Happy Birthday Lydia

Feeling a little emotional over Pippin's 1st birthday, no more tiny babies in the house but a year brings with it a significant change in how we as a family are. More sleep, more energy, less time breastfeeding and sleeping, more mummy time to share around the smalls. Glorious.

Lydia Mary Steel

A birth Story

It seems only fitting to write her birth story as I have done for the others. She was due on the 28th September which was a Sunday. On the Saturday evening about 11pm I got the first twinges of a possible something. Excited by the idea that she was on her way i stayed awake (instead of sensibly going to be) for another two hours and I was sure she was going to be one of the 5% to arrive on her due date. I sort of slept but a mixture of excitment and growing contractions didn't make it the best of sleep and by 6am i was texting my lovely friend who had agreed to take the three smalls and by 7am we were sat together in my living room waiting for the smalls to wake up and go and play at her house.Things had died down a little but i was still sure they would pick up soon.

By mid morning we were back to regular and long contractions, every ten minutes each lasting about a minute, some more intense than others, some really intense.Matthew cleaned and tidyed the whole house and i remember the pleasure of being in a clean and organised place that stayed that way for more than five minutes. In the afternoon we went for a walk around the block, it's not that far but it took us/me about half an hour. When we tried the same walk later i made it one lampost down the road before we turned back and that took us about 20 minutes. Things were very ebb and flo but there was always a pain every ten minutes, some intense and some incredibly intense by 3am we called the midwives.

One of the great things about home births is that you get to labour at home, you have spare clothes if you need them, tea from your own mug, you can eat when you like, walk where you like and you have the comfort of your own surroundings. When you call the midwives two of them arrive and they are there solely for you and your baby. We had two midwives arrive at 4am, one of which had travelled all the way to the hospital to meet her colleague and then travelled to our house which happened to by around the corner from hers. They were lovely but had the miserable task of telling me that i was only 4cm dilated and added (rather unhelpfully) that i was probably that before i even started, being that this was my fourth baby. They drank tea, sent Matthew out to buy cocodomol, and left us to it. No interventions, no further monitoring, left in peace.

The day was long and i was tired. Matthew went and bought me painkillers which i took and then i sat on the sofa and closed my eyes. My pelvis pain from the spd combined with labour meant that walking and lying down were now not possible. I did sleep. matthew sat and watched me put the booster on the ten machine every ten minutes like clockwork even though i don't remember. I remember that i slept.

And this whole time Matthew was with me. The house had been cleaned (and stayed clean) he prepared food and we watched films together and we walked and every ten minutes he massaged my lower back. It felt good. And the next day i had an enormous bruise! 

By 3pm i was contemplating taking more pain killers. i was so tired now. so very very tired. But something changed. Contractions were getting closer and closer together. At 4pm my waters broke and Matthew called the midwives again. The next hour flew past. I remember Matthew asking me what we were going to do if the midwives didn't get here (we'll be fine). The midwives rang on route, stuck in slight rush hour traffic around Horsham, at 5pm baby was clearly arriving, Matthew went and opened the door and left it on the latch. At 5.05pm the midwives arrived, i knew one of them who greeted me and the other came and sat next to me and introduced herself. Two minutes later Lydia Mary Steel was in the room. I was on all fours and Lydia was placed lying on the floor in front of me and we gazed at each other for a few glorious moments.  We snuggled and she breastfed like a dream. And all was well. 

Drifting Away (Summer Days)

Today i could write two different stories: we have had major spillages, interior decoration (unplanned), upset and tears all around and mummy not feeling on top of any of it.

Or i could write that Bean has played several rounds of build battle continuing to finish in a middling position. He needs me to read the theme for him but it is clear that not everyone playing either reads english or reads it well. One of the themes today was 'desert,' there were a few ice cream sundays in the group!

We are in the middle of organising a Lego Club, which is proving popular so far. We have lots of interest and today bought some lego, duplo and base boards and have discussed how the boys would like to organise it. tomorrow we have plans to make posters.

We made it to Horsham ark to meet Home Ed families. Bean has been keen to make more friends so we are venturing out to different social groups in familiar territory. He didn't seem to click with anyone in particular but had a great three hour play in the play area.

Plum did find another new friend though who we will meet again (E, 4)
When we were home Plum organised her own painting play, chalked on the patio and beaded a bracelet.

