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We both really like Ben 10. We played Ben 10 for ages and made a video. I was Ben first and Harry was the cameraman, then we swapped roles. Finally we were both Ben and Dad was the cameraman. I would show you some here but Dad says that 40 mins of video is a bit long!!

Later we went to the park and played for ages, on the way back we went to the skateboard park and played on the zip wires.

Here we are at the park

And here we are on the zip wires.

For the rest of the afternoon we played lego. Great news, I am going to Harry's on Monday and then Harry's Mum & Dad are coming to my house for dinner in the evening.

This year Jake was Winter. We needed a costume to signify winter so Jake had a white cloak with silver blue tinsel around the bottom, snowflakes and silver bells on the front and snowballs on red twine to secure it. After his poem he led the children on a candlelit procession.

I had a very high temperature, a very bad headache, the light was hurting my eyes and my neck was sore. Dad gave me some medicine and it didn't work so he phoned the doctor. The doctor said I had to go straight to hospital.

So off we went to A&E. They were waiting for me and I was seen straight away by a nurse. She took my temperature and stuck something to my finger and plugged it into a machine. The machine showed that my heart was beating very fast. She took me through to another room with a trolley I had to lie on. I was seen by another nurse who asked me questions about my school! She asked me what my favourite lessons was and seemed a bit confused if not surprised when I told her it was making dens in the forest.

Then I was seen by Dr Katie. She was very nice. She listened to my lungs and heart. Then she played my chest like a drum kit! She listened to my tummy, then poked it. She looked in my ears and mouth and felt my neck. She said I didn't have Meningitis but a nasty virus. I asked her what my virus looked like and she said it was very very small, round, with lots of legs. When my temperature went down a bit I was allowed to go home, around midnight.

It was all a bit scary. I didn't like the hospital very much. Dr Katie said I had been very brave and gave me this certificate.

Even my pants are wet! This is surely above and beyond the call of duty?

But hey it's all in the name of education. Jake wanted to go into the forest to collect autumn goodies.

Here we are discovering the different textures of bark. Actually I think we are sheltering from the rain while Dad stands out of the cover of the leaves to take pictures.

This is our collection. They are currently drying in the kitchen. Check back later to see what wonders a little boy can make with them!

We did indeed decorate the house with pumpkins, and dressed as a witches cat.

We hung a hugh spider outside, from the front door frame (apologies to the little witch who got so frightened when it touched her hair she fell backwards off the step). Then we settled down to an evening of looking out of the window for customers. Who needs a door bell... as the witches, devils, and all manner of strange creatures walked towards our front door the house resonated with the sound of Jake shouting "I've got customers".

Then today while we were sat in the lounge, there, in the kitchen, looking at us was a little mouse.

Dad using his cat like speed and agility succeeded where others had failed and captured the little mouse.

While dad was busy running round the house with his empty beer glass, I was busy making a picture out of things I could find in Nana's garden.

We are staying at Nana's, looking after her, as she is not very well. We have lots of people visiting and they keep lots of stuff in my room. So I made a sign to go on my door.

Dad couldn't get it all in the picture so here is what it says...

"Visitors who are expected can come in.
If you are not expected please knock.
A voice will say come in.
If he does not say come in please go at once!"

Well you have been warned!

We had great fun. Tim was very kind and showed me lots of exciting things. The tube train was very busy so I sat on the floor to stop me falling over every time the train stopped and started. I found loads of places to hide in the museum. Do you think I could get a job guarding the Queens house?

There was lots of things to do with funky music and lights. I made a pattern on a computer and it appeared on a huge wall in front of us for everyone to see.

I had lots of exercise. I peddled on this machine and the power I generated lit up a light, then a TV and camera (which showed pictures of me peddling) then a hair drier. I also had great fun playing with bubbles.

The best bit was a huge machine with plastic beads that we moved around by pullies, giant wheels, slides and everything! We played here for ages.

It all started with the delivery of the baskets. Jake wanted to wait to see the balloons.

And off they go. We were a bit worried about the Virgin Balloon as it got a bit close to the rooftops then disappeared below the houses but all turned out well in the end.

Here is what you will need. The template from the BBC website, cardboard, glue, scissors, and sticky tape.

First glue the template to the cardboard.

When the glue has dried cut out the template.

A bit more glue, some folding and sticky tape and hey presto, your very own container.

We thought we might do some Geography with Jake this year as a special project. We would look at the world and countries, the seas which separate them etc. We have a railway which runs along the back of our garden and Jake loves to watch the trains. We mainly get containers and oil wagons from the refinery. Sometimes we get tanks from the military port.

Combining Jake's love of trains with education got a whole lot easier with the help of the BBC. They are tracking a container for a year to look at globalisation. (www.bbc.co.uk/thebox) So we are checking to see where it is in the world and what it is carrying. Then we will look at all the different countries it goes to over the year.

Having left Southampton on 08/09/08 it headed for it's first port of call, Scotland. Paisley to be precise where it was filled with whisky bound for China.

What great fun home education can be. Now then Jake today we are going to learn all about whisky!

The box is back in Southampton, and we will see where it goes next. Check back to see what else we learn about and to see Jake making his own container.

Jake was a bit upset to start with as the only place we could find had a separate room for him. However once we arrived all changed!

Welcome to my room, it's called Plum.

This is my bed.

I have my own TV!

My own shower!

My own toilet!

I even had my own phone. Sorry I didn't call anyone I couldn't remember your numbers!

In the garden they had a great rope swing.

And a trampoline.

I can't wait for Mum to be on call again. I want to come back here again.

