Counting Blessings

I have had a lovely phone call with nanny, and she is cheerier, the physio was pleased with her yesterday, and my mum is going tomorrow to stay for a week, my aunt went last night, so fingers crossed really.

I met with the chief exec of where I work yesterday and managed to say fairly calmly whatwas making me unhappy. obviously she didn’t promise to help, but acknowledged it was a difficult time, and seemed very capable and direct. [I didn't expect help btw, and so am very pleased that I feel that have at least been able to voice some of my concerns]

Had a lovely home-ed day today with SB, and BB is still very gorgeous to be with [except after 9pm, when I'd prefer her to be in bed]

I have only fed BB once in last 3 days! We are substituting with ‘tuddles’ and ‘daireelee’ . I am ready to wean, and for her it is a turf marking rather than anything else. I want to demonstrate how we can easily bond with cuddles. And SB seems to be more put out by feeding now, as BB often chooses a time when SB has more attention.

So, to today, had a very lovely long phone call with a friend I hadn;t heard from in ages. Cmae downstairs to play with SB and BB, we started off with each of them doing ‘magic painting’ and then I facepainted SB [angelina ballerina as a flower fairy!] and they painted a hand of mine each. SB had a go at scoobies, and BB did some more painting.
We then did some romping around general play, and they both fancied eggs, so had first lunch of boiled egg and toast. SB then did some singapore 1B maths which is all about getting comfortable with grouping things in preparation to divide and multiply. However, later on in the day, she demonstrated counting to 40 in 5′s [perfectly] 80 in 10′s [again perfectly] and 20 in 2′s – she chose to do it and the end point. I asked how far she thought she could get in 3′s, and she said 18! [and she did]. So I think she might be quite comfortable with the idea. She also said she was getting older now, as she was halfway to 10. BB used the haricot bean counters to create mayhem and destruction with her little pots! She will be an ace seed sower come the Spring.
Second lunch of a sausage sarnie for each of the girls, and the BB had a nap. SB read an ORT book to me – very well, though obviously not perfectly. She is quite confident about it, and when I offered to read the next page if she was getting tired [usually something she jumps at] – she declined.

I offered to pay a game, but she wanted me to read degas and the little dancer about his statue of Marie. She thought it sad Marie didn’t get to be a ballet dancer, but was very keen on the book, and discussing Degas pictures and then trying out basic conversation in french. [ ooh, edited to add the other odd tangent we went down was what maries life might have been – marriage children, perhaps 8. SB thought? 20 was too many, and that she would give some away. We discussed how that wasn’t done very much, and she wanted to know how the birth mothers chose the new parents, so we had an odd and long conversation about adopting and fostering.i guess in the future I have thought we might foster, so… then we discussed Little nanny being in a family of 8. SB doesn’t want to be in a family of 8, she thinks 4 is enough [rofl at who she might be getting ideas from]

Still wanting to be read to, i did the Alexander the great bit from story of the world - i like Alexander the great story, and so did SB. She eventually coloured in the bucephalus head once Chris could print it out [shout at printer] and did the paraphrasing/narrative activities well.

Finally she decided to play battleships, and we were doing well when BB walked through the door having got herself up. BB and battleships are presently not compatible… SO I played with BB with threading bobbins, and SB coloured in some pictures. Both girls did a bit of hama beading – SB nearly finished the giraffe now, and amazingly in normal colours rather than pink! I played some piano to them, BB joined in [always interesting!] and that persuaded SB to join in and then do some piano practice.

We did a lot of general play and me singing to the girls dancing type thing, and then teatime, bathtime and bed. I am running out of ideas for maggie and the ferocious beast stories, and Robin Hood ones – aargh!
I have ordered various craft bits for xmas card making from yellow moon and a few books from the book people schools catalogue, as I have an early inheritance from a great Aunt. its 500, and apart from todays ordering! I am trying to decide whether to be sensible and use it towards insulating the loft [which we need to do] or a huge frip on something like a big trampoline for SB, or a selfish having my laptop fixed for me? [or boring, and towards the credit card debt] We are still in definite frugal mode, but this is unexpected extra bonus money as it were. decisions decisions? Talking about inheritance, Aunty Peggy had always said she was leaving something to ‘you girls’ [ie little Nanny's grandchildren] when it came to it, we didn’t get anything, and I was not bothered. I had not expected it, her death was sudden and unwanted, and well, its her money. However, she left it to cousin anne who predeceased her instead, and it ended going all to cousin anne’s beneficiary, my second cousin who I don’t think met Aunty Peggy? Didn’t visit, wasn’t at funeral etc [though his parents were]. I can’t imagine that was where she thought it would be going. Must make sure I do a good watertight will!!! Hmm, that sounds like I am bothered, so maybe I am a bit.

Anyway, our youngest is still awake, and Chris is trying to bore her with telly. Oh, and SB says the hair wirler is the only thing she really wants for Xmas, and I can choose the rest. SO hair twirler it is! otherwise, we have Xmas and birthday pretty much sorted thanks to ebay.

oh, and need to get more face paints – particularly white!