Syd and Strawberries

Syd on one of his walkabouts

Our poor little Syd is a bit under the weather. He's off his grub and is not his usual perky, nice self. He's actually very grumpy. He's currently nestling away in my posh, hessian washbasket with bedding and food and within full view of the tv. Think the poor chap may have a chill due to the weather turning from hot to torrential. Or maybe he's lonely and needing the love of a good bunny? Or maybe he just likes living inside where he can be with us all (favourite past time being lazing on the sofa next to us)....If so, shall have to do something about his bodily aroma!! Maybe I could be lucky enough to find a decent second hand conservatory on ebay for a tenner so he could live in that..mmmm..I have a spare tv he could watch. Lol...can just imagine people going "eeeeeeeww!" at the thought of that.

We made a vegan strawberry cheesecake today, which was delicious. Did manage to take a photo of it, but blogger isn't playing ball at the mo and I can't figure out how to get it to go the right way up. Where's there a photographer or a mac expert when you need one, eh?


Junior with scrumptious vegan strawberry cheesecake. She's scoffed most of it!! Sorry if you get neck-ache from looking!

Well, birthday day went ok. Lots of cards, etc.

Son no 1 cooked a meal for us, which was very nice. Saw my mum (courtesy of Son no 1), who made a huge fuss of us all and then Junior and I toddled on to see Son no 2, who was at his girlfriend's place. Lovely to see everyone...except I did not feel too good and, therefore, not too sociable, plus it was too hot. Not been feeling well lately so this little episode didn't help and by the time we got home, courtesy of Debs zooming up the M1 - son's maybe future MIL - I was feeling positively very ill. Orbiting head, stomach elsewhere, stiff neck, feeling sick. So, dd and I just crashed out on the sofas till morning!!



My lot posing.....and doesn't everyone have a copy of the Periodic Table on their kitchen cupboard?

Happy birthday for today, Hannah!!

Junior has been sketching fish! We were gifted a huge aquarium, which is still not occupied. Do we have fish or African land snails...or nothing? Shall have to think about this. Tropical fish would be a huge investment but good education-wise...water temps, ph, which fish get on together, blahdeblah. I would love sea horses, but they are just so specialised. Def no reptiles!!



Junior's drawings. Not bad!



We supported our local community and attended the local plant fayre today and came back laden with goodies. Plenty of plants, especially courgettes to replace those eaten by our local snails! Plus, there was the customary table top sale and we came away with carrier bags full of games (some educational!) and jigsaws. Got a pottery wheel for 50p. Guess what we'll be doing for the next few weeks!!

Plant Fayre Booty!!


Need to sort out the focus on my camera. Perhaps it would help if I read the instructions!! Note to self...go see optician.

OLD AGE

You know, this growing old mullarky isn't all it's cracked up to be!! Bones creaking, menopause to look forward to - oh joy!.. plus added attraction of chin hair appearing. Then the memory goes AWOL. Some days I think I'm doing well if I can remember my name!! Ever go into a room or upstairs and forget why you went there? Well, happens all the time here in Min Land., Still, as the saying goes, there's always someone worse off (or older) than me!! lol.

Well, tomorrow I am officially VERY OLD - the big half century !! I was hoping that I could just stick my head in something and forget about it. Alas, 'tis not to be as Son no 1 and girlfriend have arrived from down south just to rub it in a bit more!! Actually, it's very nice of them to take time off work and drive up all this way and give old mother a prod, just to ensure that I'm still breathing and all that! lol. So, being eternally grateful, I let them have my bed and I tucked myself up on the sofa last night and watched a documentary on Scott Walker - he of Walker Brothers fame; the same Scott Walker with deep, make yer knees wobble singing voice! Ahhh! Apparently, David Bowie and other cult figures credit him with being the inventor of 21st century music (weird stuff). He is, by all accounts, Mr Cool in the world of the Cool!

Before I hit 40 I was determined to get fit and slim...didn't quite go to plan (embarassed look..sorry, macs don't have these hip emoticons..and if they do I don't know where to get them from. Well, in all probability, someone may have told me and I will have conveniently FORGOTTEN!!!!). Actually, I overdid the get slim/fit jobby and got thin and very ill. So, I thought...I'll try again (get fit and slim the proper way) for the next big landmark birthday.....nope..am still a podge/walking eclipse, blah, blah....sigh.. Maybe there is hope for the next big one, seeing as I've discovered the delights of belly dancing!! :O)) Time shall tell.

Invite to contribute to EO's work on the consultation

EO Members may also want to participate in discussion with Members of the Government Policy Group in the Government Consultation Area of the EO Members Forum.

The Consultation encourages responses particulary from "home educators and local authorities" : there are more of us than them! We need to ensure that the overwhelming majority of responses are from our community, and that the many points, issues, questions and frustrations that we have all felt over the years are raised during this consultation on these guidelines. Leaving aside the thorny issue of whether or not Guidelines will be produced, effective, useable or make any positive contribution to LA/HE relationships in the future, this is still a chance to get our views known, and recorded, which is at least a step forward.

The first question is:

"Do you agree that it is helpful for the DfES to issue guidelines to local authorities? "

Fiona Nicholson, Chair of EO GPG

For and on behalf of

EO Government Policy Group
governmentpolicy@ education-otherwise .org

Ahed Press Release

PROPOSALS WERE “UNWORKABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE” SAYS ACTION FOR HOME EDUCATION AS CONSULTATION REPORT COMES IN.

The DfES has published a summary of responses to the consultation on defining full-time education in independent schools. [1] The consultation drew damning comments from AHEd [2] in February as "fundamentally flawed, highly misleading and risks adversely affecting home educators by inadvertently or intentionally redefining a school". [3]

AHEd's consultation response [4] declared that AHEd members and the wider home education community would powerfully challenge any efforts by government to threaten the traditional rights and freedoms of all parents to choose the where, when and how of their children's education. The summary of responses from the DfES shows stiff opposition with at least ninety four percent of respondents not able to agree to any part of the government's proposals.



AHEd members are glad to see that the proposals received overwhelming rejection and claim that this result highlights the strength of feeling against over-regulation of provision where parents have elected to take full responsibility for their children's education. However, the DfES overview states that they are now exploring the best way to proceed to achieve the Government’s objective of ensuring clarity as to what kind of provision should be regulated. Home educators, including those who use tutorial services or meet to share educational activities, hope this means the DfES will now stop trying to regulate their private arrangements.


AHEd Chair Mrs Barbara Stark, said, "Home education is very different from school education and it is simply not fitting to try to impose school regulation upon home educating families. Home educating parents are well informed about their responsibilities and are already well regulated by the requirements of the Education Act 1996 which provides for local authorities to challenge them where a child is at risk of not receiving a suitable education. The consultation has born out what our members knew all along, that the proposals are unworkable and unacceptable, and we hope the Department now also recognises this "



ENDS

TOLD YOU!!! - This is for my older kids!!!

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

There will be certain members of our family who will be peeing their pants when they read this.

You Would Choose Love

Money may buy a little happiness, but not the happiness of true love. You rather have a true soulmate than a private jet. And while many people may claim they would choose love too... You're one of the few who would really do it.

Would You Choose Love or Money?