Author Archives: HHaricot

tears before bedtime – edited

It has been one of those days. I think all this socialisation and frenetic living is getting to all of us – time for some r and r!! Not helped by BB’s return to sleeping nightmare!

Initial Hama-ing. SB wanted to use the circle to do a face of BB – which she did really nicely, and started a new flower. A struggle over going to stagecoach – she definitely doesn’t want to go any more, and even the promise of a Christmas show isn’t wuite doing it. We will notify them she won’t be coming back next term. While she is there, she does seem to enjoy it, and goes off quite happily. For one reason or another, we are missing quite a few though anyway. We also have found the messing up of the weekend a bit of a pain.

This afternoon she has dissolved easily into tears. SHe has wanted to play with me non stop, but if I break one of her unspoken rule games she is heartbroken and sobs dreadfully. All very difficult, as I do also want to play with BB. When BB qwent to sleep, we did a shortlived word game with the boggle dice [she spelled cat and dog, and me bird, and then she did seeds] I then wrote a word without saying the letters I was looking for, so a standoff and it was put away. We had a nice game of dominos, and then I turned a corner without permission – game over! We read quite a few books though – the skeleton hiccups one she actually read quite a few of the words before she realised, and then abrubtly stopped. SHe has also done some colouring.

The other activity- mainly to give myself some headspace – was baking carrot cake – which we have done, wone to eat and one to freeze. At least that was enjoyed and tear free. the results were very nice too. Not so easy with dinner, as a cry when she realsied the spaghetti i had cooked weren’t tinned ones – sigh. She ate it all though. Some home grown grapes for pud. At present I am breathing[!!] as Daddy does bath before I do the stories.

I did get to have a short bit of BB only time – which is always nice. She is such a smiler. We were playing with the stacking cups, and a 4 high stacker toy. She enjoys this. Today she did the stacker toy herself!!! She was most impressed, particularly that I clapped, so did it lots more – until I went for the camera that is! Sb had been in the garden with Chris, but it rained, so she came back. we then did singing with actions for BB – wind the bobbin, twinkle twinkle etc.

It is clear that SB loves BB, but she can be so rough with her. I think as BB gets more mobile, she gets more of a threat as well -IYSWIM. Not that SB will be putting it in those terms, but I do have limited BB alone time [ i am trying for perhaps 2 x 15 mins slots - shouldn't be too hard??]. Hmmm – thinking cap!

Anyway, getting the call for stories, so a good thing I have blogged quickly!

edited: she wasn’t quite up for bed. so we looked at the DK pop out body book a bit, and discussed the spinal column and spinal cord mostly. then read roald dahl’s revolting rhymes – which are an unusual take n the standard fairy tales.

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Thankyou Tim

Handholder

You go out of your way to build bridges with people of different views and beliefs and have quite a few religious friends. You believe in the essential goodness of people , which means you?re always looking for common ground even if that entails compromises. You would defend Salman Rushdie?s right to criticise Islam but you?re sorry he attacked it so viciously, just as you feel uncomfortable with some of the more outspoken and unkind views of religion in the pages of this magazine.

You prefer the inclusive approach of writers like Zadie Smith or the radical Christian values of Edward Said. Don?t fall into the same trap as super?na?ve Lib Dem MP Jenny Tonge who declared it was okay for clerics like Yusuf al?Qaradawi to justify their monstrous prejudices as a legitimate interpretation of the Koran: a perfect example of how the will to understand can mean the sacrifice of fundamental principles. Sometimes, you just have to hold out for what you know is right even if it hurts someone?s feelings.

