I’m welcoming in 2016 with my third year with this project, and my first experiencing a leap year on the blog! So here is my Project 366 2016 Week 1 with The Boy and Me.
Friday 1st January – Day 1
We had no real plans as Daddy P would be going back to work late at night. So the day was mostly spent at home. We persuaded Monkey to watch a couple of films (wow!!) before sitting down to a Roast Duck lunch. Totally delicious, I should cook it more often.
We decided to go for a walk in the afternoon, in the rain, just to get out in the fresh air for a little bit.
Saturday 2nd January – Day 2
Daddy P was working and it rained, a lot. Monkey was happy to be at home and I decided to take the Christmas Tree down and get the living room back to normality. Sadly my back didn’t appreciate this very much and an SOS call was made to get me some painkillers pronto. Not the best start to the year so far!
Sunday 3rd January – Day 3
We’d invited Iona and family down from Redpeffer for the day so we could all go to the Sunday Scramble event at Bicester Heritage. We all like our cars so were looking forward to seeing the various displays and workshops. The weather was atrocious so I left my Canon safely at home, but kitted out in our full waterproofs we ventured out.
I adore this Dino and it’s even in my colour! I also love vintage Bentley’s, so to see a workshop full of these lovely classic cars being restored was just wonderful. But the weather and my back had to call it a day, and we headed out for a late lunch. We all agree though that we’d be back again for an event in the future.
Monday 4th January – Day 4
How can today be the last day of the holidays? I let Monkey decide what he wanted to do for the day. We tried out his Water Experiments set he’d had for his birthday, watched Daddy P’s Yorkshire Steam DVD, read books and just enjoyed being together. Pretty much summing up the last two weeks really. We’ve both had a much-needed rest.
Tuesday 5th January – Day 5
Back to school – urrgh! We had tears and I almost had to drag Monkey to school this morning. His teacher peeled him off me at the classroom door, our typical first day back. Never gets any easier though. I’d basically shut the blog down for 2 weeks so today was my first proper day back at the laptop. Admin done and time to get a few posts written up.
Monkey was much happier when I picked him up, phew!
Wednesday 6th January – Day 6
Monkey is very attached to his Biff Worry eater and Geoffrey the Giraffe. He gives them both a kiss goodbye in the morning and always has a cuddle when he gets home from school. The morning tears were replaced with general moaning about having to go to school – yep, we’re back to normal here.
I had my hair cut and coloured and got on with some housework, home admin which have both been rather neglected recently.
Thursday 7th January – Day 7
So this little chap is growing up fast. This morning he decided to say goodbye to his personalised dinosaur place mat and his named coaster. I want to be like you Mummy, and I want to have a change of view. With that he moved his chair so he’s sitting opposite me, rather than next to me. Great for conversations, not so great when I’m trying to get him to read his school book, but all part of being a 6 year old.
I’ve left my 2014-15 tax return until the last month again, so today was the day to blast through the receipts, payments and mileage and get my return processed. All sorted and I started putting 2015-16 in order too. I’m determined that this is the year I send my return in promptly and record things as I’m going along.
Friday 8th January – Day 8
Frosty morning! Walked to school with Monkey and then drove over to see an old friend and her little boy who were staying at her Mums. Lovely to catch up as we haven’t seen each other for ages. When I was driving home I was so tempted to pull over and take a photo. The sky was blue and there were horses in the fields. But I didn’t, so this my friends is blue sky noted in Oxfordshire from the back garden. Sadly it wasn’t long before the grey skies were back.
Monkey was not impressed, he’s got spellings to learn and they seem to have leapt up in difficulty, so I can see a few battles ahead over the next week trying to persuade him to try to learn them!
Saturday 9th January – Day 9
A mixed bag so far today. We started the day with screaming, tears and I hate you Mummy. Yes that would be Spelling Hell then. Spelling tests were only introduced in the last few weeks of term last year and the words were really easy. Monkey seems to be having a different teacher for this element this term and the sheet contains harder words and more of them. Cue meltdown, not helped by the tiny boxes that he’s meant to write in, he scrapped that pronto and I created my own super sized sheets, or not one letter would have made it to the page. After much cajoling we got the spellings done and he only got one wrong, with much sounding out etc. Doing this every evening after school is going to be ‘interesting’ to say the least. Any tips?
So on to the happy stuff! Monkey asked me yesterday if we could go swimming. Music to my ears as he hasn’t wanted to go at all since I cancelled his lessons last year. So off we went, we had to wait 40 minutes to get in the junior pool, he’s really not ready for the big pool. But once there, he’d got his woggle and he was off like a fish. He even managed some unassisted doggy paddle and went on his back with the woggle a bit too. Stage 2 swimming didn’t work for him at all, but today I saw the confidence coming back. He had a ball and has already asked when we can go back again. Small steps, happy Mummy.
Lovely photos! Oh dear about the return to school…I hope things are easier soon!
That’s great that he asked to go swimming….It sounds like he did really well x
It’s been a very up and down week for us for sure!
Love the car!
I’ve never made roast duck myself, although I love it. I’m a bit intimidated by the idea. I should try.
Hope your back is better ASAP!
