Another weekend is over...

Saturday was just spent ambling around Torquay town centre.  We were bits and bobs shopping.  Husband needed a new coat, Tiegan got a new hat (and bracelet, which she has been wearing with pride!), Callum got the Wii game he has wanted for ages (he found it himself hidden in the preloved section of the Game store - saving us almost £10 on the price we had reserved it for in Argos!) , he also got two pairs of much needed new trousers - that lad is growing so fast!  We got three of the children some cheap rucksacks so I don't have to keep carrying all the food in one bag when we go out now, they can each have their own bag of goodies themselves now - much easier on me!  Child number four already has a rucksack if you were wondering - we weren't purposely being mean to one :)

The afternoon was spent at home, tootling around doing our own thing.  Off the top of my head I can remember Wii playing, reading (lots of that by lots of people), role play games, tv watching, playing with the cat, trampolining, scrabble playing, and bedroom tidying.  The evening was spent watching the X-factor auditions, as sad as it may be, it never fails to give us a giggle.

On to Sunday, and it started off so dull, dreary and above all wet.  Goodness it was really enjoying sending us downpour after downpour.  Despite this though we decided to don our wellies and raincoats once more and head for the hills - well, not quite the hills - choosing Haldon Forest instead.

Kira (our 4 year old Springer Spaniel) came along with us for the ride and walk.  She has been brilliant with the new kitten.  I had expected a mad dog chasing cat scenario going on for a while, but actually the opposite has been the case.  Harry kitten, yes that small, innocent looking little fella - is wreaking havoc in the household by stalking and striking out at the dog!  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't have seen it myself - he literally wanders around the house following the dog and hissing and swiping at her at every opportunity.  Poor Kira doesn't know what to do, so she just keep walking off...

Today she was able to run through bracken, nosy down rabbit holes, follow scent trails of foxes and badges (I presume) and look longingly at the flying birds wishing she could grow wings and give chase (again, I am making a presumption!) :o)

I took a few piccies as per usual, I just picked my time in between the showers.

The views...

The paths...

The smiles....

The cheeky play...

The sticks! ...

The surroundings...

The puddles...

Yes, that's me!!!

and the tree inspections...

After 2 and a half hours of walking, we were ready to head for home - exhausted, aching, but happy :)  We cooked a roast dinner together as a family, and I made a trifle (or my version of one!) for pudding (which was yummy scrummy).  I (stupidly) tortured myself watched Supernanny on TV, and spent the whole time cringing, whinging, shouting, and screaming at the TV and any poor soul within earshot.  Not sure why I keep wanting to watch it, I disagree with the methods used on so many levels *sigh*. Moving swiftly along...we then snuggled down to watch a documentary on Great White Sharks, much more educational, and made all the more enjoyable by the arrival of hot-chocolates with marshmallows.

I wonder what our Monday will have in store for us....

Ooooh, before I go, can I just share this link with you:  http://unschooledmusings.blogspot.com/2010/08/proof-that-i-socialise.html
It's my eldest daughter's blog post about her socialising efforts.  Chelsea is 14 and she would love you to sneak on over there and take a peek :)

Julia x

And another week goes by....

I can't believe that the first week of August has passed already.  This year really is flying on by at a faster than alarming rate.  I'm not sure what I think about that - actually, I'm not having any time to think at all!

So this week has been yet another good one in the life of the Pollards.  We have had lots of fruitful days, fun days, social days, and just a minor blip at the end of the week.  That blip soon passed after a nice much needed snooze, and giving myself a good mental kick up the backside upon waking.  I have learnt from that blip though.  I have learnt that I have some amazing friends, both online and in real life that care about me greatly.  For that I am well truly thankful and feel exceptionally blessed (and I must admit it took me quite by surprise!)

Right, on with the details and of course the pictures!

Workbooks have certainly seemed to have been making a comeback in our household.  For reasons I cannot fathom, and actually I don't feel the need to fathom the why's , but my children have taken a liking to them and who am I to argue.  Well, only 3 out of the 4 children have been hit by the workbook bug, but I'm not nit-picking over the details :)

We've been shopping for shoes - and of course, for 8 year old princesses, only pink and sparkly ones will do...

