Rest Garden next door

and still a plane free sky.

We got home at 11 pm!

Chess

2010-04-20T22:47:00.000+01:00

Has been added to Ju Jitsu, guitar and lots of play at the Hope Centre.

Long Day in the Garden

2010-04-17T23:11:00.000+01:00

{this moment}

2010-04-16T10:08:00.000+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

SouleMama

Thanks to SUNNYMAMA for the inspiration.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T23:21:00.000+01:00

Making Easter Eggs

2010-04-03T23:09:00.001+01:00

Melting the chocolate chips.

Close up.

Tempering the chocolate, a lovely messy and seemingly essential stage. There are lots of videos on Youtube telling you how to temper chocolate, the trouble is they all seem to suggest a slightly different way. We melted the chocolate on a bain marie until it was about 100 - 120 degrees Fahrenheit, not easy with a thermometer that starts at 130. We then took it of the heat and added more chocolate as suggested in some of the videos, something about adding chocolate with the correct links between the fat molecules then all the melted chocolate will follow suite. We also tipped it onto our granite chopping board and sort of squeegeed it about, as shown in other videos. The chocolate mostly met the tests of proper tempering and is shiny and came easily out of the moulds. We will find out tomorrow if it has a nice crisp crack.

Lots of little eggs to be stuck together and sealed inside the big eggs.

This shows the difference between properly tempered chocolate and not. The powdery suface shows that the tempering hasn't worked properly, this was when we didn't use the marble slab.

The final product, a bit messy because a 12 year old was involved and a dyspraxic adult.

All wrapped up and ready to go.

Sorry for the very grainy photos, I have a bounce flash but keep forgetting to use it. Hopefully get some better photos of the eggs tomorrow.

This stupid cat

2010-03-27T00:10:00.000Z

disappeared a few days ago. It took me a couple of days to realise that I hadn't seen her for a while as we have five cats and she is quite erratic in her behaviour, spending days in our company then disdaining it on a whim. We looked in the shed and the greenhouse and up the loft and in the room belonging to the one at university who would have known straight away because he checks each of the cats every day when he is here. I got more and more worried to the extent that yesterday I rang the police and the local council, both of whom were very kind and took a description in order to let us know if they heard anything. This afternoon after HE group I was just about to spend a few hours ringing vets and rescue centres and making laminated posters for local lamp posts when I passed the cupboard under the stairs and something twigged. I opened it and there she was.

How she had been in there for about three days and not made a sound I do not know, but she has done something similar before when locked up the loft. Strange as she can make a quite alarming noise when you annoy her by stroking her for one second too long. She is very beautiful but I fear that comes at a cost. At least two lives used up by not bothering to yell for us when trapped. I am so glad to have her back though, I was feeling so very sad at the thought that she might be gone.

Eggs

2010-03-26T22:56:00.002Z

Today we took part in the most awsome home ed wildlife group, it happens every second friday and the theme today was eggs.

Starting with a group discussion about all the creatures that hatched from eggs.

What a fantastic prop selection, have you ever seen a plastic snail before?

Followed by a demo of different sorts of edible eggs.

Hen eggs.

Duck eggs.

Goose eggs.

Quails eggs.

frogs eggs.

and fish eggs.

A discussion of the construction of the egg.

and a very hands on investigation.

Then outside to make rubber eggs.

once the shell has been removed you can carry out other experiments on the eggs.

Then back inside to blow eggs, something I had always wanted to know how to do.

And to paint and decorate them.

And a video of the development of fish eggs.

Duckling Soup

2010-03-21T22:42:00.001Z

For the Home Baked Challenge for March ‘Fictional Food’ we have chosen to make duckling soup. This soup is described in the passage below which is from ‘Physik’ the third book in a series about Septimus Heap a young wizard’s apprentice. Jenna, his step sister, has just worked out how to follow Septimus through a mirror into a strange and unpleasant period in their history and has been mistaken for a missing princess.

The image of duckling soup made an impression and was the first thing to jump into my mind when considering fictional food. Warning, it isn’t too pretty - to be read first by an adult - but at least Jenna’s duckling survives.

A gong sounded.

