Category Archives: pre reading

at home feelin fluey

Posted on December 10, 2007 by | 1 comment

Both SB and I have felt under the weather today, and taken our relative doses of nurofen. Unfortunately it meant that she missed the local group Xmas party, which is usually fabulous, and certainly the thankyous on the list suggest it was again.

Instead we have had short bursts of activity and lots of cuddles. BB wanted to make fimo Xmas trees like SB made last year, so we sat and made some, and some stars, and they are now hanging on the girls tree. SB then cooured in a SOTW map about the saxons whilst BB and I played a number counting game with frogs [or ribbets]. Both got grumped at fr playing so hard with the xmas decs that they were breaking left right and centre – nothing that a bit of glue wont sort though.

SB and I read some of the saxon pages from out english history series, and discussed the pictures, what it must have been like to live in raiding times. Moving on to war in general, she couldn’t quite understand how it could still go on. I reassured her that we weren’t imminently likely to be raided here [noting how sensitive she has been of late - she hasn't played animal crossing again...]

erm. general milling about and playing! I read Sb and BB some read alouds. BB particularly likes anything with a duck or egg in it. We then made some more 6 point stargodseyes I played a bit of scrabulous – the only bit of facebook for me I think!! [Tim is about to finish totally thrashing me!! - at present 482:330!!]

erm, I went and had my annual appraisal at work – and so the process begins! Whilst I was there, SB went swimming, and came out of the pool early as not feeling well. Good on her for trying anyway. When I got back, BB was asleep, and CHris was reading SB a science book [the usborne lift the flap we bought from Joanna which she enjoys v much. BB had fallen asleep and has not woken up from that yet!
We then snuggled in front of the TV on a programme about the earths atmosphere – so riveting we both fell asleep! So SB in bed, and I am drinking lots of fluids to try and drive this lurgy feeling away – or at least not get a migraine on top.

Thanks Sarah – the books arrived today, and SB has had a look at the 2B already. oh. and in ne of my scrabulous games i have all vowels  humph!!

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interviewed

Posted on December 5, 2007 by | 4 comments

Think i might be hoping the other guy did better. not sure – so indecisive!! It was midday though, so kinda ruined the whole day. the morning with the preinterview worries, and the afternoon coming down from interview high – poor buggers, having to listen to me on my soapbox expounding on education!! [btw, this is just a tack on to present post, no radical huge change! more hours though]

The violin strings game from bonners, so the violin is restrung. so had lost her music book – so have looked at the first tune a day book, and done lesson 3. rather stupidly [especially since I spent a proportion of the day saying I was god's gift to education] it hadn’t crossed my mind that SB’s reading of music is situation specific – ie she can find the piano note associated with the musical representation, but has ‘not a single clue’ [how she put it] what that note may be for violin. Her first violin basically uses the letters rather than the musical representation. Its obvious NOW of course! However, lesson 3 starts with d string notes, and actually she is quickly stringing them together.
Oh well, also today there was lots of playing with duplo and lego – S built a pyramid amongst other things, and both girls enjoyed both sizes, the kids k’nex also made an appearance and the marble run.

SB read a book about 5 brilliant scientists from scholastics great black heroes set, and was partcularly taken by how many things you can use peanuts for, and wants to make peanut soap. recipes please!! She also did some singapore maths [having done on line CIMT yesterday – sarah, do i need to send you money [how much] and address??], french on education city – leading to a discussion on whether it counted as french or education city – chose to tick education city on timetable!

we read a story about st nicholas, the st nick bit from while the bear sleeps, and have slippers out in hope. Also the usual bedtime reads. Have found my 13 days of christmas as a read aloud this year. Obviously a MUCH older book – the one I had as a child!

BB and I did some more christmas stamping -v over the top coverage of the card! in the end we were playing some complicated game where the stamps were friends, having picnics etc… SB was at rainbows. Fair bit of christmas carol singing. SB reprised her solar power experiment [under desk lamp] and we talked about electrons again – she seems to have got atoms comfortable in head, and electrons moving along like newtons cradle [well, ok, its not quite, but it sort of makes the flow of current make sense!]

