Author Archives: HHaricot

IMG_5369, originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

i think we are going to have to buy bb a cheapy digi camera, as she really loves taking photos. i enjoy seeing a bb worlds eye view as well.

chris’s parents used to run an old peoples home prior to retirement, so when i first met chris they had a second christmas, where all the family came. this tradition was reinstated last year, and we had a january christmas with chris’s mum’s side of the family. we had that today!

the girls had been busy both buying and making gifts for all the family, which were well received. they also received more presents -again lovely.

our niece liana was there. unfortunately her experiment with living in england has come undone this time, and she is back off to ireland. but is thinking she might try again one day, perhaps in a big city rather than in a small village nearish but with minimal transport to a small city…

noticeable absences were chris’s uncle robert, who is getting more unwell. he had a further scan last week, and gets the results monday. we aren’t talking about it, but it is clear all the family is expecting the worst now, as he gets more tired and unwell. it makes a day visit more of a priority.
his son [chris's cousin] and partner also didn’t make it, which is a shame, as he is a life and soul of party chap and i really like him. luckilly all the others made it, and bb and sb had a fab time with playing with little A, now 2. we all had a lovely relaxing time.

before we went, SB, BB and i had a look at Watercolour (Klutz) which looks absolutely fab, and we are planning to do some tomorrow

went to the nots and tots today, the girls really enjoy it. BB in particular loves recordering! she was most jealous that L and E got to do 2 recorder sessions! both did french, but SB mainly. and they had fun making janus faces, which lucky relatives are going to get as presents this weekend! [must find baby A's present!!] it was particularly nice as they didn’t have to rush off to a different town for gym. chris is wondering whether to move bB’s gym session, but it would be difficult.

ANother session requiring moving is apparently brownies. we specifically went into the monday group as it fitted around ballet, and the wed group clashed with judo. both groups are being brought forward 1/2 an hour. this means that ballet and brownies directly compete [as she has gone up a ballet group and would have a 15 mins crosssover anyway] and brownies and judo doesn’t, but there is no space in that brownie pack. aarghh.

at home chris put up 2 new coffee tables, one of which is BB’s desk – aah. i don’t understand people who don;t love tables!! sb did some piano practice.

when i got home, bb and i made soap. sb not so keen too. this time we made a thin layer of coloured soap, used fimo shape cutters to cut it out, and then made a translucent soap and popped them in. fab. more presents for the rellies!! [though i nearly died when i saw chris's soap receipt, so i am not saying that this is a particularly cheap way of getting soap...]

a dr who – where bb announced from the start how to kill slitheen!! and bed nearly finished the The Assassins of Rome: Roman Mysteries 4 (The Roman Mysteries) . SB has been reading charlie and the chocolate factory, scoop, a rumer godden book, 13 days of christmas and George’s Secret Key to the Universe [giggle!]

quick sum up of week so far [am trying to persuade chris to do the odd blog!]
mon – HE sports in city1. BB does the younger class and SB the older. they both really enjoy this session, and the teacher that takes it is fabulous and enthusiastic. After that they went to a snowy park for a play. I met up with them at tesco, quite accidentally. i was buying a couple more of the £7 pine coffee tables from tesco as they are such a bargain, and recognised the spotty jumper down an isle, and shortly afterwards realised it was indeed on SB!

i took the girls home, and we did lots of squabbling. to be fair, i have insomnia, job worries and go to bed too late and haven’t completely shifted a migraine for ages now, so i didn’t defuse and alter the flow of dynamics as well as i could have done. but they really do seem to be horribly squabbly at the moment, and argue about pretty much everything. i am hoping that this is a post christmas come down stage!!

anyway, after i had removed various toys, stopped doing fun things like soap making and in the end sat down with a maths book each, things settled. but wasn’t really what i had planned [no, the maths wasn't a punishment! they both enjoy it. but i find that sitting them down with something that is individually theirs can stop the perpetual squabble cycle]. chris took ages to get home, as he hadn’t shut the boot properly and the shopping flew out at one point to clear up.

we are doing doctor who watching in the eve, we should have caught up by the time of the next series.

tues i went to work before the girls woke up, and got home after bb went to bed. but did catch a bit of sb, and we made chocolate gifts together. they had all had another busy day. library day and craftxs at the library for bb. then various bits and pieces in the afternoon. sb did her piano, some galore park, some maths and then had first swimming of the term.

today was latinetc. always enjoyable, and this time with added merryness. i was even on time! [just!] we have a slightly different running order to make the most of things, and this seemed to go well. SB enjoyed her latin, and was showing off her declension of the amo amas! and she was v keen to tell me all about doing music with gina, including recorder practice apparently. BB loved doing the felting kit. and also v happily went off and did french. i really enjoyed the science, particularly with the older group as they appeared to have so much fun doing it. we did some general lung things, and then made our own lung capacity measurements. v watery and messy!!

merry came back to ours with the girls in the afternoon, and they ran about crazilly whilst we chatted. chris had taken down the christmas trees while i was out – always a sad moment. we might try and do something SOTW activity related, you never know!!

after they had gone, SB did a lovely piano practice and some music theory – encouraged by doing music with gina. bb did some more before the code. and then we slumped infront of dr who again. i am totally worn out now!

BUT I have found my new years resolution for this year. I plan to remember that i am an adult with more stores of patience [hopefully] than my girls. and that i will find a squabble box, something that we can use to distract us all.

so i have done loads of musical mondays of music i like, and prob could continue ad infinitum. i share this music with sb, and sometimes we chat about it, sometimes we listen, and sometimes its in the background.
and then i contemplate ambleside online. now, i know actually that this isn;t right for us yet. i don’t think we are in the mood to start with the discussion of composer and time and place etc. we can touch on these things – and have done. but percolating though my mind, this just hasn’t grabbed me.
soooo, since i have so much free time and all i thought i would do what i think will suit us best!
and it is still music listening and themes. i doubt i can do this weekly, but def monthly.
amy commenters are v welcome [indeed i would be indebted!] to link to music in the theme. and if i had time, i would like to find artwork themes to match.