Petits Haricots

Sat was lovely. We went girly shopping with Chris’ cousin, as SB being her bridesmaid. SB v good at girly changing room shopping [i really hate it, but then am not a twirly girl like her!] She got a bridesmaid outfit. The nipped to ELC, as was going to buy her those insect bits that you stick in playdough/soft stuff. However, they stopped making them in nov. prob the only thing that would get me to enjoy playdough. A digression - the reasons I hate playdough are the mixing as well as the fingernails I decided.

Officially 4
When we got back, chris’ parents were there, and we opened up SB’s presents. They had found the ELC dolls house for knock down price of £20, and we had ebayed look alike furniture to go in it and also gave her a leappad book[ebay]. Chris’ cousin gave her an art set. My parents gave her a junior pogo and a pink barbie princess [princess and pauper series], my sister gave her a leap book as well, and her godmother gave her an indoor/outdoor croquet set. She loved every single present and has played with them all. The pogo is at present confiscated though as she threw it down the stairs at me, and I realised my other thing against barbie, apart from the americanism pushing outrageous ‘feminine’ ideals, is the fact that there are bits to be lost, hair to go all scraggy as SB doesn’t treat too beautifully!!

After an afternoon of playing, we went to local restaurant for a meal. they are an italian franchise, greast with kids, so always loads there. V well behaved. My Aunt and Uncle joined us, as live just down motorway south of Wakefield. SB made her own pizza, sweetcorn and olive! yummy food, some wine for us adults, and got away with only 1 feed for BB. Aunty M bought 2 lovely ooks, an Angelina Ballerina and one about hearts of glass [which I might try a before FIAR thing with][hope chris adds some photos at some point]

Sunday, and we abandoned family to C’sPs as 1. no food in house, 2. closing down Allders sale. Although we have NO spare cash, we plastic fantasticked a sofa bed for new house as 65% off - not bad really! the did a v hurried shop for food. We were both exhausted as 1. we hate shopping IRL 2. SB woke up at 4am and didn’t go to sleep again. [see I am a listmaker, even if they are short - in fact, if we have to go for a nom de plume, I might ditch the somewhat derogatory broadbean for Queen Listmaker!]

Monday, and Chris went to work. Sleep de[rived this time by BB, who fed 3 times in the night - AARRRGGGHHHHH! i was told I was a good girl by dentist [new noisy toothbrush a good thing] and we did some home ed.
With C’sPs we finished a clock making activity bought for a fiver from sainsbury’s as someone elses b’day pressie! [photo please chris] SB v impressed that it actually works. How long for is anyones guess as she keeps twiddling the hands round, so not actually reliable for time!
She impressed Nanna with Webland, and how good she was at the activities on it. She got far more scaffolding from Nanna than me, possibly cos I can see how far she has come on with letters and sounds since their last visit.
We also tried some of the Exeter maths from the webpage.The 1a, and SB whipped through the first 5 pages. Since recently she has been messing about with Singapore maths - redoing ad nauseum some of the pages, and not moving on - I thought I would try a change of tack. [Sarah, all the patterns have a blank middle line - are we supposed to invert the line 1 and 3 paterns, or leave blank?] Anyway, I will continue to use them for now.
Our word sounding is finished for now, as SB says she doesn’t want to read at the moment. However, still keen on reading books together, so I imagine only a short break.

We mostly played lots with new toys. oh, we also got her some switches for tesco/ELC wooden train track, so have a complex pattern of track on the floor to jump over. Barbie has been singing her song all day, and I have memorised it to SB’s satisfaction. I really think this was a succesful gift giving.

Update on June list [see below] in that I got from ebay 2 of the explorer CDroms for £8 including postage to try out, so even if not too good, we can prob ebay on for not much loss.

–
Helen

Nanna and Grandad, my Mum and Dad are visiting for a few days, Stringbean is on the floor on ‘pump up bed’ in office/box room while they sleep in her room. Woke in the middle of the night and came into our bed at about 4 am, but didn’t actually ever go back to sleep….. Rescued by Nanna at about 7.

She has been on speed all morning so far, whizzing about, chattering, telling you complicated 4 year old stuff, crashing around, now she is playing shops with them. Butterbean has been wooing everyone with her general smiley/cuddly/laidback-ness. She of course slept all night from about 11 to 8 - bless her. I never cease to be amazed at just how different they are already. Before we had our own kids and had so much contact with others I never really believed that little babaies could be so different.