An expectant silence fell upon the hungry crowd. This was the announcement of the first of fifteen courses. They licked their lips, shook out their napkins and, almost as one tucked them under their chins. The little Door Pages heaved open the doors, and a long line of serving girls in pairs, each one carrying two small silver bowls, filed in. On entering the Ball room, the girls divided up, one line to serve each table. In a tide of gray, the girls swept along the tables, each depositing a bowl in front of an eager diner. The last two girls to enter the Ballroom made their way up to the dais, and soon Jenna too had a small silver bowl in front of her.

Curious, Jenna looked down at the bowl and gasped in horror. A young duckling scarcely big enough to be out of the egg, lay in a puddle of thin brown broth. The duckling had been marinated in wine, plucked and its little naked goose bumpy body was slumped in the bowl. Its head rested on a small ledge that stuck out from the special duckling bowl and gazed with terrified eyes at Jenna. It was still alive. Jenna was nearly sick on the spot.

Queen Etheldredda, on the other hand, looked very pleased at the sight of her duckling. The Queen licked her lips remarking to the young man on her left that this was one of her favorite dishes --- there was nothing like a tender young duckling freshly scalded in hot orange sauce.

The gong sounded for the second time, announcing the arrival of a long line of boys carrying jugs of boiling hot sauce. Jenna watched the boys enter the Ballroom two by two, one line going to the right and one to the left, each boy stopping to pour some of the orange sauce into the waiting bowls of the diners. The two boys at the end of the line with the hottest jugs of sauce were ordered straight up to the dais. Quickly, before the sauce boy reached her, Jenna picked the duckling out of her bowl and thrust it into her tunic pocked, where the tiny creature lay in the soft fluff at the bottom of her pocket rigid with terror.

Jenna watched the boys thread their way through the throng. Eyes down, trying to avoid spilling the brimming jugs of hot sauce, they stepped up onto the dais, where a burly footman hissed in their ears, “Tarry not, serve the Queen and Princess Esmeralda first.” And so it was the when Jenna looked up to politely thank the boy who had just poured orange sauce into her duckling free bowl, she found herself looking into the haunted eyes of Septimus Heap.

For the soup we made this tomato soup and it looked a lot like orange sauce, the bread recipe is from the manual to breadmaker and we made the dough in there and proved it in the microwave.

The ingredients are

1 tsp yeast

250 g Strong Wholemeal Flour

250 g Strong White Flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

25 g butter

1 1/2 bsp salt

350 ml water

A good day

2010-03-20T22:40:00.005Z

Thanks Jo

Talking to big brother via skype

Blurry but difficult to get, Jamie's new hair.

And somebody was only just starting to party

Passing the time

2010-03-19T17:00:00.001Z

with some displacement activity, one very overexcited and impatient girl.

A card to oneself, why not?

Some painting with tea, morphing into potion making.

And a bit more excitement when we realise it is that time of year again!

We almost have a weekly plan!

2010-03-18T13:09:00.003Z

Don't tell the LA!

On Monday we go swimming where we sometimes meet other home educators, but we are fine when they don't come and have a lovely time which for me includes some exercise (Good).

We often follow this up with a trip around the very good charity shops in this little town, although having to ration ourselves on this as they are too good and can leave me running out of money in the middle of the week.

Last week we spent 5 freezing minutes in the local park.

Where my funny bone was mightily tickled by Syston's version of the Millenium Bridge.

On Tuesday Beth does Ju Jitsu at the Hope Centre in Nottingham, a centre open Tuesday and Thursday and offering a variety of classes including music and hopefully soon drama. Beth will be starting very reasonably priced guitar lessons there next week. The day includes lots and lots of free play and socialising as well, for us both : )

Every second Wednesday of the month we attend the home ed meet at the Ice Centre, more socialising for both of us and lots of exercise for Beth.

This lady gives me hope, when my legs are a little more recovered I may give it a go myself!

She has enjoyed these sessions so much that she has started lessons on a Thursday night. After lessons the public session is free so Thursdays see us arriving home between 10 and 11 at night, ah well we don't have to get up the next day. And I usually make it back for Newsnight and This Week, good job The Big Bang Theory is repeats at the moment, and that I have discovered where to park for free in the evening rather than paying an extortionate £5.50.

