Who’s Normal Anyway?

A went away walking and climbing in Scotland with some friends for a long weekend, setting off Friday morning. So on Friday we did that great cure all for fed-up-ness - shopping! LOL We went into town at lunchtime and got a McDonalds and then went all round the shops. I wanted to get a navy skirt to go with my Scout Leader shirt for things like the St George’s Day parade and other ceremony things but didn’t fancy the official one so I tried lots on and found one eventually. M got a new hooded sweatshirt with some room in the arms and the length for him to grow. He’s in age 10 stuff at the moment but I had to order him size 11-12 for some waterproof trousers for his cub camp - can’t keep up with him L was treated to a Brio builder set of a wooden car with very simple pegs and a hammer to fix it together. But mainly we had a wander around out in the sunshine without getting cross at each other.

On Saturday the weather was gorgeous and so I made some sandwiches and sorted out drinks and snacks and we went out caching in Thetfrd forest. There were several caches within walking distance but the first we tried was close to a road and we realised a car had drawn up near is and we were being watched which was unpleasant, so we walked on and left it. Then we tried another cache with clues which we solved OK but then couldn’t find the location they were leading to. We walked around in the woods a while but the tree cover was interfering and we couldn’t figure the cache out even with the clue so we abandoned that for another day. We then went on to find a micro cache (film canister) though, so not a complete failure. L walked quite a way copying M with finding sticks to carry. Then we walked back to the car and had a picnic before driving home for the loo!

In the evening we had “taco and film night” at M’s request. His latest DVD had come that morning from Amazon so I made the taco meat, warmed the shells and did cheese and lettuce then we assembled everything and ate in front of the TV. We watched Narnia for the first time - why did they have to fiddle with the story? Seemed like they just reduced it down to Edmund not being obedient and changed bits there was no need to change. But anyway, we still enjoyed it.

Yesterday we went to Church in the morning and chatted to people. L went off with the other kids to Sunday school quite happily. Still can’t get used to how different he is to M! He went in and we found a toy he liked and then I left him there and went back to the service. He reportedly coloured quite happily. He does love fiddling with pens and pencils so I’m sure he did. LOL

The weather was still lovely so in the afternoon we went out in the garden and I sorted out and planted some seeds and M dug a big hole in the veggie patch for ages. He said he was training to be the next Tony Robinson but only found a bit of broken plastic plant pot. He and L also played with the swing ball for a bit and chased about.

And today we are just getting through the day without getting too mad with each other and waiting for A to get back - probably about tea time. M has Cubs this evening. L has just started a cold and has a very runny nose and keeps sneezing all over everything - nice!

We didn’t get anything much done on Thursday morning. M was tired from 3 late nights in a row and feeling tearful. I was planning on sewing badges onto A’s and M’s camp blankets as they were pinned on but not stitched, so M wanted to look at those and my old Guider one. But he got upset about whether he would ever be a Sixer at Cubs and would he ever be a Scout and would he ever be a Scouter like Daddy and got quite worked up about it all and about Daddy having more badges on his.

After lunch we drove off to the leisure centre for the new group. We arrived when it was due to start but as all home ed events, no one was there. Shortly we did meet one family and said hello. There was a large hall for racing about in and some girls were on rollerskates so M thought he might take his along another time. Then off the side of the hall was a smaller hall with some large soft play pieces and then a small wooden climbing frame. The soft play stuff was mainly used for jumping on and for climbing up to throw yourself at a long triangle shape stood high on end so that it fell over with a huge “whop” with the child on top of it and hopefully no small child (or larger one for that matter!) beneath it! This room was where the teenage boys hung out and all the other parents mainly stayed away. I stayed in there to keep an eye on L who couldn’t be expected to be wary (yet at least) of the falling soft play stuff! He had a go on the wooden climbing frame.

M ran about with his friend S and seemed to be having fun but then my attention was finally drawn to the fact he was about to have a punch up with some of the other boys! He and S were building with 2 soft play pieces and some of the regular boys decided they wanted all of it to build a big pile to sit in in one corner and took the pieces M and S had. M says he tried to tell me before but I hadn’t really taken in what he was telling me and was paying more attention to what L was up to. But whatever, glowering at someone and trying to snatch back the piece and fighting over it is not a good way to act and I told him to come away. His friend had just walked away and not got mad. So M was angry at the boys and angry at me and I was very embarrassed he could get into a big row on our first visit to a strange group. Although in hindsight its not fair or logical, I felt like why couldn’t he just back down and keep out of the way as he was the new person. Really he needed me to intervene somehow much earlier, before things got so far.

The parent we met when we first arrived came over and said boys will be boys (along those lines anyway) and the other parents just left them to it and wanted them to sort it out themselves - wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be reassuring that it was fine for him to fight or warning me off interfering.

I noticed there were no other under 5s so parents didn’t need to be helping small children and of the boys, M must have been one of the youngest. He might look like he’s 10 or 11 but he is only 8 and of course he still needs guidance and help in resolving things, but I don’t think I helped at all.

Apart from the first person we met when we arrived and the parents of S and also the person collecting the money, no one else said a word to us. I do find these Norfolk things very hard. People are quite standoffish and speak to their little clique, even when you’ve been going to things for ages. I can’t sit and try and join in with the other parents all sat along the edge of the big hall and leave L to the mercies of the big kids with the whopping soft play pieces! So I potter with him, can’t see very well how things are going with M and it’s hard.

