Category Archives: Butterbean

Making ourselves at home.

Posted on March 31, 2005 by | 2 comments

Up in Glasgow for a work conference for Helen, just for couple of days. We’ve all come mostly becuase BB needs her food :-). Not been to bad as the hotel is attached to the conference centre so aquick text can bring mummy running, and we can pop back in during the day easily enough. Looking around the room -we’ve certainly made ourselves at home ….:-(

The site is in the old docks area though, and not much actually around here. Me and the kids ambled around in the morning, crossed the river on a couple of bridges, nosed about a bit etc. Helen bunked off for couple of hours and we walked down to see this old sailing ship It was pretty good, SB enjoyed looking round the boat in that sort of flighty – ok what’s next 4 year old kind of way. She was keen to go when I showed her the leaflet, and enjoyed it. There was a little indoor musuem bit as well, sadly not a proepr cafe, so we had to head back to the hotel for our dinner (H had gone back to conference)

Gatecrashed the conference coffe break for BB BF, while I had coffe and cake and SB charmed (she does it so well) numerous chocloates from one of the company stands :-) popped out for a quick shop essentiaals such as beer…. – failing to find any black leggings/tracksuit bottoms etc. for SB for her Stagecoach class we’ve booked her into down in Huntingdon

Once H went off to her evening do me and SB settled down on the bed, a bit of Webland and then we watched ‘What the Acients did for us’ With Adam Hart-davis doing his thing about the Egyptians. I thought/hoped she’d drop off during it, but obviously was interested enough to watch the whole thing -though she did keep wanting to know when we would get to the pyramids :-) Once in bed though she did zonk out before the end of the story book.

After a couple more interupptions of H’s meal by SB getting the munchies I settled down to couple of hours time wasting on the ‘pute with a beer.

H back, better leave her bit of net time :-)

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Posted in Butterbean, General, Out and About, Stringbean's HE

Easter pic – faerie princess

Posted on March 29, 2005 by | 3 comments
Easter pic - faerie princess

–
Helen

3 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, General, photos

first ever painting

Posted on March 21, 2005 by | 2 comments

Obviously for BB, as SB paints a lot. I put paint on BB’s hand and did handprints to cut out for easter cards – now to get SB to do it too. She was fascinated by the paint and its texture. I think I am going to introduce her to a bit of messy play tomorrow. Not with paint, but with perhaps oats and water to squish around. I also was given a birth present that you fill with water and then they can squish around the shapes whilst lying on their tummies, so I’ll excavate that, as I think she may be ready for it. It is sad to reach that stage that cuddling and nuzzling not enough, as I really do like cuddles and nuzzles. My wee baby [LOL] is getting older.

A nursery day for SB, but blogworthy is the fact that after her bath, she decided to go for a bike ride on the drive, in her pjamas [Edit by Chris – even more amusingly it was pitch dark as well :-)]. I think Chris is prob a secret TCS person! Actually I can see a lot positive in it, and I like its challenging thought provoking stance. I am an equilibrium contiuum parent – we are continually trying to find it!

I sorted out those blasted questionnaires, [well nearly, just got to put names on them] going to storm ex-work tomorrow, throw them on the desk and say there, my last pint of blood! or words to that effect!

Summary of the Day: well actually annoyed as spent time doing questionnaires, almost sure for nothing. But one of those days were you notice one of your children has moved on a stage, and that is a bittersweet joy of progression!

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Posted in Butterbean, General

Painting and being gorgeous

Posted on March 21, 2005 by | 4 comments
Being gorgeous and a bit of painting

And this is SB painting her treasure box with surprise inner volcanos!
Talking all the while!

Being gorgeous and a bit of painting

And this is BB just being gorgeous, just an excuse really for another photo post :-)

Helen

4 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, General, photos, Stringbean's HE

Actually a lot of grizzles, but some good HE

Posted on March 18, 2005 by | 3 comments

As I think SB is a bit run down/tired. We had fake wails and some real ones about all sorts of nothings that turned into major disasters in her mind. However, do look at gorgeous photo in post below this one!

She started the day with cbeebies, and learning how to spell her surname. I could hear her discussing it with Chris whilst i was on the big ‘puter upstairs finishing a poster for the conference in glasgow – yeah, should have been done ages ago! luckilly the lady in medical illustration didn’t insist on receiving it on a floppy with a hard copy, but agreed to email of a word doc. I told her she could lay it out however she fancied, as I’m so behind I don’t really have a right to argue!

