Saturday, May 23, 2009

15 down....

..... 20 to go.

And that's the Year 3 papers.

Then it's 45ish Year 4 papers.

Then it's reports.

And then we're done.

But for tonight, I'm done anyway.

BG phoned, which was lovely, to tell her Daddy she saw a horse shake like a dog. That's cool. My cynical side is whispering, but I'm refusing to let it lol!

We're off to bed. G'night all! Time for snuggling and so on in this house!

Roll on Tuesday!

We went into the sewing shop today. R has bought me a walking foot, and paid for it, and laid it down until Tuesday.

Why Tuesday?

Because on Tuesday I am going to the sewing shop for my first quilting course! It's a day, and there's basically a teacher to help us do whatever we would like to do (I'm doing log cabin blocks, sashing, and learning how to use a walking foot lol!) The teacher, who happens to be the grandmother of one of the children in my class and is utterly lovely, is going to show me both a foundation way of doing it and another way, (presumably without foundation?!). It's onlky 10-3, it is certainly a hobby course, and I'm not going to pretend I'll get a qualification out of it, although we're looking at me doing my City and Guilds in September if KL college does it. It's not expensive and it's so important to keep a brain functioning, and to have something that isn't work.

I think that's where I've been going wrong recently - everything has been work related. Well, work or the AC or R, because, not in that order, they are the most vital things in my life. R and I have agreed that AC needs to grow up with a good work ethic. He already knows that a person has to work to pay the bills - nothing comes for free, although the things that matter, they *do* come for free, like cuddles and kisses and smiles and helping and loving. No price on those! Petrol and gas and electricy and food and so on, those need paying for lol! He understands about mortgages, because that's why Mummy goes to work, and as soon as she doesn't need to pay the bills, then Mummy will stay home with him as much as he wants her too. Except he'll be at school probably!

I wanted to homeschool, but now he's in school, I don't know if I would pull him out. The school is a good school, he has a good teacher this year, and although next years is an unknown quantity as the one he should have had is leaving, I have faith in his school as a nurturing environment. We have faith in BG's school as a nurturing environment, and I think her teacher knows that lol! Education is so important for these children, the same as it is for any children. But I have the knowledge to homeschool. Whether I would past age 11 I don't know - I don't have the subject specialism knowledge or the access to lab etc that AC would need. Hmmmmmm

I bet I could get it though......

However, AC's dad would never agree to it, R wouldn't be too fond of the idea with how well AC is now doing socially, and I respect the views of the other two people in this parenting partnership. I wouldn't make an arbitary decision, even though it would be better for me, without big input from those around me and his teachers at the moment. Even though they are friends, I trust them professionally in a different way to as a friend.

And so moving on, I must mark more SATs papers. I say more. I mean some.

I have to start them........ But I have achieved a lot today, mainly by avoiding the papers!

Back to Normal Service

HA!

Whatever *that* is!

So, the plan for half term is to complete reports, mark SATs, and clean the house, getting rid of stuff as we go. We really do accumulate stuff over the winter! We're also going to be in a position to deal with the garden as well, as we now have a brown bin to put the waste in.

AC is here on Monday, and on Thursday, so we'll all go out those days. R has to work, but he's on lates so hopefully that's not going to be too late and does give us the morning together. We'll go and feed ducks and play at the park and so on. Nothing amazing.

AC has decided he wants to be off of scheme books and onto being a free reader by the time school finishes. That's his target, not mine. He wants to go up to Y2 as a free reader because then he can choose his own books and they need not be boring ones. I think we'll give him a book budget, and he can start to take responsibility for choosing his own level as well, and we'll restart going to the library and so on. That will be easier because we will no longer have KSW on a Monday so that will go back to being a lovely relaxed day again. It will mean his father has to take him on a Wednesday and a Friday to start with, and then just one of those and to his Saturday sparring class, but we'll see how all that works out. His father still hasn't got a job, and when he does no doubt everything will change anyway!

We are nothing if not flexible!

And I did get the information from the She-Ex in the end. They've been reading, they've been writing letters in the bath and in the garden, and surprise surprise, her reading is getting better! Shock horror! Now think where BG could have been with this little input every night for the last 2 years? Or with actually doing her homework at home, instead of with her teacher at a playtime a week (missing out vital social skills, but as a teacher, I'd have sacrificed 1 of my breaks a week to help a struggling child like BG as well) Her teacher has done amazingly well, and is a wonderful woman. We enjoy talking to her and she is always so positive about BG, but without glossing over the problems.

However, looking ahead, and looking forward, the She-Ex and BG are doing work at home. I'm looking forward to seeing the evidence of this, not because I don't trust the She-Ex to be honest, but because it would be nice to see the progress. Maybe this year, we'll actually get a Fathers Day card that BG has written.

That would be cool.

Anyway

On with the day.

Step 1 - clear dining room table of sewing things.

Step 2 - make a cup of tea.

Step 3 - mark 10 SATs papers.

And then I shall return.

Prayers needed

It's not often I would post something like this, and I'm sticking it out to all my newsgroups and everywhere that a Christian might read it and have time to approach the Throne for us.

We have some big decisions to make in the next week, and we need prayer that we make them the right way. They don't just concern us, they concern other people, they concern the consequences of our decisions being life-changing. We have some things to investigate over the next few days before a decision is made around Tuesday, and then another one is made later in the week (not sure when yet)

Please pray for clarity of thought for us, for the ability to make unemotional decisions, and for the ability to think about what is best for everyone, and above all, what God wants.

Thankyou. I'm sorry to be obtuse, and there will be more details available later on, but right now everything is so delicate I'm almost afraid to put it into words. God knows though, and He has a plan. Just wish I knew what it was.