Fridays used to include French but we are taking a break from that for the moment so it is fortnightly wildlife and wellies. Lots of information about the natural world, usually something to bring home and lots of socialising for both of us : ) again.

We are trying to fit another swim in here as well.

And we try to include a photography walk in our weekend plans, sometimes more successful than others!

Who knows how long this will last but now I have written it down I will be more aware as the pattern changes.

Art All Day

2010-03-17T17:50:00.003Z

One of the things I love about autonomous education is how you can just go with the flow. We started the morning looking at Hannah's blog, and deciding to take part in the March Home Baked Challenge. This led us to look at some other posts which led us on a blog cum Flickr walk to the Sketch Tuesday project. We had a look at the results of last weeks challenge and loved this one, but for next Tuesday the topic was spring flowers and we decided to have a go, not necessarily take part but just give it a try.

Here are our attempts.

Of course we both liked the other's best and I told Beth how much I would love just to be freer and not always have to go for precise portrayal of the subject. She decided we would draw something else and to give me a chance to be more carefree chose a very silly photo of a giraffe for us to draw.

This was fun and freeing

but Beth decided hers looked more like a fish and went off on a tangent, proving that however hard you try you can't beat a child for creativity.

We then decided to have a rest and revert to our artistic comfort zone which for Beth is trees,

and for me is horses, oh those misspent hours at the back of the geography class!

Beth requested the horn and the wings, why not!

Then Beth got bored of comfort and took on the greenhouse.

We also had extra fun by rediscovering the water colour pencils.

All in all a very productive day and now she is off with Dad for pizza and an ice hockey match with his co workers and I have the house all to myself!

An Unexpected night out

2010-03-14T20:15:00.010Z

Just before she left for a weeks skiing Jo gave us tickets she had won to a Katherine Jenkins concert at Nottingham Arena. They were excellent seats very near the front, not at all the sort of seats we would have been able to afford.

The supporting group, Escala were excellent, their electronic instruments were particularly visualy exciting being just skeletons of a similar acoustic instrument, but I loved the sound when they were using acoustic intruments, it had a richer depth to it.

Katherine Jenkins herself has an extraordinary voice, suggesting a deep seriousness and a studious classical nature. The performance however completely gave the lie to this being a spectacular show mixing opera with circus and pantomime. Very entertaining and extraordinary.

The show was called Believe and was promoting her new album. It was a real treat to have a night out especially as it involved live music, even the fact that nowhere in Nottingham was serving food when we came out at 10.30 didn't spoil the evening. And getting her Living a Dream album from Beth for Mothers Day was a particularly nice touch. I listened to it twice while shortening my new bedroom curtains which was my choice of what to do on Mothers Day, unguilty time to create, even if it was just modifying was a real pleasure.

I also received a bottle of pink fizzy from J, a book from my wishlist from W, Paranoid Parenting, and will be enjoying a spa day with Jo sometime in the future. : ) And of course was well looked after by Bruce all day, something particularly welcome as I have a rotten sneezy cold.

Open letter to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Home Education | UK Home Education community Blog

2010-03-05T16:47:00.000Z

Please read this and sign if you agree.

Open letter to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Home Education | UK Home Education community Blog

Just Curious

2010-03-05T09:05:00.000Z

After voting in the first poll please click back and vote in the second.

Wonder how many of us are known to our LA.

Please update Matt's site The EHE Staff Register.

Writing to the Lords, Our Production Line

2010-02-28T22:37:00.001Z

Off the printer and into the envelopes.

The stamping station.

The first few finished.

All 124 of them.

In they go.

The last one!

See the text of the letter here.

Sunday Photo Walk: Charnwood Water

2010-01-31T21:31:00.002Z

More here and here.

Finding a dream home

2010-01-28T16:52:00.000Z

Today we went to a house auction, which was very exciting for me after being a big fan of homes under the hammer for a few years. It is subtly different in real life and it became obvious almost immediately what a difference the auctioneer can make to the price achieved. This auctioneer seemed very good and politely and gentlemanlyly teased an extra hundred thousand out of the bidders for one property. Another very pretty country cottage went at the bottom of the estimate, it could be because it was very close to a road but it could be because it was listed as two bedroomed when it was in fact three. I guess it pays to check the details as a seller, I would have been very disgruntled about this. Beth was reading and messing with her baby throughout this and didn't find it as exciting as I did but by the end she had worked out that if you wanted to bid you should wait till the second hammer.

