Author Archives: Daddybean

Ballerina


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Originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

end of term dance

Protected: Broken Dreams

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Independence Day

Yesterday we went to a meeting of one of the local home Ed groups, organised by Tammy, the theme was American Independence Day. A a good day it was too, so thanks to Tammy.. Glittery fireworks pictures (BB enjoyed this):

Alka Seltzer rockets:

making flags,

eating a themed cake:

a relay race:


a short game of softball

and picnic in the sun. We even got homework from Enchanted Learning and PapertoysThe White House amd the Statue of Liberty :-)

Butterbean munched her way through about half a pound of strawberries (plus the cake). They didn’t have quite the idea of a relay race at first, as everyone ran off at once :-) The softball was similary amusing – as various kids looked bemused, hit the ball then ran after it, or just ran in a random direction – but all got the hang of it eventually, and had fun.

The picnic would ahve been relaxing if BB hadn’t spent all the time making beeline for the lake and the ducks……. I had to strap her in her buggy so i could sit down long enough to eat

dinner time


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Originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

our hideaway


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Originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

bed-den made for two

Arggh – the cupboard again….

We have? a built in cupboard in the playroom, which is being used to store jigsaws, games etc. It’s at a nice toddler friendly height…
Earlier I tidied variius things away that had been out and played with, and been ‘Butterbeaned’ – aka spread around as only toddlers know how.

While i’ve been in the kitchen she has emptied out varioius things, emptied the boxes out and now carried some bits into the kitchen just for extra effect – arggh!!

The room needs sorting and reorganising a bit anyway , looks like now might be the time….

Homeschool Country Fair

I’ve been avoiding tidying the kitchen by reading posts over on the 4th? Homeschool Country Fair (started up? recently as an alternative to the longer running Carnival of Homeschooling. No links to blogs on Home School Blogger – becuase of the boycott, no posts re corporal punishment, and a more secular bent really).

This post is one of those ones that reminds you just how different a country the US is.

Muddlepuddle Camp Snippets

Helen has already blogged on Kessie, but I was reminded of things looking at the piccies.

So here are few of my personal snippets, in no particular order.

Ducks – One of her words of the week. Butterbean was endlessly running off to the bridge to look for ducks (which was rather tiresome at times…), and would look over both sides either commenting on the ducks she could see, or hopefully calling out ducks if their weren’t any. When they came into the campsite she was ecstatic :-) I do think my plan for tethering her down in the middle of the camopsite had merit though
Dik-dik – BB’s word for biscuit which she used endlessly.

Small boys - Small boy ‘holding up’ another boy with his water pistol. ‘Show me your willy or I won’t be your friend’ – ‘victim’ was happy to oblige :-)

Playing – the endlessly playing was lovely to watch, the big space opposite us was well used once the other tents had departed. Having friends and space and time to just play and play like that in the sun must be some sort of kiddie heaven.

Water pistols – well it was perfect water pistol weather/territory

Small Girls - one minute sitting playing with dollies, playing babies etc. then arming themselves up with water pistols for a battle :-)

Layla’s rants – I particulary liked the ‘come near this cake and I’ll chop off your arm’ one to assorted children desperate for chocolate cake.

Biggest embarrasment? – Knobbling Emma’s BMW. BB got her keys and dangled them into a mug of juice – which wasn’t very good for the remote keyfob/immobiliser thingy. Only discovered it wouldn’t work of course once they were all packed and the kids hidden by lots of gear….. Arrghhh! – Luckily the RAC man was able to dry it out with much blowing inside with his airjet.

Teapot – tea is designed to be made in a pot, not dangling a tea bag in a mug. So how can you not take a teapot camping. It also makes it much easier to keep your neighbours supplied ;-)

Chillin’ – so which tent shall we go and sit outside (and drink aforesaid tea) now….?

Gazebo’s? - you can never have two many gazebo’s at a Muddlepuddle camp. What is intriguing about them is the magnetic effect they havee on people – they even collect under them in the dark when there is no shade benefit to be gained.

Small children and shops – Well it probably was a bad idea? to let Big, Small and SB go to the shops by themselves – Big to get bread, Small and SB to get sweets.? Poor Small didn’t get his sweets, Buig did get bread, and her and SB each got? lolly, though apparently Big took the one SB wanted – she is still complainign about this. Just what confusion they sowed in the shop can only be inagined :-)

Show and Tell Soup

The day after we had got back from Kessingland, so feeling mostly like just being at home, but got ourselves together to get out.

Monday was a monthly gathering of one of the local HE groups, CHEF. normally there is a theme with activities, crafts etc. This meeting was a bit different. Everyone brought some vegatables and we all sat down and prepared them together – which was all very sociable and cooked them up in a big pot into soup. Some bread rolls were also made.
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While the soup was cooking we had a ‘show and tell’ session, with a bit of prompting she decided to take stuff she had made at Muddlepuddle camp – the needlefelting, the basket and the kite.

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she did a good job of talking about them and showing them round, in fact most of the kids did. Kessingland Tie-dye was also in evidence,

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So some good plugs for MP camp. some people were quite impresed by the quality of the stuff produced.
Once that was over we spent the rest of the time eating soup, fruit cocktail and some cake , yum. Soup was fairly tasty, in a slighty nondescript vegetabley way, there was a good variety of veg in it, onions, leeks, courgettes, celery, peas, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, potatoes. Though these faces may not be a recommendation……
We like the soup - honest :-)

It made a nice change from the normal HE group stuff, i’d recommend it to other groups.

Came home via Sainsburys , where SB demonstrated why pushing a trolley a bit fast and then sliding to a stop is bad idea by crashing it – luckily into me rather than someone else. Oh for the little kiddie trolleys in Waitrose, just right for littlies, then summoned home by SMS as parents popping in, so got home to have a chat/play (as appropriate) with them.

Tuesday happened as well somewhere, filled with normal things such as storytime/library visit – which ends up taking up pretty much all of morning in the end, once we have got up, found books, read a few of them again etc. Dealt with lots of post camp washing, and other post camp sorting, some Explode the Code, got organised to go early to swimming lessons so we could go to the playpark near there for a bit first, quite a nice little park, with a few different bit of equipment – SB liked the little roundabout thing you worked by sitting on it like a bike and pedalling to make it go round. I’ve given up tryimg to watch the lessons, BB just wants to run about climb up and down the seating area etc. so I don’t really gte to watch so now I just go to the cafe stick BB in a high chair, and we drink coffee and nibble things, and I get 20 odd mins quiet time – which since on Tuesdays Helen is often lateish to very late home from work is very welocme by 5pm. Afterwards se wanted again to watch the Circuit Training session for a bit – she seems fascinated by this for some unfathomable reason. I think she probably fancies having a go at it.

In the event, Heklen didn’t get home until 11pmish, so a beear infront of CSI once they were both alseep in bed was very welcome.

Thanks Sarah – My website as a graph!

as seen first on Sarah’s blog

and yes, I did do the garden blog too!