Pippin is truley on the move and crawled and cruised around the play park. She ended up owning the sand pit and eating quite a large amount of it. She has started sleeping longer but not always returning to sleep after her early morning feed (about 6am), this is tiring me.

climb every mountain

We went to Fisher's Farm Adventure Park today for the first time since July. We have been once a week during term time for almost a year now. None of us have ever been on the climbing wall though. Today was Bean's day.

And what a good day to go for it. There was no one else there on the wall and the guy running it was amazing. Bean had the whole wall to himself and the free tuition of the staff ember to himself for an hour. Bean progressed one hand hold further than his previous climb each time he went up before descending again and trying out a different level. The guy was just the right amount of supportive and encouraging as well as letting Bean know it was okay to head down whenever he wanted. Then the staff member got up the wall with him to support him even more. It took Bean 40 minutes and then he scaled the first wall with ease and rang the bell at the summit.

Pumpkin took mummy on the toboggan several times, Plum rode on the pony twice and Pippin loved climbing around the soft play area.

Summer Days

September is a great month in the Home Ed calendar, a small window of summer left whilst the parks and museums and places are all ours after August hibernation.

The day began with moving the sofa out and (after cleaning the debris and hoovering) making a den. Bean also made a shadow puppet on the wall using torch light and mini figures.

Plum made a lego aeroplane after Bean made her one, she was pleased with her copy of it.

We met friends at the dinosaur park in Southwater Country Park today and spent over three hours there. Pippin and Plum enjoying the swings mostly but Plum did try out some of the climbing equipment and then got stuck in a tower. Bean and M to the rescue and they supported her on the way down. Bean also held Plum's hand on the walk to the play area. I know sibling relationships are all perfect but it is beautiful moments like these that i have another reason to love home ed.

We spent time down in the lake just enjoying being in the water. Pippin crawled happily around in the shallows and the others all played with her at some point. This was followed by ice-cream, it was definately ice cream weather. 

Back home, M came to play. Her and Bean played in the garden, some sort of boat game (using the sea saw as the boat) and we fed the guinea pigs. M and I had a chat about the differences and similarities between guinea pigs and rabbits. We then watched a little Horrid Henry which involved an interesting conversation about what makes him horrid.

Pumpkin had his lego spinjitsu toy out this evening and was trying to knock over minifigures.

We ended the day with Bean asking "what is school for?" mmmm, errrr......

Under the Sea

A relaxed exit from the house today, both boys awake before 8 and mummy and the girls downstairs (after Pippin had her morning breast feed) before 8.30am. We managed to leave the house by 10.15 all fed, washed, and dressed. We were headed to the Sea Life Centre in Brighton. As always we (I) had a slightly traumatic time trying to park but it was worth it for the following joyous five hours of beach, Aquarium, fair ground rides and a visit to the Lego Store.

We joined a Home Ed tour at the Aquarium. Bean spent time touching the star fish, crabs and sea anaemia. He was full of detail about the sea horse too. Pumpkin spent over 15 minutes sat at the side of the Ray tank watching the sharks, fish and Rays. He also enjoyed the sea horse and spotting the octopus tentacles. Plum was in awe of some of the larger fish and particularly the older turtles and larger sharks. Pippin spent all day either in the car, buggy or sling, she did really well.

We had a great time on the beach afterwards and could have spent much longer there. We ate and played and rode on the fairground rides (merry go round and train). Anna was taken with the boats in the Fishing boat museum and we looked spent time looking around and in the boats. Our trip ended with a purchase in the lego shop by Pumpkin: he bought a ninjago spinning toy.

Pippin, Plum, and Pumpkin all fell asleep on the way home.

The Big Nibble

Saturday: Big food shop day and The Big Nibble.

Pumpkin was interested i going to The Big Nibble in town but didn't quite make it. We walked half way there, he was quiet and held my hand. i thought that it might be because Bean hadn't come too but he just didn't feel well. We called daddy to pick him up and Bean came into town with me and Plum instead.
Town was full full full of foodie stalls. We didn't find any demonstrations (which is what Pumpkin had wanted to see) nor did we find any free tasting plates but we did find generosity. The fish stall were giving away the last of their paella. It turns out that Bean likes calamari and mussels, one lady gave Plum an apple (and offered Bean one of every fruit on her stall but he politely refused).Bean and Plum both spent some of their money on toys for Pumpkin: a beanie snake on a key ring and a bow and arrow set.  


