BB really enjoys baking. it is our secret treat when SB at ballet on Monday. this time she wanted to make biscuits
SB and I did piano and violin before we ate the yummy biscuits. Earlier in the day they both enjoyed the cuisinaire rods – SB doing areas, and BB patterns.
both also made fab cards for their cousin E’s 4th birthday.
no idea what they have done today as was to late home.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, music, numeracy, Stringbean's HE, writing
Had my hospital appt about knee =bursitis . good.
Had a chat with SB about what to do today, so the plan was to do maths and writing quickly , some piano, baking, and experiment and paint her dinosaur. Not much then! We found the 2A workbook, and SB rampaged through the weights bit of that – nearly finished. Then did ‘S’ in getty and dubay B, and some extra writing while I got stuff ready for making banana loaf. She decided to do the writing inside a box – picture below – and had a wail as Daddy took a picture, and I collected beans with BB.
BB meanwhile had done her match and sort but us playing a rocket game, we counted down from ten, and then she had to go off and find the right numberjack. She also did some very careful painting, and put on a french song CD about animals for them both to listen to. we did a lot of jigsaws.
So we made up over banana and white choc drop loaf – an extra banana and it is truly squidgy and gorgeous. must make for Melrose. yummy. SB and BB mostly were able to share the task – today they have not been receptive to the aternate sibling receiving any attention – makes for fun. SB found the magimixer we have had for ages from brightminds and was having fun sorting it out.
Following that SB did piano practice, and BB did some afterwards – more randomly! both felt tired, so watched some Muzzy german cd 1 while I made cheese on toast for their lunch to refresh the parts…
Following lunch I put out some options for SB – facepainting, science experiment, dinosaur to paint or ‘something else’. We did the bio clock – and no, we still haven’t made it work. I think SB thinks all experiments are doomed – its just like my Nuffield Physics course all over again.
SB chose to do some quick violin practice – she wants to finish the book, get a certificate and then learn some Christmas songs.
BB stayed asleep in my arms. SB also did a dancing show, the asked or face painting. I am not particularly skilled, but think this wasn’t bad.
SB painted her dinosaur – but for some reason, although I was sitting next to her trimming green beans, I didn’t take any photos. We did test the yummy cake – very difficult to resist eating it all. BB woke up, and we all did some of SB’s mosaic picture.
BB-isms. She does like to say ‘fantastic’ a lot. Also, when I want a kiss, she always says I ‘have to say something’ whether or not I have said please. Oh, and I love her ‘how about that then?’
We finished the day with bath, tea and a general chasing fun around the upstairs, ending in fits of giggles. our usual bed routine of taking it in turn to read, but with BB snuggled up to without being a scamp. A good end, because at several times, I was looking at BB and SB who had wound each other up into a shrieking and wailing frenzy thinking I could perhaps be at work. But only a couple of times. Mostly, I would rather be at home.
Oh, and we found BB’s lost croc. But we seem to have lost my camp socks!
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, cute, General, language, literacy, music, numeracy, photos, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing
bit out of sequence so am going to alter timestamp 
Anyway yesterday was home-ed trip to titanic display at a local museum, and I was very wobbly about it! Chris goes to the groups, and although I’ve been a couple of times to that groups events, not really enough to particularly feel that I ‘belong’, whereas I do with the other group – possibly becuase I see a number of the families there for other reasons too.
Anyway, wobbliness aside, we set off early, got there on time, and had a good look round. SB had told BB that they could buy something from the shop, so she was a bit like a stuck record – sorry. They enjoyed all the colouring, and looked cute dressed up. Perhaps BB looked more like oliver twist than titanic! SB really enjoyed the drama, and BB also joined in. Another family from the village was there [there are 3 that home-ed here!]
Afterwards we had a bit of a debacle in the shop as they didn’t take cards, so winnowed the purchases! Both got a dinosaur to paint. We then nipped to the carpark, but i saw that clarks was empty so thought i might get some shoes. SB has the wrong size feet apparently for clarks shoes!! BB has some, but i am worried that they were fitted wrong/ hurriedly. SB was so disappointed we went to H and M to buy non-tarty leggings, and ended up with 2 legging outfits – which she was really happy with. I also bought some leggings from evans, so all set up we were back to car.
