January 2008

was somewhat hit by emotional and crap viral unwellness, feeling v sick and dizzy, stuffed up, and bleurgy. SO I didn’t go into work, and for once didn’t feel guilty [i am good at guilt] because i feel i have nothing left to give in botheredness, its already attributed. I read another lucie chat book to both girls, SB read to me about dinosaurs. they all then cycled off on a playdate and i collapsed in heap on sofa with duvet and tablets.

Much playing went on, and when they returned we had a violin practice. BB played katanimo and then then the ikea building things with screwdrivers etc- think it was bjgga or somesuch nonsense. SB made some shapes with polyhedrons - she was seeing how many she could do and we talked about their names. She found the theory made easy book one very easy, and enjoyed racing through until I said enough!
SB then has her ballet and swimming run. Very proud of her for doing all the swimming today, as she has been very worried. BB and i watched bob the builder, did bob the builder jigsaws and played mother and baby games. on SB’s return we read radius and the king of angleland all together, with BB doing actions with papo people- cute! SB then had a thought about angles.

lots of bedtime stories, but she is still frightened of aliens.

how very exciting. needing to get used to a whole new keyboard. well, the last laptop was on a plugin keyboard [as 2 integral ones had malfunctioned] which didn’t always work, oh and had no working battery. so, i have spent more money than i should have [but still far less than most!] on a ow end laptop. widescreen unusual, and glad i wear glasses! vista and turnpike incompatible, so my sys admin has rigged up a virtual xp popup with turnpike inside it - weird!

Anyway, we had a very busy day today, with lots of playing and doing. SB did both piano and violin practice, and we are going to try and do 4 15 min practices of each a week. doesn’t sound much, but to us will be a challenge! BB painted her money box pig that she got yesterday, and very happy she was with it too. We three sat together and read lucie a la plage, me french, SB english and SB and BB both did the pronunciation at the back, and then we read a ladybird book about dinosaurs for a bit. the girls did some general playing with this and that whilst i flickred yesterday. SB made her fairy house and BB stickered.

After lunch BB did some plasticine and then watched muzzy whilst SB and I had a fab time with her science kit - this enviro battery is fab [note they mixed up the description of the enviro battery and the dynamo torch!]. we chatted about electricity and currents again, made a working bioclock with oranges and with vinegar got a sound cell to play [just!]

More playing and we all snuggled to red the katie in various paintings books before watching dancing on ice with pizza, then a dinosaur prog and to bed.

yesterday was spent with Chris’s family on his mothers side. SB and BB enjoyed playing with baby A [their second cousin who has now had 1st birthday]. Uncle Robert looked the best we had sen him - he has bowel cancer, which has spread to the liver, and last year had quite a punishing course of chemo. He is due a repeat scan later this month and will decided whether he can have surgery or whether to choose between further chemo or letting nature take its course. I don’t think he would opt for chemo again.

So there was much eating and merriment, and christmas presents! The children were most impressed by this second batch of christmas presents. we must get our thankyou cards out! We had a great time.

Home ed group on myths and legends.

I got my form into work, and came home early, forgetting I was doing the night as well - oops. they did ring me!

well, actually I have been doing it most of the evening, along with watching the tudors and criminal minds on downloads, and providing lots of [hopeful] advice to B-I-L. Thanks for all well wishes for sister. I am hoping for the best.

We had another productive day here today, whilst I was at work, SB did some calligraphy reading and coloured in a beautiful letter. BB also did a beautiful colouring of a letter. SB did maths and handwriting practice and some sudoko. She was still sudoko obsesed when I got home, so we did some together and then violin practice. We are trying to encourage the shoulder rest - her body posture isn’t as good with it, but hoping it will get better as it gets more comfortable.

We all read a few stories, and a chip supper [word just for p2] to robin hood downloads. SB gets v concerned why people are bad. she just doesn’t ‘get’ being nasty. BB is rather enjoying watching vicar of dibley, and so are we actually!

It’s just arrived !!

If I wait do you think another one will come tomorrow.

Ordered a new laptop for H on Tuesday lunchtime, with next day delivery. Unfortunately it didn’t come. I was always suspicious as the Parcelforce tracking no never gave me anything useful, but that wouldn’t be the first time.

so, didn’t arrive yesterday, rang PF first early this am, no record of parcel with this number.