The second hour was swimming and both M and L love being in the water. M can swim well enough to swim about and I do my best to keep an eye on where he is, though that is hard while keeping watch on what L is up to - he moves so fast! So I followed L and M swam with S for a while and got upset about getting stuck in the rapids. I tried to take him round but he ended up pulling me out of my depth so I had to swim, very hampered by carrying L at the same time, so I shan’t be trying that again. Then M got upset about me saying we needed to go home soon to get tea because I was going out, while other people were going to stay for chips. I felt like there was just no pleasing him!

We stayed long enough for a quick drink and a packet of crisps and a chat with S’s family and then drove home. By then it was rush hour and the traffic home was bad so we got back later than I’d hoped. I rushed about getting tea. A was out at a camp planning meeting til about 20 mins before I needed to go out. He came in and asked about our day and I ended up having a blazing row about it all with the whole frustration of everything. I got a pounding headache and didn’t go out, and I really upset M. So terrible day really.

If M wants to go to that group again then I suppose we will, but I feel very “take it or leave it” with the home ed scene at the moment. If we do go back I’ll suggest taking his roller blades and work out in advance with him what we are going to do such as staying for chips and going in the rapids. I’m not sure what we got out of it overall. L liked trying out the climbing frame I suppose and M got to see his friend S and both L and M got to swim which is rare lately. It’s not really likely to enhance our social circle because of where people travel from and the whole cliquey thing and we can go swimming other times so we’ll see. There may be more home ed boys and boys closer to M’s age in Norfolk and there are more organised activities, but overall I think I much preferred being in Yorkshire.

This week has been pretty busy. Monday was an at home day and M did some more of his Cricket in Times Square stuff. Then he had Cubs in the evening. I spent alot of Monday sorting out Beavers paperwork for 2 different trips they are going on but which parents appear to have combined in their heads making getting the right forms in and signed and what-have-you on time a bit difficult. Then in the evening while L was asleep and M was out I drew a life size picture of a Beaver (less said about my artistic skills the better) for our Tuesday meeting all about the beaver animal.

We had music on Tuesday afternoon so in the morning we did some maths and things quickly then went out to the supoermarket near the music class to do the shopping and get some lunch. Music is the best bunch of home edders we mix with regularly and the teacher from the Norfolk music service is lovely, but the class doesn’t seem to be progressing at all lately. I’m not sure if he is working to the new people or the younger ones, but every week they just repeat almost exactly the content of the lesson before. I don’t know how I would like them to develop but it feels like they have stalled and I would like for M to learn more about music as he enjoys it so much. He wants to keep going to the group regardless though. L has fun there too, sometimes sitting with me and listening but also doing colouring and this week he was trying out some happy mais too. In the evening I went out to Beavers while M, L and A went off to rollerskating. When I got home we had pizza.

I can’t remember now what we did on Wednesday other than me sorting out more paperwork and money from Beavers and M being excited about the thought of going to a “sports” come swimming home ed group the next day, so I phoned to get more details about it and let them know we were planning on coming. In the evening M had ju jitsu.

And the rest of the week will have to wait til I have time to type it!

Last week started off quite well and then went downhill rapidly And I started writing this and then had it in draft for ages, so now I’m forgetting the details lol.

On Monday M started Beyond Five in a Row with the book A Cricket in Times Square. So far that’s been going really well - it’s like FIAR but with a chapter book and slightly more involved activities to do based on the chapters in the story. We have much more successful mornings when I have some things planned. L pottered about as usual. He is very into felt tip pens at the moment and decorates all sorts of things with them, though not often things we’d like to have decorated with pen lol. Monday evening was Cubs for M. They’re doing an ongoing project about the environment and global concerns at the moment.

Tuesday was a busy day. We did a few things at home then rushed out to the supermarket for food for the week. We got some lunch there and went on to music, which this week was a samba session. The teacher had everyone joining in so L and I were on cow bells (though after initial enthusiasm he wandered off to the table and the colouring things) and M was on a tamborine. We learnt some rhythms and marched around the hall playing together. In the evening M, L and A went to rollerskating and I had Beavers. This week went much better than last - must’ve been testing us last week I think. Also we didn’t have as much to fit in this week (the week before we had a swimming up ceremony and lots to remember) so everything was calmer.

On Tuesday evening L went to bed OK but woke up burning hot and cranky just before I went to bed. We ended up dosing him up with ibuprofen (he won’t take paracetamol usually and even the ibuprofen takes alot of coaxing and I often end up wearing it!) and had a rough night.

By Wednesday he was not himself at all, very hot and upset and couldn’t sleep without being held. I think he had a sore throat and he had trouble swallowing. That evening he started with a rash too. He was also pretty bad on Thursday so we were all tired and fed up of staying in the house. I can’t remember Friday now, but I think he was starting to improve a bit.

Saturday morning I was desperate to go somewhere and do something other than sit and feed and cuddle L and L was more perky and getting his appetite back. We had a drive out to pick up some Scout stuff and visited a new garden centre which we’ve only ever driven past before. It had a good range of all the gardeny things we usually look for and L pottered about the plants happily. Their cafe was also very good so we had drinks and cakes in there before coming home.