Category Archives: General

Hip hop to the candyman

What have we done today? ermmm. I did get up late. I am just sooo tired at the moment.

Anyway, BB and I read books and did jigsaws – she is quite happy to do a 12 piece jigsaw, but likes me to give help if bigger. she has a cute celebration dance when they are finished! Through the post I got a rainforest challenge game for SB [rather excellently for 1.50 from ebay!] And we did the first section on animals. She has quite enjoyed tying in with the magic tree house book – she reads a chapter alternate days.

our rainforest challenge book/game

chris’s parents also popped round as they are about to go on hols to greenland and iceland. Needed some help with the automatic fish feedr

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it was then time to go to SB’s hip hop dancing at the liesure centre – third and final one. SHe has really enjoyed this. they have done routines made up by the isntructure, and routines made up by themselves in small groups – not as complicated as sparkies! We went to the supermarket with BB to top up on suncream, buy her a treat, and generally use up time before the ‘show’. SB very proud all her family there, and really enjoyed doing it. In fact all the children looked like they had had a fab time. of different ages, and had differnt bits to showcase the different ability levels as well – what a good instrcutor with plenty of enthusiasm.

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When we returned, BB played with beetles, SB did some more of her rainforest book. SHe then did some getty and dubay writing practice.

writing IMG_8587

I then read loads of library books to BB, and SB read loads of library books herself. SB and BB also had a spell of cutting things out of newspapers, and helping Chris fix the lights on my car – rofl. SB then made sandwiches for a picnic outside – PB and jam! So playing outside, and I picked yet more beans from the garden and some toms.

BB is in a lovely phase of making up songs all the time – often describing bodily functions, but not necessarily! But a particularly nice song was the i love mummy and daddy song in the car today.
Had tea and BB now in bed, and SB doing zoombinis. She has done the practice ones a lot, so is now doing adventures – on the easiest setting. My migraine has finally settled with huge wallops of tablets!

I love playing with you too

flickr catch up

IMG_8517_edited-1 pool fun

IMG_8444 Chemistry fun

making 'half a telephone' physics fun

IMG_8391 visiting merry
sweet frenzied mob Castle fun

IMG_8165 Amberley working life museum
IMG_8078 Weald and Downland museum

IMG_8014 cool playpark

IMG_7960portsmouth historic dockyard

IMG_7803 west wittering beach

IMG_7709we love camping

IMG_7661 triclinium at fishbourne

Quick blog

as I’m doing something else!! [writing talk]

SB did maths, BB did happy maize [no longer supplied by bead merrily!] then SB wailed as we hadn’t signed her up for any of the clubs at the sports centre – because she said she wanted to make her own mind up and hadn’t! she decided that after all she wanted to go to the one I had suggested – hip hop and street dance [i was guessing sparky party dances!] . it started today. luckilly there was spaces, so a quick drive out. SB has really enjoyed it. 2 hours x 3 days. maybe she’ll also do the cheerleading one in a couple of weeks time?

When she got back and I got back from work i had a short demo, we did jigsaws, SB had a complex game with her paper dolls [another benefit of the start of room of doom 2] and BB was keen on the ABC book and cards, and the ABC animal puppets. she is desperate to read.

We made heaps more mess with trying to sort out the books though – oops. DId read some more rainforest stuff, and played a rainforest addition game with SB.

BB did some poisson rouge and starfall. she knows how to start up the computer, wiat until the personal setting screen comes up, ‘press snowflake’ and then the ‘firefox’ – rofl at a 2 year old knowing the browser we use. SB? expanded – its the mosaic firefox [close!!]

Both had a short violin lesson. SB picking up london’s burning. Happy to have had a break after stress of thinking she was going to play at kessie. SB then wrote me a letter on the etchasketch about how? ‘ I lic plaing with you mummy. love from elinor ++++++++’
BB fell asleep at the dinner table – bless, and we had such a nice snuggle then on the sofa that I fell asleep too – oops. woke up to find SB happily playing with zoombinis.

both girls filling me with lots of rewards and blessings as they are so loving and affectionate – well, when BB isn’t being awful to SB, and SB isn’t wailing in repsonse, or winding BB up!!

