Petits Haricots

grr to the F12 button which I mistakenly pressed instead of the backspace. it switched the laptop off, and therefore my blogpost evaporated, so I sulked!

Anyway, tues for me finished, as always, WAY LATE, so everyone asleep when I got in. Had appalling migraine wed, but took as many drugs as possible to keep it at least vaguely under control and got up near lunch time.

Actually, we did have a lovely day - though I had to keep head as still as possible! We played, SB read a fairytale book beautifully, did some more maths MPH1A [neeeeeaaaaarly finished!], a violin and piano practice [G and F added!] SOme colouring.

We spent a while making the dizzy funland Gears thing. SB followed the instructions very well, and i tried to distract BB from wrecking it! She was going to ‘maggle it’ [mangle it!]

We all went and ran about in the garden - unfortunately I left the camera out there too [blame the headache! - it rained last night] Anyway, a bit of sorting out, lots of swinging, rollerskating and running.

We watched a robin hood - lots of discussion about the crusades. should have had merry and girls! BB was exhausted and went to bed, SB and I ended up reading a french usborne first words, as SB and BB had got the usborne first words and usborne first french words between them - I of course did ham up slightly the french accent!! [Heaven help her]

then britannia and pirates book finished.

THE APPRENTICE

Yesterday,  was library day, but before that managed to be organised enough to have children dressed, breakfasted etc. in time to sit down and start on the Getty and Dubay handwriting book B. So did that and then checked up on what books we had out, found most of them, decided which ones to take back, which ones to keep or renew, got grumpy as one card wasn’t with the other two. And as usual just about made it on time for storytime. Which I keep waiting for SB to decide she is bored with, seeing as it’s aimed at under fves, isn’t really that well attended usually, and most of those going or 2-3 yo.

But she likes it, and as it’s round the corner, we keep going. BB was rather cute, she has worked out she can carry her book bag by sliding it up her arm to her shoulder - rather than just dragging it along the ground. So she proudly walked along, going on about carrying her books.

For the first time as well really, BB found herself some books she wanted to take home but it did involve herremoving rather a lot of the books from the shelves/boxes and piling them up. Found a nice one about ‘xray book of abcient buildings’ and one about rivers that has some practical project ideas, which we may have a go at some - though some are rather complicated. Sb had an eclectic collection - including 2 board books for toddlers (why?) and a Rainbow Faries or Jewel Faries or whatever they are called book.  She’s seen them before at other peoples houses, but not read one before. But it looks like she will manage it, so I guess it might start a bit of a ‘thing’.

So, home, to peruse  a few books and have lunch. after lunch BB got increasling grumpy, and annoying towards SB,  when we sat down on the sofa, she clambered about on me grumping for  bit and then fell asleep pretty rapidly sort of dangling off me. Well she had been up until about midnight the night before.

Afternoon passed with SB doing a bit more maths from MPH 1B, we are slowly approaching the end, but never seem to quite get there. We went into the garden for a while,  I moslty hacked back a lot of the very overgrown fig tree that gets in the way once it comes into leaf and shades the Greenhouse to much. The hacking is the easy bit, removing the piles of hacked stuff is the tedious bit. Sb was sort of helping, but mostly clambering about on the swings.

BB woke up, we sat for a bit in the sun with a book reading with SB, till she was perky enough, i finished up clearing up, and then came in to cook, whilst they played around for a bit more outside. They came in, we tidied the playroom and  they watched a bit of Bob the Builder which is BB’s real TV obsession until tea was ready.  After dinner and gettign ready for bed we all sat down on the sofa and watched a bit of one of the ‘Natural history of the British Isles’ DVDs. We must have got pretty near to the end, but we all three had dozed off, when Helen got back from work about 20 minutes later (it was late- about 8.30pm) we were al snoozing away- ah well that was an easy single handed bedtime.   So me and Helen settled down to watch the season finale of Battlestar Galactica.

H did do  blog for today, but then lost it, so it’ll have to wait for another time.

wow, found out the other cylons!!!

Nearly at earth!

OH SO FAB

I sit down to blog today, and find H has reprised it already ….. Well that’s me for the week

Additons:

needed to send Grandad J’s birthdays cards off today, SB decided she had something to finish on it, so spent more time faffing about with stickers, meaning we left later to go to Nanna and Grandad F’s than intended. And because it was encrusted with great big fluffy pom-poms they  needed to go as a large letter, so a quick trip to the post office was needed. Well, at least I realised - unlike some people

Noticed my Dad has some weird  thing on his eye - some sort of  swelling under the bottom lid - really quite big - GP had no idea really - not seen anything like it (nor did the other doc there), so he is off to the Eye hospital in the morning. hope it’s nothing to major.

