When we stayed at Chez Making it Up earlier this year, Small showed Butterbean upstairs. He started of by saying ‘You don’t need to be scared, there is no crocodiles’ 
BB still now often says‘Im not scared’ when going up stairs. She did it earlier today when we went up the back stairs. And I heard her saying it in some game she was playing with the castle, whne she had soem character going up and down the steps
Little things can have such an impact on young minds….
Posted in Butterbean, Daft Stuff
Which was sort of what Helen told me – seeing as I’ve been a bit lax in the blogging stakes lately.
So some gap filling:
Last Sunday
It was my Dads 70th birthday on the Friday. On Sunday we went over to theirs to go out for a birthday lunch. It was an all you can eat buffet type thing at an local Indian restaurant. It was nice, but would have been a bit better if the restaurant had been a bit more together.
My mum had rung them to say that we were veggie, and would there be veggie dishes, as was told there would be. When we got there, there was one veggie dish on the buffet (a rather nice potato thing – there were veg samosas but they were mixed up with meat ones….). It turns out that we could order something from the menu instead (same price) – that was fine, but we didn’t realize this until we were all sat down and were going to get food. so of course mum and dad had eaten a lot by the time we got our food. Not helped in that we had ordered some onion bhajis and samosas – ok normally you have them as starter, but seeing as everyone was eating, we thought they would bring the rest out as well. But no – though obviously they were cooked, as when I asked they appeared straight away.
So, could have been better with bit bit better clarity from them on what was happening, but food was good (though weird Mutter Paneer had chickpeas instead of peas – not so good when you have ordered Chana Dhal as well…..) Girls enjoyed it, SB at least at well, BB was entertained by the various fish tanks.
Finished up with cake and game of Ludo at mum and dads house.
Tuesday
SB started with more palying with the Polydron stuff before breakfast. Then the usual black hole that takes in breakfast, getting dressed etc. did sit down for more maths. After that we had a various bit of food shopping to do, so over to the post office (where of course as we only had quick in and out transaction the person 2 in front seemed to be carrying out every possible transaction you can in the PO in one go….). Then the bakers, then home again. Then get the bike and trailer out, tootle up to the farm shop for veggies. They are putting up a nice big polytunnel, so hopw to have some more interesting home grown things this year. It’s at a local plant nursery, opened when the village greengrocer shut. As a ‘farm shop’ they are supposed to grown most of their own produce (85% I think – by value I guess?) so he has been gradually increasing that.
Returned to lunch, then not sure, but we did sit down to SOTW later on – moved on to India, the Indus and the Ganges and the story about the formation of the Ganges. Then off to swimming lessons – for some reason they are now continuing through half term. but this hasn’t really been brought to peoples notice – I only new because some one else has mentioned it to me. So seemed a bit lower in numbers. treated the girls to dinner there (kids meal so they offer burger and chips, nuggets and chips etc….. anyway, SB likes the veg nuggets so they had those). Makes the evening easier really, as wqe don’t get back to past 6 pm so dinner becomes a bit a rush. This was me and Helen can have dinner bit later once girls are in bed.
Thursday
Umm again…..
One of my targets is to get out and do more regular bits in the garden to keep up with things. So we did spend about 1 1/2 hours outside, the girls mostly played in and out of the playhouse etc. I was weeding the strawberry patch, BB helped out a bit. SB decided that the playhouse garden needed a climbing frame so moved the Little Tikes one over there. It easier than last year to do this, as this time last year BB was still in pretty early toddler stage, so would fall over lot, get stuck etc.
After that and Lunch , whilst BB napped. We got out the Physics science kit we got given last year (thanks Raihanah ) SB wanted to do something involving test tubes and the spirit burner. So we did one boiling, evaporating, condensing and distilling water (boiling old coffee, collecting clear water. Liking to have things correct, we talked about the difference between water vapour and steam – one day she will remember She enjoyed it , and it kept us busy for an hour or so.
BB got up and made herself a paperclip aeroplane
She does love doing experiments etc. and we don’t really do as much of it as we should I think- certainly no excuse on the knowing what to do front….
We um and ahh about the Young Scientists Club kits on and off. Whilst we really ought to be able to sort the things out ourselves, we don’t as much as we should and there is also the whole ‘kit thing’ that seems to appeal to SB. She does seem to enjoy the whole box of bits. instructions etc. that is ‘hers’ thing. Umm, ahhh…..
