Growing and Changing

I have been struck this evening by the fact that the kids are growing up so fast, and that life is changing for us all.

 

This evening was Leo’s “leavers’ disco” at school and it was the beginning of the transition from Primary to Secondary school for him.  He has 3 weeks left at Primary school, and I know that he is ready to move on to Secondary.  Next week he has his introductory visit, the following week is the (leavers’) school production and the week after, leavers’ assembly.  I am so immensely proud of the young man that Leo is growing into.  He is polite, considerate and thoughtful, as well as being self-motivated and well-read.  He and little Jack-Jack (now 4) have an amazing relationship and are closer than close.  I can’t believe that from September he will be taking himself to and from school.  This time 11 years ago I was still pregnant.

 

On Wednesday at nursery, I was handed a letter.  It was inviting me/us to a “Leavers’ BBQ” in a couple of weeks.  This is a very difficult time for me – that cannot be over-emphasised.  All of the children have been to the same (wonderful) nursery, starting with Leo in 2005.  Even more difficult, at the same time I was handed a letter inviting us to Jack’s Sports Day which is the following Wednesday; silly me – school and nursery are in different LA areas and Jack breaks up when we are on holiday.  I can’t believe that we are going to miss Jack’s last Sports Day, I am so disappointed.

 

Jack has now had 3 visits to school and seems to have enjoyed them.  So in September I will be dropping him off “properly” for the first time at “big school”.  Only 4 years ago he was still a little baby in my arms.

 

Anyway, I’ll stop there before I electrocute myself crying into the keyboard!

Jack – Such a big boy

Leo – All grown up!

Back to the wild!!

Me and Archie had been “dabbling” in campfires in the garden and had successfully made 2 fires over which we toasted marshmallows (the rest of the kids also participated in our 2nd attempt). So now it was time to try something a bit more “substantial”.

After school on Monday whilst Leo was at judo, the rest of us collected twigs and dead leaves from under trees near the school. Then we cooked sausages for the kids tea, followed by toasted giant marshmallows.

The kids want to do it every week!!!

More anonymous poetry

…from another author…

I eat cakes

As much as snakes

But I hate the taste of strawberry paste

It tastes like toxic waste

I like to play football

I look up tips in books from the bookstore

I play for Spencers Wood

They’re so good

I’m living the dream

And after the match I like to have strawberries and cream.

Anonymous poetry

I am not allowed to divulge who wrote this…

I like potatoes

More than rainbows

And butterflies

And merchandise

From the supplies

Store.

Francesca and the Bunny

My 7-year-old daughter Francesca wrote, typed, edited and illustrated this story.  I am ever-so proud!!

 

Francesca and the Bunny

By Francesca

One day I bought a cute, little bunny.  I called the bunny Rose.  One day I went outside to feed Rose, but when Rose ate her food, she turned into an elephant!

 

 

 

 

So I went into my house and thought and thought, and suddenly I heard a crashing noise coming from my garden.  It was my elephant knocking over trees!

 

So I gave Rose some more food and she turned into a turtle!   Rose was a very big turtle.  And Rose was a very colourful turtle.

 

 

So I tried to think of an idea.  I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of one.  Just then I heard a splashing noise. Rose slid into our swimming pool.

 

 

I gave Rose some more food and she turned into a lion!  Rose was extremely fierce and she tried to catch me and eat me.

 

I was very scared of her, but suddenly the magic wore off and Rose turned back to normal.  I was delighted that she turned back into a bunny.

 

 

 The End.

SWYFC Football Tournament

Yesterday was the kids’ club’s football tournament. They were only doing age groups up to u10s, so Leo didn’t get to play.

Sadly, Archie’s team didn’t win any games. Jamie’s team won one, lost one and drew three. It was a bright sunny day but with a strong, cold wind. Brrr!

I’ve added a picture of Arch playing (number 9) and one of Archie’s team with the Reading FC mascot, Kingsley the lion…

DeLorean Rock!!

I went out last night to see Dave’s band DeLorean. Dave’s kick drum was sporting it’s lovely new head and the band had popped 3 new songs into the set.

It was a fab night; oodles of people up singing and dancing…and a superb rendition of “happy birthday” (thanks guys x)

. ..by the time we got home at 2am I had been awake for almost 24 hours so I hit the sack!

Educating Archie

So, home education! Not something I ever thought I’d be doing. But things were getting bad at school for Archie and it kind of crept up on me…so I jumped in with both feet and he’s been at home for about 5 weeks now.

I have to say that I love home ed so far. And this is considering that Archie is not the easiest child to motivate! I am finding out more and more about what makes him tick. And he is so much happier. We have done so many cool things; trips, making things, finding out about things….and I am learning as well (bonus).

I have attached some pics of his trip to Windsor castle yesterday with Nana and Grandpa.

Back in the blogging game

It’s been ages since my last post, mostly due to …well lots of things! I kept not getting round to logging in on the computer and I have started home educating Archie (more on that later).
Anyway now I’ve got a new phone and I can have the WordPress app on it, so hopefully I’ll start writing rambling more!!

Valentine thoughts

On Thursday morning (V Day!), Jamie asked me what the kids were having for tea.  I said “pasta and meatballs”.  He asked what me and Dave were having.  We had got a £10 meal-deal from Sainsburys.  “Ohhhhh,” moaned Jimbob “Why don’t we get anything special?  It’s Valentine’s Day, don’t you love us?”.  He did have a little twinkle in his eye when he said this, but since we were doing the shopping whilst the kids were at school and nursery, I kept a special eye out and bought; heart shaped pasta, heart shaped cookies, fake “Ben and Jerry’s” Chunky Monkey ice cream…

Whilst shopping, I thought of an idea which I will be following up over the next day or so; a blog post about each of my wonderful kids saying what I love about each of them.

Dave and I don’t really “do” Valentine’s day as such.  He bought me a card this year, but I didn’t get him one.  We popped into Cosmo for lunch.  We had our £10 meal deal.  So how do I know that he loves me (shoop shoop shoop)?  When we were choosing our meal, I compromised on dessert – he loves creme brulee, I don’t, so I put that in the trolley.  On Thursday evening, he went to the kitchen to get pud………he’d swapped the creme brulee for squidgy chocolate puds that he knew I’d love.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is love 🙂