Monthly Archives: November 2010

this is just a really short post, because we are so happy with the maths that we use, that we have very few books of maths

As usual, please add in the comments any books you would recommend too.

edited to add – whilst writing this blog, i realised that was a fib! we have only one regular maths series we use, but loads of maths *books*

Singapore Maths – my Pals Are Here
we have used singapore maths right from the earlibird series [preK] we were influenced by sonlight, reading around, and a lot of mathsy literate people suggesting it was a very good way of learning and understanding maths, rather than just learning to answer. SB has always enjoyed it, so there was no pressure to try something else. She is halfway through the 4th level, and BB on 1A

Other ones
our nearest contestant for maths came along later – Maths Enhancement Programme [previously called Exeter maths] this is also highly rather by my mathsy friends, and when we have done a few of the sheets, SB has been happy. but she prefers her singapore, and we are happy with it too. If starting again, i might have looked at bit more closely at it.
Miquon. We did buy a couple of books of this, and really, we didn’t ‘get’ it. it just didn’t sing to me or SB, so it sits dusty on a shelf, waiting for me to have a resources bring and buy at our house – which i plan to do next spring.
I would like to perhaps get one of the practical applications maths books that several friends have, to see if that would be a fun maths to do

Fun additionals

we enjoy looking at some experiments in carol vorderman’s book – when we remember! and would like to remember that more. We have had some pattern books and cuisinaire rod books which have been quite enjoyable. Both girls have some taking out and about cheapy workbooks picked up when reduced to near nothing they like these.
we also use – occassionally! – mathletics

maths based stories.

I seem to have more maths resources than i thought and there I was thinking this would be one of my more minimal blogs!! We love reading in this family, snuggling on sofa together, or curled up individually so having some maths story books is not a surprise! We started with the Sir Cumference series – rather excellent – and branched out. SB enjoys partic Penrose and the mathematical cat. BB likes the ant ones…

Previous resource Posts
Art

Geography

Thinking Dinosaur

History resources

Resources overview

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but it’s late and we are going away soon, so he might not!

girls went to pizza express today on HE visit and made and ate pizza, a birthday cake then brought out, and a £400 bill! luckilly when explained, pizza express ppl didn’t charge after all. person who had agreed the HE visit had left, so new person thought a mega birthday party! they enjoyed it

pm, SB did some maths, galore park english, piano and NVR, made some fab carrots to go on SB’s birthday cake at oakhampton. piano prac and gym

BB read a book, did some music theory and did some oranges to go on the choc orange cake and a rabbit face to go on the carrot cake – v fab also gym

when i got home from work, i made choc orange cake and carrot cake – house smells fab also did loads of reports for work

in the afternoon, skittles got 15 mins in the hutch with snowy and babies. think we are prob going to end up keeping the other 3 [eek!] so are wondering whether they might all rub along if poss. if not, would try the 2 lads in one hutch and the other girl with skittles and snowy, and then hope for a home together for the lads in the future, as they are gorgeous . it went all right. no fighting, a bit of chasing, as skittles exerting a bit of dominance, so snowy unsettled, and babies uncertain though came over to sniff skittles and be close, but not a bad first try. [no 'adult' behaviour observed ]

IMG_1586, originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

it might be a bit hard to see, but she was really proud of doing this

I haven’t gardened all year, i haven’t weeded, pruned, planned or planted. Some how, it became one of those things that I couldn’t do whilst my sister was living and then, finally, dying. Commenting on Merry’s blog reminded me that i can now start again, start preparing for next year, can start planning for things that will see the sun that my sister no longer can enjoy. I have paused my life really in many areas for the last 18 months or so, certainly since the time little nanny died, and my sister was told palliation only. Gradually unfurling the tendrils of interest is difficult. i would prefer just to stay in my comfort zone of cuddling girls, reading books and watching stuff together, plus some crafting. I don’t want to leave the house- even to go into the garden, I don’t want to go to work – even tho once there i enjoy the actual job I do. i also don’t want to move on, plant things for a future, plan things for a future. I want to stay here, now, cocooned forever from further loss.

obviously, I know that isn’t sensible, that life goes on, that it is important to make the most of each and every day of life, because each day will only come that once. in this time i haven’t done ‘nothing’ i have lived and laughed and loved my sister, I have played with and nurtured both hers and my children, making our house a ‘homely house’ banked with the warmth of love against the cold desolation of loss, I hope we have had warmth and welcome with our friends and family. but i haven’t extended, or suggested we pop new shoots and tendrils into new places. I think, tho, that we have prevented frost damage and die back: we may not have extended ourselves, but have still strong roots and growth potential.