There we found T and her child in distress having been looking for their car all this time. We waited with them whilst a carpark attendant whizzed about and found it – thank goodness, as we were making ‘if it has been stolen’ arrangements. Popped into Merry’s to drop of Amelies doll, and home just in time to greet my Mum arriving, and send SB off to swimming.
BB enjoyed painting her dinosaur and making a carrot cake, and we all did some more tidying and chatting – looking up weird relatives to boot!
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, history, literacy, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean's HE, writing
I love thinking about the Muddlepuddle Winter camp. SB and Chris will have their birthdays there this time, and apparently Babs is being inundated with forms [if the camps list of senders is to be believed!] I imagine at this rate it will be full in a fortnight!
SB went to sports session this morning, and I did some tidying, and set off some oven dried toms - they are STILL oven drying! Merry and girls arrived before chris back, but did at least feed them swiftly, even if the main attraction of SB was still missing.
Lots of girls playing happily sounds, and then SB off to ballet, so Merry got to enjoy magic schoolbus for her girls. Jan/Jonathan – Chris can’t find many, where did you get yours from?? SB back, and a great clothes swap about. I find it offputting to see so many SB’s running about – as of course they wear SB’s clothes, and I usually see them and think SB before brain processes! Amelie is so like SB to cuddle as well.
Merry and I had a good gossip, and a play with the pentomino based games. I love them! might buy one for my Nan for Xmas actually, I think she would enjoy the solitaire one. [so don’t sell out and not replace Merry! Can’t find it on your site yet Merry, otherwise would link. BB had great fun playing with a mouse in a corridor game – which I am sure Merry might supply the link to too!
Girls wound down having a chippy tea watching magic school bus. SB now watching Nina and the neurons – arrgh we still haven’t done any SOTW, music practice or anything today!! But we have had fun. oh, and we have nearly finished that window mosaic now.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, photos, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE
ALthough I would have quite liked to be at a not back to school party today, SB was ecstatic to be going to her first ever rainbows. We had regular countdowns throughout the day. SHe needs a blue polo neck – does that mean her group is blue then Michelle?
Anyway, lots of playing first thing with the 2 of them together and separately. Quickly romped through some maths and writing practice. SB is doing measuring at the mo, and so went on to measure all sorts around the house. Being of ‘a certain age’ we have various things measuring in inches, so we discussed why we do waists in inches, and heights in cm – well, actually we do that in feet and inches, just cm for you for clothes!
I read a number of books to BB at this point as a snuggle cuddle, and SB wanted in, so she read to us half of tell me how ships float, and I read the other half. A tie in with the magic school bus programme we had watched the other day. So we decided we could do the experiments in our head, and did so! She then played on the rainforest maths that t-bird had so kindly pointed out. BB also had a go too – but the nursery level is a bit above her so she was grumpy!
So BB and I did playing with playdough, and she made some cool monsters. Then was doing cutesy stories with them acting out. We were listening to french songs about time on a CD that I got from ebay. SB meanwhile was back with the DS getting her dog to be trained to ‘stick your bottom out’ ???
I’d had enough of children in different places, so we all reconvened to cut the green leaves to make our rainforest tree, that we were going to do when reading about the rainforest, but never quite got to. The girls loved the idea of sticking it on the wall [chris not so keen, so a paper backing compromise reached!] . SB was VERY tolerant of BB ranting.
SB then started drawing and colouring rainforest fruit and flowers to put on it, and BB and I did a jigsaw. SB remembered a lot of the rainforest stuff – yes, I know it was recent, but I don’t test recall, so never sure what goes in!
Then – drum roll – she cycled off to rainbows with Daddy. She sad it was all right, but will be more exciting next week as they are going on a river cruise – eek!
