with our friends from Porlock.
The children loved climbing the trees and aiming the apples down into the buckets and bags below...
Apples have featured a lot in our activities this Autumn -
It is so lovely to occupy ourselves with seasonal activities,
which reflect the rhythm of the year....
However the 31st of October and first day of November were also tinged with great sadness.
Our beloved guinea pig Silver sadly passed away in the early hours of the morning.
We couldn't bring ourselves to bury him here on the farm,
but left him lying peacefully in his basket.
I kept checking on him throughout the day.
He just looked as though he was in a deep sleep.
It was really hard to believe that he had actually gone and very difficult to accept....
Sarah's cornet teacher arrived to give her an impromptu lesson and she expressed sadness for our loss.
I decided later, that we would take him to my mum's house for a special burial,
as he had enjoyed wandering freely in her garden and finding shade under her rosemary bushes.
Afterwards, the children did their usual tasks.
Matthew started writing his secret agent story, which he loves doing.
We had purchased some thick artist pencils from a shop in Dulverton;
And he has a large red A4 exercise book, in which he records his ideas.
It's brilliant to watch him at work!
He becomes totally engrossed...
He fills each page with large writing and pictures,
noting down his excited ideas with incredible determination.
He loves numbering the pages and deciding when to write a new chapter heading...
It has turned out to be a winner....
She works best, when she is self motivated....
She also loves duo lingo, and is working hard to learn French.
On Wednesday 2nd,
we drove to the Museum in Tiverton for a Home Ed History Event.
It turned out to be a day of both highs and lows.
Some of the activities were amazing, others a little tedious,
bringing out the restless side of Matthew's personality.
Too much talking and little doing is not a good combination for him...
However all in all, we were very glad to have participated.
An added bonus was the opportunity
to catch up with some new friends we had made at the Home Ed Science Day in Bristol...
Matthew's favourite activity was handling Victorian toys,
He asked lots of questions and enjoyed playing with the wooden toys.
He learnt that the toys modelled what was happening in the world at the time.
Pretty obvious of course, but until cars were invented, horses were a popular toy.
The toys were made in materials around at the time, like wood and metal and toy makers liked them to be Scientific:
They were something like this:
and this:
They enjoyed looking through a Victorian viewfinder:
He also enjoyed asking questions about all the household items he was shown...
Sarah enjoyed re-enacting the school day, as she could really imagine what it was like to be there.
I didn't realise how much she had absorbed, until we got back to the car.
The first thing Sarah did was to write a whole A4 page of writing about everything she had learnt!
They found out about what it was like to go to a Victorian School,
the clothes people of different classes wore,
home life
and the toys they played with.
the clothes people of different classes wore,
home life
and the toys they played with.
They got to experience some of this through role play
and the handling of objects gathered together in the Museum.
and the handling of objects gathered together in the Museum.
A few days later, the children also watched the whole series of The Victorian Slum,
broadcast on the BBC.
They really enjoyed each episode....
broadcast on the BBC.
They really enjoyed each episode....
This is a n American preview, but will give you an idea of how brilliant the series was:
On the way home from our trip to the museum, the lovely Maeve took us to her house,
where she had been saving some Where's Wally Folders for us.
Another Home Ed Family had kindly offered them to any family who would enjoy reading them.
I think they are on long term loan.
They are amazing and I would highly recommend them:
where she had been saving some Where's Wally Folders for us.
Another Home Ed Family had kindly offered them to any family who would enjoy reading them.
I think they are on long term loan.
They are amazing and I would highly recommend them:
Sarah was engrossed at once!
Each of the 52 magazines, covers a different time period in History.
They are absorbing and fun.
They build on the knowledge Sarah has already gained from the amazing Horrible Histories...
Her passion for history is growing day by day....
On Thursday 3rd, we went to Dulverton.
The children always enjoy visiting the town.
They are absorbing and fun.
They build on the knowledge Sarah has already gained from the amazing Horrible Histories...
Her passion for history is growing day by day....
On Thursday 3rd, we went to Dulverton.
The children always enjoy visiting the town.
We had made an appointment with the doctor's,
as we wanted to refer Matthew for an assessment for dyspraxia.
I went armed with an extensive list of observations and hope that we will be able to find the help he needs.
as we wanted to refer Matthew for an assessment for dyspraxia.
I went armed with an extensive list of observations and hope that we will be able to find the help he needs.
Afterwards, we went to the park for a play, which is always fun.
Back at home, the children continued their allotted tasks.
What a busy week it proved to be:
The following day, Friday 4th,
we drove to Cannington to find out about Bridgwater College 14-16 Facility.
We met up with a large group of home educators from various towns both in West Somerset, Bridgwater, Taunton and one or two surrounding towns and villages.
It was an informative experience.
