Back to da old skool!

We are home educating again. I feel both relief and trepidation about going back to it. After one year in school I cannot say that Caden has learned very much at all. He has definitely learned that school expects conformity. He has learned some cursive writing. He has learned that some kids are horrible bullies and other kids are nice. His self-esteem has suffered without question and some work now has to be done to build that back up, he has a nervousness to him that he didn't have before and he has shown signs of bullying his siblings in a way that he has experienced at school from one girl in particular. This isn't something I want for him in his life, I can provide a much better education for him than this.  He has become better at French of course and he has missed out on hours and hours of time with me and Miles and also his Dad, who although in England we could have visited more regularly with the cheaper 'term time' air fares. In all, I feel that school has not been as beneficial to him either personally or educationally than home education was. The trepidation comes from knowing how much work I still have to do on the house to get it ready for renting out next Summer with decorating and repairing work. The relief comes from knowing how much I loved home educating and how I now feel sure that I am not farming out any of my parental responsibility to the chances that the state will do a good job.

Part of the problem when I first moved to France was a lack of 'tribe' in this area. I didn't have a network of friends, the children didn't know other children. That has changed in the last year. Funnily enough, not as a result of the children that the boys have met at their school but as a result of my own networking and friends I have made around this local area. So there is no need to worry about 'socialisation' now. They see other friends regularly and  will join in with local French groups so they will get the opportunity to speak French still.

I have renewed Caden's subscription to conquer maths and Miles is going great guns on reading eggs. I also will take more time to read to them, though Caden ploughs through the books alone now. Also I have invested in plenty of art supplies and we will go back to our raw fooding in a partial way. I am so looking forward to travelling with them and teaching and discovering the world with them again.

Miles ride solo! yay!

Jan and I took all 4 children out cycling. Caden tried out his new bike from his Dad and Grandad! Alo note the wolf ears helmet! Important notage! 

Miles has the chinese dragon helmet and (sound the trumpets) This is the first time he has ridden a bike! Da, da, da, da, da, daaaaaa! 

Bella has her new bike! and a new frozen helmet!

Marc has his new bike! and the shark helmet!

After the cycling we took them to mini golf. 

They played a little fussball!

Bella & Marc's joint Amazeballs Birthday party!

Isabella and Marc have their birthdays in July so we did a joint 'dressing up/disco' party for them at the Suris bar. All their friends came and everyone had fun! Marc was 6 and Bella was 8

I took Bella out for a burger and milkshake with the family and bought her a desigual dress which she chose herself! Marc enjoyed his party and his birthday was two weeks later.