BB and I went out into the garden, as she was looking v sleepy. So we harvested beans for tea [surprise] watered the greenhouse and picked 2kg [!] of toms. BB very pleaed with this. I noticed that a lot of her harvested toms weren’t making it into the bowl! [we have some cherry toms as well as gardeners delight and tigerella]. Some of our peppers finally going red – making me v happy.
So I had started making spicy [allegedly mild, but i don't think so] red tomato chutney with our own toms and onions. And that sort of threaded through the rest of the evening. The house doesn’t smell too vinegary!
SB came back, and the girls did some more flowers and bitterflies, and those and the ruit are now all on the rainforest canopy. We have had a discussion about the understory and forest floor – we are not putting spiders there.
BB fell asleep in the sling again after tea – she has taken to being put in the sling at teatime. SB was doing her violin practice, so obviously has a soothing effect [rofl] . She then watched Nina and the neurons about taste and saliva before bed time.
She is presently waiting for me to go up and sleep in her bed tonight. I imagine she will force herself to be awake until I get in too. SO might nip up and cuddle her till she sleeps, and if stay awake nip back down.
Flickr has come back, so am flickring a backlog to be tucked into all the last posts!
Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, language, literacy, music, numeracy, science, socialisation, writing
as the girls chose to spend it entirely in the birthday suit! this is not unusual for BB – whose photo’s I regularly crop, but is more unusual for SB. SO no photos – well chris took one of a hidden window!
BB came to me this morning saying she wanted me to “fill the sky with water” , ermm why? ” the sky with the rainbow, fill it with water”. SB earnestly explained how to make rainbows with a hosepipe as an alternative to doing a raindance and hoping for the best [she got the technical words mostly too]. ANyway, I had a lightbulb moment, and got out the sky patterned pool! SO i did and she was most happy. While doing this, SB ran a shoe shop for us – very proficiently.
SO most of the day was messing around outside. Did hang out he washingg chris did [including the disp in shorts pocket!] . 3 loads went through. SB and BB argued over who could help me hang it out, so they both did and it took 2ce as long – rofl. we all watered the greenhouse, splashed in the pool and generally chilled. All of us except chris of course, as he was up a ladder.
We did do some more painting – lots of leaves for our tree made from hand prints. Then green papers so we can cut camouflaged things from it.
Then the girls washed off in the sky pool and did lots of loon like playing agian – rofl.
I made for tea… yes, you guessed it BEAN with chick peas etc stew to fill tortillas. oh yes, earlier I blanched loads of beans with SB’s help to freeze. Maybe we will eat something different tomorrow!
BB and SB helped me make maize flour tortillas – except they didn’t really bend or wrap, so more like flat breads! A wind down with first fun with spanish.
BB fell asleep, so SB and I finished our fab rainforest challenge book/game and unlocked the box to find the game and bits inside. SB was ecstatic. She also read another magic tree house chapter, and I read the rest of from lava to life.
And tomorrow, to work.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, geography, language, literacy, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
i was going to go to the inland waterways festival, as that looked fun, but it was hot, and BB needs a bit more attention. SO we stayed in, and tried to get a working pattern that incorporates 2-ness.The girls watched some edutainment DVD’d whilst i napped – chris’ll know what! [edits to add - gorillas, and also read why are people different]
When I got up, SB migrated to the ‘puter to do jump ahead, which she enjoys, and I read and cuddled BB, hoping some one 2 one would set the tone for a happy day ahead – rofl.
BB and SB both wanted to make ice lollies, so we managed to find enough bits to do that, and I also got SB to make up a tray of ice colours [paint mixed in water]. bemused, she did it, and all went in the freezer.
Since it was a nice day, I got out the cheap tent that i had got from the tesco sale a while back, and BB and I put it up. She was very impressed with it, and happily pottered inside doing some happy maize, whilst i went between her and SB trouble shooting.
SB joined her, and they were playing so happily that i took the opportunity of digging up some potatoes. Got very stung by the nettles, and fingers still twitching a bit from that. obviously when I was at very grubbiest there was a wail about tent ownership, so we all read books together taking turns. mostly apple tree farm for BB, and stories from around the world for SB.