We were there because my eldest daughter and her husband had found what they thought was their dream home, an ex lock keepers cottage in the middle of the country but close to work and not far from us. It went beyond their price unfortunately; very disappointing, but that is what buying houses is like. I am sure when they find the place they eventually buy they will look back and reflect that it was a good job they didn't get this one.

We then went for a consolatory meal at a carvery, very nice. Hope we are there when they find the right house to share the pink champagne.

Snow

2010-01-08T11:28:00.005Z

We haven't had as much of it as further north or further south but what we have had has been thoroughly enjoyed.

It has transformed my very messy garden into a thing of beauty. (At this point I was frantically holding Beth back so I could take an untouched picture.

It has given rise to snowball fights, snow angels and lots of sledging.

Given me something to photograph.

And Beth has absolutely adored it,here she is returning from a sledging trip with a friend. Such a pity I can't post a picture of her friend who is under the radar and very much want to stay there.

And the clematis is budding so very early spring is on the way, yes it is!!!

Our Christmas Day

2009-12-26T15:57:00.018Z

Stonehurst Farm Victorian Christmas

2009-12-14T12:58:00.004Z

On the way to Stonehurst Farm Victorian Christmas weekend we dropped into the local garden centre to pick up an axe for Bruce's birthday on Tuesday (lucky man eh!) and have a reccy at their Christmas trees. All I can say is that this Father Christmas was prophetic, their prices were astronomical starting at £40!

This was a very welcome sight at the entrance to the farm.

As you can see there was a lot of mud, I could have done with these boots that I have just bought on ebay, the only things likely to fit me for a while.

This sheep was very eager to get at the food,

and some speed feeding was going on here!

And this cutie enjoyed a good scratch behind the ears.

I was surprised to see these babies at this time of year.

In the petting shed we witnessed this demonstration of keenness to be petted,

There was however lots of petting going on, Beth could have stayed her for hours but we persuaded her to leave in order to look for food saying we would come back but we forgot. Will have to go again but maybe wait till it is warmer.

Beth got these very seasonal hair clips in a lucky dip for 50p, quite a bargain, it wasn't divided by gender and it did set me wondering what a boy of the same age would have made of them?

And who could be expected to resist a ride on this!

She actually hit a pack of cards but the cork 'bullets' were too light to knock them off.

And of course this is always fun.

And don't we all agree that this is the perfect way to finish off a freezing cold and clammy visit to a farm?

And if you haven't had more than enough there are more pictures here.

Halloween

2009-10-30T20:56:00.003Z

One of the gift pumpkins became a new style for us of Jack o lantern. I saw some beautiful examples of lanterns where the skin was partially cut away rather than completely just to let the light shine through on Flickr and showed them to Beth thinking to help her make one later. But when I eventually wheeled into the kitchen it was done and dusted much to my surprise and a very good effort I think it was.

Beth had great fun making a blood transfusion pouch for her vampire self, unfortunately face paint now makes her face itchy so we couldn’t go the whole hog.

She absolutely adores trick or treating, something quite alien to us and something we have resisted. She has been out with the older kids in previous years, they complain about doing this as we wouldn’t let them do it but usually help out, but this year neither of them were available so Bruce swallowed his reservations and took her. She had a great time as usual getting a large hoard of sweets and some money and coming back glowing with the cold and the excitement of it all.

The evening was finished off with a not too bad pumpkin soup, for some reason I can never find the last recipe we used so have to look for a new one each year. This was not the best one I have ever made but it was Ok, but not one to save so I will be in the same position next year, and will probably be wondering why I haven’t saved last years!

And Jamie took my camera out and took these lovely pictures of the moon.

And just for the record I am still non weight bearing and using a wheelchair here.

In the Garden

2009-10-25T14:07:00.002Z

It was a beautiful day so we made it into the garden to try out the new chimnea. My access to the garden includes two wheelchairs an ikea office stool and some very undignified and at times quite scary acrobatics, but it is worth it.

