Author Archives: HHaricot

this is what we did on sun! unfortunately, i did wake up thinking that i might be dying, the tooth nigglish hurt had turned into a tsunami of pain. wasn’t quite sure of the up and down of world, so heavily self medicated with everything we had in the cabinet, slept until 10 mins before we were due to leave – that is my excuse for the fact that only later on in the day did i notice that the top was burgundyish and the bottom brown! oh well!! [have done worse].

We got to park fairly close – woohoo! and children didn’t moan TOO much about having the window down while it rained… They were happy listening to salut serge. i was a bit doubtful about this french purchase, but both girls join in happily, and for bb to spontaneously join in [when its not katy, as apparently only katy can do french - though yes, i know she does it far better!!] has to be a good resource!

it also seems to be the cheapest i have ever seen it currently!! Anyway, we parked really close and went in and got organised. SB was keen to show bb where everything was from holiday orchestra. Our first session was percussion, which we all really loved – would def recommend! so we bashed rhythms with a v good group leader. All the group leaders were good in their own way, but he had class control without you noticing it off to a really fab T! we have a pic of him, as SB and chris recognise him – I don’t. we overran that session, and then moved onto a short cake break before making our own instrument. another fab session!! After lots of careful thought, SB made a combined percussion and stringed instrument, i only suggested how to close off some of the opening so that bigger sound. She was v happy. i assisted BB – in lacky role! i didn’t always get it right, and she was still fragile, but luckilly we pulled it together, and we have a rattling and shaking drum she is happy with. phew!

At lunch it became clear that BB was not so much fragile as not quite well. a quick conflab – we had only 1 car and SB desperate for her gamelan session – saw me take first bB watch, colouring in and drinking plenty of fluids, whilst SB was introduced to the wind section. All the sessions were fully booked, and i was feeling bad, when overheard a parent tell her daughter they would ask if any gaps so i oftered ours, and the girl was so excited and happy i let her be BB. I had arranged the sessions before gina introduced SB to the clarinet to see what might take her fancy as an alternative to violin, currently we know it is clarinet! she still enjoyed it! actually, if i had know how low the bar was for performance skills, i would have popped her in with performance woodwind with the recorder [hadn't thought of recorder!] instead. BB was fine until i left her to go with SB to gamelan, when she was v shrieky momentarily. Sb loved playing the gamelan, and as there were a couple of dropouts, i and a couple of other parents jumped at the chance of joining in too!! me and the dad I sat next to were WAY excited! the musician running it was slightly afeard for the safety of some of the gamelan instruments, as some of the children were younger than i thought they were supposed to be. But it went really well, and the kids each played 3 diff instruments, and us adults 2. [we got to go 2,3,2,3,2,1,2,6 - i should have videoed a bit!]

We went back to join chris and then went in for the concert. it was a good concert, but actually we should have left as BB fell asleep in my arms all hot an bothered, and SB was pooped too. live and learn! would really recommend it to anyone next year. entirely worth the money!! home with more serge, i doped up again as feeling totally dreadful, and i have no idea what happened the rest of the evening?

actually, i am thinking really that it was the weekend of the tooth, but that makes more of a negative title! the weekend had some pros and cons! pros were i had a v long shift on fri, but it was one of those that you really feel you make a difference, so all though had its really diff, rough moments, it has lifted me up again on the benefits of doing what i do!

Sat we had an eventful day planned. SB to astronomy, and then meeting up with the manor borns for rspb, then something halloweeny. didn’t quite happen like that! SB wanted to buy bits of costume, so whilst i was still dozing, she and chris blew the astronomy to shop! [shades of the future??]. i got up and BB and i harvested the pumpkins, played with monsterrabs and the carved the pumpkins. i say ‘we’ carved, but actually i was doing as ordered, as BB doesn’t like getting her hands dirty i then made the cupful of flesh [i didn't bother to scrape much] into pumpkin scones, which were rather yummity. we read a book together, played with dinosaurs and settled to snuggle when SB and chris returned. by then, i had had texts from marcus saying michelle was still in bed v unwell, and since bb was being fragile – not ill, but prone to wailing and being tired and awkward – thought it better to call off, rather than have michelle struggle round with migraine whilst bb shrieked – not a good combo! shame tho, as had been *really* looking forward to a nice rspb walk to blow away cobwebs and shuffle through leaves!

so i did all the carving pumpkins etc again with SB! i had got a craft for them to do as well if they wanted, but no, they were happy playing their own games, and i got to enjoy hearing shrieks of laughter! tho BB did need a snooze mid afternoon – fairly unheard of! came for a cuddle and dropped off!

We were, as custom dictates, late setting off tricking and treating. i have read loads elsewhere of a not quite comfortable relationship with halloween here in the uk, and until 2 years ago would have entirely agreed. however, our village seems to do halloween extraordinarily well! there are some houses that have really great fun with displays, some excellent pumpkin carvers and also just lots of sweetie stops and lots of smiles. there are loads of parents taking children round, meeting, chatting, admiring costumes. all the kids are polite, saying thanks for sweets, happy halloween, remarking on decorations, and sb was being lovely to all the little children handing out the sweets. it just seems to be a v relaxed laid back, gentle thing here. and the no pumpkin/halloween dec = no calling is v well followed. also no tricks. i no longer have the heart to disapprove of the americanism!

SO we initially had 2 devils – the girls always choose their costumes. SB had – as usually- gone to the max! so she had a lovely felt wrap cloak, that looked a bit saxon, especially with her black and red striped leggings! red t and made up face. BB just had horns and trident [although she owns red clothes, they weren't the ones she wanted to wear], never put on the cloak after it was made, 5 paces later lost the horns and 1 street later lost the trident… we had fun, but bb flagging seriously early and chris peeled off and took her home – where she happily handed out treats when our pumpkins lit. SB had enough when her basket full!! so we returned and had tea infront of Dr who [and his daughter]

early bed as family music day the next day [i am going to pause blogging as trying to have nights nearish midnight rather than way after

lest we forget – chris not having blogged yet! the girls went to a sewage works trip last week, that was fab!
mon and tues were fairly laid back days i think? tues eve i joined the girls in the pool after they swam and we had much fun. bb v clearly getting better and better. absolutely confident as long as she can touch the bottom.
wed an extended latin etc. sb had clarinet prac with gina – thanks, enjoyed the group latin, and both girls made fab little pincushions – thanks merry. think the science went well, we did simple replacement reactions, with copper sulphate and then popping in either a nail, iron filings, magnesium ribbon or aluminium foil. was rather fun, and came back over time to see how were getting on. the smaller group did acids, and had to clean my coppers with tom ketchup/vinegar/coke +/- salt after a guessing game. tom ketchup was best wehn on own, but adding salt made everything much better, so we reflected on our enamel on teeth after chips with ketchup, vinegar and salt!! a good play in the field with the parachute, and then peeling off of ppl.

we met up with chris to have a meal at frankie and bennies and then watched UP. it was a really great film, i [as usual] blubbed most of the way through it, the girls were entranced and def worth seeing.

today girls are at c’s parents having fun, and chris has been finishing sorting out the frazzled wiring in the kitchen.

i think i would just die!

the little seat bits spin too, its like a kenwood mixer in a horror film!