It's a Bug's Life

As part of our nature science this week we are looking at the environment of the ant.  We are fortunate to have nearby a wildlife centre housing a whole variety of mammals, fish and mini beasts; so yesterday we ventured North as part of our Tuesday field trip day.  We saw meerkats, degu, dwarf mongoose, monkeys, birds, squirrels, cavy, bugs, butterflies and snakes.  Pip's favourite was the dwarf mongoose she was fascinated by them.  Benedict enjoyed looking at them all but I think the new adventure play space won hands down!

Today our written work centred around yesterday's trip.  After writing a short account of our visit Benedict then drew a picture of one of the meerkats and their environment.  In addition to our times table work we have been working on telling the time, Benedict filled in a printed sheet of activities and there corresponding times.  Our final task for the morning was our weekly spelling list.

After lunch Benedict watched Bug's Life  in the hope that it will give him some clues pertaining to the environment of the ant and other related insects.  Hopefully we will be continuing the topic on our next official work day which is Friday.  I must admit we are all feeling pretty jaded at this end, both Benedict and Pip are weary with minor colds and coughs and not sleeping too well.  Naturally all of this adds up to crabby behaviour and poor concentration, good job we are on a non teaching day tomorrow!

Here are the pictures of our trip:

 

First Things First

The firsts are Benedict attending Beaver camp on Saturday.  A whole six hours of running, climbing, fire building (under supervision, naturally!), orienteering, friendship making and eating.  Dave went along to monitor diabetic control and act as blog photographer!

Getting ready to play

Collecting wood for the fire

Toasted Treats

Eating the evidence!

Burning off the calories with a stint on the climbing wall

For tea the Beaver leader Tess had made beef and vegetable pie with cake for dessert.  Since Benedict is gluten intolerant aswell as diabetic, he ate the casserole mix and Dave took along an alternative sweet.  He benefited enormously from the day and came home very tired and happy.

Pip was also experiencing a "first" that day, not only was it the longest she had ever been apart from her daddy and big brother but she also refused to nap that day, ack!  Despite having been on the go since 7am, she was quite happy to help with household activities aswell as play time with mummy.  It was a rare treat for me too as so often I'm either caught up with "teaching" Benedict or playing catch up with the never ending chores.

Our other first has been an attempt at putting God first at the start of our day and throughout the day as it unfolds.  Yeah, I know it's a no brainer!  Sometimes spiritual common sense fails to prevail in this household, sorry Lord.  So today after breakfast and chores we headed off to Mass, both Benedict and Pip were really good at sitting still and reading/listening to the Mass.  Once home I prepped part of our lunch and put it in the Remoska to cook, then it was down to work for Benedict and I.  He completed three pages of cursive handwriting practise, two pages of sticker Maths and then using the cheery maths gnomes, looked at how many ways plus gnome could write out twelve.  We used standard math format aswell as pictorial representation to reinforce the learning.

After our lunch break Benedict wrote out plus gnomes evaluation in his Main Lesson Book, whizzed through his spelling sheet using Rummikub tiles as a concrete tool and lastly we shared the reading of the next chapter in " Five go down to the sea".  As a reward for all the hard work we stuck flowers on our picture of Our Lady and baby Jesus and both him and Pip  Hermie.

Pip is also learning too, her latest batch of words are as follows: off, car, cat, down, dink,hat,hair,chair,tractor,book and boots.  New words seem to be appearing nearly every day and her understanding of complex set of instructions is wonderful to see.  She certainly is a very loving and happy little girl.  Hard to believe that she will be two in a matter of months.  Now where did the time go?

All in all a peaceful and productive day.

Twenty Two Years

You ask me now to marry you,

You ask for my reply,

And if I turned you down my dear,

Your heart might wonder why?

Before I answer let me ask,

"How old are you today?"

Not by the numbers of your years,

But what you think and say.

"What are you really looking for?"

The moon and stars above?

A paradise of happiness

In everlasting love?

Or will you keep your faith with me,

In sickness and in health?

And whether we are lucky or

We never live in wealth?

If love is really in your heart

Forever deep and true,

Then be assured my darling one

I want to marry you.

                             James J Metcalfe

Twenty two years today we made promises to love and cherish, honour, care in sickness, manage our finances as best we can and welcome a family.  There have been inumerable ups and downs and like any good wine we have matured with age!  God has and continues to be the cementing in this partnership, without Him I'm sure we would have floundered long ago.  He endows us with His grace and makes many a crooked path straight.

