April 2006

OK, here is my bit of the day.

Not a good night with BB waking a wailing for bit because I wasn’t mum. At least we had plenty of space on the double bottom of SB’s bunks as she was in our bed…. Eventually got to 6.30 so I could take BB though to Helen for breakfast. I went back to sneak in 15 minutes more in bed before getting - 10 minutes later Sb appeared ‘cos she had wet the bed - our bed- on my side - grrrrrr!

So we were up and going early. She started of with a bit more Hama on the Princess, then decided that she wanted to watch a bit of Cbeebies, so she did that for a bit while I pottered around the kitchen etc. Helen off to work, SB came back for more Princess hama-ing. while I sorted out washing. BB woke up after quite a while. so we all had breakfast, once SB had finished the Princess, she went onto doing some of the Singapore maths. IIRC it was the practice book - it was quite easy stuff really, just some addition - but I reckon you need to keep going back and practising it sos that was fine., so she did that pretty quickly.

took too long to get organised and then we went out to enjoy the spring sunshine. Realised that we not been getting out and about just exploring etc. as we used to, so went for a lovely walk in the woods (had to drive a little bit to get there, not really any decent woods near us.) Had a lovely time wandering about with no aim in particular, though SB a little disappointed - ‘ Why aren’t there any trees’ to climb’ ? Did find some bits to clamber about on though. BB, got unhappy because she kept falling over on the uneven paths/ground. Chatted away about this and that as we went, why were all the leaves there, what sort they were, why some bits were fenced off to keep deer out, coppicing, fungi, what happens to the trees when they die and rot down, noticed how the roots on an blown over tree looked like branches. Should have taken a picnic lunch as by the end we had had all the snacks and were hungry. so home to mum and Baked Beans on toast.

I’m not going to Flickr, must tidy up kitchen before bed.

so at least one glass over my tolerance!

Chris took the girls out for a walk today - so will let him do the blogging. I am fractious - hence wine! i had managed to lose 8lb on my diet, but all this stressing and chocolate and wine therapy has put half of that back on - sigh.

Oh well, read more from the usbourne encyclopaedia with SB, today she chose: art, diferent people and homes. She also did 4 pages explode the code 2 - she wondered how sam was so far ahead of her, and meanly, I said because he does it every day! i believe with Chris she did some singapore maths. She also finished her hama princess - somewhat amazingly, as she has redesigned it mumerous times. it is, well, faceless!
She was desperate to sow some more seeds, so we sowed the extra early purple sprouting brocolli ‘rudolph’ BB sowed some butternut squash seeds. Merry, when you do your allotment, if they all germinate, we may have some to offload!

Just gone and got more wine

More hama, and i permafed BB since she came home really. oh, and we read a new Mog book.They are having bath, and I plan an early night - though I do have a talk to write at some point this week.

SB back, and wants me to read more encyclopaedia - the travel bit!

yes, I know I said it in the last blog, but it is taking a while to sink in!

Dreadful night, Shaula gave me some chocs, chris some books, SB some home made monsters - must take photo to add. Practical presents from the rest of my family!

More reading, playing games etc has been the order of the day. After shaula left, SB did some singapore maths - rather easily, adding between 10 and 20. We read about ‘medicine’ in usbornes childrens encyclopaedia, and hippopotamuses in the DK one, and a book on why ships float. So after all a very good HE day!

BB was particularly taken by the wacky wigglers again today when they were got out, and had a rather good go at trying to sort it out. Actually she has been totally gorgeous, chuntering and pretalking, and being quite a pickle!

What a lucky - if totally knackered - mummy i am. SB now making imaginative games with her paper dollies, oh and watched a programme about south america, that really grabbed her imagination too.

OMG, I am 37! How time flies.

SO to the weekend, well my friend Shaula was visiting, but not due till the early afternoon, and then she missed her train, so in fact we had most of the day as ‘normal’. Sb did her explode the code 2 without a murmur, and even went on to do an extra page as ‘a surprise’ - so it can’t be that bad! We played a fair few games - snakes and ladders, uno etc. She chose some books for me to read - and I sunk into the loveliness of snuggling and reading. We did some more Greek myths and legends and some bits out of her DK family encyclopaedia - greece and giraffes!

