Here we go again. With schools failing to protect and educate children in school and the embarrassment of high profile cases where social services have failed to protect children from abuse the Government is now trying for a diversion.
Maybe if they ignore the real problems and divert attention by blaming and victimising a marginal group in society – home educators, the public will forget about the real issues.
In the age of digital cameras it is so easy to take lots of photos, but never see them again as they hide away on your computer hard drive. This is even more so as parents—the urge to capture our children on camera can lead to thousands of pictures that we seldom look at.
So here are some ideas on how to make the most of your photos and ensure that you and everyone else gets to see and appreciate them. Alternatively go to a professional studio that will let you buy the photos from your session and use those.
1. Print them online
Upload your photos and order prints at one of the many photo-printing sites and get your prints delivered to you in the post.
2. Share them online
Upload your photos to a photo-sharing site and you can invite friends and families to see them or share them publically with the community on the website to get feedback on your photography.
Some sites do slideshows or online montages too.
3. Display them in a digital frame
Upload photos onto a digital photo frame and you get an ever changing image to look at. Quality of frames vary so you’ll need to do some research first to get the best frame for your money.
4. Give photo gifts
You can get your photos on to a wide range of gifts, in high street or online photo-printing stores, or charity shops.
5. Frame them and hang them
And don’t forget the traditional—get your prints enlarged and framed, and fill up those picture frames with snap shots of your loved ones.
6. Get arty with a canvas
Get your photos printed onto canvas for maximum impact. Maybe with special effects to make it look like pop art or an oil painting. Or how about a trendy acrylic print—with your photo appearing to float inside a sandwich of acrylic.
7. Scrapbook them
Combine your photos, with stories, patterned papers and embellishments to create a scrapbook. Get started with scrapbook kits available for high street and craft stores.
8. Create your own postage stamps
Pick your favourite photo and turn it into a Smilers® postage stamp at Royalmail.com. Gives the personal touch to your letters and invitations.
9. Get the children involved
Kids love photos too. Create their very own book of photos of family and favourite things. Either make your own or use the Whoozit photo album from nctsales.co.uk. For older children cut out photos and
stick them to lollipop sticks for your own personalised puppets.
10. Create a Photobook of memories
Create a glossy book of photos online at one of the photo printing websites to mark the year, or to mark special occasions.
Flickr.com — Store and share your photos
Nctsales.co.uk— Raise money for the NCT with photo gifts
Picasa.google.com — Software and website. Organise, edit, store,
and share photos
Photobox.co.uk — Store, share, print and buy gifts
Fujicolor.com.au — Store, share, print and buy gifts in Australia
http://www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/
Each year, in October, orchards across the UK celebrate Apple Day.
This year, on a beautiful sunny day, we went to Codicote Community Orchard. We had a go at pressing apple to get juice and tasted different varieties. E made an apple bird feeder and a paper owl. T drank lots of juice and chatted to some friendly dogs.
My new online hang out is http://thegreenparent.co.uk/forum. It is lively and full of like-minded souls.
It is the forum for the fantastic Green Parent magazine. Speaking of which I’m now off to renew my subscription…
We are very into our photos in this house. We love taking them and use them as much as we can.
We scrapbook photos and every year we create photobooks for family and friends using the Photobox website.
Recently I’ve been trying to get photo gifts for my sister in Australia, but I haven’t found the ideal solution yet. Previously we’ve used Photobox, but the gift has been printed in Europe and posted to Australia. Tried Snapfish.com.au , but although the range of gifts is great, it doesn’t accept payment from the UK. Managed to get prints and a gift (but not the gift I wanted to send) from Fujicolor.com.au.
We take the girls to Woodchips. The youngest age group of the Woodcraft Folk. We all love it – it is a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning together as a family. The group does games, crafts, walks and camping in the summer.
Woodcraft is a non-religious alternative to scouts or guides. With the emphasis on co-operation and the environment.
Someone recently asked about naming ceremonies on the green parent forum so I’ve decided to post Tara’s naming ceremony here.
I based them on the British Humanist Associations’s book ‘New Arrivals’, which I thoroughly recommend.
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Friends and Family, you have been invited here today to welcome Tara celebrate her arrival, pledge our commitment to her, and officially name her. (Tony)
Where am I going? I don’t quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow —
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow —
Anywhere, anywhere. I don’t know.
Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass.
If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You’d sail on water as blue as air,
And you’d see me here in the fields and say:
“Doesn’t the sky look green today?”
