March 2007

Could do with the Mice? from Bagpuss, to sing songs and help us out since that is what we have been mostly doing this week. in particular, as mentioned by Helen, tidying, and reorganising the playroom, which seemed to be disappearing under piles of ’stuff’, boxes etc. I seemed to have moved most of the books around, organised things to be more accessible. There are now some shelves just for ‘Butterbean’ toys rather than being thrown in a box, which means she does actually now play with them. Also been tidying other places, like spending about 2 hours other day, just putting away piles of clean washing, sorting out the cupboards in the girl’s room - which have loads of space which was mostly filled up with boxes/bags of outgrown/waiting to be grown into clothes.
Basically, things got so messy and disorganised that it’s hindering getting on doing educational stuff, either you can’t find things, or you can’t face getting something out and adding to the chaos, or it just sits there praying on your brain as it needs doing or you end up doing a bit of sorting out or tidying, instead of doing stuff with the kids, but not enough to make an impact - it needed a concerted effort. Yes I know we have plenty of space and storage space, but that just means you can put off things for longer…..

So still things to do, but much improved.

So abandoned attempts to do much ed stuff really, some maths, reading here and there about this and that. As part of the maths stuff on money, SB did a shop the other day, priced up somethings, including putting barcodes on them,

then I had to buy things and she gave me the change. Realized when she had done it that we haven’t really done decimal addition or subtraction yet which we needed to do to calculate things. We could have done it all in pence, but SB decided she wanted to use the toy till, which has a calculator bit on it, to do them, so she did that, and I explained what the ‘point’ was - or tried to anyway

Today, so far, SB gave me a ballet lesson, SB and BB have made mothers day cards, my parents popped round this morning, and Helen has baked/cooked, assisted in various ways. BB is a real Bob the Builder fan, so to add to the couple of well played videos we have I’ve downloaded a couple BTB things so they’ve been watching some odd thing where they all go off on some sort of Cowboy holiday in America.

Ahh, Helen has been cooking with SB, she has just come in to say the ‘kitchen is all mine’ , which is rather ominous.

I hate kitchens, no sooner do you get it cleaned and tidy, you blink and it’s a disaster zone again. I want two kitchens, one we use and spends most of it’s time messy, the other would be just for going in and enjoying the pleasure of sitting in a nice clean and tidy kitchen. No cooking, or children allowed

hunstanton 5 day weather forecast

Well,that was Chris’s cry as he organised the home ed room - there did seem to be rather a lot of them about! In fact, chris has spent most of the day organising and tidying the room [and is still doing it] so 3 cheers for him!

What have we done? well the morning was mostly playing for the girls, running about and having fun. The new violin shoulder rest came through [its a bit big!] but we fiddled it [rofl] and both girls did a violin practice, and I managed to get some nice bow arm movement from SB. We had unearthed some DJ readers level 3 [a long ago book people order] and SB had a go at reading the carnivorous plants book, and she did some education city. We looked at the worms again, and our cress has started to sprout [the only thing sprouting so far. Have read kirsty's gardening blog and feeling well behind again!]. I read a variety of books to BB, and she did handstands while SB did a bit of singapore maths 1B final stretch!
After lunch, I distracted BB with playdough, so that SB and I could so a fairy clothespeg dolly from tesco’s. The playdough distracted SB too though, so we didn’t! BB has made a plaster of paris handprint, and we will do SB’s tomorrow or fri perhaps. We did our french conversation, and added in the age again. I know that isn’t really much for language, but still…
We then got out a microscope we had picked up from freecycle and had a play about with it. The lenses aren’t brill, but SB enjoyed messing about, seeing what she could see etc. intended to read greg’s microscope, but didn’t, and BB fell asleep.

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With BB asleep, we went and snuggled altogether on the sofa and did some story of the world [it has been ages!] and read about China and the great wall. we also have the great wall of china book from sonlight, and assorted bits from enchanted learning that she has done. We looked at the globe, messed about with our own calligraphy and I change the I am romulus and this is rom to I am chin shen and this is china [said, but she'll remember!] we even compared and contraste with romans, and looked at google earth - took up about 2 hours of interest. I guess this is what it should be like all the time!

