A stroll to the chalk pit

We've had a lovely couple of days here. Yesterday it got cold again - well, not cold but it felt freezing after the hot weather of the last couple of weeks. The kids played at Jarvis's, the last day before he goes to school full time. Freddie will be bereft.

I made an enormous ragu with the leftover roast beef, enough for 6 meals! I froze 4, and we'll have 2 later in the week with rice. I almost prefer that to the original roast *yum*.

In the afternoon we went to the garden centre. I picked up some seed potatoes half price. It's late to put them in but I'm sure they'll be fine.

In the cafe I took advantage of the others going to the little soft play area to think about Freddie. He's regularly complaining of boredom, and is really going to miss having Jarvis to play with most days.

I made a list of the things that he likes the best:

I checked it with him and he had nothing to add. So I somehow want to work his favourite things in to our every day, whilst thinking about Meg's naps and Betsy's wants. Hmm. I'm going to spend some time mulling this over. I joined a couple of unschooling lists (alwayslearning and unschoolingbasics) to help me. I feel like we're in a transition to something closer to unschooling, but am increasingly feeling that I could do with some serious deschooling! Again, will be mulling this over.

Betsy hung out with me for a while, making me a nice cup of tea.


Today was our home ed co-op day. We went to Joelle's in the morning for a play with Archie. They had a ball in the garden with the hose.

At the co-op about half the families were away (3 were moving house, something of a coincidence). We decided to leave the planned stuff and play outside instead.

Meg had a little al fresco boob.


We played some parachute games.


Then we took a walk to the chalk pit, just a short way down a lane.

It was fab. The kids climbed up a 'cliff' (according to Freddie)

and they found a big mountain of the chalk to scramble up.


We took a big chunk home with us.

Meg (teething, poor love) was out of sorts and really tired by the end, thank goodness for wraps!


We'd left Rob at home to get on with some jobs. He put up skirting boards, hoovered everywhere and took my pea seedlings to the allotment on the bike.
Here they are planted up with foraged pea sticks.