Silent Sunday

Idea's for Things To Do in the Summer Holidays

It's the first week of the summer holidays and the concept of entertaining the children for six weeks is still taking a while to sink in. This is the first year that we are experiencing official school summer holidays and whilst we have been looking forward to them, I am still wondering how we are going to fill our time. I'm sure when I was a kid, we just used to play out the front of  the house and amuse ourselves, but these days it seems that a little more entertainment is in order.  Youngest bless her is still quite little, so she is happy to go with the flow and do whatever.  Eldest (5 yrs old) has written her list of demands wishes for the summer holidays, and if it is down to her, it looks like we'll be having a pretty busy summer!.

Although America is unfortunately off the cards, we are taking a trip to Euro Disney (shh don't tell her, it's a surprise), so she will be able to tick that off the list. We also have Willows Farm membership, and a two for one voucher for the Zoo, so they should be doable. Eldest is off to a party at Mead Farm - another tick off the list, and The Science Museum is free, as is a trip to "Grandad's Caravan" by the sea, so it's just the travel to pay for.

As well as these trips that do cost a bit of money, we have been looking for free things to do. Here are some other free activities we will be embarking on in the summer holidays.

• Visit to the park
• Visit to the local beach/paddling/swimming pool
• Walk along the canal
• Countryside Ramble
• Picnic in the park
• Sports in the park
• Treasure Hunt
• Trip to the local museums 
• Camping in the Garden
• Cooking/Baking
• Colouring/Crafts
• Cinema Trip
• Fashion Show 
• Local Free Activities

To also do something school-wise, eldest is writing a diary of what she is doing each day - it means she is practicing her writing, and it's also a nice record of her summer holiday. We are going to add photo's, drawings and tickets to it too.

So what are you doing for the summer holidays, we would love to hear your plans!

New Parking Restrictions In Bluehouse Hill, St Albans - Are You Aware?

In November 2010, the local council decided to erect signs, making it illegal to park on grass verges on Bluehouse Hill, one of the local roads close to the busy Verulamium Park in St Albans. However, unable to clarify where drivers would park instead, the council dithered over alternative arrangements and decided to reverse the ban, thus covering up the signs and enabling people to continue to park in Bluehouse Hill for the time being. As well as a big tourist spot, Verulamium Park is a haven for dog walkers, keep fit fanatics, nature lovers and families all year round. However, in the spring/summer, it is a huge spot for families as it boasts a splash park, lake, playground, cafe, ample green space and is just generally a fab free place to hang out in the summer.

After a good year of having the signs up on Bluehouse Hill, this month, after issuing warnings to local residents, the council has made a u-turn and uncovered the signs, making it illegal to park on the pavements or grass verges in Bluehouse Hill St Albans from the 2nd of July 2012. This ban is designed to reduce damage to the verges and to prevent accidents on one of the busy main thoroughfares into the city.

Despite the signs being up since the 2nd of July, people have continued to park on Bluehouse Hill over the last few weeks. Local people recently caused uproar in the local press when a charity event was held in the park and due to waterlogged free car parks, they parked on the grass verges, in front of the signs and accrued penalty charges. Their argument was that they shouldn't be penalised for parking there whilst they were raising money for charity. The local council has since agreed to make a donation to charity, but will not cancel the fines of those who were given them.

There has been abundant coverage in the local paper, on the local council website, on twitter and via other means in the local area on this issue over the last couple of years and more so since the parking enforcements came into place. You would think people would have got the message by now.....

So imagine my surprise when today, a beautifully hot sunny day and the first day of the summer holidays, I drove down Bluehouse Hill and found that an exceptionally high number of cars had parked on the grass verges - right in front of the signs that expressly prohibit them from doing so. 

On a warm day like today, anything up to 100,000 people will use Verulamium park and the surrounding areas, so I understand that these people may have trouble finding somewhere to park, but it almost seems, after all this time of the council telling people they cannot park here, that local residents and visitors to the park are voting literally with their cars to tell the local council what they think about this issue. Do drivers think they are above the law? Or is their excitement at seeing the sun in the sky for the first time in weeks marring their judgement?

Well, I'm going to make a suggestion to all those who have not yet been deterred from parking here:

DON'T PARK ON THE GRASS VERGES ON BLUEHOUSE HILL OR YOU WILL BE FINED £70!!

Clear enough for you? It looks like it could be a field summer of commission for the local traffic wardens if not.

