Introductions

Hello to everyone from us all ... Mummy King (Amanda), Caden 5 and Miles 2

 

This is my first blog as an official home educator. My eldest son Caden was 5 last weekend over the Easter break and would have been at school compulsorily from this Tuesday when the kids went back. He was due to start reception last year but for various reasons we decided it was the wrong time for him to start school. Caden is bright, funny and loving. He is adventurous and intense and when he gets into something he immerses himself in that 'something' and it becomes his passion, until the next new thing comes along. He is happy and interested in the world around him and has a persistence about him which will serve him well as an adult ;)

Looking rather serene surrounded by a happy land city we made

So far in his first half a year of sort of official home educating (I guess his peers had already started reception) we have done LOADS! He has learned to read, fairly fluently though he comes to me with words that he doesn't know. So now that's out of the way I feel sort of relieved as its one of the biggies! The other biggies are writing; he seems to be doing just fine with that and he often writes labels on work he does as I plan to show on this blog, maths; again Caden seems to have a handle on it and his maths whizz program puts his maths age at 6.5 fwiw; and then another language (I consider it important that he has at least one other language) which in our case is German and which he knows many words and is coming along nicely although informally with. For me to happily home educate and not feel anxious I need to feel the basics here are being met but this 'formal' aspect of learning takes up a tiny portion of their time. As its all one on one, a lot gets done in 30 minutes a day and the rest is for being outdoors, crafting, playing and enjoying life without the restrictions of being in an institution.

My other son Miles is 2 and the most jolly, fun and cute fella! He brings joy and light into our lives and Caden and Miles have a very close relationship which could be for a number of reasons including because they tandem nursed, because we live rurally and they play with each other mostly at home, because they don't go to school and so haven't been encouraged to view one another in terms of age segregation and therefore hierarchy ;) who knows! They just get on so well and it's a joy to see them play together and be so happy together. Long may it last!

 

Here is Miles looking like he is listening to something

 

Here are some photos of things we have done over this last week.

Bubble machine in the garden, that's Caden trying to shoot the bubbles with his birthday bow and arrow. Miles running all over the garden catching them, it was very windy!

 

 

Catching fishes in the lake at stock grove park near our house. They love to get dead reed stalks, long ones with a curve at the end and catch fishes. (Poke them around in the silt at the bottom).

 

In the bushes at the woods together. Playing hide and seek!

 

 

Climbing trees. Even miles had a go this time. He is getting very confident physically lately. Caden is traditionally the daredevil, he will fearlessly climb trees, touch slugs etc.

 

Symmetrical acrylics painted butterfly

We also visited a butterfly farm in Stratford on Avon which sadly I have no photos of but this is the work the boys did when we got home.

A symmetrical butterfly painted with acrylics and a symmetrical spider with glued jewels on its thorax and 8 googley eyes and acrylic painted legs. Caden was particularly happy with his spider and pointed out that you could see the line of symmetry down the back.

The bird eating spider we saw....

Miles also made salad...

These are the different clippings we took from the wild hedgerows on our dog walk, with blackthorn, sycamore, ivy and Hawthorne to see them grow and observe what changes occur.

Here is a good photo of us all about a year ago where miles was being carried on my back. I loved carrying my baby everywhere. He's so big now but I still carry him whenever I can.

 

 

 

Okay so for the record this blog is both a record for me to remember and reminisce. It is also for friends and family to keep up to date with the boys even if they aren't able to be involved in their lives much and it is also proof that we are providing an education to any LEA if they ever want to see what kind of an education the boys are getting. A kind of diary and insurance too ;)

 

If anyone else enjoys reading my blog and is inspired by the things we do then that is a happy bonus! :)

From the Kings!

 

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