BB still awake. she is such a cutie – i was singing and stroking her forehead n a sleep encouraging way, so she stroked my forehead and gave me lots of kisses!

Think thats it?

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, early maths skills, General, language, literacy, music, numeracy, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

Advent Lights

Posted on December 1, 2007 by | Leave a comment

well, so its the end of the timetable week. I took a picture of it, but we’ve then done a few extra things so need to do it again! IMG_1823

So today, excitement at getting a chocolate from an advent calendar. Even more excitement when chris’s parents came round and gave them each another one. Game playing with grandparents, then SB was going to do violin – and we found the snapped string! So she did some singapore maths 2B, and then spent ages on education city – we had a huge wobbly over telling the time, so practiced over and over again, and think she might now have got it! She also did some writing practice and then more playing before grandparents left.

BB was mostly playing with her bob the builder duplo, but she also likes making patterns with the connect 4 game, and did some playing with poisson rouge. we read books – she now reads some to me too, mostly describing the picture, but she is good at red nose readers.

We put on some xmas music and gave the playroom a good tidy whilst chris was out getting some bits and pieces. looks much better! BB did her ‘match and sort‘ drawing round shapes and numbers. she did an amazingly perfect dot to dot as well – from 1-10 in order! [think this might be a fluke...] and had some lovely strops and eye rollings.

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ermm, we read the first while the bear sleeps story – always nice to get back to that. SB and I did the questions and narrations for the SOTW chapter we did this week – she had remembered a lot actually from other books too. we had a french conversation, and looked at our usborne le ferme des pommiers! quite a discussion after that and also singing away in a manger on polite and friendly yous [rofl!].

BB and I baked a chocolate cake whilst SB did some colouring and then piano practice. it was a bit of a scramble then to get out of the house.

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SB was helping the rainbows deal out mince pies [free] at the grand light switch on in the village. She was really proud of being so helpful. The local brass band played carols, and most of the houses got their lights to go on at roughly the switch on time. we – of course – did not. on returning home i found the socket switched off. sigh. I had tried to persuade chris to walk all 10m home and check! The local car driven sleigh made an appearance with sweetie wielding FC. It was cold then, and I had totally forgotten we were supposed to be going to ‘the big house’ afterwards – though we did meet them and R and had a chat, and also the couple and children who used to be know on blog as home-dad [long since back at work!] so very nice.

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Got home, BB into bed and SB and I made chocolate cornflake cakes before watching a to the beginners guide cosmos -about black holes etc. v exciting. I think SB enjoys them! She is now in bed and we have moved from the balloon book to chicken soup for the soul – a story for each advent day.

SB does want to continue on with the timetable.

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hmm, skimming catchup

Posted on November 30, 2007 by | 2 comments

with a hope that chris might blog!

Tuesday – a Chris day! Nope, cannot remember anything they said they did! library day.

Wednesday – unfortunately I had to go into work for the morning. Mum came by for the day on the way to little nanny’s so that was lovely. Sb played the violin for her – jingle bells – rather nicely. much playing of games altogether.Bit of maths and some practicing latin – sort of. At least I remember some now!

Thursday – Latinetc at the intown alternative venue. lots of playing as well I gather [another chris day - I really missed out this week!] and then they went shopping and had a lot of fuss with static electricity in John Lewis. oh, and those blue lighted phones were bought! I got home late, but joined in with the talking about static that was still going on! So we found a good book and looked at atoms, electrons, protons and neutrons. It shew how static happened with a nifty diagram showing electrons shooting off, and how to make it. Sb had asked the night before how the elephant got its trunk – so we read some rudyard kipling – rofl! we decided it was just a nice story rather than truth though.

friday – And so to today. Has been the not so local group with an egyptian theme obvously daddy’s day. some SOTW activities etc. seems like a good time.

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i got back and a bit earlier! so played, watched tv and did some experimenting with the cabbage water indicator from tea! so we guessed whether things were acids or alkali and then tested our hypothesis. oh, and we had great fun, particularly with mixing bicarb and cream of tartar. Sb particularly liked this eves chapter of 21 balloons – all about Mr M’s house, and she would like the elevator bed. I just quite like the idea of a gourmet government! oh well, krakatoa soon to explode!