9am - So on the phone as soon as they opened, to the retailers. After realising after I’d put the phone down that the assurance from Jody on the other end of the phone that it would be delivered today was based on the assumption that PF had the parcel and had just been slow.

So back on the phone again (each time it’s taking 5-10 minutes just to get to speak to a person - on an 0871 no. and at least once it just went dead on me after a wait) explain situation to Jody, says she will check with dispatch dept if the parcel is there. Says she will ring back once she has sorted it.

She hasn’t rung by 12, so I ring her back, seems that disptahc say they it was dispatched, but she will get them to look more - or something like that. Says she will ring back.

3.45 pm - No call back, so on the phone again (2 dead lines - took about 15 minutes to get to speak to someone. Spoke to someone else. Tries again speaking to disptach etc. they say it’s gone and PF must have it. But I’m not willing to wait on the off chance that they deliver it today, as I don’t believe it will come, eventually he rings PF. Turns out that they had asked PF to collect it yesterday (WTF? it was supposed to be with me by then - I guess they check the deliveries or something after 6) but too late (PF collect at 6, they requested it at 7.30 or some such) So they didn’t. So it was still there - argh!!!
Quite why no one realised this, quite why dispatch couldn’t find this parcel, quite why it took all day to sort out, who is and isn’t telling the truth etc. is questions it’s probably not worth bothering to ask. Though I think a proper complaint is in order.
The chap assured me that it would go out today, and upgraded the delivery to a pre 9.30 one.

Ahh, feel better now. Here’s hoping ….

Hmm, we had a lovely morning of latin and science with local home ed friends. it is certainly popular! the children do prob about 1/2 of latin and roman related talking, and about the same of science or craft. The group does aim to do both! then loads of rampaging. we were late [as usual] so it had [as usual] a late start. perhaps one of my new years resolutions should be to not be late!! The science was water based - thinking about liquids, how they seemed to work, and then what might sink or float, how we could change the shape and perhaps it would float, and then we added salt to see if it would then float. A very untechnical description of why this happened! [by me, so i can be rude] we also looked at surface tension and made a mess! This was all greatly enjoyed, prob due to mess, and pics on flickr! lots of playing children after whilst parents got to chat.
SB had rainbows, and BB has been asleep. I’ve been texting family, scrabulous, and our mondeo is now fixed - woohoo.

SB has done a fair bit of ‘home ed’ with chris these last 2 days, with maths, handwriting and piano practice. Since back from rainbows we have read stories from the usborn stories of dragons, some SOTW2 [Christianity comes to Britain], thought about doing some calligraphy and found stuff for tomorrow for that, and read Lucie Chat en ville. such a good series from the book people that I have accidentally bought it twice!

SO I will move on to other things. chris and the girls did a whack of shopping, came nearly to blows over a balloon. Sb did some maths ballet lesson and then had a total wobbly at swimming lesson and refused to go in as it is in the deep end and frightened. lots of crying still at home, so i gt to have a beautiful hug. Our book people order arrived, so we peered at usbournes myths and legends and she read 2 of the mermaid rock books. BB enjoyed the machines series. we have played landlocked and with the naughty ideal blocks. BB and I made peanut butter cookies - which were yummy.

Feel happier with password on post below. thanks all

hmm, may have to continue to think about that. I have till feb 08 after all!!
I last thought about it here.

last years resolutions, as such, were here

well, this weekend I have mostly been eating potatoes. no, this isn’t some new years faddy diet [though heaven knows that I need to shift a fair bit of weight and get fitter this year - I may have said something similar last year. in fact, o the subject of new years resolutions, I made 3 last year, and I'll try with them again this year], instead this is the try to chase migraine away diet. my job goes through cycles of stressful and majorly and exorbitantly stressful. We are in the latter phase… This tends to increase frequency of migraines, and also seems to reduce the success of any medication. Everything taken thus far has been totally pointless. A bullet in the left temporal region would be far more effective. Anyway, I am blogging, thus the potatoes would seem to have finally won [and plenty of fluids]

However, it being typical that my migraine occurs when off work, I have tried to great levels to still have some interaction with my lovely offspring. ooh, btw, there seems to have been a great reduction in baggy poo poos since normal service has resumed. A low level of them is tolerable!

