Weekly Update No39

It's amazing how simply feeling better in my head, has an impact on my weight.

This week, I have been out for dinner and had dessert, I have eaten plenty of cakes and biscuits, I have snacked and not really thought about what I have been eating.  Yet, I have still lost over a kilo since last week.

What I have been doing differently, is in addition to writing 3 things I'm grateful for each day, on the advice of my therapist I have added an extra line: writing one thing I value or like about myself.  I'll write more about this in a different post, but this has been more challenging than looking for things I'm thankful for.  And I have only been doing it less than a week, and I already want to start repeating myself (which is an added challenge I've set myself, rather than someone else saying it for me).

I am slowly making some better choices - last night for dinner, I made a delicious salad, and remembered to 'water' down the salad dressing with vinegar so that it coats all the leaves easier and is fewer calories.  I have also made plans to Body Groove with a friend.  We can only do fortnightly, but once a fortnight is still better than doing nothing other than sitting on my arse all day.

Right now, even though I've just consumed two Oreos and a latte for breakfast, I'm feeling positive about the week ahead.

BoJo Acted Unlawfully!

An astonishing judgement by the Supreme Court in the UK has said that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has acted unlawfully by proroguing parliament.

What's the difference between unlawful and illegal?

Unlawful means it is contrary to the law, whereas an ill eagle is a sick bird. Sorry!

I know, for myself, I have not watched parliament TV (not that it's necessarily called that), followed the news, or been as engrossed in politics as I have in recent year, and more specifically in recent weeks.  It really feels like there is something historical happening right now, and indeed it is a landmark ruling.  AFAIK the UK doesn't have a written constitution, but much of the law is based on case law and precedents from earlier cases.  (And I will stop there, because I am not a legal beagle nor do I have any real knowledge about politics.)

What is interesting about this case specifically, is that it is about democracy, and whether the PM is himself above the law?  Many people seem to think this is about Brexit, and though it is linked, whether you want Brexit to occur or not, it truly is about democracy and whether the government and parliament acts in our (the people's) best interests or not.

Giving judgement, Lady Hale said

"It is important to emphasise that the issue in these appeals is not when and on what terms the United Kingdom is to leave the European Union. The issue is whether the advice given by the Prime Minister to Her Majesty the Queen on 27th or 28th August 2019 that Parliament should be prorogued from a date between 9th and 12th September until 14th October was lawful."  

The full judgement can be read here: https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2019-0192-judgment.pdf

The ruling itself was not a gentle slap-on-the-wrist.  Instead it was an unanimous judgement of all 11 judges ruling that the PM was wrong.  It's incredible to be watching this history occur.  Many politicians are now calling for both Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings to resign effective immediately - which if it did happen, BoJo would go down in history as the shortest serving UK PM ever.

Homemade Presents

I find they are always tricky.

Some people absolutely love them, knowing that a lot of thought and effort has gone into crafting something so personal.  Other people, however, whilst they appreciate the thought, would much rather have something that they know is made to a high(er) standard from a name they trust.  Some people understand that though the materials may be cheaper than buying ready-made, the time and effort (even if pricing yourself at minimum wage) means the final product is much more expensive than mass-produced goods.  Other people would still rather have something mass produced, with it's standard quality, than something which may have minute flaws/individuality.  Some people understand that buying the materials for hand-made items is often more expensive as you cannot get the benefits of bulk-buying raw materials, and that's before you consider labour costs.  Other people would rather you didn't waste your time making something they know they wouldn't appreciate, but simply buy something they know they want, and for less money too.

That said, for my cousin's wedding last weekend, I decided to make her and her new husband a present.  I hope they like it, as I was a bit in-the-dark about their tastes (except for Star Wars - which I know next to nothing about, as I was always more of a Star Trek girl).  But as it's a craft I enjoy, I went ahead with making something for them anyway.