With BB then awake, we did tidying and had a chippery tea. Girls had a bath, and more britannia and ORT for SB bedtime, but BB still up and about due to 2 hours of sleep before! Other than that, both girls have been singing around the house, dancing and generally being lovely [mostly!]

Flickr have launched a way to group/organise your sets.

Which will give H something more to fiddle with

v difficult to get up and go to work, but did so. [though had a mad phoner on my mobile while I was there - i think it might have been Josie! I put it on silent - rofl] The beans did a bit of maths, not sure what else and then went to the playbarn to meet with a friend. they had a lovely time

When I came home, Chris was reading the tree of life [about evolution] well, SB read half of it and he finished when she got tired. Its a really nice book actually - the evolutionists answer to a creation story. I would recommend it. They then all looked at places on google earth - my parents are off to Syria, which started the search.

We did some violin practice - both of them. SB has a stiff bow arm, so am doing various weird waving excercises as well, being a swan, wrist sighing etc etc.

We read some more of the science encyclopaedia all about atoms [woosh over her head I think, but she liked looking at the pictures - especially the rutherford model]. We looked at the worm world again, they seem to be fine, and pulling the leaves down their burrows. Other than that mostly played dolls and loved me! [the ed is all bitesized if you were wondering how it all got fitted in!]

They also helped Chris make a pineapple upside down cake [BB only ate the pineapple!] All very noisy and wild. Early bed for all of us.

oh, a late update! we have played around the world board game [draw] and connect 4 - and SB truly beat me [rather than a tactical lose] for 1 game out of 3! Hooray. More britannia and ORT reading for bedtime stories, and she is now listening to Horrible Histories CD [so I might tick history!]

yay, spring is in the air. the daffs have been around for a while, the cherry blossom nearly over and the magnolia budding. Hooray for the rebirth!

I had a lie in today - well, BB did wake me, and we sang songs for a while, but she got up with Chris and I didn’t. When I did finally stir my stumps, I had heard them playing dollies together for a while - no idea what else.

So a slow start, with me reading books to the girls and them playing more dollies and castles. We also did a violin practice [for both] and started SB on twinkle twinkle - but will do merrily we roll along as well. She enjoyed trying starting on different strings.

We looked at the paperweight mosiac from yesterday, and peeled off the paper - unfortunately some of the little mosiacs came out too, but I think that was because the paper wasn’t damp enough. Can glue them back in easily enough. It looks fab anyway.

After lunch we piled outside to make the most of the weather. Mostly playing - hide and seek - where I giggled so loudly in my hiding place, but she still walked past twice :rolls: BB kept giving the game away as well. Chris washed the cold frame, and BB her dolly [thank goodness not SB's new one! - we should have bought her a bathable one from Merry!]. Much swinging and looking at sprouting broad beans and radish - some suitably investigated by BB, so probably also ‘not working’

We sowed some more broad beans - into roottrainers, and some aubergines. Gradually catching up! Need to do some peas and brassicas ideally before hunstanton for the earlies, but fine to wait. BB got really carried away by the broad bean sowing, so happily sowed the rest of the packet into little pots which she filled with compost. the bean family are so ideal for little fingers! She was sooo proud of herself too, and told me about it over and over again.

BB is such a jolly little thing, SHe loves to talk [good thing in this house] and tell stories. In the garden she had 2 little boats that kept going on adventures round the garden with her, and you could overhear snippets of conversation between them. She is being a bit mean to SB but we are being firm that isn’t tolerated. Chris thinks that she actually enjoys doing the kiss, so now she has to go out into the hall and then come back in and kiss, and SB is encouraged to ask for a kiss at other times - maybe that’ll work. She loves being upside down at the moment, and does adore SB [mutual], following her around, and wanting to do everything with her. She’s also been my shadow - mostly because I have had so little time with her this past fortnight. Back on even keel now though I think.

We kept back some of the broad beans, and have done the beans in a jamjar experiment again - to again look at shooting and rooting. wonder whether to have a go with carrots as well this year like that - though the seeds are so fiddly?