Friday
Other than shopping, not a lot really. Typical morning blackhole stuff meant leaving later than I wanted to. We went out to Staples, where SB wanted to investigate all sorts of things, then to the pet place to to get cat food and spent ages looking at fish, rabbits , guinea pigs etc.. Then Tesco’s via Tesco’s cafe for lunch (well, a plate of chips and carton of milk for them to share). Time we got home it must have been about 3, and the rest of the afternoon sort of just frittered away with cups of tea, Ed. City and other kiddy websites, some reading, cooking dinner etc.. We did do a bit of piano practice I think.
Posted in Butterbean, gardening, history, literacy, numeracy, photos, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
well, we are NEARLY at a china chapter in SOTW, and it Chinese new year tomorrow, but not quite managed to co-ordinate them, having been a bit slow with SOTW recently. Chris had done some India in the week, and SB wanted me to read the Buddha enlightenment story again today, so I did, and then we read some stories from the Barefoot book of Buddhist tales. however, it being chinese new year [it lasts 15 days], i went ahaead and downloaded some of the little books from enchanted learning to do – and SB enjoyed that, and both girls made firework pictures. BB’s rather liberal use of glitter pens [as if a firework store had blown up tbh] has meant she pretty much used up a whole pack!
In the middle of all this, we had an outside play – in and out of the playhouse! And also football. Chris and I did a bit of garden tidying up to do, but it seems a bit like the forth bridge at the moment. Need to get an industrial quantity of the permeable garden weed mesh stuff.
SB has read to me and BB – apple tree farm books and books from the library. We have done a lot of building with the marble run, some internetting – nick jr and cbeeies.
BB has been absolutely in love with a galt alphabet thing, where it makes a long line, but the pictures are in little blocks cut in half. She was so excited doing it, clapping as she matched things up – very cute. Also she was having fun counting things – she is very keen to count, but just using 1,2 and 6 makes it tricky. Back in nappies though today as a weeing spree – sigh!
we finished with a rousing second half of the sing along sound of music [watched the first half last night]. and SB chose a book about seasons and time etc for her bedtime book, so we did that too.
Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, history, literacy, music, online resources, science, Stringbean's HE, writing
BB has just been dozing on the sofa, she’s has just woken up and is going on about ‘Parsnip on the TV’.What she means is Spud from Bob the Builder.
But why Parsnip???
Strange what goes on in kids heads.
Posted in Butterbean, Daft Stuff
The playhouse was delivered today, Merry’s girls ensured it got a good testing out It is rather lovely.
Thanks to my parents for buying it and to Mark from Windmill Crafts who supplied it.
Posted in Butterbean, photos, socialisation, Stringbean
the road to work was closed for resurfacing rather than flooding, but the view3s over the water meadows were fab. shame for the houses built so close though.
work was work. Chris’s parents were here today whilst Chris finished off the base for the wendy house. the did Lego, and not really knitting, as Jane teaching sb, and she isn’t getting the hang of it. also lots of bob the builder inspired games with BB as well. when I got home, the Lego hospital had just collapsed, so helped rebuild it. Made cups of tea and SB read to ORT roman adventure to Chris’s mum while I drank it. minor riot act to SB as not done match and sort, even though I had left it out.
We then did a piano practice, which she did very nicely – good, as have bought next book from amazon in my amazon splurge, which now needs to be justified! As we were doing that BB wandered down from her sleep, and we some wandered back up to remove ‘poopy soggy botbot napnap’. SB was supposed to be doing maths with Nana, but I think the workings out had Nana bemused [we're now used to the Singapore scheme, but Nana would subtract as I would have done at school, none of this messing with loads of steps!] so SB then had to redo it when i got down. the subtraction was across the 10, so she was subtracting the 10′s ok, but then the smaller unit from the larger [ie the wrong way] . Ah well, got there in the end.
We played with the brio set altogether, and Nana and Grandad went home. then with the 3d shape maker polyhedron thingies which we finally gave to sb this Christmas. she made a pancake, I made pyramids and not pyramids – she could tell me which were right though. The girls then messed about with cbeebies website and numberjacks.
After tea and bath, SB and I played battleships until it was time for her to go to bed, and I finished my homework!! having finished it, i have just watched primeval? -a bit of a laugh!
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, General, history, literacy, music, numeracy
It didn’t last long did it? luckilly that meant that chris has done a lot more organising of the base for SB’s wendy house – coming on wed.
Hmm, I got up late, SB and BB were arguing over cbeebies. mostly charlie and lola. A laid back beginning, and I read some books then to BB, AB got dressed [and played with dolls house] and then lunch – see v laid back!