Back in May, I visited the MosaiCraft Shop again, and ended up buying more than I meant to (a common occurrence these days...) but did purchase a kit to give my cousin for her wedding.  As the wedding was last weekend, I can finally talk about it and share the picture with you all!

It originally was of two swans facing each other to make a heart shape with their necks.  As this was for their wedding, I didn't want to just get something off-the-shelf, so personalised it with their names.  (The cynical part of me thinks that they can't just give it to charity now, as nobody else would want it! haha)  Not having the neatest handwriting in the world, I did use the internet to come up with a font I liked, and used that as a template for their names.  I created their names on the base plates first, and then went back to build up the swans afterwards.

I have to say, that I am pleased with the finished result.  I framed the picture, and gave it to them on Saturday, so I hope they like it. (Or at least pretend they do around me! 😉😂)

Charley and Adam, if you're reading this: Thanks for a great time at your wedding, and all the best for your future lives together. xxx

Weekly Update No38

We've had a week of birthday celebrations and a wedding, so it's no surprise my weight has gone up.
I finished the last of the birthday cake for breakfast, so at least I'm not tempted by that any more!
(Just to confirm, that pic is a slice through the whole cake, which we then divided up into 4 portions.  As much as I love cake, even I couldn't eat a slice that big!)

The cake was made by DD2 for DD1's birthday.  DD2 had the idea of a rainbow cake decorated with fondant icing with a dance theme.  I helped her with using the oven, and I covered the cake with the white fondant, but the bulk of the doing was by her, over 2 days (one day to bake and one day to decorate).  That we managed to keep it a surprised to DD1 is amazing.

That was last week.  Saturday we went to my cousin's wedding, and my head is not in the right place to be able to approach a buffet properly. We stayed overnight in a hotel, which meant yesterday I had buffet breakfast, and last night we had the girls' birthday meal with friends.  Though I only had a 'small plate carvery' and didn't have dessert, I know I overate.

But it's a new week, and I can do better.

Home Education or Home Schooling?

I've noticed recently that a lot of people who are new to home education use the term 'home schooling'. 
Part of this is due to the fact that home schooling tends to be the American term (where HE is more prevalent than in the UK), and part of this is due to ignorance. [Note: I mean ignorance in the genuine lack-of-knowing sense, as opposed to meaning rude and purposely using the wrong terms.]

But does it make a difference?

Personally, I think it does.  I think words matter and home schooling has a totally different connotation than home education.

I home educate. 
I educate my youngest (as DD1 is now in school). 
I facilitate her learning. 
I encourage her when need be, but generally her own innate curiosity is such that she is learning all the time.
I don't teach her (though I do when she specifically asks to learn something specific).
I don't school her.
I don't make or encourage her to learn as they do in school.
I don't train her or lecture her or coerce her.
I allow her to learn at her own pace, what she is interested in, for as long as she is interested in it.

But isn't it just semantics?

Yes and no.

Thesaurus.com has 'schooling' listed as a synonym of 'education' so in some ways it is no surprise that the words are used interchangeably.

The problem arises when people who don't understand HE use the term 'home schooling' and infer, wrongly, that HE should recreate school.  This is especially a problem if the person using the wrong term works for the LA as an EHEO.

We know that legally, Section 7 of the 1996 Education Act states:
Duty of parents to secure education of children of compulsory school age.
The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable—

(a)to his age, ability and aptitude, and

(b)to any special educational needs he may have,

either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

There is absolutely no requirement for us to recreate school-at-home, and if you look at my posts from last April, you will see that even with the new guidance, that has not changed.
As more and more people start to home educate, the world is getting more political as some in the government try to rein us in.  We need to keep our freedoms and using terms such as 'home education' can really help.

As many EHEOs already don't understand valid home education approaches, such as unschooling, it is of upmost importance that we keep reiterating to them that we 'home educate' and not 'home school'.  Children do not have to be tied to a table in order to learn.  Children do not have to be kept inside in order to learn.  Children do not have to be kept away from the rest of society and arguably from real life, in order to learn.

