Author Archives: HHaricot

I am midnight – apparently. I certainly stay up late!

Posted on May 1, 2006 | 1 comment

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you’re apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you’re a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence – you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn’t mean you’re a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

1 Comment

Posted in Daft Stuff, General

our ‘typical home-ed day’ Photo Meme 2006

Posted on May 1, 2006 | 3 comments

somewhat late, and I didn’t get started with the camera quite at the begining, but hey ho, that is probably what my typical day is! Obviously, this wasn’t entirely a typical day, as it was bank hols and both parents at home. Full photos on flickr.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Little Nanny!
Started with SB and BB playing with the happy street at too early o clock, and then by the eime I got up, SB had moved onto Sindy’s and BB was rarring about. I fed her and she settled down to playing with the bricks.

So, 10:00 and SB starts with explode the code – 4 pages. SHe’s quite good at doing this mostly on her own. I did need to remind her that there is a double l at the end of words such as sell and spell etc. Also, it took a while to convince her that there was a st sound and how it was made.

So that was 10 mintues – I happen to know because thats when she decided to play nursery with BB, who was being the baby in the baby room. BB took it all in good part, and I do like seeing SB playing games specifically with BB, rather than just moaning when BB ruins things.

11 -ish, and we did some maths. SB chose to do some from the miquon book – something that I find more dificult, as I have to sit there with the instructors guide to work out what we are supposed to be doing. mostly counting and adding, as we do it so rarely she is on ‘easy’ pages.

12-ish BB had an early lunch and fell asleep. Chris and SB looked at rocks and minerals with enchanted learning, moving on to the cretaceous period – and quite a bit of discussion on extinction and then to continental drift on the ‘puter. SB then looked at the new webland.I went out and did a spot of gardening, coming in for lunch – by which time BB had woken up and had a second lunch! 13-ish!

14:00 I read to BB, and SB did lots of dot to dotting – going up to 50, and then looked at a thomas the tank book. She then disappeared to her bedroom to play some more with sindy’s

15:30 We all got ready and went out to the park and stayed there until nearly 17:00. SB loves the park, and clambered happily about. BB did lots of climbing practice – antother Know No Fear daughter! So we took lots of pictures of BB, as its the first time she has had all this fun. Although heart in my mouth, was proud of her climbing skills!

when we got back, SB played with the ballerina candleholders and various kinder egg bits for a while. TBH, I have no idea what we did then! BB drew on herself.

18:00 ish teatime -in which SB was trying to remember all the countries she had heard of – second one was indonesia!, then tidyup and pyjamas on 19:00 we watched the deep on DVD and the 20:00 bedtime stories and finally sleep!

Other photo-meme days for this year can be found here, here, here, here and here [so far!]

3 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, IT, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, writing

A Heart stopping moment

Posted on April 30, 2006 | 2 comments

BB has learnt how to climb to top of climbing frame!

Thinking of ways to make this impossible for a few more months!

Thanks to all who came to the party. It was lovely to have such a garden full. the flickred photos are here

The house now seems very quiet, and I am off to bed to read one of the books jax left me!

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Posted in General

this time last year

Posted on April 28, 2006 | Leave a comment

SB was eating all of merry’s olives, and I was woebegone. chris was sleeping on the floor of an empty house in Leeds, and we were expecting to move in the following day.

we moved, guinness ran away [to return] and we have had one of the most difficult years of my life for a variety of reasons.

Anyway, here we are, preparing to celebrate with friends 1 year into new house, and SB being officially home educated. The weather looks good, we are totally disorganised – sorry – it has been a difficult week ++ for me! [including a visit to the Inner temple crown bar today- never something to wish to do, though the buildings lovely; and the start of my mediation process; first paycheque at new improved dramatically reduced rates]
Was moving here the right thing to do? Hmm, whilst work being so difficult its hard to see this clearly. but amidst all the difficulties, we have grown together with the house and the community, and it starts to feel like home. It took me a while to settle into Leeds, and by the time I left I belonged there, and think of myself as Northern now! SO given time and a fair wind…
Yep, in need of a celebration! looking forward to seeing all the people that can come, and will miss those that can’t.

Tired and still migrainous

Posted on April 23, 2006 | Leave a comment

We had a rather poor night. Not quite sure what was up with BB as she was twitchy and unsettled most of the time and permanently latched on – sigh.

So today, we started with SB playing story games with Sindy’s in her bedroom fro a vast amount of the morning, and I played with BB. We did book reading, fun blox, shape sorters and dollies mostly, with a little bit of scribbling for good measure. She and i sang to each other – she does seem to have a musical ear [as far as you can tell these things].

