So, here we are then, the start of the Autumn 'term'.  That is, some things that we do kick off again - Cubs, HE group, regular education at home (?!)........  I love Autumn.  I love that wintry feel which creeps in around late afternoon - that nip in the air that says the cold is a-comin' and the smell of bonfires gradually creeping into the chill of the night......oooh, lovely.  I love the wrapping up warm, the cosy afternoons, dimpsy evenings and life in the great indoors.  The falling leaves make it harder to spot the dog poo on a walk however.  You can't have it all.

Current crochet progress:

on my 58th stripe of the granny stripe blanket:

and I have completed 5 big squares for another blanket:

I have had to order in another 'yarn' pack as I will be running out soon - oh frabjous day.

Oliver back off to Cubs:

He didn't get 'Seconder', which he was expecting to get (literally second in charge in the pack) since his 'Sixer' (head pack honcho) had gone up to Scouts and the current Seconder moved up to Sixer.  Instead they moved Oliver's close friend into the pack and made him Seconder instead. Gulp. I could hardly sleep that night (I didn't find out til I arrived home from work late) for worry and anger over Oliver's upset.  It seemed so unfair.  Through a couple of emails to the Cub leader, understanding was restored, and although the position remains the same, Oliver was happy with his leader's comments and I am happy that he is OK with it.  More than anything though, I was pleased that Oliver's disappointment was focused on him not getting the position rather than on the fact his friend did get it.  That seems wholly sensibly proportionate to me, and I recall that as a child I think I would have been eaten up with jealousy and bitterness in such circumstances so I am so happy Oliver is not of that ilk.

Mark has decided after seeing a nutritionist to try a period of wheat and dairy free eating.  First a pricey shop at the local weirdy food store:

Muesli is homemade by my own fair hands (toasted and everything, I'll have you know) and in addition he must have homemade vegetable soup daily.  Fliparooney.  It requires a fair bit of thinking ahead, although I enjoy the challenge of cooking good, wholesome stuff.  I am very interested to see if he loses weight, because if he does - I'm in for that.  It doesn't seem too beyond the pail.

What else, hmm. I managed to pick up Gastritus earlier in the week and endured two days of stomach ache and headache.  It really doesn't look too unbearable written down, but boy, the last few days have been well miserable.  Thankfully friends and family have been able to ensure that Oliver hasn't been too badly affected by my maudlin weeping and wailing and taking to my sickbed, and he has got out to do his normal things.  Thanks to them who know who they are....  And actually, that is a big bummer for the HE family - if you fall ill, you are stuffed.  No shunting your kids off to school and falling into bed for the day, getting a fellow school-run-mum to take your offspring home for fish fingers and chips til the hubby finishes his day at the office.  Phew. Another load off....

As I say, you can't have it all.

Laters.

This is the most intrusive, time-wasting and socially destructive medium I have ever encountered.

That's the reason I gave for deactivating my Facebook account this week.  I don't use it anymore - have just been recently logging in to check on the progress of a friend giving birth who has moved away, but in doing so found my homepage flooded with unwelcome information about previous 'friends', which felt both voyeuristic and made me feel quite ill after a while.  Yuk.  An abhorrent tool which contributes more to social distress and incitement to ill will than to social networking.

Moving on....

We have done quite a lot since my last missive.  Oliver competed in his first athletics competition, he did the 70m hurdles and 75m sprint - coming in last and next to last respectively and not unexpectedly, though thankfully, he did not seem to put out or put off by the placings, he seemed to enjoy it.  I'm very proud of him for giving it a go.  I thought the whole wearing a number on his shirt and lining up in front of a grandstand with a proper starting pistol going off was a really intimidating thing to go through.   He has been moved up a grade in swimming and completed his 200m swimming badge.  Brilliant.  His swimming has improved so much with the weekly lessons, I really wish I'd done it years ago with him. 

Last weekend he competed in the annual area Judo championships, where I also felt very proud of him.  Sitting with him throughout the morning whilst waiting for his group to start, I was struck by his apparent keenness to be there and to compete.  I hated things like that at his age and longed for events to be either cancelled, or fantasised how I might be injured beforehand (not seriously or painfully, obviously) so I wouldn't have to be seen as a coward, or have to go through with it.  Win win for me, that would have been..... 

Anyhow, he got knocked out after his first two fights, by boys of much lower grades.  This was interesting because the kids who beat him, and indeed the kids who did well, largely were from Judo 'families' where an older sibling also does Judo, or indeed, had older siblings.  This is one field where I don't feel Oliver has the advantage being home educated.  He just does not have that 'edge' which comes naturally from having to 'put yourself out there' when at school with lots of other kids, y'know, that playground competitiveness.  I can't bring myself to feel regret over this at all, I just hope Oliver is not too down about it, as I think this could go on for a number of years, Judo-wise.....

We went to the Steward Woodland Community for a picnic with the people who live there, and various home-ed visitors.  It was really interesting, but I can't really post any photos, it would seem rude since I don't have permission.  Check out the link for further info...

We also went to Stover with friends and saw some squirrels:

and some trees, very helpfully labelled. 

Obviously a few problems labelling this one...

It was Oliver's birthday at the weekend, and we took him to Woodlands earlier in the week with a friend of his. (can only show pics of Oliver).

Here is the birthday boy, snuggling down on 'birthday eve' with his new toy:

and here he is on the day......

He got his stunt scooter:

And went to see Kung Fu Panda at the flicks, and went to horrible McDonalds:

On Sunday we went to my Mum & Dad's, where he collected his final birthday haul, spent time playing with his cousins and scoffed cake.  Good times for kids.  He also completed a Judo grading and gained his second orange bar. 

I made cookies - real proper ones, like what I want cookies to be like - squidgy and chocolatey, not biscuity and hard and overcooked.  For many years I have tried cookies, and been very angry at the crappy results, but lo!  I found a recipe on Becky Higgins blog for her 'Mom's cookies'.  I held out a lot of hope here - the Americans seem to have the advantage in cookie-making, that is, they don't seem to be completely shite like their British counterparts.  And, unbelievably, I managed to produce, after much poking about in Google to find equivalent measures and ingredients of 2/3 of a cup of shortening (how do you squeeze that in without a ton of mess??) and proper, real live cookies were born in my kitchen.  Hallelujah. 

And Finally, Project Life is suppposed to be available to buy in the UK this week!!  And I got the latest edition of Mollie Makes!  Oh so crafty, so vintage, so 50's, so sweet.....

Easter

Ooh, look at my luverrly sponge....

And Oliver's Easter haul.

I have been writing out a weekly menu (not uncommon amongst the home edder community I note!) and find this saves a fair old chunk on the weekly shop.  Last nights delights were a peppered mushroom and stilton pie for Mark, and smoked haddock for me and Oliver.  The pie was a new effort, a Simon Rimmer recipe, and I was trying to get Oliver to find a fondness for smoked fish (again).  Whilst consuming these edible 'lovelies', we decided to catch up on our tv viewing and put on Filthy Cities.  Bit of a mistake I realise now - it was as gross as ever, but the association of a rancid and fetid 18th century Paris is now indelibly associated in my mind with the smell of smoked haddock and pongy stilton, which I don't like at the best of times.  In fact I can feel a little retch even remembering it.  bleurghh.  Going for quiche and salad tonight.  No strong pongs will cross the Newson threshold tonight.