Archive for November, 2005

Down but not out

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

l feel issue ridden, but not a good time.
BB still dread-ful with purulent eyes.
-*also helping me to typ++e ++++++++a+t th+e- moment - mainly the plus sign, you will have noticed.
lots of sleeping and milk.

SB did 4 pages explode the code with nanny, lots of sindy playing. drove me wild with her bouncing on the spacehopper - only suppose to be done in corridor, but knocked my arm. bowled bb over and final straw my much needed cup of tea. and with it my patience,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [bb again]
cue totalmayhem and appaling cheekiness and strops. finally settled with sitting beside me quietly for 3 mins, doing an errand [getting bb’s cardi], a hug and some tears. she was an angel for the resr of the day. odd. need to get this under control, as cheekiness horrid.

lots of book reading [mostly reading books, included ulysses, a+–nd caught mum to giggle at goriness. She learnt it in latin!], lego and the spent over an hour on a maths cdrom dad brought. we aLso did come german

dad nearly finished pink bedroom, and chris has managed to help a bit.

my arm killing me, if anything worse as had to keep BB ok, as unwell she is not into mummy substitutes.
+

Go away, go away, go away

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

Just go away lurgy, I have had enough , I I want to get on with life. It going , but not quick enough :-( :-( :-(

I just want to fall asleep and it all be gone, but ervery morning it isn’t. Annoying little b*****s. And of course so does helen, whos patience will be running thing

Some ed achieved

Tuesday, November 29th, 2005

yesterday we did a hama spiral glaxay [rofl], some addition and takeaway with beads, and read many books including the buddhist tales from barefoot.

Today we did 4 pages explode the code, 4 pages singapore maths, making letters with maxi hama, christmas cards - stamps and sitckers - for the early HE list. A sudoku grid. Nanny took her to the park to wear her out [failure]

BB has dreadful conjunctivitis, but is trying to be a gorgeous smily star anyway. She got to push the dollies pushchair today - what a big girl! A few single steps, and finally got the swapping hand on hidden thing gag!

luckilly my parents here

Monday, November 28th, 2005

Chris been in bed with manflu 2 days now.
We had no clean clothes, as manflu last week meant no washing done, so I have done 5 loads today. Mum has washed up for england. Dad is decorating the littlebeans bedroom.
The beans are semi-feral - though BB has nasty conjunctivitis.
My arm is killing me, however, I have a cold rather than manflu.

Grumble grumble grumble…….

aagh

Saturday, November 26th, 2005

only gone and broken my arm.
chris still v unwell with manflu
sb done her best to be perfect :¬)
aarrghh

sorry to Karen O
getting late by the time escaped A and E, and suddenly realised to late to get to party. SB was very disappointed not to go, but neither Chris and I could drive - and we were too late.

Absolutley dreadful

Friday, November 25th, 2005

Is how we feel today, lurgy has come back with a vengance, after an ok day yesterday. 30 mins of activity knocks me out, and Helen is potentially busy with work as well.

We are all going to bed.

TBH

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005

I’m really not in a blogging mood.

We mostly played with Sindy’s today. in a fit of ‘i really wanted one these as a child’, I bought SB a 70’s sindy cooker with grill and lights from ebay - nice and cheap and came really quickly. I was going to stuff it in as an xmas pressie, but forgot about it, so when a parcel arrived this morning, assumed it was a late BB present. Oops, anyway, she/ [we :¬))] has/have had great fun with it. I said it was a christmas present she has had early, and hse is happy.

She did a fair bit of mathsy stuff as well. she did the cubes with chris - not sure exactly as SB explained some massively convoluted game to me where I lost the plot. Later, we did sticker subtraction maths together - with bonus sweets to help with the first 5 before all eaten [rofl].

We also read both Hercules and Jason and the argonauts from our usborne cartoon style book. She really likes her greek myths, and def getting the pantheon of greek gods sussed! We looked on the globe where greece was, and Tiryns, colchis, atlas mountains etc. Sb couldn’t wuite understand why Heracles walked to gibraltar and crossed to africa rather than getting a bot, and have to agre with her. Mind you, we decided that the island he went to was maybe one of the canaries, so not in the med anyway. In the book there is a map of the voyage of the argo, and SB a bit grumpy beacuase all the land was white. She says that unless its ice, it shouldn’t be white. So we did a bit on different ways to look at maps with the maps and globes book. Like her mother, she is still sure she is right.

