General

guess i am going to do a quick weekly round up! interesting stuff has happened, i have a tleast 2 blog posts that i want to get down, guess not going to happen tho! so here is a summary…

Home Ed - has been happening, recorder practice, things from her choice list, reading lots of magazines - including a discussion about golden eagles from the adult rspb one. bits and pieces!

birthdays - chris and SB have had one. it seems really bad not to have had a birthday post, so i am def going to have to do that one!

sickness - me a mixture of lurgy and migraine and no reserves i guess.

home ed in the news - can’t bear to think let alone discuss on blog the ridiculous spin and vilification of home educators

home ed groups - mon gym, wed latinetc, thurs totsnnots, thurs multisports, fri bailed out of history as chris not so good

other out and abouts - mon ballet, tues swimming, wed judo, thurs gymn, fri golf

are we hidden away?? are we buttercups!!

OK so…

SUNDAY: we went to one of chris’s uncles 60th birthday, so a nice family day. felt the loss of uncle robert there though… easy drive down and back, and girls lovely

MONDAY: home ed gymnastics session. BB greatly loved and SB not quite so sure it was useful. think she took some books for BB’s session… ballet in eve, but we forgot brownies rollerskating - aargh

TUES: i was interviewing ppl all day, so rather a change. got back in time to watch the girls swimming lessons - luckily at the same time. SInce the general session follows this, we had a family swim afterwards. I was starting to feel a bit peaky! On return home, both SB and BB had last minute presents they wanted to make, so did that with them. During the day SB had made and decorated a fab cake to take to latinetc the next day as a birthday cake, and bb had made some mushrooms from her cookbook.

WED: Chris’s birthday - happy birthday love! then went off to latineetc - sans latin and working camera! the older ones did music theory and french this time as well as science. we had the microscope and looks at roots and leaves and discussed food chains. then we discussed the needs for seeds, and have set up a pea experiment with 3 variables - light, water and warmth! hoping for sensible results folks!! lovely to see my friends and chat too, and then further chatting with gina and katy before home to celebrate chris’s birthday. SB’s judo club had a sponsored throw. she was estimated to do 50, and did 273!!! i am broke - SHe was very proud though, and we are v proud of her for doing so well and trying so hard!

THURS: SB is 9!!!!!! hooray for my gorgeous SB! tots and nots and recorder prac! PM multisports then gymnastics - what a busy day!! we had her choice of tea - chips! [second choice actually as something went wrong with the pizza dough - chris blames me for using up the best yeast at a prev latin!] opened her presents and was v happy with all of them. SHe is such a gorgeous girl and just so happy with everything. i love you SB xxxx. we then played one of her presents [the wii version of olympics], and she went to bed playing another…

both of which got a thumbs up!

FRI: golf lesson - she really is enjoying golf. however chris feeling blurgy and SB coughing and cold after golf, so didn’t go to stuart history group. PM spent mostly making presents of home made soap and home made fimo soap dishes.

SAT: delayed christmas with chris’s family! lovey relaxing day, beautifully catered and organised with lots of happy laughter and fun. girls happy too.

i think that is how you spell it anyway!! Saturday was a bit more on the quiet day in - once we had all managed to get up!! can’t think what we did?? a bit of recorder prac as grade 1 less than a month away [panic! - well, me only] bit of maths on areas, so kids scurrying around house measuring things! some hama beading, and then a final scurry to actually get dressed [rofl!] to go to katy’s ceilidh dancing. actually, i guess it was more of a biff affair as they were being their band! the caller, btw, is truly excellent. we all had a fab dance, doing lots of dancing and laughing and chatting with ppl we haven’t seen much.

SO today, i was migrainous still [grr] so medicated whilst SB made a birthday cake for herself to take to latinetc, since her birthday is the next day, and we haven’t arranged anything at all as yet. she is aware that we might not be able too either… Anyway, we then drove to chris’s uncle for his 60th birthday and had a relaxing time there. slightly too many ppl for space!! girls happy to meet cousin abigail again and gradually got wilder and wilder!!

now, must think where i had got to again! the girls were given an option for day 4 of jewellery quarter and museum and back to back house museum or the black country life museum, and the overwhelming choice was the latter option, so, after the customary enormous brekkie, that is where we went!