" The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptised persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament"

Article 7 " The Sacrament of Matrimony" Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Sunshine and Showers

This in truth has been our Home Ed story for the past few weeks.  We've been averaging a hit rating of two good days out of the five and although I always start the week with enthusiasm, it slowly dissipates as the week progresses.  I had acupuncture on Tuesday and apart from being very good at her job, Cathy my acupuncturist is a very good listener.  She commented yet again that I needed to take greater care of my own health and with that, comment once more ringing in my ears. I decided "something" had to change.
First up I moved all the Home Ed stuff into the caravan at the side of the house.  Essentially we walk out of the kitchen door into a five berth caravan, with stove/oven, CD player and radio and warm air heating and fire.  No excuse for being cold and a great place for extra cooking activities if needed!  My dining room is back into an eating/play area and that suits me fine, I now can switch off at the end of the day instead of feeling obliged to spend my evenings reviewing curriculum material or planning lessons.
Our weekly routine has changed yet again and at last I feel that we have something that is workable for us all.  Using the Oak Meadow materials as a guide we "do" school type stuff on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The work covered on those days will be language arts and math problems.  Tuesday is our field trip day to places of interest, nature walks or even visits to family and friends.  Thursday will be our town based day: Dave and Benedict to visit the library/museum and then Nero's for a coffee and juice, Pip and I will attend our weekly sing and play toddler session.  Thursday afternoons will also be a chance for Benedict to cook or bake in the kitchen or have a go at some hands on science.
I think the days off in between are important for the health and well being of the entire family.  We've felt bogged down with everything and sometimes it is a very painful process getting Benedict to sit and "do" something formal.  This way he knows it is only for one day and then a break, it also means that I can get on with much needed household activities, instead of feeling frustrated about the jobs that are not being done.  From a social viewpoint we also need to be mixing with people from all walks of life, learning isn't just restricted to bums on seats education, there is a  whole world out there waiting to be explored.

Oak Meadow Curriculum

After much discussion Dave and I both felt that, using a pre-planned curriculum would help enormously with our home school journey.  We decided to buy from Oak Meadow and were not only impressed with the speed in which the package arrived but also the quality of the materials supplied.  Oak Meadow can be found here:
Oak Meadow
Our new routine for the week includes Language Arts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and Math Stories on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  After lunch we have a variety of afternoon activities recorder practise, craft,humanities, science and handicraft.  The subject areas incorporate stories, practical activities and a small amount of writing and art to reinforce each concept.  Today's lesson was Language Art and our Animal Story for the next few weeks is The Jolly Robin, to be read at bedtime.
The first chapter was entitled "Nestlings" and centres around the main character Jolly Robin and his nestling brothers and sisters.  We are given hints relating to his temperament, his relationships with his other family members and even his favourite food!  This morning our task was to remember and narrate the story and from that write three sentences and an accompanying picture.  Initially I was amazed by how much we did remember, but upon reflection I should not be so surprised, this just confirms Benedict preferred learning style, which is auditory in nature.  Here is our list of remembered items:

Jolly Robin is the biggest of the nestlings for he loves his food.

His favourite meal is angleworms.

He likes playing tricks on mummy bird, if she isn't moving quickly out of the nest, he encourages his brother and sisters who are nestling underneath her, to jostle and push her out of the way!

We remembered the description of the nest; it was made of twigs, leaves, moss and mud.  Benedict recalled a nature programme he had seen whereupon a bird had used sheep's wool to line the nest.  The sheep's wool helped keep the eggs warm and also acted as a protection; he likened it to the bubble wrap used when sending fragile items through the post.  He also talked about nesting boxes and why the holes in them are small, in order to protect the eggs/baby birds from predators.

To prepare the birds for leaving the nest, one day daddy bird sits on a branch with an angleworm in his mouth.  Since angleworms are Jolly Robins favourite treat he leaves the nest to devour this delicious morsel.  From that day he does not return to the nest.

The three sentences that Benedict chose to say and write are as follows:

The Jolly Robin loves angleworms.

Jolly Robin loves playing tricks on mummy bird.

To get Jolly Robin out of the nest daddy bird sits on a twig with an angleworm in his mouth.

