bye bye dishwasher

Yesterday the dishwasher repairman condemmed my 3 1/2 year old Smeg dishwasher to the scrapheap yesterday, and charged me £40 for the privelidge. He also advised me if I was getting another one to get the cheapest one possible as it is not worth fixing them when they go wrong. But he personally wouldn't bother having one at all. Is this a blogworthy event? well, inasmuch as the children were queuing up to do the washing up after tea tonight. I left them in charge of my best glass cake stand and went upstairs to do Allie's nappy and bath. It was finished when I came down. Who says we need a dishwasher, anyway? It was never my idea to get one. I just used to leave all the washing up, as I do all the rest of the domestic chores. But, actually I don't mind it, in fact it's quite liberating not being enslaved by yet another machine. I can do the washing up if I like, when I like, and not when there's enough to put on a load. And it doesn't half save my back, not having to do all that bending down- it's enough to give you indigestion straight after tea. So am I claiming my life back, or what?
Jem went to see a ballet with her ballet school yesterday. She hasn't said that much about it, so I'm not sure how much she got out of it.
Fugs spent the afternoon making a huge 3d web, out of thread, covering the entire garden. I'm not sure why, or what he was learning, but I just left him to it.
Today, while I was on the phone, I just caught through the corner of my unspectacled eye (lense missing from glasses) someone putting one of those little garden buggies down the slide. Next thing I knew Fugs was wizzing down the garden at an amazing speed. When there was no aparent injury, I just suggested he move the trampoline out of the way and do it again. They soon got the hang of it, and called it a rollercoaster. (please don't try this at home!)
I got a call from Maeve's dad's flat, which becomes her flat when he is away, asking for a "food parcel" and a list of sundry items. It's nice to be still needed! Does this still count as home education?

Time waits for.....

I can't belive I haven't managed to go to bed yet and I still haven't actually blogged, aparted from explaining pictures. So much to say, too, but it will have to wait, now, flaming clocks. Actually, the dishwasher flooded the kitchen tonight and I had to mop up a massive bucketful of water. I had been thinking the floor needed doing, and even washed the rug, but thought, nah, then came back to hang the rug up and found myself wading ...

Easter Sunday

Be prepared for some gratuitously cute photo's

Now, that's really walking... 

Now, which one shall I try? This one first... 

no, this one 

no, that one 

Easter goodies. See more here

Fugs: latest invention. This is a maze for small chocolate eggs made out of the plastic packaging from my tablet & stylus. It really works! Another case of the packaging being more fun than the contents (or, 'well, if I'm not allowed to play on it'...! 

Fugs's Easter garden 

Jem's Easter Garden
This is a garden-on-a plate, with moss, stones, pond, bridge, cave, tree. Flowers, butterfly and eggs added this morning. Felt flower fairies are behind.

Easter table

Today we made the Easter table. I decided to move the seasonal table from the top of the piano to the windowcill as the coloured cloth behind looks much brighter there, with the morning sun glowing through. Plus it hides the bungalow. I didn't have anything pale yellow, so used a combo of yellow and green cloths. I jiggled about with it intil it stopped looking too stupid- it's basically just straight across the window. I keep hearing the words "mum, the green thing's fallen down in the window" and run in in panic, thinking it's the vase, or something. The Easter tree is made of birch and forsythia, out of the garden. This was before Jem decided she wanted to make an Easter garden. There are a few Eastery friends, eg, a rabbit, hens, chicks, frogs and some flower fairies. We decorated the eggs today, too, just with felt pen. They had been particularly bonkers, they are so excited about Easter, but only managed to break one of them, which I mended with masking tape. They are blown eggs, saved from last year!

Good Friday

We decided to watch the Midgley Pace egg play instead of going to the more well known Heptonstall one, which gets very busy and it's difficult to see. It is a local tradition on Good Friday. This was very well performed by high school boys, and you could see, (and it didn't go on too long!)

The local Pace Egg play 

a horse enjoying the show 

...back in time to finish off the hot cross buns...mmm. One a penny, two a penny...

"can we make that castle now". Fugs, on a roll. It wasn't my idea to get out the castle book- my design was obviously too simplistic for this 4 year old, even with its working drawbridge and Shreddie portcullis. I think this may be the first of many. Good job we have an endless supply of toilet rolls and cereal boxes. 

