Petits Haricots » 2007 » December

my favourite christmas photo

HHaricot — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:13:35 +0000

there were quite a few others I liked, but this was an off the cuff not looking through the view finder happy success one.

good bedtime reading choice SB

HHaricot — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:52:30 +0000

DK’s bermuda triangle and invaders from outer space. just been down wailing. not an early night then!!

hmm, second manic crafts day

HHaricot — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:15:57 +0000

with less bagginess – well for a bit, though at one point I thought chris had put BB in the cellar, and in another bit, when I said that if she continued to sprinkle playdough all over floor and not put it away, she carried a wodge of it directly to the bin and said I could throw it all away . On the whole I have tried fr a non confrontational approach in the hopes that if she doesn’t see an opening to be dogmatic, obnoxious and stubborn, then the day may pass more easily. Hmmm

Anyway, today SB did some more of her fairy stamping kit, she has got more and more careful with painting, and is taking great care. BB did 2 of her ELC make puppet spoons kit, which she and I really enjoyed together . We all spent a while playing various games. BB and I were dinosaur and monster whilst SB on ‘puter doing DK first science explorer. BB did some playdoughing whilst SB did piano practice with me. [me giving SB attention was not well received]

They both watched some magic school house when I needed a few minutes of decreased interaction. the water cycle and bee ones. SB played with her lego. Erm, i flickred. You know, the day seemed much busier than that. funny hey?

Sb has read all the amelia earhart book, lost the first 4 magic tree house books and is reading holly the christmas fairy. we also practiced the odd bit of spelling – she needed to write the words, and I got her to guess before helping her out.

Back at work tomorrow. Sigh, I have been putting off a whole heap of worries there.

where to start

HHaricot — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 21:47:20 +0000

I think I will go backwards, but fiddle with the time stamp thing to appear in order – very important!

I think, crucially, I need to say that BB is driving me round the bend. i think its partly because she didn’t get enough attention over Xmas, with Chris and I so busy, and now we are both knackered. But, if she tells me anything else is baggy poo poo I think I will just scream. today she has had playdough thrown away, and the didicar put in the cellar, after hours of provocation. She throws things, screams, hits us and SB and just shouts what are for her obscenities. I have tried so hard today to do wall to wall attention. Am imagining it will take a while of hard parental work to get back on track. She has always been ‘challenging’ to parent – primarily due to her desire to bully SB – but recently – aarrrgh. Of course, when she is good she is totally adorable. Mum think she prob just needs a higher level of stimulation. Deep breath.

So, today. BB and I started off with making her father christmas present reindeer fridge magnet. We then went on to painting the plaster of paris people we made yesterday [yep. will do yesterday!] Sb did some lego building with dad, and then some painting with one of her kits with me whilst BB did playdough. I then did a fair amount of legoing with SB, playing farm animals with BB. SB aso painted her suncatcher and read the whole of her childs bible. BB also did som katamino [a real hit] chalk pictures, apple tre farm reading.

We had a major tantrum from BB about some castle characters that arrived from ebay. I was goin to give them as a 12th night present, but she was wailing and wobbling over the unopened parcel she had seen, so I relented, and pointed it was to share with SB. After all the following wailing and screaming over the knights horses she did, it is lucky that all the castle stuff isn’t also in the cellar. I regained some equanimity by flickring and scrabulous, parking BB in front of NEMO. Chris and BB did more lego – it is now finished. BB and I made up, had the girls bathed and an early bedtime. Sb and I read about amelia earhart, inventing flying machines, and a bit about piston engines. We also practiced our Latin.
Chris and I should get an early night too so that we can be better parents tomorrow.

Friday

HHaricot — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:23:49 +0000

Mum, Dad and Little Nanny left on friday, leaving us all feeling rather flat. still knackered! I had a particularly poor day as BB had been a nightmare all night, so i had left chris to sleep in the bedroom, and kept BB company.

We did still manage to do some of the xmas crafts – painting the farm plaster animals and making the farmer and wife with BB, bith using their crayons and paints and playdough from a craft set. SB did lots of legoing, and reading of Xmas books. She got 3 Katie and the... books, and also read through all the anholt art books too.

We got Nanny McPhee as a christmas present for the girls. BB wildly ignoring it, though enjoying the colours, and chatting away as we did katamino – a def present hit! Sb seemed totally lost by the plot. we will have to watch it again. I rather enjoyed it. Would love to have their house and decor!

Advice wanted please

HHaricot — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:12:04 +0000

SB has admitted that the thing she REALLY wanted for Xmas was inline skates. they had been one of the many things mentioned, but not in a big way, and she is very happy with all her presents. For her birthday we are getting her a bike, but she wanted to see if other rellies would share the purchase of inline skates as they seem to be fairly expensive. We have had the discussion on where exactly would she use them…
SO… Have any of you got inline skates, or know of anyone that has that has an opinion on them?

I was looking at this shop and thinking perhaps the bronx adjustable ones looked comfortableish and adjustable etc etc? hmm, these comet ones perhaps also OK?
Any advice greatfully received

Hmm! I think these pressies were for smaller children

HHaricot — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:17:27 +0000

we are christmas

HHaricot — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:28:04 +0000

you know, it is jan 3rd, and I am about to backdate this christmas post. we read the guardian, and there was an excellent article in there by a chap, who pointed out that for his family, christmas was the family, the talking over games and the being there. i agree wholeheartedly. whatever the little niggles, I wouldn’t have wanted anyone not to have been there.

we played loads of games – mum found tellme which we used to play at little nanny’s as children [though then it was metal not plastic!] pass the bomb, taste testing, SB’s jumnior monopoly and BB’s shopping trolley. jigsaws, reading to children and general being there with the people we love.

Yep, for chris and I it was hard work, with th main helpers of mine and his mum out of action. And we would hav liked to see more of our children, and we would have prefered full health in all of our guests for xmas and the new year. And doing crafts on boxing day whilst making a roast dinner did stretch my multitasking!
but… It was great, just look at our flickr photos and you will see!! I love my family, so I love christmas

The last of the baking

Daddybean — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 01:15:18 +0000

Father Xmas has overflown ritain, just finished the glazed nut topping on the Creole Fruit Cake I made, looks yummy. Now we concentrate on eating all the food. Have made mince pies, drunk mulled wine, listened to lots of carols and other xmas music, had the xmas eve massed veg prepping session, with customary debate about how many sprouts, parsnips etc. And now all is quiet, and I should be in bed.

Happy Xmas everyone.

NORAD tracks santa!!

HHaricot — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:24:01 +0000

don’t forget!!