SNow everywhere still, so we were particularly warmly wrapped as it is predom outdoors [abit like weald and downland but 1900's ish black country, so more industry and less farming!] it was truly fab. again, not the cheapest place on the block - though with gift aid you get a repeat visit as often as you like! we decided to go straight to the outside rather than looking at indoor displays, incase more snow fell. the tram arrived as we went out, so straight on, and SB got to ding the bell [v happy!!] got off and thought we would aim for the far end and then wander back. loads of re-enactors, most of the shops open and both SB and the usually shyer BB asking sensible questions! we went in a doing well working class house, a just ok working class house, and could clearly see the difference. none of us really understood why, when you are so short of space, you would think it sensible to have a front room you don’t use! [and yes, we sort of have 2 rooms, but we use both a lot!] we also went in a back to back and someone who ‘took in’ washing and mending. bless little nanny for telling me so much about the family and herself etc, as i could keep up a running commentary on how this was what x or y did etc, and the girls were v inquisitive and happy. When BB had a lull, she made a snowman!! [the snow was quite a distraction]. eventually we all got peckish and went to the rather nice canal cafe. ooh, forgot to say that the canalman was also a partic. fav as v knowledgeable and glad to seek ppl out to talk to. i just thought it was fab!

after lunch we had a look at the schoolhouse, somehow missed the cinema! and then the union, where SB was amazed all over again by the need for suffragettes, and was getting hot under the collar on their behalf. then to a builders yard and then a glass engravers - where BB surprised me by wanting to spend ‘her pound] on an engraved glass! ok, it was £2.50, but i was so chuffed that it wasn’t plastic tat… so now she proudly owns a glass with BB [obviously not actually BB!!] engraved on there. And after some slight hinting [cough] SB and chris went back ‘for another look’ whilst BB and i played i spy.

we skipped back to catch the last mine tour - a recreated black country mine, with torches made so emits apporx 1 candle of light! it was fab - v dark at times!! and also v crouchy! we a learnt alot about mining pretty quickly and were v glad we had just made it!

so then a quick glance around the museum indoor display as was closing and a rather hideous drive thro rush hour brum and then snow/hail/sleet in turns. lovely!!

so yes, we really, really enjoyed our hols, they were great, and we think we really used up every second! lovely family time too!!

SB’s choice today, and it is the science museum - she is very fond of science museums as they often have levers to press!! We woke up, got ready, with curling on [again] in the background [go eve!], had our enormous brekkie, and set off. This one wasn’t really within walking distance - well not without a fuss from BB!! so we got on a bus, which v helpfully went past the Bull Ring for us to admire! Quite a queue for the entrance and we hadn’t prebooked [the half term effect!] but not a prob.

Decided the entrance floor far too full of kids, so started on ground floor with all the steam engines. I love steam engines! When i retire, i am going to have to think of a use for one and get it!! [will pay with lots ofr renewable this's and that's, I promise!!]. On the ground floor, there were little cards you could then impress, so the girls enjoyed doing that. It was divided into sections. Chris’s fav machine was the button maker - which was fab. SB and I had a lovely chat with a chap who used to work in the jewellery quarter and made silver items for faberge excellent discussion and look.The dunlop landpeed record car is there, so SB and i had a good peer at that. they have a huge water pump that they fired up for the occassion too, and I loved that, tho the girls got a bit impatient at that point… prob time for lunch!!

