Not Very successful Blogger ...
Mood: weary - that's usual just now!
Well despite not schooling and having a mummy-helper my summer seems to be sweeping away unblogged 
! Caleb is a reasonably good baby at night, but day-times he is quite fussy. He feeds loads and, since his jabs, what goes in seems to come straight out again - hmmm!
I've actually really been enjoying watching the children doing their own 'learning' over the summer. It's hard to recall all the specific moments, but I've noted them at the time as "must blog that" moments - which of course I then haven't, but the very fact that I have thought I should has meant that I have known they were there - if you get my gist?!
Some of the things I can call to mind; We have had some fun inventing a 'Hampton Family Dictionary' - made up of words only we know the meanings of! One day Ellie covered herself in orange spaghetti bolognese sauce. At the end of the meal the need to "deorangify'' her was declared (pronounced de-oringe-ify). Then there's to make something look 'freaky-cute' - freakutify - if that's possible! There have been others too, but Jacob has them logged in his brain - and he's in bed!!
Discussing with Jacob the intricasies of marketing goods was interesting; definitions of manufacturer, retailer and 'branding'. So 'Mars Foods' is the manufacturer, MARS is the 'brand' of chocolate and Tesco's is the retailer - where you buy it.
There have been some lovely times; going shopping with the girls to buy a whole load of fruit & a huge bar of chocolate. Then going home to make fruit smoothies (and ice-lollies) and chocolate krispie cakes - with an excess of Rice Krispies that we have from buying them to get the Horrible Histories CD's!! Peeling and chopping the various varieties of fruits, out on the garden table, was a sticky, but very fun - and tasty - affair!!
Watching the kids playing together in the paddling pool I always love.
Watching Caleb learn to smile, laugh and now begin to 'talk' to us - I love these early baby days 
Intricate games of 'lets pretend' have taken place at times - often with four of mine and the two children from upstairs - with much dressing up and coming and going to and from each other's houses. Although having resident neighbours with whom we share our out-door space (and consequently often the indoor space too) can be a pain at times, but it has it's pluses - all the children have been occupied by someone for the majority of the time all summer!
The boys declared at the beginning ofthe summer that they were going to do a 'car project' together - just for fun. I said I thought that would be great, but sadly nothing has materialised. Jacob had some great ideas, but Joel was not so 'up for it'. As Jacob really didn't want to embark on it alone it hasn't happened. Shame really - I'd have liked to see what they could achieve off their own backs. Jacob was ready to full steam ahead, but I tried to get him to jot down some of his ideas before he started and just loosely think about how and what he wanted to put in his project. I think the very thought of 'thinking' about it put him off - he just wanted to 'do' it - and now I wish I'd let him! 
But all is not lost - I might just let them carry the idea over into next term. I'm sure that just because it's not an 'academic' topic doesn't meant there isn't much they can learn about researching, presentation, planning, etc... And at the moment they are talking about cars with every breath, so I'm hoping a little project work might get it out their systems a little! 
Jan (Off the Path) C, M & J came over for the day a couple of weeks ago. Great to see them - it's been almost a year since - that's just too long!! We had a lovely day chatting over this and that. The children were all off playing well together for the most part. Only the two small baby boys were both in grumpy moods, which made it a little challenging to hold a flowing conversation at times!
Presently Joel & Abbie are staying at their Nan & Grandad's for a couple of nights without us (in Portsmouth) - break for us, treat for them! The rest of us all go to join them on Wednesday. 6 hours on a train is not a thought I relish with a 10 week old baby, but these journeys must be taken!
Having G. here over the summer has been an absolute boon! I shall miss her badly when she goes - as will all the children I'm sure. We have all grown very fond of her. She is wise beyond her years too. 
Many an evening I have sat chatting over things to do with the children and her little bit of objective distance has been very useful. She has some quite clear insights into the way Jacob ticks. Her youngest sister has been challenging, in many ways similarly to Jake. But she has come up with some very good 'mangement' ideas and ways to reward Jake that might actually work! One thing I struggle with is rewarding his good behaviour, because, ever since he was very small, if I break his concentration to comment on his "playing nicely" or "working well" then he could never regain what was broken and his behaviour would turn for the worse. G. made the suggestion that I could quietly go off and 'log' his good behaviour unbeknown to him and maybe place a sticker next to the entry if he is being really good. Then, at an appropriate time - a break time, or later in the day, show him the log book and all the things that had pleased me in the day. Also to make this book readily available for him to look at, should he need to remind himself of the behaviours that have pleased me. I was stunned by this idea and I really think it might work - at least for a while. 
I shall also miss her friendship - she has been lovely to chat to - just having another girl about the house. It's made me look forward to having older teenagers around. I hope mine are as as lovely as G. 
I've written to the local college to see if I can get a student like her next term to come and help me a bit. Isn't that what you do Merry? Just an extra pair of baby rocking arms has been so useful! 
Well that'll do for tonight me thinks. I'm away for a few days from Weds now. When we come pack I'll be house packing - we are moving it looks like - around about the 19th Sept. Just around the corner, but ... So I don't know when I'll next blog, but I'll try!
Oh - and it looks like the church here are going to take Paul on for his 'Minister In Training' after all, so we're staying put for at least another 2 years, maybe 3 - which makes me very happy!! I do love it here. 