We remain undecided about whether it is the right option for Sarah.
But we have plenty of time to decide.
A good friend of ours sent her daughter there and she did very well.
But we want to explore the various options available.
The obvious advantage of the course is that it is fully funded for three days.
The short week also makes it Home Ed friendly;
The classes are small, which is another definite advantage.
The disadvantages are that the choice of subjects is limited and it would be a lottery as to the chemistry of the group...
The following day, Friday 4th,
we drove to Cannington to find out about Bridgwater College 14-16 Facility.
We met up with a large group of home educators from various towns both in West Somerset, Bridgwater, Taunton and one or two surrounding towns and villages.
It was an informative experience.
We remain undecided about whether it is the right option for Sarah.
But we have plenty of time to decide.
A good friend of ours sent her daughter there and she did very well.
But we want to explore the various options available.
The obvious advantage of the course is that it is fully funded for three days.
The short week also makes it Home Ed friendly;
The classes are small, which is another definite advantage.
The disadvantages are that the choice of subjects is limited and it would be a lottery as to the chemistry of the group...
But we will see.
We have three years to decide...
After the session, the children had great fun playing a game of tag in the car park.
It was a joy to watch them interacting so well with each other.
Later we walked to St Matthew's Field in Bridgwater to watch a free firework display.
We met up with my sister and one of the children's cousin's and her friends.
We all enjoyed the bright colours lighting up the night sky.
After the session, the children had great fun playing a game of tag in the car park.
It was a joy to watch them interacting so well with each other.
Later we walked to St Matthew's Field in Bridgwater to watch a free firework display.
We met up with my sister and one of the children's cousin's and her friends.
We all enjoyed the bright colours lighting up the night sky.
Our weekends are always hectic, as Sarah attends a Saturday Music School in Taunton.
http://www.hestercombe.com/cym/
This week, to save driving back up onto Exmoor, we had stayed an extra night at my mum's.
After Music School, Sarah and I popped back to mum's to say goodbye to Silver.
Sarah and I dug a hole in the flower bed, where he used to hide under the rosemary bushes.
We wrapped him in a pillow case, filled with rosemary, lavender and lemon balm.
Grandma and I rocked him gently and sang a special song, just for him,
before placing him lovingly in the soft earth - in the spot he felt safe.
He would be forever in a place he liked to roam free.
Grandma placed some more sprigs of rosemary on top, and
Sarah decorated the finished grave with shells and pebbles.
Later that evening we met up with several families
to watch a firework display at Oake Manor Golf Club
It was spectacular.
We enjoyed hot dogs and burgers and the company of good friends.
It was a lovely evening.
Recently, we have been trying to go for a walk on Sundays.
http://www.hestercombe.com/cym/
This week, to save driving back up onto Exmoor, we had stayed an extra night at my mum's.
After Music School, Sarah and I popped back to mum's to say goodbye to Silver.
Sarah and I dug a hole in the flower bed, where he used to hide under the rosemary bushes.
We wrapped him in a pillow case, filled with rosemary, lavender and lemon balm.
Grandma and I rocked him gently and sang a special song, just for him,
before placing him lovingly in the soft earth - in the spot he felt safe.
He would be forever in a place he liked to roam free.
Grandma placed some more sprigs of rosemary on top, and
Sarah decorated the finished grave with shells and pebbles.
Thank you for all the joy you brought to our lives, little Silver.
We are sad you had to leave us and miss your gentle presence.
We love the way you pottered from room to room,
finding your way to your favourite places.
We love the way you let us cuddle you so quietly,
sharing with us the peacefulness of your sweet disposition.
We love the way you whistled so determinedly when we approached,
a piercing, but joyous sound....
We will not forget you little Silver 
Later that evening we met up with several families
to watch a firework display at Oake Manor Golf Club
It was spectacular.
We enjoyed hot dogs and burgers and the company of good friends.
It was a lovely evening.
On Sunday 6th, the children were very excited to discover a white world outside.
They had gone out to the car to find the kindle, but instead came racing back.
They cried out excitedly that the fields were covered in frost and they were going to go sledging!
All thought of screen time were abandoned for sledging in the field amongst the sheep.
The last I saw of them, they were in the far distance....
Having dragged their sledges deep into the field, appearing as tiny figures in the distance, they became engrossed in their new activity.
Having dragged their sledges deep into the field, appearing as tiny figures in the distance, they became engrossed in their new activity.
Sadly, the activity turned out to be short lived on this occasion, as they hadn't managed to find a steep enough slope.
They made a mental note to find a better one next time.
Recently, we have been trying to go for a walk on Sundays.
One Sunday in November,
we walked a circular walk from Hawkridge down into the woods to the River Barle.
It was stunning.