We came in for hot cross buns, and SB cbeebied. BB - poor thing - started to flake, and was trying to eat and be asleep at the same time. Both girls got early baths, and BB stayed awake [just]. A quick pasta tea, and she was much perked, so we all looked at the first animal picture atlas together - BB spotting animals [mostly snakes and frogs!] and SB having to do continents as well.

SB then asked complicated genetics questions, so we discussed chromosomes, DNA and mitosis [sort of!] and looked at pictures of DNA [getting her to practice saying it out n full - BB had a go too] in our science encyclopaedia. We worked our way around one copy from each parent, but we each have 2, and so there can be ‘hidden genes’ ie blonde and curly! so you get a ’surprise’. At the back are some experiments, starting with cress and the need for light and phototropism. Chris took BB up to bed, and we set up the relevant experiments, having a pack of cress handy.

SB then fancied doing some piano, and we have turned over another page, so have added G to our list of notes![ GABCC#DE] . We looked at our worm world again [well, we had looked at it several times] Ours aren’t the most active, so I might add one or 2 that have never met BB before, in case that is the problem! it might just be they are slow to recover from such a shock. We re-read all about earthworms, and I felt a need to make a home-ed poster about it as a project. We will see whether I can persuade SB thats a good idea too.

Bedtime, for the big girl, and I read her some more from Britannia [which I can't really class as history - more British myths and legends!] , and she read me another ORT book. She told me she REALLY REALLY loves these books. She’s geting good at it. there was hardly any sounding out, or mistakes, but she has been reading books on and off all day and loves to read the farm books to BB as well.

only a week before annual leave - wayhay!

Stringbean was talking about doing mental arithmetic last night. she desicrbed the process  as ‘Writing in my head’. Which I rather liked.

we have done a fair bit of earth oriented thinking today! Unfortunately the beans conspired to make it a very very early start. Though SB did read me 2 books in bed, as I was refusing to be awake [chris just pretended to be asleep]. eventually I told him via SB that he needed to make me a cup of tea, so then had a catch up nap!

Urmmm, well I think we started with looking at the worm world thing that was picked up from the charity shop whilst looking for gists on thursday [rofl!] We duly all went out, filled with alternate sand and soil and liberated some juicy worms from the fruit bed to put in. BB was devastated that she didn’t get to play more with the snakes, but since at least 2 were put back on the garden as we were unsure whether they were really not working [her phrase] or playing dead, we felt the sooner out of her grasp the better. Later a ladybird also stopped working - she is a menace to our beneficials!!

We had a look at our previous sowings, and a few broad beans have germinated, and we have a very thick row of radish seedlings - hopefully marking some carrot ones to follow! We also harvested loads of early sprouting brocolli - yum.

it was a lovely day, so we did general playing in the garden, swings, playhouse etc etc until lunchtime, and I also pottered about with some weeding and feeding.

After lunch we did simultaneous crafts [always slightly hair-raising! SB did a mosaic kit that Merry gave her for her birthday, BB did painting and stamping, and I lacquered the only bit of made fimo I could find from Melrose - the pendants and dragon appear to be awol.

Hmm! then came a bit of awkwardness - SB and BB did colouring and then head over heelsing, and I asked that the felttips should be lidded and tidied - time to gloss! BB and SB did some violin practice [must get a shoulder rest!] , SB did some more area stuff with cuisinaire rods [from here to there] and BB and I read books and did pattern blocks and then had another gloss moment about being mean to SB!

Daddy returned, so I took 5, they helped him find seed trays, and we reconvened to sow peppers, tomatoes and sunflowers. Watered in very well!! More playing outside and the SB did some piano practice, and BB fell asleep mid wail on my lap. have wound down with dinner and robin hood since then.

Chris nearly managed to set fire to the house [sigh], luckilly I know if I think I smell something hot, I should immediately investigate [frying pan with oil]. Can’t get laptop keyboard to work either. Oh well. Early night tonight. Feeling much more whole - though frayed at the edges!

Honestly, he was about to put them all in the bin!! the girls love the balloons, BB will pop them soon enough! Rescued for now!

That’s what I feel like as a working mother at the moment. Rather similar blog over at Jax’s as well. I have worked solidly since SB’s party day and am consequently well and truly knackered. All the days have been exceptionally long, and there has been some exceptionally stressful moments. I have had brief views of my children - so brief that I am not sure that they know who I am - but have [as is my style] been as manically interactive as possible - thus making me more shattered, but marginally less guilty.