During this time, BB had sole play with the ideal blox - and was getting rather good at manipulating them. She was also blowing the noisy things and dancing in her own wobbly style.

SB and I then went on to do her ’sweetcorn experiment’. We sowed half direct, and are chitting half. they have all gone inot the propagator to see what happens. SB is enjoying being proprietal about lots of the seeds and their germination. I would defininately like to set her up a square foot garden in our patch - prob not this year at this rate though!

Once BB was asleep we did some face painting. It was supposed to be egyptian, but after we had flicked through various egyptian books, SB changed her mind, and announced we weren’t going to have an Egyptian Afternoon after all. So I painted hers a sky with a rainbow as requested, and she painted mine a sea with fish.

Wasn’t I beautiful! Chris set off to collect Shaula, and BB awoke, so we played with the coupe car we sprung from Merry’s garage.

I think it confirmed to Shaula this was a madhouse! Shaula got to read copious books, and play pretty much every game we have. We did have wine though!

I went to uni with Shaula, and allthough we don’t see each oither much - as both working - she remains one of my closest friends. Perfect really! Shame the girls gave us such an execrable night.

well, I guess not really, but it felt that way as I spent the whole day wondering when my mediation request at work would be received. Only to find that it had accidentally been given early on Wed!!! Oh well. I do have a highly efficient secretary - winking at Su should she be reading this!

So what did we do, well BB was a pest last night, so neither chris nor I exactly full of the joys of Spring. Sb started her hama princess this morning - so far looking really good.

but obviously a way to go! We then read Hercules and Jason and the argonauts from USbournes Greek legends. SB and BB had a lovely time playing with the ideal blocks, sometimes cooperative and sometimes not, and also with the dolls house.

Today we did Singapore maths 1A - the practice book 1 was finished, as SB on a roll, and wouldn’t stop till it was. With such sterling effort I decided not to mention explode the code! SHe did it all easily and correctly, so we will move on to the next bit. TBH for some of it, she was already moving on - counting 8 by 2,4,6,8 etc. I think my general levels of stress at work for the last 2 weeks, added to some kind of ‘you are official’ compulsion have definitely skewed my parenting/educating style. SO I am relaxing! Will still encourage normals though, but not get so uptight!

After lunch, SB saw me potting up the plugplants we had got [lavender] and said she wanted to finsih them, so she did a nice job of the remaining 30 or so. Chris remembered to put a cd on - Louis Armstrong, loverly! Having played a fair amount of chase, and read numerous times that’s not my dinosaur, BB settled for a nap. I did a fair amount of seed sowing, and SB moved on to jump ahead on the ‘puter.

As Merry pointed out, BB has a weird spotty tongue at the moment, not seen anything like it before. wondered if it was hand foot and mouth, but can’t see any other blisters. She does have 2 of her canines coming through, and is very snotty. Anyway, she has played alot on the ride along, stacking bricks and dolls house today, as well as chase and cuddles with me.

SB now a lot better, but still very quick to melt and cry - which drives me up the wall. being as unsympathetic as my mother! Both girls are singing in the bath. it may amazre you to know, but I hardly took any photos today!

more Ideal Blocks are required - both SB and BB want to play and having a tussle at this moment!!

will do some flickring, as actually the girls are loving them - now being a bit more cooperative. Its nice to have a toy that 2 such disparate ages enjoy.

TBH, I expected Merry’s house to be full of boxes and in total disarray considering how soon they might be moving, but didn’t look too panicky at all! obviously Chris and I are the worst for that!

We had a lovely day there, but I am glad we saw the older 2 when they got back from their stage thing, as it did seem quiet without them. I had a lovely hug from fran, and maddy shew me the egyptian things - very nice indeed!