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hmmm. it is particularly crap blogging a week where i barely play a walk on part

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first timetabled day. A maths day

Posted on November 25, 2007 by | 4 comments

After having a discussion on the starting day of the week, and how it is sunday, though tbh monday seems a more likely point, Sb decided to start her ‘timetable’ today rather than Monday – i think she was desperate to start! However, we actually – I think – didn’t consider ‘the timetable’ as such when choosing what to do.

The girls got up before me and watched nemo. When I got up we did some violin practice – SB getting more and more confident and is holding and playing nicely. practicing jingle bells for Xmas! SB then wanted to do something at her desk, so looked at a roman activity pack, which she probably could have done at a push, but we both agreed might be better left for later, so intead drew me and BB mazes to play with.

new desk

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An interesting discussion over brunch leapt out from how to make yoghurt to measuring temperature, absolute zero and why it was absolute, what it meant on the particle front which meant you couldn’t get colder. how our standard celsius temp is all tied in to water melting and boiling at a standard pressure. etc etc. we weren’t too sure if we had a box for thinking…

BB has done a fair bit of stickering and colouring this morning but mostly played with her lacing game and the bob duplo – which we knew would be a massive hit! S joined her for a bit, and they collected wood to roast chestnuts for all the trucks – rofl!

Sb bought me a ‘box book’ which are interesting books that we choose for the week to go with MTH, my story, SOTW or what she fancies. this one was sir cumference and the round table[ as initially recommended by kirsty]. I read it – SB guessed early on that round was going to be best, and we considered the various maths elements within the story. This led naturally on to drawing lots of circles and marking out diameter, radius and circumference and measuring them. we had a brief chat about pi, but might leave that for a different book! she decided that ‘sircles‘ didn’t fit anywhere in the timetable, so that got added to a blank box.

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SB then took ages getting dressed, and the girls played upstairs for a bit whilst i did a bit more work admin – must never get behind again [who am i kidding!] SB then did some singapore maths [which counts as maths!] and daddy gave her a bit of help, and BB and I played… Bob the builder! SB moved onto zoombinis [computer box] whilst BB and I read lots of books and played lots of games. BB also did some plasticine at one point. Chris found a best of slade cd!! so SB enjoyed dancing around to that.

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getting late and tired, so both up to bath, down to watch numberjacks and mama mirabelle before tea. BB fell asleep pretty much by end of tea, and was whisked upstairs. SB and I have done some felting, and I read to her the first chapter of the new SOTW book while she did this, and then whilst she coloured in a princess. We read the next chapter magic tree house, and 21 balloons at bedtime.

SO we counted that as 9 things! [yesterday without the timetable was 7]

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hey its the weekend!

Posted on November 25, 2007 by | Leave a comment

so i had a it of a lie in and chris brought be brekkie in bed – gotta love that man! whilst i did this, SB did some piano practice -good girl, and then playing. BB crept up and we played the hatching game. when SB was little – at about this age – she liked to pretend she was a chick in an egg, and i had to hatch her out. now BB plays it!

I did get up, and play with the bob duplo with BB and read to her – copious amounts of apple tree farm! SB and I did violin practice, and she did her maths. We then read a load of books together and did the usborne balloon puzzle one as well.

BB did drawing and stickering with birthday presents, and lots of playng with the bob duplo. we then went into the kitchen, SB to make a fimo tooth pot, and BB to make a plasticine monster – well that what she says it is! SB also made a totally fab fimo father christmas dec for the tree. i helped in telling her ovals and cylinders tough think she could have done without, but we like being a team! SHe and BB watched Spanish Muzzy.

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oh, chris and I put up a freecycle desk as SB keen. She also wanted a timetable. we compromised on a chart showing what she might do in a week. i was in the interesting position of haggling down her expectations! I still think we have an enormous amount on her home-ed chart, but sad we can change things later [i think she thinks we will add to it!]