Yesterday we all went to the panto [may I state for the record that pantos are not ideal with a migraine, but the one hour journey each way was the major stupidity!] I actually enjoyed the panto [yep, even with a migraine, s must have been good]. The cast were enthusiastic, the audience keen and participatory, the story near negligible, just enough to run the gags and music. SB and BB loved it. Their faces shone with excitement, SB in particular loved all the shouting and clapping, BB also got into it. It was so worth it. Arranged by the rainbows - thankyou! I have to say that the look on SB’s face of sheer thrills and enjoyment was worth the hideous journey for me each way. She really loved it.
on return home, to be honest, I just died and went to bed. No idea what chris and the girls did , he thinks they played a game. I got up just before they were going to bed, and delayed things a it. but it felt better to play a game with them and read a story before chris took them up.

Today, still feeling in need of trepaning, i thought I would do better, so got up, read some history to SB, and we did french and latin conversation, times tables and read some barefoot stories all snuggled on the sofa. She then did some violin practice - now we have lost the other blasted book! Anyway, it was lovely to have such a snuggly time with SB. I get to have less snuggles with her now as she gets older they are only on her terms! She is such a lovely girl to snuggle and cuddle.
ermm, oh yes, SB did some webland. BB and I did jigsaws, read books, snuggled and did counting practice. BB amazed me by spelling today. she was spelling zoo lane and said zz oh is zoo!!! She also did some plasticining.

The final decs came down today, and the girls had a joint final present of a jousting papo set to go with the castle stuff. they were ecstatic and had great fun playing. we decided that we all loved christmas, but that the house needs lots of people in it to actually be christmas [BB's wisdom!] . Actually, BB has gone round being ‘wise’ on all sorts of topics recently. She is mostly seriously adorable.

we watched various natury things on tv, SB practiced various dance steps, we all played a few games all together, and generally had an enjoyable day.

my migraine has decreased somewhat this eve, but I have the usual worky nerves. Bah. i hope this is just a phase! Will look forward instead to centreparcs hols - not far away now!

for me - some beeswax candles

and for chris a remote control holder - yes she sewed this!

back properly at work tomorrow.

SO I got up relatively early, so I could go to # clinic with mum, to find that they had gone exceptionally early and were through and didn’t ring. I guess because it all seems OK. They are happy with the position and everything. Mum and Little Nanny have laryngitis though, and not too well, and their NYE spent worrying over my sisters breast lump - clinic for her on Mon, fingers firmly in crossed position.

So the girls and I carried on with a great wodge of crafts. BBhas now finished all the spoons, SB has painted all the fairies, and has now done the plaster of paris moulds that may get painted tomorrow [dependent on amounts of snow to play in]

We were prepared enough to put some tomato soup in a flask and whisk out for our monthly walk with Michelle and Chloe, which we had when we arrived. It was COLD. Michelle told me off for whinging!! SB and chloe are supposed to take pictures of whatever they were interested in. They did both take piccies, but SB gradually lost heart due to the coldness of her fingers. We did a dif walk this time to the formal gardens, and will flickr. Again BB was totally adorable - and has remained so at home. At present she is cooking for me [having slept in the car home she is beanying about!] A lovely time was had, and I am looking forward to these monthly walks. next time the quarry again.

We played with the RSPB welcome packs when we got home. lots of reading and discussion. we watched ballet shoes, which we all enjoyed.

for the second year running we have had the patch of puddles in their entirety over for new year. It was lovely and relaxing having them all here. Thanks v much for coming.

The girls all played together beautifully, ignoring all age differences. It is lovely to see BB and Josie playing together so well. BB, btw, was an adorable angel, and I think Merry thinks I am making it all up. whilst on that subject, BB is challenging to parent because you have to get your wording just right first time. she is an obligate taking-children-seriously child. we have been always on the taking-children-reasonably-seriously-as-long-as-it-is-possible stance, but for her there is no nonsense and she takes no prisoners. If we have had enough sleep and on the ball, it is no problem. It does, however, make it difficult to find the right path to ameliorate undesirable behaviour. [how truby does that sound???][hope you all know what i mean?]

Anywy, before I completely lost the thread, where was I? Oh yes, new years eve. the merry crew were subjected to fireworks, toasted marshmallows, and the older members had lots of baileys and conversation.  tea for midnight. next year will make bellinis! Very nice and chilled NYE. Hoping for a nice and chilled 2008

we had pancakes again for brunch - loads of them! girls played lots more and watched a fair bit of magic school bus. On leaving, BB did some more of her spoons craft [realy fab] and started baggying again. SB did lots of webland. played various games with Daddy. Early nights all round I think

So, Happy New Year