Decided that it was obviously lunchtime! SB and BB agreed on Muzzy German as an acceptable compromise on video, and watched the complete second level while I made home grown spuds, beans and carrots with sausages for them, and chris and i home grown spuds, beans aubergines and onion fritatta for us. yummy. SB ate hers whilst finishing watching the programme.
Both had had a mood boost at this point, and SB did some more jump ahead and BB pottered in the tent. the paints were frozen, and both girls liked the idea of cool painting in the sun, so we did that very pleasantly and co-operatively – hooray.
the girls then had some sweetie letters [from little nanny] that then kept them engaged for ages longer as they had made games out of them, families of colours, letters and then shops. I fed our fish, BB cycled and then SB read me the why were the pyramids built. She then harvested loads of beans and tomatoes, which I must do something with once this blog written.
I cooked a bean [surprise!] pea, sweetcorn and lentil curry for tea, with an additional home grown aubergine and paneer curry for us – yummy. The girls watched a magic school bus episode while i did this, as CHris showering, and it seemed they might settle- they did.
BB fell asleep after tea, SB watched tots tv, read some magic tree house, and is now in bed – maybe asleep?
chris has spent all day hard at work cleaning the big arch window and getting some of the paint off it. it needs new putty and repainting with linseed based paint. will hopefully be then watertight. some bricks also need the lime mortar repointed – we know someone for advice there ;¬)
Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, Cooking, DIY/ house renovation, gardening, geography, history, IT, language, literacy, science
you know, I am definitely grumpy that we have catapulted into Autumn with not much of a summer to show for it. today was miserable weather, the evenings are shorter. grumble grumble!
anyway, today we have had a bit more of a chill day. my parents left this morning, and both me and SB were doldrummy because of it. So we have read loads of books snuggled together with BB as well in a heap on the sofa. The new shelf reorganisation is OK-ed by BB and SB, and they have been picking books off left right and centre. SB very happy to find old favourites such as greek myths, archaeologists dig for clues and the usborne science books.
SO when i couldn’t talk at all from parchedness, i got out the pattern blocks and sheets, and the girls both made patterns for a bit, interspersed with ‘putering. Mostly webland and cbeebies. BB is exceptionally good at manipulating, mouse control and general ‘puter using. she switiches it on, goes into her screen, finds firefox and them the bookmark toolbar. or else webland explore – which she manipulates well too.
girls keen on baking, so went out for supplies, bt when I got back in, SB got all wobbly, so we called tots tv magic adventures french, and she snuggled in a duvet to watch it whilst BB and I made chocolate brownies. After that it was BB’s turn to get waily, so we snuggled together and she fell asleep.
SB and I made ‘rainforest’ cake – well, it had bananas and chocolate in it, which are rainforest ingredients. We thought adding rubber would be yuk, and that although we like carrot cake with cinnamon and nutmeg, they might be a bit weird with the coc and banana combo.
Since BB was still asleep, we then did some fimo-ing. SB made a particularly ace turtle, some cool beads and a weird ‘thing’ i think it was for putting babies in? We glossed some fimo things we had made before, and also threaded a necklace we had made from one of the bead merrily kits up.
SB felt perky enough to do a bit of maths, so she did, and I woke BB up – I know, cruel mum! so we did more reading squished together, including stories from around the world and various fairy tales.
We neede some more baking therapy so made some cheese scones all together. I forgot that earlier SB wailed as I had *made* her have some sweets in the shop – it was a treat! hardly compulsary. She then decided not to eat any of the cake. She has been complaining of tummy ache today, so prob that. However, being me, I am now panicking instead about eating disorders, so wondering what the best thing is to head it off. i would rofl at myself being concerned and paranoid if I wasn’t so concerned.
Might do a self image thing on positive things?? am i overreacting?? [and I am imagining you all think so, but...] Anway, we also did some piano practice. she enjoyed this enough to want ot do it again, and thinks she prefers piano to violin.