Chip supper with ‘mary on the prairie‘ as BB calls it. SHe played with her lacing game before bed, and once she was gone, SB varnished her fimo and then did some felting. What an active day! In bed she has been reading a balloon race story, and a fact book about grasslands – as she is reading loads of books about ‘big cats’ – including DK tiger tales earlier today.

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I am a bit [lot] behind on various admin tasks work related, so had a headbanging evening. sigh!

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monday just gets busier

Posted on November 19, 2007 by | 4 comments

during the day, SB did maths and piano practice, and the girls had their room re jigged. SB in particlar made lots of icosohedrons with the polyhedrons . I think I might have to print off the various platonic solids so that I can remember their names, and SB learn for the first time!! BB made houses and tunnels and tents – not bad![chris might expand on day, but doubt it!]

When I got back, we did some more polyhedrons. BB and i read apple tree farm, and she did lots of counting. Then – drum roll please – SB and I FINISHED SOTW!!! well, the first book anyway. The roman empire has declined and fallen! SHe wanted to do some more latin, have no idea where the minimus book is, so found the usborne first latin [or whatever its called too lazy to check!] and said hello, how are you. Chris liked being the domine – ahem!!!

SB went to ballet, returned briefly and then went on to swimming – how chaotically busy. its the new class, and there were only 4 in it today, right down at the deep end, so lots of attention each. Chris said she was excellent. BB and I played with the jigsaws and counting games, and then some more traintracking whilst I made a thai thing for tea – which i cooled down for the girls with some left over leek and potato soup from yesterday- worked well. oh, I must say at this point, SB says Marcus makes better leek and potato soup as Chris’s was to leeky!!!

BB off to bed after a numberjack hit, and SB and I then wrapped up her presents for BB, and finished her card. [OK, I have just finished it, as SB got ‘worn out with cross stitching‘ , but the design was all hers, and she did do it valiantly.] So she decided to make chocolate [dairy free] truffles to put in the party bags for wed. SO we had fun doing that, and agreed we made a very good team!

SB is reading to me the next magic tree house now at bedtime – lunchtime with lions, and I read another chapter of 21 balloons, which we both giggled over. [and yes, a maggie , hamilton and the ferocious beast]

SO now wondering whether to do a BB blogpost or read new book!!!

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Visiting V

Posted on November 18, 2007 by | 3 comments

my sister visited this weekend with M and E – her 2 children. Mine were therefore ecstatic, and there was a lot of playing and merriment. Flickr is receiving a bonus of photos, 1 or 2 might get a p2 tag. [this is the tag for those that might want a minimal version - not sure why anyone would :¬P ]

the seeds for latinetc sprouting – well first the sunflower and now some lentils, and the butterbeans appear to be splitting. we had a chat about them. SB quite confident on seeds because of the number we sow and grow. BB v interested.

Yesterday we made mixed spice biscuits and first of the birthday cakes for BB [which wasn't a great success! passable]. lots of games and toys ended up stren everywhere, but they did then help tidy up nicely. We had a nice evening of mulled wine and chat with my sister. Trying for her to ‘get’ HE. She pointed out that originally we were going to stop at 7 – I think I might have said that as a delaying tactic! SO I said it was working just so fabulously [fibs! I can think of loads I wish we were doing better] that there didn’t seem to be a good reason to stop [well, that bit true]

Today we made banana, oatmeal choc muffins. more games and toys [particularly gears]- lots of co-operation which is nice. BB got her present – a dora scooter – and she has been much taken with it, scootering everywhere. A party lunch with jelly and icecream and cake. My sister then went home – dreadful drive in the snow! SB did a violin practice. we have started reading 21 balloons [a sonlight book] and did masses of train playing.

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i have had an amazon order – so off to read some books, but will keep an eye on rss!!

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grumpy guts

Posted on November 14, 2007 by | 3 comments

being me. I had to go into work today, which messed with mine and girls heads! i started getting fidgety early on so i apologise to the hostess. We were also late – more apologies!