SO today - my day off - where am I? In work of course. But did eventually leave - hopefully with a bit of a job plan thrashed out, and we hot footed it to Merry’s. SB was delighted to see the last part of her birthday present - the very delectable new member of our famly - a corolle doll lea. Merry had to buy them in 2’s so there is one more to go on the website, and if I were you, and you’re in the market for a trilingual talking and utterly adorable dol [it is too!] then I would be the one to buy the matching pair [even if BB and all Merry's children think they should be the proud mother!].

I coo-ed over the other dolls in the range, and we lost the children to protracted mums and dads, and other games.

We were going to do science, but both Merry and I have had tough working week and both feeling the need to r and r, so the children played. [fran did french though]. BB and Josie were adorable together, and playing more and more. The cake SB and I made yesterday before bed was scoffed quickly [i said I had used my time to the max!]. BB is such a jumping girl at the moment, and does lovely ‘kiffs’ and cuddles. The older children fimo-ed as well - but we left SB’s there, and she forgot to bring home her camera - sigh!! Hopefully we will be reunited in Hunstanton.

Back and more doll playing, SB is delighted with it, and played beautifully with BB being the big sister and helping - aw it is just so lovely that they play so nicely together - this is a real home ed achievment. And then we did playing in the dark with a glow stick, and more head over heels frenzy!

Bedtime for SB was with the new doll, and we read some more Britannia, and she read to me the usborne robots book [saw Merry's Alexander the great usborne book, so very tempted when finances next allow]. I feel much more whole for a day at home, spring has sprung [always improves the mood] Kessingland organised. Now just to make sure i have a life! Yippee for the weekend [le weekend of course]

I’ll get the hang of bloggin every day…….

But as Michelle has been nagging me in Merry’s comments I’d better write something - can’t be doing with more extra women nagging me.

OK, Monday was our mothly HE group sports session, so we went along to that and SB ran around and did sporting things, BB pottered and I drunk tea and chatted :-). Followed by a trip to the park with the Katy and the crew from In at the Deep End. After that the plan was to head off get some lunch and go show shopping, plus a few other things. Went to the shopping centre where there is a decent sized Clarks, only to find that it was shut for refitting or something and wasn’t going to be open for 3 more days - so waste of car parking there then. Since we were there we got lunch and a few things, got back to carpark - it’s one of those get a ticket on the way in, pay on foot places. Realised I had no cash and it didn’t take cards, so had to traipse off to find cash machine etc. which meant of course we were welll over the hour, so that cost even more…. sigh.

So eventually escaped from the car park, headed off to the independent shoe shop we got SB’s last ones from - it’s out of the city centre and easy to park by. Got SB some shoes - a bit boring as she is now well into school age shoes, though they had better options last time, but SB really likes them so that’s fine. BB didn’t need any, though did discover that she has had a sock stuck in the end of one of them for who knows how long - it was squashing back here toes a bit and made it seems as if one fooot had loads more toe room….

By now needed more tea - so took up an invite by Katy to pop round to theirs which is just down the road. Enjoyed Earl Grey (but no tea pot….. ) and admired the birthing pool masquerading as a family size birthing pool filling up the dining room.

home to, well not sure really - ISTR some computing stuff goign on with the girls.

Tuesday went round to my parents house for most of the day, did do bit of HE stuff here before we went - moslty more of the Singapore maths - still the money bit, and some reading.

Wednesday

Helen was doing job interviews today, so not at home as per usual. Helen got a Learning Resources book about using Cuisenaire rods to explore Area/Volume and Perimeter from Sonlight last week, so Sb wanted to have a go at that. She spent ages with it, not so much on the book activities as with all the pattern making and general playing around with them that ensues. also got to practice drawing straight lines with the ruler (in the right place…) . Funny how simple thing like that isn’t a simple as it looks - getting the pencil at the right angle, holding the ruler firmly, in the right place, lining it up etc.

We sat and read a couple of the Anholt Artists books - Picasso and Van Gogh ones, and then spent some time looking for different pictures of their on the internet. There was some more Webland-ing and a bit of Ed City.

