Petits Haricots

i think cold is well provided for in music. so i plan at some point to listen with the girls to some clips of cold music. before we start, we are going to think what sounds make us think of the cold, and at the end we can try - perhaps - to make our own cold sounds.

vivaldi winter

vaughn williams antartica
which i have to admit to not liking!

james horner ocean of memories

and we will see what we thought was cold/wintery about each one.

so i have done loads of musical mondays of music i like, and prob could continue ad infinitum. i share this music with sb, and sometimes we chat about it, sometimes we listen, and sometimes its in the background.
and then i contemplate ambleside online. now, i know actually that this isn;t right for us yet. i don’t think we are in the mood to start with the discussion of composer and time and place etc. we can touch on these things - and have done. but percolating though my mind, this just hasn’t grabbed me.
soooo, since i have so much free time and all i thought i would do what i think will suit us best!
and it is still music listening and themes. i doubt i can do this weekly, but def monthly.
amy commenters are v welcome [indeed i would be indebted!] to link to music in the theme. and if i had time, i would like to find artwork themes to match.

i have a lovely pair of walking boots that i have had since the sixth form - 20 years oldish. i have had periods when i have barely worn them, but wearing them again more recently at helmsley remindded me how beautiful they are in fit and comfort [scarpa asolo, cost a fortune at the time!]. anyway, i wore them yesterday as it was nature walk day.

we went to meet up with the manor borns for our nature walk. it was a bit parky in the weather department, but we took soup with us to eat when we got there [it takes 3/4 hour] and then waited. Marcus cycled there, and looked pleased to see us [and soup] and the michelle and chloe. we got walking and did the hill fort route this time. its fairly newly opened. it was a good walk actually, in the end. but we all still prob like the quarry route best! we did think the walk might be doomed, but the girls all cheered up - in part helped by santa sleigh gold coins that were dotted about.

Back to the manor borns for a lovely tea [as always] and then we were dreadful guests - well sort of - because we game napped marcus and had a fab game of agricola. michelle was a resigned game widow and ‘putered away and provided drinks, one i spluttered over then game as marcus made me laugh just as i had taken a mouthful

is anyone a game player at centreparcs?

anyway, lovely evening.

today we have been to the panto, and all really enjoyed it, organised by the brownies. the girls thought it totally fab, and me and chris enjoyed it to, the same place as we went to last year. i think they do a good panto. don’t try to be fancy or clever, and stick to tried and tested panto success!!

came home and watched the second harry potter followed by the second dr who, and bb still bumbling about as she slept in the car.

* commission payable to mazportico for use of term i believe!
I find nov and january my typical times to take stock. this nov was far too busy, so i went for the jan option. so i asked SB what in the HE lark was good/ exciting

she said she liked best spelling, and reading. i said, is that it?? well, no, she said she liked the maths, science and french. ermm, and everything, but wasn’t sure about galore park. she enjoys all her groups, and is happy with what we are doing at the moment and doesn’t think there is anything new at the moment.