It’s delicious and really easy to roast, I just sit it on the grill on the grill pan and pop that in the oven so the fatty juices just drain straight off
That’s great news about the swimming and a lovely photo of Monkey eating his breakfast. Sorry to hear about the spellings, though! No advice unfortunately, other than just to persist and to stay firm without losing the plot (not easy I know!).
Love the vintage cars too. It’s a bit of a trek for you, but you would love the Chateau Impney Hill Climb in July!
Gutting – just looked at that and its the same weekend as the British Grand Prix otherwise we’d be making that trek!
Hope the school settling in again and spellings acceptance improves soon.
I know the swapping seats thing, although we seem to have that every day – when N decided to tell everyone else where they’re sitting.
It’s great that he’s chosen to go back swimming again. Sounds like him giving it a go on his own may be the way to go.
I think the spellings thing is going to be a long term battle, but we will see.
We have the battles over homework and spellings – it only gets worst! I was the one being dragged kicking and screaming in tears back to school last week so I know how Monkey feels 😉 x
Best I get the gin supplies in now!
It’s a nightmare isn’t it. Lol, my niece was the same bless her.
Oh it’s so hard going back isn’t it? We had tears too and we have regular weekly spelling tests which take FOREVER to get through as he gets distracted so quickly. We get a new sheet every Friday and make him do a couple of words each day and randomly ask him to sound it out in the car. It makes it much less painful. Good luck with it (and hope your back is a lot better) xx
Yes we are the same – sheet on Friday, practice every day and then test next Friday. But he has to show his spellings on a sheet every day.
Sorry to read the return to school was hard for Monkey. I don’t like the sound of those spellings. I’m so glad the swimming went well. Monkey really sounds like he will do things when he is ready, a boy after my own heart ;0) x
Yes very true Jane, he has a strong will, no idea where he gets that from!
Sorry to hear that you hurt your back, I hope it is ok now. Tax returns time is coming up, I try to do mine in April otherwise I know I’d forget until last minute. I feel your spellings pain. My 11yo hates doing any homework other than maths. We have had tears, shouting the lot so I know how hard it is. I hope that things improve. Have a lovely week x
Back issue comes and goes, I can see battles with homework forever tbh.
Sorry to hear that you’re having a battle over spelling homework, and that back to school has been tough. But what great news that Monkey asked to go swimming!
It’s all good fun isn’t it
Wow! Can’t believe that you have manage to post for three years. I did it for half a year and gave up ages ago! Oops!
Homework is hard work! I also having trouble with kids with spelling!
Good that he is keen to go back swimming. It means a lot!
I love it as it records the highs and lows
My week has been quite similar: getting back to normal, catching up with house stuff and blog. Did more house than blog this week, but hoping to be the other way around next week. Giood news about Monkey and swimming.
It’s just nice to feel more organised isn’t it.
Glad to read he wanted to go swimming, nice when they make up their mind to so something like that. What as shame about the meltdown going back to school, leaves you both traumatised. Nice to read day 2 a bit better.
Homework is imo not necessary especially at that age.
No I do wonder at it’s worth when some places the kids haven’t even started school yet.
Love that light up Lego – where is it from?
It’s a Laser Pegs set. Monkey has a couple now and they’re really rather cool
Oh homework and spellings are rubbish, they put so much pressure on the little ones. We need to get back into this routine with mine and it is really hard.
I know, it’s not going to be an easy term here.
Spelling is a last minute thing here. I hope to change that this year. Children just don’t see the point! We have to make sentences with the words too. My cheeky son tries his best to group words together in a sentence so he has to write less!
He was much more accepting of doing them straight after school today – so we will see how it goea
Hurrah for wanting to go swimming, but boo-hoo for nasty old spellings. In all honesty, I’d speak to his teacher because the last thing we want is for our pupils to be scared off. Thank you for all your support with 365, glad to be back!
I’m going to try your magnetic letter idea tonight and see how we go, it wasn’t quite as bad last night so fingers crossed!
Sounds like a mixed start to the New Year. I always find getting back to normal after the Christmas break the hardest – you have so much fun for two weeks and then have to say goodbye to relaxing and back to early mornings. Hope this week has been easier for you both.
Thanks it’s had its moments
Ah nice to see you returning.. I’m back too for this year although only doing one photo! Monkey is growing up, I can’t remember is he in year2 or year 1? We hate spelling too and I was wondering if you’re in the same year as my twins, they’re year 2. It’s horrible going back to school after the holidays. Hopefully next week (this) will be better xx #project366
We’re in Year 1 although I can see the year flying by already.
A rather up and down week. What a pity Monkey finds it so difficult to return to school.
I can’t understand how schools think it’s a good idea to set homework for primary school children. Reading, well yes but spellings? The modern age!
I was having this same conversation with my parents – I went to a 3 school system and my parents don’t remember me getting any homework until I’d nearly finished middle school.
Hope your back is feeling better, we had the same battle over going back to school with the six of them and it doesn’t get any easier even at high school and college!
We found the same with Eowyns spellings last year, easy for the first term and then super difficult, she still groans every week!
Thanks, today’s the first day it’s felt that it’s getting better so fingers crossed.
sorry i took so long to read and reply to the last 3 weeks of project 366, but with the adult children visiting and starting a new job I’ve had little time for anything, just about managing to keep up with posting a photo every day. Sorry to hear about the spelling tests, how did he get on with them?
He got 7 out of 9 so brilliant as far as I’m concerned.