However, getting a good blaze going in the chimnea proved to be far from simple. It is sold as a wood burner and we have plenty of that lying about since my fall stopped play in August and nothing but the most essential tasks have been done. Possibly it was because the wood was a little damp having been left out in the weather or maybe bits of folded paper are not a good way to start it although we also used dried out foliage and cardboard. It was very smokey and I felt sorry for the neighbours but we did eventually get it giving out some heat.

We still have much to learn about using it. We were supposed to be burning the blighted tomato plants but didn’t get that far but we did harvest the last of the tomatoes. This year some of them survived the blight and although we have had blight for about a month we have still been able to harvest the tomatoes though in smaller quantities.

The light was beautiful,

and I was able to steer myself around, camera round neck and get some shots of the autumn colour that we have been planting for, for the last few years.

The peppers have been absolutely fantastic this year and we haven’t bought any for a while.

Not quite justified the cost of a £200 greenhouse but give it a few years!

I managed to get to the back of the garden and have a dig around for the garlic that I was sure was there but no one else could find.

I also harvested seed from some of them and was stupidly surprised to find that the seeds look like little garlic cloves.

So I planted some up and got Bruce to put them in the greenhouse to see what happens. I hope it will be the obvious. The fist time in nearly three months that I have got my hands in compost and hopefully a taste of things to come.

While down at the veg beds I noticed this taking over, it is very pretty but I have no idea what it is.

And as we were out so was Beth at least for some of the time, getting some much needed sunshine and fresh air.

And while we were out one of our neighbours asked the kids if they would like a couple of pumpkins from their allotment, a very kind gesture which reassured me that we hadn't annoyed them too much with our smoke.

Jack o lanterns and pumpkin soup here we come.

My Birthday

2009-10-24T10:44:00.000+01:00

I am now at least 20 years older than I feel and approaching one of those ages that we all feel we will never be. It was a really nice day though given the ambulatory constraints.
I got a Wii fit balance board and it is a good job I couldn't use it as it was busy all day just keeping up with the kids.

Who impatiently awaited their turn.

As you can see the day was a bit exhausting for the only resident functioning adult.

An alternative view of the kids.

Beth gave me a chimnea, a present that is also for Bruce who's birthday is in December, and something we have wanted for some time.

Then a pedicure for me, a real luxury and necessary for the mental health of the hospital staff who will be assessing my progress very shortly.

These patterns intrigued us and no one was quite sure how to explain them, something for google in the future.

My birthday tea, which arrived after a few squabbles in the kitchen were resolved, was delicious. Well done Will for a marvelous fist mega cook, this is the child who swore he was never going to cook a few months ago. And thanks Jo, Jamie, Nick and Beth for kitchen help and support.

Then for the cake, something we would usually make, but under the circumstances we decided that life is too short.

All in all a lovely day.

Autonomous Education in Action

2009-10-23T17:22:00.012+01:00

Healthy Eating.

When getting herself breakfast today Beth asked me to read out the sugar and salt quantities in the ingredients list on her cereal carton. She has always been interested in eating healthily but is beginning to want to relate what she knows to what she eats.

So she brought me the cereal she was considering and I read out the quantities of sugar and salt. She went away seemingly satisfied only to come back in a couple of minutes with the salt and sugar weighed out.

She was horrified and that cereal was definitely out of the running. She then bought me a packet of Shredded Wheat which is much better but she had noticed that the cereal with milk contained a lot of sugar and that got her interested in the sugar in milk, so we googled it. First we found this site which is not too keen on milk at all. Then one that is much more keen.

This video was fun to watch and I would do well to take note but we could not find Almond milk for delivery in the UK. Probably we will have to actually go to a health food shop for that, which we will do when I am back on my feet because she is interested in trying it.

This discussion about healthy cereal led to questions about healthy bread and the difference between white and wholemeal bread. We learned that white bread only contained the endosperm while wholemeal contained the bran and the wheatgerm as well which is where a lot of the nutrition is.

This image explained it well.

i

Our search then led us here, and then here, which exposed some of the horrors of processed food, and we had to look at the worst cereal, Nestlé Curiously Cinnamon.

This site looked interesting to me but not to Beth so we didn't tarry here. Perhaps we will go back and have a look at sometime in the future.

