It wasn't meant to be a day off

Today has been a write-off in terms of school. This whole week is set to be, actually.

This morning, we had a dental appointment in Morpeth, so we took a picnic and planned to be out at least all morning, if not all day. More on that later.

As for later in the week, cousins are coming, from afar, who we rarely see, so I guess a lot of our time will be socialising with them. Which is great and valuable of course, but not 'school'. So my trial is being utterly skewed by the very fact that it is the holidays.

Ordinarily, if we were doing home ed all the time, the odd day off (or indeed a planned week or two off) would be fine. It's just bad luck that at least one out of my precious four weeks is being high-jacked. I'm not sure if the little time we have is enough for a true trial.

Interestingly, Francesca commented last night that she wants to be with me and do home ed but that she wants to be with her friend who goes to school. Her solution was that we could ask her friend's mum if she would do home ed too. I suggested other ways that we could continue to spend lots of time with her friend and she was partially convinced. I'm glad, though, to have positive feedback about the home-school from the key participant!

Anyway, today.

Just as we arrived in Morpeth, Francesca was sick in her own lap. We screeched to a halt outside some smart flats and I ejected the sicky child onto the verge where she was duly stripped of her only outfit.

Luckily, luckily! a kind resident (who I was blocking in with my hasty could-we-call-it parking) asked if she could help. She let Francesca go into her flat and have a bath!! whilst she minded Elizabeth and thank-goodness-he-was-asleep Sebastian. Then she leant us some of her granddaughter's clothes so that we could get to the dentist.

Which we did. No problems there. We went via M&S to get Francesca an outfit that really fitted.

After the dentist we went to the park for our picnic lunch and did some of this:

And then found this:

And this:

The girls absolutely loved the bouncy slide. It was "SO fun!" and on a par with the teacup ride we last found in Morpeth.

Then I had had enough. I was hot and tired and headachey. We went for a coffee and then bought some flowers to take to our kind lady. I wonder if her heart did a little sink of dread when she saw us at the door again?! This time returning clothes and giving flowers.

Back home, I was exhausted and still had a headache. Nevermind, I suggested that we hadn't done any school yet.

Elizabeth, who had yesterday declared, "Mummy, I want to learn to write!" decided to get her writing things out. We started with her wipe-down literacy book and then graduated to forming letters on handwriting paper, which she loved. She kept saying, "I'm really writing!!" which was very rewarding.

Then she got one of Francesca's reading books and I helped her to read it. Actually, I read it, but she kind of thought she did, which is the main thing.

Francesca didn't want to do any English or Maths, instead opting for colouring in her Gruffalo activity book. I was too tired to protest, so she just did nice quiet colouring which was a pleasant, if not scholarly, end to the day.

Elizabeth wanted me to take a picture of her writing to show daddy, so here it is, daddy!

Tomorrow should be quite available for school, here's hoping. I want to do our science investigation and get through some actual maths and English 'work'.