So now, as this year draws to a close, I am preparing, i am getting my strength to be a full working colleague at work, We are getting bits of the garden ready so next year there isn’t a huge mountain of ‘work’ to do before we can get our hands dirty to see things grow. We are making plans for DIY within the house. And when I have strengthened myself in these easiest of areas, we shall see where roots and shoots go next.

BB’s birthday didn’t go quite as planned. her cousins had chickenpox, and she had been v excited about them coming
However, we got up, and she was v happy to see presents in front of the fireplace, and opened a few of them, planning to save the rest. SHe liked the craft kids, was overjoyed by the chocolate bar [grin] adored the sylvanians and was excited by the lego – see she didn’t save any of the presents I was v pleased that I could watch her open the sylvanian windmill from my sister without sobbing. obv used up the sobs last night. She also loved the dinosaur duvet set and matching fleece blanket. All in all v successful!! She and SB got started putting the windmill together and playing a happy game, and were rather put out when we interrupted, until we said it was to see a film.

We went to see ‘despicable me’ in 3d, and we all enjoyed it. TBH, I loved it. It was a fun film, with a giggling premise and only a couple of moments of pathos. i actually laughed! BB was snuggled against me too, which was nice . I would def recommend this film.

After that we returned home and chris’s parents came across to give BB their present – a fab doll. BB has asked for a doll on and off, and has gone through dolly episodes before, so we suggested this, and she is absolutely delighted, playing with her for ages. made SB play more with her doll as well. both are from playmerrily – BB and SB so we enjoyed watching them play and have fun. birthday tea was BB’s choice of cheesy pasta and then birthday cake. By then she [and SB] starting to flag, so it was a bit of a tired and waily BB that we took to bed – though she denied this

Happy birthday sweetheart

It is easy to remember BB’s birthday, as it is the day that daddybean started the blog initially i was rather dismissive, after all, who would read it , and we would never keep it up. I am not often wrong but i do admit to it on this occasion – giggle!! 6 years and this currently says it is the 2275 blog post – not bad for something I wasn’t sure would keep going!

SO why has it worked??

I guess because there are 2 of us blogging. Daddybean has been less regular at blogging of late, and I am trying to encourage him to return. He IS the main home educator, even if recently mine has been the main voice here. We see things differently, do things differently and yet the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You just can’t tell that from just me. I am more ‘schooly’ and he is more ‘freeform’ and I think that is one of the strengths of how we go.

it has worked, perhaps, because we are careful in what we write, that we don’t wish to open windows to the inner sanctum of how the family works. We don’t blog the grumps and groans of wider family and work life. it could be argued that this is therefore a ‘pollyanna’ blog, maybe, but it is a pretty real representation of us.

It has worked because in blogging we have made new friends, good friends who have supported us through the difficult, laughed with [and at] us in the joyous, cried with us and we have laughed, cried and supported them too. Then in real life we have met, broken bread [and more importantly cake and chocolate] and drunk wine [lots]. This community is sustained through blogging. Although we might tweet or BK also, the who we are and where we are is there on our blogs and we keep real to each other that way to keep us going until the next cakefest/meet.

finally it has worked because as the blog has kept going, even though i may be one of the most boring bloggers in the ring, we can see it as a message to our future children that we loved and cared for them, and that we worried, hoped and worked to make the best now we could give them to hopefully give them the best options for the future, even if we are proved wrong in the end. One day our voices will be stilled, and even if this blog stutters and changes as they get older and perhaps wish for less discussion of their lives on it, it will remain for them, hopefully, a celebration of our family.

So, thankyou blog, writing you seems like a chore at times, reading you might also seem like a chore at times but in whatever guise you are in currently, i am glad we have got this far