Language evolves, and the more often people use certain words of phrases, the more prevalent they will become.  As home educators, I think it is our responsibility to use the correct terms that encourage an opening of the mind to wider possibilities, rather than using an allowed term, that encourages the mind to close and focus in only one direction; especially when discussing with the LA. 
In your own homes? With your own friends? Use whatever phrase you want, but if you say 'home schooling' around me, I will be privately miffed.

(There are other terms that home educators also use to convey their educational approach, such as Life Learning, Life Education, Education Otherwise, and many more which try to show the wider scope of education than simply 'school'.)

A couple of blog posts from other people (2012 and 2016) that also talk about this topic:
Home Schooling Vs Home Education
Forgive the Homeschooling

Emotions, Mirrors of the Heart by Catherine Haddow

This book was recommended to me by a friend from church.  She knows I suffer with depression, and that I have been reading various psychology books in order to help myself.
When the Body Says No links our psychological state to our physiological state. Emotions, Mirrors of the Heart links our psychological state to our spiritual state.

The blurb says:

Our emotions are powerful. We experience them so tangibly that they can often feel all-consuming. At one time or another, we will all have experienced what Catherine Haddow calls ‘tears, fears and sneers’ — those darker, harder emotions. We often don’t know what to do with them. Sometimes we feel helplessly controlled by them, unable to see anything other than the emotion. At other times, we try and hide them from others and from God.

In this book, you’ll see that our emotions are vitally important as they are ‘spiritual smoke alarms’ that can alert us to the state of our heart. Catherine presents her own ’tbH’ model which, when followed, helps us to understand our thoughts, emotions and behaviours in more detail, each providing vital information about  the compelling desires, flowing from our hearts. She then helps us to apply biblical wisdom to where we’re struggling, inviting God to change and transform us from the heart of the emotion — the core of our being.

This is a book that not only spoke to me now, but is one that I can see myself rereading the the future if needed.  Rather than dismiss secular methods, such as CBT, which some Christian writers are prone to do, Cather Haddow acknowledges that they are useful and have benefit, but for the Christian they do not go quite far enough - so she developed the tbH model (thoughts >> behaviours >> body >> Heart) and encourages us to allow God the freedom to transform our innermost being.

Even if you are a Christian who doesn't suffer with depression or anxiety, I would recommend this book to you, because it shines a light on ourselves whilst opening us up to God's transforming grace.

(This book isn't currently available on Amazon, but is available in paperback and ebook from 10 of Those.)

Contract Snatch: by Ty Hutchinson

I read this book as part of a double-book by Ty Hutchinson - one Abby Kane book and one Sei Assassin book.

Sei is an ex-assassin, having given up the trade when she found she was pregnant. After suffering the loss of her child, she lives in seclusion away from the rest of the world.  One day she is found by a friend who encourages her to start accepting contracts again, and the first one she sees shatters her world - her daughter is alive.  In exchange for the whereabouts of her daughter, Sei must successfully accomplish one last mission.

The blurb for Contract: Snatch says:

They used her daughter as bait. They messed with the wrong mother. 

Sei abandoned her life as an assassin to try to find peace—but when contacted by a source claiming to have information about the daughter she thought she’d lost, Sei finds herself taking on one last mission. Can she unravel the truth before time runs out?

Though this book took me longer than a day to read, it was mainly because I was no longer on holiday so didn't have as much time.  I tried to grab minutes to read when I could, as this was another can't-put-down novel by Ty Hutchinson.  A thriller with lots of gore and plenty of killings (as you would expect in a book where the main character is an assassin), this book keeps you on the edge of your seat as you hope that Sei can achieve her mission and finally get her child back.  There is even a twist at the end that I didn't see coming (until the story led up to that point) which, when invested in a story as much as I was with this one, is a good surprise.

I would recommend this book and rather than just adding the sequels to my wishlist, I have actually bought the next two books to read immediately (because at time of writing, they are currently free on the Kindle).