Here is the accompanying writing and drawing:

Our next task was to tackle this week's spelling list.  Benedict used the Rummikub tiles as a tactile  lettering system and did well considering he had only briefly looked at them late last week.  Free time and chore time was next on the agenda, Benedict and Pip played with the modelling clay whilst I caught up on kitchen chores.
After lunch Benedict read the first chapter of "Five go down to the sea" by Enid Blyton.  He also typed out his narration from last week relating to our Ravenglass trip, he did this using Microsoft Word.  We chose our poem of the week and here it is:

An Autumn Greeting

" Come" said the wind to the leaves one day.

"Come over the meadow and we will play.

Put on your dresses of red and gold

For Summer is gone and the days grow cold"

Whilst I worked on finishing tomorrow's Math Story Benedict played with the Lego outside.  

Early days I know but so far so good.  It is the first time ever Benedict has not moaned about having to put pen to paper!  He has worked diligently and quietly.  Our flower garden for Our Lady over  is also shaping up nicely too!

Railway Stories and St Therese

Benedict was back on form today and so he worked on his narrative from our family trip on Tuesday:

On Tuesday we went to Ravenglass to see the trains, as a birthday treat for Daddy.  We met Nanna and Grandad H, because we missed the first train we had a cup of tea in the cafe.  Daddy talked to the engine driver and had a footplate ride.

After Ravenglass we went to a cafe and I had egg and chips.  The weather was good and I had a lovely day.

He also copied out the following railway poem:

The Song of the Engine

When you travel on the railway,

And the line goes up a hill,

Just listen to the engine

As it pulls you with a will,

Though it goes very slowly

It sings this little song.

"I think I can, I think I can,"

And so it goes along,

But later on the journey,

When you're going down a hill,

The train requires no pulling,

And the engine's singing still.

If you listen very quietly

You will hear this little song,

"I thought I could, I thought I could!"

And so it speeds along.

                                Christine Weatherl

Today was also the feast day of St Therese of Lisieux.  We didn't manage a liturgical tea as we were pressed for time but Benedict did manage to draw his own picture of The Little Flower using this image as a guide:

A very happy St Therese, after all her greatest wish was to spend time in Heaven doing good on earth.

God, Our Father,

You promised Your Kingdom

to the little ones

and the humble of heart.

Give us the grace

to walk confidently in the way

of St Therese of the Child Jesus,

so that helped by her prayers,

we may see Your glory

and share in Your Kingdom.

Amen

Flowers for Our Lady

October is recognised as the month of The Holy Rosary and the particular feast day associated with this  is on the 7th October.  In an effort to do little things with the love and cheerfulness as St Therese would have done, we are offering our efforts as a spiritual bouquet for our Blessed Mother.   Each time we manage to complete our tasks without grumbling, bear a suffering quietly without complaining and make extra special efforts to be truly kind to one another, then we will place a flower on the following picture:

I hope and pray that come the end of the month the picture will be carpeted with flowers.

Another Sick Day!

I had all sorts planned today including an interesting craft relating to the story of St Micheal the Archangel since we are celebrating the Feast of The Archangels today here in the church.Alas it was not to be as yes you've guessed it himself is sick again!
Normal service should return tomorrow, Please God!

A Birthday Treat For Daddy...

... was a trip to Ravenglass and a ride on the steam engine.  Not just any old ride mind you, Daddy was invited to ride up front on the foot plate, needless to say he was one happy chappy.  Here are some pictures of our day:

Pip was desperate for a charge around in the car park after the longish car journey.

A welcome cup of tea prior to our steam ride.  Mummy especially was grateful for the warming brew, as she was still feeling slightly queasy from the car journey!

Benedict and Nanna H sharing a happy moment.

Pip fascinated with Grandad's watch.

On the move.

A hopping on and stopping off point, on the way back a walker joined the train at this point having completed his trek.  I bet he was glad of a sit down!

Pip munching on a crisp at snack time!

A very happy Daddy with the engine driver Peter.


After our epic trip we made our way to Millstones restaurant and craft centre for a well deserved lunch.  Sadly there was not much on offer regarding a gluten free diet, they did not even have baked potatoes on the menu!  So we settled for our usual emergency request standby and they managed to rustle up egg and chips for me and the kids.  The others fared better with there choices, Dave and Dad had Cumberland sausage casserole, mashed potato and vegetables and Mum had beef goulash with mash and veg.  We had our usual obligatory mooch around the craft centre and although we did not buy any crafts we were fortunate to spy some activity books for Benedict and Pip.

A very happy Daddy at the end of a busy day!