Sunday: Returning to The Big Nibble.

We all rode our bikes into town this afternoon. Today we bought candy floss ("one bucket to share please mummy because a whole stick to me is too much, i'll feel sick" Pumpkin) We tried noodles at the Wagamama stall and Bean and Plum choose what they wanted on them: moomi (white radish) and pickled sweet red peppers were a new hit but they also tried pickled moomi, seawed, and a few other things that i don't remember.
We met the gemtleman who makes the honey that Bean likes and he showed us a photo of him all dressed in his bee keeping outfit and we tasted a new honey that he has (he also gave us his card so we can buy direct from him and return empty jars for reusing, he only lives down the road from us). And we drank slush puppies on the walk back. Pumpkin wants to make some at home.
We all rode our bikes home again carrying model balloon creations!

Not back to school.

Not back to school today. We have visited friends, swum in their pool (bobbed about wearing inflatable rings), eaten chicken nuggets, bounced on the trampoline, played Barbies and Peppa Pig and acquired a nasty bump to the head (Pumpkin.)

And when we got home we 'played' schools! Although Pumpkin insisted that we weren't playing, it was real. It was very insightful. Bean was the teacher. He taught a math lesson and a music lesson. We stopped for lunch but we had to have it in the dinning room and were only allowed water and an apple because it had to be healthy. When I said that i didn't want to play the instrument that i had been given Pumpkin said "you have to otherwise you won't get the grade you need to pass the class." We also had recess in which we had to go and run around the garden and Pumpkin gave us grade cards after he taught us baking. It was a theory lesson in which he taught us the rules of baking:
1: Don't overcook the food.
2: Don't cook food in the washing machine.
3: Don't fart on the cake.

Bean and Plum played moonsand together this afternoon whilst Pumpkin watched a new show to our househould 'Dude, That's my Ghost.'

All by myself

Today began with Bean spending an hour working on some lego stop frame animation in his room, Pumpkin working on an escape app, Plum watching peppa Pig and Pippin cruising around the furniture.

A trip to town was in order to buy Bean a red notebook. We have stocks and piles of various scarp books and notepads but none of them are red and a red one was essential. Pumpkin wanted to make chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream on the top and Plum requested marshmallows and different coloured ice cream.

The chocolate milkshakes were a success all round. Pumpkin immediately delved into his green journal and began writing a birthday plan. He wrote the first two lines and then dictated the rest to me. Bean decorated his cover with the required logo. The inspiration has come from Camp Lakebottom.

Summer Holidays

Our 2015 Summer has mostly been catergorised by having the company of the lovely Kate. She stayed with us for the first time last year and ha returned for a second innings and we have loved having her to stay.

The end of July saw us going on a family holiday to Newquay, Cormwall, with Grandma and Pops, FA#1, UB and Cousin B, and FA#2. We camped whilst the rest of the family shared a cabin. It was a few days full of tourist trips and, considering that it was the school holidays, we didn't feel too smothered be people. We saw the fireworks at Land's End and spent a day at the Eden Project, another day at the beach and a visit to Jamaica Inn. The journey home was long long long.

August is a strange month for us. The weather is generally meh! and our usual haunts are busy so we stay home more or organise play dates and try and get into the garden more but it takes us a while to find the home groove.

We have joined a Skylanders club which consists of four families where the hosting is rotated and the children use each others characters to complete further levels in their own games. We hosted the second one and it was one (of the many) occasions that we benefited from having the extra pair of hands. Kate had to walk to town twice on the morning of the event, once to get milk and then batteries.

We have ventured into using the green over the road from us. There is a football pitch, hard surfaced court and play area. We have met Bean's friend M several times in the evening to play ball games and it's lovely to watch their friendship continue and grow. We have also met once or twice a week throughout the summer at each other's houses. Play dates have mostly involved performing musical concerts, trampoling, cops and robbers role play, skylanders, playmobile and paddling pool, this is in addition to a few minecraft dates via servers and Skype.

Bike riding has become a possibility for us as a family too. Daddy rides with Pippin in the sling and Pumpkin on a tag along bike, Mummy rides with Plum on the back and Bean rides solo. We have cycled to the playpark on the new estate near us twice taking the river walk route. It is lovely to have found something that we all enjoy together and is possible.