so there, that is the basis of the orgoplanning - more of the same

I looked at my mission statement, and with relief saw that it was valid till 2010
obviously some things change! Not the basic philosophy, but how we are approaching the nitty gritty section!
literacy: SB has declared the galore park junior english OK, so that will start us with looking at the breakdown of how ‘english works’ as we have seen she now has a requirement for learning sentence structure and names. She also is enjoying the wizard whimstaff spelling workbooks, so we will continue with these. we do less getty and dubay at the moment because of the above.
maths we are on 3a and also reading books involving maths storylines. she is finding it all easy at the moment, so i hope to do some with her and perhaps push on a bit.
history is unchanged really, with SOTW as the core [and we are half way through as predicted, as we take 2 rather than 1 year per book], and reading story books and interesting fact books. we all enjoy the reading, but i should make an effort to do more associated activities. when we did this with the vikings, we all really enjoyed it. just remembered that when she is 8 she can join the young archaeologists, so will look into this.
critical thinking and logic is by games playing, both board games and ds, with sudoku and easy kakuro too.
science is having some more formal time with the latinetc group on alternate wednesdays, which is all good fun. i don’t really think anything much there has changed. our new microscope is exciting!! oh, MUST try and sort out astronomy group, and Sarah [bless her] as given me her old science club kits now she isn’t HE-ing, that i use in the latinetc group [thnx]
geography we haven’t really got to grips with except as an adjunct to history or following NORAD tracks santa! will ponder how to usefully put in!
I am encouraged by our success really with languages, it seems that our story book plus some add on actiivities are really working for us. I’m not saying that either of the girls are having a conversation in french, just that i can see we are slowly acquiring the language in a fun way - if possibly not the most efficient! latinetc and a bit of practice inbetween is fun too.
I am a bit discouraged in our music. SB stopping the violin was a bit of a blow, but i have said we are child led, so… piano continues as does music theory. we should do more practice though for piano and recorder. a friend around the blogline reminded me about ambleside online, and perhaps we should look at its composer study
we lost drama, though did do a drama activity week. if it ever fits in again, it will be added. PE activities fine - gym has commenced and is loved, though horseriding still outstanding! SInce BB also has a bike. we should add some family biking.
arts and crafts have been done, and SB won a village painting competition with much pride. but now thinking of perhaps working in some technique! i have books about paintings, about painters and about how too, so hopefully this will be good for us!
domestic science [rofl] is fine. we sew more, and are considering a sewing project to make a needle case at the moment. perhaps starting to cook savour food - ie dinners - is a starting point now.
socialising took a bit of a hit with her broken foot and then emotional wobbles, but i think it has been enough that she is a happy girl. i aim to get my weekends out to see who wants to visit as soon as i have my work rota. i think this is something we will always need to be proactive with. we have a group holiday in both jan and feb to look forward too, however. from the HE groups, it appears that there may be a possible monday group after the sports to go too - and other weeks if wanted, and alt week thurs group attendance works out OK - it is available weekly. with the alt wed latinetc and monthlyish city 2 group, that is a fair group commitment!
with my sisters breast cancer diagnosis last year, chris’s uncles bowel cancer that has been resistant to chemo and inoperable, and the news before christmas that little nanny’s breast cancer has spread and that we should take what time we have, we have also been working hard to see and visit relatives we love, not taking the time for granted.
we have started off on some trips out and about, and as BB gets more and more out of them, we will increase them. certainly SB has loved them, as have we.

So there you go, our mid term gap analysis if you will!! we need to something about geography - [i still think geocaching mapreading and some good games would do the trick - we just need to do them], jiggle things a bit with music [ie practice more and see if we can do basic group stuff more and perhaps the ambleside online] and art [which we have the wherewithal to do - doing some technique stuff gently] and increase the socialisation and out and abouting which we all enjoy. we have been surprised and happy with our languages, and continue to be happy with maths, literacy and science - we enjoy this and find it easy and fun. don’t plan to change much there, except perhaps gently encourage more regular ‘work’ - a bit like merry’s normals perhaps - to speed through the maths a bit. history chugs along, we all like it, but don’t have the passion of other HE we know, but i think adding more practical things in and related trips would really lift it.

so not bad, i guess.

oh, and no, there is no mission statement yet for BB - she’s not the age of compulsary education!

outstanding parental tasks
1. arrange some horseriding!
2. RSPB badge scheme thingies as a fun thing to do or perhaps nature detectives club [thnx jax]
3. geocaching
4. organise diary for visiting family and friends
5. arrange trips out and about!
6. tidy the craft stuff so accessible [at least the science stuff done]
7. check resources on ambleside online wrt composer study +/- artists [thnx kirsty]
8. Astronomy group
9. young archaeologists
10. hmm, consider science equipment needs, and kirsty - unhelpfully - linked to what look to me fab books

thinks: OMG that’s rather a lot on the to do list!

SORRY for my tardy blogging, extenuating circumstances ‘n all!!
where did I get to - reads own blog - ah thanks for all the well wishes! only Monday. i really am dreadful if there are a few days to catch up on. i had better read brightkite as well for clues!! [it wasn't that helpful]

SO, tues was a working day for me, and chris took the girls to his parents for a final play with uncle and cousins. much enjoyed! i got home v late!! [that was quick wasn't it!]

wed we did some home ed type stuff, as BB v keen to be able to read by 5 and win her DS. nearly everyone she knows seems to have one or access to one now, and she is most put out. however, entirely in her favour, she isn’t being grumpy, but pro-active. i liked the fact she got out her get ready for the code and said she was doing the whole book that wed! she didn’t - obviously! but did 4 pages, and can recognise a t now!! She also did more writing - being v keen on that, even with limited letters. they do look like words, though obviously not in a language i use! she also did various drawings and craftings. Oh, and a fair amount of ‘putering - mostly on poisson rouge.

