Next door had another tree come down last night, fortunately not on our garden this time, but unfortunately it went across the road and their other neighbours entrance so they aren't having a good week!! The wind kept up most of the night and then today we have had snow, not huge amounts but it did actually settle and will probably freeze tonight.

Dave was down at the church this morning helping to move and deliver bits of carpet to other people. We got on with housey things and building Ben a half decent railway track in Eilidhs room to play with. He then decided to go on 'You Tube' to watch Thomas videos and clips other people have made with their train tracks on there. Most of this afternoon he disappeared into Eilidh's room, making up stories about Thomas and playing with his track. Every time a popped my head around he was completely engrossed in another story he was telling himself!! Bless!! Eilidh did some painting and then helped me sort out some stuff to go to the local jumble sale (five box loads!!)

I've been felling grotty with a streaming cold the last couple of days but got a burst of energy this afternoon and tackled the mess in our bedroom. Tidied, vacuumed and sorted out loads of stuff that I've been trying to ignore for half a year and it looks much better, ok not perfect but it's getting there. Dave sat sorting through a load of boxes of computer stuff and freecycling loads so I feel we have actually done something today!! I also managed to get the next horrible blue door sanded down ready for painting.

Eilidh felt brave and went out to play in the snow, it didn't last long, she came in freezing cold and soaking wet and complained for the next half hour that her finger wasn't feeling right!?

On Tuesday, the kids went off with Dave up to Penrith for swimming and our Home Ed social afternoon. I had stayed behind as we supposedly had a cottage to do, however I discovered after lugging all the linen to the house that no-one had actually been in even thought it had been booked. What a waste of time!! Still they all had a fun time swimming and playing while I got back home and glossed a couple of cupboard doors!!

Wednesday was another trip to the library as the kids had read all their books and Eilidh was desperate to get some more. We popped into our church on the way to look at a some carpet which they were pulling up in the huge renovations that are going on there. We nabbed a nice long stretch which will hopefully redo our stairs and landing and look a bit better that the horrible stuff we have down at the moment!! In the church they have pulled out all of the wooden pews and are replacing eveything so all the wood, carpet kneel pads and loads of other stuff are being given away to whoever wants them. Apart from the carpet we have also grabbed two kneeler pads (for the kids) and loads of scrap wood for kindling.

When we finished at the library we headed back to the car and Dave popped back into the church with Eilidh to use the loo and we ended up staying there for a soup lunch as they had just finished a service followed by lunch. Great!

We had gales last night blustering around the house and more rain. When I opened Eilidhs curtains this morning we found a large fir tree lying across our garden! One of next doors trees had come down.It was leaning on our little shed and across where our greenhouse is stored waiting to go up. The shed is leaning slightly and we think is only staying up because it's full to the roof with stuff!! and two panels of the greenhouse frame have been bent, still I suppose it's better than hitting the house!

Dave managed to chop it all up this afternoon with his chainsaw into smaller peices but i'm not quite sure whats going to happen with repairs to the shed and greenhouse. The next door neighbours seemed to be quite concerned but they haven't mentioned any compensation or anything, apart from the fact that it would have cost them a lot of money to get someone else in to chop it all down and make it safe. Still, we shall see.... Hopefully no more will come down as the wind is still howling now.

After church yesterday, we decided to get out in the afternoon to let the kids have a run around and get some fresh air. We went off to Fellfoot, a National Trust park on the side of Lake Windermere where there is plenty of space to run and a play park with a zip wire. The kids had great fun and spent most of the time climbing the huge overgrown Rhodedendrons (probably spelt that completely wrong!) pretending to be monkeys (did I say pretending???). These make a fantastic natural play area.

Today we had a morning at home doing secret messages with wax crayons, paint, lemon and water. Then Eilidh decided she wanted to do some more of her collage she had started at art group so all the scraps and ribbons came out. Then they made some pictures with pasta, lentils and seeds which they both got on with. By that time I had run out of ideas which were easy to get hold of in our mess of a house so Ben went onto one of his Cd Roms and Eilidh helped make lunch.