What kind of humanist are you? Click here to find out.

moderating

I’m going to have to add the word shoes!! we have been blitzed with shoe spam???? what is going on out there, as the amount of dud comments is exponentially increasing?

i apologise in advance. if you find something moderated, point it out and i will search and reinstate

and relax

What a busy but fun week we’ve had!
Also a busy one at work, and due to bursts of creativity there, I now have lots of evening work to do for presentations/business plans.Also off on a union course on negotiation skills from sun in swindon, so weekend feels shortened.

got home late from work to an enthusiastic hello from SB. She then danced for me, talked to me and we made an elephant together. I then read her half the ‘my very first bible’ so all read out! She was excited by the egyptian bits, as told me they weren’t kings but pharoahs, and was happy discussing clothes/houses – so a bit of a detour. She had a later bedtime as it is so nice to snuggle and catch up.

A play also with BB – as well as a huge feed. She stood unsupported for very brief moment and was very excited. She loves investigating, and is showing awareness of language other than her name.

I feel despondent that I will ever return to a decent work life balance though. I just keep hitting brick walls.

october blogbumping

has been rather grand!
we have kirsty and co staying, and merry and co round for the day.

it was nice to get in from work to a houseful yesterday. Kirsty’s 2 and SB were demonstrating nicely one of the reasons we bought the house – it is a fantastic place for children to run around madly shrieking!! They played together, watched shrek and investigated the house together. unsurprisingly very late bedtime. foolishly i’d said we read 1 book for each – andthey all chose long ones. kirsty giggled as i started to paraphrase! not that they then fell asleep……… We got in a good natter before my eyes refused to stay open anyway. I did check out the sonlight manuals though.

Today they all demanded we bake so i checked ingredients and recipe. SOme nice drawing occurred while we adults had a cup of tea! they then ran around indoors and out like loons while I tidied some of the disaster from yesterday! once the floor was visible, it was quite clear that happy street should be done, and the 3 worked nicely to get the track to go around the mat – even with BB ‘helping’!

Kirsty here! Helen forgot to add in the huge conversation she and Marcus had about hearts and discussing the different parts of it using her freebie heart model she got ages ago. We must get one of those! This was started by looking at a big body book so loads of discussion there too. Marcus was beign very brave I must say, talking to both Helen and Chris like they were normal people (which of course they are lol!) and not like he normally talks to adults! He’s getting better!

oops edit no 2 – forgot to also add that on asking for a paracetamol for a headache Chris supplied me with 2 double strength cocodomal (sp?) which resulted in me being stoned for the whole day!! erm, oops!

When Merry and co arrived, Fran settled down to read numerous books to SB [what a great idea!], before they got more adventurous. the littlies demolished the happy street of course. While we grownups discussed sonlight, usborne and brownie-style badges for bloggers. was a great natter.

Chris edit – Whilst those adults nattered. This adult was in the kitchen organising lunches for the hoards. Much uproar was caused over instant needs for Pitta Bread ! there should be some sort of rule that all children will eat baked beans….

Children went outside and climbing framed and sandpitted [great!] when started to look overly excited we went to plan B which was drawing in the conservatory – some great pictures done. Included discussion on growing grapes, why they have pips, the solar system and order of planets.

When Merry went we had pasta tea, and the children counted to 10 in all known languages. Chris read some of our pre-loved ladybird books – greek legends and dinosaurs. They all did a lot of counting and adding, and some shops playing. I insisted only one book read to nigt, but they still spread it out by doing a full home-ed thing by discussing each page – counting, spotting differences etc etc. sigh!! Still awake. Anyway we actually did a lot of autonomous home ed.

now, have flickred, so may do a badge whilst drinking wine!

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ok, better late than never!

All you need is love…

Was IM-ing Nic, and we got on to HE – like you do. We were generally commenting on how many different parenting setups/ styles and HE emphasis on the blogring, and how great it is to be able to read from them and learn from them. I also find it a relief that many of us seem to have our insecurities, rather than just me! I feel often that i would like to do x like a does and y like b does etc etc. however….

Yet when all the children get together, what do we see – a horde of bright and shiny happy, often too articulate children which on the whole get on well with each other – who they see rarely. OK, we don’t sit them down to SATS [ROFL!], but it suggests to me that the common thread – which is that we all love and care enough – is probably going to be the key one to our children’s happiness.