SB did a bit of her spelling book, and read some of the crusaders book and then mostly got on with making chocolates, wrapping chocolates and decorating a box for the puddle girls. it took her most of the day, and she received negligible amounts of help. she thought to use the molds of the advent chocs, and made plain and milk choc. i was most impressed!

I made the thankyou card on publisher, unfortunately no photo printer paper, so relying on chris to get that so we can get thankyous out quickly - the girls have to write a smidge in them, rather than a whole wallop, so gets it done easily. i also cut bb’s hair at her great insistence at it was getting too long. SB doing some magic trick demonstration put her off sitting still, so a snotch later and adjustment it is shorter than planned, oh well, it does grow quickly.

in the afternoon, waiting for the puddles arrival we read loads of books. we did some french - based around a french book initially, but then cherchez le all over the rooming! we read lots of nice readers with bB - those quentin blake illustrated books from the book people [ Fantastic Daisy Artichoke , Zagazoo , Cockatoos (Red Fox picture books) ]Just So Stories stories and a rather lovely book The Glass Heart

merry and girls [and max - sorry] arrived - woohoo, though i still miss the merrymobile. and we got started!! the girls all ran off and played, with ds then dressing up and generally having fun. BB and josie took a bit more getting going, though the happy street and blokus seemed to help [merry won]. kids had a make your own pizza, toasted marshmallows, chocolates from SB and then watched fireworks provided by Max [we forgot this year - oops] . it was a touch cold!

packed off the younger 2 to bed, the older 4 got ready and ds-ed and very quietly got on with it - no idea when they fell asleep, but before midnight! merry and i played more blokus [my left hand playing as BB won] and we had a take away curry. Chris and i were not au fait with time, so we missed toasting the new year! - oops, but we did have baileys, mulled wine, ‘real’ wine and cups of tea [rofl] and a lovely evening. [we really know how to party, but...] anyway we chatted, chilled and were aspirational

Thurs morning i toddled off to work, but got back before lunch, and in fact before everyone was up. the girls were rampaging about, and ready for second breakfast. Josie and BB integrating well after a good sleep. CHris cooked about 2 billion pancakes for brunch, which were all devoured in the end. The Babs and family arrived during devoural phase, having heard via brightkite that some might be in the offing and nipping down the A14! We waved goodbye to the puddles having seen the new year in in lovely fashion - thanks v much for coming.

they were just going to stay for afternoon tea, but our new Agricola proved too tempting. we set up, puzzle over the rules, and decided to just get on with it. it took 5 hours to play the first game . During that time the children played fabulously, got their own food and drinks, and sorted things out. they were obviously v aware that parents were not likely to intervene. even more fabulously, when they did get parental attention, we were pleased to find the house still in one piece! bB and R are real cuties together, and BB has joined the throng of small girls with a crush on B - tempting him to play lego with her with the promise of dinosaurs! lots of dr who games in play anyway.

i have to say, harking back to agricola, that we all really enjoyed the game. the possible strategies became clearer. we doh-ed over various rules when we got it wrong, and although it took 5 hours playing the simple version [2 decks missing - wow what a game with the other 2 in!!] i think one hour of that was setting up and working out the rules and confirming them and just fiddling, and then we prob could knock another hour off for not knowing what things did etc. so a 3 hour game on the simple rules. AM strongly thinking of taking it to Manor Borns tomorrow, but i think they prefer the shorter games?

chris is suggesting more games : 10 days in… under the ‘will be educational’ ruse!! [a ruse i obviously never use!]. ooh, there is a europe version as well 10 Days in Europe . i think Em is raving about the Stone Age game she got as a birthday present…

Where was I. oh yes, we took so long playing the game, that it was a late dinner for the kids. ANd also declared too late for The Babs and co to go home, so sleepover declared - woohoo! the children seemed to have found a number of sweet and savoury options in the day however, so not too dreadful over late dinner rustled up from left overs - not our best catering acheivement. we had them playing outside with headtorches to use up some energy before dinner and then bed. B was excited by SB’s The Magic Tree House Library: Books 1-28 collection - so went ot bed with one of those, whilst E and SB ds-ed. cutely, when we adults went upstairs, E was asleep clutching open ds - obviously had just collapsed asleep mid play!