Its a lovely group, and the children are nice with each other, and on the whole interested in all the bits [odd bits of wildness aside] A start with making some habitats in a bag, where various seeds were sown. Both girls did it – though BB in her own sweet time! Then Latin – which SB and i had quickly revised in the car as we had missed the last group! [we had also learnt how t say it is sunny today in french - which SB set to music]. This is followin the minimus books and various other things about roman life. [in fact at the moment SB is dancing around shrieking puella whilst dancing about] We ‘spare’ mums did a bit of gossiping, veg chopping and baby holding [and reading to BB and playing!]
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Then after a restorative toast, they did science. There was some red cabbage water looking beauifully purple, and the children guessed what would happen with vinegar [pink.acid] and bicarb [green.alkali - or alcohol as SB said to me this eve!], and then a variety of other things. Finished with the fab bicarb and vinegar volcano – which the children were rowdily impressed with. Must utube it!

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I then rushed off in stressed mode, and chris arrived moments later. SB has also had rainbows today – looking at compasses and directions – very nicely fitting with our maggie and ferocious beast theme!

We are slumped in front of downloads. We have watched beginners guide to the cosmos, about how to get to Mars, and now watching return of the raptors. Both girls interested in that. BB has a big interest in chicks, eggs and birds, and we are reading those lifecycle dk books over and over again! Both girls really enjoyed the raptor centre too.

Adding – Sb has playd a variety of patience games and read to me beautifully. i particulralry liked the different accents she gave different characters! My amazon not gone through – those textbooks too expensive, so the fraud squad at the bank need me to ring and confirm me! bother!

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, General, history, language, literacy, Out and About, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

The Longest Day

Posted on November 14, 2007 by | 1 comment

Which is what Tuesdays have turned into, esp. so for Helen who should be out the door by about 730 am and often not back until 7pm + (about 7.30pm today) :-( and lucky if she gets a drink, let alone anything to eat during the day.
But also SB’s swimming lesson has moved  (since she moved up a class) to 5.30pm – which means us leaving the house just at the time everyone is starting to flag, you are thinking about feeding children etc. and we get back at about 6.30, needing to eat dinner, all feeling tired, getting crochety, children seemingly extra noisy etc. It’s be ok just taking SB out, but dragging an almost 3yo out of the house for an 1 1/2 just to go to someone else swimming lesson isn’t a great plan. Last time she fell asleep on the way home, today she stayed awake, but didn’t eat any tea anyway and was running on that need to sleep speed fuel that toddlers have.
Have talked to the leisure centre about moving classes, but it’s complicated by people waiting to move up from other classes as well, avoiding other clashes, fit in with other things we are doing etc.

Other than that, this morning went in baths,  bickering and books, SB had only been up about 2 minutes and they were bickering about something that BB had done to annoy her (BB does plenty at the moment), then they argued about each not having enough space in the bath…. :roll:

eventually we got children, books, bottles etc together and headed to the library, via the bottle banks, BB looking very silly wearing a sou’wester hat backwards, looked like a big red headed duck.

I day dreamed in the library while someone read them Mr Men stories, they cut and stuck and coloured. Oddly a pair of scissors disappeared – did a toddler pinch them to threaten other kids with at playgroup, or maybe they went off to join the knife that disappeared through a  rift in the space time continuum at Kessingland last year? they got more books, we came home. SB slipped over coming in the door, so went back outside, twirled around on the drive and slipped over harder, hurting herself….. :roll: – cue wails.

Much reading of books, before lunch. Afterwards, SB  had found a  colouring competition in magazine, so spent a fair while colouring that in, she wrote out the address on the envelope, wrote her name and address on  a piece of paper and we posted that off. BB didn’t want to be left out, she scribbled on some paper, put in an envelope and scribbled on that, so we posted that as well (too ourselves).

Also did some more maths this pm as well. And they played some complicated game with finger puppet animals and the Operation travel game whilst I got dinner cooked. Until it was time to go out to the aforesaid swimming lesson.

By the time the kids were in bed it was time to collapse in our respective heaps and watch a couple of episodes of Numb3rs, which does have some inventive, if sometimes a little implausible plot lines

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