Project 365 2018 Week 2
Sunday 7th January – Day 7
Brrr! It’s cold outside today.
monkey is being a nightmare at bedtime since the holidays. 9.45pm and he was still awake last night, the upshot of that is that we got a real lie in this morning as it was 9am before he came through to wake me up. I can tell we are going to have real fun this week with his first full week back at school. Wish me luck.
The menfolk have headed off to a local model railway exhibition and I decided to catch up with some washing and blog work, rather than venturing outdoors. I’ve left that joy to Brewster instead.
Monday 8th January – Day 8
I dropped Monkey off at school and had some jobs to do in town. Daddy P’s passport runs out before we go away in May and I knew I’d be the one having to queue in the post office to get his renewal form sorted. I discovered that it could all be done online, all he needed was a new photo. Cue my David Bailey moment and trying to find a wall he could stand against without any shadows. Hopefully it’s ok and I got a green tick when I processed the form, so fingers crossed. Getting him into a shop to get shots done will take forever.
I was helping in school in the afternoon listening to the kids reading. There was lots of excitement as they are making large volcanoes in teams. Monkey’s got to improve his times tables and his class is having a test every Friday this term. He isn’t a fan of homework so I’m trying to make maths fun. I’d cut up post-it notes and doted them around the kitchen when he was at school and he had to match the sum with the correct answer when he got home. After initially screwing them up, he realised that actually it might be fun.
Home to sort dinner and I discovered that it helps if you wear oven gloves when you take things out of the oven – ouch!
Everything was going swimmingly well until it was time for Monkey’s first full session at Cubs in the evening. Sometimes things just don’t go to plan. Tears were shed.
Tuesday 9th January – Day 9
I hadn’t slept much, but Monkey woke up full of beans and the night before had been forgotten. He headed off to school and I came home and collapsed in a heap. I’m finding that rather than periods becoming less frequent and really hit and miss, mine are getting heavier and heavier this last year and painful. The emotions of yesterday had wiped me out and I was feeling rubbish. So once I’d got a bit of admin done, I decided to be kind to myself and curled up on the sofa and watched Mansfield Park, a film I’d recorded over Christmas and not had the chance to watch.
After school it was time for Monkey to paint the volcano he’d made at the weekend. He decided that orange would be a good colour for it, and really took his time on it. Lovely to watch.
Wednesday 10th January – Day 10
One of those days when I didn’t seem to get much done when Monkey was at school other than a few domestic chores.
When I picked him up from school his teacher and TA were full of praise. Monkey had been pulled out of class in the afternoon for a maths assessment. He’d tried really hard and persevered with it even when his friends were having lots of fun making their volcanoes without him. When he’d finished he was told he could move his name up the learning ladder in class and they wanted to show me where he was. I couldn’t find him on it at all, and then I looked up, his TA had moved him right up to the ceiling! They were that impressed with how hard he’d tried and how well he’d done. Bless him. A pick me up we both needed.
He’d also told them about his volcano at home and that he couldn’t erupt it until he’d done his maths homework! We tried flash cards to help today.
The volcano eruption wasn’t quite as dramatic as we’d hoped and after a number of attempts we gave up. Something to try again another day.
Thursday 11th January – Day 11
I dropped Monkey off at school and headed home to catch up with some work and make a start on my tax return which needs to be in before the end of the month.
After school we had another go getting Monkey’s volcano to explode. Half a ton of bicarb and god knows how much vinegar later and he was a happy boy. My kitchen now stinks! He even let me video it and send it to school, now his teachers can hear his normal volume, rather than the quiet mouse he saves for school!
Friday 12th January – Day 12
Monkey took his volcano into school today and let his teacher show the class his eruption video we made last night. He was so proud of both. I caught up with some blog admin I’d been meaning to do for ages before heading out to lunch with most of my NCT group. We tried an independent coffee shop in town we hadn’t been too before, lovely fresh sandwiches on offer. We will be back!
The day just got better, when I picked up Monkey from school and he came out with an Achievers Award Certificate for his hard work this week. That was fab, and then he asked if he could bring his violin home to show us. The same violin that he’s refused to bring home from the start of the academic year!! He proceeded to explain how to look after the bow and strings, demonstrated the strings and then showed us how the bow works. It might have been a little painful at times, but it made my day that he wanted to show us.
