Maths, Writing and Cakes!

Hannah wanted to 'do school' today !! We've had some busy weeks recently and I think she was ready for a bit of routine, so she did some reading and then asked me to write out some sums for her to do.



Then she remembered that she used to like to do her journal, so she cut out a picture from an old Country Living magazine to remind herself that it is nearly spring, and wrote a sentence about it.
She said it would have been tidier, but the lines kept getting in the way lol!!

Then, this evening she went to her Rainbows meeting, and when she came home she had made cakes!
Apparently they made 5 each, but by the time I got around to a picture there were only 3 left - Hannah said they were yummy!!

Tomorrow we are off to our home schooling group to learn all about Chinese New Year :-)

Visiting Friends At The Sustainability Centre

This week, after three looooong months of being car free, we finally bought our new car. We told Hannah she could pick anywhere she wanted to go as our first trip out yesterday, and she chose to go to the sustainability centre to see our friends who live there.

It was a cold, cold day, but their yurt was toasty warm and welcoming and we had a lovely afternoon.

Here is Hannah shivering on the way to the yurt!!!

Hannah was really excited to see Mia and had a brilliant time looking at all Mia's books (and building a wish list in her head of all the new books she'd like!)

She enjoyed a yummy cake and chamomile tea,
Before heading outside for some exploring with Mia, Tarka and Willow.


We had such a nice time visiting yesterday, the sustainability centre is beautiful, peaceful and such a relaxing place to be, and with our lovely friends to visit there it was perfect. If you'd like to read more about them and their lives in their yurt they have a blog here Three Joyful Pixies .


On the way home we called into the saddlery just in time for their final sale items, and Hannah chose a new snuggly fleece riding top. Of course she needed to try it out when we arrived home, and as it was nearly bed time her rocking horse had to suffice! Oh, and she really wanted a picture on the blog so here it is!!!
I'm sure there will be lots more pictures riding real horses very soon now that we have transport again :-)

A Few Pictures From Yesterday's Bird Watch

Not that we saw many birds! It was absolutely freezing cold, and all the birds seemed to be sheltering somewhere much warmer than the park! The children did see a few hardy pigeons, seagulls, a blackbird and a crow but that was about it..............they didn't mind, they all headed for the play area happily anyway and then off to feed the goats and chickens in the farm enclosure.
Hannah had a great time despite the cold, and it has really sparked her interest in British Birds so we'll be doing a lot more bird spotting in the future.



(Hannah lost her second top tooth on wednesday so she has an enormous gappy grin now!)

Sorry there aren't many pictures, it was seriously too cold and my brain froze, but you get the idea!!!

Catching Up

We have had a busy start to our week this week! Hannah met up with friends at Baffins Pond for a playdate and a visit to the pond. She had a wonderful time playing in the playground with three friends and then went back to her friend Esme's house for more playing.


She was very excited by all the birds on the pond and is already looking forward to them nesting in the spring.
We have been to her friend Tessie's house for some amazing den building play!
We've had our weekly Home Education Group meeting, which was all about birds this week. The children all made bird feeders, nesting boxes and hanging bird mobiles.


Then it was out into the sandpit for some castle building
and friend burying!! He did ask to be buried, and of course Hannah and the others leapt at the chance to oblige!
And at home Hannah has been making more fairy forests with her tree blocks,
and has been making up sewing patterns for doll clothes and bags. Her stitches are still quite big, but she is definitely getting the hang of it and can sew buttons and straps on nicely now.

She is enjoying sewing so much that she has asked grandma for a sewing box of her own for her birthday (which isn't until May but she does like to plan ahead!)

Tomorrow we are meeting our home schooling friends to join in with the RSPB bird count - Hannah is very excited and has been studying her bird book in anticipation!

A New Book, Science and Play!

This is the beautiful new book that Hannah received today, she fell in love with it immediately, and so did i - it has the most gorgeous illustrations and a lovely story.

The book inspired Hannah to get out all her season table creatures and her tree blocks and set up a wonderful rainbow land (with her as the rainbow mother!)



And then she asked me if i could felt her a picture from the book to go on her season table. I've only just discovered needle felting, and mostly make it up as i go along, but she seemed pleased with my offering and wanted it on the blog! It is supposed to be the root children sleeping under the earth, waiting for spring!
This afternoon was given up to science! Hannah received several different science kits for christmas and has been really looking forward to daddy being on holiday so he could help her with them. He didn't disappoint, and they made lots of lovely things together including perfume, coloured and scented slime, bath bombs and coloured crystals.




She had a really lovely time with the science, and told me all about the different ingredients they had used and their reactions to each other, and she also got to have fun with daddy :-)

January Book Group

Yesterday was our monthly book group meeting at our home ed group. This month's book was The Cat In The Hat by Dr Seuss which Hannah really enjoyed. She has recently discovered Dr Seuss after receiving 'To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street' in a party bag (which quickly became one of her most favourite books!)
First of all the children (led by Sarah who organises the group) discussed the book and the illustrations and then Sarah set them a challenge to paint a picture in the style of the book - so only using black, white, red and blue.

Hannah wanted to do a picture of the cat from the book, so i helped her to copy the outline and then left her to do the rest. Here is her picture!
Next, using cardboard discs and toilet paper tubes the children made hat shaped pencil holders.

And there were also kites to make, but by that time Hannah was desperate to get outside and run around, so that's what she did!!!
When we got home Hannah was still feeling creative, so after dinner she raided the recycling box and made a cardboard puppet theatre and a bottle fish completely unaided (well i was all crafted out by then lol), and was very pleased with her creations!


So, yesterday was a crafty kind of day here and Hannah loved it!

Portchester Castle

Yesterday was the anniversary of my aunts birthday, so Hannah, my sister, my mum and i all went to Portchester Castle to take some flowers to the castle cemetary. It was a cold blustery day, and the castle was beautifully windswept and wild!


St Marys church is within the castle walls and is a lovely old traditional church with ancient Yew trees around it which make for exciting exploring!
After visiting the church, we went into the castle to go to the shop - we wanted to get a gift for some blog friends, and Hannah wanted to go over the moat across the drawbridge! After all the wet weather the moat was quite full, and together with the windy conditions the bridge was rather exciting (especially if you are six and wearing a hat that is threatening to take off at any minute lol)!!
It was so nice to be out again after such a long bout of illness since christmas, Hannah and i were very much in need of some fresh air and it was the perfect place to blow away the cobwebs :-)