i had a compassionate day off work today to go and say goodbye to uncle r. unfortunately he wasn’t well enough for all of us. and when i suggested yesterday at work that i didn’t need it, i think the sobbing went against me, so i was told not to come in. actually i should have gone in, as i had loads to sort out: otoh, actually in my job i need a fully functioning headspace, so could see their point.
SO i have had the bliss of part time working this week, and i really like it! hmm, to whether i will ever manage to negotiate it for a full time thing, and then how the money would stretch, but hey, one thing at a time!
i got up late, after having listened to sb playing her recorder. when i got down, she was doing some Junior Science Book 1
then total mayhem as my amazon order for me arrived. i decided to treat myself to an escape route, so have bought The Clan of the Cave Bear + The Valley of Horses (Earth’s Children series)
I didn’t forget the girls entirely, i bought SB this The Roman Mysteries Treasury
SO BB bashed away with the boomwhackers, sounding surprisingly gamelan or chinese and SB stuck her nose in the flavia gemina book!! i did some work emails. following a melt when BB got rather too enthusiastic with the boomwhackers [Gina, exactly how robust are they] she retired to watch the french is fun DVD and SB did some maths. I read loads of fairy stories, then lunchtime [late!]
Afternoon for SB and I was a long game of Puerto Rico
it being sunny, we then all decamped into the garden, bb had some flower seeds she wanted to scatter across the veg patch, i had cucurbits and beans to get out, and SB was keen to help. so that was what we did this pm. not got all the beans out, as had to spend some time untangling them from each other!
girls settled down to playing and chalking [ie making shapes out of hunks of chalk just like at the sustainability. and i read Honey in a Hive (Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out Science: Stage 2)
A quick yesterday summary:
SB and Maddy had a great time playing together, lots of games where got out and played, and SB loved it. BB also pottered along, either with them or with chris, quite happy. BB had a gym taster session, and was really ecstatic about that. unfortunately M’s ear started to hurt and she went home before i got in from work, and so missed the astronomy night. we, however, all looked at the moon again, and some of the stars, seeing if we could find galaxies [no - must look more at the map next time!!]
got to have a really good look round the site, and it had interesting looking tipis and yurts, and a v interesting composting toilet. bb absolutely and resolutely refused to use this at anytime. i wasn’t that keen as you couldn’t lock it! BB was fascinated by the tennis court covered in chalk flints, and investigated these alot until she eventually found one with a fossil, so was v happy. she also did some of her painting by numbers very carefully. so we had a really lovely happy day. The older 3 went back to adventuring after lunch, all carefully packed, and told this time if they heard us shout to PLEASE respond! [but mobile phone as a backup] and were v proud and happy to be going off doing their own thing in the woods. nic me chris and BB also went for a longer walk through the woods and burial area and thought it pretty idyllic.
, we then decided to pack the tent up before 9am, so that we could get it in the car in case we needed a quicker exit than 6 pm [when we would next be allowed the tent in] chris and i were surprisingly speedy and all done and dusted. i think it is due to plan b. i tidy inner and gradually pack away all inner things and tent things [apart from 'grey box' and cooker] and then take tent down until the delta pegs. meanwhile chris is packing it all in. as taking and tidying seems to = actually getting it in the car time. so we gave the lie to Nic’s statement that we are the most laid back tent uppers and downers – though it is generally true, as why ruin a good holiday about stressing over upping and downing!
] and were the first!! to arrive. so we got to look round the museum bit in piece and quiet, have the undivided attention of lots of ladies of a certain age dressed quasi victorian [as it was a victorian event].
, but was distracted on looking up lotus flowers and read a book about nefret working for 
and then about 
because the book was nearbye!
and 
She felt a little left out as they all their football kit, so that has been rectified via Ebay for next week. I do find it a bit of a shame that all these things get so gender differentiated so early. There was only one other girl there, probably 7-8 and obviously been playing football a bit. Can’t believe there aren’t more young girls who would like to have a go if offered. 
, 
,
and also a map. [i think alison is right, i have too many books! ] Following up on recommendations on the blog ring, we also looked at a bit of 
which i also like very much and would recommend.
kit. which BB was fascinated with for the hour or so i was reading the above books to SB. SB then also had a bit of a play. We are going to do some of our own! and then we had lunch 
since i have no artistry. Speaking of lack of artistry i found all the ‘special’ paintbrushes had obviously been used on a previous occasion and not washed out. what is worse, they have glitter particles and glue – aargh! i think i need a mummy only shelf!
[which frequently makes me cry]. i guess we are pretty much done! chris read 
to SB for bed time, and now, having had a lovely sunny weathered, sunny mood day, it is apprentice time.