Saturday 13th January – Day 13
We’ve spent the day with my ex MIL. She was honoured as Monkey decided to show her the violin, before settling down to a day playing with vintage Lego. We always have fun, went out to lunch at a local pub and then headed back to her house. He loves feeding all the birds and it’s his job whenever we go over.
When we got home I’d had some exciting post (well for me anyway). I’d ordered a special 10th anniversary edition of the Landscape Photographer of the Year from the Book People, £12.99 instead of £35! Do love a bargain.
Sounds like Monkey has had a fantastic week at school, lets hope he keeps this up, it’s such a joy to see how well he is coming on
It’s a real relief tbh.
I’m sorry to hear the first cubs didn’t go to plan but I bet it gets better. I love the look of that volcano and how wonderful he played the violin for you all (I played at school too, my poor parents!) #365
I think Cubs might be an issue for a while but hopefully he’ll find a leader he feels happy with and that will really help. I live in hope anyway,
That looks like a great idea for the maths homework….It sounds like it really paid off with the maths assessment!
I read about the first session at Cubs. I hope next time is easier.
Ahh! You need to take some time for yourself every now and again…A film sounds a good way to relax.
I’m glad you got the volcano to work eventually….It looks like he’s had a lot of fun with it. x
Thanks, I’m hoping tomorrow goes better.
What a fantastic week your monkey had at school!
Let’s hope it continues
Good news about the violin coming home. Exciting times. Loving your timetables ideas. Might have to try those with N, although he does like worksheets.
More chance of pigs flying than my son ever enjoying worksheets!!
Sounds like a great week. The violin looks great. Here’s hoping he keeps it up xx #project365
Fingers crossed.
Oh how wonderful for Monkey to bring his violin home to show you 😀 I love his volcano and his beautiful painting. Sorry you and he had a difficult first full night at Cubs, my fingers are crossed that the next one is a little easier.
Thank you, tomorrow will be the true test.
It sounds like Monkey has had a brilliant first week back at school. You must be so proud! My eldest played the violin from year 3 right until year 11 and my daughter played from year 3 until year 6, so this is the first year for a very long time we haven’t had a violinist in the house. The volcano sounds fab. Sorry to hear Cubs didn’t go so well for him, hope he settles soon.
I’m hoping the change of teacher is really going to help him for the rest of the year, so far so good.
Big well done to Monkey for persevering with the maths, and then getting up to the top of the ladder. It’s Eddie’s weak point, he’s not very good with maths, and I’m struggling to motivate him re times tables. Perhaps I should follow your example and try to make it more fun. Brewster looks as gorgeous as always. I’ve seen your super volcano on FB, great fun. 🙂
Do! I’m not sure it’s totally sinking in, but trying to make it more fun is definitely making the experience less painful for us both.
Sorry to hear cubs didn’t go so well but a huge well done to him on moving so far up the learning ladder. He should be really proud. Ahhh your May holiday is making me want to look at holidays now too 🙂
shame he is still blowing hot and cold, but as you know he late nights wont help. but does take time to get back into a routine.
Great that he let you video the volcano and take that into school.
Great to spend some time with your ex MIL.and that he enjoys it so much.
He had a nightmare last night and ended up in with me so I’m not sure what today will bring
It sounds like you had a busy week. So many activities and fun. I love the maths post it notes! We have a lovely game from Orchard toys which is all about sums. It’s quite fun and got lots of multiplications in there, I think it is called Magic Cauldron.
The volcanoes sound wonderful. How lovely that they let Monkey bring his volcano in and show the video.
We have that Game! Off to find it, great idea.
Sounds like a great week for your boy – well done to him! It’s great when they excel at things that they genuinely enjoy. Hope you are having a better week with more sleep! #365
Thank you
Sounds like a good week for Monkey! Well done on the assessment and being moved up! That Volcano looks fab…might have to try something like that with the girls
Thanks
It’s well worth having a go
Hope the sleep routine has settled down now. Well done to Monkey on his assessment.
Not as yet sadly!
Some lovely photos, sounds like a fab week #365
Well done Monkey, sounds as if you have had a great week, it’s amazing how they can suddenly have a small breakthrough (that times tables on post its can be fun) and everything else seems to fall into place, I feel for you with the periods, my emotions seem to be getting worse every month, so I know exactly hiw you feel x
It’s tough isn’t it, it seems to get worse here every month. I’ll be glad when it’s all done with.
What a busy week full of learning and fun #project365
As always