First there were far reaching views over the moor:
 |
| We enjoyed glorious views like this over East Anstey Common |
Then we descended into the autumnal woods and continued down to find the River Barle.
Along the way, the children had great fun clambering between the beech trees perched high on their mud boundaries and so typical of the area.
They got quite excited at the thought of bringing their friends out to share this particular adventure and asked whether we could return the next day.
There were meant to be the remains of two ancient castles nearby, but as the light was soon to be fading, we decided to stick to the paths and leave this exploration for another day.
There are two interesting bridges at the bottom, where the River Barle meets Dane's Brook.
Castle bridge was one.
Along the way, the children had great fun clambering between the beech trees perched high on their mud boundaries and so typical of the area.
They got quite excited at the thought of bringing their friends out to share this particular adventure and asked whether we could return the next day.
There were meant to be the remains of two ancient castles nearby, but as the light was soon to be fading, we decided to stick to the paths and leave this exploration for another day.
There are two interesting bridges at the bottom, where the River Barle meets Dane's Brook.
Castle bridge was one.
 |
| This other bridge spans the River Barle after a steep descent to the forest floor. |
We wended our way back along Dane's Brook, following the bridleway to Hawkridge. The children were rather put out by the very steep climb back up to the common above.
And so we have decided that when we return, we will try to complete this walk back to front....
And so we have decided that when we return, we will try to complete this walk back to front....
 |
| We walked along a path like this beside Dane's Brook. The only difference was that the trees were adorned in glorious rustic finery. Having a close view of the brook as it wended its way beside the path, was also magical... |
It was a special place and one we hope to return to soon.
We returned home in time for daddy to cook us a scrumptious roast dinner on the Rayburn.
On Monday 7th we went to visit our friends in Porlock at lunchtime.
The children got the chance to use an apple press
using some of the apples we had picked the previous week.
Turning the wheel was quite hard work, but rewarding to see the liquid pooling at the bottom.
We took it in turns to have a go...
A big thank you to our lovely friend Catherine
for creating these apple themed opportunities
and inviting us to her lovely home.
We really appreciate your friendship...
On Tuesday 8th November, the children were busy bees at home.
The children got the chance to use an apple press
using some of the apples we had picked the previous week.
Turning the wheel was quite hard work, but rewarding to see the liquid pooling at the bottom.
We took it in turns to have a go...
A big thank you to our lovely friend Catherine
for creating these apple themed opportunities
and inviting us to her lovely home.
We really appreciate your friendship...
 |
| Photo of Sarah, Matthew, our friend Maddie and me, all hard at work with the apple press |
I really must make a note of all the activities we do, as it is so easy to forget.
I know that Matthew was keen to continue his story
and they both mixed chemicals from their new Chemistry set, which was very exciting....
and they both mixed chemicals from their new Chemistry set, which was very exciting....
On Wednesday 9th we drove to Taunton for Science and Art lessons.
In Science the children had a taste of Food Science:
They explored what a calorie is,
making a calorie meter to measure calories in food
and finding out about foods that release energy quickly and foods that release energy slowly and why.
You can find out more about the amazing lesson and what the children learnt here:
Food Science (Thanks to our lovely Caroline Ellis for the comprehensive write-up).
They explored what a calorie is,
making a calorie meter to measure calories in food
and finding out about foods that release energy quickly and foods that release energy slowly and why.
You can find out more about the amazing lesson and what the children learnt here:
Food Science (Thanks to our lovely Caroline Ellis for the comprehensive write-up).
 |
| Cocoa-cola and Milk |
 |
| Egg yolk |
 |
| Measuring calories in marshmallows and fruit drops (boiled sweet) |
 |
| Oil |
 |
| Popcorn |
As we were going to go to drama the following afternoon,
we stayed over at Grandma's after Art.
It always feels like such a trek to drive there and back to Taunton two days in a row.
So we often choose to stay over at Grandma's.
First we met up with our friend Barbara and her girls. We had chosen rather an unusual venue:
ASDA!
We ate lunch with them and enjoyed lots of good conversation, food and play... before we had to head over the hills to Mum's.
Making the most of this location, we arranged a play date with our friends in Bridgwater.
So before we went to drama on Thursday 10th November,
Matthew had the chance to play lego and hang out with some friends.
During the drama session, Matthew was as focussed as ever.
Acting seems to come quite naturally to him and it is exciting how he has learnt his lines.
He speaks out confidently, in a clear, loud voice
and is learning to come in at the right time.
He was a bit upset this week, however,
feeling that everyone laughed the one time he happened to come in with his line a little too soon.
He felt so bad, that he said he wanted to quit.
But the following week, he was soon back into the swing of things....
Sarah was a little reticent about her part backstage, uncertain as to her role.
But after a word with our lovely teacher,
she soon entered into the spirit of things and was up and running...
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