After lunch we changed floors, going up to the second SB and I started to look at the animal section, but BB flagging, so took her to kids city whilst chris stayed with BB [we were playing tag kids btw!]. The kids city is great, but too busy for BB, so we took some time out for a cuddle and read some books and then looked at the body bit. My main criticism of the museum i think is for this floor, as it was v much aimed at between my 2 girls level, and tho some over and undering, i think there could have been far more explanation and background description to extend all the exhibits, and a lot of them were out of order…

We then did a round of shows, starting with the ‘gene-eration’ game, which i thought was rather fun and captured most of the audience. The poor woman and her 5 year old at the end were a terrible couple for the complicated memory game tho! the kid had to remember 15 items, and the woman the 15 amino acids/ enzymes attached. My girls loved the intereactive seat buttons, and SB knew we would have done better!! [aah, that she has such faith!]. The next was a show and tell kind of thing called monsters from the past, handling various fossils and replicas of ice age and before creatures. Both girls loved this, but BB sat with huge beaming grin for whole thing. I was proud that they both answered lots of questions sensibly! unfortunately the giant sharks tooth was dropped by someone and came back in pieces - phew not us really!! The next thing was the planetarium. SB decided to go with chris to level 1 instead, as there was little chance of getting in. BB really wanted to see it [and it was aimed at her age] so we waited against hope! however, when they started to close the doors, it was because there was only one seat left, and the woman next had 2 kids, then a party of 7. SO i piped up would it be ok for one and one on lap [thinking prob not] and they said yes!! wond a big beam and happy dance from BB as we went in! I thought it a bit of nonsense, but fine for BB, and she loved it so all happy!! We all met intime to go to shop and agonise over purchases! both girls reasonably sensible tho, so not so bad.

Huge shock to find a blizzard in progress as we left! So we scurried along to bustop, where 3 of us sheltered, and one played on her own in the snow! whilst we were on the bus, it intensified, so when we got off, there was still quite a walk to the inn, and we decided to eat dinner at the v v expensive indian we went past. it was utterly delish! and the bill topped £100!!!! oh well!! [i spy a diet of pottage coming up!] we then raced back to the inn and snuggled in bed.

obviously, i plan to add some links and photos, but think sometimes it is best just to get that blog out there, and we have loads of pics!!

Day , and we stuffed our faces with as much brekkie as poss before heading out to BB’s absolutely desperate to go to choice - seaworld!! She loves aquaria, fish shows, etc etc. So we were lucky enough to see the day prev that you could get vastly reduced rates by buying at the library, so we did [you can online as well] and got there not long after opening. It was v full!! well, it was half term, and the sky was ‘threatening’. BB literally dancing all the way in! actually, it was pretty good, we got to see a lot, look at a lot, talk to handlers and helpers - and feel crabs starfish etc! SB v good at answering questions now! fab ‘4-d’ film of turtle life cycle - with the added bits being seats that moved, bubbles and watersprays! both children entranced! kinda nemo-ish… and BB in particular was rapturous over the turtlebit… SB having the odd ‘hint of teen’ moment [have bought her some books. fine to talk over with her, but kinda heart sinking at BB getting her hands on them, as she is def at 'that' kind of humour phase!] anyway, in the end i asked SB if it were possible to indicate happiness by a smile, and to leave the mooching broody look for unhappy! I am starting to see how teen might go- i will have to get a supply of endless patience! i loved the walk through tunnel - as always! i am quite easily pleased!! the mirror bit was quirky and then the shop!! we, both girls sorted shop fairly painlessly, tried the soft play, but it was too crowded really, so we went off for lunch.

i failed badly at lunch! i ordered something without gravy and it came with, so got a substitute which was undercooked and not that pleasant! luckily everyone else faired rather better, and thus sustained we went to a modern art gallery - IKON. We all loved the singing lift art instillation, and i loved the quilt theme based upper story art, and also the reflective room, where we could look at art books, watch an animated film, and do our own quilt based design. the first floor was ‘video art’ which, TBH, I struggle with really. the ambience not aided by BB whooping around in manic mode, and SB wasn’t that keen either!

