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.
We’ve been leaving the middle line blank, not that I can persuade Big to do the patterns pages much
good oh! SB doesn’t do any of it exactly – as we often do it with pencil, so we ring and scribble over rather than colour. Her fine motor control not brill for writing – roll on June and getty dubay! So the pages look a mess when finished, but we are doing lots of tracing.
I don’t know! I’ve not noticed blank middle lines … must have a look tomorrow! I don’t think the drawing of the patterns matters that much, it’s being able to ‘see’ the pattern that’s the important thing,s urely?
Dot to dots are Joe’s big fave here and they’ve helped enormously with pencil control …
Sounds like v successful gift giving. My parents always do that giving more away than they need to thing with D – infact they are often so busy *helping* him that they miss what he is trying to impress them with and he gets bored and gives up.
Will see if local ELC still has playdough bits and pick you some up to post you next time I’m in town.