My favourite thing this week was…
…spending time at the beach with the kids, my mum, my brother and my two nephews (aged 2 and 5).
In my life this week…
…we’ve been revelling in the glorious summer weather!
In our homeschool/unschool this week…
We took the beads into the sun to sort them into colours, used them to “write” secret messages in a tray of salt, then took them into the dark and watched the messages “disappear”.
C(9), who has been doing a project on light, was intrigued to discover that the colour change is reversible and is excitedly thinking up more fun activities to do with the beads.
I’m enjoying …
…noticing how good my kids are at making their own fun. They really are never bored.
C(9), the family extrovert, has a talent for gathering her favourite people around her. She loves it when we spend time at the beach because our house there shares communal gardens with our neighbour friends.
If she’s not playing in the sea or out playing forty-forty-it with a bunch of kids, she’s making music videos with one of her girlfriends or talking with other friends over Skype.
Meanwhile J(8) is enjoying having plenty of time to hone his Minecraft, Roblox and Civilisation skills and to talk non-stop with his friends about said games (and a zillion others I’m trying to keep up with) while they’re biking or swimming.
Or he’s bouncing on the trampoline inventing things in his head. He told me casually today that, “In my mansion, I’m going to have a soft floor with metal underneath it and magnets in the ceiling so I can move around by hover board”!
I’m proud of … my kids
C(9) marked the end of the school year singing, acting and dancing beautifully in her Stagecoach show, she passed her grade 3 guitar exam with merit, and she received her Silver Award, the highest award at Cub Scouts.
I love her for who she is, not what she does, but I know she worked hard for all these achievements and I’m so happy everything worked out for her.
Meanwhile J(8) has been managing his Sensory Processing Disorder so well, playing with the other kids with almost no meltdowns – I think we may have turned a big corner. He even went for his first ever – and second! – sleepovers with friends this week.
Something I have my eye on…
We’re extremely excited, and a bit nervous about doing all the training again. He’s the half-brother of our existing dog, and my mum is having his sister. 🙂
I hope you’re having a wonderful summer too!
Hi – saw you over at Homegrown Learners early this morning 8) WOW What a fab week you had…that puppy is just soo cute! My son is a HUGE Minecraft and Roblox guy also…in fact having a Minecraft themed bday party this weekend…what a blessing you are to your children…shows in the pics how much fun with life they have!
Enjoy the weekend…
Melissa
hi Melissa! Glad we’re not letting the lack of a link-up (yet) stop us visiting 😀 We did have a wonderful week. Often I don’t get round to posting when we haven’t done much “school” to share, but today I just had to pull together some of our photos, to look back on as much as anything else! Have a fabulous Minecraft party and a great weekend 🙂
You’ve got a house down at the beach? Oh, I’m not jealous at all… A house at the beach. How wonderful! (I’m not sure if the intense yearning sound in my voice comes through on the computer, but it is there!) We lived by the beach in Northern Ireland. Miles and miles of sun, sea and sand. Well, maybe not too much sun but the rest was spot on. I miss it so much. Just being able to pack up things without a two hour drive home was such a blessing!
You sound like you’re all having a wonderful summer!
We are SO LUCKY, I know! I grew up in South Wales and spent summers playing in the murky Bristol Channel – I didn’t care about the colour of the water, I was in heaven. I always knew I wanted my kids to have the beach in their childhoods too, but James’ job is pretty London-bound, so when the chance to get a little place down on the coast came up I jumped at the chance!
That beach looks lovely- it’s been so hot in Germany, wish we were closer to the ocean! Love the caterpillars- I have got to get some for my boys next summer! And that has got to be the cutest puppy ever. So adorable!!!
Thanks, Cari 🙂 I know what you mean about the heat – I was so relieved to leave town and enjoy the sea breeze! I bet your boys are finding some water to keep cool in, somehow!
The puppies are so sweet!!! We have abandoned our dog search until we get back from vacation in October–but we can’t wait!
I love all your photos and the way you organized this.
We have done the butterflies several times–love that project!
Thank you, Theresa!
The best thing about my mum having the new puppy’s sister is she will be happy to puppy-sit for us, which will be a huge help!
I’ve been meaning to do butterflies for ages. Now we’re doing it, it’s so exciting I’m already planning the next batch 😀 (My husband’s not so sure!)
What a wonderful week you’re having! It’s so good to read about children’s achievements, so congratulations to both C(9) and J(8) for doing so well! The new puppy is sooooo cute! I long for one but I know I’ll be so distracted if I had one that I’ll totally forget about homeschooling and housework. LOL. Continue to enjoy your summer. 🙂
Thank you, Hwee! Yeah I do forget about homeschooling and housework from time to time, but at least I remember to exercise! 😀
Oh man, you are making me miss summer! I would love a new puppy too, except for the training thing all over again…
I know what you mean, I totally feel like that in January when I see my S hemisphere friends’ blogs!
I’m not even thinking about what two sets of muddy paws are going to do to my floors and doors come British winter. Definitely best to get a dog in summer and not think about that.
Love the beach pictures. And always the nature photos. Your kids remind me so much of Keilee, never slowing down, always finding things to do. I have never once heard Keilee say, ‘I’m bored.” Love the guitar shot. 🙂 And that puppy!!! Swoon. He is adorable. Happy weekend.
Thank you, Karen! It’s such a joy to see them busy having fun isn’t it? Happy weekend to you & Keilee too 🙂
What a fun beach floatie! It looks HUGE! It can be really fun to see what the kids come up with when they’re unscheduled and “bored”. It seems like that’s what the most creativity comes out! Go C (9)! Cute puppy!
The banana’s very cool isn’t it? One of the grandads bought it for all the kids on the estate just before he died. What a great way to be remembered!
What an amazing week and photos! A home at the beach– how wonderful and what awesome memories your children are making everyday. We recently completed the Painted Lady butterfly project and my children loved it so much. In fact, we recently saw a caterpillar in our parsley and brought him inside. We looked it up (it is a Black Swallowtail) and have created a little ecosystem for him in an aquarium. He has now created his chrysalis and we look forward to seeing it emerge. Aren’t we blessed as homeschoolers to have such fun (and unscheduled!) learning opportunities? 🙂 I found your blog via THMJ. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Many blessings, Lisa
Your caterpillar story is very inspiring (and great photo on your blog). Now we’ve done it once I think we will be more confident about doing it again, maybe more freestyle.
I agree, we are SO blessed! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend too 🙂