This term, we are mostly...

Well, I am mostly doing things with M and A. C is in full teen mode, and likes it when we leave the house, and leave him to it. Although, he doesn't practice the instruments that I pay for lessons on nearly enough. He has been in guitar mode lately, and I am forking out for Drum kit and Piano lessons.

He finally managed to get over to me the idea that he doesn't want to study music. I have been looking at music courses and colleges for him for months, because he kept saying, "I just want to do Music." Turns out the emphasis was the the 'do' rather than the 'just Music.' He doesn't want to do music at college, he just wants to do it himself.

So we have agreed that I will leave him alone for another year, and then he will do some GCSEs and get off to college or something. :-)

In the mean time, M and I have Book Club, and History Group. This month is Stormcatchers by Tim Bowler and the Bronze age and the Beaker Folk.  And there was an 11th Birthday, which she completely sorted out herself, and really really enjoyed! It was a simple party and yet she was so pleased! It was a Disney character dress up party, and she wanted musical statues and pass the parcel, etc. I am glad she isn't afraid to be a little girl. Ironically, this little girl used her birthday money to buy hair dye, and I took her to get her hair cut, and now she looks at least 13. She is suddenly acting older as well - more independent. She and C are going their separate ways, and I have to help.

A funny thing

So I hardly ever blog here because home edding doesn't leave me much time to write about it. But this is so funny, I want to mark it.

According to Al, he, M and S were watching my West Wing DVDs the other day, and Leo makes a comment about something being, "A plague on both our houses."  S, 19, asked Al where that reference came from. M, 10, told her. :-)

It's all go for the Boy!

C has really grown up in the past year. He gets the bus to his music groups and to play DandD at Fanboy3. He is playing drumkit, guitar, congas, keyboard and singing. And most recently he was invited to audition for Chorlton Young Musician of the Year. He decided to play some rhythms on his congas. I don't really know anything about what they are looking for, or if they are doing age groups or what, but I was a bit surprised about the others who were there auditioning. They were younger than C, and didn't appear to be child prodigies, just normal kids. Anyway, he is supposed to be notified within the next couple of weeks if he is to go on to the next stage. I am hoping to get some private drum kit lesson for him soon. We may be able to afford an hour every fortnight. I gave him the choice of instruments, and he chose drum kit, as he is doing keyboard and guitar with Manchester Music Service in group lessons. I am not sure I rate the keyboard lessons very much and wish I could afford piano as well. He is just so talented and wants to play something all the time.
He was practising on his congas the other day, and A was laying on the floor sort of crying, but not really. He started playing and she turned to look at him and was quiet. Then he stopped, and she started crying again. Then he played, and she quietened and listened to him, then he stopped and she cried. It went on for ages and was rather amusing. She obviously likes the drums.  :-)

He also went to the Scouts Jamboree selection camp last weekend. The next Jamboree is in Sweden in 2011. And we found out yesterday that he has been chosen to go! It is a bit scary for him as it is 3 weeks away from home but he reckons he will be 15 then so will be able to cope. And it is scary for me because we have to fundraise something like £1800 for the whole thing. He doesn't actually know he has been picked yet as he spent the night at his friend Declan's house last night, which was when the email came. So he shall have a nice surprise today!

Better get back to this

Since this blog was really for my own benefit, it has sort of fallen by the wayside. Of course, not having a computer for a couple of weeks means that I have missed it. I suppose I am too busy actually doing things to sit down and write about them, never mind that this comes way down on things I want to do, so often I will get distracted before I get to it.

And right on cue, A starts to wake up...

The most important thing at the moment seems to be helping R. She has passed her Silver Arts Award, YAY!!! and applied to college. She wants to do Photography, but they may not take her and make her do a lower level course, First Diploma in Art and Design which is GCSE equivalent apparently, but does not have a photography module. She has applied to Trafford and no other colleges, as she plans to go there no matter what they let her take.

The Photography is a National Diploma which I am sure she would be good at, but she won't have her 5 GCSEs at C or above. She is doing exams in Maths and English in June, and has the Arts Award, so she should have 3 GCSEs. She sent in a letter with her application explaining the situation and included a CV which lists loads of her activities and leadership roles, so hopefully the will see her potential and not her exam history.  She isn't much for academic working though, I don't suppose she can see the point. She is, however, learning loads about photography, researching photographers for her English presentations, going to exhibits, playing with digital stuff on the computer, and using the 35 mm SLR we got her for Xmas. She is not, unfortunately,  saving any money to buy a good digital camera. I said we would pay half, but she would rather fritter her money away on coffees, caffiene drinks and accessories from HnM.


Off to wake C and M for swimming, and see to lovely baby. :-)