Grizedale Forest was lovely as usual ( http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-5k2b6b). We parked about two miles from the main visitors centre and met up with about six other familes (and as many dogs!) and wandered through the forest trails to have our picnic lunch at the centre. There is a huge adventure playground there and a cafe and while the kids ran around playing we all sat chatting and catching up. The forest has lots of different sculptures dotted along the trails so it's a lovely place to visit whatever the weather, fortunately it wasn't too bad today!

Ben fell asleep on the way home as he had been on the go all day but they have both been really good today and enjoyed themselves. Had to spend all this evening ironing as I just havn't been able to get my head around it all week and we have two cottages to clean tomorrow (Oh what joy!!).

Been a weird couple of days. Ben seems to have been bouncing off the walls, Eilidh is really stroppy and I'm tired...not a good combination!! I ended up threatening them with school today to which they both replied they wanted to go (not quite the response I was hoping for!) After explaining that they would not be able to play, run around, chatter and see all their Home Ed friends all day they went off the idea! We came up with a compromise of actually doing some 'proper' work at home. I think they both need a little bit more structure now so we shall see how it goes. So this afternoon they decided to watch 'Swallows and Amazons' and then go on to do a project book all about this. Well, Eilidh got on with designing and making the front page and Ben decided to draw letters with a stencil we found. He has just started being interested in making letters and drawing rather than just scribbling so it's a good start. We made a list of all the interesting things in the film like charcoal burning, fish, sailing, where the filming was done, pirates, morse code and about Arthur Ransome himself so this project could go on for a while!! We will probably try to do a little bit each day and try to get hold of the rest of the books to read.

Tomorrow we have a day out planned up at Grizedale forest with our local group so the project will have to wait for now!

Event of the day.....Eilidh's tooth came out, with a little bit of help from someone else's head!! Really tired and stressed today so not writing much!!

This afternoon we decided to have a bit of time out all together as Dave wasn't working. We went over to The Aquarium Of The Lakes and to the Lakeside Haverthwaite Railway as we still had free tickets which needed using before October. This is an old steam railway which runs from Haverthwaite to Lakeside. So we parked at Haverthwaite,had a look around the engine sheds and then caught the train to the aquarium at Lakeside. Ben loved looking around the sheds at all the different engines and carriages and kept asking where Thomas was!! It's just a short run but both of the kids thoroughly enjoyed it.

The aquarium was really good, we saw otters (busy playing catch with some stones), fish (obviously!), lobster, snakes, mice, rays, and sharks. They also have an underwater tunnel which Eilidh loves as you can watch all the different fish swimming around you. But the best bit is watching ducks diving underwater to get food! We all had a really good afternoon.

Dave's tummy was making peculiar noises all night but he bravely got up and went of to work again today! The rest of us went off to work too, sorting out our smallest holiday cottage. I love people who leave their holiday homes spotless, it only took us about 45 mins to sort out... fantastic!! We then went off to a sale at a local private boarding school which has been closed down. They were selling everything from mini-buses to books to chests of drawers!! We really went to get some more art equipment for the group and for ourselves but there wasn't much left worth having. We came out with some paints, stickers and Eilidh got a half size skateboard and helmet which she was really pleased with! We then decided to go out for lunch at Sedbergh had a drive round the countryside and then home. Eilidh was straight onto the pathway with her skateboard and spent ages playing out there while Ben came in and played with his trains.

While we were away we heard about an internet site where you can sign up to help people who may need help all over the world in exchange for board and lodgings. They had been to France on a couple and had other helpers back to their place to help them. It sounds really good and it may be a way of travelling without so many of the costs. We have always wanted to go around this country (especially Scotland) so maybe in the future..... The site is http://www.helpx.net/, well worth a look!!

Today was our monthly art group. The kids got busy doing origami, pastels and making little birds from beech nuts and putting them on a twig!? They actually look quite good when done. There wasn't a huge amount to do this time and all of the adults ended up having a meeting while the kids played outside for a while. We sorted out what we are going to do for the next few months so we can get a bit more organised with the group. It looks like it could get really good with some really nice arty ideas coming up.

When we got home, our friend Kate turned up with Dennis and Florence. Eilidh and Dennis disappeared upstairs to play while Florence and Ben pottered about together. They all then decided to go and play outside and Dennis and Florence, once again, went home covered in mud!! What is it with our kids and mud??

Autumn is most definately here, it has been raining all day and a bit chilly, and the pheasants are back!! Yes we have about ten or twelve in our back field (well not actually ours, but we have adopted it!). The nights are getting really dark so early, although there seems to be a plus side in that Ben seems to sleeping in a bit longer in the mornings, long may it last!

This morning we sorted out our very late library books and headed into town. Eilidh managed to find six brand new books in the series she loves reading so she was really happy, all about fairies (of course!) Ben spent most of the time trying to hide under the book boxes but still ended up coming home with about six or seven of his choice! We went off to McDonalds for a quick lunch and then headed home again.

This afternoon was spent reading books, playing dominoes and another counting game, colouring, and then they both got quite into doing some mazes and dot to dots which I had found in a pile of paper I was sorting through. This was in between taking turns on the computer on 'Starfall' which is a really good reading site for kids. So all in all a reasonably productive day for them.

Dave was off working again and I was not having such a good day! I managed to put the clothes to be washed into the dryer (twice!), burnt the dinner and spent most of the day walking around in a daze feeling completely overwhelmed by the amount of work that's needed to sort this house out! I really don't know where to start! Then I read a poem I have on the wall and it made me feel a little better....

I TOOK HIS HAND AND FOLLOWED

My dishes went unwashed today

I didn't make my bed

I took his hand and followed

Where eager footsteps led

Oh Yes, we went adventuring

My little child and I

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the sun and sky

We watched a Robin feed her young

We climbed a sunlit hill

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was so neglected

That I didn't brush the stairs

In twenty years no-one on earth

Will know or even care.

But that I've helped my little child

To noble adulthood grow

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Anon