So where could you park instead?

• Verulamium Car Park - An NCP Payg carpark close to the park. 
• Westminster Lodge Car Park - The first three hours are free and then you have to pay after this.
• The Town Centre Car Parks - Cheaper on a Sunday than in the week, Drovers Way, Christopher Place and The Maltings Car Parks are all about a fifteen minute walk to the park from here.]
• The Verulam/St Stephens Estate - This does seem to be where most local people are tending to park as it is free and there are currently no parking restrictions in place. A ten minute walk away, this estate is turning into a nightmare to park during the weekends as everyone seems to have had the same idea. 
• For more information on parking available in St Albans, see the local Council Website

What do you think of the new parking restrictions? Do you agree? Have you been hit with a fine?

Silent Sunday

School's (Almost) Out for Summer!!

I can't wait for Friday.......

• No more schedules.
• No more screaming at the kids in the morning to get dressed, brush their hair, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, turn off the TV, stop playing with toys, find their reading books, put their shoes on.
• No more school runs.
• No more making sure the kids have the right form/money/book/uniform/donation for school.
• No more afternoon pick-ups at 3pm.
• No more changing poo nappies at 3pm precisely each day and arriving late for school pick-up
• No more dragging a screaming toddler into the car at 2:50pm, only to drag her out to change said poo.
• No more rushing to after school activities
• No more being screamed at by the pubescent lifeguards for being on my phone whilst watching eldest during swimming lessons.
• No more sitting opposite the bitchy mums at ballet and hearing their inane conversations, entitled conversations.
• No more rushing here, there and everywhere to collect and drop off kids.
• No more rushing home and having to magic dinner out of thin air in twenty minutes before bed
• No more packing bags for the next day each night
• No more screaming at the kids to go to sleep so they get up for school the next day.
• No more Sunday night's getting organised for school the next week
• No more weeks in the diary filled with dates, times and appointments.
• No more bad weather (wishful thinking)

Six weeks of virtual freedom. Unfilled, unscheduled time. Time to do whatever we want. A scary or liberating prospect? 

I Can't wait now.......although I may be wishing this in a few weeks.



Almost there......

The School Report: A two way street?

Friday turned out to be a significant day in our household as like many others across the country, eldest brought her very first ever primary School Report home from school. After a year of wondering how eldest has been doing at school, now was the time to find out how her first year at school had been perceived by her teacher.

Eldest has clearly demonstrated that she is as bright as a button from an early age. Her spoken language far surpasses many of her peers, and she constantly has her nose in a book.  She settled into her reception class, found her feet and has definitely come on leaps and bounds this year. She loves reading, being creative, and she loves music. We chose a small school setting expecting her to be nurtured and encouraged on a more personal level, and she mostly has been.

So we received Eldest's report home and it was an excellent one, full of comments on how well eldest had done at school, how good her learning has been and how she had made sound progress during her first year at school and so we are naturally very proud of eldest and happy she has worked so hard. However, if I am honest, some of her report felt like a bit generic. Her whole first year was condensed into an A4 sheet of generic superlatives and teachery language which didn't really tell me anything I already didn't know. We would never tell eldest but to be honest I was a little disappointed with her report. Not due to eldest's performance, but due to the teacher's.

Along with eldest's report, we also received her EYFS scores. Having scoured the EYFS plan many times, I already knew in my head what I knew she was capable of doing at home and where she stood in terms of the scores. However, I was slightly bemused as to some of the scores her teacher gave her. She had failed to identify learning and ability in areas that I know eldest is more than capable of. During the year, Eldest has commented throughout the year that there are a couple of children in her class who have received extra attention as the the teacher "likes them the most". Eldest often comes home and comments that these children have been doing work that she could do easily, but has not been given the opportunity to by the teacher as the teacher thinks they are the only clever ones. She is a very perceptive five year old. I have broached this with the teacher but although she is good with the kids, she is not hugely accessible with the parents. Eldest's EYFS scores, I feel, could tie in with what she had been telling me all year, that her teacher had not been identifying sufficient opportunities to match her abilities, or had labelled her as less able due to her glue ear. 

Every parent believes that their child is gifted/talented/amazing and most children are in certain areas, but many parents try not to air their beliefs to often for fear that they will be labelled as a pushy parent or told that they are boasting about their children. But I know my child is intelligent. I know that some of her EYFS scores do not reflect her true ability. You only have to spend time with her to realise that she is ahead in many areas compared to other children her age. She has spent this year being a little bored in some areas at school as her teacher has not stretched her far enough.

