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Reviewing this past 'school' year

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Because we always spend our entire summer away, we almost follow regular school years - things finish up before the summer and it's time for a review, then summer is for me a time to consider options and think ahead to the next 'school' year.  This year, the kids are almost 11 and 9 years old. If in school, they'd be going into Y7 and Y6 next September.  Stopped at a cafe after shopping - I didn't ask or require them to read, they just do. The year past At Home As we wrap up the 2024/25 school year, I see that some of my decisions for this year were at least partly driven by comparison and, with that, fear of missing out. I felt that it was time for them to have a regular discipline of work, as that's what their peers in school do, so we signed up for Kumon Maths. Kumon is a programme coming out of Asia (Hong Kong? Japan? Korea?) which promises training in mental maths. The idea is that kids repeat, repeat, repeat - maths problems they are already somewhat famil...
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Early Summer 2024

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Before we fly off to Vienna, here's a post of things we've been up to as the weather has heated up - it really feels like summer is coming, although of course I know we'll still be hit hard by the Vienna heat... British heat just doesn't compare! Adventures on and in the water For something completely different that we'd never done before, we booked into a cruise on the Paddle Steamer Waverley - going from the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel over to Clevedon and back (about 90 minutes each way). The kids went from being very apprehensive about being on a boat - because what if it sinks! - to actually having a great time. Helped in no small part by a friendly dog sat right next to us, who was actually the highlight of the trip for the kids. Mr. and I did enjoy the ride too though! Yes, our hound came too! Sunset ashore at Clevedon Goodbye and good night, Waverley! Another activity on the water has been a five-week sailing course in the floating harbour. Couldn'...
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My littl'un is nine

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Today marks nine years of this incredible boy... and as I do every year, it's time to sing his praises. Not hard to do. We celebrated him yesterday, Sunday, by having our by now traditional first BBQ of the year. The grandparents, some old friends and some newer friends from church as well as our friend Daniel (who's become their honorary uncle) came over to celebrate and D had the best time. Gifts are definitely one of his major love languages, and he felt very loved! Daniel put the cherry on the proverbial cake at the end of the celebrations by presenting him with the biggest birthday card ever, which featured not only D's face - which he couldn't stop laughing about for minutes! - but also a poem he'd written just for D. What a gift! Look carefully at the front of his huge card...! Just brilliant Gifts!! Today, we visited Legoland, which has also become a birthday tradition by now and much looked forward to.  So - let me talk about the boy. At this point, he is a...
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Spring 2025

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 Just checking in with a smorgasbord of activities we've filled our time with - there's a number of big events and holidays coming up, but these past few weeks have been low key and routine. And that's really where life happens, isn't it. So here's a roundup of things we have been doing as the weather has finally improved. First - a big one - my sister from Vienna spent a couple of days with us as she was visiting the UK! Fun times, we took her to Slimbridge Bird Sanctuary and we had brilliant weather, a wonderful time together. Now my kids are counting down to when they'll see her again this summer... A few new things we've tried lately - a circus skills workshop where we learned to juggle, spin plates and play with various circus implements; plus, the kids have started a sailing course in the floating harbour - much more enjoyed by N(10) than D(8), but I'll keep them at it for the moment because D might still come around. It's a weekly course that ...
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