Fri: unfotunately despite earlyish night and no alcohol due to work [and luckilly not called in] i awoke with storming migraine, and took every med at my disposal, so missed saying goodbye to Barbara and chris - sorry. it was really lovely having you over. I slept until about 2, and have taken more meds constantly since then, so am in ‘bearable but grouchy’ condition. the house was tidied, and children did some home ed things - sb pulled out the Junior English Book 1 she hadn’t been keen on before and did the first section of the first chapter. [i didn't realise galore park was available from amazon too] BB did some more Get Ready for the Code - Book a which she enjoys, and both girls did some writing. SB did a smidgen of singapore maths. BB practiced counting to 40 [as this is her new 'stair' target] and they both counted to 40 in french. we pretended this is SB’s stair target - not that she really ever gets sent to the stairs!! [we only introduced this as BB required different parenting, mainly because she is so strong willed and determined that sometimes we each need a short break to remember we are adults, so a count to 20 [now 40] on the stairs and return and both say sorry accomplishes this]

BB fancied doing a science kit, and chose the music one [University of Oxford Kids Pocket Science Kit MUSIC ]. SB and chris set up the lap top and her new microscope [ link for kirsty: QX-5 Computer Microscope ] in the kitchen. this was her main xmas pressie, and she was v delighted by it. she looked at salt, bicarb, hair, prev made crystals and their slide. it worked perfectly and easily so happiness all round. since at least one person out their is looking to buy something along that lines, 2 things really - at 200 the lighting isn’t quite bright enough. it is oK, but could be a bit brighter. and the clips to hold the slide aren’t brill - though OK. i could be being picky, as the only microscopes i have used in a long while are particularly top of range! i can’t remember altering a slide’s position by hand for example, so i may have a high bar here!! SB found it v easy and intuitive to use, and quickly started to use the computer interface too, so i think ideal for her for quite a while. we are certainly all pleased with the purchase! BB also wanted a go, but was firmly discouraged - at least for now - as this is SB’s present. she did enjoy looking at the pics though [ah donner and blitzen, migraine returned full force suddenly, will wrap this up.]

both did a bit of xmas xraft presenting - felt flowers precut to be threaded to make jewellery for BB, and a felt crafting kit for SB. SB tested me on my french knowledge today - she chose words from the Picture Dictionary in French (Picture Dictionaries) , and I had to get the french. only one wrong out of 10 - oops. she thinks i may need more practice… [it was fire engine as i guessed with lorry of firemen]

i have just gone back and bolded. i just prefer my long blogs to be BOLD!!

but while i was out, chris has done a fab job with tidying up the house. the girls have played alot with their castle, and i managed to pick up a quick bargain at tescos - a coffee table to play games on! our front room being the warmest at night due to fire] and dining room coldest [due to radiators on minimal] playing games in these christmas nights has been a chilly affair. £7 later and we are all set!!

on coming home from work we read a french book altogether, and SB and i did a bit of story of the world together - crusaders. we also read our come look with me book on modern art , Exploring Modern Art (Come Look with Me) , together [sb partic fond of modern art] And this fitted in well with the Matisse: The King of Color (Anholt’s Artists Books for Children Series) book bb got for xmas, and both have enjoyed reading. this year i am fired up with enthusiasm for art! i am also tempted by the following books, Artrageous (Klutz) , Drawing for the Artistically Undiscovered (Klutz) , and Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad . I think i am def going to get this one, Watercolour (Klutz) , and was wondering if any of the latinetc bunch also liked it?? cos it could be done in the french immersion session, but it would need one book each…

anyway! after that i played some build a beetle with BB - her rules, and fell asleep! [only a short while, but when i woke up chris had the girls in the bath!! and then some puerto rico with SB. it isn’t really playable as 2 player properly, but it gives us both a brush up on the rules etc.