So in the afternoon we were going to do some baking. However, BB went and had a nap, so SB and did a violin lesson and a piano lesson – as part of my i really must do this. SB no longer wants a purple and flowered violin, but a clear on that lights up – i wonder where she got that idea from? Anyway, we mostly did holding and bowing open strings. i bought this book from amazon to start us off with, as well as the theory book recommended by sarah [oops and a few more things]
we then heard BB wailing – so a short nap only, and rescued her. SO we went to bake, but the decorating plates were out as well, so she and BB decided to decorate their plates instead. BB finished first, so to keep her enthusiastic whilst SB finished, I got her bug pots kit out from Xmas present. We did the bee one, and SB was desperate to do one too. BB kindly gave her the ladybird one. Unfortunately the glue in the kits wasn’t really up to the job. BB lost half the eyes, and peeled all the sticker backs off the spider one [which we weren't doing!] I kept counting to 10, and we sorted it out so that we all did enjoy making our 2 pots!
Onwards and upwards we finally did our baking – banana loaf. SB helped BB do all the stages and it was quite lovely.the smell of the banana loaf baking has also been quite lovely. We did some jigsaws – BB has just crossed into the knowing how to do them bit, so is getting lots of fun from our starter jigsaws. SB did a little of the english education city. They are going to add german as well as spanish – so sounding better and better really. SB and BB then went for a runaround in the garden
I did a bit of tidying up and fiddling, but BB soon in and covered in mud – so an emergency bath! we then played games together until SB also came in having had an accident with the wheelbarrow. Hot choc and snuggles on sofa watching little house in the prairie were in order. SB was hungry, so she has had an early tea. The girls are cbeebing again at the moment. However, we are going to read a book about the native americans and prairie life when BB goes to bed. Actually, we started with that, and have now made some more of her lego hospital set.
Every night so far, SB has read me part of a level 8 ORT book, and carried on reading it when I go down. She is really happy with her reading at the moment.
Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, geography, history, literacy, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE
I need to crack on with preparing the base for the playhouse, so my parents came over today to look after the girls whilst i tried to get on with that. Though BB didn’t help much as she insisted on coming outside in the cold – she always wants to come outside whenever someone goes out there- pottering around until she got cold/fed up and then inssiting on me cuddling her- not really the point….
anyway, weather not the best for the job (cold -don’t mind that so much whilst working – but then it started to rain 
), and didn’t quite get to where I wanted, but reasonable progress made.
Whilst i was getting cold, various things where happening. Mot sure exactly, SB did some of the Cambridge Brainbox electronics kit, whilst BB played with maxi-hama. SB did some maths a bit later (getting through MPH2B – subtracting tens and units), and finshed off her enchanted Learning lion booklet. Played couple of games – Tummy Ache and something else, played with lego, some reading, then they both played loudly with the pop-up tent. after GP’s went home, both girls wanted to help me with dinner. so spent ages cutting up caulifower to make cauliflower cheese, so dinner was a bit later than it would have been…. which gave her time to do a bit of Explode the code
After dinner SB finshed off playing connect 4 with Helen.
BB cute moment: she is extending her size words. she asked for an orange. I asked her if she wanted a big or small orange (aka Clementine). she picked up the big orange:
“Big” pause ” ‘normous” pause “ginnynormous” – big smile and giggle
What else?
Yesterday, we were supposed to go out earlyish to BB’s toddler-gym session, but decided not to bother as it meant going out in cold slushy stuff to drive into the nearest town. So, as seen, we played out in the snow (once we eventually got all the necessary clothes on, hunted down gloves etc. which seem to have gone into hiding since Melrose 
SB was happy, BB intrigued for a bit, but then decides she preferred having a cuddle after falling over in the snow a few to many times.Eventully I got tired of carrying her around the garden and we came in. SB played for a bit more , but then also came in. We warmed up with hot choc and crumpets whilst watching most of the program about migrating wildebeest that we caught a bit of pre Melrose. There was a good bit about lions hunting together, as well as lots of other discussion prompted about different predators, why some animals are in groups and some individuals etc. after lunch she did some maths, some colouring in a dot to dot book of gladiators, we sat a read some books. she read a bit on a printed out web page about lions – it was in normal size print which she normally says is to small, but read most of it fine. There was some websiting – EC and Poisson Rouge which she likes and it entertains BB
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, cute, Daft Stuff, gardening, language, literacy, numeracy, science, Stringbean's HE
Busy day here today. Sb decided she would have a hair braid for everything she did today, and ended up with 6. She finished yesterdays MPH 1B so got the first. We then did bean and pasta collages. BB did 2 in dramtic style, and SB did 1 of a ghost BB [?] and 1 of a tree in a garden. we did liberally sprinkle glue and beans around the kitchen as well. (second)
So a change of venue whilst I tidied up. SB read a charlie and lola book, BB and I did some gears [oogly googly] whilst listening to Yo Yo Ma play Bach. then Sb did some explode the code 4 – we haven’t done any for a while, so she had got out of practice, but I think her reading skills have consolidated a bit, so time to carry on. (third)
We had lunch [home grown sprouting brocolli - it also makes pH water], and BB keen to watch telly, so I put on an usbourne first french video. [feeling mean] but BB loved the singing, and Sb remembered some of the colours from education city. (fourth).