I like a nice bit of HE in the morning
When I went down, she was keen to do some more studydog, so we started the second lot of 3 lessons, where you have to get the first letters right [english]. Now, most of this she was fine at, but every so often, would just wildly hit any old button. This annoys me as
a) She’s just not even trying, yet when I say she’s obviously had enough we have a major wail that she wants to carry on.
b) If she does it to often, she may have to repeat the lesson [to my interminable boredom] to get the clue. This wouldn’t be so bad if it was because she found it difficult, but when it is just from messing about – Aaargh.
Anyway, when this happened, we did some physical activity, had a drink or some fruit.

We also started on her thankyou letters. I have printed out a foldover with picture and a short note, and she is adding her name. We did alright until she decided she wanted to do it in swirly writing like mummy. hmmm!!!! Roll on after move, when I can put getty and dubay in a sonlight order. [writing]

We also got the DK history explorer through the post [ebay purchase 99p]. It works!!! SO obviously the patch works for that one, and the science one we have is either duff or patch resistant. We had a bit of a scoot about the mediaeval section as SB wanted to look at knights. She enjoyed collecting the stickers, and seemed to get the answers easily. however, she got bored quite quickly. this might have been due to her being tired or due lunch though, so we stopped. [history]

shopping spree [ i wish]
I thought I would quickly nip to m and s to get some birthday presents. Also got a skirt for me, a nice book on the human body for SB and a fleecy oversuit for BB. The drive home was a nightmare, stuck for 30 mins behind v smelly van due to lorry crashed on roundabout ahead. not quite so much of a nip after all.

Biker Girl/ knackered girl
As in SB, wending her way around huge paint tins on the drive on her bike mostly. I think she did do some scootering as well while I was out. [PE] We then coloured in some Maisie pictures in the book she got for her birthday [art], played shopping, and role played with her dollies.

Sent Chris out to post nursery application form and stagecoach application form, and found SB had fallen asleep on sofa in front of one of the baby einstein DVD‘s. Some hefty rousing, and we did a bit of all playing together with BB. This is where I took that gorgeous piccie of my girls! We wound things down and she read a few books with Chris, I particularly like the one of the 3 wolves and the bad pig! [literature], and following up yesterday’s surprise german with a Muzzy video [foreign language], where it does seem that some has been going in. I am encouraged enough that I will try and do it more often. Dinner, bath, supper, book [gruffalo and nativity story] and bed – ah, peace!

BB has started shrieking/screaming when either tired or hungry. When hungry, she also acts as if feeding is poisonous for the let down. Does my stress levels no good! Mostly she is still relaxed cutie, with lots of smiles and giggles. She has a really good reach and grasp She’s making some efforts in rolling over, but her big bot is a it of a handicap! Anyway, lots of wiggling, arching of back and leg scrabbling going on. Not able to sit yet either – SB could sit b 16 weeks. However, she enjoys being sat up and rolling forwards. Chris is giving her a sitting/falling workout at the moment. How much falling can they do before risk of shaken baby syndrome? I always felt SB learnt to sit as a self defence measure.

Day summary: I wish I could prevent more of SB’s whinge attacks. they are v short lived, and she doesn’t seem to hang on to them, but they do on occassiona drive me up the wall. Particularly if timed when BB also crying/shrieking. Hopefully they wont be what she remembers of childhood, but instead all the cuddles/tickles and general loving that fills the day. [we are quite a tactile family].

things to do over weekend: Must try and do some Singapore or Exeter maths [1a] this weekend though. The next few pages in the singapore earlibird 2A seem quite practical, so should be fun and easy. Will also try and pop in a bit of DK explorer when she is more alert, to see what she really makes of it. Its quite a busy weekend with 2 parties to go to. For me, I’ve got to decided whether to sort out the questionnaires i talked about yonks ago, or def forget the whole thing.
Also, Jax has prompted me to think about the DfES guidelines and make my own statement. She’s right, in that it is us at the beginning of HE who are going to be the most affected, and although we might not have got our HE styles etc sorted out, we need to keep open the freedom to do that, rather than get progressively more tied to the National Curriculum and frequent more and more intimidating visits/inspections.

3 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, General, Stringbean's HE

Clinic day

Posted on March 14, 2005 by | 6 comments

BB 18lb 8oz, so now only on the 99.9th centile – phew what a relief!

Finally given in and bought some scales for home waitwotchering. Slightly depressing reading! Just 7kg over the weight I put on insurance forms, so need to lose that in the 3 weeks before medical. Will power required!
This BMI site suggests that I aim for 81kg as my goal rather than some unrealistic figure, so that is what I am going to do ultimately, but some weight loss goals in interim – 7kg for ASAP, then 16kg to become overweight rather than obese.