the last christmas themed musical monday for this year! Bach’s christmas oratorio

we have had a lovely christmas. family trickled in christmas eve after we had done more crafting and baking. we had had a fab time. we played games, ate [but not to excess, so have loads left!] drank - but not alot! and generally had a great time.
the kids were all happy with their presents, and some kits and crafts to get going with.
Chris’s family came over boxing day - particularly good that we had made all the food in advance as it made it much easier. i haven’t seen his nephews for a while, and they were lovely. all went really well.
bB slightly chippy as emily got a ds for xmas and can’t read, so i think it is a ds for her next birthday!
but she was really ecstatic with her bike! [when i flickr i will add the fab bike pic] we found that all that like-a-biking paid off, as she doesn’t need stabilisers [which is good because we haven't bought any]
having 10 on christmas day seemed v relaxed though, and no-one being ill and breaking arms really helped.
i wasn’t in work much on boxing day - also helped
the kids played really beautifully with each other
we enjoyed playing settlers and nordic ticket to ride, and a number of games from my mum.
and i loved having time with my happy girls.

yep, a merry christmas!

it was nice getting up, knowing we were all done [pretty much] and could just relax into the day. lots of games playing. even dad had a go at castle keep. girls both happy. SB did piano practice and started new book [sugar and spice!]
we did some crafts - tissue paper stained glass stars. we looked at NORAD a fair bit - bb most excited. SB not so enthusiastic.
cooked sausage rolls, and made a yummy veg stew with dumplings [not too disimilar to nic camp stew]
welcomed sis and family.
and relaxed after the veggie readying with mulled wine. lovely.
hoping everyone likes their presents, and that all is well with the world tomorrow.

IMG_4822, originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

Not convinced i will have a ‘puter moment this evening. SO I would like to say Happy Christmas to everyone who reads this blog. May all the christmasses go smoothly with happy children and happy parents!

Maybe because the lurgy is mostly gone, and the pre-migraine brought on by the artificial citron perfume to the soaps appears to have been chased by plenty of food, carbs and ibuprofen = phew!!

today was mostly a baking day, AND we used up 2[!!!!] packets of icing sugar - and i stayed resolutely calm! We started off with lots of game playing and having fun with nanny and grandad as well, and then we decided to bake. SB wanted to make a fruity wreath like last year, and BB wanted to make mr tumbles face! luckilly i flickred the page of the wreath making last year [as it was a library book] all apart from how long in the oven. the mr tumble thing was from cbeebies, and on talking to BB, she wanted to do exactly that face,, but make it round instead of square, have chocolate instead of plain, and make it a snowman instead of mr tumble!! i printed off her recipe [a sponge cake with added pictures of mr tumble] she wrote on it the changes we needed to make [in BB code] and i reconfirmed her desires and hoped i was going to get it write [as she doesn't make any allowances for stupidity of grown ps not actually being able to read minds]

SB was nearly entirely self sufficient, so i got BB going with making the sponge, and apart from our usual within 2 SD’s of mean quantities we were fine and in oven, so she went off to play with Nanny, whilst SB and i did some of her wreath together, just because we enjoyed doing it together rather than being strictly necessary. SB’s needed a warm place [as it contains yeast] and BB’s was in oven whilst we had lunch.

Actually, i will gloss over lunch as BB and I on own in kitchen for most of it, and i completed several episode worth of guardian quiz things whilst she ate 2 sausages [prob eating all the lickings!].

SB’s cake then went in the oven, BB’s came out, rested and then was iced. I cannot believe the amount of icing! in the end, for the full snowman effect as determined by BB, I have made a 6″ and 8″ round chocolate cake - so a fair amount of cakeage to cover anyway. but def covered! SHe v carefully put a proper snowman face on. she is a girl of details, so even put the black stripes on the carrot nose. I am not sure, however, how many snowmen are liberally covered in sprinklies…

SB as fairly green with envy at all the icing, so i went and bought some more icing sugar [i had 3 across road trips today for baking ingredients ] and so when i just caught her wreath in time before brown became burnt [only just mind - for next year, check at 10 minutes!] and it had cooled, she used copious quantities of icing sugar on hers. could only get the expensive fondant icing sugar as well. then also decorated. SO both girls v happy with their days baking. it only took 4 hours all told!