Could there be a more Stringbeany card? Thanks Nanna and Grandad.

Mmmmmm, jam and lettuce on toast, a lovely breakfast

actually as grandparents coming tomorrow, we have deferred the event for a day. SB excited by bday tomorrow, so OK

SB HE
today we did lots of rpg together, with me making up most of the stories and SB correcting them - I am storied out! Also read far too many thomas books and half her new testament.

did my least fav thing today = playdough. i hate messy fingernails. i also hate he impasse over putting it away. i explained v clearly that if it wasn’t done the playdough would dry out i would throw it in bin and not get any more. we actually did make lots of things with it, but the 2 hours to put it away drove me up the wall. we also played with straws, and she made some good number shapes with them.

Samosas and bhajis for lunch, and when i got a phone call, she got out blasted farmyard plasticine -arrrgghhh. we measured our heights and various doors and windows etc, deciding bigger and smaller along the way - this was quite good fun.

jigsaw play and then chris home. spaghetti hoops and home made scones for tea. now having a bath.

no overt 3 rs activities, but i spy, sounding out words, counting etc were all part of play.

BB
Well I feel I gave her a better deal today. SB not so impressed when I am talking and laughing with BB though - nothing overt, just attentiony. she is a smily baby. heavy though. she is lying on my arm as i type and i have pins and needles!!

RL
solicitors letter asking me if we had built on the sewers threw me. rang to say we hadn’t built anything. he said i had to identify sewer manhole - threw me in a panic. chris reminded me that it was our drains he was meaning, and the manhole on drive. so rang back wih best useless female impressionthat i had found it!
prospectus for new nursery came - looks v nice. more expensive though.
still on tenterhooks re the buyers survey.
i need some peace and quiet. feeding BB with SB bouncing all over me atm. has been a long pause in the blog. def some green eyes. Timeteam on to duscusss archeology. first question - what is that digger…….a digger……….no what type is it……………a yellow one….SB grumpy as chris and i explain we dontknow subtypes on diggers. i guess we should have done internet search……………

ps SB just asked if they have found a chocolate button - ever hopeful - it is a roman coin!

My pregnancy was long awaited for, and TBH, I had given up hope of children. however, although long awaited, it took me 8 weeks to realise I was pregnant, as was having severe probs with gallbladder, and v unwell. In fact, I ended up having my gallbladder removed by keyhole surgery when I was 18 weeks pregnant - not fun!
i started to feel better at around 24 weeks, when I was back at work. unfortunately by 28 weeks I had severe symphysis pubis dysfunction and on crutches, by 32 weeks barely walking and by 28 weeks bedbound. It was a lesson in humility.
At my due date, I eventually, reluctantly, agreed to an induction, as i was in a bad way. Didn’t think much was going to happen so sent Chris home after the gel at about 10pm. i started contracting pretty uch straight away, but thought they were ‘prostin pains’ and that i was being a wimp. Was very annoyed by incapacity to read a book. It had started to snow heavily, so I leant against the window watching the flakes come down to settle - this was v relaxing! All the pains were in my back, and v uncomfortable/painful.
At about 2am, I decided to come clean as a wimp, and ask for some painkillers. The midwife [whom I like and have worked with on and off for many years] inisited on examining me, and I was delighted to find I was 6 cm- so not a wimp! Labour ward was full though so was told I may have to have baby on ward - OK. Chris was called in. Typically he had only just gone to bed, so was exhausted.
A bed became available on d suite before he got there, and I was whisked round to find an anaesthetist had een called to give me an epidural. To my eternal shame, I was so embarrassed that she had been got out of bed, I let her, even though I didn’t want one [what was I thinking of????]
By 8am I was fully dilated, but OP position [back to back] and the contractions had died off. I then had a row with the midwife about getting a drip to get them back again and breaking my waters - she didn’t want to, but I did. Eventually, after threatening to call the consultant, she rang consultant who said yes. took them 45 mins to find the pump though! We got pushing in the end, and 3 hours later, with nothing doing I asked them to call the consultant for an operative delivery. Emma came, but no anaesth to top up epidural for trial of forceps rotational delivery. While waiting, i felt something give, and then pushing had more effect, so at 12.30 Elinor was born. Unfortunately I also had a 3rd degree tear.
She was gorgeous, and cried straightaway. At 8lb 1 she was one of the smaller babies for our family. She was covered in vernix and looked a bit like a snowman - matching the weather. Chris and I were overjoyed to see her. The birth wasn’t what we wanted, but the result was. Breastfeeding took about 3 weeks to get right, though she gained weight in all that time. Sleeping took about 2 years!
typed 4 years later, and look what a gorgeous girl we have!! She has sent us down a path of discovery that we had never considered. Thankyou Elinor