Trauma of the Day  - finding out Little toe Radio Show has gone, not listened to it for a couple of weeks, but Stringbean has really loved it. Went to find it  (on listen again on the BBC website), but it seems to be no more

There is something called Cbeebies Radio, but we tried a bit of that, but first impressions weren’t good - a number of old pop songs from years ago which seemed rather odd, I think there was a story, but amongst the songs and the chatter and drivel . In fact my initial impression was sort of like ‘radio drivel - aka most radio nowadays’ for littlies. Big toe has  into Big toe Books’, so may give that a go. not sure if she won’t find the stories a little old for her, though. Anyway, grump, grump.

The world is on hold as it were! totally lost without it. sigh.

I have a man-cold [feel miserable!] Work was work. The beans went off to Nana’s to help sort out the patio, and BB has returned with big egg on back of head having fallen backwards out of patio doors. SB did colouring there and reading, and some MPH 1B maths on return, and some SOTW. [Confucius]. Mostly running about ike a loon though with Kleine Hippo on in the background
my yellow-moon order arrived though, just a few bits and pieves - and a few of them presents as well - so very restrained. I did get some bug poppers for BB [a ladybird and a beed [her word!] She doesn’t like them popping - typical! But has enjoyed making them talk to each other.
We had frog-in-a-bog for tea [otherwise toad in the hole, but with veggie sausages] which was a yummy change from our usual teas. The girls are in the bath, and soon more britannia and the last bit of the pirates book.

Maybe Chris will blog this week though!

Back to work tomorrow, so a bit of gloom - hence sherry! [ex christmas stock!]

i had a lie in today and breakfast in bed - lovely. The came down to the playzone! SB was roller skating, and BB using the xylophone as a skateboard [v quiet!] SB very excitedly said she could do a handstand, so we put cushions on the floor [well, she’s bound to hurt herself otherwise] and SB and BB take turns to do tumbles, headover heels and something vaguely looking like a handstand. i remember crying in a gym lesson being made to do a handstand, so not the best person to demonstrate to SB. Should have asked at camp last week! I took out her ‘hair’ but was amazed by how wavy it is - we have been thinking she was someone else all day!
We then made cards for my dad - usual glueing pompoms, stickers, sparkles, feathers etc. I bet he’ll be pleased though! The girls then did an even messier gluing stuff picture with some bits and pieces merry left here before. SB finished varnishing the fimo, and BB and I have been wearing the thumb rings she made us.

BB helped me make Spanish omelette [I hep youuuuuuuu], and it seemed a lunch she could do - keeping all the ohter ingredients stirring while the potatoes cooked. It was yummy scrummy too. SB thinks she can make that for us in the future - I have promised to teach her to cook this Summer. [she had 3 helpings btw!]. We ate in the conservatory as the table was covered in gluey things.

We all went outside after lunch to enjoy the good weather. the girls raced about playing games, SB made a potion with flowers, and BB watered things. our fruit trees are coming into flower - the merryweather damson is covered in flowers. Our broad beans outside are getting going, as is the radish. no sign yet of carrots though.

SB did a violin lesson - of the pulling teeth variety! However, though she was slouchy, she did better bowing, and it didn’t sound quite so much like we were torturing the cats!

Seed sowing - cauliflower, autumn giant leek, mangetout and peas. [must reinstate gardening blog!] the aubergines, peppers and toms all have at least a few seedlings - unsure at present which are which as only seed leaves! The peas from before are coming up [1 week since sown]. Both girls ‘helped’ me - which is why there is a variable number of seeds in each module, and by the end I have no idea what is where! luckily, they become obvious as they grow.
The worm world has compacted down a bit, so need to add some more compost [task for this eve!] . We studied a dead bumble bee, which then buzzed briefly in BB’s hand - not so dead after all then. She didn’t like that, and called it a naughty bee, but we gave it some sugar water [and I think it has now expired in it!]. Oh well, we got to look at all its various anatomical features before it briefly recovered!

SB has done some more zoombinis - run through a whole level, but only ’saved’ 7 this time. Thanks Kirsty. BB watched Bob the Builder. BB fell asleep over dinner, and is now being unsettled, SB had a shower and Brittania and the pirate book for bed, and is now listening to 5 children and it - a firm favourite!

Thanks for the reading suggestions from below. Will save my pennies at the moment then!

Before children, when we weren’t sure we would be able to have any, when I couldn’t sleep, I would pretend my pillow was a little child snuggled in, and I would sleep easily.

Now I have had 2 children that snuggle in, and when I do that, I do sleep more easily [if not at a Youth Hostel!]. Since we’ve been back BB has insisted in a ’spoon’ snuggle every night, and I am asleep within seconds.

Bead Merrily… [as in that pearl and dean thing or whatever!]