When SB came down, she got stuck in to some explode the codswallop and we also read a fair bit more from the usborne children’s encyclopaedia - formation of earth, tectonic drift, volcanos and earthquakes, the moon and its phases, formation of stars and government and politics – she chooses! We had lunch and I potted up some toms and peppers.

As BB fell asleep SB did some thinking skills singapore maths - a bit of an easy revision on subtraction under 10 in record time. i then offered her choice as to waht she wanted us to do together. First we painted her second ring box [from the tesco kit she got for her birthday], the we went to discuss ‘the carrot problem‘ [ie the rows are so overgrown in weeds we have no idea whether any carrot seedlings there] – we decided to sow some into eggboxes to see what we are looking for. Whilst out, we re-enacted a long fairy tale about a traveller princess with a pet lion who rescues a prince, marries him, and takes his money to give to her parents [well, its hard to make these things up!]We then went on to read the usborne book about healthy eating, and repeated the taste experiment – we did it last year for meme day! Sb was quite knowledgeable about why we should eat healthily.

BB woke up, and we finished tidying the playroom [Chris had started it] and hoovered, and then got out things for all of us to play together. We first listened to holsts the planets and discussed the fact he only knew about 8, and their roman names and atrributes. SB and BB did a rather good interpretative dance! When we get to vote on a new national anthem, I think I will go for I vow to thee my country! We followed on with the free horrible history romans CD, which we all blithely ignored whils arguing over fun blox, stacking cups and which of the girls should have prime lap/arm position!

We had an early tea to watch Jason and the Argonauts. SB enjoyed it. She was much put out that the story wasn’t entirely the same as in her book! We discussed the oral tradition and poetic licence, but she wasn’t impressed! She even moaned that their constumes were different. To give her credit, she knew it was a hydra, and it doesn’t come in this story, as well as most of the characters and monsters. She was also put out by the advert breaks!

We finished with bedtime stories of ‘great grandfather abraham’ and the cruxifiction and resurrection of Christ from her children’s bible. Discussing as honestly as possible [for an agnostic] the meanings behind things!

I think perhaps I should have chose today as meme day – though took very few photos – as we have covered pretty much the whole curriculum in one form or another. AND only the singapore maths and explode the code were suggested [2 pages of each], the rest entirely autonomous – though I think of us as child led.

hmmm, maybe i will see what photos I can russle up!

Sunny Saturday – photos to follow

Posted on April 22, 2006 | 5 comments

It was nice getting home from the conference. It was a good conference in Norwich, I listened, learnt, talked and networked. I even ate a rather dismal meal cooked by St Delia’s krew at Norwich City [i think the non-veg may have been better]

Unfortunately, although resolutely teatotal, had horrendous migraine for drive home, and to cap it all, exhaust half fell off car on way back! Rescue man came and said best thing was to finish the job, so slithered under the car and wrestled it off, somewhat in the manor of crocodile dundee!

So to today. staggered out of bed, suitably drugged. SB was watching cbeebies and then went onto some Dora DVD’s temporarily borrowed from Merry – thanks. so we say hola and vamanos all day [? spelling??] We really should get into gear as we have some spanish and german resources. SB finished her hama star, and BB danced and sang along to all the Dora music [very cute] and played with dolls and fun blox.

SB sowed some seeds for me, and BB pulled apart a tom – good thing we have plenty! SB also did some of the ‘learn to draw…’ pictures. yesterday she did a fantastic car and tractor, and then worked put herself a very detailed bike, with person and chain and pedals. I was impressed.

When BB fell asleep after lunch we went outside. We did some tidying up of the pond. Only 3 of the fish seem to have made it. SB was interested in the pond/roots/seeds etc visible, and went so far as to strip off and stand in it. She hated the slimy bottom so immediately got out!

We then went into the veg patch to weed and hoe and she did some singapore maths 1A – subtracting across 10. We got there in the end! Bit of use of seeds as props. Chris took over the digging though – result! SB then helped and between them they trampled over 1/4 row of carrots – mind you, I couldn’t actually see them for the weeds – rofl!

BB woke up, so we mostly then played in the garden, on the climbing frame and toys, and SB put on a show – swinging about making my hair even whiter!!

We seem to have loads of ladybirds in the garden, so SB and BB were looking at them. SB quite confidently remembered they would have 6 legs as insects and named various other body parts. They were 6 spots. We also looked at some ants and other creepy crawlies. So she asked why woodlice aren’t insects. i was a bit stumped, but thanks to google, I now know they are crustacea – amazing!

BB was getting too interested in the water fountain and eating ladybirds, so we went in, and looked up woodlice. We have NASA astronomy picture of the day as our homepage and it was a series of photos showing the apparently retrograde motion of Mars – so another difficult question to work out how to answer!!