more snow, on ice, so daren’t actually go out and slide to bottom of hill! [ed note - these posts are getting too long, will precis tomorrow]

SB HE
Anyway, we did the vikings section of the time traveller book - looking at the pictures and spotting things, while I read some of the paragraphs according to her interest. Followed this with some of the pages in the DK Viking book - lovely pictures in there - and discussing how we could make her a Viking outfit, and which style she would like. Also where they lived, and the difference with us, and what they ate and the differences. [this was all in bed snuggled with BB, so very nice!]
When we got up we gave BB a ‘baby massage’ of unique technique. It is amazing just how big a bottom and thighs BB has got. SB was a bit unsure whether we had enough massage oil to cover them all!

A weetabix breakfast and the we got down to serious business of making Chris a birthday cake - so it was a carrot cake of course. SB getting v careful with the weighing and measuring. She shows good understanding of the bigger numbers, the tens, and which order to read the numbers in. She stands a much better chance of being a domestic goddess than me!

We then read together some letterland books, and although she can’t read, she understands what reading is, and makes a good stab at reading letters and blending them into words even if there is a lot of ’scaffolding’ at the mo.
While I was getting card things out, she traced letters -totally her own idea. She definitely seems to be on a roll here. The maths type things I had put out stayed ignored.

I thought we were going to make Daddy’s card, but she said she had got one from nursery, and there it was, so we made cheer up cards for Little Nanny and one of her sisters. It was a planet theme- not sure why. Had Venus [well, the volcano one near the sun, so a good description], Saturn, Jupiter and Clanger planet. Then space dust from sand sprinkles. Our home page is the NASA astronomy picture of the day, and she always thinks the dust louds are beautiful. I’m not sure they are traditional condolence type cards, but I think they will be very appreciated. Beans on toast for luunch. SB confused as to why I was upset at her putting sand in mine - sigh. Had nearly finished though.

Then, a la trivium we had about 20 mins apart, she doing cbeebies, and I cleaned the dining room [ok, just a little after dinner party, but I am still only nearly semi domesticated!]

We read another 2 letterland books [her choice] and started on Viking casserole. unfortunately, as an unplanned activity, probably Barley and garlic the only reasonably Viking ingredients, as was more like a veggie cassoulet with dumplings in the end! She enjoyed thinking it was Viking though, pretending the veggie sausage was rabbit!

[addtition - I forgot that we made popcorn for the first time. I was a bit worried cos it took a while to pop, but v exciting!]

She then did some playing with a toy racing car, while I got to check mails etc. chris came home, collapsed into chair and watched clangers wth her. And then had birthday viking tea and carrot cake with candle on the top. [not the correct number though!] I must of thought I was in Melrose, as at least 6 more portions than required. On the card front, she told Chris that her friend Bridie had made it for him, so after all that card making, chris didn’t have one made by Elinor. i just give in sometimes.

Manic ballet dancing to classic FM, bathtime and bed, with Daddy being the storyteller. I did a collapse in heap from such an intensive day impression! Then rang Little Nanny, who is well, and no snow their today.

BB
Where was she during the day??? Well, in her playgym, in a rocker chair with different playgym, being cuddled and loved, feeding lots and starting to laugh rather than just open mouth. I think on balance she did lose out on attention, as she often does when SB at home and not Chris. Hopefully not detrimentally. Its just that she is a content and happy baby, and can gurgle in gym for an hour while I am doing things with SB, losing track of time.

How do you juggle 2 compteting attentions fairly, especialy when one is vocal, demanding and high maintenance, whereas the other is more laidback, and often just content sitting on your lap while you’re doing something.

