Good Memories

S and I decided that we should turn the boys 'playroom' into a 'den'. After all, they are 12 and 13 now, so it seemed reasonable. We had a big tidy up, removed the kiddies games, reorganised the DVDs etc and S put up the new dartboard, complete with doors and scoreboards. There is even a rubber mat to gauge the distance of the oche (though it keeps walking). Anyway, the boys came in after a couple of raindrop-free hours playing footie in the field, and S and I proudly showed them their new 'den'! 'Great, Mum,' they said, 'but it will always be a playroom to us,' said D. B added, 'It's all about the memories, Mum!'

By the way, playing darts is a great educational toy (see some others by following the link) for mental maths. However, the boys have developed some of their own rules. I found the one covering a dart that hits the wire and falls out particularly interesting. You get the score, even though it fell out. Maybe it's time for the boys to learn more about the hard knocks in life. I tried to explain the rule, but they said, 'We are just learning how to play, Mum!'

Step Ahead Magazine

Thank you to Step Ahead Magazine for using our Ten Top Tips for Homework. The really good news is that all the tips are tried and tested. We also linked in some educational toys which add value to the homework process. Persevere with the routine, it is worth it in the end.

Plan to succeed

This has long been our ethos but sometimes it is all too easy to become embroiled in day-to-day detail and forget to take time out to plan. We were encouraged today to catch our breath and enjoy a few hours considering future goals and strategies. The young man, Sean Proctor, who made us reflect, was coming from a specific SEO angle in our meeting but after he had left our thinking took on new levels as we geared up for (hopefully) another year of growth in educational toys and games. In our meeting with Sean we covered angles which had often been covered before but somehow this time round the timing was right to add some structure to the processes and go one step further. So, remember to be ready to take the time to think and plan. Now that I reflect further, our elder son is always planning. It must be in his genes.

Ten Top Tips for Homework

Let's start the new year as we mean to go on and try to create a health homework routine. Click here and then select Ten Top Tips for Homework - Download. It isn't easy with all the distractions and frequent lack of enthusiasm. But you can change this with a positive approach to homework. Go for it! Let us know how you get on.

Snowed In

The month of December was a blur. It is always a manic time for many reasons - work, work and more work - but that's all good stuff. We welcomed 2010 with open arms. May all your dreams come true. The boys' dreams were answered with another huge snowfall resulting in school closures. So we're off toboganning followed by hot chocolating and roasted chestnutting! What else is one to do? We say, enjoy it while it lasts. We may not see this again for 20 years!

A little gem

The whole 'web' thing can be a little overwhelming and it can be difficult to find just what you are looking for. But sometimes you stumble on something really clever. I recently found this Number Bond game on the Ambleside Primary School site. The really clever part is that you can set it to suite your child's ability, so learning number bonds to 10 or 20 or 50... Marvellous!

Customer Service

2 simple words but a whole load of meaning. Even the boys are beginning to notice. Our lovely waiter at Pizza Express went beyond the call of duty and the boys understood. They were totally overrun - 'Sorry, no potwashers!' he had said the first time he whizzed past as we fiddled with our menus. Many customers were getting a bit stressed. For the first time in a while, we had time on our hands and we opted to go with the flow - so we offered up D & B as potwashers! And how that waiter smiled. So we laughed and joked. There was no Appletiser, no Fanta, so D went for Sprite. Then the waiter returned with an Appletiser! The waiter even found us an extra money-off voucher. Had a great time - service wasn't so good when we had a coffee later in the day. D said, 'Wow, he's a grumpy waiter!'