SO we finished off back at the sealife centre again, and enjoyed a much less busy and leisurely look at all our favourite bits [i loved the seahorses as well] before wandering home. for much of the day there was sleet/snow! evening meal was at foggs around the world in 80 days buffet. yummy! we all ate well and staggered back to the inn! i have to remember to say that most days of the hols SB did some recorder practice as exam early march, and she hasn’t really got the scales/arpeggios.

Hmm, difficult to blog onto a word document, much prefer doing it on wordpress! Anyay, better start with…

Monday! SB did an all day sports thing, which she mostly enjoyed. They did quite a mixture of sports, but she said some of the boys were quite misbehaved [this as a half term sports event not a reg home ed group] and she did come home with the most stunning of bruises! Meanwhile I as recovering with a lurking migraine with BB at home. It was only a few days ago, and already my memory is dimming!! Anyway, I am fairly sure that BB did some more of her Singapore 1A math, as quite taken by the new books! And that she had got to ‘hungry crocodiles’.She also did some getty and dubay book a. e then did a fairly ong bit of fimo-ing, where she made daddy a lovely keyring for his birthday, but has already shown him a couple of times, and I made a brooch. We did a fair bit of playing around, watched something or other I think [ I must chase my facebook screen when back online] and then she went off to gym taster session – she is desperate to get to go to gym!! When she came back we made sausage rolls. Somehow it took an age for chris to get back with sb from sports [thankyou katy for caring for her] so bb had eaten here, sb had eaten with the deependers! Luckily that meant I had some fav dinner for brekkie!! I was an insomniac again [ and have been all week – grr!!]

Tuesday – YAY holiday!! So eventually we set off for our chosen holiday destination. Chosen for its many possibilities and viability as an awful weather destination… Birmingham. And yes, it was fab. Agreed by us all. SB wishes I had got a job here… Anyway, easy journey and arrival at premier inn. Base camp established and we were off too Birmingham museum and art gallery, only we got distracted en route. There was a temporary wheel in town, and the girls desperate to go in it. Ok then, why not. Aargh. I remember, heights, and the carriage on this one wobbles! But it was good, we went round 4 times without even the hint of a mischance. E did then move onto the museum and raced around it with less time than ideal, particularly as girls witing, so a stop at their fab Edwardian tearoom in order! I had a most delicious lemon cheesecake. Mm mm!! We got firmly removed from the Birmingham history section by dint of the lights being switched off!! Bath for the girls and then a return out to pizza express, where we were v happy with food, particularly with the idea of a tiny pud and coffee combo! Chris’s was by far the best – baby figs and macarpone! We watched some winter Olympics back at base – we have done this at every return, and seems uncommonly common to watch curling!

hmm, there hasn’t been quite enough catch up blogs from daddy bean! but education has been occuring, perhaps not quite as much as SB has ticked off though - ! they tried out a new meeting group on monday which runs monthly, usual sports and activities during the week including multisports on thurs.

The deependers had a party weekend/ goodbye for j and M [both my girls unhappy at the thought that the goodbye to m is forever...] fab party hosts, with good games rather excellent cake and adults to chat to! we came back later than planned with SOTP and making it up families who were staying at ours [and they brought a pack of hendersons flavoured crisps!]. on the way back we were lucky enough to see an owl flying. the kids played happily and finally collapsed into bed and we adults chatted!

unfortunately the next day i was migrainous, so chris took the girls after the traditional pancake brunch back to the deependers for day 2, and i missed seeing the manor borns and nic and co. sob! however, a lovely weekend, thankyou.

(This post was priginally started 29/01/10 - ooops)

My Uncle Bob died a few weeks ago (aged 81). But the funeral wasn’t until this week, for various reasons. So me and the girls headed of the wild marshlands of North Kent for the funeral. Didn’t quite manage to leave as early as I wanted , but still there in plenty of time as managed not to get stuck on the M25 or the Dartford bridge.

