Malbridge House

There was a question on the SHE Forum last weekend about where you HE, do you have a special room?

Well this was very relevant to us this week because we’ve all changed where we sit and in what room we work to try and make things easier.

We use to all sit round our dining table, the top three working, the bottom two playing on the floor or drawing or even climbing all over the table!

Eden has been saying for a little while that she’s found it distracting and she’s done some of her work in the evening, so she can work in peace, she has got a desk in her room, but the room is tiny and she has her computer and loads of paraphernalia all over her desk, so there’s not a lot of room to work on.

So on Monday I set up a drop leaf table in the kitchen so that the youngest two could play with some really manky, very old play-doh! I prepared dinner whilst they were playing but I could keep my eye on them.

Callum and Clark were in the lounge/diner on the big dinner table working, only a room away if they needed help but nicely independent to work on their own which is what I’m trying to encourage.

Then Eden went into my room where we have quite a big " spare " table and she sat at that and worked very independently.

We’ve only been going with it for two days but it seems to be working, today I sat and helped Clark do some work whilst Soloman and Cody sat at their table in the lounge with us and did some glueing and sticking. I was so overjoyed with our solution that I took some photos.

Soloman and Cody glueing and sticking!

Callum and Clark, not the best photo but it shows the two of them working at the table.

Eden working upstairs on the table in our bedroom. She’s doing a project on muscles at the moment and is absolutely absorbed by it, she keeps spouting all sorts of facts at me!

As I said earlier our Play-Doh is pretty old and manky, I knew you could make it but I never have so I "googled" a recipe and thought I’d try two out, one you mix together like pastry and knead it like dough and the other one you cook.

As always I’ve a picture!

The red one is the pastry one, a bit sticky to roll and the yellow is the cooked one, much better consistency and easier to use. I’ll see which one the boys prefer tomorrow and give you their verdict.

Eden has got a big book of experiments and has been in the bathroom sink with water, soap and talcalm powder doing something about surface tension. I’m hoping she’ll put it on her blog. ( link in my sidebar) Give her a couple of days though, she’s not the best at keeping her blog up to date.

The last two afternoons have been spent peeling the wallpaper off the hallway and landing walls in preparation of decorating. The children have been having a whale of a time and have done a very good job of it. I just can’t wait until it’s done!  Bits of paper everywhere, I’m hoovering about three time a day, it’s amazing how far a piece of torn off wallpaper can travel!