A break occurred at this point when we realised that Beth was in danger of missing French, however she found out when she got there that it was off for half term (still got to get our head around this went to guides as well, we haven't done many things that have broken for school holidays in this way before). French lessons combine with social time in the park and luckily someone else had made the same mistake and they had bought their very young puppy with them so win win for Beth. You know who you are and thank you!

We then covered baked beans : ( and cheese.

This is what a hundred grams of cheese looks like.

Any more than this and you are definitely getting too much salt not to mention fat.

Baked beans seem to be out of the question if you want to eat anything else with salt in that day!

We looked at pizza and decided they need to be home made and wholemeal, shop bought ones have massive amount of salt. We thought of french bread pizzas but can't find wholemeal french bread

And Lynda McCartney pies, a family favourite contain 17.5 grams of salt equivalent. Arrrggghhhhhh!!!!

That is 12.5 gm more than a woman's recommended daily allowance. Arrrggghhhhhh!!!!

An excellent unintended consequence of all this was the rediscovery of the Usborne Beginner's Cookbook which went missing four years ago when we had the kitchen redone and has previously avoided all efforts to find it.

We have had to stop as I am exhausted and need a break before cooking our extremely unhealthy shop bought pizzas for tea. We always have lots and lots of sliced veggis with them but I am not sure that will compensate for the salt content.

Beth grumbled a bit as she was not exhausted but then accepted it and is now playing Adventure Rock on her computer, a game she recently discovered for herself.

It was fortunate that I had had nothing else planned for today-although it was unfortunate that this is because I have two broken legs and can't go anywhere - however autonomous learning does not always take place at the most convenient of times as Jax points out.

Today for Beth

2009-10-02T21:49:00.000+01:00

Today for Beth a listen to this video which generated much delight.

Some creativity that involved cutting up a plastic bottle with a penknife. The only outcome the LA would be able to see is something that Beth has more than mastered; mess.

A play in the garden with two younger home ed friends as their mums have kindly come to have a chat with me before the Friday French group starts.. This is a Jolie Ronde group that Beth tried just after coming out of school and found too schooly, but has recently restarted and is enjoying.

Back home to about two hours spent on the homework!!!! A minor meltdown about the inevitable lack of perfection and a major achievement on my part in just expressing sympathy and no solutions. Of course she created a solution for herself and ended up pleased with her work. Bouncing around the room beaming I'm learning French, it is astonishing how much pleasure learning gives when the child totally owns it.

Lots of play with friends in the park as three sessions take place on Friday afternoon giving plenty of time for the children to socialise.

Autumn Watch in the evening.

Learning Without Teaching

2009-10-01T15:29:00.002+01:00

This post has been inspired by Jax

The Other Side of the Story

A Silent Assassin

My name is John. I'm not your typical story hero. I'm not a hero. I kill the heroes. Why do good guys always win the stories? Cause it's not like that in real life. But you better be glad about that if you're anyone like me. I'm not against people. I don't care about people, its just I'd do anything to get paid. I'd say anything. I'd probably even kill my own family. Well depends, though it would have to be a lot of money. Anyway, there's this one case that got me .... seriously ... in trouble. And this, this is the story, I was creeping down the alleyway, I'd just finished my last task, don't really wanna talk about it; it wasn't a nice one. I had to up the price a lot on the person, it was hard, I wouldn't do it otherwise. But there was this van, I swear it was following me. I crept round the alleyway, I hated people following me, plus they could want business or they could want to kill me, or they could be doing business I suppose, if you put it that way. I quickly went into the alleyway, [bit i can't hear here]... but then two people got out, big build, nothing like me. I'm the silent assassin with the gun, they're the silent assassins with hands. Them guns, couldn't do nothing without em but hands they could strangle me, that's what I was worried about. They were getting closer and the alleyway was a dead end.

This is the beginning of a story my 11 year old is making up. I do not say writing, she is recording it with her digital voice recorder and I have just typed it up. This is straight off the recorder, we would usually go through it and discuss punctuation, sentence structure and sense. She cannot read fluently without a lot of effort and cannot write anything of any complexity. I have not asked her to do this and I do not ask her to edit any of her work. She insists. I say insists because shamefully I am a little reluctant, she is my third severely dyslexic child and I have scribed myself out. I do it though, that is my job and despite my reluctance I am impressed. Her grasp of how to vary sentences in order to retain the readers interest comes entirely from her own observation of the books that have been read to her and the tapes she has listened to.