We finaly got some new swings seats (Ebay) to go on the swings, so we put one of those on so SB was happy to be able to swing again and spent some time on there. and generally playing outside - harvested some of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli which we have lots of right now.

Never understood the whole ‘kids don’t like green veg ‘ thing, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, whatever it is out love them all.

Watched a bit of the Life of Plants DVD before bed.

Thursday

BB’s toddler gym thing, so that’s a 9.30 start. SB took her camera with her and snapped some photos, haven’t had a look at them yet and sat and moslty read some Letterland books she found in the cupboard this morning. She is such a good advertisment for a HE-ed childthere, sits quietly with her bag, reading, or drawing, or writing etc.

Went into town after to do some shopping of various sorts. Noticed the stationers shop in town is closing, which is a shame - it was always useful for various bits, and very helpful in there as well. It’s our nearest town, and has survived pretty well with a range of indpendent shops as well as the normal high street places. But gradually the independents seem to be going.

There is a shop which sells gists etc. that has lots of stuff from different parts of the world - they tend to have little changing displys of stuff in one window. It was Chinese stuff for chinese New year last time. This week they had some Native American stuff on display, so looked and talked about some of those things, the photos they had etc. bought a few things in a charity shop, including a kit to make a worm observatory thing, so will hopefully be putting that together soon.

Once home had lunch, together me and SB read through a set of Quentin Blake books she got for Xmas and then Hellen got home early from work. There was somejigsawing - BB really getting into them now, head over heels practise, Sb did soem more of the Area etc. book before ballet class.

Stringbean’s reading has really taken off, I guess she is now at the pretty  competent, but not fluent stage. She is dealing very well with the Usborne Young Readers and their ilk. It really does remind of that thing toddlers do, when you can pretty much see them learning things right in front of your eyes. Everytime she picks up a book she seems to have moved on a step, and she is endlessly finding things around the place to read. It’s really quite wonderful.

And finally her reading is catching up with her maths, so she can now read some of the maths questions for herself.

On the topic of maths, are approaching the end of My Pals Are Here 1B, we are doing the money bit. Which sort of feels unnecessary as it’s basic stuff that she is picking up anyway from day to day life. But she wants to finish it off, and it won’t do any harm. In fact it’s required extra mental manipulation, as the book is the Singapore version, so the currency is Singapore Dollars and Cents, so we have flipped between calling them that or just pretending it’s pounds and pence, or calling them pounds but writing Dollars. All entertaining anyway. Will be moving onto Primary Mathematic 2A books after this, which follows the same curriculum, but presents it in  different way. Be interesting if it makes any difference to SB.

Other than that, today me and the girls went swimming. Poor old BB doesn’t get to go anywhere near as much as  SB used to at this age, and she really loves it. Whilst paying, she was sort of doing an excited little jig, pointing at the pool and going on the behind-the-desk person about swimming, going splash, splash!’

After lunch we read one of the Science Stories books about Pasteur, and looked a little bit at pictures of microbes, then did most of  jigsaw of a Roman town, where SB regaled me with various bits she new about Romans, she seems to get particularly excited by the Legionnaires.

In between times lately she has been doing loads of Webland, and some bits of Education city.

Later on, she did some Violin and Piano practice with Helen.

There has been a bit of black hole really here lately, SB’s birthday seemed to take out most of a week, with family visits, then preparing for a party, recovering from her party etc. Hopefully get back into normality next week.

remembered to look at the moon. it certainly does look weird when it is the wrong colour! When I got home from work, SB and I read some of our new books - marie curie and the search for radium and eric the red and leif the lucky. She had lots of questions after the marie curie one about science and elements and atoms, but decided we would look at another book ‘tomorrow’

she has done a fair bit of webland today while I was out, and chris has done a grand job on sorting out this years propagatory - time to sow some seeds! bit late with peppers already - oops.

SB and BB both did some violin practice, and SB some piano. otherwise mostly chilled and did pattern blocks altogether. tonight before going to bed, I read SB some britannia and she read me clumsy crocodile from usborne young readers. Her flow at reading is really coming along, and she reads things all the time now during the day - fantastic.