SB and Amelie played together, and a lot of messing about with the Ideal blocks. i have bought one from Merry, but she warned me people usually come back for a second!

As I left weighted down with hama - well I needed to top up so much has been used, SB bought the princess, and I couldn’t resist an egg board after seeing Merry’s designs , though I did manage to resist the chick as well. So thats the educational budget blown out of the water! BB and Josie had fun playing together, and I even saw some patting and not just poking and pushing! In fact, they got on so well, we were able to have a nice natter.
Before we went, SB sat down and easily did her explode the code 2. I was rather proud of her, as when she got cross with the sled [instead of her preferred sledge], she decided it was a sledge, so wrote slej. i was so proud of the sounding it in her head and writing, I didn’t have the heart to mention the real spelling, but just congratulated her on working out it was a j, and actually writing one! I do get periodicvally grumpy with the American, like slip - and its a petticoat!

When we got back, both beans were tired, i read to SB whilst feeding BB, and then we had our treat chip supper. After that, BB played with the winnie the pooh stickers that she had got way back for her birthday, and SB and I played build a beetle. Nighttime was again thomas the tank engine stories and hopefully asleep!

Have taken a couple - but not many - photos.

Sorry, there have been a lot of blogs today!

Awoke with migraine - actually I’m surprised I haven’t had more recently. So tablets and long lie in. Good for my soul! Eventually BB had had enough, slipped away from Chris a and rarred at me! Not sure? what else they did all morning though? SB was cbeebie-ing when I got down.

Hmm, I’m not sure either. There was some breakfasting, SB watched a video ‘Animal Tales’ from M&S, she spent ages writing lots in her birthday card to Nanny. We all played together for while with various of BB’s toys. SB complained as she tried to build a house over herself with cushions, whilst BB clambered on top. I read somethign but I’ve forgotten what it was.

My brain was still whirring from the previous evenings 3 hour meeting at work - aargh indeed! so did laid back playing with stacking blocks with BB and shape sorters. SB was supposed to be doing singapore maths in that 1 sum and 20 mins scribble kind of way, so i remembered yesterday and did things beside. lunch was a good distraction!

She did do it without bother after lunch, and we all ran outside to enjoy the sun some more. I weeded and then planted the rest of the onion sets. BB helped by peeling off their skins, and pulling them back out! SB helped rake, and enacted princess stories.

Back in and I read Greek myths and legends whilst BB fed. SB then chose a bit about genetics. She liked the double helix of the DNA. I obviously paraphrased and simplified wildly, but she got the gist - such that we did a bit of fractions on how much we shared with family - though clearly got to a woosh moment! So calmed down by reading some apple tree farm books together, and playing buckaroo.

After tea and bath, SB and BB? did interpretive dance show to classical music. ROFL.

An apprentice hit - what was with the hiding away and drinking champers? - and vidded Grand Designs.

has been had - thank goodness.

Am behind on blogging, well this blog. the gardening blog going great guns.

Anyway, yesterday the beans got me up by 7.30! makes such a diference to the day having all that time! I can’t remember in my usual technicolour detail though.Our plans changed first thing as we were going out, but a doublebooking and I took the chance to relax.

So we did some hama

of course, the problem with hama is…

Oh well!

We painfully did explode the code - not sure why it was so awkward. set myself into a corner and ‘had to’ carry though. I think work stress and newly ‘official’ is affecting my parenting. Hopefully a temporary derailment!

So we de-stressed by sowing the pepper and squash seeds from last weeks aztec meal. 48 of each!!! hmm, I wonder how many will germinate. BB took the opportunity to pull up a few of the sunflowers - sigh

While BB slept, I did some more mute apologising, making a dairy free sponge. I have never baked with soya milk before, but it was fine. Not vegan as I used eggs. SB wished it to be purple!

We went outside to enjoy the sun, and SB played hide and seek and I made stories for her to enact. BB awopke and the cake was out and cooled for some family cake decorating. SB wanted the cake cut to be Xmas trees and pressies - always seasonal here! I was amazed how keen BB was, and how much she concentrated.

