3 week catch up with cake

Ooops.

Life seemed very hectic for a while there, am hoping it is calmer ahead.

So the past 3 weeks have gone to:

Freya having a birthday. My baby is 10! I'm amazed. She had 2 friends over to play, they topped their own pizzas and I made a vegan chocolate cake (my best yet) and she had the candles and sparklers that she had very much wanted (as I don't usually get that bit right she wisely gave me very specific instructions). One of the friends stayed for a sleepover and we had indoor ice fountain fireworks and played Pictionary and cards as requested. At Freya's request they slept downstairs, we left them watching a film but they were very tired by that time and fell asleep very quickly I think. Was quite odd going to bed and leaving them there. Next day they had croissants and mango for breakfast and we went up to the outdoor swimming pool and met the other friend again for swimming. It was all very lovely and OMG my baby is 10! Did I say?! 

Her presents were largely Sylvanians of many kinds and their accoutrements, plus from me (again very specifically instructed) a sewing bag (filled with fabric, threads, needles, scissors) and a writing bag (filled with different notebooks and journals, lots of A4 paper and lots of pens). She also got a sketch pad, lovely coloured pencils and felt pens, all of which she had wanted, so it was all very pleasing and My Baby Is TEN!!!!!

Apart from that, days have gone to:

A Tudor explorers workshop at Hampton Court with other home-ed children - pretty good workshop but the day was very difficult for me, as Freya really wanted me not to be there I think, a lot of the time. She so wants to do things like that on her own now. So she was a bit stroppy and teary to be honest. Hard day not enhanced by one of my agencies ringing at lunchtime to say 'where is our document then?'. All a bit tricky and tiring, was glad of good friends around me, especially the very good-humoured C who we did the train journey with.

The workshop itself was a good idea, asking the children which of 3 expeditions they would invest money in and then looking at the outcomes, with lots of incidental informative stuff. The woman was clearly used to schools, but it was still good on the whole.

A couple of visits to my mum and some sorting out of things to make her life run more smoothly as she now has problems with money, not knowing the difference between 3 and 30 and that kind of thing and not remembering whether she's paid people, etc. So am going to pay her gardener and hopefully her hairdresser monthly by cheque to ensure they get paid, as they're owed a bit now! A few other things needed sorting too, so that has taken quite a bit of my time and energy this month, which is hard on Freya sometimes (and on me!). Mum continues to be largely in good spirits but cannot reliably operate her telly or her phone now, which is a shame - well to me it's a shame but she is not bothered, which is very common with dementia, not actually caring about the things one can no longer do - protective in a way. She loves her garden though, watching birds out there, pottering in greenhouse. She also loves reading her Daily Mail (!) many times a day. We have just bought a printer so am going to be able to send her regular letters with photos and I think she will enjoy reading those.

Other things in brief: 

Freya also went to her friend's birthday party, which she very much enjoyed. 

And Forest School - I went to the final session of the year and enjoyed the company very much, chopped some veggies for the soup and loved spending time talking to Danny the dog, who was so enamoured of me this time that he jumped right onto my lap. He adores eye contact and chat and head scratches. I imagine Freya will continue Forest School next year as she really enjoys it. Nice group of kids too, been together a while now.

Magical Mondays now finished for summer, but there will be park meet-ups, which I hope we'll get to at least a couple of times.

I'm sure there is other stuff but have done quite well to remember as much as I have. Will add if I think of anything. Oh I know, J and F did a lot of making paper planes and helicopters one weekend, that was fun. Freya did some of the research herself, she's very able to do that now.
Also she's been doing a lot of Education City and really enjoying it.