END OF THE WEEK...HOW COULD I TELL

Good evening peoples.  Wasn't sure if I'd get this blog done today as we've had (mainly me if I'm honest) a funny old day.

Firstly I didn't sleep very well last night so, although I was up bright and early, I have to admit I wasn't really with it.  That isn't a particularly good state to be in when you want to use the day to tie up all the loose ends from the home ed week and get other things done.

Callum has been an absolute star today and I don't think I could have got through the day without him.  Sometimes the whole 'not in my bubble' state of mind can be a wonderful thing as he sees me getting stressed, but doesn't see the reason for it, so can usually calm my waters in just the same way I can calm his. I'm convinced that I've got some form of ASD (but then they say everyone has), either that or being in a household with two of them has made me throw myself into their world to such an extent that theirs is normal and everyone else is odd!

Anyway, enough of me!  Started off by getting pancake mixture made ready for a late breakfast (Friday has become pancake day again) and then set up the apples, pears and quinces for Orchard Fruit Butter (a kind of jam made from sugar and pureed fruit pulp).  Was just wondering where Callum was (it was now gone 9.30am) when he appeared with his washing and proceeded to put on the kettle for tea.  Then it dawned on me.  We not only have a timetable of 'lessons' that we want to do each week, but we also have a personal timetable for him with scheduled showers, teeth cleaning, tidying of bedroom, emptying of bedroom bin, stripping bed and bringing in the milk (at 13, he is perfectly capable of taking responsibility for simple jobs, but he does need a prod, hence the timetable).  Today he was scheduled to tidy bedroom so I can hoover, strip his bed and have a shower.  He'd had a shower and had tidied his bedroom, although he did admit that he might need to do a bit more once I take the hoover upstairs.

So, fruit butter on to cook fruit down.  Then a friend turned up for a cuppa, chat and for me to give her some sage (scheduled visit, people rarely just turn up).  So Callum went off and stripped his bed, after jokingly arguing that he wouldn't do it, sarky lad, and then went on the computer to play Command and Conquer.

After my friend had gone and pancakes had been eaten, we decided to do a bit of basic work, although he wasn't really up for it and neither was I.  The potato experiment still hasn't been written up and will now wait until Monday, the maths revision sheets needed help and I was up and down into the kitchen checking on the fruit, so we left that too.  What we did look at was why Jews don't believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  Why?  Well, it's Jewish New Year next week and they are on a different year to us and we decided to find out why.  Didn't do any written work, but looked up some reasons, read through and had a 'compare and discuss' session.  I don't want to do religious education as a main lesson, but thought I'd look at important dates throughout the year and do a bit of work in relation to those.  I think it's good to have a look at all different types of belief from Christianity through to Pagan.  Callum can make his own mind up what he believes in when he is ready.

After our hour long chat we decided to finish off his bedroom, so he carried the hoover upstairs for me, bless him, and we gave his room a good clean.  He even carried the hoover back down for me too.

Other things he's done today; played in his sandpit, made me plenty of tea, told me to sit down (a lot!) and generally been fab!  Thank you mate!

Tonight he's on the computer again and I'm feeling a lot better after a long soak in the bath.

What has he learnt?  Adults get stressed about little things sometimes, Jews don't believe in Jesus because they don't recognise him as the Messiah as he didn't fulfil the prophecies written in the Old Testament and Orchard Fruit Butter and Plum Leather tastes rather good.

Oh and he dried up for me and put away the dishes!  Big hugs and a big fat star pupil me thinks!

Cya