Another Sick Day!

Benedict woke this morning with a trapped nerve in his neck, ouch!  He's spent the day virtually horizontal with a scarf around his neck and a hot water bottle for warming comfort.  We kept learning type activities to the bare minimum so he practiced spellings, read from school reading book, made Lego models, watched River Cottage Everyday ( nutrition, money management,eat local,animal welfare and environmental consciousness) and EWTN Kids Faith Factory - My Catholic Family.  The subject matter portrayed was related to suffering and how we can unite our sufferings to that of Christ's, a timely topic!  The programme was then followed by The Divine Mercy For Kids, so I guess we can add Catechesis to our list of subjects studied today!
Benedict also undertook an online learning style assessment from Mercy Academy, recommended by a mum on this blog:
Untrodden Paths
Eva has  very kindly responded to some of my questions  regarding Home Schooling; it is lovely to have support from another parent on this journey.
The information gleaned from the assessment is very illuminating and now this Home School Mum has a lot of thinking to do!

Day Trippers

We spent the day with morning with friends and shared lunch together at a reasonably priced eating establishment.  Pip and I had a jaunt through town and bought our weekly veggies from the market and our much needed peanut butter from our friend's health food shop.  Just as we were leaving the town centre Benedict and I popped into Marks and Spencer and bought him a lovely warm winter coat, long sleeved T-shirts, underwear and comfy cosy furry slippers.  He was one happy chappy.
Upon returning home we were greeted to the news that, our part of the city was on alert regarding a bomb scare and we were awaiting the army bomb disposal team from Leeds!  Apparently this is the second alert in less than a week, doh my mind must have been elsewhere when the first incident occurred!!  Naturally this sparked a lengthy discussion on how to diffuse a bomb and all such other related information.  Thank goodness for Dad I say, as this depth of knowledge totally eludes me!
Benedict is currently watching another installment of Tin Tin, I can see I'm going to have to read one of the mysteries and see if I can set him some literary and numerical challenges related to the read.

Back on Track

Benedict is now finally virus free so we have once more begun incorporating home school into our daily doings.  Yesterday we took a long overdue visit to the library and came home with twenty books a piece, these should keep us busy during the forthcoming week.  Pip in particular was taken with a book called Rosie's Walk and she cannot bear to be parted from it:

Settling down to read.

Reading to Benedict.
Benedict chose some interesting adventure stories and I found on his behalf a "Boys Book of High Jinks and Adventures"  and a variety of eco/ sustainable living books aimed at children.  I'm hoping one or two of the projects therein will inspire him.  His must have reads at the moment however  are the Tin Tin books by Hergé.  He is very fortunate to have inherited a selection from his big sister Sara and he is also watching a boxed DVD set on loan from our dear friend Beatrice.
We have also finally finished our thankfulness tree.  I'm very pleased with the result and Benedict had the brain wave of adding the sun, sky and the grass, it really brings the whole image to life and is truly a joy to see.

Benedict adding his thankfulness message.

Our messages read as follows:
Mummy is thankful for the gift of faith and God's mercy and forgiveness.
Daddy is thankful for blessings too immeasurable to count and for family.
Benedict is thankful for Pip and for his friends.
Pip is thankful for Benedict and Boo Milk!
Today Benedict worked on his weekly spellings using the Rummikub tiles as a visual aid.  We then took a walk to the local co-op and amongst other things Benedict purchased two small chocolate bars, one for him and the other for Pip.  We have decided to keep Maths activities as concrete as possible and shopping for one's own goods is most definitely tangible, especially when you get to eat the goodies later on!!
After lunch we looked at the receipt from the chocolate bars and using 50 one pence pieces as our math manipulative we double checked to make sure the correct change had been given.  Using the 100 number grid we placed a penny on each square to reinforce place value and counting practise.  We then talked about the fact that, 100 penny coins is equal to one single one pound coin.  Benedict checked the weight of both groups and concluded that, it was better for the pocket linings to hold a one pound coin as opposed to one hundred penny coins!  We also talked about buying items with penny coins and the difficulty it imposes the bigger the value of the purchases.

One hundred pennies on the number grid.
Using a similar principle we placed our two pence coins on even numbers and counted in twos as we went.  This activity enabled us to recap on our odds and evens lesson which had first been introduced prior to Benedict becoming ill.

