Monthly Archives: March 2006

Pocket Money

Nothing to report really, Beans at nursery, I had some work, Ballet lesson, poor Helen absolutley knackered on return from work and went to bed with SB at about 8pm.

I was throwing BB around a bit before bed , which as ever she enjoyed, but SB felt she was missing out, she insisted I ‘mess her about’. Which is what she calls it. Of course she is getting a bit big for it really , but we managed a bit. after I’d put her to bed she came down complaing and crying that the duvet was all wrong……. :roll:
Anyway, decided really that it’s time for SB to have some pocket, seeing as she is now grasping the concept of money really, and understands that differen coins etc. have different value – she did well at counting out the 5ps, 2ps and 1ps to buy 35 p of sweets the other day.

so home much do you reckon? I imagine it would be spent on some sweets, the odd magazine, and odd bits of tat. I’d be interested to see how she repsonds to the idea of saving up to get something.

Totally devoted to you

hmm, well glad to come home from work yesterday as certainly earnt my keep. Nice that SB still awake when i got home. Nicer still that BB didn’t wake up all night.

So to today, SB started the day with an early CBeebies fix. BB and me had a roistering marmalisation session in the bed. She bounding all over me to make sure I was fully awake, having a good tickle and giggle – a good way to wake up!

So, we started off with breakfast and reading baba yaga and the new zealand story form usbornes stories from around the world. brekkie over and some messing about with lego for both the girls.

SB keen to do the final tesco science tube thing I bought a while back, so we settled down to that. She likes ‘speriments. First we did was the best. We put 15 coppers in a bowl and tipped salt on top [it said sprinkle, SB somewhat enthusiastic] and the cover completely with vinegar. it has to be the absolutely quickest way to get coins clean. I hope someone is doing the chemical equations int heir head, cos they’re not given in the bumpf -which would be a negative. Afer 20 mins add shiny iron nail and watch it copper plate. [except we left it a bit longer, and other reactions seemed to happen]. we did the volcano one a number of times, a number of different surface tension experiments. This had great easy experiments, but no real explanations.

SB then did some explode the code whilst i settled BB off to sleep. We had a bit of a treat in sarnies from the bakery accross from us – yummy! After that SB started on her sewing a foam bag kit she got for birthday. She got the hang instantly – considering we have never done swing before, and it was soon ready for the key ingredient – sticking!

BB woke up while she did this, so we had a good play, lots with the cooker, lego and she’s really attached to the ‘thats not my monster’ book from the library, so we read it alot. She is very good at shouting mummy and Daddy, a reasonable bye bye and ook. When SB’s sticking got far too interesting, we went and watched Chris pruning the grape [rather late]. BB thought the leaves dropping were rather lovely, and had a great poddle about. SB finished her sticking – it is certainly a decorative bag, so also came into the conservatory to help with the pruning.

After a bit of a fuss, she did some of the msising writing bits in the explode the code, and whizzed through some singapore maths 1a simple addition and subtraction. I think she has grasped this so well that we shall just nip on to the next section on ordinal numbers, not doing any of the practice unless we hit a bit that takes some thinking about. in our mental maths mess about, we are doing multiplying in 2, 3 and 5 [though not to great numbers, 2 and 3 to 12, and 5 to 20] and also sharing numbers 12 and less in 2,3,4. So I think we should try and get the two areas nearer together! SB has decided she wants to be on the same books as Maddy, so they can do it togeether [does this sound like homeschooling to anyone?]
She remembered we hadn’t done 2 of the experiments, so we did those, and then after she went on and on about a website we used to do, I realised it was education city, so got a trial and she got stuck in. I read BB more books, and she moved my finger over all the textured bits – cute! She also had a great play with the hammer it shape sorter. My fingers have recovered!

by dinner time, we were all tired. TBH, I could have done with a restful day, but really enjoyed being full on and there, as with recent jaunts have felt more part time than normal. Since we missed pancake day yesterday, we did it today. Sb had sundae day, as she doesn’t like pancakes – possibly more sprinkles than icecream though! We vaguely did the religion. BB ate anything offered.

After her bath, I had promised SB a game, and she chose 3D snakes and ladders [fantastic!] Unfortunately I won fairly instantly having gone up the long ladder, so we had a rematch and I lost. Angelina ballerina stories and a Winnie the pooh CD and all was quiet! Chris settles BB with a bottle when I read SB stories, so alternate nights BB sleeps without a night feed – a bit wierd for me I must say, but she is happy, so I guess weaning has begun.

oh, and aaarrrghhh to the apprentice. I think even I could have done a better job

The many faces of Butterbean

Getting back into the swing.

Short and sweet here I think.

Other than breakfast etc. don’t think anything much happened before heading out to the library. As ever? handing the books is wasn’t straight forward. Some of the books om SB’s card that we took out last week weren’t appearing on her list of books out – though they were down as being on loan.? We have another book which has gone AWOL in the house and we’ve run out of renewal-ability. So that had to be marked down as ‘lost’ except it isn’t they call it something else and we get another 3 months to find it without fines racking up. Sigh….

A bit of story time, a bit of colourign and sticking, making a pancake in a frying pan, as ever we were the last to finish as SB can’t be dragged away from? bit of sticking easily. Then again she is the oldest by? a long way now of course, all her same age? compatriots are in school I assume.

Home, followed by putting coats on again to go back as we left the craft work behind…… luckilly it is about a minutes walk away.

Home, rapidly gave BB some food, otherwise she tends to want/need? a sleep around 12, falls asleep and misses lunch. So she had? nibble of bread and cheese and then fell asleep in her highchair. So me and SB lunched and I read the aforesaid Mr Men books, with pauses for? quick gander at the Grauniad ‘I’ve read two, i’m just having? little rest and drink of coffee….’

Rough order of play for rest of day was some Maths ‘Match and Sort’. I wonder how long we will keep referring to it as that ? – ‘Match and Sort was the first ‘workbooky’ thing she did many moons ago (and loved). It was easy stuff for her really, just addition within 10? – tiem to move her one a bit, her subtraction is ok, might try a bit of simple multiplication seeing as she was sort of thingking about that in the car the other day. SB watching a DVD for a bit a German cartoon series called ‘Little Hippo’ – in German, BB coming into the garden with me for she pottering around, me ditto a bit, taking some piccies of her. Finshed pruning the Wisteria. Sat in the conservatory for ,little bit once we got cold, thinking that vine must be pruned pronto before it starts into growth again – maybe tomorrow. A bit more ‘work’ from SB – Expode the Code. did one of her simople crafty things from her birthday A pre-swim snack time, swmming lesson for SB, home, chips for tea, ready for bed, BB asleep, Helen home just in time before SB due to go, so she got? bit longer up.

Helen on call, had? very long day and home late, so off to bed at? sensible time. Me not so sensible….

I liked this photo though – even though it’s not quite focussed on the right place.

IMG 0242 edited-1