Monthly Archives: September 2007

Don’t Forget The Bacon !

No, we  haven’t suddenly turned carnivorous, this has been Butterbean’s saying of the week, they got it from the eponymously named book that we had from the library recently. So she has been running around shouting this a lot :-)

Last couple of days they have been staying at my Mum and Dads, while I attacked a bit more of the arched window. Thursday they went to Mount Fitchet Castle, which was rather drier than when we were there last year.
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Friday I think they just pottered about at their house. SB never had the chance for this at BB’s age, as they were all to far away. They do both enjoy going to stay there.
Rest of week, Tuesday is library day, so much reading of old books before we go. Made masks at Storytime:

sb monkey mask

Then home to read the new stash of books:

lots of library  books

followed by a  bit of tandem Starfalling:

they heart starfall

After lunch, and bit of playing in the garden, Maths and Getty Dubay and then time to get going for swimming lesson, with a short play at the park in between.

Wednesday, umm….  There was some Maths and Getty Dubay, and Education city and maybe some other computery things in the morning, we did something else as well, which eludes me right now – I read something to SB. Afternoon seems to have disappeared. More reading though:

weird reading position

- Helen was back home from work by then. Until I took SB out for her Rainbows boat trip. She had a good time, hooked up with another girl there, R and they were getting on like a house on fire according to her mum who had gone on the boat as well. They had a bit more of a run around while we chatted until SB hit her head on a wall :roll: :roll: and we left wailing…. We will hopefully arrange a playdate soon. While we were out BB and Helen made another Chocolate Spread Cake:

IMG_9271look at my licky fingersyummy choc spread cake

A couple of snippets from Monday:

BB helped make scrambled egg:

cracking cooking

They made this construction from chairs in the kitchen. It is apparently some sort of cot/bed/desk/sofa thing, with built in drinks thing for the baby:

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HHaricot has left the building

If you wondered why i have been quiet this week, its because I have barely left work.

But, positive thoughts as I drove home today:

I love watching hot air balloons – though perhaps I was looking at it a bit too often on the drive home!

I love warm autumn mornings, especially in such arable countryside, were the tractors are ploughing.

I love being greeted effusively by my children. [though perhaps slightly too noisy for my level of sleep deprivation!]

i love BEING HOME. [oh, and at some point i will love going to bed!]

A few photo’s

IMG_9273 i' like this and this...

weird reading position

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Mosquitos

I am soooo fed up with them. Having a pond a bad idea – though the fish lovely, and BB always pretending to be a frog on a ‘leappad’. Aaarghh [scratches everywhere!]

Whilst I’ve been at work, there has been painting, a bit of maths and writing, lots of reading, DS-ing and ballet restarted.

On returning SB has done some violin practice – wailed hugely about doing it, and then was v pernicketty about getting it right beofre carrying on, so did way longer than I suggested – all v happily.

Make your own pizza for tea. Listening to french CD about colours. SB is now ds-ing rather than any joint activity, so I am feeling loose endish! BB asleep.

Muddlepuddle Bookbags

Someone posted on the Earlyyears list about ordering these. The old link to the puddlers site no longer works.

Have they all gone, just stopped bothering with selling any more or what? Jax, Merry?

Daleks at Dawn [in the style of mary pope osborne]

well, actually no, it won’t be in that style at all. Just the title.

We had a great weekend, SB got over her wobbles at a Dr Who party, and was most impressed to find that people thought her bridesmaids dress party outfit was a weeping angels costume. She was even happy with the thought that it was a baddy!!

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Nic’s dalek was seriously impressive, Ros’s face-painting equally so. All the children seemed to have a fab time, certainly SB and BB did. Nice to see lots of HE friends there, and also some that we don’t see anywhere else. BB intermittantly ‘very 2′ so I didn’t do quite as much chatting as planned.

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Afterwards we went back to Nic’s, with lots of other families, and yes, we did all squeeze in. The scrummage for tomato ketchup when the chips came nearly resembled the pinata episode at our castle day – rofl.

Relaxing morning the next day, and an easy drive home. SB and BB watching Nina and the Neurons, and I plan to have an early night. Better look for those photos!

I’ll get told off again…….

…if i don’t blog ;-) But I do have photos as well in mitigation.