On eldest's report there is a "parents comments" section which you have to fill in to say you have received and read the report. I feel inclined to suggest to the teacher that I believe eldest's EYFS scores do not match her abilities, but I am not completely sure whether this would be appropriate. As a parent new to this report lark, what is the etiquette? Can parents comment honestly in the parents feedback section? Or is it just another bureaucratic box ticking exercise? Do teachers expect a generic "we are very pleased with...." comment on the feedback sheet, or is this an avenue for parents to be honest with their child's teacher? Are reports a reflection of the child's progress or the teacher's perception of the child? Do I tell the teacher that I do not agree with some of her comments and EYFS scores and politely underline the reasons why? Or do I just add my "we are very pleased with eldests report" comment and pop it in the envelope? Are EYFS scores completely meaningless when you get down to the nitty gritty of it?

When does boasting and being a pushy parent turn to advocacy for your child? As parents, are we in a position to advocate for our children if we feel that a teacher is not fully meetings our child's needs? I am guessing that eldest's EYFS scores may either be down to the schools underscoring so that their improvement in year 1 looks more improved, or has the teacher not "allowed" her to reach her full potential, or not noticed that she has easily reached higher levels than recorded. Should parents be able to advocate for their children if they honestly and realistically feel that their child is capable of more than recorded on their school report?

Answers on a postcard...... What are your thoughts?

Silent Sunday 8/7/12

Film Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Recently I was invited to review "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", a wonderfully heartwarming film adapted from the acclaimed bestseller by Jonathan Foer
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“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” tells the story of eleven year old inventive New Yorker, Oskar, whose father died in the World Trade Center attacks. A year after what Oskar calls “The Worst Day", he discovers a key in his fathers belongings which sets him off on an urgent search across the city, looking for the lock that the key will open. Through his imaginative mind, Oskar is determined to keep his vital connection to his father, who frequently cajoled him into confronting his wildest fears. As Oskar crosses the five New York boroughs in quest of the missing lock, he encounters an eclectic assortment of people who are each survivors in their own way. They tell him their stories, and he photographs each of them to document his journey. Through his search, Oskar begins to uncover unseen links to the father he misses, and to the mother who seems so far away from him and to the whole noisy, dangerous, discombobulating world around him. He also meets a strange gentlemen, who joins him on his quest for answers. 

Directed by three-time Academy Award® nominee Stephen Daldry (“Billy Elliot,” “The Reader,” “The Hours”) from a screenplay by Academy Award® winner Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump,” “The Insider”), "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" stars Academy Award® winners Tom Hanks (“Forrest Gump,” “Philadelphia”) and Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”), along with newcomer Thomas Horn in the role of Oskar. The film also stars Academy Award® nominees Max von Sydow (“Shutter Island,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, “Pelle the Conqueror”) and Viola Davis (“Doubt,” “The Help”), John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright and Zoe Caldwell.

I had mixed feelings after watching this film. 9/11 is a very emotive subject, and so I was afraid that this would be the overbearing feature of the film, but it isn't. Instead, I actually wish there had been a little more of 9/11 and the father's day featured in the film to set-up the plot-lines a little better, as we never really establish exactly how he came to be in the building, other than for a meeting, which leads me to wonder why a jeweller would find themselves in a skyscraper...... 

The film focuses on Oskar's quest to find the answers he is looking for, and documents his journey along the way, interspersed with flashbacks of what happened on "the worst day", including those "falling man" images, which are sensitively used in the film, but still make me shudder. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is well paced and keeps your attention right the way through. I think the acting in this film is fantastic. Thomas Horn excels in his role as Oskar, and Hanks and Bullock are also great in their roles, as is Max Von Sydow. I guessed one of the major plot lines fairly early on, but others kept me guessing and surprised me right until the end. I was a little disappointed that the film didn't really reach a complete resolution, as open-ended films are my pet-hate. However, overall, I really enjoyed watching this film and would definitely recommend watching it as it is a very heart warming film and captures the spirit of New York in the era that it is set well.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is rated PG-13 for emotional thematic material, some disturbing images and language. The film is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Online.

Disclosure:  I was offered a copy of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" in consideration of review.

Silent Sunday - 01/07/2012

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