A Week of Firsts

I would like to say I don't know where the time is going but I do its busy working with M and her IGCSE coursework, it is going ok but its a lot of work for her and I! On top of this she has been practising badge work for gymnastics and wanting me to check her positioning etc, she's now achieved her bronze and learning drama speeches for her Lamda exams which we had hoped would be Easter but are now the beginning of February.  She has now mentioned that she might be put in for her ballroom and Latin exams in February too, these are all classes she loves but it is extra work, we have also manged to do some Christmas shopping.

Hubby realised he still had holiday to be used up before Christmas, still waiting to find out if he will be on call over Christmas but it does mean he will be having some long weekends, so have some day trips planned.

L has been desperately wanting to go on a train, so Monday last week, we took the bus into town and then the train to Oxford. While there we visited the  Oxford Natural History Museum so she could see some fossils another first and the Pitts Museum. She loved the train ride and on the bus on the way home hubby took her upstairs, another thing she has been desperate to do, I do not like the stairs on the bus especially with a small child.

The Natural History Museum is lovely, lots to see and do with out being overwhelming, L loved the fossils, the various animal displays, the black bear was adored and the displays of birds from around the world. Though she did get rather upset with one display where a bird had killed a rabbit, so quick talk about life cycles and what might happen if the rabbits had no predators, how different our world would look, upsetting but it is life. Pitts museum, lots to see and maybe a little overwhelming as their are loads of cases, with lots to see! I loved the display of bobbin lace and lace patterns, clothing from around the world, musical instruments, L enjoyed doing the mouse trail, definitely somewhere to visit again.

The other first was taking the girls to a hairdressers, we normally have a lovely friend come to our house but she has been unwell for a while now, felt guilty going somewhere else but desperately needed haircuts. M really didn't want to go somewhere else but actually enjoyed the experience especially the big mirror and being able to watch what was going on, for L it was too noisy, didn't like the clippers and hairdryers going.

We have also been doing lots of baking, M has experimented with scone base pizza recipe but decided she much prefers a bread based one, L and I have made oat cookies and an eggless ginger cake.

Oat Cookies

200g self raising flour

200g oats

125g brown sugar

200g margarine or butter melted

15ml golden syrup

15ml hot water

2.5ml bicarbonate of soda

1. Mix flour, oats and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in the melted margarine and golden syrup
3. Mix hot water and bicarbonate of soda together and add to the rest of the ingredients,mix well.
4. Roll into small balls in your had and gently pat down a little after it is placed on the baking tray.
5. Bake at Gas 4 for 15 minutes.

Eggless Ginger Cake

275g plain flour

5ml bicarbonate of soda

10ml ground ginger

125g treacle

125g golden syrup

125 g margarine or butter

125g brown sugar

150ml milk or milk substitute, we use oat milk

1. Sieve flour, baking powder and ground ginger.
2. Put treacle, golden syrup, margarine and brown sugar in a pan and gently warm until margarine is melted.
3. Add melted ingredients and milk to the dry and mix well.
4. Bake in a lined loaf tin for 1 hour.

I finally made it to the cinema, the last time I went to the cinema was with O to see Jurassic World, so a while ago. It wasn't the planned trip with my husband, still not managed that but went with M and a good friend to see Murder on the Orient Express, loved it wasn't sure how I would feel about a new Poirot, David Suchet was such a good Poirot but actually liked Kenneth Branagh portrayal of him, though still not 100% sure about the moustache.

On a crafting front I have finished the simple little dress, another present done and working on the blue one, loving the simple the pattern. Made the mistake of popping into a local charity shop to browse books and spotted a set of Nicci French ones we hadn't read, so came home with them. Hubby and I have read the first one, Blue Monday and enjoyed it, hoping the rest are as good! Now planning activities and crafts for our advent calendar, we always make one with a different story, craft to do, film to watch for each day of advent, always have way too many ideas for the number of days in advent! Do you have a favourite Christmas film, story or poem, would love to hear what they are.

Day of the Dead

We've been looking at the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) and the various traditions behind it, the similarities and differences with Halloween and All Souls day. We decorated some paper versions of the sugar skulls, the girls are fascinated with these and love colouring them in, they did the same last year and

painted some cardboard rolls and then used black markers to decorate those with similar imagery as the sugar skulls we had been looking at.

Night time silhouette of an Autumn tree.

Can you spot the owl in L's picture?

We've had loads of beautiful spiders webs in the garden, tried to capture a couple.

On a crafting front I have finished the back of the pink dress and made a good start on the front, only knitted a couple of rows of the blue jumper but have started another project,  will write about that in a moment. I bought E Nightlights a lovely story book, only criticism is the stories are a bit too short for my liking but great for an imaginative, chatty child like L who is adding extra bits to it as we go.

 Sorted through my craft bags and found some wool that I had bought to make L a cardi but then thought I would look for something different and came across the Odila cape pullover perfect for her and just enough wool, well in theory a perfect amount will have to wait and see!

Finally got round to drying some of my herbs,been planning on doing this all summer but not got round to it, we have bay leaves, marjoram, rosemary and sage.

Joining Kat for unraveled Wednesday.

Halloween

Some Halloween crafts, did have plans for some others but busy week seeing friends and L found out a drawing book and has been busy with that and developed a real interest in the history of our planet.

