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Every weekend here at Stratton House we hold hour long English conversation practice lessons for our children.
Last weekends session was based on “How do you feel?”
With a broad age range we try to aim at the most basic level but I always make sure to push the older children that little bit further.
Next weekend we will be doing lots of role play for “What are you doing?”.
You can also see Zak practising relating his daily routine.
In the middle of the week it was Birthday time again. This time it was our grade A student, Tai who was celebrating.
First present came through the post from my Mother, an Oasis CD. From the Foundation he received a new watch, (Sorry Mum the one you gave for Xmas bit the dust) and a Guitar lesson book with VCDs.
As it happened it was also a day off school for the Mattayom students and Tai spent some of his day starting his self portrait Mural.
Committed student that he is he also still found time for more study at home.
After a light dinner in the early evening, it was Cake and Kanom time again. This time round we chose Icecream cake. Having not long come out of the freezer Tai had quite a job cutting it, but got there in the end.
Tai, I hope your 14th year sees continued success in your school studies and more self discovery of the many talents you possess.
Saturday afternoons now host music lessons for the children with Fred Holtman. After last weeks brief intro and warm up they got down to a bit more structured learning.
Freds easy friendly manner had our talented group relaxed and ready to listen.
All the kids joined in and did amazingly well in the hours session.
Ably assited by Ally, Fred soon had the children working together to get a good rhythm going.
I am no longer surprised by what these kids can do when given the opportunity but my level of pride in them all is boosted everytime.
And today(Sunday) the house has been constantly full of the sounds of freeform practise.
I am a very happy man with 9 very happy kids…thankyou Fred and Ally.
Todays gallery is a few shots from our English lessons at Stratton House.
So another weekend has been and gone and, as is becoming the routine, Saturday was spent by the children, ( including Wasana son Bon), enjoying onsite activities with Wasana and Boon,( whilst I had a much needed ride out in the countryside to recharge my batteries).
Sunday is generally excursion day and this weekend was no different. After a morning enjoying some art , watering the garden and the boys washing the car, Boon and myself took the kids to the park in the near by school for an hour before lunch.
Then in the early afternoon it was of out to what we hope will be a regular venue for the kids.
We went into a local health and exercise facility not so far from the Chiang Mai train station.
Discovering it last week on a trip into town I was impressed with the large open air swimming pool at just 20 baht a head for the kids and 40 baht for adults.
It has to be said that parts of the pool are in disrepair and we had to intsruct the kids to take extra care after poor Bon suffered quite a nasty cut to his leg from a broken tile.
Still he got it patched up and all the kids had a great couple of hours there.
Boon came into his own, deciding to give Yong and May swimming lessons and doing a very good job too. I was amazed to see the difference; especially in Yong ,who showed great nervousness about going into the ‘big pool at first; in such a short time. Indeed I was so impressed that i have asked Boon to take on weekly swimming lessons for all the kids, which he was happy to do.
For more photos please visit our photobucket album here.
