total eclipse of the son

For Cub Astronomer badge 'homework' Oliver has to find out about three interesting facts about two things from a list and present these facts with pictures. He hasn't kicked back too much against the potential 'work' involved with this task (yet), and this afternoon is diligently preparing his facts. He has chosen eclipses and meteorites. A 20p charity shop book has been helpful here, as it feels OK to cut up a book which cost me 20p, and he will probably not read again. (sorry if this offends the book-o-philes)

We started the timeline - ta DAH! We decided to start where our 'Story Of The World' book begins, with the earliest people (nomads) around 7000BC. Then we have jumped to the Ancient Egyptians at around 3200BC. Will probably do Greeks, Romans , Jesus, Saxons/Normans start of the Monarchy in Britain, Tudors, Stuarts, Victorians, the World Wars and our birthdays. Have probably missed out some vital historical periods in my whistle stop tour of the history of man, but hey ho, sure it will come to light.

Oliver went off to West Town Farm yesterday with Kim and Vanessa for some tree hugging and communing with nature. (I didn't go) but he has asked me if he can go again as he really enjoyed it. Sigh. Not at all sure if this is for me - it's all very outdoors and all. Still, I will give it a go in the spirit of motherly love and earthly joy.

a short history of the world (or not)

Today is the day that something is going up on this: (not sure what yet)

Yes, I got around to putting up the timeline! It has been up for nearly a week and I am frozen into inertia about where to start and what to include. Do we just cover British history? World history? From the birth of Jesus or before? One thing is for sure - it will NOT be to scale and I will not have enough room. Hey ho. Mark was surprisingly supportive of the project, given that I have nailed this thing to the wall with upholstery nails.... thought he was going to have a caustically tight-lipped and clipped few things to say, but he pleasantly surprised me. Oliver is, typically, not that interested but I am optimistic that once we start, he will see the point of it.

He has been using (quite successfully I might add) window paints to make his own designs. He made a knight (a small little pink person shape) and then made individual bits of armour to stick over the naked person. Very innovative I think, although there appears to be a bit of a scale issue. He did spot this eventually, but his pride in creating it has not been diminished.

For my own creative ends, I have been making a beaded bauble and made a December Daily album (pics to follow later) - this is a bit like the Journal Your Christmas from last year, but hopefully will not end up as big as last years effort, which is sitting in its huge fan-shaped majesty on the top shelf of my craft room, since I can't close the bugger.

What do you think of the new blog design? I can't seem to find anything more festive at the mo but will be trawling the net to find something more jolly next week - will be swinging into the holiday spirit on the 1st December - the advent box goes out and I am doing a card making activity at the hut. Oliver is pissed that I am not putting up the tree on the 1st (as has always been the case in the past) but this year the first falls on a Wednesday - my least favourite day of the week due to lots being on and I have to work. Will do the tree on Thursday 2nd instead, when we can spend the afternoon faffing over decorating it and watching a Christmas DVD. Ooh I LUUUURVE the Christmas season!!!!!

a big boasty proud mummy moment

Just a quickie post. Had the Exeter crop on Saturday, and just didn't get into it really. I only completed one full layout! I was busy feeling over-anxious about Oliver, who I had left at Crealy for the day, supposedly at their Saturday Club. Turned out that Oliver was the only kid booked on it, and since no-one had bothered to tell me, they suddenly had one child to look after all day....

He was allowed to stay, and I was assured he would be able to join in some activities that were running on site, and that he would be supervised.

Anyhoo, when I arrived in reception to pick him up, I was met with a barrage of 'ooh, we love Oliver' from the girlie receptionists and the activity blokes were full of compliments about him. When he arrived, with the activities manager in tow, he'd had a brilliant time doing archery, abseiling and generally enjoying enjoying himself. Mr Manager said he was a 'fantastic advert for home education' and that he was a great kid. He said he had worked with kids for nearly 20 years, and alot of the home-ed kids he'd worked with had problems with social boundaries, but that Oliver was truly at ease joining in with other children and confident and chatty with adults. (he'd had lunch with the staff)

It is always lovely to hear compliments about your child, but to hear so many good things from so many people, it felt great - I am so, so proud of him. It is fab when he achieves things, and works hard to do something, but to be so highly praised for who he is - just for being him - that's just the best ever. And if he is flourishing like this and showing the qualities I dream of for him - then Mark and I must be doing something right too.

on the edge (no change there then)

This morning I dropped Oliver off at a holiday playscheme. For the whole day. I have never done such a thing before. Obviously I don't need him to be looked after by total strangers all day, since I don't work by day, but my thinking was this: he gets to spend time with other children doing organised activities/enjoying himself. He takes another little step away from me and my influence. IF he has a good time, then my day by myself is an added bonus. When I dropped him off, the staff were all young girlies who gave me no confidence they would be on top of things - whether the kids are playing nice/getting along or if any child is emotionally struggling. I have come away feeling so tense I could snap in half, and feeling like I could just sit and cry. I am so worried that Oliver will be unhappy. I guess this is the feeling that I would get if I had to leave him at the school gates. It doesn't feel good I can tell you.

Four partly finished (for various reasons) layouts from my Saturday crop:

They all needed bits and pieces that I either A) don't have yet (my lovely new Stampin' Up stamps on their way...) or B) had at home and not in my bulging bag of stash which I took with me.

Report back later on the success (?) of the playscheme......