Counting in twos and even numbers.
Other events that have occurred these past days are discussions about:  Electric Shocks and Static Electricity, Why do security guards wear crash helmets?  What to do when a bus breaks down and Do pigeons get neck ache?!!  Benedict also commented about his latest Tin Tin read entitled The Crab with The Golden Claws - the story was based around the smuggling of Opium.  He decided that, he did not like the topic of drugs but I was able to explain that, in years gone by opium was used for medicinal purposes for general aches and pains.  Like all things when used in controlled circumstances and for the right reasons, these medicines have there use.  Amazing to think that such a topic would appear in a children's series of writings.  I did Google Tin Tin and in the general knowledge section it did hint that, Tin Tin's character was exposed to darker adventures as the series progressed.
Our copy work today was the poem/hymn:

Come, you thankful people, come,

Raise the song of Harvest-home:

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker, does provide

for our wants to be supplied;

Come to God's own Temple, come;

Raise the song of Harvest-home.

                H. Alford.

Vegetable and bean stew with cheese and chilli dumplings.

Stew base is onions, carrots, courgette and pepper sauteed in oil until soft.  Then add one jar of passata sauce and a vegetable stock cube in a little boiled water.  Mix well.  After twenty minutes further cooking time add a drained tin of pinto beans and mix again.

Dumpling mix is 100 grammes flour, 50 grammes of vegetable suet, salt and pepper, pinch of chilli flakes and 100 grammes of grated Parmesan cheese.  Mix well and then bind with a little water.  Roll small pieces of the dough into ball shapes and place on top of the stew.  Cook for a further twenty minutes.

Eve's pudding.

Stewed apple base, unable to give quantities as we are over run with apple sauce mix at the moment!

Topping is 125 grammes flour, 50 grammes sugar, 50 grammes butter/margarine, 2 eggs and vanilla essence.  Mix all the ingredients well.

Butter an ovenproof dish and line with the apple sauce mix and topped by the sponge topping.  Bake in a 180C oven for approximately twenty minutes or until the sponge is golden in colour.  Serve with custard, ice cream or cream.

All in all a good start to the week and long may it continue!

This and That

The highlight of last week was Benedict's investiture as a Beaver Scout.  He did very well saying his promise and eventually managing the three fingered salute!

Getting ready.

"Hurry up Dad this chocolate treat looks tasty!"


A few weeks ago Benedict was also a worthy recipient of another choc fest, when he learnt to ride his bike.  Here he is hiding behind a mountain of hot chocolate, whipped cream and chocolate buttons!!

Such an  event is truly blog worthy since sweets of any kind are such a rarity for him.


Other news is related to an assortment of sewing, knitting and crafting items which I have finally completed.  I devised my own sewing pattern some weeks ago and made an assortment of reversible toddler tabbards - great for mealtime mayhem and creative chaos.  I was very pleased with the results.

Front view in navy twill.

Back view.

The reversible image is this lovely jelly bean design.
I also managed to finish Pip's flower garland cardigan.  She really suits the colours and I'm so happy with the shaping that I'm in the processes of making her another one in a different colour scheme.

Lighting doesn't do justice to the main colour which is in fact a lilac!
I was also involved in the Green Parent Autumn Season Swap, I must admit my endeavours this time were no where near as grand as the Summer swap, just hope my partner isn't disappointed, especially since she was the recipient of the summer solstice quilt!  Any way it's the thought that counts right?

Acorn Bud Baby and Felted Leaf Card.
The verse inside the card read:
Midsummer past, the days reach out
Towards the Autumn glow

Of golden corn and falling leaves

That lead to Winter's snow.

So let us grasp the precious hours

While the season lingers on,

And keep the sunshine in our hearts

Long after Summer's gone.

       Ann Rutherford.

We were very lucky to receive two knitted gnomes and a trio of toadstools from our swap maker and the look on Pip's face says it all!

Playing with a toadstool.

"I love Mr Gnome Mummy"

Our Seasons Corner is nearly completes, pictures coming soon.