This afternoon we decided to make good use of our National Trust membership and got off to Sizergh Castle to have a look around. Unfortunately I hadn't checked to see if it was open, which of course it wasn't!! Never mind, we went to Sizergh Barn Farm Shop instead and had a good look around. They sell loads of lovely food, local crafts and other bits and they also have a farm trail which you can walk around. We followed the farm trail, which was a really nice walk through fields, by streams, and through some woods and had a look at some of the cows and then headed home. Unfortunately we didn't have any money to go to the cafe where you can watch the cows being milked through a huge glass window but I promised the kids we would come back another time.

Yesterday we had a really good day at our Home Ed art group. Jayne who organises the group had arranged for a neighbour who is a proper artist to come and help some of the older ones with drawing. A whole group of them sat around a table for ages busy drawing and they all thoroughly enjoyed it. Meanwhile the younger ones got on with decorating hearts, doing blow painting, joining in with a bit of the drawing, oil pastels and collage (which was great fun!)

This is what we came home with!!

Then Naomi prepared the veg for tea with Eilidh & Bens help, Naomi also discovered a new herbal remedy for headache & Eilidh just had to try it too.

Today we pottered about sorting out bits and pieces around the house. Dave painted the new loft hatch, Eilidh helped me wash and sand another horrible blue door ready for painting white and Ben roped Daddy in to help build him a huge track in Eilidhs room to play with. They had both stripped their beds for me already, isn't it great when they get to the age that they can actually do things!!

Mind you Ben had spent most of this morning in his pyjamas playing cars in his room, only reappearing for lunch wearing a t-shirt and shorts (absolutely nothing else!) BRRR he was making me feel cold just looking at him. They had a lovely bath and sat in front of the fire having supper before going to bed

Today we managed to strip wallpaper from three rooms, stripped out the carpet in four and painted two sides of the outside of the house....well, alright it was only the dolls house but still!!! Ben and Eilidh have been desperate to get started so after getting some paint the other day they just couldn't wait any longer. It is turning a lovely shade of light blue and needs a lot ot TLC but we will get there. Eilidh picked out some wallpaper as well so this will be the next job after all the painting is finished. If only we could get our own house done so quickly!

We also did some work on Romans, Ben colouring in some pictures for his poster and Eilidh working out Roman Numerals for her project book. We are starting this new idea called a 'Lapbook' which is just a folder with lots of bits and pieces in about your topic which you can add to, a bit like doing a scrapbook.

This afternoon they both decided to finish their Hama bead pictures they had for Christmas, Ben helped me make his fire engine and Eilidh did her last horse for her mobile so it's all ready to put together. They look really good and it's quite addictive once you start.

Yesterday was another quiet day at home, working hard!

Today we went off to the library to re-stock with books and Cd's. Dave came along too and sat reading to both of them for ages while I pottered about looking at books. The kids picked a load of books to take home and we went off to pick up some veg at the market.

We had some bits and pieces to pick up from our friends over in Grange and were invited to lunch which was really nice. We had some lovely homemade soup and then Eilidh disappeared upstairs with Louise, their seven year old while Ben messed about with James (10yrs) downstairs. We sat and chatted for a while and then headed back home.

While I got on with tea, Dave was back on reading duty, workiing his way through the new library books! Eilidh went off to bed with three of hers after informing me that she had already read one of her books! She will probably come down tomorrow after finishing another one, we just can't keep her with enough books. She has read pretty much all the books in her room, some more than once and has even worked her way through the Children's Bible!!!

Today has been quite a good day, the kids have been busy all day while I've been able to get some bits done as well. This morning, we sat down and did some 'work', Ben worked on his ABC workbook, writing letters and colouring while Eilidh worked through some worksheets on measuring and some other maths. They then decided to do some painting (which lasted about five minutes!) and then Ben decided he wanted to go on the computer while Eilidh carried on with some more maths work.

In the afternoon, we watched a DVD on the 'Rotton Romans' as Eilidh wants to know all about Romans and how they lived. I also managed to order an activity pack off Ebay yesterday about Romans so we shall see what it's like when it arrives. Ben decided he wanted to play with some play-dough so we first had to make some (blue and green this time!) and they both spent about an hour and half playing with this while I got on with dinner. Fantastic!

Dave went off this afternoon to help someone off Freecycle with their computer and came back with a bottle of wine which was really sweet of the guy. He is also off to look at another job tomorrow for our friends parents so hopefully that will come off as well.