Experiments have been looked at and analysed...

Games have been played...

Blackberries have been picked...

Smiles have been seen...

T-shirts have been dirtied...

and nature has been explored...

and much admired...

On Thursday we had a lovely day socialising with friends. Lots of chatting, laughter, tea drinking, and kid's chatter and play = a perfect day, and one that I think of fondly.

I shall leave you with a picture of our newest addition to the family. Meet kitten (yet to be named). We love him to bits already, he is such a character!

Tomorrow we are cat goodie shopping and insurance organising :)

Happy Sunday :)

I don't have a great deal to report.  Our Sunday wasn't exactly filled with any great excitement or interest.  It was just a normal, mundane day.  We started off with a quick visit and snoop around to the local car boot sale.  No such bargains as last week I'm afraid, so a bit of a waste of time.  Still, I do love that early morning walk, when the day hasn't quite woken up fully, and there are many people still resting their weary heads.

We headed for home, and I cleaned and tidied (but how long will it stay that way???)  the kids' room downstairs, put Oscar (rabbit) out in his run on the lawn, and came in to rest. Imagine my surprise when I foud chelsea had tidied her bedroom and got the workbooks out.

Yes, that's her on a SUNDAY morning - ???

The rest of the day was spent playing outside, using the laptops, shopping at the supermarket (too busy, never again!), and discussing solutions to our one car family problem.  Husband needs the car to get to his work.  It's a two bus journey and because the journey doesn't fit nicely into one zone - it would cost £22 a week on bus fares.  Considering it's costing around £15 in petrol for the car per week, and well, bus travel isn't exactly cost effective is it?  But then, for me to go anywhere here with the children on the bus costs a fortune - just 15 minutes in either direction and they ask for almost £12.  Oh what to do, what to do, what to do?

My lovely, gorgeous, fabulous husband's suggestion?  He will buy a little moped for going to work on.  At £15 a year to tax, cheap to insure, and petrol thirst kept to a minimum, it's a fabulous solution - freeing me up to galavant around in the car with the children to our hearts content.  No more missing out on the Home-Ed trips.  No more feeling guilty as friends can only visit our house as we can't afford to pay the bus fare to theirs, no more cabin fever!

So the hunt is on for a cheapie little reliable moped :)

What else did we do - erm, oh we watched a recorded episode of Clash of the Dinosaurs.  Callum really loves that program and asks if it's on daily.  I'm not wholly convinced by the scientific explanations - lots seem to be based on guesswork and possibilities - but if it keeps the little man entertained (and the graphics and computer generated footage fascinates the rest of us), I'm more than happy.

So there you go, a rather lack lustre and mundane Sunday, but I still thought I would share it with you as a snippet of view into my life :)

I guess it's time for an update...

I honestly and truly don't know where the time is going. We have been pretty busy going out and about, lots of appointments to keep, visiting to do, general organising to be done, and the days are passing us by as great speed.
I have really developed a passion for photography, and Chelsea seems to have caught the bug too - so the two have us have been trawling the lanes and local area for things to capture with our cameras. I often think that the saying "a picture is a thousand words" is so true, so I'll let the photos do the talking...

(In no particular order...)

We have been to The Ness Beach in Shaldon. To get to it you have to take a stroll through the old Smugglers Tunnel. This photo makes the tunnel look quite eerie, but actually it's well lit :)

Then we went to Decoy Park on the way home :)



On another day, we went to a beautiful part of Dartmoor called Holne. We picnicked, played and paddled - including the dog :)



We went to a "Not back to School" picnic, that was held in Totnes, and blew bubbles :) The children made front page news of the local paper.

Tiegan really enjoyed blowing bubbles and did it all around the town.



We visited Berry Pomeroy Castle at Totnes which is about 20 minutes drive away from here. I loved the photo opportunities that arose there...










We have been to Dawlish and fed the ducks :)


and taken photos of the flowers in my mums garden :)


Added to this trips to the library, lots of reading and discussions, art and crafty type thingys, and basically lots of love sharing - things are going pretty darn well for us right now :)