Autumn Days

All has been quiet in the school room this past week as Benedict has succumbed to an odd virus; nothing sinister, a bit of sickness, occasionally elevated temperatures and thumping headaches.  I would not be surprised if the sudden change in the weather and season is responsible for this current downturn in his health.  Think I'm gaga? Then check out any homoeopathy book and you will find all sorts of ailments that occur as a result of cold winds, temperature drops and seasonal changes!
This quietening period in our days has meant that, I've been able to observe Pip more closely and am constantly amazed by her good nature, sense of humour and her ability to learn new things quickly and competently.  Her latest interests involve making tea for her babies and mummy/daddy too!, attempting a wooden jigsaw on her own and spending quiet time looking at a book.  Her speech has suddenly blossomed and this past week she has added the words: mum, dad, Ba for Benedict, down, ta, out and more to her repertoire.  She still enjoys baby signing and has learnt the sign for please and thank you this week.
Whilst Dad pottered at home and looked after Benedict this morning, Pip and I went on a nature/season walk.  We wrapped up warm and followed a circuitous route near our home, stopping at the GP surgery to collect Benedict's prescription and also calling at the pharmacy to collect his medicines.  In between we chatted about the wind, watched the buses and cars go by and collected conkers both in and out of there casing, pine cones, leaves and tiny tiny crab apples.  Pip was fascinated with the different textures and Benedict was very grateful for his nature presents.
Due to the ridiculously early start to the day - 5:30 am to be precise - Pip shouting to get up and Benedict being sick!, I hadn't officially offered my day to the Lord but He in His wisdom afforded me the opportunity to offer support and encouragement to two of my neighbours; one at the start of the walk and the other at the end!  Seeing His grace work in those two situations truly reminded me of a word of encouragement offered to me at the prayer group on Monday evening - remember no matter what God is always with you holding your hand.  I needed to hear those words that evening and have tried to recollect them as I have gone about my daily living these past days.
Here are some pics of these past few days:

Elderberry Syrup and Apple Sauce.  Dave is an absolute whizz in the kitchen when it comes to preserving fruits and making bread.  Thanks to his sterling efforts we have jars of goodness tucked away for our own use, as well as gifts for friends, family and neighbours.



Comfort food for chillier days - toad in the hole served with green beans, mashed potato and apple sauce.


Quiet play.

 

Candle light at the day's end.
 

Sick Day

Mum poorly yesterday with a migraine, so not only did Dad hold the fort and run the house ,but he also made an excellent stand in teacher!  Today it was Benedict's turn :-(  He woke at five am with a temperature and headache and has pretty much continued in the same vein all day.  This evening he has had two episodes of vomiting but I think this is largely due to swollen glands in his stomach, rather than a gastric bug.  When in sickness mode we manage the diabetes in a different way, so Dad has been dispatched to the local Spar for Coca Cola, Soft Mints, Ice Cream and Chocolate!!  Thankfully blood sugars are within normal range and there are no ketones in his blood, long may this be the case!

Practical Skills

" Charlotte Mason advocated that a child learn handicrafts - in her day these would help support and enable the child as they grew into adulthood.  Life skills are likewise important in teaching children to be industrious"

Simply Charlotte Mason.com 


Life skills this week have entailed vacuuming, drying the dishes, gathering windfall apples in the garden and helping to peel and chop them, hanging out the washing and helping dad sand a door ready for painting.

Another Milestone

This past week Pip has been upgraded to dining at the big table!  As with all things she takes such events in her stride!

Not wishing to be outdone Benedict and Dad also get in on the camera action, crazy or what?!

Not Back To School Picnic

We travelled a fair distance to meet another home educating family and fellow blogger.  We were blessed with good weather which was an answer to prayer, as the previous day had seen high winds and constant rain.  The kids had a great time running around.  I would have liked to say that it was a restful time for mum but that would be a lie!!  Benedict refused to eat his lunch in one sitting as he would normally do at home, after all the other kids were grazing why couldn't he?  Needless to say I was constantly carb counting and administering insulin, not good!  Pip decided she would also eat on the hoof so I too wandered around with my tub of pasta salad and fork in hand. 
Where was Dave in all this?  He had done a sterling job driving us to our destination but upon arriving it became immediately obvious that, the picnic area was not accessible for him due to very poor mobility.  So much for a family day out!  He instead ate his lunch in a local pub and when asked later how was lunch his reply was " Shockingly quiet!!".  The final sting in the tail was the adding up of money spent on the whole day and the answer was frightening.  Mind you as I'm often telling Benedict it is okay to make mistakes as  we are given the chance to learn.  In future we need to plan more effectively when going out and Dave needs to swallow his pride and use either a wheel chair or mobility scooter to help him get around.  I'm always telling him they are ENABLERS not Dis- ablers!
Some pictures of our day:

Pip eating a homemade peanut butter cookie and if you take a peak in the bag you'll spy our foraged elderberries!