We have ventured out to a few public places during the summer holidays. Nyman's Gardens, Worthing Beach, Southwater Country Park, Fishbourne Roman Palace and several play parks.

Mostly we have found our home groove: lego stop frame animation, den building, baking, doll's house, dress up, puppet shows, minecraft, role play games, lego, painting, sticking, playdough, paddling pool, nerf wars and more.

Happy 8th Birthday Bean

Isaac turned eight in May, you can read his birth story here. It was coincidental that we were on a Home Ed camping event on his actual birthday. We talked a lot about how he wanted to celebrate and he decided that having a birthday whilst camping would be fun and the only thing that he really wanted to do was to have a treasure hunt. Mummy and daddy went prepared with a treasure chest and treasure and a large peice of paper (a roll of lining paper to be exact) and prepared a treasure hunt the night before his birthday ready for the big event. We also decorated the tent with balloons and made a lemon drizzle birthday cake. 

When it came to it Isaac wanted to make the treasure maps and hide treasure for each of his friends. He drew them each an individual map and then followed his own instructions and hid treasure at the end point. He also orchestrated a game that involved balloons, i'm not sure what is was as it was only for his friends but the space on the camping field was great for running around on. 

He got a creeper hat, creeper t-shirt, lego technics, electronics kit, darth vader mask, monopoly and hoodwinked dvd amongst other things for his birthday gifts.

Isaac is showing a growing interest in history, his current favourite being the Romans. He also likes architecture and engineering, building building building with lego, toilet rolls, sticks, cushions, He is also a movie lover which is a huge change as it was only a few years ago that he wouldn't watch a film at all. His current go to movies are Hoodwinked, Indiana Jones, Ice Age and he loves Big Hero 6 but he watches a lot of films and is already planning to see the up and coming Minions movie. He spends lots of time on his tablet. He predominantly uses youtube to watch American cartoons: Johnny Test, Camp Lakebottom. Team Titans are top hits along with Oggy and the cockroaches, and The Daultons. He likes to download new games and try them out, he likes puzzle type games and escape games. HIs current favourite foods are battered fish and chips or fishcakes, pancakes most days for breakfast, pepperoni pizza, prawn cocktail crisps, and meat especially spicy chicken, sausages and burgers, He drinks orange juice by the galloon.

Isaac hugs me every morning, holds my hand when we are out walking and kisses me good night every evening. He hugs me when i'm sad and helps me out if i need a hand. i love being his mummy and i love spending my days with him. 

Moving on up

Does anyone recognise this guy? Bean designed and made him last year after being inspired by a local community scarecrow event. Humpty has been sat in our conservatory ever since but has finally made it out to our vegetable patch and with the addition of some sun catchers is commissioned with scaring away the birds. 

Bean is showing a growing interest in unusual buildings around the globe. We found this construction kit in the pound shop and put together the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it will join The Sydney Opera House which he put together at Christmas.

We had friends over for a playdate this week. There was a lot of watching cartoons and lego animations on you tube punctuated with real life lego, Sylvannians, Peppa Pig and Doll's house. 

We had the fourth and final  monthly rollerdisco. Bean, 8, is doing well and confident now, Plum, 3, had a go at rolling solo and Pumpkin didn't put his on at all...until we were packing up to leave and then he wanted to wear them to the car. Sometimes I just don't understand but holding on to being supportive of his decisions and helping him to achieve.

And a full day out at Leed's Castle with FA#3

May the Force be with you

I'm not sure i can cover two weeks worth of adventures in one post especially as it includes our first ever home educators (Unschoolers) camping holiday and Bean's Eighth birthday. I think i'll post those separately.

The Smalls had asked to go on the rides at Worthing Lido when we had gone for our Anniversary visit so we took a return visit specifically to ride and play at the amusements. I was especially proud of myself as I parallel parked the bus. Bean, Pumpkin and Plum all went on the trampolines, Plum got off almost immediately. They all rode on the car track together and then Plum solo. Plum also rode on the western wagon and the boys went on the inflatable slide. After this we went indoors and played on the penny arcades and air hockey. Plum won a shell. 

On the way out I bought them each a new bucket and we headed for the beach. Pumpkin was tired and mooched about on his own, Bean started work on a sandcastle and Plum draw lines in the sand with her spade. Pippin fed. We were there 5 1/2 hours.  The following day was torrential rain all day.