L found a book called What Shall I Draw, it was her brothers and has been enjoyed by many children over the years, she found a page on drawing owls and she has drawn loads of them, can now do them without using the book. I have several kitchen cupboards covered in owl drawings now. On a reading front we are making progress, she is now picking up books and trying to read the few words she has learnt and is enjoying the learning to read process, lots of games, word searches, word puzzles etc to help her.

Now at the beginning of this week L and I read part of a book on birds, she had lots of questions that led onto us watching the first episode on The Life of Birds. Now this episodes talks lots about extinction and evolution which as you can guess it led to lots more questions, out came the prehistory books, talk about fossils and archaeologists, she enjoyed one of the mini excavation kits you can buy.

We have spent the last couple of night reading through The Birth of the Earth and Life Finds its Feet, lovely comic style books with lots of info in them, followed by you tube clips and more talk the next day, she is really enjoying it all and seems to be taking it all in, judging by what she is telling people and the questions she is asking. We have enjoyed the first 2 episodes of Prehistoric Park, having explained that it was all make believe as humans don't time travel etc but what they say about the diet and size etc is real. We have 2 more comic books in the series, the last one covers very quickly the evolution of humans. M is still working through her exam courses and we had a trip to town, mainly to the book shop to buy some revision workbooks , now M is a reluctant reader, so while I am looking at books and L is trying to read/buy every book in sight, ok maybe not every book but you get the idea. Found M sat in a chair reading a book she had found, first in a series about a school for spies, so brilliant, she came home with the book and is part the way through it already! Trip to the library this weekend and L has found loads of books on prehistory, volcanoes and the ocean.

Autumn Days and Diwali

We've had some damp cold days here and some glorious sunny days, so have been making the most of them and enjoying walks in various woods. On Monday we went to visit friends and took her dogs out for a walk, the girls loved this especially as they were allowed to hold the leads themselves, an adult had hold of L's leads as well but she is so happy she actually got to walk a dog, bless her. Tuesday home ed meet up at a local park, loving the autumn colours and at one point the wind blowing the leaves across the grass made them look like they are all dancing.

The girls choose to do some colouring while I read and talked about Diwali, they love these mindfulness colouring pages on Twinkl

 Wednesday we spent with more friends exploring the local stream, followed by a walk in the woods and a play in the park, home to some Halloween colouring.

A rather shaky photo of a robin, he kept popping down near us, like he wanted to see what the children were up to but not long enough to get that perfect photo, I do love robins.

I have watched Chris Packham - Aspergers and Me, very interesting, at times sad and others amazing, for those that can access it on bbc iplayer it is well worth a watch, he wrote this as a follow up to the program. Having worked with and having my own child on the autistic spectrum, a program like this is a really good thing in raising awareness.

On a crafting front have finished another Christmas present and started on 2 more both self patterning wool, one a very simple dress and the other a nice easy repeat pattern. Needing something simple at the moment as the cold I have been fighting of seems to be winning, might be more due now sorted out where M is going to sit her exams and so relaxed, not always a good thing. We had been looking at access arrangements as if she had been in school this would of been sorted out for her, trying to do it as a private candidate isn't so easy, we found two centres that will accept a private candidate with access arrangements but look at least a 90 minute drive. We had planned to go and look at one centre but the closer we got to the date the more stressed M got about it, she is real worrier when it comes to  leaving times and getting to places, we have it every week for drama etc even though she knows we are never late, she always wants to leave even earlier just in case. Anyway we spent a lot of time talking and have decided that it might be more beneficial for her to use a centre on our doorstep even if she doesn't have concessions of extra time etc as any concessions would of been wiped out with the stress of a long journey. actually the final choice was Ms and the the look on her face when she said local, was one of relief,  so fingers are crossed, it goes ago! The exams officer at the local centre so far has been very helpful and in theory we will register with them in December ready for June exams, oh my that seems so soon! M has recovered from her bad cold which is good news.

Loving these yarns, they are so soft to work with and rather pretty too.

Hedgehog and pumpkin completed, did try to add some shaping to the pumpkin but ended up looking rather bizarre, as in that odd the children found it rather amusing to say the least, so we went back to perfect round shaped one and they are happy with it.

Good Food, Good Company

M and I had a lovely, if some what mad morning with my good friend Mel, she has been promising to teach us how to cook real Fillipino food, so Sunday morning was spent int he kitchen making spring rolls and pansit. Lots of girly chatter and giggles, followed by a lovely lunch, what more could you want, planning another cooking session soon.

Have knitted two toadstools for our Autumn display, was going to make a little mouse and hedgehog but L asked if I could make a small pumpkin, that is now on the needles, hedgehog and mouse will have to wait. Have finished the front of the blue v-neck jumper and started on a sleeve, having popped into the craft shop for some thread, saw this pattern for a knitted short sleeve dress and thought it would make another perfect present for someone, chose the shade called Bonnie, very pink but have started knitting a few rows, it is such soft wool. Joining As Kat Knits for unraveled wednesday and Nicole for Crafting On

L has finished her cats of and is talking about making more or maybe some dog version.

Pictures by L, this her with all the dogs and cats she would like to have has pets!

Enjoying some geometry puzzles.

M is battling with a horrid cold and sore throat and trying to study at the same time, Tuesday she spent the day in bed as she felt so rough.

thought I would share a project a friend's daughter has been busy at, she has her own you tube channel with lots of different variations of slime on it, at some point we will have to give them a go.