The most noticeable thing was the lack of a coffin, as Uncle Bob had left his body to medical science, so there was obviously no body to be buried/cremated. This was slightly odd. Though my Dad (Bob’s brother) found it a bit upsetting, because it seems to have been a bit of a tradition in that branch of the family to have the body back to the house before the funeral - for people to pay their respects I guess.  It’s seems an important thing for my Dad to have been able to see the body but of course this wasn’t possible.

The funeral service was fine in a funeral service kind of way. Girls were good - but I suppose they have had plenty of practice with 3 funerals in the last 7 months  SB made a good fist of singing the hymns.  Though the organist did seem to be playing them somewhat on the slow side. And we had an alternative version of the words written by the vicar for the church to the tune of John Browns Body. Though reading the Wikipedia article on it, that seems a fair tradition for the song.  Though the girls did wonder why I might be crying a bit at one point

After the service it was back to the house to catch with various bit of thr family.  Mostly cousins of one sort or another.  A few of my Dad/Bobs cousins were there, my Cousin Marilyn with whom Uncle Bob had lived for the last few years. her 4 kids and various of their kids. Here is most of the kids, bar the youngest baby who was asleep some where (as to why SB had her hand up un front of her face…..):

The generations are a bit out of sync. Aunty Ethel, Marilyn’s Mum was about 15 years older than my Dad, and Marilyn had kids a lot younger than me, and then her eldest son had his first baby at about 18  - so her eldest grandchild is already about 15.

Favourite entertainment seemed to be playing on his stair lift

Headed off home, though I was rather tired and had to stop at the services for a caffeine shot. Girls decided they were hungry and SB had the most enourmous teacake in the world

Goodbye Uncle Robert, though not so well in the last few years, after stroke and things he still had a sparkle in his eye.

for those that like the chemistry links!

though, it has to be said, we will prob get more out of that book later on!

and a link to some of my fav science readers

chris and i stayed up a bit too late with playing online agricola with the babs last night [i won - yay!] SB also had a late bedtime, having read a book she then got scared by, so had to have time to read a more comforting book, so was v tired today!

whe we got up, it was snowing - again! and quite hard, but a quick check suggested no snow at merry’s, so the science stuff was gathered and we set off. we were also the firsterers there!! actually, due to a number of circs we were 2 families down and one family up, and that worked pretty well! Did science in dribs and drabs, as it was basically setting it up and then watching what happens.

as we are on a ‘biology’ term, and roughly looking at microbiology, today we looked at yeasts. We have done a fair bit of discussion on and off about bodies, energy sources and then lungs, oxygen and carbon dioxide, so we did a bit of a recap. there was surprise that yeast might be ‘alive’ so this wasn’t a simple chemical reaction. that actually what was happening was the yeast would be using sugar to fuel the division into 2 [actually this is a bit of a simplification, as yeasts actually bud off rather than divide like bacteria] that they are single celled organisisms of funghi. we knew what it was used for, and i briefly touched on the krebbs cycle without naming and shaming it, saying effectively to make the energy, a gas was given off as a waste product. we had quite a talk about the various gas possibilities, but mostly settled on CO2, partly because this is something we breathe out as a waste, and partly because i had brought along some lime water to test for co2!! so we used my beautiful new erlenmeyer beakers and placed 5 spoons sugar, one heaped yeast and 250mls warm water and topped off with a balloon. soon enough this began to fill with ‘the gas’ and then each got a chance to mix ‘the gas’ with lime water - which rather fabulously went cloudy! and also to put a lit match into it - which v satisfactorily immed went out. so we learnt a bit about micro orgs, their needs, and waste products, and how to test for them. fab! this book suits this experiment pretty well, and we read it again earlier this week

I also did some of the sampler sewing - not as well as Merry! Kty did french, the children voluntarily did some music, and Zoe was pasta and tea maker - thanks! there was no snow at merry’s, tho it did snow on and off. we got back well in time for brownies - still snow here!

BB had her face painted and then decided she was tired [she fell asleep in the car on the way home whilst SB and I sang along to serge - above] and watched star wars whilst i snoozed.