We had the second of the Blast Science workshops, which we couldn't recommend enough. The boys are full of questions and enthusiasm and are loving the demonstrations and activities. This week covered Forces. It was full of exciting things. Bean is still a little apprehensive of some of the drama but he's happy to retreat to mummy and be reassured. This week included swingin a bucket of water over our head, removing a table cloth from under a tea set, sitiing on a chair of nails and making a structure to hold 1kg bags of sugar using cocktail sticks and sweets. Bean and Pumpkin's team (inc four others) did really well. They had ten minutes to make it and it held 4kg. Bean and one other boy were insistent that triangles had to be everywhere.

We met friends in the park afterwards and then when we came home Bean had a bath, Plum was asleep and Pumpkin and Pippin played rolling around on the living room floor.

Our time at home has been filled with gardening and car washing and lego and minecraft and youtube and legostar wars wii (Bean received this for his birthday and spent almost two days on it.) and baking with Plum and mario cart wii and doll's house and with four Smalls on the go it's rather hectic and chaotic and full full full of busyness.

And I believe the learning still goes on.

Goodness Gracious...

(...Great balls of fire)

A whole week ago I took Pippin, 7 months, upto London to support FA#1 as she ran The London Marathon. It was a long day out and I carried her in the sling all day. I was grateful to FA#2 for all the cuddles she gave Pippin throughout the day as this helped to lighten the load. We had a lovely time together and came home tired and achey.

We spent a few days at home earlier in the week. Plum and mummy were in the garden a lot, planting seeds, weeding and watering our growing vegetable seedlings. The peas are starting to come up and the pumpkins, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes and dwarf beans are all making appearances. 

Wednesday we went down to Goring GAp and meet friends. The weather was horrid all morning but The Smalls were all keen to go and the sun came out for the afternoon. We cooked sausages on a fire pit and climbed trees and played frisbee and football and ran around.

Bean, Pumpkin and Plum had a great day out on Thursday at a play date at their friend's house. I went to collect them and had to judge a mud pie competition.

Friday was the first in a series of science workshops that we have signed up for. Both boys have a keen interest in sciency stuff at the moment. Bean has lots of questions that he is able to articulate and Pumpkin likes to explore stuff on his own (mostly emptying bottles of stuff out in the sink in the bathroom!) The workshops are run by Blast Science This week we covered 'Stuff' and it included holding fire and making our own slime to bring home. As we left Bean asked me "How did he hold the fire?" so we did a u-turn and Bean went and asked the science guy. Pumpkin went with him.

When we got home Bean opened his birthday present from Grandma and Pops. They had got him an electronics kit. He was busy playing with it for the rest of Friday and Saturday. 

Bignor Roman Villa

Wow. Today we actually did something educational. It's been a while since we last joined a group instructed session (Pizza Express.) Today we went to Bignor Roman Villa. It totally ticked all of Bean's boxes. He even chose to spend time looking at the mosaics and the water system whilst his friends ran around playing. It was the perfect combination of instructed/organised time and walk around at your own lesuire. The staff were really helpful and able to answer the children's questions and there was a goos selection of dressing up/games/puzzles/historical items to play with.

All three smalls spent time copying and completing mosaic patterns, trying on Roman helmets, amd Bean and Pumpkin wrote Roman numerals and Pumpkins name in Latin script. Bean was especially interested in the map and the model and working out the building and its situation. The organised part allowed them the opportunity to crush wheat corn to flour, something that Pumpkin knew lots about thanks to minecraft, and spin wool.We came home with an activity book about the Romans, some Roman coins and some Roman figures. That time line that i've had in mind for the past two years is getting a bit desperate.

We followed this with a play at Pulborough Park with the same group of friends. Pippin sat solo for 20 minutes whilst eating her lunch and Plum waited patiently to go on the roundabout this whole time. Plum enjoyed the roundabout and slide today. The boys played with their friends for the whole two hours that we were there. And a trip to the Butchers on the way home.

Back home late afternoon the Skylanders (scheduled to arrive on Monday) had arrived and the boys disappeared to play on the Wii. They gave the double they received to Plum. There was a small amount of playing in the garden but mostly it was dinner prep and baths and helping the smalls to bed. Pumpkin was exceptionally and was constantly running to the kitchen to ask for more food. Bacon sandwiches were a big hit.