Monthly Archives: November 2011

do you know it was half term! so lots of things didn’t happen. However, I really can’t think of what actually might have happened! I think DH and the girls chilled a lot of the week. SB did a lot of music theory prac as her grade 3 exam coming up. Some socialising, Monday with friend G who used to be in guides, and a sleepover arranged for a fortnights time SB v happy about that. Tues went to DH’s parents. Weds was wodensmeet, thurs I think had shopping and dentist in it, and dunno re friday – prob getting house tidy as parents coming

Anyway, for me the exciting thing was getting some fish [and for the girls ] we have bought 2 mollies, BB called hers ankie [short for anchor apparently??] and SB called hers shimmer. Both supposed to be small mollies, but SB’s does look v different. Hers is a girl, and on close inspection BB’s a boy. hoping not to breed to readily i must say.

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OOh, tues eve we all did some marbling, as BB had been v keen to use the special paints. Unfortunately, as i found out, she hadn’t realised this was a technique of painting, rather than an alchemistic way of turning paper to stone She was somewaht disappointed, but the results were great.
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Not sure if that really will stay the group meet name, as I did it to tease Merry, but i might keep it as the name for the blog :). it has already been blogged elswhere and elsewhere, but I am running quite behind with blogging/life etc. Am tempted just to link and run!

However, the day was rather different for us because SB had decided she would like to cycle there – all 16 miles! I did tell her that is a long ride to do to a set time… SO we all got up nice and early and she and DH did indeed cycle there He took a few photos with his phone, but these are mine at the setting off
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it took them 2 hours So proud of her, because at 14 miles she really thought she had had enough, but did manage to keep going. BB and I dropped some linen and a nearly tudorish recorder at the deependers and were then early to zoes and started on the day of the dead colourings

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SB and DH arrived, as did merry and family and Em and family, so all set for a fun day the kids all coloured, chatted and were generally happy. We did a quick french round of saying hello and some basic questions round whilst they coloured and will hopefully build a bit on aural french as we go along. I am prob not the ideal person, being not fluent myself but a no stress version of french anyway.

We then divvied the group into mixed age halves. Half went to do poetry with Merry, she read the witches from macbeth and talked a bit about it, and then helped them each to write their own poem or list and illustrate it. BB and J shared theirs, as neither of them write, so Merry the scribe and then each decorated. SB spent a long time doing hers, and was v happy with it.

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With the other half we made some small amount of black powder. Last time we did this it wasn’t particularly successful, so this time i changed the ratio a bit and we used wood charcoal. we also added iron filings, tinfoil and copper sulphate to them [not everything in each!] so the flames might have diff appearances. This time it was v v successful. we did use safety precautions and close supervision! we were within the law for amount made, and all was ignited in small batches at the end, so none stored.

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SOme leaf gathering and some made a nature art whilst others played. SB finished off her poem, BB had a cuddle and did some of her recorder [and had a minor eek over learning some new notes!] Then Em got everyone going who wanted to with bells. SB and BB loved it

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We had a great day, and finished with tea alltogether, lots of chat and play before leaving. Thanks Zoe