dottyspots

“I’ve cleaned the bathroom.”

“That’s very kind of you. With what?”

“Your toothbrush.”

Maybe not so kind then…

… I’ve been working my way through this blog - I’m not jealous, honest
Edit:Her husband makes beautiful hobby horses!

As I was waiting for the screen to load to start typing, Gilbert landed, all claws out into my side and is currently trying to eat the back of the chair behind me…

I’ve taken delivery of some lovely organic children’s clothes for Ninny Noodle Noo. I sold one of the dresses pretty much straight out of the box as a friend turned up as I was checking the delivery. Below is a pic. of the tees, although I only have a couple of colours - however, if there’s any colour or size anyone wants, I’d be happy to order, I’ve already got a few enquiries for different sizes, so it looks like I may place another order soon.

I realise it’s been a little while since I blogged anything of substance, but it is because we’ve just been so very busy! My mum came to visit for a few days, bringing Erk back with her (he’d been staying with her on the farm for a few weeks). We visited York, the first time the children and I have been. We went to the Jorvik Viking Centre, which the children really enjoyed.

Mum & Ned

So many wonderful shops to look in and it’s only 25mins away on the train! I’m really keen to save up for some glassware I saw in a shop, statuettes of Odin and Baldur and also a piece called ‘Two Souls’ - also the most lovely glass plates, I’ll have to dig out the link as I took the details for their website.

We went for a picnic in Sandal Beat Woods today. Lots of blackberries everywhere (really must go back and have a picking session, was kicking myself I didn’t think to bring anything).

There were loads of fungi of various sorts:

I’d love to go on a guided mushroom walk to learn more about them (or rather I’d like to know which ones are edible so I can eat them!)

Anyway, dinner is now calling!

Rebecca from What Did You Do In School Today? has tagged me.

1) ONE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK YOU HAVE ENJOYED
The Christopherus Waldorf Curriculum Overview for Homeschoolers from Christopherus.

2) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULDN’T BE WITHOUT
T’internet – it’s great!

3) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER BOUGHT
None, but then I didn’t rush out and buy I took my time and sort of ‘came to’ what feels right atm.

4) ONE RESOURCE YOU ENJOYED LAST YEAR
All the art & craft stuff we have – and we’ll continue to enjoy them this year.

5) ONE RESOURCE YOU WILL BE USING NEXT YEAR
T’internet (again). For the Roman block we will be using: “Famous Men of Rome” which is online at the Baldwin project.

6) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY
Live Education, it does look lovely.

7) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH EXISTED
Languages – I’d love for my children to learn a different language in a way other than software and tapes. I’d like them to have the opportunity to learn songs and stories, etc.

8) ONE HOMESCHOOLING CATALOGUE YOU ENJOY READING
I didn’t know they existed. I admit to getting a lot of books from Amazon. Again, I find Christopherus books really good for suggesting further resources.

9) ONE HOMESCHOOLING WEBSITE YOU USE REGULARLY
I don’t really need to. I would recommend Education Otherwise, HE-UK and Muddle Puddle (for younger children). A great resource for waldorf-inspired home-education is Waldorf Homeschoolers.

I’m putting together a website for Pagan families, called Hearth and Home Education (submissions welcome – plus I’ve added a forum, which needs people to be ok-ed to join and the topics should be visible to members only for privacy).

10) TAG FIVE OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS
Sarah (I Think You’re Bonkers)
Rosie (Knitting Yoghurt)
Tech (The Woodland Path)
Elderfaery (Growing Wild Like a Tree)
By Other Means.

This site has some wonderful doll patterns - but it’s worth just looking at the pictures too (under patterns)!

……. talented people with eatable blog design.

Like Heather Bailey. Jealous? Moi? Humph

I’ve been wasting a goodly amount of time (that I could’ve spent finishing a sock) having a look and being very inspired by some of the fab blogs that are out there. Do go and visit her blog, it’s not only lovely to look at, but interesting too!

Linked to from there is: Wee Wonderfuls with some truly wonderful wee creations!

Enjoy!

……. the cheek of some people! One of my neighbouring allotmenteers is giving up his allotment and wants £75 (!) for the fence or he’s taking it with him to sell for scrap. Unsurprisingly I said no (as I can’t see him getting anywhere near £75 for it as scrap) but it’s still bloody annoying as it means my allotment (all the allotments on the plot are fenced) will be open to anyone to come on until someone new takes over and puts a fence on the front, so I’ve had to move my tools and hope nothing gets vandalised.

Hmph!

More potatoes and shedloads of beetroot today, so will definetely be pickling beetroot tomorrow and MUST make some pumpkin marmalade out of the squashes Kris brought round.

I bought some more books from the market - an encyclopedia of the British Countryside, an atlas of historical maps and some children’s books.

I’m still knitting a sock (eventually to be 2 socks, but I’ve got to finish the first one yet) using some lovely yarn from the Knitting Goddess (I’ll post a link when I’ve got a photo of the yarn). It’s a distraction from the pram blanket which was boring me a little and I *still* need to finish the rosette I’m making from the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed I felted.

I’ve sewn the front and back of some denim trousers for Ned, my first attempt at making some trousers ever. The machine stitching isn’t wonderfully straight, but doesn’t look too bad. I’ve cut out the pieces for a shirt (using cowboy fabric - again I’ll post the link when I get a photo) and when I’ve some red thread I’ll sew it up.

I’m feeling rather domestic and would be feeling even more so if the vacuum cleaner wasn’t packing up.

I’ve ordered the Romans Unit Study from Christopherus because even *if* R. does go to school (part-time) there’ll still need to be things we do together. I like Donna’s books because they’re no-nonsense and realistic about home-ed and reasonably priced too If you look on the Main Lesson inspiration pages (under Norse Myths) there is a picture that R. drew, currently the third one down on the left-hand margin - of the Eagle chasing Loki and Idunna (also transformed into birds). So I’m looking forward to receiving it and having a think.

Gilbert is still convinced that cornflakes and kiwi-fruit are normal cat fare and Fern has moved into the boys’ bedroom in protest.

…. we brought home a little Korat kitten on Wednesday. I’ve struggled to get unblurry pics as he doesn’t really stay still very long!

He’s a bit of a menace and has already landed in a plate of egg muffins, shoved his head in Nin’s icecream and her breakfast, R.’s cranberry juice, almost landed in R.’s dinner and tried to make off with some kiwi fruit. He managed to go missing for about an hour on Thursday until we found him in the coffee table drawer (there’s a small gap at the back of the drawer which he fits through) and I’ve had to rescue a metal scouring pad which he must have walked through the sink to get (judging by how wet he was - there was washing up on each side of the sink, so I suppose he decided on the direct route). He sounds a little bit like a hand-blender and has the rather posh name: Serrenol Virote (virote apparently means ‘power’ in Thai - Korats are a Thai breed), however, dh called him Gilbert on Thursday and it’s stuck

Call for a later start at school (with a couple of other interesting stories in the right hand column linked to from that article).

….. I’ve been breastfeeding Ned from the day before he was born. I think I ought to check that my counters are working properly.