A remarkable day.

Well, I’ve had my shouty mummy moments today (as when dd was caught feeding a rubber crocodile to Small, or when she upended the tube of glitter all over my freshly hoovered floor), but we’ve also had a couple of hours of child led education. Days like these, although few and far between at the moment, keep me going. You see, I go round the blogring, or I read the home ed lists, and I read all these tales of families reading to their children, of children enjoying books, and I sit here with my little girl who refuses to even look at a clock, much less a book, because “I can’t read” and it really gets me down. Then today I suggested a trip to the library, and she wanted to read the library books before we took them back.

Often when I offer to read she doesn’t want to know, or we’re harassed by a Small trying to turn pages or eat the book, but today, he fell asleep in his high chair after lunch and she wanted me to read to her. We read The Swan’s Gift which has got beautiful illustrations, and if it were in print would be a definite candidate for Two Red Boots. Then she picked up Ten Tiny Teddies which isn’t a story at all, but a set of pictures each of them related to a letter of the alphabet. So we took probably 45 minutes or so to go right the way through that with her spotting pictures by the relevant letter.

After Small woke up and we snacked, we went off to Morrison’s and the library. Must have spent another half an hour at least in the library, and then we had to start reading the books when we brought them home. (Small had fallen asleep in the car, and stayed asleep on the floor when I carried him in). So we read No Bath Tonight, and then started on the Usborne Farmyard First words book. That proved very popular when it was discovered to have a girl called Poppy in it, and then when she realised there was a duck to hunt for on every page! Deep joy. I even found her making guesses at some of the words…which meant I was even happier than she was – maybe we will crack this reading thing with a low key approach after all.

The downside of all the napping I’ve described above is that Small is still awake now, although dp is making a valiant effort to sing him to sleep. And succeeded at 11.20pm. Little monster.

Other notable achievements today, think both children actually had their 5 portions of fruit and veg! Small likes Clementines it would appear. And did I mention that I hoovered? Twice! And I got to the bank, and did kitchen type things, two loads of washing, and we were all dressed and breakfasted by just gone 9. Good practice for tomorrow, when we’ve got to be out of the house by then.