End of an Era

Brid joined the Gilr Guide movement in 2008 after our difficult ordeal that year. It has been a great movement to be involved in.
She has learnt a lot of skills and has been patrol leader for the last year.
She has been able to do many things we could not have done with her.he slept out under the stars at the Zoo.
She has been on walks and camp fires, ttended talks and fundraised for various different charities including Diabetes and the Blind society.
Late last year the Guide movement asked the Girls to Vote to modernise the Promise.
For those who don't know I learnt it as this"
I Promise to do my best, to do my duty to God, to serve the Queen, help other people and to keep the Guide law.

Brids' promise was fairly similar to mine.

They girls were kept up to date and recently there was a flyer she recieved in the mail which upset her..
It said that We were taking God out of the Promise.
Brid was Far from impressed..She was quite at first but I could see she was mulling it all over.

Out of the blue, I should have known it was coming she said " Mum I don't want to go to Guides any more".
I pressed her for why? The day before she brought home a worksheet on the the new Promise. "I have to learn this".
I Am not surprised really. She brings Our Lord into every area of her life, and if He wa to be taken out then she really had no option.. She is 14, she made an informed decision, and I totally respect that decision..
Good on her for standing up for what she believes.
We wrote an email to the Movement and to the Unit explaining our decision. .
The  movements head office were surprised by Brids reaction.
The unit were very sad but understood. Brid has passed into a new phase of her life and as the saying goes. "It was good while it lasted".

One focused girl

Its been like a flash and the term in half over..Where did it go..??
Brid is amazingly focused on her school subjects.
She knows exactly what needs doing and just gets on with it..
It does help that her life is full with BALLET..
She dances 4 days a week..She loves it..
Over the last few weeks the entire Ballet school has been preparing for there Exams-both practical and theory..
Brids teachers are extremely proud of her and as Mr Rider said last Friday. "My work is complete, I can do no more, she will be fine", he says this in his Orlando accent. He is rather cheeky and very fair with the students. His Wife Miss Kristy is adorable and is the most beautiful dancer I have met, so soft and gentle in her tone as well.

This weekend just gone the Students were examined. Each level one at a time.
We got positive feedback straight away. And why you ask..Miss Kristys' mum was in charge of the music..She got to see each student perform there routines.
The examiner liked Brid and we were told she danced beautifully.

So now to begin work on her next grade and prepare for the end of year concert...

THE NUTCRACKER ACT II

I somehow believe that Brid is so focused because she is rather happy in her chosen world of Ballet. She can express herself extend herself.

Olympic Game memories

Sitting here tonight watching the Olympics takes me back..to so many other Olympics games I have seen and the ones I have shared with my own family..

I remember being so sick, with Pneumonia at one Olympic games and sitting for the entire, actually lying in bed, 2 weeks watching the Olympics. I was asked by my teacher to do a poster on the Olympics. I was so sick, I don't know why we did it, because Mum really did all the research..( that year I spent 3 months in bed, and did several projects).
I remember the Sydney Olympics. We chose our events 6 months beforehand in a rather fair ballot..everyone was to abide by the rules...So we put our names in a ballot -like thousands of other people- and we were selected for the exact event we wanted. Not only that, but the exact night and right on the finish line...WOW wow wow. I still thank God for that one. We took our three eldest to see the Track and field events. It was finals night.......It was the night Cathy Freemen won Gold. The night Michael Johnson won Gold. Sonia O'Sullivan from Ireland came 2nd in the 1500 metres. We saw in all from the finish line- mind you the seats were very very high up, but the atmosphere was electric........It was an awesome night. We coloured our hair green and gold. We had face paint on and wore our as much Green and Gold as we could. Maybe we were ''going for ''Australia...!!!!!!!!
It was a long night and it was not so warm, but it will always stick in my memory as an awesome God given night.. 
I remember other Olympic games being at Work in Delivery Suite watching the events with other colleagues. The big races with Kieran Perkins, Susie O'Neil, Hayley Lewis, Melinda Gainsford Smith, to name just a few at the Barcelona Olympics.
Swimming was my favourite event, Dermot likes the Athletics. Brid seems to enjoy the Equestrian event, the canoeing, Swimming and Diving.

Beijing olympics.

We have in the past asked the children to keep a log of there favourite sport and keep an eye on the medal tally.
We have assigned Brid projects and lapbooks, but this time we are just watching the Olympics. We are recording it every evening  and Brid gets to watch it the next day. she fast forwards through sections she isn't to keen on and focus her what she wants to view..
So far its been fun...
What are you doing for the Olympic Games in London 2012..?