SB was at brownies making valentines biscuits and then judo. this is the game of 2 halves, as this owl has a very brusque and brisk nature, and is just one of those busy women who perhaps SB isn’t so used to. so she asked to get changed in her toilet [it was at the big house for cooking] and j agreed, but whilst she was doing it, she was called for, and couldn’t hear so then got told off. then found someone else had taken her biscuits as they looked nicer, which she had made for me. SO loads of tears. Arrgh. I know she was prob stressed, but this isn’t the first time SB has cried. And yes Sb wears her heart on her sleeve and has no thickness of skin to speak of, but i do think that this being so a bit of compassion over the taken biscuits and actually, since sb had asked to change in the loo… oh well. we had a long discussion about different folks, and that j would prob be surprised that that exchange had made sb cry… btw Merry and katy, SB says she just isn’t used to shouty ppl as we and you don’t shout! Anyway, lots and lots of hugs on return, watching magic school bus inside ralphie episode, and to bed as a happy girl again.

today was for the girls a mostly sylvanianing day. they adore playing sylvanians! they tend to only start when SB has read her book for the day - she starts the day with a book and ends the day with the book. we are getting through loads!

i did want to do some science, as over a year ago won a very ancient kit on ebay about osmosis, and have been v keen to try it out!! today was the day! unlike newr kits, it has LOADS of actual science talk in it, explaining what you are doing, why, the scientific concepts etc - great! Anyway we had a thought about permeable and impermeable, and each selected a container of each and poured water into it. we saw we were right, but that some things were more permeable than others, and infact waxing a permeable thing [ie muffin cases] greatly reduced their initial permeability. We then looked at diffusion, to prove that the molecules moved around in the water [perpetual motion/ kinetic theory ] and that we don’t need to shake to mix up a solution we dropped a copper sulphate crystal into warm water and watched the water all gradually turn blue. Unfortunately we didn’t actually get to any of the osmosis experiments, as the girls were sylvanian needy again!!

other things done were some playdoughing, BB did more of her ’secret’ , SB and I did a long recorder practice and some aurals [aargh!], SB wrote into her journal. I sorted out the science shelves abit, and chris turned the room of doom into a place where you might nearly be persuaded to go. Oh, and we spent a long time doing the RSPB gardenwatch - better late than never!

We finished watching tales from the green valley - the Jacobean farm series.

Since we went to the tate modern in jan, and admired some of matisse, SB and I had thought we could have a thought about looking at making art ‘in the style of…’ starting with Matisse this year. Art is not my strongest point [ ] but I do enjoy it. SO we planned that for today. before we began, however, some tidying was in order. We all hate tidying, it is true, so it was well past midday before the room was enough tidy to move on! then as the kitchen wasn’t, we had to do other things first!

SB and I did a great recorder practice, the scales [though not arpeggios] and the 3 exam pieces. gradually coming together. mostly notes and rhythms right, so now to work on phrasing and dynamics! BB and I also did a recorder practice together, and SB did some french.

BB started with her own craft project, which she tells me daddy musn’t know anything about, and SB and I looked at a few matisse pictures and she said she knew what she had in mind and didn’t need to see any more, thankyou very much! BB also had a clear plan, so they got on with that whilst i read

The Pasteur book fits nicely with the science i plan to do later in the week as well. SB and BB both liked these books, and periodically stopped cutting/glueing/sticking to peer at the pictures and have a snuggle. The we moved onto story of the world and queen elizabeth 1. i corrected the succession order from henry VIII story, and then we enjoyed reading it, and then a bit about francis drake and sir walter raleigh from these books

BB’s has gone up on the wall, but SB’s has rather a lot of glue on it, so should be placed on the wall tomorrow! Having covered the kitchen table in Matisse style art, we ate our stirfry watching Dr Who in the living room before off to bed!!