Anyway, both girls then happily playing together and then next to each other on the ‘puter until tea and bed. SB has started the next magic tree house book sunset of the sabretooth, she read me a chapter, and I read her a chapter of from lava to life [her choice, honest! i read anything she chooses]
BTW, i got some duplicate magic tree house 17-24 from the states – new in wrapping [8 books]. I could have got them more cheaply from amazon as paid $44 including postage – sigh. They would cost 17.39 through amazon [not put any postage there]. SO if anyone I know fancies emailing me a best offer, I’ll consider it before putting on home ed bring and buy or ebay.
This set is brand-new, unopened in original packaging/shrink-wrapping.
great excitement as chris took delivery of our new washing machine. a bad month to need to buy one, but the last one we bought v cheaply 12 years ago thinking it wouldn’t last long. anyway, chris did a fair bit of work tidying the room of doom.
when i came home from work [early] chris’s parents wre there having come to take abot 20 fish out of the 30 chris picked up last night for their pond. SB had done some more maths and was doing loads of cbeebies. BB was poisson rouging and starfalling. We chatted, I read lots of books, SB did some handwriting practice. watched some kleine hippo.
went into the garden to pick veg for tea. lots of french and runner beans, a carrot!! [first of season] and some onions. the sweetcorn seem to be coming back to life – good-oh.
bB helped me cook tea, and then both played various games – next to each other but not together. rather cutely BB will often refrain what SB has said – she so adores her sister. then mayhem outsider.
BB fell asleep over tea, and SB and i? sorted out the crafts cupboard and science shelf – meant she found my hidden fimo stash!! but all much better organised, even if some of it unusual, as SB was quite clear where she wanted things.
OK, so this is a boring blog post, but actually i had a very nice normal kinda day, a bit of work and more home. i need more normal days!
the girls came back with chris’s parents this morning, they were really excited about what a lovely time they had had. they’d gone to a butterfly and animal place, and ran about lots. grandparents exhausted! at least the girls slept well for them.
After some general nattering, i went off to dentist. A filling i had as a teen was cracked, and needed replacing. the place was heaving – should have thought of school hols, as loads of families crammed in, and standing room only. There were 2 families, with? a fair number of kids, and the mums nattering. they decided they needed a cigarette and left the 5 kids alone in the waiting room – mostly under SB’s age, and one 8 year old. was impressed how well behaved the kids were when parents disappeared. finally after waiting neaarly the magic hour I went in. got a rather good injection, as within secnd half my face disappeared, including half my tongue! and was sent out for it to work [already is!] and 3 more people seen before i went in. SO after 2 hours and 85 lighter, I have a white filling instead of amalgam on one of my molars. When the injection wore off some 2 hours later it hurt like hell, and I wondered whether I should have been gritting my teeth so hard whilst interacting with the girls!! Seems to be settling down now though.
So why was i gritting teeth? well, we were baking, and both girls are being tetchy with each other, I was in pain, and they are tired – not a brill combo. But determined not to sound tetchy, and I only reduced SB to floods of tears once, when I suggested [through said gritted teeth] that shouting she was thirsty when I was covered in cake goo liberally applied by BB, and am trying to capture some of the remaining to actually bake in the tin was less than helpful, as she knew where tap and milk and cups were. We recovered as she almost single handedly made the brownies – lets see what they taste like! So for castle day, we have chocolate banana loaf and choc and raisin brownies – dairy free but contain eggs.
We have perhaps 30 children and 25 adults coming if all come, so doubt my baking will feed all anyway! But its a pot lunch affair, so I’m sure with a fair wind everyone will be filled with something!! will do a bit more baking anyway between now and then.
panicking a bit about this crafts bit too, and people seeing the house in its usual state of doom, and the weedy garden. But I think many people have caught it like this before!!
We had a major book reading session, both girls have now read, or i have read to BB, all their library books. SB has been reading the usborne children’s encyclopaedia alot. well, I read some to here whilst BB slept on my lap, and she then carried on when BB woke up and made a fuss!! Also lots of game playing. SB had a convoluted solitaire version of walk the plank going on at some point. Also a bit of singapore maths so that we didn’t appear autonomous!!
ABout to play games with girls who are down from bath. At present they are arguing about who can choose the game [its going to be SB's turn to have parental support]