And then we all went outside to rampage about again, and Chris finished panting the fruit trees

So, tuesday a great day!

Shall blog today seperately!!

You are loyal, selfless and loving. Hardworking and dependable, you are always willing to lend a helping hand and people often take advantage of your goodwill. Remember to treat yourself every once in a while, you deserve pampering too.

but actually not, I use these?

and deserves its own blog as the words made me cry.

“for a special granddaughter with love and pride. With memories of the wonderful granddaughter you’ve always been, with pride for the accomplished young woman you’ve become. ”

I needed that really.

i had a lovely day with the girls yesterday, and aprt from a bit of grumping over ‘match and sort’ having a good day so far. Though i think I need some time of work to re-centre and gain my balance. Have submitted my offiial request for mediation.

and she is only just 5. Does this mean we haven’t been brushing teeth porperly, or that she’s going to have problems with teeth in the future? I’m sure 6 is more of a normal tooth out age.

Friday was last nursey day, Helen has posted a nice piccie of SB with Vicky her keyworker below. Sums up her nursery experience for us really, she has enjoyed it, and it has been a positive experince for her. Both of her nurseries have been lovely relaxed places, with lovely caring staff. BB of course being Miss Laidback has seemed happy there as well. Thankyou to Kids Academy (dreadful name - so not what they were like)and silks Farm.She seemed ok about finishing, though I think she is worried about missing the playing time with other kids. she is really keen to start Rainbows etc. I had to wipe away the odd tear when I? picked them up. Silly I know, but I’m hopeless at this sort of thing. It’s that old end of something feeling, even though it’s exciting to be entering a new period.

Anyway, Helen wasn’t going to back until late, so just me and the girls for dinner and bedtime rituals etc. BB is? a little bit of a pain whne i haveto put her to bed becuase she still doesn’t really want to have bottles , so then just makes a big fuss for a while a lot of the time .

Saturday - Helen off to work, she was on call all weekend :-(? - what did we do?? can’t quite remember - would have no doubt played her 3D Snakes and Ladders since we seem to play that every morning. I do remember that I sat for soemtime with SB and read through an old Ladybird book about how aeroplanes work (aimed at much older children)- she doesn’t like to be fobbed of she likes you to explain things properly. So much talking about the diagrams - about the forces on aeroplanes, about how they move and are controlled etc. she’s remembered from a while back about the shape of the wing being important. This tiem the thing that seemed to stick in was about? lift and gravity. They did say at nursery that she was always coming out with odd facts about things.

We went into the local town for a bit of shopping - went round the farmers market? - did well not to by any nice looking cakes, preserves etc. just some nice organic veggies, failed to buy any sock for BB in woolies - losts of new born socks, lots of 2 yr old +, none in the middle - odd. SB didn’t find any toys she wanted to buy, nor books in the bookshop with her remaining money - which given all the pink dolly tat in Woolies surprised me.

Went into the cafe for some lunch, hadn’t intended to , but it was too late and we still ahd to pop into the supermarket - lunched (cafe man gave her two little crispy cakes for free so she was pleased by that),supermarketed - Waitrose so they have good little trolleys for kids to use , which is actually useful? when you’ve? sleeping child in a buggy as well.. She is quite sensible with it now as well.

Time we got home SB was flaggin a bit, she’s no been entirley well, with a sore throat and a ‘funny tummy’ - sat and cuddled read for a bit Then we went and paid a visit to the ‘home dad’ as was - A&C and their new(ish - 4 weeks almost) baby. Spent a nice time there for a bit, but SB had a bit of a wobbly when we had to leave, as usual SB didn’t want to leave - then got all upset becuase they weregoign out for a walk and we weren’t. Obviously all to much for her, as when we got home she was just crying and saying she wanted, mummy, so we sat and cuddled on the sofa until she came home.

Had? a bad night? - she couldn’t seem to stay alseep by herself for more than 15 minutes, and wanted Helen all the times, so not a good night.

just had to say that.

have blogged though, but here!