for your birthday greetings, on various blogs, comment boxes, and by text 🙂
So far it’s been just another day – had to get up and take the children to school as I needed to meet with Big’s teacher.
That was after I had to call the IR to ask precisely how I was supposed to comply with a letter dated 4 december, received 6 december asking me to do something by the 4th. Time travel anyone? Turned out I’d actually complied with it on the 29th of November (despite Royal Mail track and trace claiming that although posted on the 28th, it had only left Bradford on 4th Dec), but they don’t factor that into their letter writing – they are written 7 days in advance and then sit around for a while before they send them regardless of what has happened in the intervening 7 days. Wonder if anyone has ever thought that if we did things in a sensible manner we wouldn’t need to pay so much tax in the first place???
So, that dealt with, off to school. There’s something going on there – yesterday Big told K, the teacher, that she was happy with what they were doing, and then burst into tears when I asked her how it had been going last night 🙁 So up the motorway this morning to sit down with both of them and see if we could figure out what is going on. I think a part of it is the old divide and conquer, and part of it yesterday was disappointment – I’d suggested something to her in the morning, they hadn’t fitted it into the day as they were finishing something else off, and then when I reminded her in the evening she was overwhelmed. It’s a difficult path to tread this one, if Big really wasn’t happy going I wouldn’t be happy with her going either, but 99% of the time she’s thrilled and anxious to go. So K and I discussed some ways of coordinating our efforts, after we’d managed to work out what Big felt she would be happy doing today, and we’re going to start a diary that travels to and fro so that we know we aren’t duplicating work or missing any major areas. (This isn’t missing any major areas in the national curriculum sense, that just doesn’t apply to us, but more in the practical skills way.)
Should get that kicked off in the new year – we’re also going to look to make sure I can meet with K at least every other week for a proper chat and we’ll just have to take it from there. Still wondering how you work on assertiveness with a 6 year old who really doesn’t have any problems within the home. I worked out that she’s known K for over a year now – if she still isn’t comfortable, for whatever reason, expressing herself to her, I don’t think it’s just going to start happening by itself.
Tornadic activity. That’s a phrase you don’t hear every day, but this particular weather forecaster seems to rather like it.
So after I’d been to school I came back to the local shopping centre and posted a pile of stuff and picked up a few more bits. Got Big some fashion Ello – Ello Shopopolis Character Builder
. Thought it might be something she would enjoy and could add into her narration games. Pondered over one of these make your own teddy bear sets, but she’s got loads of soft animals, not sure we need another one. I’d wanted to pick up a paint your own moneybox for Small that I’d seen a couple of weeks ago, but they’d sold out of them 🙁 Was momentarily fascinated by this kit to Crochet a seal but decided I’d be doing the old buy presents I’d like them to like rather that ones that they actually like if I inflicted that on Big. Resisted temptation to buy a couple more of the knitting or other fibre arts kits for similar reasons.
So that pretty much wrapped up the morning – bought myself some ludicrously expensive skin care products that should last a year – probably weakened by the fact that it is my birthday today. No Gill, you’re not late at all.
Oh, and got home to find my parcel of stockmar wax crayons and modelling beeswax had arrived. Really looking forward to seeing Small especially exploring those. 🙂
Right, must see what I can actually get finished today.
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