ME
Thanks for kind messages. think lack of sleep coming with worrying and I just don’t think about big pictures, just the worries. Arranging visits to nurseries etc doesn’t help. We will prob use for 2 days a week so there is instant group of children to meet - especially as one nursery in the village. Chris will be able to do supply on those days and when I have days off too. That way Keeps in the picture. When SB and us settled in, and hopefully I have wangled a change in working patterns, we will relook at this.

Chris
HAPPY BIRTHDAY

On the edu front, SB loves the Usbourne Time traveller book - so good buy.
For a great change she has been far more interested in letters, and writing, so thats good.
We also used the childrens atlas to work out how you got to athens, and just to play with the idea of countries.
Today was gym - I stayed to watch and SB really confident. How can she balance so well on a beam, turn around etc, and yet fall over ‘invisible worms’ at home? Great snow playing - in short bursts only.
We’ve been doing a bit on healthy living, germs etc, which SB seems to be mulling over, as she was talking to me about antibodies being the body’s armies in the car.
tots group gave a illustrated first bible type, and we read up to Gideon as bedtime stories - so well ahead on my religious studies!

Yesterday had friends round for a meal, and SB ended up staying up for the whole thing. [Not sure that was entirely appreciated, but I thought she behaved really well]. She helped one of them to cut up the fruit salad. A was a bit shocked that she uses sharp knives, and said to SB she didn’t know what to do as she had no girls, and didn’t want her to lose a finger. SB told her not to worry, she would tell her what ‘her grownups did’

Been a bit low/unsettled for last few days
hospital has run out of paper so couldn’t photocopy questionnaires - having trekked in, nor will they provide the envelopes. I know they are millions in the red, but clinical governance - AKA audit is compulsary, AND a good idea, how else do you find out if you are giving as good a deal as poss except by asking? I have been getting this through the various national, regional ethics committees, and local research and development committee [need nhs indemnity] since august. Since i was already aware i needed to personally pay for 160 second class stamps, adding 3 reams of paper and 320 envelopes to this is not on. Thinking how much time and energy i have put into this at a stressful time has turned me into a grumplestiltskin

my great uncle died on monday. he was ready, and has been gradually bowing out over the last year, so although sad for the loss of him, the timing feels reasonable as it were. my Nan is desperately sad though. i again feel increased pressure of time with her, knowing it is likely to be too short.

SB and I were discussing death, and she stated that Little Nanny would die soon as the oldest. So we discussed how sad that would be, but she would always be with us in our hearts. We discussed her sadness that her brother had died, and SB decided we needed to visit her lots, to cheer her up, and see her lots while we could.
When she returned to this theme at bedtime, and noticed I was nearly crying, I explained that I would miss her dreadfully, so she said not to worry, that Nanny would be in our hearts to always give us hugs, and we could teach BB all about her if she didn’t remember, so she would be in her heart too. That has completely done for me this whole evening.

Minor stresses -
house moving, money, sorting out all the bits. The surveyor for our buyers came today, and spent an hour and a half going round it trying all doors etc, and really detailed looking, so i’m panicking now that there was something wrong, they will want to pull out or drop their offer.

Countdown to full time work and all the crap mother ideas. Why am i looking at all the home ed, rather than leaving chris to do it, as all the things that excite me, I just wont get to do most of the time. Can’t bear the thoughts of missing so much. Ok, not so minor.

And still no chocolate. BB had the cuddle of her life - poor thing!
I need sunshine and Spring

SB doesn’t have anything lifethreatening, and I can ignore lymph nodes and falling over [did know I was being paranoid]
her rash is eczema rather than fungal - not sure whether that is good or not. She has never had eczema before and it is a huge patch up her legs on both sides?
I have tonnes of migraine medication and will receive a date for the Mirena.
Another box ticked!!!

Snowed v heavily - good inch or 2 [OK, not as much as Karenb ] SB in her snowsuit, and got to nursery as they were all piling outside to play, so she was v excited. Traffic appalling - as it always is in snow, so I’m waiting a little bit then going in to Infirmary to do interminal photocopying.

There, what a blog addict!!

