Me outside our brilliant, independent newsagent, Woosenam & Davies, which won it's own award recently, looking at the bill board that has my headline on it!

UPDATE ON THE PREVIOUS SPELLING BLOG

Yesterday a photographer from Cardiff called Ben came down to take my photograph for the Daily Mail and other newspapers.

Here is a link to the Daily Mail article that was written about me and world spelling day, click on this word: Spelling Star

And this is Walesonline, click on this word: Spell Agnieszka

THE RADIO

Heres the link to me speaking live on the radio, to hear me click on the following word:

BBC radio 5 Drive

This link will only work for 1 week, starting from today (today is the 3rd of May) so watch it now quick!

It was so fun! I was shaking and I was really nervous at the beginning, wondering what they were going to ask me, but when I was speaking it was really fun. It was the last couple of minutes before the end of the show, and they were running late, so I was only on for 2 minutes.

THE NEWSPAPER

When I had the article in our local Cambrian News paper, Wales News Agency read the article and contacted me through this website asking if they could write up a story about me and send over a photographer. Mum said “Okay which day?” and they said “The photographer is leaving now and will be with you in two hours, they want to run the story tomorrow morning”, and so in 2 hours, Ben came, (please look at his blogspot: www.duckroll.blogspot.com) and took the first photograph, of me standing by the ‘Llidiartywaun” sign. I told him it’s funny, because if you come in from the other way, then the sign to Llidiartywaun is spelt differently, with: Llidiartywaen with the e. I like spelling it with the u, because Waun means gate way to the moors, which describes where we live! Then we drove to our house, and he took a photo of me in the garden:

And then (my suggestion) me sitting in my window seat, which is where I love to sit and read my books:

It was really fun, especially as I love photography and was able to see what it is like to be a professional photographer and I can’t wait for the other photographer from the Shropshire Star to come and take some other photos for their newspaper!

Photographs taken by Ben Stevens, photographer from Wales News Service.

Do look at my new ‘About me and  my website page’.

THE TV

I was talked about on TV too! On Channel 5 on the Wright Stuff program, you can watch it again here:

Agnieszka on channel 5 TV I’m on in the middle, if you find it when it goes to 45 minutes and 12 seconds, then they discuss me.

Something funny,

Several journalists have asked my mum if they can give me a spelling test, including the interviewier from Radio 5 live, And my mum replied “I’ve never given Agnieszka a spelling test, and I’m not about to start now, that’s just not what our home education is about” So I was thankful to hear that! Because if I had been given a spelling test, and I got a word wrong, it would be really humiliating! And that’s probably what happens at school, when children are tested all the time, and made to feel failures, and then stop trying.

All of this has become a total surprise to me! As I only did it for fun, for an hour of my life! Have you ever been in the newspaper, on TV, or on the radio for something you didn’t expect? Or something unusual? Please tell me by leaving a comment below, you know I always love to hear from you!

me looking at my score

I’ve done something really unusual, and it’s a funny thing to be famous for…Spelling.
This year I entered the World Education Games, and did the World Spelling Day.

In the end I came

1st in Wales, 7th in the UK, and 31st in the world!

As you know I am home educated, and I don’t have lessons like children do at school, so never have compared myself to anyone before, we were a bit shocked!
So I had no idea that I was good at spelling. I had to spell correctly as many words as I could, and as fast as I could in 1 hour, I do type very fast, because I have learned to touch type, I used a brilliant programme:

A newspaper reporter asked me how I learned to spell, which I wonder myself! I have never had a spelling test ever, I guess that It comes from reading tons of books, and writing millions of stories.
I’ve taught myself lots of interesting words, one of my favourites is globophobia which is a morbid fear of balloons, morbid means dwelling on horrible thoughts relating to disease or sickliness.

Anyway here is the link to the newspaper that wrote about me, it was the Cambrian news, I was on front page! Click here to read it.

And this link is to another newspaper that wrote about me, click on this word: amaZING spelling champion comes first in Wales!

I have appeared on the bill board outside the news agents…There are two bill boards for the newspapers favourite headlines. The following day the other bill board had my headline on it too from the County Times newspaper! I have had lots of people pointing and staring at me, and I think I am developing ophthalmophoia-which means a fear of being stared at!

I have also developed abibliophobia-which is the fear or anxiety for one to run out of things to read, which I am consciously worrying about!                                                            Also I have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia! (That IS a real word, I’m not joking!) Which is a fear of long words, I defiantly have a fear of long words like that!

I highly recommend a book called Foyle’s Further Philavery, which is a great book full of amusing and interesting words, it is a ‘cornucopia of lexical delights!’

Here is a quiz especially for you! What do you think they mean, A, B, or C? Post your answers below with the comment machine and I will post the answers up here soon!