At her age I could not have done this, say we were given an essay to write for weekend homework, something like 'A day in the life of a penny' or some such thing, Sunday evening would find me behind the sofa in floods of terrified tears. Make the assignment open ended and it got worse. For me the pressure totally destroyed any creativity I might have had. Lessons on grammar and sentence structure, participles adjectives etc, totally confused me, some of the instruction was at too simple a level and undermined my understanding, some was confusing, to the unready dyslexic brain adverb and adjective are too similar to be distinguished from memory.

This may never be finished but it is a better proof of her understanding of the power and use of the written language than any number of work sheets or exercises. And the desire to do this is fragile, make it in any way compulsory and I think the desire to do it would disappear. Before she did this she had done no creative writing for at least six months, I do not think this has held her back.

Introduce into this situation a 12 month plan and an order to exhibit the learning therefrom and the fragile joy of self directed exploration of the world around her, of which literature, in books, cds, tv and other media composes a not insignificant part would be severely damaged.

I know for certain that Beth would not be doing this if she were still in school. By shining a bright harsh light on what she could not do the local authority school would have further undermined her confidence and disabled her strengths.

This same local authority wants to inspect my provision! And if Graham Badman and Ed Balls have their way they will be able to force themselves into my home and make Beth answer their questions on her own. They may get more than they bargained for, but what if they take offence and take it out on us. Can we trust a system that supports a head teacher and board of governors concealing the tying up and whipping of a six year old girl by the governors children and sacks the conscientious adult who tells the parent and this is upheld by tribunal? If it had been your child what would you have wanted?

And as far as we can tell we will have no right of appeal.

the G 20 March. Put People First

2009-10-01T11:05:00.001+01:00

Earlier in the year we went to the G20 march. It was wet and cold but an interesting day. I would have liked to have seen more fallout from this.

Seven and a half weeks in.

2009-09-29T22:30:00.005+01:00

Not a pretty sight.

Thanks to my lovely daughter Jo it soon looked like...

this.

All this was in order not to frighten the plaster room staff who would have to take the plasters off the next day. I had been getting increasingly excited and impatient and found it difficult to sleep that night.

Fortunately Beth had been with friends for a sleepover so for the last couple of days before the plaster came off she was occupied. That was a very good thing. I was determined that the plasters would stay off and had the rest of the day planned, a bath(ahhhhhhh), a short walk around the garden where I haven't been for seven and a half weeks and where I would usually spend a good part of any sunny day,and a bottle of champagne. I couldn't wait.

On the way to the plaster room ...

and waiting.

This is not fun but she was quick and efficient and we had a nice chat about photography and how we missed the chemicals and swishing and splashing involved in using film.

This is much gentler and I was now minutes away from freedom.

Here goes the other one.

Then to x-ray ...

and waiting.

Then back to fracture clinic and more waiting, so a very extravagant overpriced treat was in order for my patient helper.

Meet Fred.

Not to long a wait for the registrar who told me that I was to be non weight bearing for another four weeks!!!!!!!!

Why didn't they tell me that when I queried the plasters coming off in four weeks instead of just saying oh well different hospitals have different routines. Typical NHS, tell the patient nothing. So bang goes my lovely dream of an afternoon. I don't want to walk before my body is healed but knowing I was going to be stuck downstairs and in a wheelchair for eight rather than four weeks would have made a real difference to how we tackled the problems it presented. And knowing that I wouldn't be walking for three months would have prevented the completely unnecessary disappointment we felt especially for Beth whose whole world has been turned upside down by this. The lack of consideration for the patients experience makes an institution full of lovely people doing their best to help totally inhumane in many ways.

Anyway rant over, next someone came and fitted me with a brace (photos to follow) and then more waiting for the 'Physioterrorist', (his term)

She was lovely though and assessed my movement and gave me exercises and promised to book local physio for the day after my next appointment, (presumably for more x-rays but who knows).

But when she brought my appointment it was for five weeks and on the very day that Jo had booked a spa treat for us both to celebrate my ordeal being over, if only!

Then more waiting, this time for Jo who was coming to take me home as Bruce was lecturing in the afternoon, but this time it was in the restaurant having beans and chips, our hospital treat, much better.