Crap vegan/vegetarian study published all over. those poor kids in Kenya did NOT have anything like the western vegetarian diet. it is neither comparable or extrapolatable.
RANT SHOUT RANT SHOUT

SB seems to be getting the hang of blends. I’ve been using JP flashcards, and have 3 piles we rotate, and have been adding to them. we now have 39 cards on the go, of which the alphabet is ok, some of the easier combinations are ok, and she quickly remembers on prompting the others. This has carried across to reading, and simple words can be sounded, and with a bit of encouragement, read. Feel really proud of her. She also did some letter tracing [though not getty and dubay as not june], which she normally avoids.

Got my ebay usbourne time traveller, so we read some of the castle bit as bedtime story - her choice - followed by a first hymns cd.

I’m happy as my research submission to the international continence society uk arm meeting was accepted - even if only as a poster presentation, so we will be going to the glasgow secc end of March. Any ideas for SB while I’m at the conference?? [obviously with chris]

Chris adds:

Regular cafe stops for me and SB are an essential of course…….

As I’m a bit worried computers will die on move, and bits of paper easily lost, I am going to write my ‘june list’- otherwise known as fantasy education’s £40 per week!!

I have a feeling it will be terribly long, and need pruning, there will certainly be overlaps, cos then I can think about which I prefer! Also, luckilly, not all of it will be needed straightaway [if at all], but if buying from sonlight or rainbow resources, you might as well do an order and get it over and done with!!

I hope to get criticism of tried and dire things and recommendations of alternatives if you think of something better. It will mostly be aimed at a 4-5 SB, who is quite bright, can concentrate when in the mood, loves stories, cdroms and workbooks [match and sort!] and is v inquisitive, so seems well suited at the moment for home ed.
obviously i would be hoping to ebay some of this!!

Maths

singapore [have 1 and 2]
miquon [have orange and red]
magimixer
orchard toys ooky spooky game
a bit later on mosaic maths
geomags - surprisingly!

English

as many nice books as we can afford!
cheapy ebay phonics mixture JP and letterland
leappad phonics - have got
getty and dubay italic writing

History

susan wise bauer series
usbourne time traveller [have got it now from ebay]
a timeline thingy [prob self made]
D K History explorer CDrom

Science

berentstain bears
Sarahs science packs
rainbox 100
bags of science magnet faces
? become a science explorer

geography

junior globe
?dk become a world explorer cdrom

music

have violin , piano, recorder etc
music snap

general cdroms

jump ahead year 1
dk learning ladder years 1 and 2

languages

german muzzy [have got]
german dvd [have got - execrable sesame street disaster]
german leap pad book [got one, and 1 mistake!!]

latin’s not so tough

spanish to follow [as have got the muzzy]

physical education/drama

? stagecoach
fun yoga dvd

ideas from other people

touch typing for kids [heather]
Laminated map [Alexia]
pentominoes [Alexia]
zoombinis later [Merry]
pattern palette [debbie]

I have been doing my practice! Can nearly bluff my way through the saint saens organ symphony part, will do the grieg piano tomorrow. The repeat next week. So the concert the following saturday hopefully will not be as stressful.
i’m in seconds as a guest, but actually would find it easier in firsts, as I’ve played both pieces as a first before, and you’re aided by knowing the ‘tune’. Luckilly in the saint saens, the first and seconds at least play at the same time most of the time, so counting in the same.

Our snow now melted

Well, felt it! Chris and SB went to the tip with all the ‘maybe useful one day’ items, and then to the storage place to find the 6-9 month clothes.
Also had to get the size 2 nappies from the loft, as the sandies and daisies don’t do up, and the tots only just. kissaluvs and med fuzzi’s ok. SB such a skinny shape she was about 15 months before into size 2 - and even on potty training the kissaluv size 2’s were always crossed over.

I searched house from top to bottom for swimming card, but didn’t find it.

We did jolly phonics sounds and blends, and starting to see an improvement, so obviously SB always being teacher doesn’t stop her picking it up. In truth, it was her snake getting it right!

We then went swimming [I talked my way in without card] - SB loves it, and we were in the pool for nearly 2 hours. She mostly loves drowning, though now I have to do it with her. No swimming, but waggling all 4 limbs somewhere near bottom of the pool - I call it being confident in the water! BB also loves it, and was in for 30 mins. She floats beautifully ad waggles on her back. In fact, letting go she still floated, but looked a bit concerned, so we didn’t do it much. Katy mentioned she had a neoprene jacket for Becca. so may look on ebay for BB as she was a bit cold.