She made a fuss as she wanted a ‘thing’ that she saw at the library. After some delibertion on what this thing was, it was a paper shuffler - no idea of their proper name, but I made a few of the paper shapes I know, including the ’shuffler’ that i used to play with at school - you know, the thing with numbers and colours that then said something awful inside. It was the right thing, so we undidn it again, had a look at how the squares and triangles were over it, and then coloured and put back together. She is very happy with it, even though it has no messages anywhere!

Other things - well we discussed photos together - looked at Nics baby photos - very cute!! Which led back to a discussion about cords, why they were there etc. And the to us looking at some older ones of SB and her helping decided which ones she liked and we should put up. She doesn’t understand why i tag so much either, but one day she will be a tag convert!!

Other miscellany - playing with BB, she likes the toy radio she got and jigs to that. She has eaten numerous crayons. She can get spoon in mouth without losing all the contents, she has a lovely smile!

Well, TBH, my unwilling blog not so diferent from a willing one, eh! Chris and I slowely returning to land of living - losing migraine makes life bearable again. A cold only is not so awful.

Oh, and the DVLA lost my driving licence application [as moved] and with it, bloody passport!!!!

Bleurgh and double bluergh

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005

Me and Helen still feeling very bluergh, helen more so since she has had a migraine and had to drag herself off to work this morning. i’ve had dradful strwaming cold, and a real lack of energy for very long. BB was awake bright and early,so much so that after he breakfast she had fallen asleep in her high chair before Helen had gone to work.

I was up to do the story time at the library today. Had the stories organised but had a craft activity to sort out - so spent some time this morning cutting up bits of paper etc. After much geeing-up SB finally got her clothes on. Ddi the story time and it all went fine. Time we got home it was time for lunch, BB to have a nap and me to collapse on the sofa for an hour or so while SB watched a video, I was sitting at the table trying to read her some books and just kept falling asleep. It was lovely just lying there dozing quietly. Though felt slighlty guilty as Helen at work and wouldn’t have the chance for dozes, but potentially I had to be able to going with the kids til bedtime - so get it while you can I guess.

It revoved me a bit for the rest of the afternoon, mostly spent doing easy going stuff like reading numerous books (just how many Mr Men books did she get from the library, watching her and BB play together, playing with BB etc.. but it was to get to bath and bedtime, and me and H will son be goign as well i think. hopefully, tomorrow we will both feel a bit better. The house is disater zone, but I’m very much at that - ‘i just want to have lie down’ stage. Bit much that we have both been hit with the bug at the same time though, we usually manage to stagger it bit.

First steps!

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005

BB walked one step yesterday.

Cold city!

Monday, November 21st, 2005

me and chris both woke up with sniffles today - sorry monster and Teeny! You have visited a lurgy site.

BB had her 8 months checkup, and Dr agrees with me she has bronchiolitis [infantile asthma] so has given us an inhaler and spacer device to use when we see fit. i’m not quite sure when to see fit to be honest, as she never seems bothered. It is prob what ruining her sleep, so maybe last thing at nigth as a trial run? Anybody with any ideas?

ANd here we are still breastfeeding to reduce risk of such things. Nevermind. In the great scheme of things not even really a problem let alone a worry. Just narked.

Was going to have early night but fell asleep on sofa. May just go to bed now though.

BB Birthday

Sunday, November 20th, 2005

Well, the day was lovely, as it was mostly about socialising with friends. We had Monster and Teeny staying and Merry and girls accross to visit too. Me and my girls were rather tardy getting up, and soon got stuck into socialising and party tea making. the children helped to make jelly, adn then were soley responsible for the artistic decoration of the birthday cake - which I thought looked great. There was some encouragement to put it on the cake rather than eat the icing mixture and sprinkles…

Main games were brio and happy street, but a lot of imagination with the bald eagle toy, and then the fun of blowing up balloons. In the afternoon we opened BB’s pressies and had party tea, and just mingled, which kids and adults alike enjoyed. Will miss Nic for the glass of wine tonight though.