Back into the playroom for some fun altogether, and BB chose the language baby einstein and kleine hippo’s for background noise [not so relaxing] she has worked out that if you press the space bar it stops and starts – hmmm. We then painted a plate for Grandad’s birthday, but BB wan’t so keen, so we did kid k’nex whilst SB did the painting. (fifth)
We were going to do some violin, but BB didn’t give us a chance, and chris was working in the garden, so not available for distraction. We did all go out into the garden, and looked at the ice in the pond and waterbuts, and where the wendy house is going to be. The girls rampaged around outside for a bit longer, so I started making the curry for dinner and uploading photos [half of which didn't so will restart them!]
They were freezing when they came in, so wrapped up in duvets in front of bob the builder – BB fell asleep – aaargh, which is why she is still up. SB did some education city (sixth)- a bit of english, a fair bit of science and a bit of french. its quite clear from the activity tracker that she does the maths and science the most. it has been a good buy so far. Then mooched around nick jr and poisson rouge. We tried to wake up BB to no avail, so she had a 4 hour sleep.
We had a fuss about ballet clothes. Her dance teacher says the character skirt is too long [it is, but mainly because chris measured her incorrectly before it was bought!] so I have had to elasticate it [it was velcro, but her teacher doesn't like velcro] and top hem it [otherwise ruins the ribbons] and also tighten the belt thing of her leotard. there was a debate about whether you sewed it on to the leotard – hope not. Ballet sewing annoys me. why can’t the belt be integral to the leotard? why isn’t the elastic on the shoes? why doen’t they age size clothes rather than ths 0 and 2 business? Anyway, she put on a happy dance show afterwards.
SB read half the ORT Viking adventure tonight as part of our bedtime routine. She loves reading, and is getting steadilly more fluent. I do like the ORT books.
BB has been singing to me. she can do the abcd part of the alphabet song, bob the builder and twinkle twinkle on loop for over half an hour!
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, language, literacy, numeracy, science, writing
Friday post Melrose we went to stay with Jax and Tim. Mainly because they had purchased a teapot on our behalf, so we felt suitably beholden!! [well, ok, they are good company too] A delighted SB and Big played castles with each other until they were bundled into bath and bed. this time they slept! We adults had a Chinese and a modicum of wine!
On our way there we had stopped with friends in Leeds [S and T and baby W [nearly 2]] which was lovely. we had been reprimanded on blog about failing to visit last year, so thought we should make sure we did, and were well rewarded with good company, babies playing and tea from a teapot. rather foolishly, we drove home via our leeds house and I cried. SB recognised Molly and Terry net door’s house, but not ours. my lovely shed was still there. sob sob.
So to Saturday, and luckilly we were going to the wedding in stages, so Jax’s lot could have mayhem getting ready in the morning, and us over lunchtime. My lovely top didn’t fit, and I didn’t like the other one, so I was rather boringly dressed! Since tim put a few piccies on his ‘pute at lunchtime, i had a look at Kirsty being ravishing, and James looking quite sedate [for a change] lovely. We all enjoyed meeting up with lots of old friends, some we had just parted from, but some not seen for ages. The children turned into a pack instantly and lots of games went on – mostly of the running about variety! plentiful good food [always important!] and a fantastic ceilidh, luckilly for Kirsty there were lots of home educators to dance and cause consternation for the caller [i am thinking particularly of Ros's man-stomp impression, and Nic doing a saturday night fever routine - priceless] We mostly made it up TBH, and half the time she forgot to call. The children had a wail of a time [sometimes literally].
Went back to jax and Tim’s with K’s satnav. hmm, it only kicked in after 20 mins, when we had eventually found the motorway – not best impressed! children fell into bed in nanoseconds, and we adults didn’t – ho hum!
Still, we breakfasted early, said goodbye to the teapot and satnavved all the way to K’s for a 6 year old’s party. i was majorly impressed and amazed by the stash of crafts. BB fell in love with the big mouses [guinea pigs!] and fish, and we hardly saw the girls. We adults chatted, and there was a lovely local home educator there with her 3.
SO an easy drive home. Apparently claire from the monkey house saw chris at a service station – should have said hello! And we saw the beautiful moon. SB very excited because when she chose to play the ‘mists of time’ game it did get all misty. chris less impressed by her magic skills.
I will add photos btw – chris is being ruthless [roofless?] with them at the moment.
Posted in Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, Out and About, socialisation
