Here is the magic that happens outside of lessons:
This has been a wondrously busy week, filled with trips, family and a little one year old who matured in front of our very eyes. We are all tired, but very content and looking forward to the new term.
Last Thursday Gary and I were up and away early in the morning whilst it was still dark to begin our adventure to Paris. We travelled by Eurostar train, going under the English Channel, out on the other side in France, speeding towards its capital. It felt a little lonely without my gorgeous five children who I am with 24 hours a day, but they were having great fun back home with their Northern Irish Grandad and Granny who were, no doubt, spoiling them rotten!
Once we were in Paris I was spell-bound from the very start. We wandered around exploring a little and then braved the queue for the Louvre, visiting the Islamic art section in preparations for our Islamic studies this year.
But it wasn’t until dark, when hand in hand Gary and I walked along the Seine towards the Eiffel tower that I felt truly part of the magic that is Paris. It was very special and a night I’ll never forget, shared with the man I love so much.
On our last day we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral, which I photographed for use in a medieval architecture study I have in mind for this term:
Of course absence makes the heart grow even fonder and the children were as eager for us to return as we were to see them. There were many tender hugs, laughter and the sharing of news. My baby, who had just started to say her first words when we left, suddenly had a huge vocabulary and was keen to show it off to her Mummy and Daddy amidst even more cuddles. My older three informed me they had decided this would be our first and last trip away from them! (They were very definite about that!)
We were able to enjoy the company of Gary’s parents for a few more days, trying to catch up on the past 18 months of news. Gary’s mum and I, when we get together, find such a lot to talk about. On their last day she and I went shopping. Three hours later we had been to only two shops and spent the rest of the time in a coffee shop chatting! The children had a lovely time with them both, messing around with their jocular and very mischievous Grandfather! C10 was very tearful when she had to say goodbye.
School and therefore blogging began again in earnest on the 1st, with A4 and B1 learning all about monkeys in their Curious George unit. The older children concentrated on the events running up to the Battle of Hastings and learnt to do a bit of archeological detective work. In addition we continued learning about bones and the children were introduced to the people they would be studying over the next five weeks.
And just because I couldn’t resist:
Paris is such an amazing place to visit and so easy to get there with Eurostar. Thank you for posting a photo of yourself-it is fun to see who is writing and now I might recognise you if we meet at a UK home ed event!
I’m always at the other side of the camera and so there never seem to be any of me to post!
Great time in Paris thanks baby. Photos are great. Can’t wait to see what they look like when you get to grips with the camera.
Whatever do you mean? How very rude!! I’m already incredibly talented with my fandabydosy new camera!!
Get to grips with it indeed-you wait ’til you get home!
Ps. I’m hungry!!!!!
Yeah, sorry about that!!!
I forgive you.
Great way to keep a personal element to your blog. I’ve been pondering the same question recently – blogs can develop a will of their own if we’re not careful, I’ve found!
I agree it’s nice to see a photo of you!
Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to being inspired by you guys in 2013 🙂 (and trying not to compare what we do with the incredible amount you seem to manage to fit in! 😀 )
You write the sweetest comments, thank you! Please don’t be too impressed, I’m never on top of the house keeping, so scatty you wouldn’t believe it and the children are always ecstatic to find clean clothes in their wardrobes!!
LOL – clean clothes are so overrated! Especially when there’s sawdust to be strewn on the floor (loved that!)
Laughing!!
It’s so nice to “meet” you — and I’m glad you linked with Collage Friday. I’ll look forward to these Friday posts from you!
Thanks Mary, I’ll enjoy linking up!
What a gorgeous picture of B1. So happy. Thanks for posting Claire.
She doesn’t always look quite that happy, but I agree it’s a lovely photo!
I try to write weekly wrap-up-type posts on my blog for the same reason. Your trip to Paris sounds amazing! I lived there from when I was 9-12, and would love to take my kids there someday.
We had a really lovely time, but the cost of a coffee was anything upwards of 7 Euro! I’m not sure we could ever afford to live there!!
How nice that you were able to get away! Your children are beautiful and I love the smiles on that little red head. Since I have a red, who is now 19 years old, I am partial to them. I wanted to tell you that I visited the Louvre in 1985. It was a rainy summer day when we were there and the tour guide stopped us at a door with windows to point out into the courtyard where we could see men in yellow rain coats working. She explained that while making some renovations Roman ruins had been located and they were being excavated. Whenever I see that glass pyramid I think of that occasion. Thanks for sharing and please know that HammockTracks is back up and running after a few glitches and I hope you’ll return each week for, “Its a Wrap.”
I’ve just popped over and linked up. It’s good to hear from you! You sort of disappeared for a while, I was worried! I hope everything’s alright? Take care!