Chris’s parents came across with a lovely trifle and chocolate cake - yummy! SB really excited to see her. They also rather enjoyed being lord and lady in the dining room!! Oh, and thanks very much to Ady for the pouch for Johns bionic device.

Ady has taken some great piccies of our house, thankyou, and I will be flikring lots of party shots.

I am enjoying having blogvisits, and not forgotten you Katy. Nic suggested we should try 2 families at once!

www.flickr.com

proper blog? - well, not yet!

Sunday, November 20th, 2005

I might do one later. Just to update that weather is gorgeous, Ady is taking enough photos to sell our house in a glossy magazine [all appropriately favourited!] Nic and I chatting and chilling. Stayed up last night with wine and roast chestnuts in front of open fire - this is the life. Children - well not chilling thats for certain! running around and playing really nicely. monster very good at persuading my strongwilled girl to compromise without any fuss - he can come again. [well, ok they all can!] At the moment they are brio-ing, yesterday lots of happy street and assorted imagination.

BB woken up a jolly girl [and so she should having fed all night] for her birthday today. Happy birthday 1 girl. Her birth story is very short, and is a page on the sidebar [when we still could write pages, as the wordpress update has lost us this facility]

Expecting mayhem today. In-laws coming after lunch, and Merry and girls as soon as they fancy getting across [if you’re reading this Merry- hop to it!!] When I’ve showered, going to see if the children want to make jelly, and then decorate BB’s cake [so that will be interesting]

www.flickr.com

Happy Birthday

Sunday, November 20th, 2005

12.22 am

Happy Birthday Butterbean, we love you xxxx

20041120-31_edited-1

have guests

Saturday, November 19th, 2005

who blog even more than I do!!!
Awaiting Chris to bring croissants and tea.
BB appalling again last night - sob.

SB Monster and Teeny raced around for ages yesterday evening and then finally collapsed - SB is still collapsed this morning - she was way too tired by the time she went to bed, but refused to give in.

BB wailing, brb

Ballet Day

Wednesday, November 16th, 2005

Well, The usual night [sigh] but with much less screaming, since as I wasn’t working today, I was quite happy to do endless amounts of feeding [?] Got a lie in though.

Went downstairs and immediately was pressganged into cuisinaire rod patterns. Thankyou Merry for showing me new ways to spend money, so have looked at icthus website. Not actually parted with money, as waiting until next paycheck.

I then read some of my least favourite books - the Mr men series. Argh - Mr chatterbox is even dense text [I paraphrased!]. The we looked at crusades in the DK History really interesting bits, as SB really likes the bloody bits in history.

from there we moved on to Hama, and did another star, and a face - Nanna and grandad F had arrived by then, so did the face with SB, and thought it was a great idea. Chris - in his infinite wisdom - mentioned some of the shaped boards SB has for Xmas - sigh. What do you do with men like that?

Lunch and then we went into cambridge for the Moscow City Ballet. We parked and road, and neither of has been in central cambridge before - looks really nice, and as the park and ride so easy, am tempted to do it again. BB left with Chris’ parents. Lots of little girls in their angelina finest - SB insisted on the bridesmaids dress, and I thought great, another outing for it!! She looked gorgeous [biased mother alert!], and lots of people thought so too, and asked her if she was a ballerina, so she did the wooing thing [rofl]. The ballet was good. [heresy, but its not really my thing, and I never did the wanting to be one phase] A bit long really - Tchaikovsky Sleeping beauty. Interest was maintained for 2/3 of the time, which I actually thought was rather good. I did encourage though with whispered explanations, questions and what do you think when her prefidget signs showed up, and also allowed her a bit more wriggle latitude - it was a matinee, and the seat behind me was empty, and I had told the lady next to me and behind where SB should have been to indicate if she was getting to much! They didn’t seem to mind when she occasionnaly popped up to do a few of the ballet moves [I think I may have heard a giggle!]. Whens she was really flagging, she decided to do sums - I kid you not, there in the ballet we are doing whispered sums using fingers and toes!! She is variably correct when going over the 10, but enjoys trying to keep all the numbers in order. We rode back to the car on the top of the bus at the front - which she loved.