Spent today chasing quotes for new house insurance – come out at about 100pm for just buildings. ony 80 more than current house then. Also chasing up date of aforementioned medical. chris somewhat peeved that my phonecalls to insurers quick and concise, yet they always asked him oodles more questions and then got cut off. I think it is his dodgy sarf london accent!

Going to pick up SB from nursery soon [after cup of tea] House is just SO quiet on a monday!! She will be excited by scales, so i predict a bit of comparitive maths will occur.

6 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, waitwotchering

Giggle Girl

Posted on March 11, 2005 by | 2 comments

BB has got the most charming giggle. She likes jiggles and raspberries best, and leg waggling. It only tends to happen when SB not around, as then there is too much noise, chaos and possibly outright fear! I think BB has the best dimply smile ever anyway, but now she has this giggle instead of just wide open mouth, totally irresistible.

Sibling Issues: I think SB is jealous of the feeding of BB, and certainly if I pay BB attention at other times, it is not well received. Though i’m also in no doubt that SB really does love BB, and is really glad she is here. She often spontaneously hugs and kisses her, and tries to entertain her too. I’ve been trying to get SB really interested in something, and then do an extended nappy change so we can play. I leave the nappy off, so when SB comes up investigating [5 mins max before she is bouncing all over our bed] I can tell her its botty airtime. I’m not quite sure how best to do this.

I have always given SB a lot of attention, and don’t want her to feel that she’s not wanted as much now BB here. [I don't think she feels this at the mo] , but I certainly have had to do a lot of hard work on my relationship with SB since i went to work in Cambridgeshire before my mat leave, to get back to our previous loving position, and don’t want to jeopardise this. Particularly as I am returning to work in May. however, also love BB, and she is getting to that age where being cuddled and smiled at with a kick under her gym is not enough – although she is happy enough. SB will play on her own, but she prefers me to play with her, particularly if I am otherwise playing with BB. I do try and include her, but SB is so full on, that she can get too boisterous. When both of us here, its obviously easier. I’m hoping we can ease into a compromise pattern, but any clues??

2 Comments

Posted in Butterbean

Disappearing Baby :-(

Posted on March 10, 2005 by | 8 comments

While the girls are out enjoying themselves visting Jax I’m left at home (well I was supposed to be at work…). I’ve been sorting out enormous washing piles, and the big box full of the next lot (well now in fact) of clothes for Butterbean. Packing away the 3-6 months clothes already seems silly, especially as some of the 6-9 month ones are already looking like a good fit (partly helped by big cuddly cloth nappies of course).

But it also seems a bit sad, we sort of feel that we haven’t had little baby to enjoy for very long, becuase she already is so big (stuck right up in the 100th centile and staying there), ah well, plenty to cuddle :-)

Now, back to work……

Edit – Arrgh!!!! and they have too many clothes :mad:

Edit – Arrrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!! and now I’ve just found some more, hiding in a ‘viking longship…’ :mad:

8 Comments

Posted in Butterbean

Great Ed Day + Birthday Boy

Posted on February 24, 2005 by | 9 comments

more snow, on ice, so daren’t actually go out and slide to bottom of hill! [ed note – these posts are getting too long, will precis tomorrow]

SB HE
Anyway, we did the vikings section of the time traveller book – looking at the pictures and spotting things, while I read some of the paragraphs according to her interest. Followed this with some of the pages in the DK Viking book – lovely pictures in there – and discussing how we could make her a Viking outfit, and which style she would like. Also where they lived, and the difference with us, and what they ate and the differences. [this was all in bed snuggled with BB, so very nice!]
When we got up we gave BB a ‘baby massage’ of unique technique. It is amazing just how big a bottom and thighs BB has got. SB was a bit unsure whether we had enough massage oil to cover them all!

A weetabix breakfast and the we got down to serious business of making Chris a birthday cake – so it was a carrot cake of course. SB getting v careful with the weighing and measuring. She shows good understanding of the bigger numbers, the tens, and which order to read the numbers in. She stands a much better chance of being a domestic goddess than me!

We then read together some letterland books, and although she can’t read, she understands what reading is, and makes a good stab at reading letters and blending them into words even if there is a lot of ‘scaffolding’ at the mo.
While I was getting card things out, she traced letters -totally her own idea. She definitely seems to be on a roll here. The maths type things I had put out stayed ignored.