SB ‘styled’ the pizza for tea whilst BB played run across the room and jump into my arms. I read BB some books – in particular my little pony and a squeezy truck one. SB did some explode the code 2

We finished the day watching 1 and a half episodes of the blue planet – which SB really enjoyed, and was mostly ver attentive. Well, actually, BB is STILL awake and dancing to the chart show when not trying to retype my messages. She loves doing patacake and clapping, as well as high 5′s. She is also ‘singing’ along. Has made writing this blog somewhat dificult. SB’s last dificult question of the day was to ask me to prove cats had belly buttons…

Although at the moment, I really could do with BB being asleep, i love both my girls dearly and we have had a lovely day.

I have 4 friends moving in the next 10 days at various times, so hoping it is all going smoothly for you!

5 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, language, numeracy, science, writing

Global footprint/earth day

Posted on April 22, 2006 | 8 comments

?calculate your ecological footprint
CATEGORY GLOBAL HECTARES

FOOD 0.7

MOBILITY 0.4

SHELTER 1.8

GOODS/SERVICES 1.2

TOTAL FOOTPRINT 4.1

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 5.3 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON. WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 2.3 PLANETS.

Last year, my result was 1.8 planets, so we are getting worse not better. our food has improved, as we buy from farmers markets and local farm store as much as poss, and also grow our own. the car usage up as I live further from work, and use it more days. The shelter also up – as Leeds house more modest.
Chris would do better, using the car less. Our house is somewhat larger than our needs.

8 Comments

Posted in Daft Stuff, General

Books by women meme from jax

Posted on April 21, 2006 | 4 comments

Just BOLD those you?ve read, ITALICIZE the ones you?ve been meaning to read and ??? the ones you have never heard of.

Alcott, Louisa May ? Little Women
Allende, Isabe l? The House of Spirits
Angelou, Maya ? I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Atwood, Margaret ? Cat?s Eye
Austen, Jane ? Emma
Bambara, Toni Cade ? Salt Eaters ???
Barnes, Djuna ? Nightwood ???
de Beauvoir, Simone ? The Second Sex
Blume, Judy ? Are You There God? It?s Me Margaret
Burnett, Frances ? The Secret Garden
Bronte, Charlotte ? Jane Eyre
Bronte, Emily ? Wuthering Heights
Buck, Pearl S. ? The Good Earth ???
Byatt, A.S. ? Possession
Cather, Willa ? My Antonia ???
Christie, Agatha ? Murder on the Orient Express
Cisneros, Sandra ? The House on Mango Street ???
Clinton, Hillary Rodham ? Living History
Cooper, Anna Julia ? A Voice From the South ???
Danticat, Edwidge ? Breath, Eyes, Memory ???
Davis, Angela ? Women, Culture, and Politics ???
Desai, Anita ? Clear Light of Day
Dickinson, Emily ? Collected Poems
Duncan, Lois ? I Know What You Did Last Summer??
DuMaurier, Daphne ? Rebecca
Eliot, George ? Middlemarch
Emecheta, Buchi ? Second Class Citizen ???
Erdrich, Louise ? Tracks ???
Esquivel, Laura ? Like Water for Chocolate

Flagg, Fannie ? Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Friedan, Betty ? The Feminine Mystique
Frank, Anne ? Diary of a Young Girl
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins ? The Yellow Wallpaper ???
Gordimer, Nadine ? July?s People ???
Grafton, Sue ? S is for Silence??
Hamilton, Edith ? Mythology ???
Highsmith, Patricia ? The Talented Mr. Ripley
Hooks, Bell ? Bone Black ???
Hurston, Zora Neale ? Dust Tracks on the Road ???
Jacobs, Harriet ? Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl ???
Jackson, Helen Hunt ? Ramona/??
Jackson, Shirley ? The Haunting of Hill House???

Jong, Erica – fear of flying???