SB was playing with Brio with Chris, but just yelled from bathroom that she missed the toilet, but not wee’ed on the ’spensive carpet. She only went an hour ago. Honestly.
BB is under her playgym ‘talking’ to the giraffe. From explosive sound needs a nappy change, but will let sort out SB first!

BB slept through beautifully last night. I wish SB would.
Snowing intermittantly here, not settled as yet.
Will do a bit of singapore maths in a bit.

edited to add: no singapore maths, but instead read 3 books [12 stories!!!!] of thomas. now on permafeed duty

As sung to us in the car - tunelessly though!!

I love everyone in the world. I love all the people. I don’t love the monsters, never,never. I even love mummy, daddy and alys. I love myself most of all, I love myself best of all [sprechgesang mode ad infinitum]

We do often make up songs, but this one gave us a laugh.

and why isn’t ‘zen’ a word. [or ’satay’]
Still no defenders for ‘unquieter’ out there. Did the word come up on the cheater programme??
Bed time

SB attention improved after yummy Ken Hom, and we did Hama E’s together, and did then ‘order’ the cuisinaire rods [so good thing I left them out]

As I cuddled SB and BB together, I though SB felt particularly stringy, and BB particularly buttery, so we measured their waists - each 56cm . Now can’t decide which to be worried about, SB eats well but too skinny, or BB eats well and too chubby?? I might have to get SB weighed to see if diving off centiles [paranoid mother alert]

V peeved, as although we have a full structural survey on house, with a company that are good with listed buildings, the mortgage company insisting we have to pay another £550 for one of theirs to do a quickie valuation survey. Complete con, as is exorbitant solicitor fees - £650 to sell, £1300 to buy and the £400 as part of the mortgage application legal fees. Humph

I think I am so grumpy due to chocolate withdrawal - it has now been 4 days.

giggled at SB
a) on looking at brightminds catalogue at all the things she likes - ‘ don’t worry mummy, we can buy it on ebay’
b) to chris clearing loft of ‘useful things’ - ‘don’t throw that wood away, it might be useful.’
they do learn young!

Since the jolly phonics and webland this morning, we have been butterfly like. flitting from one thing to another - hama, cuisinaire rods, jump ahead maths, cooking, seed sowing, making necklaces, wiring with daddy etc.
i offered painting, playing etc, but flitting was order of the day. I hate flitting!! Especially when tidying some of it up causes massive whinge attack!
We probably should have gone to the park for a good runaround. i just fancied a quieter day in for a change. running around now scheduled for tomorrow.
Anyway, have a yummy smelling Vietnamese stew in the wok [a ‘’Ken Hom’] and rice nearly ready. Where is the red wine??

my first under a minute!!!

unquieter isn’t a word, is it????? Quiddler really annoys me, so why do I do it?

SB finally getting dressed, no pyjama day though, as have been weblanding - in partic making up rhythms and music, but some of the games as well. Also the romans bit, as that was on of the ‘I wonder why’ books I read in an abridged version last night.

Still NAK-ing though

Not the best weather for outdoor skating, but West Yorks home ed trip to the ice cube in Leeds.
SB enjoyed it, and luckilly chris was there too. I tentatively went on, and fell over! After breaking foot, wrist and 2 ribs in a kids soft play area in the summer, I have really lost confidence, so quickly came off the ice. BB needed a feed anyway. Great fun was had by the confident! The West Yorks is a nice group, and v friendly to rare attendees like me. We are going to its Viking meet in March.

Returning home we did a few pages of singapore maths K 2A [easy] and some sticker maths. Also grrrered at the irritating hopsalot on the starter maths - well I did, as SB likes it. Read and discussed ‘I wonder why my tummy rumbles’ and SB played with Happy Street.

I’m quite impressed by the amount of home-ed there [obviously sofa based this afternoon], as BB had an off day. In fact this feed [ I am NAK-ing] is the first decent one today, as we have been latching on, stopping and screaming incessantly, so WTL index nosediving earlier. It is just so messy! Actually can feel sanity restoring the longer she feeds - may be human by end!

AAhhhh BB asleep. SB still messing with dinner rather than eating it though. Return to RL

[edit by chris] We bumped into another Puddlers as well at the skating *waves* to Kath M