Picnic with friends.

Oscar started his day watching his new French DVD he is loving hearing  and learning a new language.

Then he spent a couple of hours (yes that's right a couple of hours) on Education City playing various literacy, numeracy, science and french  games.

Then it was off to the park where we spent a lovely afternoon having a picnic with friends.

We fed the ducks and spotted a duckling.

  Oscar insisted I put this of the picture of the geese on here.

We have both had a lovely day.

The Submarine Museum

On Friday Oscar and I went to the Submarine Museum with a local Home Ed group.

We had to get the ferry there which was quite exciting for Oscar.

We started our visit with a guided tour of a submarine.

Oscar was surprised to find this picture of  Mickey Mouse.

It was all very hands on which was great.

Oscar wanted to try the divers helmet on, then he tried to lift it and realised putting it on might not be such a good idea.

After that we went to the children's room where the children were read some pirate stories.

Then they got to dress up and play on a pirate ship.

I don't think Oscar was very impressed when I made him sit on the canon so I could take a photo.

Then after lunch we got to have a look round the museum.

This is a Midget Sub that has been cut in half so you can walk through the middle and really see just how small it is.

The museum was also very hands on and Oscar was really interested in everything there.

He was able to plot co ordinates on this map.

He listened to different types of sonar.

This is a Jim Suit used by divers.

Oscar got to see just how hard that job was.

He learnt about pressure.

And the different materials used on board a submarine.

Some of the suits worn by submariners.

Some equipment used on board submarines.

Examples of the things the submariners could take with them when they went to sea.

Oscar tried out a bunk and decided it was a bit small.

Oscar was amazed at the size of this propeller and torpedo.

Then we went to a work shop where Oscar learnt about what life was like for children during the second world war.

He was surprised when I told him there is an air raid shelter buried in our garden.

This is an example of  an evacuees case, there were very strict rules about the things children could take with them.

Finally it was back to the ferry to travel home.

We had a great day, Oscar had a lot of fun and learnt alot. He has asked to go again soon.

Being Grumpy

This is how our day started.

I said no. I can't remember now what I said no to but over the last week if I say no Oscar 'gets grumpy'.

He's very good, I'm not ruling out a career on the stage for him, and he can keep it up for hours, no amount of reasoning, distraction, compromise or offers of cuddles can snap him out of it. He wanted do do something and I said no and that's that, the grump is on.

Well this was before we had even managed to get breakfast this morning and I just wasn't up for playing this game that early in the day so I got grumpy to. I copied the face and the stamping of the feet, I told him that him being grumpy made me feel grumpy and all the time he was grumpy I would be to. The face changed to one of surprise and then confusion, then he smiled and said 'I'm not grumpy any more, can I have that cuddle now please'. Then I had my happy little chap back for the rest of the day. Result.

I just hope this tactic works again the next time I have the audacity to say no.

After a nice cheery breakfast Oscar asked to spend some time on Education City, to this request I said yes.

Then we read together for a while.

Another book that Oscar has discovered is this.

He thinks it's wonderful, he is constantly asking me what words mean so now I send him off to look in his dictionary and he seems to think it is some kind of magical treasure trove of words.

After lunch it was off to the toy shop to return (for the second time) Oscar's games console. And while we were there Oscar had a go on the big yellow bus.

Back home Oscar spent some time playing on his new, shiny, not scratched, but most importantly working game.

Finally it was time for his first ever green belt taekwondo class, he thought it was wonderful and I was very impressed with how well he behaved. In this class the children are much older and the class itself seemed alot more focused with a bit less messing about, Oscar rose to the challenge and came out full of all the new things he had learnt.

To finish the day on our way home I taught Oscar how to count from one to ten in French, he then showed me how to count backwards from ten to one in French 'because it sounds funny'.