Keene, Caroly – the nancy drew mysteries
Kidd, Sue Monk ? The Secret Life of Bees ???
Kincaid, Jamaica ? Lucy ???
Kingsolver, Barbara ? The Poisonwood Bible ???
Kingston, Maxine Hong ? The Woman Warrior ???
Larsen, Nella ? Passing???
L?Engle, Madeleine ? A Wrinkle in Time
Le Guin, Ursula K. ? The Left Hand of Darkness
Lee, Harper ? To Kill a Mockingbird
Lessing, Doris ? The Golden Notebook
Lively, Penelope ? Moon Tiger
Lorde, Audre ? The Cancer Journals ???
Martin, Ann M. ? The Babysitters Club Series
McCullers, Carson ? The Member of the Wedding ???
McMillan, Terry ? Disappearing Acts ???
Markandaya, Kamala ? Nectar in a Sieve ???
Marshall, Paule ? Brown Girl, Brownstones ???
Mitchell, Margaret ? Gone with the Wind
Montgomery, Lucy ? Anne of Green Gables
Morgan, Joan ? When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost ???
Morrison, Toni ? Song of Solomon
Murasaki, Lady Shikibu ? The Tale of Genji ???
Munro, Alice ? Lives of Girls and Women ???
Murdoch, Iris ? Severed Head
Naylor, Gloria ? Mama Day ???
Niffenegger, Audrey ? The Time Traveller?s Wife
Oates, Joyce Carol ? We Were the Mulvaneys ???
O?Connor, Flannery ? A Good Man is Hard to Find ???
Piercy, Marge ? Woman on the Edge of Time
Picoult, Jodi ? My Sister?s Keeper
Plath, Sylvia ? The Bell Jar
Porter, Katharine Anne ? Ship of Fools ???
Proulx, E. Annie ? The Shipping News
Rand, Ayn ? The Fountainhead ???
Ray, Rachel ? 365: No Repeats ???
Rhys, Jean ? Wide Sargasso Sea ???
Robinson, Marilynne ? Housekeeping ???
Rocha, Sharon ? For Laci ???
Sebold, Alice ? The Lovely Bones ???
Shelley, Mary ? Frankenstein
Smith, Betty ? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ???
Smith, Zadie ? White Teeth ???
Spark, Muriel ? The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Spyri, Johanna ? Heidi
Strout, Elizabeth ? Amy and Isabelle ???
Steel, Danielle ? The House
Tan, Amy ? The Joy Luck Club
Tannen, Deborah ? You?re Wearing That ???
Ulrich, Laurel ? A Midwife?s Tale??
Urquhart, Jane ? Away ???
Walker, Alice ? The Temple of My Familiar ???
Welty, Eudora ? One Writer?s Beginnings ???
Wharton, Edith ? Age of Innocence
Wilder, Laura Ingalls ? Little House in the Big Woods
Wollstonecraft, Mary ? A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Woolf, Virginia ? A Room of One?s Own

as I said, got from JAX. Not usre why these particular books chosen, as can think of other great female authors – Sheri tpper, Julian May, and I don’t think necesaarily my favourite bokos by the author chosen. so maybe there should be an underline for read another book by that author!

4 Comments

Posted in Books, General

our blogs are getting confused!

Posted on April 13, 2006 | Leave a comment

chris’s wednesday blog was about tuesday! I’ll make this one about wed shall I!!!

lovely day, some nice weather. SB and I got stuck into some singapore maths – adding to go over the 10 – ie 8 plus 4. It took a while, but she got there [and consildated it today] some she just knew, but some she had to work out how to think about them.

She also did her explode the code easily [or, as she put it, exploding codswallop!], and we read I wonder why the stars twinkle, and assorted bits about dinosaurs. She’s quite knowledgeable about stars and pointed out that there are blue giants on webland. it must have been ages since she looked at stars on webland!

We all sowed some seeds – nice big’uns so that BB could do it too. She was soooo rpoud of helping out. As I explained to an anxious SB, it didn’t matter she put loads in the wrong place, I coulsort that out later [and I did!] I obviously missed excess assistance from BB with the butternut squash, as some cells have 8 in!! – may well have an offer on butternut squash to grow to any visitors we might have in the next month!

BB is totally gorgeous, her speech is well behind josies [no, I shoudln't compare] but she is very close to speech. rather funnily, she has started to wag her finger back at SB, when SB tells her no. She is very considerd about her actions, and knows where things should be etc. She totally adores SB.

We all went into the garden for a play, some weeding, and SB helped Chris chop up some branches. [very ineffectually!]

the a gradual winddown and games playing – mostly snakes and ladders and UNO – before bed. We also read all the stories in the barefoot book tales of wisdom and wonder!

Not on our way

Posted on April 13, 2006 | 4 comments

Chris’s dad had an accident and in a and e. seen him, and i think he’s fine, but another xray to go. Hopefully he will be set free soon, and we will have them both to stay the night – keep my beady eye on him!!

4 Comments

Posted in General

Author Archives: HHaricot

I am midnight – apparently. I certainly stay up late!

our ‘typical home-ed day’ Photo Meme 2006

A Heart stopping moment

this time last year

Tired and still migrainous

Sunny Saturday – photos to follow

Global footprint/earth day

Books by women meme from jax

our blogs are getting confused!

Not on our way

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