We're still in N. London at the same place, but the biggest change has been switching to a new (and wonderful) school in September.
Travel this year: Wales (with a brief stopover in Weston-super-Mare first), Greece (Naxos, Santorini, Crete), Edinburgh, and Cornwall (outskirts of Newquay).
On to the kids...
In January of this year, I pulled E out of Year 2 at his old school. I then home-educated him until September. I do not regret a minute of it. I feel that formal education shouldn't begin until age 7, anyway. And E and I did a lot. A chocolate workshop in Covent Garden (including tasting a raw cacao bean), a photography/African animals session at the British Museum, and other Home Ed specific gatherings/workshops. We also did lots of working in cafes, where he'd complete some workbook pages, then read a book while I pounded out some words. Home Ed also allowed us to travel off-peak (since the UK can fine you if you take your child out of school in term time. I know, I know. Hideous, draconian rule/tax), so we went to Greece on the down season (June) and really enjoyed ourselves.
In September, he settled in to the new school, made some friends, and didn't have a problem going back into more formal academics. The school stages a play every December. This year, it was Peter Pan, and E's class was the crocodile. C acted in the same play and was a pirate.
C was in nursery (preschool) earlier this year, "graduating" in July. This nursery was attached to the school I pulled E from, but I liked the people in the nursery and C only attended during the morning. They were more focused on phonics and rote learning than I liked (I prefer play-based curriculum), but I could see why, because they had a lot of kids coming from homes where the adults didn't do very much with them. C now goes to her brother's school, and is in Reception (Kindergarten) with a lovely, warm teacher, and classmates she very much gets on with (she's already had one playdate and several birthday party invites). We also threw a birthday party for her whole class at a local play center and it was a very nice vibe with people chatting with each other and really enjoying themselves, both kids and adult. C had a Minecraft cake for her 5th birthday, an almost exact replica of E's cake when he turned 7 in August.
C enjoys animals, fashion, baking/cooking, crafts (fimo and playdough especially), imaginative play, dressing up, and Minecraft. She can read simple words and is learning more as life progresses. She would like to have her own dog someday. She likes to be in nature. She is gentle and has made several good friends at school. She has come a long way since last year, is more assertive around other people and less shy/retiring. I look forward to what 2016 brings for this girl.
As for the adults...
B is still in the same job, moved offices partway through the year. He is a great hands-on dad and we're lucky to have him in our lives.
As for me, I have had some real success with my writing and now have my first novel in print. Prior to this year I only had novellas/short stories published, and only in e-book format. I feel pretty good about where my writing career is going, although it's daunting sometimes.
One other big change in 2015 = our new kitten, Pippin. We rescued him from a local shelter at 8 weeks old. He's a very well-adjusted boy, is a LAP CAT, is child-friendly, and has always done his business in the right spot. Couldn't ask for a better cat.
Well... I probably missed something in this year end review, but probably nothing major. I think we're in a pretty good groove now, one we'll hopefully stay in for some time to come. Looking forward to 2016!