We finally got some frogspawn in the pond, and the frogs are frollicking about noisily. 

... a bad day

Well, I got through it... It started with having to get up to go to the art class, the last one I've signed up for, so I though I should make the effort (you can see I'm not very enthusiastic by now, but something drives me on, nevertheless). I got out of the house slightly less late than usual (I'm sure it takes 10 to 15 minutes from coats on to driving off), despite the sight of bonnet up on delapidated Saab, which I chose to ignore. I had offered to give up my car, and could have gone on the bus with a bit more notice (about 45 minutes), but no, delapidated Saab it is, but that's another story.
The art class started off quite promising- stuff all laid out for making printing blocks from foam and card, and for printing, and no 'talk' (or we missed it). But it was quite hard work, to say the least, as Allie was very moany and wanted to be on my lap half the time. The activity was too hard for them to do without any help, and I got frustrated not being able to do anything about that and they got frustrated with their efforts, although they seemed semi satisfied with it- it was much harder and less fun than any of us needed today. Well, it has taught me one thing, going to that class, that I don't need to go to these classes, they are not that compatible with what I am beginning to recognise as our style of HE. I sometimes wonder if anyone who hasn't actually done HE has the slightest bit of understanding about it. I mean the thing that people don't sent their kids to school because they dont like school, and the way things are done there, so why should a class for HE children be run so like school. I suppose we are all conditioned by our own education to do things in certain ways. Anyway, it's not as if I need to go elswhere for an art class when I can do it myself. What was I thinking? If anything, I could do with a class in something I can't do at home, like, horseriding, or something. I mean, we even do piano at home and I'm not exactly qualified in that, but there are books, and I can read music and play a little bit (guitar's my instrument, but only recreational), in fact, my sil recommended I start myself when I asked her what age she recommend they start lessons, and she is a music/piano teacher, though not in state school. (I've just realised only 2 of my 5 siblings send their children to state school!)
So, I've only got as far as lunch time (so much for lunch: cheese and onion pasties/crisps/mini doughnuts; that would be ok, but just one of these things each?). I found out later that the lady in the gallery shouted at Fugs for running- they were going to the toilet- I thought it was quite safe for them to go as there is no other entrance, not thinking of the dangers present within the gallery itself.
So we went to LIDL on the way back, after traipsing round looking for non-existent art shop for printing roller. After we got back I put on one of the pedals we also bought and Jem and Fugs went out on their bikes while Allie had to put to bed again, as he was constantly moaning. It seemed to take an eternity to make tea, but they went straight up to the bath after, and soon to bed.
It doesn't seem like too much of a bad day at all, actually. I think it was the whining and my tiredness that made it seem worse. And I started sneezing toinght. O well.
Educational moment: I had explained to Jem that the thread had gone on the bike pedal, so when I got the new ones she examined them and said "I can't see any thread on them, where's the thread?", looking for a thread dangling off them...

a good day

We had a good day today, despite the slow start. I had promised to take the bikes to the park and even to mend the puncture in Imi's tyre, so they could come too, but I didn't manage to take the puncture repair kit, not that I know how to use it. But they still came, and I ended up in the park for 3 hours, with 5 children, which earned me loads of brownie points, although it was no harder than having 3 children. In fact it was quite enjoyable, although Allie did not have the energy to do much due to his cold. We bumped into some more HE friends, so there were 6 of them running wild during the day, although it is now the school holidays, so they were not alone, but it wasn't as busy as I would have thought. Jem's pedal came off, so I will have to get another set tomorrow, as I tried to screw it back on but the thread has gone.
We also went to the library and got the reading books we ordered (Witch in Training), and ordered the remaining Moomin books and Fergus Crane. However, Jem started the first Lemony Snicket book, which we also found in the library, along with another piano book, and some space books for Fugs. No dinasaur or ballet books. We had to put them all in one bag as Fugs had put half of his cornetto into one of the book bags, which I discovered whilst at the library counter, partly on Lemony Snicket, and partly on the library ticket! Good job it was the friendly librarian, who has a child in Jem's old class at school, and who always seems to look longingly at my happy unschooled children and my books on HE, but maybe that's my imagination. Well, at least its not what I imagine when I see people in the park, who say hello quickly and scuttle away, lest I infect them with my bohemian ways...

