just for me...

Probably right...

Well,on to probability,which involved me buying a pack of playing cards-gambling AND home ed?! Shameful! What would the LEA say?! and giving Peanut quizzes on what the likelihood of one or other card turning up.This involves cards everywhere and the predictable ensuing chaos that results from such. As far as chemistry goes we are still happily playing with the periodic table. Sometimes literally. We have cards representing each of the elements,and the Peanuts current favourite game is to see how long it takes to reassemble them into table order from scratch and then try to beat her time. She is getting good at recognising the symbols too. Next challenge will be to learn how they combine. On the english front,Peanut has been reading the GCSE study guide to 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. For fun. Seriously,I caught her reading this on the loo AFTER school. Safe to say she is enjoying english. She has read about 2 books this week,one warrior cats and one other. History,we are buying the history of art guide from Ellen Mc Henry and working through that.It covers geography,art,history and a splash of politics.Thats been about it this week,although Peanut now has full mastery over her hair,and is happy to go into HMV with me for 2 hours a day this week whilst waiting for my flatmate to finish work and take her home. She has sat in the break room and chatted confidently to everyone.Comments range from 'oh,shes a mini you' and 'cute!!!' to 'Woah,shes smart! She read the Independent,Sun and Times then started chatting about them with me!' and also 'she is so bright its scary,she was reading the book for to kill a mockingbird,and I looked over her shoulder and didnt understand some of it,and I DID it for GCSE!' I dont know if that says more about her or the quality of people HMV employs,but considering the latter comment came from a phd student,I was quietly happy. Everyone agrees however that she is friendly,well adjusted and articulate,not to mention confident enought to talk to a room full of people older than her and strangers with ease. Guess the socialisation arguement is falling a little flat,hmmm?!
Incidentally,I do not drag the Peanut into work on a regular basis,this is brought on by desperation,as Mum is on honeymoon,Nan is away,Cais grandad is unavailable,her Dad is supposedly too sick to take her,(but turned up at work to buy a cd...)and my aunt is working. Bear is doing 12 hour days in wycombe,so hes up at 6am and returns at 9pm.That leaves Graah! who,bless him has swapped all his shifts so he can be on the early shift and finish at 5.I start at 2,so there is a three hour crossover in which she sits safely in the staffroom with the guys on lunch (giving her a rotating captive audience...) and then she goes home with Graah! to watch movies and eat copious amounts of popcorn. She is safe behind a staff only pincode protected door and there are always members of staff around,all of whom now know and like her. She is coming in on friday as well.She is thrilled,I am less so,and my boss will just be relieved when we go back to normal...the guys will miss having her around though. Ah well,theres always the traditional 2 hours on xmas eve...

light at the end of the trig tunnel...

Well,this week sees the final slog through trigonometry,and on too less taxing subjects...on the science front we are playing with the elements of the periodic table in playing card format,and timing ourselves putting them all in order. We are studying an online botany curriculum,and we are eyeing up an art history workshop. We have also been dipping toes into the world of local home ed groups...only to discover that most of the interesting events take place on a friday afternoon. I work. Bugger. We may need to work around this. Anyway,we are still on a soup rampage,the Peanut devouring soup at a faster rate that I can produce it...Basically,I throw everything in the fridge into a pot of stock and some ginger and garlic and a can of tinned tomatoes and some pasta.That is the basis of fridge emptying soup,and its a firm favourite Currently she is eating another mammoth bowl while we watch and discuss 'Botox Mums'. Besides that we have been recovering from a family wedding and starting the xmas shopping.Yes,I said xmas shopping. From now until November,every time I go into a shop (supermarkets notwithstanding) I buy what I came for,and also a present for someone. Laugh now,but in December when everyone is rushing around,and Im stuck all day in a hot sweaty shop being shouted at and jostled by panicking last minute shoppers I know I can just go straight home afterwards without having to join the hoards. Anyhow,onwards...I am making Peanut a card to carry which states that she is NOT truanting but a Home Ed student and that she is registered with the local LEA.On it will be her LEA number,my phone number and a signed statement on the back from me saying I am aware she is not in school,etc. Its a little worrying that I have to do this,but we have been stopped once already so better to be safe than let them swoop on the Peanut on a day she happens to be on the train on her own.