Re-starting schooling

Well after the summer we have restarted school for NJ, EJ has gone off to nursery and AJ is always keeping busy getting his little fingers into things he shouldn't be getting into lol.

Mostly at the moment we are working on handwriting through Basic English books and his Reading through Phonics and math work getting reading the time sorted  and all those other subjects like Money that come under the Math umbrella in the early years since he knows what he needs to know for now in the base of Addition and Subtraction.

Home-Education

Ok , For most of this school year we have taken things at a rather relaxed pace there hasn't been daily work done at least not daily academic work for the boys. I try to get some time reading to them each day and encourage them to write/draw/count in some form, mostly It has been practical hands on work helping Mummy around the house and learning numbers and letters and their sounds as we do the housework or prepare meals.

I believe Education is a lifelong experience and encompasses all parts of our lives not just the book based work done in schools and a young person with a well rounded education can function in the society they are in being literate and articulate, able to think for themselves finding out information when they need it and is always hungry to learn new things. endless hours in a classroom from my own experience and in my opinion doesn't achieve these ends.

I have been putting together some worksheets for the boys to do as they are progressing with their literacy skills at their own level and it will be a handy benchmark for me to see where they are at so I can provide them with the opportunity to discover new skills that are appropriate to where they are at in their learning journeys.

Now to get back on with guiding my children through this world encouraging learning experiences for them.

New Baby

We have a new son joined the family on 9th December, Named Alister Robert James Odendaal, weighed 9lb 7oz at birth and born into Daddys hands as there were not any medical personal present at the birth since the MW never showed up and the ambulance didnt make it in time

Waiting for the answer

Well we are waiting and trusting at the moment, God must have something big planned and not be wanting to spoil the surprise as we have 9 days till moving day and still no home to move to.....

swings and roundabouts

Its just typical how in life you have something really good happen just for it to be follwed by something not so great, take this weekend for example on Wedesday last week Nate broke Michaels glasses and on Wed evening after Mike struggling with broken ones all day then we decided to believe for healing in Mikes eyes and not get new ones, Mike was off work till Tuesday so this wasnt a problem and we went away on the Church weekend away and it seemed like his eyes were actually improving which was awesome but they didnt get completely better so when we got home on Monday afternoon he went to the Optiction and sorted out some glasses thanks to the NHS we got them free which is awesome caus we really didnt have the money to buy him new ones, Anyway they werent able to get them ready same day so we prayed and he went to work yesterday without glasses and found it hard , got a headache etc... and Nate woke up running a low fever yesterday so was very clingly and needing alot of my attention all day, Nates fever did go away by evening though Thanks be to God so we didnt make a doctors trip for him, This morning Mike called the optiction on his way to work and they had his glasses ready so we walked to the car and picked him up as work had told him he could be late so he could get his glasses which was a blessing, So Mike is off to work now with his glasses and after a horrible day for all of us yesterday then the only issue we are battling against today is my sore throat,
Elliott is still unsettled and spent most of the night in our bed last night which was annoying but im happy to accept thats what he needs for now and because he knows we are in the same room he wont settle back to sleep so i really cant wait till we have some space where we can put his bed where he cant see us in bed and that wil hopefully over a couple of nights stop him waking in the night.

The Church weekend was fantastic and refreshing spiritually and that was great and we went to the Kingsgate evening service which was great too although i missed alot of the talk since i was out the back with Nathaniel who was overtired and cranky

Family Family Family

I love my family I really do..... but there are sometimes where i wonder why i chose to have children.. lol surely my life would be infinately less complicated without them, but i would probably be very lonely as well without all my yummy mummy friends and their support that has gotten me through the last 3 years.
This morning Nathaniel woke up and managed to climb out of his travel cot ( caus he wouldnt stay on his toddler bed ) and get to Michaels Iphone and start playing games while we were both asleep, I was awoken by EJ wanting a feed ( he was in bed next to me and had been for a few hours ) and noticed Nathaniel sitting on Mikes legs with his phone playing games... We really need to get a place where He is either in his own room or we at least have space for a bookcase or somewhere to put our phones at night where he cant get to them lol.


My darling little boys are both however at the moment having a nap which is lovely but i am feeling like i need them in a set routine more and more as its so unpredictable if they are going to sleep well or at all if they dont get naps at the same time most days of the week, and its not fair on them to always be tired and getting tired cranky parents having a go at them caus they misbehave for attention caus they are tired its a vicious cycle that we need to break.

Im just praying that our housing gets sorted out soon , preferablely this week so we can go on the weekend away for church and enjoy it and relax knowing we come back to just move and then we are settled till we leave for the other side of the world

Life with two boys

When i posted here last I was a mum to one and pregnant and now nearly a year on I have 2 darling boys , Elliott Jason ( EJ ) joined our family on the 26th of March 2010 after nearly an 8hour labour and nearlly making his dad miss his speedy arrival. Its been a challenge at times having 2 children rather than one but also a blessing in many many ways,

Mostly at the moment i concern myself with washing the nappies and making sure my little family are fed and happy, We are preapring for a Trip to NZ and Australia for my sisters wedding and to see family we have one way tickets for now but are unsure how permanant the trip will be for now, we wait on Gods leading on that one for now and trust him to provide us with the answer in due course.
My current quest is to get decent photos taken of our little family before Christmas to get some really nice ones that we can share with family but ive posted a couple of photos in this entry of the boys