And a bit of dsing.

And back home to reassess the next five weeks.

Why we home educate

2009-09-05T19:27:00.009+01:00

We home educate because my youngest pleaded and reasoned with me to do so for a full hour at the age of 8 after seeing a news item on home education. Her arguments were lucid, intelligent and undeniable. This episode stood out all the more clearly as her behaviour had become very worrying at the time, alternating between crying and screaming and very little else. She had been at school for four years and had felt increasingly misunderstood and criticised by the staff and been teased and bullied by many of the children. She has learning differences including dyslexia and dyspraxia and possibly dyscalculia. We had just initiated the statementing process as the school seemed to be punishing her for her problems rather than modifying their methods to meet her needs. We did not do this lightly, I have a sister with a high functioning autistic child and getting a statement including the inevitable tribunal ate up a whole year of her life.

We had spent many years ‘negotiating’ with this school to get them to meet the needs of my older two dyslexic children. This had been a very difficult and stressful experience and gained us the label, publicly expressed, of difficult parents. The school’s reluctance to help seemed to stem from the fact that my children although massively underperforming, could still get an average mark and so did not threaten the school’s position in the league tables. Also in hindsight it was due to them not having a clue what to do as no member of staff had adequate training in learning differences and although they had outside agencies they could call on ,such as an English Language Unit, it cost them money and made very little difference as ignorance was also rife there.

My fourth child was born 20 years after my first so I had had plenty of opportunity to observe my children learning autonomously and very effectively both preschool and in their free time while at school, so when I read about autonomous home education it was like a bell going off in my head. It also tied in with the conclusions I had come to through the reading I had been doing about child development and learning since my first child was born; a passion derived from my own dissatisfaction with the way I had been parented and educated. We were fortunate in realising that we didn’t need to reproduce school at home as Beth was too traumatised to accept any sort of instruction and any attempt to control her learning would have led to battles and upset and certainly not to education.

We have been welcomed generously into the local home education communities and had the opportunity to take part in some marvellous days out, and made good friends.

I would like to say that after nearly three years of home education Beth is a happy and balanced child with no problems at all, but I cannot, the special needs have not magically disappeared and although not now vilified because of them she finds her difficulties very frustrating, especially her problems with reading. Like her severely dyslexic brother she is a voracious consumer of literature and the fact that it has to be pre-recorded or read to her by a parent definitely cramps her style. She also has some anxiety and social issues however we have made definite progress and with very little of what a school child would recognise as work she is now taking off with her reading having read the first Harry Potter, doing lots of writing and understanding maths at a level at least average for her age.

As Tech so eloquently says no one can know everything and anyone who says they do is lying, that is only going to get exponentially truer. How can people imagine it possible in this era of such rapid technological advances? We truly cannot begin to imagine what sort of future our children will inhabit. It seems to me that the child, immersed in the community, able to access as much or as little of the current culture as they wish and able to follow their own interests, is far more likely to get some sort of intuition about what they need to know in order to live happy fruitful lives.

More on home education here, here and here.

For Jax's home ed roundup and Debs's blog carnival.

Home Education Blog Carnival, call for posts.

2009-08-30T21:03:00.008+01:00

Home education – why and how? Call for posts

By Jax Blunt

In the past I've read some really inspiring posts on various ppl's blogs on the why and how of how they came to home education and how it works for them as a family.

I'd love to read some more of those posts, either updates from ppl who've written them before, or a first think about it from ppl just thinking about it now, particularly inspired perhaps by other stories, especially those that have come to light during the battles against the Badman review. For me I'll do an update on how it particularly suits us at this point and what we've learnt from it along the way, and I'll dig out the old posts and cross link them.

I'd also love to link to other ppl's posts on the topic, so please feel free to leave links in comments on my blog :http://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup/so that I can gather them together in a carnival style post in a few days time. Send the links to me by Tues evening and I'll publish a roundup on Weds?

Looking forward to reading all about you all.

If you all put the words home education in your blogpost title and in any tag fields you've got, that will help them to be more findable via search engines. This is the time of year when some ppl may be having second thoughts about a new school year, so a great time to get some extra publicity and information out there to the rest of the world too.
There is now a twitter account specifically for this here http://twitter.com/HECarnival

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