More games playing. SB then recreated the tower of london in bricks - pretty well actually, and I had no idea she knew what it looked like! BB got a bit tired, so we had a book break, and I read a number of the Just So Stories
stories. I find they always help both my girls settle down, and i love the edition i have linked too. Somewhere in the day, SB found time to practice carols on the piano and do some music theory.

BB nearly fell asleep, but got going enough to do some more rampaging around and playing before dinner. she fell asleep pretty quickly at bedtime. however, i am hoping it is not related to her near electrocution. an argh moment as we were playing chase before bedtime [i am not really one for settling down!] and she switched on my bedside light and it didn’t come on, and pointed her finger in it saying no bulb as i realised what she was doing and said no. i think there must have been an arcing current, so raced her to bathroom tap as she sobbed that the light was trying to grab her. chris had taken bulb out as blown, but not put anything in its place. now remedied, but bB and i both a bit shaken. TBH, i supposed that there would be some safety feature or other.

SInce the girls bedtime, I have made 2 lots of cheese scones. the first lot accidently with strong white bread flour so they are cheesy biscuits - my dad did a taste test and liked them! and the second were made properly. mum made mince pies with me - nice to spend the day baking first with children and then with mum.

anything i haven’t done in advance now can be done on the day. i have done ENOUGH! [actually, this excludes any baking i do with the girls, as that is classified into the fun section]

SO today we tidied the girls bedroom - something of a mammoth task. chris has made less headway in our bedroom. then the girls fancied baking, so SB and I made muffins [choc cheesecake!], and mum and BB made ‘jam hearts’. we also did some decorating our christmas baubles, and hama beading. following this we did some more soap making, this time adding glitter and bits to the soaps. v much fun!

the girls have also decorated the staircase with mum, and i did a bit more xmas food prep and made some yummy mincemeat muffins - our breakfast staple for xmas day. i will also make some mocha ones. then lots of games and playing. in some gaps, sb has done piano practice 2ce and spelling. BB has done recorder and writing. both have poisson rouged and watched a prog on planet earth.

As i was putting BB to bed, sb was fiddling with the decs on the childrens tree and knocked it over. mostly fixable, but the angel has lost a wing. i am not taking this as a sign…

it is so difficult, as explained previously, i do love most/many of the carols!
but i thought i would go back intime. so here is some messiah - for unto us a child is born

so today we got a bit stuck into tidying, such that we could bear to go into the playroom. The girls played a lot of sylvanians v happily with each other - always lovely! so that by the time mum and dad came, the lasagne was waiting to go into the freezer, there had been a bit of a tidy in the kitchen, and the other downstairs rooms, apart from hall, weren’t looking too bad [ok, apart from pantry and official room of doom!] we had even managed to get up the curtain, and I had ‘hemmed’ it with safety pins - woohoo!! [and looks lovely]

the girls did some home ed stuff as well, SB and I did a piano practice together, and she has finished the gpdf and ace book. she also did some maths and music theory. BB and i did reading together and french [and SB joined in]. we read about yule and christingles in the while the bear sleeps, and then made some. they looked lovely, and the girls didn’t manage to set each other alight this year - result!

for our craft today we did melt and pour soaps. these were surprisingly easy, as SB quite independent, but i like to also do with her, and BB not to mad! they are darker and more perfumed than they need to be, so we will use a pipelle in future! Also the scents with them have a fake citron which is overpowering, so next time [? tomorrow] will use some essential oils i have. anyway, we were all most impressed and pleased, including my mum, who hates crafts! anyway, that ticks all our present boxes, so for that we are ready!

we didn’t manage to do any baking, so have that on the list for tomorrow, but lots of playing games and socialising with grand parents. the girls had a v long and drawn out bath, as our plumbing is not playing the game [and i am not going to think that it might go wrong completely, as plumbers over xmas?] and the hot water came through like a man with prostatism wees. anyway, finally enough to wash children with, so all done!

when the girls went to bed, i made the dahl and the brandy butter. but feeling decidely behind! chris is going shopping for the veggies tomorrow, so we should have a chance to make the casserole. but i must make the muffins and cheese scones tomorrow!

and feeling lurgified. today was brought to you by a diet of diet coke and ibrupofen! the girls woke up early, and i was somewhat more tardy. however, when i heard the brass band play on the triangle, i hopped out of bed, and got the girls dressed so that we could go out and hear them. nothing like hearing christmas carols by a brass band outside! the girls both enjoyed listening too.

we came back in, looked at the house, and decided that we couldn’t make it look much worse! so we did some wrapping up in the front room, and finishing off cards for the muddlepuddle list, which we sent out. we then did some christmas crafting - ‘glass’ painting plastic christmas themed keyrings and decorations for the tree. I am always amazed at how careful BB is. i think i forget she is 4 now!