Where am I going? The high rooks call:
“It’s awful fun to be born at all.”
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
“We do have beautiful things to do.”
If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You’d lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You’d say to the wind when it took you away:
“That’s where I wanted to go today!”
Where am I going? I don’t quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow —
Anywhere, anywhere. I don’t know.
A A Milne
As Tara’s parents Katherine and Iain will now pledge their commitment to her. (Tony)
Tara as you parents, we pledge to: Iain & Katherine
Take the time to listen to you. Katherine
Give you the freedom to explore and savour the world around you. Iain
Provide you with somewhere safe to run to when the world is a scary place Katherine
Guide and protect you as you grow. Iain
Teach you to respect the people and places around you. Katherine
And to show you all the love we have for you, every day and in every way. Iain & Katherine
Erin would now like to say a few words Iain & Katherine
Tara, I love you, I love you, I love you Erin
Tara’s grandparents will now pledge their commitment to Tara. (Tony)
Tara; Ken and Sue, Tony and I; your grandparents, promise to assist your parents in all they endeavour to do for you and to always be there for you, as loving and supportive grandparents. (Elizabeth)
We have asked Fran, Judith & Keith to play a special role in Tara’s life as Sponsors, so they have some promises they would like to make to her. (Katherine)
I promise to help you in anyway I can to enjoy the many moments and opportunities that will be in your life.
I will encourage you and support you.
I will be there for you to turn to in times of doubt and when facing life’s challenges.
Even though at times we may be separated by distance I promise to hold you in my heart and thoughts as you grow into the truly remarkable person you will be.
All my love, Aunty Fran
Tara, I’ve come today just to say
I’m here to help you on your way
To help you count from one to ten
And make sure you avoid the dodgy men
I’ve tales on your Mum, Dad and Aunty Fran
In fact stories on most of the Watkins Clan
Life’s a big adventure but not always fair
Don’t worry Tara, I’ll always be there.
I promise to help Tara meet life’s challenges over the coming years.
– To be there to advise and support her in decisions she makes
– And to encourage her to enjoy life’s opportunities
In times of difficulty, I promise Tara she can turn to me for help and reassurance
Our name is a defining part of our identity. It is forever associated with a face, a voice, a walk, a laugh, and all the other traits that make us unique. (Tony)
We have named this child Tara Sydney Willow (Iain & Katherine)
Finding the right name proved harder second time round. We wanted a name that felt right in the same way as Erin does, something simple and unusual. Erin is a name associated with the faery goddess who gave her name to Ireland, and we wanted a name with the same positive, powerful feeling.
Tara is a Hindu goddess, worshiped in many forms and adopted by Buddhists as the only female Buddha. She is the compassionate White Tara and the Green Tara who helps us overcome obstacles.
The name Tara means star in Sanskrit, and Hill of the Kings in Irish Gaelic.
We chose Sydney , in honour of her great grandfather, and Willow because we wanted a tree name. (Katherine)
Her name will be spoken, whispered, shouted, cried, sung, and written – thousands of times, impersonally or meaningfully – by family, friends, colleagues, lovers, strangers, and maybe by children and grandchildren. (Iain)
Katherine and Iain will now light a candle as a sign of our love for Tara and our hopes for her future. (Tony)
Katherine and Iain light the candle.
Zuni Indian Prayer
Now this is the day.
Our child,
Into the daylight
You will go standing.
Preparing for your day.
Our child, it is your day,
This day.
May your road be fulfilled.
In your thoughts may we live,
May we be the ones whom your thoughts will embrace,
May you help us all to finish our roads.
Please raise your glasses to Tara. We wish you a life of happiness and fulfilment, rich in love and the support of your family and friends. (Tony)
Divers Alarum.
Would you please each write a special message for Tara’s commemorative book. (Tony)
The guests all write a message.
We are home educating – and loving it.
Our approach is autonomous, and unstructured. Basically an extension of a life with a preschool age child.
There are so many reasons to do it, for us as parents and for the girls.
Find out more about home education at:
http://www.education-otherwise.org/
http://www.home-education.org.uk/
http://www.heas.org.uk/
I am searching for a wish list to add things to so that when it comes round to birthdays my mind doesn’t suddenly go blank.
First off – tried nomorenotebooks. Seemed ok adding things, but when I emailed it for people to buy stuff they were confused as to what to do with it and didn’t want to register themselves…
http://www.nomorenotebooks.com
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