Grand Central Records

Grand Central Records
It was this that they went to last night- the 10th anniversary party of. Apparently, Fingathing was buzzin'.

Quiet day

Well, it didn't turn out to be such a great day weatherwise; the Major's horses had their coats back on after only one day, so I didn't get round to building the veg bed. Instead just had a quiet time pottering while the kids spent most of the day outside. They even ventured into the field opposite, as the Major wasn't around, and climbed on the huge fallen tree. It's nice that they can now venture outside of the garden. I don't think they're really allowed in the field, which is a shame because I can see it from the house. They also cycled quite a long way up and down the lane (with daddy), and Jem fell off twice, but got straight back on. Fugs spent ages on the swing by himself after everyone else had come in and told me he had seen some dragons while he was out there. Not pretend ones- real.

I decided to attack the mending basket, which was overflowing, so Fugs got some new jimjams (which had only a few tiny holes in- he's terrible with scissors), which he wore for the rest of the day, so had to have a bath later to wash the mud off his feet. He listened to 'Fergus Crane' on 'Go For It' on the radio in the bath (as usual, but daddy wasn't here tonight as he has gone to a gig in Manchester with the teenagers- something to do with Fat City? noone really told me what it was, so I don't really know). So I'm having a quiet evening, too, which is nice. The mending started as Fugs fell over on Friday and made a hole in the knee of his already tattered second-best trousers. I managed to satisfactorily patch these, and some dungarees for Allie. I still have some of Jem's trousers to turn up (considerably less than when they first went into the pile), and a couple of pairs of jeans...mmm, they may not get done tonight, at this rate.

After all that computer wingeing, guess what he's gone and bought now? A tablet and stylus, which they practically fight over turns on. Fugs did some amazing scribble pictures, but I can't find them now. I'm not sure what its doing for his pencil control, but I'm sure its a lot better than a mouse, for that. Thankfully, they were too excited by going outside to spend too much time on it.
Someone I spoke to about the computers-in-nursery-question in the Montessori school, and who had worked in the Montessori school, had some interesting views on it. When I said it had been left up to the parents to opt in or out of computer access she said she thought this was wrong, as it is supposed to be child-led, not parent led, and that the children got to choose their activity within the prepared environment , which was prepared by the teacher, and that the teacher is there to facilitate this. I suppose this is pretty obvious, but she put it so clearly that it gave me a greater insight into how it is possible to let you children have freedom to choose what they do, but still have some control over it, iyswim. I suppose this is how I dealt with the TV issue. I simply removed the TV from the environment so I didn't have to be constantly monitoring its use.

Spring!

Much outdoor frollicking in pyjamas was to be had this morning, with the amazing transformation in weather. Just when I was beginning to lose all sense of sanity the sun came out and made everything alright with the world. Well. for a while, at least.
Allie walked outside! with shoes on! We tidied up some of the debris of winter gales. Broken plant pots (was that a squirrel I saw the other day near the patio doors?), leaves, twigs, broken windmills, muddy water, etc. Casualties of the frost included the French lavender, which I didn't hold out much hope for. Will replace with English and see how that goes. The gardenia and camelia are starting to flower, and some daffodils are out. The crocuses that I planted late have come up, too. May sort out the veg border tomorrow, with some stones that I got from a fallen wall, and the molehill soil. Some of the lawn needs seeding. The alpines are showing signs of life.
They wanted a picnic, so I put a tablecloth on the little round table and made sausage sandwiches. "That will do for a starter," someone small said.
Jem went to her Steiner session, which involved such wholesome activities as going for a walk and making hot cross buns, while I took the boys to Josie's; the babies slept, the boys played and we chatted and drank tea for 2 whole hours! heaven. We even had a stroll round the park. We agreed to to art/craft sessions at each others houses instaed of going to the organised ones I have been going to. It will be easier with the babies and we are both more than capable of laying on our own art sessions and don't seem to be short on ideas. I think I dried up for I while, that's why we went to the organised ones. Or maybe it happened the other way round: We went to them because they were there and then there wasn't time or energy to do much at home.
Looking forward to days in the park. So glad I got that bit of decorating finished. But will I ever get round to the spring cleaning? Well I did sell a double buggy last night! Well, that wasnt exactly taking up room in the house, as it was in the garage, but it's a start.