I must make sure worries of work don’t eclipse the joys of home.

Don’t like the liberal, anti-Christian, anti-American bias of Wikipedia, then maybe you should look to Conservapedia.?

Under the Examples of Wikipedia bias I thought that the one (no. 7) ‘uses foreign spelling’ amusing, as well as inaccurate - search Wikipedia for colour for example. And -’ise’ and ‘ize’ are both considered correct spellings in British English. Anyway, many of the alleged examples of bias seem to be just general criticisms of Wikipedia, (and there is plenty to criticise) rather than bias.

One of the criticisms is about the article on Feudalism , reading the insightful Conservapedia article which summarises Feudalism in Europe as ‘In the feudalism system everyone wins but some win more than others‘ I know which I’d prefer.

I caught the end of a piece on on home ed on the Today programme on R4 haven’t time to go and find and listen to it at the moment, as children want feeding, so this is just a reminder for later as much as anything. It was on around 8.40 - 8.45.

The bit I caught was the end of an interview with what sounded like a Home Ed ‘inspector’ or something.

On Thursday, for my birthday, Stringbean spent ages doing a picture (of a church) and then writing on the back, then putting it in an envelope with 60p she got out of her piggy bank. Except for asking me who you spell ‘er’ (of all the things) she did it all herself
It really is Wuendvul, and I was very touched.

actually ordered only in Jan, so nice and quick - was v careful to delete 2/3 of the order [having also taken notice of Jan's critiques of some!] before I actually paid for it though. I got the pattern block set, so SB has spent ages going through the cards and enjoying it. Also got some of the core 1 readers and books. I LIKE the science stories! will have to look out for the marconi and electricity ones elsewhre.

SB decided that the level 3 I can read books and the level 4 step into reading books I had got where just right for her. SO what with the usborne first readers we are well supplied for books at the mo for her to read.

I do think that if we ever did do a bought curriculum, sonlight would be the one for us, cos I like how the books are all interesting and around the timeframe. However, SB is def a follower of eclectic learning and the strewn book technique, and it does work for us. Just must make sure lots of strewn books!

it is about time actually to look at our books again, and remind ourselves and SB what we have, so that we can be more interesting.

BB has done loads of jigsaws today since I came home. She adores jigsaws. And both had fun blowing up balloons with the foot pump and letting them fuzzle away [though BB says 'I'm not doing that again' but does!] SB experimented ‘blowing’ it up with water from the tap, and of course realised the pressure thing that then makes the water spurt out and drench, rather than fuzzle like air - rofl!!

Sb also done some playing with birthday presents - thankyou all. in partic geomags, ocean mega puzzle, and a fight over ownership of the wooden maze [demonstrated by me in show of mode - rofl!] The pencils really are beautiful to use and the bionic putty is truly weird!

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Thanks again everyone for coming. SB really loved it, and was really happy to have her friends there and wasn’t at the end particularly phased by the lack of playbarn. Hope you all got home safely.

well, BB was actually trying to do a headstand, cos she enjoys doing them, but found it even more exciting when she tipped into a head over heels, so did it lots more.

well, we did a modicum of tidying, got the food ready and then went to the play barn. disaster! the leccy was off, people were mending the overhead wires and it was shut! We texted those we had numbers for and rapidly thought of a plan B. The village chemist sells little toys, so I went there - shut! Ah well, bye bye plan B.

Guests arriving so I pillaged SB’s craft cupboard and found enough bits for pass the parcel, a treasure hunt and a prize. SB gutted that playbarn closed, but put brave face and decided the games sounded good, so once others arrived, they played in the garden, adults nattered and with help organised the pass the parcel. The games went well. Katy and children arrived eventually having had communication probs with our mobile - thank goodness for the balloons!

From then on, all the children had fun and plan C worked pretty well. SB said it had been a lovely birthday and she was very happy. Thanks to all the guests from near and far, it was lovely seeing and having you here [apologies for chaos - might have done a bit more cleaning and tidying if we had started off with plan C!].

SB and sleepover guest might now be asleep [with a bit of luck!] and hope all the rest went home safely with their treasures. I must now restock the craft cupboard as SB was saying she also had this and that when they were being won by others - oops!