Clinophobia
A. Fear of going to bed.
B. A fear of being separated from your mother
C. A fear of clingfilm

Lutraphobia
A. A fear of someone lurching onto you
B. An abnormal fear of otters
C. A fear of wolves

Siffleuse
A. A person who uses sieves as much as they can
B. A female professional whistle singer
C. A person who nervously sniffs

Marchpane
A. Another word for Soldier
B. Another word for marzipan
C. A smashed window pane

Taradiddle
A. A fib
B. A fiddle player
C. A girl who loves to dance

Yuke
A. To itch
B. A tropical bean
C. A yurt filled with dirt

Zonk
A. A unique horn on a car
B. A sharp blow
C. A wood cutter’s tool

Agelast
A. A person who is always happy
B. A person who believes they will never die
C. A person who never laughs

It’s fun to use unusual words, and pass then on to people, and watch them come alive and start to be used all over the place!
I am waiting for your answers
I use many of theses interesting words that are all hiding in this book waiting to be used! If you are a writer, and love interesting words, I am sure this book is perfect for you!
Do you have any interesting words, common, or uncommen? I’d love to hear about them, or if you request a word you would like to use, I will sit at my writing desk in my room, open my book, and find the perfect word for you!

So please post your answers to the quiz and comments below…Just takes a click and a couple of letters…

One of the great things about being home educated is that I get ‘educated’ all over the place, and not necessarily at home. We have spent a lot of March down in London, in Nottinghill, because my older sister Isabella, who is a violinist has been rehearsing with Tunde Jegede, Billy- Michael, and Richard.They have been composing a new piece ready for their performance at the Tabernacle in Nottinghill. Here is a photo of me and my friend Billy sitting on the balcony of the Tabernacle. The gig was fun, and inspiring, I loved Eliza Carthy’s singing, she was so relaxed, It made her very powerful. And her voice was so strong it shook the balcony! There were other great singers and storytellers and I loved the way Tunde played the cello and his Cora and Billy did a great set with his fiddle playing. Magdalena enjoyed the music too in between making friends with other children in the cafe below. The Tabernacle folk festival happens annually and involves roots, folk, and classical musicians from around the world, working together to create new pieces of music. Below is a short film of my big sister rehearsing with Tunde, Billy and Michael that me and my mum made:
We have been to portobello road lots, as it is right next to the Tabernacle. I love portobello road, and have been hula hooping and heelying around it. My favourite place to eat is The Grain shop as it has the most amazing sugar free cakes, my favourite is the raspberry slice. I love hearing all the different languages, interesting styles of clothes and food from different cultures. There are lots of really good market stalls and shops. Lots of live music in the streets and it’s very crowded on a Saturday with the market.There is a good park opposite the Tabernacle, in Powis Square, in the breaks of the rehearsals, me and Billy ran across the road to the park to play on the climbing frames! I love traveling and making friends with people I meet, I have met loads of friends in the park, children from America, Afghanistan, Poland, Italian and France. I can’t wait to go to next years festival!Are there any music festivals you recommend or great places in Cities you’ve visited? Please leave comments below!

March – Malachy Doyle

Today in our local bookshop, ‘The Great Oak Bookshop’ in Llanidloes, Malachy Doyle was reading out his new book-Collywobble.

Magdalena and me loved the book, so we bought it, and he signed it for Magdalena!

After he had read Collywobble, he read another book he’d written: Owen And The Mountain.I loved that book, and it reminded me of where we live, so I got that one for me, and he signed it!

H also read us his book that is coming out later this year ‘The snuggle sandwich’, which is really lovely. About snuggling up to the people you love.

I have read his books ‘The bold boy’, ‘Swap’, ‘Tales from old Ireland’ , ‘The happy book’, ‘The dancing tiger’ (he also read that one to us, and it is now out of  print). I can’t think what else at the moment. Now I am older, I read them to Magdalena (except Swap, which is for an older age group). Magdalena’s favourite book I read to her is The Bold Boy, it is about a boy and one pea, it always makes her laugh out loud, and she always joins in with the line: ”And off he jolly well toddled”. I like his stories because he has a good choice of words, sing song words, a clever, sometimes unexpected story line, & he always has a good moral to the story. I always feel satisfied at the end of the book, and left with a warm feeling. And he chooses really good illustrators.

It’s really exciting to hear a author read their own book, and I thought when he was reading ‘That’s him. I can’t actually believe it is him-Malachy Doyle’, when he reads it makes you feel really happy, and you loose yourself in the story, the hour went really quick, I enjoyed it so much! He has a sing song voice, which matches his sing song words! And he has a kind face.

Click on his name here to go to his website: MalachyDoyle.

My favourite illustrators at the moment are Christan Birmingham as he has such a ‘soft’ touch to his drawings and paintings. I also came across this illustrator, I love her unique style, click here to view her website & drawings.

Magdalena’s favourites are: Petra Brown (who illustrates ‘Collywobble’ and ‘Hush little baby’ &  Birte Muller, Birte Muller’s paintings look like it is fresh paint. She illustrates two extraordinarily magical interactive books for ipad called ‘Teddys Day’ and ‘Teddys night’.

