Ran Away.

Humdrumness had infected me badly, very badly, so I ran away to my wonderful friend, D for a much needed reboot...and wow, it was an amazing 2 weeks.  Rye was in 7th heaven.  D's son and Rye were inseparable; when we weren't out at home ed events/activities they were engaged in the most intense playmobil and lego games, building and imagining for hours and hours.  Warmed the old cockles to see Rye so accepted for who is he and to have found a friend who just "gets" who Rye is.

There was lots of crafting - his fine motor skills are not as refined as they could be, so I thought he did a stonking job here!

I rather like his black pumpkin.  This was part of a craft session at Relax Kids.  It was a lovely session, though Rye was a little unsure at first.

He made a stomp rocket - and OMG it was bloody brilliant!  I will so be doing this activity my science club group!

Rye carved the pumpkin on the right...and he did much of it himself!

I was nervous at first about letting Rye lose with a craft knife,  look at that concentration!  Paper cutting is definitely another craft we will do again!

On mornings at home, the kids would do some table work.  A bit of writing and math mostly.  Including, drawing and writing post cards.  Rye sent one to Rose Howey and to his dad.

Until the 1st November, it was unseasonably warm in Lincolnshire.  D drove us all to the beach, and D and me sat and knitted and crocheted while the boys played, and played, and played.  Oh, the beach was wonderful, missed it so much.  I know we aren't far from the sea here in Liverpool, I just need to find a more accessible beach - Formby beach while beautiful is accessed by sand dunes, Ok going down, trying to get back up...oh my!

Deer safari with Rye's friend O, and his new friend J.  Rye has met O and J before, but they were all toddlers, so none of them seem to remember.   The stag there is called Boris - phooey he was a pongy boy.  Rye loved this, and I have to say it was bloody good, plus the fresh crisp air, and the views.  Lincolnshire, of course, is very flat - and wow the views - amazing!

I'm proud of this.  Rye writes pretty well these days, but oh.my.god he's slow... I mean half dead snail slow!  It winds me up, but this day I had a brainwave, and told Rye I bet I could write 10 of the words he was writing in his spellings book, by the time he'd written one.  Challenge enthusiastically accepted...he thought it was brilliant, and he started to write faster to stop me being able to write so many words to his one!  Yay!

I love this photo, I know it looks like he's got makeup on, but he doesn't - it's just the light.  He loves this costume and looked fab, and he wore it to go trick or treating and to a few halloween parties we attended.

More sewing!  I really must pick up some of these little sewing kits from the pound shop!

Hehehe, this is a Knights Templar Tower, kids loved the activities that were put on, and play fighting around the tower with all the other kids, with those cardboard swords and shields.  It took D and me a wee while to find this place - the signage is confusing to say the least!

Highlight!  D booked tickets for us all to see Chris Peckham at Lincoln Uni giving a talk on Owl and Bats.  It was brilliant, at first I thought it might be a bit too much info for Rye, but no, he loved it...and to my utter pride and joy, he put up his hand and was picked to ask Chris a question.  He asked how many owls species there are in the UK.  Rye was so chuffed with himself too - he spoke clearly and articulately, no shyness or anxiety.  It was a beautiful moment for this mama!

 We went to a home ed halloween party, which was really well decorated, and the food was pretty darn good too.  Kids had a fab time :D

Tyre swing in the front garden...big hit.
Fabulous 2 weeks for Rye, especially as my humdrumness has meant I'd become a bit of a hermit and we were rarely leaving the co-op - mostly it was my housemate taking Rye out for me.  Rose Howey life does tend to mean Rye is off doing his own thing a lot...but it also hit me, that its made me very lazy too.  All the crafting, the trips out etc this was life pre Rose Howey; living in a co-op with friends we live with, activities that go on in the house, a large, very large garden, backing onto a park...naturally changed our routine and dynamic, and while it is good that Rye has more independence and such a large space to play and be free in - a park he can now go to on his own (with his friends)...it has made me lazy.

Once back at Rose Howey, I had resolved we would go out to home ed activities more, just the two of us would go out on trips too, I'd have quick crafts that we can do together some evenings and so forth.  It did start that way, then I was hit with a virus and was bed bound with fever and horrendous headache, feeling sick and achy for 2 weeks, then I caught Rye's cold...we've also been slowly shifting our rooms around to make them more functional and peaceful to be in.  It's December now though, so our usual Yule crafting will commence, and I'll arrange some trips out too (swallowing my hatred of crowds lol),

The visit wasn't all about Rye of course.  D and I sat and talked, she took me to some private woods, and while Rye was engaged with the home ed event there, she took me to the spiral, which I walked, it was grounding and uplifting at the same time.  We also spent the day at a Samhain event with other likeminded women, which was wonderful.  Dancing, singing, crafting, sharing of good food, meditation, cleansing.  Wonderful stuff.  I also went to a yoga session.

I'm sad my mobility has decreased so much, but hopeful I can reclaim movement back.  To that end I've purchased myself a yoga mat, my wonderful housemates have freed the gate to the park - in the winter, the path through the copse gets too muddy and slippy for me to traverse.  However, we do have a gate that opens into the park, bypassing the path.

I'm already enjoying slightly increased mobility and reduced back pain.  I'm looking forward to 2017 seeing me being back to the level of fitness I had BEFORE I bought the Zafira, when I lived in Folkestone and use to walk everywhere!

And a big Thank you to D and her family for welcoming Rye and me into their home and being such wonderful friends :D

I love my tribe.