A day out to visit Maren before she emigrates to New Zealand. She has just returned from a year in the USA so there was much to catch up on. Obviously for Jake this was a bit boring so he borrowed her computer to play on cbeebies. I found him later with her headset...."I can hear now Daddy".

It was a very wet day but in a short break in the rain I took him out for a walk. Maren's neighbours were busy with mops and buckets so Jake asked what they were doing. Their houses had just been flooded by water running off the hills behind. Oh replies Jake, followed by a rendition of "It's raining, It's pouring, the old man is snorning"! Kids hey.

What a great time to put your house on the market! Questions over stamp duty, Credit Crunches (either a new breakfast cereal or some kind of exercise routine). Never mind, needs must, and Leanne is working in Bath so we have to go. Wish us luck!

A day out exploring Bath. While Mum was at work we went on a Pig hunt! King Bladud's pigs to be precise. There are 100 of these life size pigs all around Bath for a summer 2008 public art event. We found about 15. Not great I know but it was raining, the tea shops were calling us and this one was near an excellent playground. You also need sharp eyes as one we found was on a roof top on a building on the A4! We have until the end of September to find some more.

He found this! A 'Round-leaf sundew'. The best bit was that it is carnivorous (Boys hey!)

A better picture can be found here. Not mine I'm afraid, thank you Wikipedia.

After hunting, a lengthy game of throwing sticks into trees. Who needs expensive toys?

After weeks of trouble with our current car we finally decided to spend no more on it and bought our first ever new car. Jake didn't mind what it was as long as it was blue! Luckily the garage had this one. A Suzuki SX4.

Much excitement followed by the inevitable... Can we have peas for dinner tonight?

First we were planting loads of seeds in the garden (see "Can we grow it?"). Then this morning Jake announced he wanted to make a TV cooking show. Now you may want to go and get a cup of tea before watching this, there is six and a half minutes of Jake cooking!

The Recipe

5 ½ oz plain flour
2 oz sugar
4 oz butter

Mix the whole lot up together. Make small balls, squash them with a fork and cook at 170 deg Centigrade for 15 - 20 mins.

Two garden shows in one day today and the face paint lasted all day! We started at a local fun day where Jake was the first customer for face painting. He has never had this done before and was told how good he was at sitting still. The second was at Chettle where everyone who asked Jake about the face painting was told he was a good boy pirate because he sat so still. Along with the customary ice cream and fudge we bought catnep to plant in the garden, and a book on trains!

Jake produced this for us today and announced he had kept it for long enough so he thought he would now eat it. However he wanted to take a photo to remind him of it.

Well the good news is that the boys have been hard at work making the house look beautiful. We have been cleaning and dusting, doing the washing and ironing, mowed the lawns.... well that was the intention anyway. In fact we just had FUN!!!

First dig a big hole, then jump in it. What more could a little boy ask for?

After a rough time with one of the kittens, and it all being a bit touch and go, we seem to have turned a corner. All three are doing well and are getting the hang of solid food. No more getting up three times a night to feed them!

A busy day in the garden planting seeds, then more seeds and yet more seeds!

So now we have Potatoes, Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Peas, Broad Beans, Beetroot, Pumpkin, Poppies, Carnations and Lobelia. Jamie Oliver has inspired Jake to grow his own vegetables then cook and eat them. What wasn't made clear to Jake was the length of time it would take them to grow.... "are they ready yet?" ... I guess a natural progression from the car and "are we there yet?"!

We had great fun playing in the garden. After charging around and going to the playground we needed some refreshments so had chocolate biscuits and drinks. Later it got a bit cooler but we didn't want to come in so we came up with a plan!

In the evening we all went out to a pub for dinner and they had a play area with slides, ball pit, climbing frame etc we had great fun.

She was only a year and a half old and left us with three 5 day old kittens. The vet said it was a freak accident, she swallowed her tongue. I am being very helpful with feeding and weighing then to make sure they are growing. We have a tabby who is my favourite and two black ones. My friend Josh came to see them. He liked them too. They are 9 days old in these pictures.

We awoke this morning to a sprinkling of snow on the ground. Even enough to make a few snowballs and throw at Daddy, well what else is snow for?! Jake was straight out and into it, no time for a coat, or a jumper come to think of it. It didn't last long, by midday it was all gone, but it was fun while it lasted. We have had a bit more this afternoon but it hasn't settled, who knows what we might wake up to tomorrow.

Favourite had to be the bumper cars at the fair but the music came a very close second. Coldplay and the Foo Fighters were his favourite, signing along to Coldplay.
This year we really enjoyed Muse, Snow Patrol, The Feeling and Keane. We avoided the camping again and will be in the comfort of a local B&B so we will be able to enjoy the beaches in the morning and the music in the afternoon and evenings, weather permitting.

Sweetcorn... yummy!	Could you turn the music down!

Next year The Police are headlining on Sunday night. Jake is very excited he has never seen Policemen sing. I'm not sure whether I should tell him or not! He is also looking forward to the Kaiser Chiefs, there will be one little boy shouting RUBY RUBY RUBY ah ah ah ah ah ah!

At 2150ft almost in the clouds.	This is such a peaceful place

Once more into the mountains dear friends. This year we went up Aonach Mor in the cable cars. We decided to walk back down, a little over 3 miles, following the mountain bike track. They do it in around 6 minutes, we took just over an hour and a half, but saw much more of the scenery. We took a ferry to Mull and had a great day walking in the hills looking out for Eagles. We managed to see one perched on a telegraph pole. We also saw sea otters playing on the shore.