Me and Magdalena both love Lauren Child, & Magdalena is obsessed with Charlie & Lola, and we have every single book and DVD episode ever made and an audio CD! When they are on, she says what Lola says, when Lola talks, she memorises them, and ask her any episode and she’ll tell you! When I was six, we went to Lauren Child’s exhibition. Which was fabulous, and it had Charlie and Lola play houses, huge magnetic walls where you can dress up charlie and Lola. She had also made real miniature 3D little sets, and showed her sketchbooks, it was amazing, and if it was on again, I’d really like to take Magdalena now she’s older! She’d love it.

My favorite authors are Michael Morpurgo, (I also heard Michael Murpogo read his book ‘The Mozart Question’ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, it was so moving. My big sister was given free tickets and she took me) and Malachy Doyle. Click on the authors and illustrators names to go to their websites. I like these authors because they think about what good or bad words can do and know the power of a good book. Because books change the way people think I respect authors who want to use words to make the world a better, kinder place.

Please tell me your favourite authors and illustrators and if you have ever heard them read from their own books below…

February 22nd-Pancake Day

Lots of people ate pancakes yesterday for pancake day, (including me, I made the batter by myself without supervision, and cooked them on the gas by myself, and served them up myself, they were sugar-free, and tasted delicious!) but do you know why?

We remember the forty days Jesus spent alone and hungry in the desert. Many people make pancakes to use up their fatty foods (eggs and butter) before a fast. Another name for pancake day is ‘Shrove Tuesday’. Here is my brilliant Pancake recipe!

PANCAKES

1 pint of milk (or if you are running out of milk ½ a pint of water ½  pint of milk) 8 ounces of flour, 4 eggs, pinch of salt

Mix the eggs and flour together, (or you can use an electric whisk, it will take less than a minute to do it with the electric whisk, a couple of minutes by hand) then when it starts to go into clumps, and sticks to the electric whisk/spoon then add the milk and water, stirring at the same time.

Stir again, and when little bubbles cover the surface, leave it to rest for 10 minutes.(you can keep this mix in the fridge for up to 2 days if you like)

When you are ready to cook the pancakes

Put a little oil in a frying pan. Heat this and make sure a thin layer of oil is covering the whole pan.

Ladle some mixture into the pan and let cook, until the ends start to curl, then flip it over with a fish slice, and leave for 30 seconds , and then put onto a plate.

Add what you like, we like maple syrup with lemon and fresh fruit. Roll the pancake up and eat!

February – Magdalena’s Birthday Party

For Magdalena’s 6th birthday, she had her first ever party. It was a Charlie & Lola themed party, and I drew Lola onto every single brown party bag, (they are reusable, recyclable, and compostable plain brown bags), It took me fifteen minutes to draw all the Lolas. (on 22 party bags I drew an individual Lola). I wrote ‘Thank you for coming to my party’ on the back. At the end of the party Magdalena gave each of her friends a bag and said ‘Thank you for coming to my party’

Then I tied red and yellow twine over the handles (my dad’s Chinese medicine clinic is next to the florists, but you could use wool, or string). I blew up all the balloons and tied twine to them to make it easier for the children to hold and play with them. They then tied them to their bags to take home. I also made her homemade party crowns, out of some old packing card- we painted one side red, and the other yellow, and Magdalena helped. Then I drew tiny little butterflies all around them. It is nice to make little gifts to put inside the bags. This is a really lovely book we have full of ideas for making gifts and party games for all sorts of birthday partys. Magdalena enjoyed packing the bags with me.
Me and my mum and Angela made butterfly biscuits, cupcakes with cream, scones with jam, and of course, the birthday cake, which was upside down pineapple cake, with cream, and strawberries. All sugar free, I am putting all the recipes into the recipe book I’m writing.

As everyone arrived we made giant bubbles outside with our friend Sandra ‘the magic bubble lady’ and it started to SNOW! Which made it extra magical. I helped with the party games,and our friend, Ken played guitar for the children to dance to and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Magdalena. We played musical bumps and statues where no one went ‘out’ and no one got emotional as there were no ‘prizes’. The favourite game was ‘squeek piggy squeek’ and ‘oh the okie kokie’

The best parties are homemade ones! When I was small my mum and big sister, Isabella made me a lovely party too, it was a mermaid theme and my mum made me my own mermaid costume.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. My blog is about what recent projects I’m working on, and recent places I’ve been to that have inspired me. I hope to inspire you too! I’d love to receive your comments about my work, & if you have found my ideas useful and have tried them yourself! keep on visiting as I will add to it every month, or in between, with new films, creations, events, news and activities.

January – My little sister (who happens to have Down’s syndrome) 2

Last year do you remember I made the film ‘My little sister (who happens to have down’s syndrome)’? Well this year I have made the next one in the series! I am now 9 and Magdalena is now 5. I film us during the year and use the footage each year to make a documentary about how we’ve gorown and what it is like being her sister. You can view it below!
The short trailer for it is below: My little sister trailer

and the 15 minute film is here! As it is in HD, it works best if you press play then pause it to allow it to download before watching it
‘My little sister (who happens to have Down’s syndrome)2