Scarlett’s been playing with her aquabeads / bindeez / whatever they’re called the last couple of days creating her own designs and sometimes using the idea cards that came with the pack. She made a few this morning and then had to wait while they dried before she could use the boards again so I suggested she do some hama beading instead. We bought hama beads when we first became Home Educators, along with some workbooks, a laminator, 100 easy lessons, our EO membership and various rainbow coloured articles of clothing 😆 Like most of the above list they have languished about unused but get the occassional bout of use.
In the end both Davies and Scarlett made various things – Scarlett made a teddy and a picture of a lion in the sunshine, which at my suggestion she filled in the gaps around to make a square which is now my coaster. Davies made a maxi bead Gromit and a selection of midi bead Wallace and Gromit things. I ironed them all for once :).
Inbetween all this proper HE activity I also did several loads of laundry, made some flapjacks, efficiently sorted out inviting some people to the Butser day and working out the final balances for Christmas camp. I did a little bit of work on my Healthy Eating course too which I have had an extension to the end of July to complete and will probably still struggle to manage.
We had lunch and then headed off to the park to meet Mel, Liam and Lily. We’ve managed to arrange two dates during the whole of the six week summer school holidays that we could both make and today was the first. Thankfully the weather was on our side and we had a lovely couple of sunny hours in the park. The children took a fair while to warm up to each other, made worse by Liam falling off a ride in the playpark and hurting his wrist. Davies and Scarlett were being a bit too self-sufficient in their playing together while waiting for Liam and Lily to join in but eventually they all got there and played together. I was appalled at the levels of violence other children in the park were showing towards each other – there was so much physical contact and really nasty pushing, pulling, thumping and kicking. There were probably about 100 children there and at any one time there must have been about 10 crying and another 25 fighting 🙁
We came out of the park area to the cafe for icecreams and then sat on the grass chatting. Liam is very sporty and does football, karate, badminton, cricket and more and was unsuccessfully trying to interest Davies in playing any of them with him at some future time. He’d brought his cricket ball and did manage to get Davies to play catch with him for a while but it didn’t last long. They all ended up enjoying what looked like quite a boisterous game but was much enjoyed of doing stuff with sticks and fallen branches.
We were there for over 3 hours before we needed to get home in time to eat dinner and Davies and I to head out again. Ady got home slightly later than I’d hoped and then we hit loads of traffic on the way to Eastbourne to go and see Rhythmfest 2009. I’d initially read about it when googling for drumsticks for Davies a couple of weeks ago, made a note to look back and find out more about dates etc and never did. I remembered this morning and checked it only to find it was tonight! After a text exchange with Ros about ticket availability Davies and I decided to go.
Unfortunately I’d not done all my research and assumed it was at Bonners shop, arrived half an hour late to find the shop all closed and locked up and a poster about it being at a theatre I’d never heard of. I rang home and Ros and got no reply so sadly told Davies we’d drive once around the town centre to see if we could spot any brown signs for the theatre before giving up and coming home :(. Fortunately Ros returned my call and guided us in, persuaded me to park somewhere naughty and pulled us through the security :).
Davies had a whale of a time, really enjoyed seeing Adam, loved playing on the electronic drumkits, chatted to one of the guys about bass drums and was given a free thingy that the guy had opened up to show him, really enjoyed seeing the various catergories of people drumming in the competition and of course liked being out at night just him and I too :). Ros and I managed the briefest of chats but I quite enjoyed watching and listening to the drummers although it showed how little I know when none of the contestants I’d most liked won their sections 😆
On the way home Davies wanted to chat about dreadful teenage things I’d done, how Ady and I came to be a couple and why we moved to Manchester and back again. Funnily enough the story of how Ady and I met came up with Scarlett the other day when just her and I were driving somewhere so it was odd to be retelling it for childrens’ ears again so soon afterwards :).
We got in at 11pm to find Scarlett still up, dinner ready and Ady grring at having left his beers in his car which I’d driven off in! Persuaded children to bed, ate dinner, drank cider, had speedy bath and am now about to head to bed as I’m working in the morning.
lovely to see you both xx I managed a plate of crumpets for the little two, Pea joined the staff for a curry house trip and I lounged on the sofa! Doorbell went at 7am with builders arriving- I’m tired!