But anyway, a lovely relaxing day! SB, as mentioned before, tore into some new books and is romping through the last one [sigh!] in the set I have got. The morning was mostly playing and an eternity getting dressed [I think the 2 girls were mostly playing then too!]

After lunch we did some fimo, We were going to do Easter eggs, but SB saw the girly flower jewellery kit she had got for her birthday so we did that instead, but with different colours. She found cutting out the flowers slightly tricky - as she wanted them to look perfect - so we had a small flower cutter in the playdough box. BB mimicked all the cutting and rolling with her playdough. We both loved the rollup rainbow for the flower middle. [yes will flickr!]

After tidying that up and setting the oven going, she was then keen to do hama eggs - you’ve guessed it, another bead merrily kit [therefore the title! But obviously an old pattern as couldn’t find it on the website]. She did a beautiful egg with butterfly, but decided we should put it on our hama window, so we filled in between the butterfly and egg a little bit with clear [worked out by SB]. BB was asleep at this point, having done lots of skipping about, making me food to eat, and playing with the castle.

I tried and failed to get the zoombini’s maths journey started, so while Chris did that, SB and I read up about the universe. [a DK one through the book people, so failure to find a link!]. SB does like the space topic, and we return a fair amount. We looked at our broad beans in jars - roots and the start of a shoot. Chris did get the zoombini’s to work, so she has been round it on its easiest setting, and realised it wasn’t impossible [she had read the age suggestion, so had to be persuaded it was possible!] Next time we will start putting it up! I enjoyed the bubble bit. Both girls did a violin lesson as well.
BB woke up very clingy, but moved onto Poisson Rouge and then watching The Snowman DVD [she has a rotten cold poor thing].

Curry for tea, with yummy lentils. SB finished the zoombinis, and we went to bed. More Britannia [we are at king Malcolm and Qeen margaret] She read me a chapter of an Usborne Young reader [pirates], and we discussed finances, salaries, saving for rainy days, and why I go out to work, even though I would like to stay at home, and why we don’t both work part time any more. Hopefully that won’t make her brain whizz too much to fall asleep!

Em’s hairstyle will have to come out tomorrow, as only just in place - I’m not sure I can replicate!

I got books 5,6,7,9-12 today trhough the post [thankyou american ebay]. SB loves them. Typically, she has started at book 12, and having flicked through, I think they are supposed to be vaguely sequential!

I have looked at the website  and it doesn’t answer my questions, so anyone out ther that have used them:

1. Is it particularly noticeable it should be sequential?

2. Are all the books roughly the same reading level [SB is racing through this polar bear one]

TBH, I thought they may be a bit tricky for her, but they’re not [I have no idea what ‘reading level’ she is [well, she is reading the usborne young readers at level 2, level 10/11 ORT, DK readers level 3 - whatever all those are!], and what they are supposed to be. I just want her to have a bookshelf of interesting books to read. These certainly fit that bill.

I am doing some translation - sneakers = trainers, and an ineresting discussion on torches vs flashlights [rofl!]

Any other favourites out there for this kind of reader? [tempted by the animal arks in the latest book people - should have put in bin without reading!]. She likes chapters, but not really long ones, likes the occaisonal piccie or line drawing - doesn’t have to be every page.

We visited castle rising on the way home. Luckilly we went along the earthworks before it got really blustery. They are amazingly steep and high. I guess the great wall of china is mostly earthworks with some stone cladding! but to see these was still a wow. The girls loved exploring the castle, and SB enjoyed listening to the story - even if she did tell me we were in the room where the chaplain wept [luckilly Merry transalted that as slept shortly afterwards!]. Their website - as linked to - is rather good, and they are also an EH place. Def worth a short visit. we were there about 2 hours? I loved the mural passageway, and the fact there was only one windy staircase, and the keep was really well fenced so I didn’t imagine BB plunging to the floor from anywhere - a first!

my photo’s are uploading at the speed of snails tonight - its going to be a while!

We were all amazed by the peace at home, for 2 secs, as SB been a total loon since arrival! Early bedtime for them both, and we wont be much later. The broad beans and brocolli have spouted whilst we were away though.

well, the weather was MUCH better than we had been led to believe! OK, so it was quite a bit windy - particularly Tuesday! and it was hailstormy, but…

We had a lovely time, thanks to Nic and Ady for organising it. SB ran around having fun, BB is a total camp baby now, and I hardly saw her [unless she wanted something…]. SHe did enjoy playing with Josie, J and R. Fran also played with her - mostly chase!

The Sealife place was good too - with SB just about holding a crab. BB would probably have held it and then pulled it apart. SB raved around, but did make a good stab at reading many of the boards, and enjoyed the variety. some how we missed the pregnant seahorses - which is All My Fault! She carefully chose how to spend her holiday money - on some sweets which she shared out very generously, and good book on a shipwreck which was a bargain price. Also a ring - which fairly quickly broke, and I have the pieces to try and fix.

