Author Archives: HHaricot

today we had a bit of a manic day! we started with latinetc and then went on a steam train trip. latinetc the bigger children put on plays in latin and learnt about saturnalia. at sb for forgetting everything about the 12 tasks of flavia gemina! the two plays were both fab, with the boys doing a sort of latin tom and jerry, and the girls had kit/rufus getting lost in the baths. the littlies did a beautiful jingle bells with bells, and they all enjoyed looking at things down the microscope again. roman bread was made – though we left too early to eat it!

having left early, we made it to the nene valley railway santa special. it was more magical with the snow!! as we got there, we thought the car park must be full, as cars parking miles away on the road, so chris decided to drive to carpark to drop us off… and it was half empty! result! so we got in, bought tea and ot choc to fortify the wait for santa grotto. i have to say, a lovely grotto, and fab presents [there is a surprise!] and both girls happy. we got bb a ‘boy’ badge so she didn’t get pink tat, but i think all 5 year olds [pressies were age and sex demarcated!] got a rather interesting game, which hopefully she will let us play one day. bb had a drawing by numbers set.

the train was a steamer, and toasty warm our carriage had some uninhibited carollers in it, so we all joined in! v festive. santas helpers brought sweets and juice for kids, and mince pies and alcohol or hot drinks for adults, so we were happily set! BB did fall asleep in the end though. nice christmassy thing to have done, though once in train you don’t get the steam thing fully!

home to watch the second half of the troll merlin, play bohnanza with SB and then when girls chased to bed, finish the tunis cake and wrap the last of the pressies. i must pack clothes now. kinda dreading the journey tomorrow, as the ‘most sensible’ route by far takes us onto the m25 – which currently seems least sensible!

have no idea what has mostly gone on!! i know that the kitchen floor somehow seems to have been artistically decorated in green permanent ink from a stamper – v v green splodged! and the house liberally coated with glitter – i think that might be card making!!

yesterday when i returned from work i did some baking with the gilrs – shortbread cookies and orange and ginger biscuits with BB, whilst SB made her lovely chocolate and marzipan surprise hearts – though this time stars! i also made the tunis cake base. the lickings were lovely, so fingers crossed!

today i was appraised – always glad to get that over with! and returned home to snuggle and cuddle girls, listen to sb recorder, watch her dance. they did bags to put presents in, i made some christmas after dinner mints [see the childrens christmas crafts page at top of blog!]. we watched victorian christmas farm, except me and bb fell asleep. this means she is now awake again. bit concerned re BB, she doesn’t look at all healthy, not sure whether combo of eczema and cold, or something worse. suggesting chris might want to take her to dr – bound to need a steroid cream.

saturday was supposed to be a catching up day, but I think we got even further behind! the girls played out in the snow alot. i kept trying to tempt them with sorting out a present for chris, but they both think they have all the time in the world ! BB started on zoombinis, and v much loved it. quite a bit of help from SB, but was getting the idea and enjoying it. SB was allegedly doing a quick bit of maths, as was trying to complete 20 last week, but didn’t quite! loads of music practice has gone on, lots of reading books, and she has been doing some ds french, so with latinetc as well, and loads of crafting and socialising, i am not much worried!

Actually, as an aside, i have been thinking on ‘evidencing’ I think, in the end, that although we hope it will come to nothing, and is certainly a fairly huge amount of money for the government to spend on an unwanted non-problem, that something that will require some level of evidencing is likely to be necessary. and that actually, our tick sheets would do.

anyway, I digress, I am going to evidence only when absolutely necessary, and in the most minimal way possible! finally, in the afternoon, the girls decided their plan for daddy, and we did it [can say no more at this stage!] and had a lovely time crafting away together. BB also made a fimo penguino [she has been with josie too much!] for J, but by the time she had finished it, the nest and the ‘egg hole’ [for the egg to be hidden away in whilst it is being incubated btw!] she had fallen in love with it so much, that she has decided to keep it!! it is rather lovely. I have no idea what they might be getting me, apparently nintendogs has been mooted… [lu-uv!], i have suggested that if bought rather than made, then really warm gloves sounds good, or legwarmers would be nice!

we finished with making my dad’s present of choc brazils – a v v every year thing! i remember giving just brazils to him when i was a lass! these days we make them ourselves, as it is fun, easy but prob no cheaper!! I think some may have been sampled already so we need to box them! we finished the day with a bit of story of the world, and then Merlin – which I fell asleep in again – i only seem to watch the first half and never have any idea over the endings! they all still seem alive the next time anyway! I spent into the night doing stuff for my annual appraisal – groan!

