Synchronicity

My last few posts have been about timing, and how we were feeling the wobbles due to term starting.
However, LA has reassured us, in her own special way, that we have made the right decision. She has taken the "We are learning at home" to heart and has spent the last 48 hours relentlessly asking questions.
Yesterday started by wanting to know why things bent when she looked at them through a glass of water and went on in much the same way.
Today began with a question about pollution and how it could be prevented. This topic went on for some time and covered pollution in rivers, the sea, beach, cities and landfill. We then talked about deforestation and transport in cities.
We played some games, read some books, cooked some pancakes and went to the park.
LA then wanted a discussion on the human body, including what red blood cells did and how, the lungs, heart and the dreaded babies topic...
hehehehehe....

Feeling better

Despite the anxiety I'm currently feeling about LA not starting school, I have something that has made me feel so much better.
LA and I were in Borders today, browsing when I found a magazine aimed at Primary teachers. A quick peak at it suggested that Primary teachers didn't think school was the best place for 4 year olds either...intrigued, I parted with my hard earned cash and have spent an enlightening 30 minutes reading it.
Wow, so many teachers declaring that Reception class is not the best place for children, complaining about the extended school hours taking away children's free time, becoming angry with their more controlling colleagues who want to ban football in the playground, despairing at the governmental controls - EYFS, SATS etc etc etc...
So, here I am feeling better - yes anxious, but I'm sure that will pass. Just imagine how anxious I would be if LA was starting school tomorrow...

thinking...

This week LA should start school.
I'm not sure how either of us feels about that.
She doesn't appear to care other than being sad that she won't be able to play with her friends so much now. She hasn't expressed any desire to go to school for several months now and she seems happy with the idea that we will be learning at home and going to lots of fun places. We have a holiday at Butlins (no expense spared!!) at the end of September. I booked it so that she would have something to be excited about while all her friends were getting excited about starting school. It seems to have done the trick.
Personally, I feel this strange mixture of relief, excitement and sadness. I wasn't expecting the sadness. I feel sad that I'm preventing her from taking part in this rite of passage, like i'm depriving her of something that she'll regret later. Yet, I have no doubt that she'll do much better at home than she would at school. She doesn't even appear emotionally up to going to school, she's still very clingy and very much a mummys girl. I think a lot of this is coming from work, there are several parents there whose children are starting school this week and they chatter on about how excited little **** and **** are about it.
I guess time will tell...

Holiday Number 4: Brighton

We have returned early from Brighton due to this:

and

But we did have some fun, LA adored the pool on the seafront:

But I think the lasting memory from this holiday will be that it was even too wet for the frogs, this one decided that our tent was a good place to stay...

When we got home we discovered that we had been invaded by wasps. Loads of them, in every room. I hate wasps.

So back to normalish for now, waiting until Rich goes back to work next week and James and Kate start college the week after and for HE groups to begin again.

York Minster

We have been revisiting the remnants of our Christian Faith. I must admit that my remnants seem to become more and more fragmented every time I pop by to visit them, but hey - whatever!

On the way home from Scarborough we visited York, this is where Rich and I spent our Honeymoon 19 years ago. We went specifically to visit the Minster.
It really is a magnificent building, fascinating to wander and admire.

Why are 2 pagans taking their 4 year old to see a symbol of Christianity? Probably because we are bonkers, but alongside that was a desire to let her see that other people believed differently to us and had created this wonderful beauty in their desire to pay respect to the glory of their God.
...it was a little different to the trees she's used to.
We gave her something to think about, so we achieved our aim.

Personally I have been reading a book by Terry Waite "Taken on Trust", about the time he spent as a hostage in the Middle East. He spent 4 years in solitary confinement and his faith shows through the entire book. However, it wasn't this that has left me with the feeling that this is a book I am never going to forget, it was the intregity of the man that did that. I don't think I have ever had the privledge of meeting a man so grounded, so solid and so real. Despite the "opposing" religious beliefs, this book is going straight on my favourites list, although I don't think I'll ever have to read it again as it was so clear and has made such an impression the first time!

Holiday Number 3: Scarborough

We're back from our 3rd holiday this summer. As usual we stayed in luxury accomodation.
We stayed near Scarborough on Humble Bee Farm. A lovely site, but so high up, we were in cloud.

We spent most of our week on the beach playing diggy up.

And we visited the Sealife centre:




It was a bit wet and windy but we enjoyed ourselves.

Next week: Brighton (hopefully).