We had 2 good blustery sea walks. The first on the Tuesday, Chris and BB had to turn back as it was too windy and ‘owy upside’ for BB. SB and I carried on and splashed briefly in the waves before retuning to the hostel for hot chocolate. The second we were joined by puddles and SOTP, and was far less blustery. we got to see jelly fish and a starfish, and some very weird tiny springs coming up in the sand! Also a man digging up lugworms who SB very bravely asked him what he was doing, and declined to believe the answer of harvesting potatoes!

We did sneak some educational resources in there - I even have a piccie of Ady looking at a Latin scheme - with Nic disapproving in the background! I liked the lingua angelica , and may get that, but prob wouldn’t use the lovely latina christiana source, because… however, may see what I can remember about cambridge university press - maybe get a book from the library. I enjoyed it, and I liked learning about caecilius and roman ife in Pompeii. I am worried it might be to ‘formal and difficult’. Obviously, not a hurried concern as next resources time is next jan! on the ed front, SB read every evening to me, and is really enjoying it.

However, since that wasn’t in the spirit of NicCamps [rofl!] we also ate cakes, drank tea and a small amount of wine. i cooked a yummy curry [oops, cauliflower and chickpeas in it - not Nic Camps]. Anyway, thanks again for Nic as the grand organiser and Ady as best man! Thanks also to Em for raising the abr way high in hairstyles for children! SB is desperate for Merry’s landlock game as soon as she stocks it! BB is on a cake and frips [sic] high, and reluctant to return to normal eating.

Oh, and SB wants a DS!

And photo’s will increase as they trickle onto flickr!

packing - tick, cakes - tick, seeds for kirsty - tick [think the miquon in there, must check!] cold clothes - tick.

Fish water changed and fed - tick, worms watered and fed - tick, seeds watered and propagator on - tick. Borad beans in jar started to sprout. quick sowing of tigerella toms, romanescu brocolli and some very old mangetout which may or may not germinate! - tick.

bedrooms and playroom mostly tidy - tick! washed and dressed - tick

blogged - tick

so now lunch and out!!! Hello everyone.

SB never did these shrieking fits.

today we went and said happy mother’s day to little nanny, and she was thrilled. The weather has been interesting! She taught SB how to play rummy - and SB was delighted. The lasagne went down a trick. She loved the card from SB, but chris packing cards forgot to take BB’s. I think she was just thrilled to see us though. Both girls were mostly delightful - as always.

its a long old day for me though, with a good drive either side, and the keeping both girls at perky best, not putting sticky fingers anywhere [although they are fed chocolate and icecream!] without seeming too manic and making them unhappy! Cooking, washing up and being a full prairie muffin dervish [so not me!]

But it is all worth it, Little Nanny totally delighted - has already rang a number of family members to tell them full details, and I love seeing her, and whats more, she is sooooo much better than this time last year. She has even got into town and back [though won’t in the snow - I left her with provisions!]

on an educational front - we discussed - watermeadows, ditches, canals, draingage, ploughing and sowing, use of polythene and polytunnels, cathedrals and multiplication of time differences between driving at 60 and walking at 4! SB has read to Nanny there and me at home. And learnt rummy! It was also lovely having 3 of us singing baa baa black sheep et all on the drive as went in car with no stereo [or anything!]. SB also gave me a lovely card at Little Nanny’s - all written [and spelled] by herself. will photo and flickr - aahh.

well, mostly today we have been baking and making mother’s day cards. BB loved sticking, and SB just enjoyed making the cards. chris’s parents came round and got their card, and saw SB’s birthday pressies [they bought her the gorgeous corolle doll . SB read to Nana whilst BB and I made and baked brownies.

SB did some education city and then we baked a choc chip banana loaf. we checked on our worms - nicely making tunnels and taking down food, our seeds - some evidence of phototropism in the spouted cress, and the tomatoes and sunflowers have started to appear.

I made a lovely lasagne, and the girls did some colouring, and then watched bob the builder on the ‘puter. BB singing along at top voice. i have to say, BB sings beautifully, and she is really vocal. We have listended to little toe and classic fm as well, so not all BTB!

We read more britannia [battle of hastings] and an ORT at bedtime.

not packed though.

card for little nanny - yep
card for chris mum - yep!
card for my mum - yep
flowers for my mum -yep [she’s in libya, so for when she comes home!]
dinner for little nanny - yep, lasagne
choc brownies [vegan] - yep
banana loaf [vegan]
choc banana loaf [vegan or dairy free] -yep
? carrot cake if em not making one

pack!