actually, I have quite a few blog posts circulating in my head, but haven’t got round to it! This week been busy until wed with preparing for something fairly massive at work, and also been playing agricola with the babs, and needing all my concentration!
But things have happened!! Chris, i hope, will blog this friday. He and the girls went on a evacuation day with the home ed group, and they all seem to have enjoyed that.
As prep for that on Thurs some gasmask boxes were made, carries war watched. They didn’t get to not s and tots or gym due to the car being in the garage
earlier in the week general bimbling about, not been a huge home ed week or anything, partly as SB bought with her own money via my ebay account the sylvanian applewood store - she is soooo happy with it!! she is planning to save and buy applewood house to stick on top another golf lesson, and some bits and pieces tho, including sewing a really lovely purse.
at the weekend [see i am going back quickly!] we had a lovely visit to my mum and dad’s. Viv and family were there too, so very very special. All had a great time. mum and dad are great to stay at, good food, drink, chat and games for kids and us! we mostly played carcasonne, which we had bought stewart for christmas, and greatly enjoyed that. weekend passed v quickly though.

though this was quite a painful process, as there were 11 she liked, and we had to argue over the meaning of some words… But it’s here and the results are here

here please

and link to results

As ppl might have read below, on monday chris bought fish from the fishmonger at the market. Today we dissected them at latinetc! i was really impressed, particularly by the younger [and more sensible group] at how carefully this was done in the main. i think the younger group were aided by being on 4 wanting to do it and 2 adults, to the older groups impatient 6! We started with looking at the beauty of the mackerel, the camouflage elements, and how we thought these might work, at the shape and dynamics of the fish - muscled and bullet shaped, likely to be a fast swimmer we thought. at the various external features - vent, protected eyes and gills, the various fins and the fabulous mouth. Then we started cutting!

we started with gills, talked about their purpose and investigated them - they are v beautiful! then we did our eviscerating slit - careful mostly not to eviscerated! amazingly we found the swim bladder, gonads, stomach and heart. may have found liver! def found lots of muscle and spine. and then after discussing those, they merrily set to on destruction! actually, that’s not entirely true, E did a beautiful dissection in the littlies, BB was a bit wilder! in the older group i think J and J did well to hang in their, being uncertain about dissection [and i have promised that will be the only one this term - so no eyeballs yet!] and the smell got to chloe. SB and maddy really enjoyed gutting etc their fishes…

other than that, they did music theory and latin and for the littlies french. we stayed and chatted whilst katy went to baby music, which was nice, i like the opportunity for a good natter. i listed to M and then J doiing their violin practises. we brought Maddy home with us, and she did brownies and judo v happily with SB, watched charlottes web with tea, and now all is finally quiet upstairs…

using our underwater camera bag, which for this shot alone was worth it!

chris and girls had productive shopping trip, huying loads of mackerel to dissect on wed. the fishmonger offered to gut, but we have asked for guts intact. i am hoping to have an assistant if anyone can bear it!!
SB did some verbal reasoning, french [l'art de lire] and golf practice. BB did lots of weighing and measuring. SB also had ballet.
Some watching of horrible histories and ‘mary on the prairie’ as it is called here. SB read something that unsettled her and came down crying about death and dying, so we snuggled up watching the ‘cehmistr: a volatile history’ as recommended by merry, and we loved it. we are so going to try to get the equipment to catch hydrogen and oxygen!

well, it needed to be after late bedtimes - again! tonight i cuddled BB asleep - remarkably quickly!

SO much more of the same, except today we did baking rather than science experiments. SB made a fabulously complicated recipe for an enormously rich choc pudding. bb didn’t like it, and i think too rich really for SB. i didn’t manage to finish it in one sitting, but absolutely scrumptious delumptious! BB and I made cheese scones - mostly eaten! SB also practiced her golf and also recorder and has decided explode the code 6 really is too easy for her [agreed]. BB has mostly been tickled, baked and been adorable. Chris has taken down christmas tree [oops]. i have flickred centerparcs photos, and also some sent by my mum’s cousin liz from her twin anne’s dead laptop. They both watched all the horrible histories on i-player and then the rubbish [dick and dom for example!]

and that is that!!