Dragon Pie

This was a much needed quiet day, well, morning. I then had to contend with Meave's dad shouting down the phone about the noise complaints while he was away, and where was the promised letter of explanation, from her?... And then had to have a conversation with DP about what he is going to do about his disciplinary action from work? And then the stove man: concentrating on the intricacies of different kinds of chimney liners and how to get the best out of your multifuel stove was quite hard. Aparently, you should let wood dry out for 2 years. I had decided, whilst staying at a remote house in Swaledale, that I could not live another winter in our house without a fire; central heating just doesn't do it for me. Anyway we had hours of fun, Fugs and I, in the woodshed, sawing and breaking wood and dragging it up to the house on a sledge.

So that was it, really, apart from making Dragon Pie; Fugs cutting a dolly's hair; finding Jem trying to knit with 2 pencils in her bedroom- maybe I should have another go a teaching her! Allie trying to wee on the potty.

Had a couple of phone conversations about computers/ofsted things- trying to find out how the Steiner Kindergarten got round it. Aparently they have a lot of support from the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship and can ask for a sympathetic Ofsted inspector. Still heard nothing but the wind blowing bloody tumbleweed about (sorry, obsession of the week) from the Montessori School about their decision to allow the nursery children aceess to computers, as a result of their Ofsted report. It has just made me more determined that this is all wrong wrong wrong for children of that age. I suppose, when you see it from a Waldorf point of view, as I do, (as I don't think that's something you can ever change your mind about it. I mean once you know something its difficult to unknow it again.) and when you have seen inside the state primary schools, with their interactive whiteboards- that was enough to make me run screaming from state education. I think it was the final straw for me, really. I mean, they hadn't even had a blackboard- too old-fashioned, with all the desks facing one way. I find this all too disturbing- the old-fashioned approach with the modern technology. Well, put like that, it sounds quite good, but some old fashioned things are out dated as we don't think they're good any more, like feeding information to children in the name of education. Yes, I'm ranting again.

Tumbleweed...o......o......o

.....and the wind blew the occasional scrap of jumbled thought across the page...

ahoy there, me hearties...shipwrecked and surviving here in knittingyogurtland...

no, you see, the longer I leave it, the harder it is to even turn on the computer, let alone blog. I mean, what dreaded emails might be lurking, and will I ever catch up with my blog, or other people's, and will it give me a migraine, like my last attempt? O dear, I really do suffer in winter. I shouldn't live here, I'm too nesh, too southern. I should be in The Archers country, at least (or Spain, preferably, Cornwall?).

So, to catch-up, or not? well, I haven't got much time, really, if migraines are to be avoided, maybe a list, will suffice:
Decorating- I finally finished the hall and landing at the weekend- hurrah! now I can get on with the spring cleaning, aka, major clearout of house, already well started, if in a less than logical order: it's organic.
Reading: finally got hold of a copy of Free Range Ed, which is striking many chords. Actually, I ordered it from the library so they would buy it, so Calderdale Libraries now own a copy for all to read. Good. Still on John Holt: Inspirational; taking my time over as needs to to sink in. Also, more of the Moomintroll books, which may go some way to explaining my current rather insane outlook on life. Good fun, if a bit wierd. I like it.
Holiday: spent the first week in March in Swaledale, which was a good change, if not a rest. Lovely and peaceful. Lots of snow. No TV, or men, or cars, or neighbours.
Children: O, yes, I have them, too. Allie is now toddling about a bit unsteadily, but determined.
We have been going to the art classes on one of our too few days at home (have resigned, at the moment, to leave the Montessori school days as they are: with Jem and Fugs going 3 and 2 days). I think maybe the art classes may have to stop after Easter, although they do get inspired to do stuff at home afterwards, but there is never enough time left...
Lots of talk of joined-up handwriting and the making of Easter cards is happening.
Don't yet know what is happening about the computer-access-nursery thing. I think its pure bobbins -they (Ofsted) are not allowed to require that- only knowing about ICT, which can be a phone or a musical toy, or pretend checkout, if anything at all. I think they are running scared and/or pandering to the wishes of a couple of pushy parents. O I wish they would get on with the parents meeting-i keep wondering who it is now.
Knitting: I have nearly finished, (well, lets just say ther light at the end of the tunnel is visible) a Rowan Magpie cable jacket for Allie. (A clue as to how long it's taken: you can't buy that wool any more, and I started it for Fugs, actually, just got bored of cabling).