Encouragement night for July

On a cold winter night there was nothing I wanted more than to spend it in front of our fire, but there is more to life than a cosy fire.. So I prepared Dinner early and afterwards took Brid and myself off to the teen girls night and the Mums encouragement night.
I was presenting a talk tonight on Marriage and its effects on homeschooling. I myself could only see positive results from Homeschooling so I chose a different approach.
After a quick introduction about myself and Dermot, our journey to meet each other and our love for each other I began my main focus..
Did I tell you I had forgotten my glasses-, so Michelle kindly found me a magnifying glass and I presented everything with one eye closed to see the page properly. It did look hysterical...
Anyway, I chose to present a set of notes that are part of the 'follow on' after a marriage weekend. I was most comfortable talking like this as its been second nature to Dermot and I, as we have used this format for 10 years or more.
I asked each of the ladies read a paragraph each, taking turns around the circle. We discussed various points and wrote a love letter to our husbands.
These women are wonderful women of God and I wondered how I would fel presenting content that is Catholic, but I felt totally at ease using this particular method with them. I chose a fairly broad topic, as it is meant to be in a couple setting, with your spouse present at the time. I let God help me chose from the many topics that are available. The one I focused on was You are the Message. All about self esteem and esteemimg your husband.
It was so easy to get distracted and discuss the children, but it was there husbands and there relationship we were focusing on this night.
I was quite fired up anyway, as Dermot & I had just been to the relaunch of celebrate love to Smart  Loving. Its platform is quite impressive. There is something there for everyone. Single, dating, engaged, married, a family, schools. Its idea is to have bite size pieces of information to view as often or little as you like - dip you toe in, or immerse yourself entirely. The ultimate or the gold standard is for the couple to do Smart loving Engaged   or Smart Loving Marriage.
So when it came to the Homeschooling Mums encouragement night, it was a very simple choice. Use a resource I am familiar with and reach out using it. Thank ladies for accomodating me and asking me to talk on marriage
Now, I know the teen girls met, but that's there story to tell. I know for certain that it was one very powerful meeting... Praise God in his Glory......

Have you watched this series

We have been completely hooked by a series we were recommended to view. This all began as Brid and I wanted to have a nice couple of hours watching a Girlie type movie or the like on a Thurdsay when Dermot is at Darts.
We have watched several Jane Austens, viewed several Ballets and I was looking for something else. So I began my search and it was suggested we view  Lark Rise to Candleford. It has been so much fun watching every episode, watching the characters unfold, and enjoying knowing nothing will need to be fast forwarded or stopped, due to course language or scenes we see unfit for our family viewing.
We are just beginning series 3 and had a chat to the libarian at our local library. She suggested the library purchase the series. I said we were enjoying it very much. With that, she headed to another section of the library and came back with this book that the series is based on.

Every night we watch an episode. Last night as we drove back from Ballet, I said to Brid.."Do you think we could squeeze an episode in before Bed?" And after we unpacked Ballet bags, unpacked groceries and organised ourselves, we sat down to watch Series 3.

The series has several actresses we are familar with, including Claudie Blakley, Julia Sawalha, Dawn French, to name but a few.

 Here is the description of the series:- Flora Thompson's charming love letter to a vanished corner of rural England is brought to life in this warm-hearted adaptation. Set in the Oxfordshire countryside in the 1880s, this rich, funny and emotional series follows the relationship of two contrasting communities: Lark Rise, the small hamlet gently holding on to the past, and Candleford, the small market town bustling into the future.

time flies

Brid Aged 7

Gosh, time flies, I remember excitedly beginning our homeschool journey. I remember those days sitting with Brid as she learnt to add, her subtract, her first division equation, her spelling and all those days snuggled up reading to her..her drawings she would give me once the story was read...Wow, and now......I have been drawing up a timeline of Brids' schooling...I began by writing the year along the top line, her age in the next line, at each year, her ballet syllabus level, and then began with each subject and the core unit I wanted her to achieve for the next few years.
As we approached year 12 the subjects began to get fewer and fewer- but by no means less chunky in content..
You see Brid wants to study Full time Ballet in a couple of years and this will mean her acadaemic subjects will need to be reduced to fit it all in. Full time ballet comes with its own written content.
I proudly arranged the timeline and proceeded to explain the facts to Dermot. He was surprised that her schooling subjects were fewer than they are now..
So this concerned me. I started to doubt myself. We are trying, as many of us are, to set her up for University entry as well, if she wishes.
It ran around my head for a day, not really getting any clearer, so I rang a trusted friend and explained my doubts. She of course, immediately boosted my confidence and  grounded me again in what I am trying to set out to do with Brid's education.
I ask God for guidance every day. Ask for his Wisdom. So why did I let it bother me? Probably just wanting the best for Brid. For me, wanting to make sure she has been equipped with both the academics, as well as the areas thar make up her character and drive her.
Now I have a very clear understanding of what Brids schooling day will look like. But we still read aloud and I am still needed to help with Maths and anything she is unsure of..

Now aged 14

Did I tell you I am loving this life we have chosen. Its a great joy and I learn so much each day myself...I thank God every day....

Mini Concert

Every year one of Brids ballet schools has a mini concert to display various dances, that the students have been learning in class. It also highlights dances that various students have participated in, in Eistedfords throughout the year..

Brids jazz class had one dance completed and are working on another. These are shots we took after she performed.