Sunday, still a slowish start but we managed to get out to meet the manor borns at the RSPB place for our walk. lovely crisp weather, crunchy snow, birds calling, and I think we all had enough layers on to feel warm enough. SB initially told me a mouse had been nesting inside my walking boots [after i put them on] but she was incorrect, it was chris’s.  we were going to do the lovely new walk, but c was under the weather, and in fact it was much better i think for her to pootle, tho i would have loved to do the lovely, new walk – i think it might be my favourite! but we first went to the hide ande saw loads of birds, including the woodpecker, and then went to the gardens around the house, the children and marcus had fun with the snow, it looked really beautiful. I have to say that i thought SB looked really beautiful today. as my daughter, i always think she looks beautiful, but she had a happy glow about her. <3 . BB was nearly first back to the car, but couldn’t quite keep up the pace, we had gossip, chat and smiles all they way. lovely! Back to the manor for the usual convivial evening. the children nearly had us bail out at 8, with BB not quite getting into the groove, sb falling asleep and c not being too well either, but as the decision was nearly made, they pulled together  and so our usual late departure. we did get to talk tents i love tent buying discussions – so sad!

home to wrap pressies and late to bed. I am naughtily blogging from work, because the snow has disrupted ppl arriving for me to help. i am a tad bored!

thurs i think chris and the girls tots and notted, and did some rehearsal for the christmas party nativity and some recorders, and then i think they had multisport – that pretty much took care of the day. I had a training day in Bradford, and so when i awoke to snow deep and crisp and even, i was slightly concerned that the rail links would let me down. they didn’t, had a fab training session and a safe return. the car park certainly felt like siberia though, with the wind containing blades and snow coming horizantal at me. certainly made for a very interesting drive home!! [ok, so i was a little bit scared and went v slowly, but i did discover a special effect! if you drive slowly through snow blowing horizantally directly at you and put full beam on it kinda looks like space wormhole special effects] I obviously didn’t drive like that all the way home, else i might not have made it!!

Friday dawned with a fair wallop of snow on the ground, and the girls rushed out to play in it. bless them, they took their sleds, though our garden is as flat as flat can be. never tried a spirit level on it, but still guessing flat!! we let them play for a bit before piling in the car for the home ed group christmas party. we had great fun. It is a shame so many ppl were stopped by snow, but said hello to all and sundry. unfortunately i was migrained to the hilt – prob due to the v long day previously with only an occassional snack to keep going rather than proper meals. But lovely ppl brought me cups of tea, and i snuggled BB whilst watching the fab nativity play, and then the cabaret. lots of great music and some poetry too. I do enjoy watching kids enjoying showing their skills in such a non-pressured and appreciative audience way! Sb played a carol on the clarinet – she is v happy with her clarinetting, and it shows in her keenness to get it out. she also had a go at sightreading some carols from her 0-1 upgrade christmas special music – done v nicely. yummy food, and children playing outside all quite merrily. we finished with dave on the hurdy gurdy [quite jealous really] and then a rousing carol singing.

Katy suggested we go back to hers, with the temptation of free skating at a local park! so we went. it was freezing cold so we all wrapped up v warm. it was plastic not ice, but the children all loved rampaging around on the ice, and BB in particular was suitably fearless, showing the others how to twirl, run etc… Bob and I kept each other company, and tasted the hot chocolate. Back to katy’s for chippery tea, good company and conversation. BB let the tone down considerably by repeating what SB had read her on a very ‘blue’ card that must have been within reach at the post office. :blush: my head seemed to be finally better [typical!] so home and bed for us all, more or less!!

oh for such unimaginative titles! well, thurs was nots and tots, and philosophy. french peut etre, recorders and clarinets, and a gym trial session for BB. i got home and totally forgot i was supposed to be at a colleagues xmas do, so had to hotfoot it there to be marginally late, and not in xmas glam mode!
friday chris and girls wrapped pressies and packed i think!