....that's all for now, folks, stay tuned for next thrilling episode of lifeintheslowslowlane...no,I'm not being arty, thespacebar'sontheblinkagain,ofuc.....

I am not a pathetic woman!

...OK, you know that, I know that , and now, hopefully that stupid bloke down the road knows that, after I shouted it after him (rather pathetically, really) after he accused me of that heanous crime, his final word of defence to my polite suggestion that I didn't think he should let his dog do that, not that close to our gate, at any rate. I don't like getting into arguments about this sort of thing- I didn't know he was a complete psycho, but it was so blatant- he was just standing there, right outside our house, and I was politely waiting for him to move out of the way so I could drive up to park outside our house (this is not a road, just a footpath or bridleway, over which I have right of way to our house), when I realised why he was just standing there. Well, for some reason I had to pick on the nastiest person I could find, who gave me an unexpected and shocking torrent of abuse. I was so upset I had to go round to a neighbour's house for a cup of tea, who I didnt really know, but who turns out to be really nice, so I suppose there's a positive outcome. Plus she told me Mr doggy psycho man is moving house: sooner the better, hopefully.
So, I'm having one of those days, I was literally just contemplating the totally unnecessary road rage incident I experienced last night, which shook me up a bit, until I had walked into the Community Association meeting, which seemed to be having a bit of a livelier than usual argument, which took my mind off it.
I've also been steaming about the outcome of the Montessori School's OFSTED report, which has resulted in the nursery children being theoretically offered access to computers, against the better judgement of all the staff and the vast majority of parents. I seemed to have stirred up enough of a fuss to warrant having a parent's meeting about this, but have had to do some more research into what, exactly, the nursery is required to do by ofsted. As far as I can work out, the requirement to teach ICT in the Foundation Stage (age 3 and 4), which comes under "knowledge and understanding of the world", is on a pretty basic level. For example, by ICT equipment, this can mean electronic toys, telephones, tape recorders, etc, and examples of what they need to learn include switching on and off, talking about and role-playing the practical use of ICT (so I suppose a wooden computer would do?!!!), and there is no actual requirement that a 3 or 4 yo has to even go anywhere near a PC. So I'm not sure where the misunderstanding is; in the inspector herself (although the report only recommends access to ICT equipment, which does not necessarily mean computers, but this is an easy assumption to make); or the school, or, I suspect, in the very small minority of parents that actually want their child to be able to use computers in school. My arguments agaisnt this are tooooo numerous to mention now, but I feel that while all the children in question have access to computers at home, if that is wanted, but not many people have all that speciallised Montessori equipment at home, plus a teacher trained to use it, plus the opportunity to sociallise with other children. I won't go into why I think it is inappropriate and not useful for children of this age to learn to use computers, just to say that it is not part of the Montessori method. Also, It bothers me that a small school can bu bullied into doing something it doen't agreed with by OFSTED.
There. I was enjoying a quiet hiberntion, a bit like a moomintroll, but have been forced to come out by the sheer need to moan. May creep back into my nest and hope no-one notices!

there but for the grace of god...

"...but could I ask that you do not send your child to school in any of the following:

Crop tops/off the shoulder tops
Low waisted trousers/jeans/joggers/skirts/crop pants
Mini skirts
High-heeled shoes or slip-ons (these can be particularly dangerous on the stairs)
Furry boots/wellies if these are to be worn all day
Jewellery – except studs for pierced ears and watches
Trainers without laces (elasticated ones are OK)
Wide and frayed jeans, which trail on the ground
Belts used as fashion accessories
Ponchos (if worn in class) "