So today, SB has read loads. Usborne Book of Ledgends before breakfast (Hercules I think), as  well as a bit of Little hippo DVD (in German) which is one BB’s favourites  -she can get it playing now, and select an episode sometimes. And if the folder of downloaded kiddy programs is open she can pick one of those and start that, though she hasn’t worked out how to make it full screen yet (“bigger! bigger!”). She is scarily competent at working the mouse for a not yet 3 yo. Thats’ what having an elder sister does I think.

We had a good sort out of the playroom, clearing up all sorts of detritus from the floor, under and behind sofas etc. SB did a great job at vacuuming it. I rather like the room when not carpeted with crap, just wish we could keep the table even sort of clearish for more than 3 seconds.

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Put away  more  clothes in the girls room.  I think that all their clothes that are washed and dried are now put away, a rare event indeed. SB tidied the floor again and made beds as she is on tidy room hit at the moment, then I vacuumed it for her. Did the bathroom as well while I was at it. 3 rooms, that’s plenty for one day .

More reading, she is very keen on  the My little Treasury of Stories and Rhymes  that she got from the library the other day. She spent an hour or so, before and over lunch reading it. By this point BB had decided to have  napped, so it was all rather peaceful.

After lunch is was bit of maths – measuring from Singapore 2A, so pretty simple stuff really. A bit of Getty and Dubay, then they both went off into the garden to play for a bit whilst I started on dinner. Playing seemed to involve most jumping in the paddling pool, getting wet, and then running around like loons shouting ‘I’m bare , I’m bare”  Had to make an impromptu run up to the potato farm for potatoes for dinner, where they managed to get a free apple each, by dint of being  cute really I think..

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Dinner made  and in oven, SB had a go at some secret/magic writing, as H had brought home some Tincture of iodine which we had needed. Basically, write/paint of the paper with lemon juice, dip it in water with a bit of TOI in. Paper goes a darkish blue colour due to the starch. THE bit where the juice was stays lighter so you can read it, as there is a different chemical reaction between the acid in the juice and the TOI solution.

BB had been playing and pottering, but noticed she’d put on more Little Hippo :-) This took us pretty much up to dinner time really.

After bath, (H was home by now) there was playing with the wooden train track, with the customary wailing from both children :roll: , a bit more Little Hippo. A bit of Education City (apparently i hadn’t let her earlier….???) and then bed. EVen BB who had napped for an hour was asleep by 9.

Started watching Regenesis last night, watched another tonight, quite enjoying them. Makes a change from the normal ‘policy’ type things. Though it is a  bit like a microbiological Numb3rs when they launch of into an explanation of some aspect. Been also flipping between Eureka, which is enjoyable and lighthearted – reminds me a bit of Northern Exposure with it’s collection of slightly kooky characters, and Space Above and Beyond, which is mildly diverting, but a bit rubbish overall really. It’s getting  bit repetitive now. It has an excellent collection of corny lines though, which is fun :-)

ReGenesis

to stop the knots in my tummy, we put on this to watch. It was a rather gripping story, but entirely the wrong choice!!

It is a story fairly related to one of my fears, and ends with an attempted infanticide – for the ‘best’ of reasons as it were. I can think of a number of people who may also not want to watch.

And the ‘science’ at times was v annoying. Maybe why I wasn’t as freaked out as I could have been. Still didn’t sleep well though.

Will watch some more.

muttermutter

Am awaiting yet another ‘news of the future’ update from where I work, so forgive my grumpiness!!

chris is not blogging much. SB has done some education city at the new levels today, which she said was much better. Some maths and writing, and reading an usborn science book.

Other than that,they went out shopping.

We played a bit when i got home. SB did some violin. its not ideal doing it so late as she gets frustrated much more quickly, and is very fussy about perfection. I shouldn’t complain, but it can take a very long time to get to the end of a piece of music . She did play beautifully though. She put on a bit of a dance show, and we also read some greek myths – ulysses
BB and I spent a bit of time looking at the pond skaters in our pond. SHe was pretending to be one too,showing me how she would have to put her legs, before turning into a frog on a ‘leappad’ . SHe has a beautiful mind for thought at the moment.

I love listening to both of them- separately! – when they decided to think through something. SB gradually adds in more and more detail, and possibilities and choices. BB often turns into a dialogue with herself. Lovely

Oh,and RIP Pavarotti.I have loved listening to you sing for many years. such a voice and such a talent.

harumph

My daemon thingy spent all that time as a snow leopard, well past the time it was supposed to fix. suddenly I find it has fixed – as a SPIDER. SHRIEK [humble, leader, solitary assertive and competitive ]