Back at home we went to the chippie for tea, and SB then played with her Europe Jigsaw, getting very good at the more obvious countries, and making chris’ parents guess which ones they were. We then played with the alphabet bingo we had from sonlight. i read a few more books, and that was our day done and dusted.

Although i haven’t mentioned BB much, we had a good play in the morning and again in the evening, and she was a good girl for nanna and grandad. Lets hope she sleeps!

Blogbumping piccies.

Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

Piccies from yesterdays bump fest.

Look out for Isabelle in the photos of the musical chairs/statues etc. I particularly like this one:

More Musical statues

Fran jumping:

Musical chairs

And all the different expressions on the ‘ triplet’ ones, esp Josie in this one:

triplets

Wonder where they will all be in life in 20 years time?

from SB - plus short addendum

Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

SB wants everyone to know she has had a glass accident just like Amelie! Chris dropped the cafetiere ans she went to investigate rather too quickly. unlike Amelie, she didn’t get to ride in an ambliance [her word] since i could get it out and wrap it up without all the torrential bleeding. Have made it look good with a bandage, so they can compare notes!!!

edited: having decided to go to bed any second, will log my evening. managed to leave work at 5 - so not bad. got home and SB had drawn a piccie for me, told me about her stickign at library. they had made pizza dough, so we had pizza for tea - yummy. SB did some maths - yahay - primary maths 1a number bonds of 6 and 7. she has really got the concept of these, and plays with the joining units to see differnt wayws of making things. since i have been doing the kakuro, she also does 3 way splits too. Otherwise we had the spontaneous first aid display - and discussion of circulation and levels of the heart. BB jolly wee thing - more ta, passing things, and she was very interested in the first aid display too. At present asleep in cot [lay your bets please!!]. Now I will say goodnight too.

Bleurgh

Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

at work. Feel like zombie. No sleep and feeling globally unwell [rather than something specific]. even went to bed early - though BB stayed awake therefore didn’t actually sleep……..

Baby-blogbumping

Monday, November 14th, 2005

Highlight of the day was a ‘Mudlepuddle Triplets’ get together at Patch of Puddles as Trying our Best made a visit there. As Merry commented, it’s fascinating how different they are.

All the kids had great time with much raucousness -there was a big session of playing party games such as musical statues, musical chairs, sleeping lions etc. Ended the day watching Barbie and the Magical Pegasus or whatever it is called. Quite cute, they all sat around on the floor in part circle in front of the TV witht he lights off - looked like a cinema.

Proper Flickring of the photos will have to wait until tomorrow (Drive home late enouhg for children to sleep didn’t entirley work, SB woke, but did go off to bed ok, BB still not in bed at 11pm….), but here is a taster:

IMG_0407

What cute threesome :-)

A nice time, thanks Merry : -)

What else happened here then?

Breakfast, organised and out to the doctors, home where BB had nap and me and SB read her ‘Barbie’ mag we bought in the shop. Then we made a little jewellery box out of the mag and then also some braclets so much gluing and sticking fun was had.

Then time for lunch, she had been going on about ‘Barbie and the magical Pegasus’ or somesuch video which she had seen part of before at The Puddles and was advertised in the mag, so got out the books and looked at who/what Pegasus was, then browsed the book. SB was taken by soemsort of Aztec mask, so we looked at where the Aztecs came from on the globe. She mentioned about the globe and night and day and summer winter, but was a bit jumbled about it (fair enough - she’s not 5 yet, I find 15 year olds who can’t grasp it….). so BB in her highchair became an impromtu Sun and we moved the globe around it talking about what a year is, what a day/night is, how the tilt of the earth affects the length of day, the seasons etc.

Though surely over her head at times, she seems to like to be given good explainations of things, so it’s always interesting to see what sticks. I over heard her this evening telling Helen about some of it at least.

After lunch SB played with Cindy/Barbie upstairs, while me a BB pottered about until Helen came home and we headed off to the Puddles

Ok, snuggly is nice…

Monday, November 14th, 2005

IMG 0357

But just how is one supposed to blog…..?