Does this mean that i am going to stop stressing -ROFLMHO – I doubt it!!

And, I have different trousers on now, not inside out! I believe SB has mostly weblanded today, and some tidying.

A life less chaotic

would be nice.
updates
HE
Sat - some explode the code [2 pages] and some singapore maths [2 pages] read 2 of the red nose readers. I read loads of other books. Discussion around romans. Army and costume mainly. Watched Muzzy. Went to stagecoach. mostly played though – chris feeling ill.
Sun – Chris a zombie, me with migraine. 2 pages explode the code 1, and 2 [just] of singapore earlybird 2b. read another red nose reader, some phonics cards. painted a lovely picture which she told me was a dreamtime story – and the story involved. heard her tell inlaws about how days and nights worked

Chris’s parents came over for sunday lunch and prob wished they hadn’t as we were in a bit of a state – house in uproar and dishevelled parents and children.

BB getting good at crawling forward now – at last! and likes to push along a car or other toy as well. good fine movt fingers – picks up the smallest speck of rubbish off the floor to eat!!

unfortunatley no sleeping skills – i closed my eyes at 6.30 am for alarm 15 mins later. dead on feet. In fact so dead, hace reallised i hav gone to work with trousers inside out – and done a whole clinic like this!!!! ROFL

Quick update

Yesterday – well BB can clap beautifully now, and very proud of this. Had fun in a baby walker. can walk sideways for a few steps along furniture.

The pub opposite [with missing landlord] has withdrawn its application for more music – yay!

busy bees

just realised near the month end and not done the back flikr – aargh
sb and bb at nursery. me at work chris also at work
SB had ballet [with both shoes!]

Welcome to the mad house

we started lots of things, but not so good at completing! Sb still recovering from cold, and me from maudlin-ness. So a partial duvet day!!

We started off well though, had a look at various seed heads around the garden – the water iris and sweet chestnut the most fantastic. Picked up a few of other kinds too, and used them in a sticking picture of Autumn. We had a chat about seasons as we did it, what autumn meant, the how behind it etc. As we had done this in the conservatory, SB wanted to watch telly – so had a spanish Muzzy. Neither of us comprehended much, so we watched the english version – aha!! We were supposed to have the spanish back, but SB spied the bugs life video….. lunch was a good distraction, and after that we did some looking at our fly on the wall ancient egypt book and DK egypt book. We spied egypt on a map – SB a bit put out that it wasn’t ‘ancient egypt’. I tried to explain a bit about the country being more or less the same through the ages [yes, I know]. She did know the big river was the nile though – good-oh. She has decided that the first pharoah entombed in a pyramid was Josie Jo [close, as Djoser! - i wont let practical archaeology get to far Merry!!!!] We had a very brief look at the mediaeval bit of the DK history explorer – she was collecting stickers, and a blink at the solar system one. [and I mean a blink].

Moved on to Happy Street, and making stories. Getting better still with BB destroying as she goes [though the peace was uneasy!]. Some climbing about on the climbing frame, and then brought me the usborne greek myths and waved it about saying she wanted ulysses. i explained that was the other one, but she knows best and shows there is a woooden horse piccie in it. She’s right, the Ulysses story is in there too near the end. Odysseus here though – so we discussed name changing. She sat rapt by it, and insisted we went on to Theseus and the Minotaur.

What we haven’t done is any learning to read stuff and singapore or miquon maths for a while. I am gald we did some language though. knowing she would have it regularly at school does up the stakes doesn’t it. even for us, who are not trying to school at home. I know she will prob have a mad day of non-stop maths soon though, but I think we would like to encourage a daily habit as well. i have therefore taken photos of the front of some of these resources, and will cut them out into ? laminated magnetic stickers, or have a sheet with a certain number of them on, so she can get used to choosing which one to do, finidng matching book and getting on. How controlling. Once we’ve slipped back into the habit, we can just let go a bit again.

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