Whilst the girls did this, i read them the Mary’s Story up to the point that they leave bethlehem, and also the hannukah section in While the Bear Sleeps: Winter Tales and Traditions . both lovely books! we also read one of our Camille ne veut pas dormir camille books from little linguist books. i have to say that at the moment I think this way of learning french is suiting us. I enjoy doing it, the girls appear to be picking up vocab. goodness knows what we will do when i start running out of vocab! - lots of dictionary work and ? rosetta stone??

obviously we then had lunch! chris , meanwhile was trying to put up the curtain my mum made when she was last here, but obviously fates were against us! we didn’t have the right hooks mum arrives tomorrow. kinda magically hoping that a tidying up christmas angel takes pity on us overnight as well.

After lunch we made chocolate brazils for grandad. SB was entirely self contained for this, she uses the microwave safely to melt the chocolate and all i have to do is carry the bowl to the table [nor repeating katy's mistake!] bB also fiddled with the microwave and i carried, and she also did some lovely choc brazils [well i did QA one of them!] M dad always puts the emphasis on brazils when they are choc brazils [his fav xmas pressie of all time] on the bra, so i think BB thinks thats how they are pronounced now, as when we are making them, that is what I say too!!

leaving them to cool we return to the front room [we all can't bear to look at the playroom yet] as we fancy listening too and watching carols on youtube, so i flick around allsorts. SB particularly wants tbirds fav ickle donkeeeey! we then dec curry takeaway boxes [we only have the takeaway for the boxes you understand!] with fake jewels to put dad’s choc brazzuls in. BB then plays a happy game being Jesus in my tummy, and SB rather faithfully reenacts the angel gabriel telling me the good news. however when i ask angel gabriel whether my baby will have a long and happy life, she scarpers! When she returns as SB, she explains that she thought telling me whilst i was pregnant that my baby would be crucified at easter might have upset me! luckilly BB is being baby Jesus to distract me, and then somehow morphs into a puppy. [after she has 'hatched' 2 or 3 times - childbirth may come as a shock to her!]. SB did a quick bit of piano. We read Katie and the Sunflowers
. Then the girls start making christmas crackers - actually SB also completes. I fear BB might be following me as an abject failure as completer finisher. I think only Marcus ,that I know, has scored worse.

Whilst I remember, here is a link to the Matisse, King of Colour (Anholts Artists) book, that didn’t come in the book people set. BB has it in her xmas book pile, but i read and enjoyed it!

chris’s parents came round for some extra bedding for their guests over christmas and a chat. they also brought some curtain hooks, but they didn’t fit into the ring things, never mind.

Eventually we had tea and sent the girls packing to bed. i have made the veggie filling for the lasagne, and having panicked that there wasn’t enough initially, there may now be too much. i have also made the veggie sausage and chilli bean hotpot and sag paneer. i think that is enough! trying to have enough energy after I have written this [after midnight] to do some more wrapping, or line the curtains, or tidy the front room or flickr [all jobs i had hoped to do before going to bed] i think the ones that allow me to stay collapsed on sofa are more likely to be winners here. [wrapping and starting to sort photos won the day]

Anyway, just have to say SB was a star of wonder today, helpful, happy, lovely. bB has obviously missed me… But i enjoyed lots of cuddles with both. Cuddles with SB are - during the daytime anyway - becoming rarer, so something to particularly cherish.

on the agenda for tomorrow: make up the lasagne; pour and mould soaps to make; christmas muffins; stollen; more glass painted decs? ; in eve, camp curry, dahl and ? leek and potato soup.

there isn’t enough mondays!! in dulci jubilo, hark the herald sussex carol, god rest you merry gentlemen. silent night
i’m not going to post any more for now. go on, surprise me with your favourites! i think i love most of them!