I thought we were going to make Daddy’s card, but she said she had got one from nursery, and there it was, so we made cheer up cards for Little Nanny and one of her sisters. It was a planet theme- not sure why. Had Venus [well, the volcano one near the sun, so a good description], Saturn, Jupiter and Clanger planet. Then space dust from sand sprinkles. Our home page is the NASA astronomy picture of the day, and she always thinks the dust louds are beautiful. I’m not sure they are traditional condolence type cards, but I think they will be very appreciated. Beans on toast for luunch. SB confused as to why I was upset at her putting sand in mine – sigh. Had nearly finished though.

Then, a la trivium we had about 20 mins apart, she doing cbeebies, and I cleaned the dining room [ok, just a little after dinner party, but I am still only nearly semi domesticated!]

We read another 2 letterland books [her choice] and started on Viking casserole. unfortunately, as an unplanned activity, probably Barley and garlic the only reasonably Viking ingredients, as was more like a veggie cassoulet with dumplings in the end! She enjoyed thinking it was Viking though, pretending the veggie sausage was rabbit!

[addtition - I forgot that we made popcorn for the first time. I was a bit worried cos it took a while to pop, but v exciting!]

She then did some playing with a toy racing car, while I got to check mails etc. chris came home, collapsed into chair and watched clangers wth her. And then had birthday viking tea and carrot cake with candle on the top. [not the correct number though!] I must of thought I was in Melrose, as at least 6 more portions than required. On the card front, she told Chris that her friend Bridie had made it for him, so after all that card making, chris didn’t have one made by Elinor. i just give in sometimes.

Manic ballet dancing to classic FM, bathtime and bed, with Daddy being the storyteller. I did a collapse in heap from such an intensive day impression! Then rang Little Nanny, who is well, and no snow their today.

BB
Where was she during the day??? Well, in her playgym, in a rocker chair with different playgym, being cuddled and loved, feeding lots and starting to laugh rather than just open mouth. I think on balance she did lose out on attention, as she often does when SB at home and not Chris. Hopefully not detrimentally. Its just that she is a content and happy baby, and can gurgle in gym for an hour while I am doing things with SB, losing track of time.

How do you juggle 2 compteting attentions fairly, especialy when one is vocal, demanding and high maintenance, whereas the other is more laidback, and often just content sitting on your lap while you’re doing something.

ME
Thanks for kind messages. think lack of sleep coming with worrying and I just don’t think about big pictures, just the worries. Arranging visits to nurseries etc doesn’t help. We will prob use for 2 days a week so there is instant group of children to meet – especially as one nursery in the village. Chris will be able to do supply on those days and when I have days off too. That way Keeps in the picture. When SB and us settled in, and hopefully I have wangled a change in working patterns, we will relook at this.

Chris
HAPPY BIRTHDAY

9 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General, Stringbean's HE

2 days of good HE in a row!

Posted on February 17, 2005 by | 5 comments

Wonders will never cease.

i think after all the stresses of jobs, new babies, selling houses etc, it is nice to settle back into being us again. BB a fully paid up family member, so now part of the routine. In fact, she is totally gorgeous. She has a great interest in her hands, can hold on to rattles. Finds her playgym so exciting that she sounds like a steamtrain with all the huffung and puffing [she isn't the quietest of breathers - probably those 20 chins!] She smiles and coos, and loves being able to watch SB, though looks abit nervous if she gets too close – those python hugs.

SB is happier now she is getting a more normal amount of attention from us [a lot] and because of it, perversely, is happier to play on her own. We got the happy street out earlier in the week, and make up lots of stories for the people in it. She usually likes me to start, saying she can’t make them up, but is then quite happy to tell me I’m wrong and take over. I call this our drama sessions! to build on the shadows thing, we read together our DK book about seasons etc, and she seems happy with the spinning earth around the sun, and was concentrating on what was in the book. She does want me to make a circular inca calendar tomorrow though – a ‘gery’ big one please. We did some letter sounds – not any blending though, and a bit of writing. We also made houses with the lego, and decide to make one with lots of windows for the summer to let the breeze go through, and a bumpy roof like a castel [crenellations] [ I may have to buy more lego if she starts demanding turrets!] We excercised our inner domestic goddesses by making double choc and oat muffins – yummy. A bit of leappadding and cbeebies website, and our day was done. There was negligible fusses today either. I loved it.

However, thanks to Merry – who has opened a massive world of what if……. in my brain – I spent most of the day unsettled and miserable from a dream, so needed lots of cuddles, which luckilly I got.

5 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, Stringbean's HE