Fido and Brutus

On and off during the day the girls are playing at being dogs, SB has been Fido, and BB Brutus. SB particularly has been a gorgeous child today. She is usually gorgeous, but some days i am reminded just how lovely she is more than others. today she has been so caring and loving to BB, trying to think of things to do with her that she will enjoy.

the taming of room of doom has again had benefits, with both girls hama-ing first thing in the morning. I didn’t know where the big hama beads were, but BB unerringly found them She is very good at just finding things – when she wants to. Has a better memory than me, thats for sure.

Actually, that reminds me of a game they were playing that chris overheard. SB was being mummy going to work, and Chris said she was very good at the intonation of ‘i can’t find my shoes, anyone seen them? I can’t go to work without them’. yes, I do tend to have shoe crisis on work days. Maybe i should have more than one pair, but they have lasted nearly 8 years now! Actually, maybe BB should be in charge of my shoes!

We started filling up the pool [its about 11 foot] and SB and i made a start on room of doom 2 – ie the playroom. It took for ages to get to the point of maximal mess, when you’re just about to logically put it away, when i was abandoned as the pool was ready!

SO we have all had much fun in the pool. i still need to give the playroom a sort out – will do that with both girls in bed. SB and I have also played a few games, and read a book about the rainforest – ties in with her magic tree house book, and she wanted to learn a bit more. i also have a DK search for eldorado book as a rainforest theme, so maybe will read some of that to her too. All these books she can read herself, but its nice to be read to, and I like reading aloud. We chatted about my time in borneo, and how it is like to be living [albeit temporarily] in the rainforest. Mostly whilst she mimicked sloths and monkeys on the swing and trapeze. she has rigged a rope to the 2 person swing, so that i can sit on a chair and read a book to her whilst pulling the rope and swinging her!!
The room of doom 1 has a new shelf for not finished art/craft projects, so she picked up a painting project present from big that we hadn’t done for a while, and happily painted together various insects. BB by then was fast asleep from so much playing in the pool. You know, I might even try to stay tidy [faints to the floor].

Sb and I then had fun picking french and runner beans, looking at the different flower colours of the different varieties. We have Blauhilde french beans so they are a nice purple – though green once cooked. I think beans are going to be a staple of our summer food this year.

SB did then a bit of diego on nick junior, and BB woke up with lots of books. both girls are now playing in the pool with chris looking on. past both bedtimes, though BB not going to sleep due to long sleep earlier, and it seems a shame to spoil SB’s fun as she has been such a blessing today.

this eve i must write a talk I am giving, as next week might be rather hectic.

squared circles

ever since SB saw the squared circle group on flickr she has been keen to find pictures to take. she thinks I should be able to get the pool from our bedroom, hanging out – i don’t think so!!

Mmm I like summer

Girls woke up way to early and bounced and screeched round our bed for a bit, eventually chris got up and I had a lie in.

our room of doom tidy has already paid dividends, as when SB went downstairs, she easily found the bead/bracelet kits that she now remembered we had. SHe and BB spent a while making bracelets that they wore for the early part of the day, and are now deposited in various corners of house and garden. ritual offerings again. future archaeologists are going to be stunned by the wealth of tat they find in our garden – hama beads, fake jewels and now bracelets. posibly bits of plastic food too – almost certainly ritual offerings for the afterlife!

oh, and once they had done that, more autonomous entering the room of doom to the science shelf to get out all the magnets, and play with iron filings and what might be magnetic. Hooray!

when i got up, this spontaneous learning activity was over, SB was playing a diego game on nic junior and BB prob poisson rouge! i read some books to bB, SB took ages to get dressed, and decided she wanted to do more science, so found a science chemistry experiment kit, and we went outside to do that. BB helping. we mixed up sand and iron filings in water, and the worked out how to separate them out [second part best done after sand an iron dried out]. We also proved that the bubbles in fizzy drinks were gas, and we could separate them out too. We nearly but not quite made sticky ice, and discussed melting points.

This took up quite a bit of time, so BB also did jigsaws on the side, and Chris realised our freecycle pool has 2 holes – now repaired, so we couldn’t put it up till tomorrow – cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from children! I trimmed SB’s hair – looks much better, about 3 inches shorter. ANd then we had lunch.

After lunch, SB played a lot with the castle, and BB and I read and did jigsaws until SB fancied painting. She sorted BB out with magic painting, and did some herself too. fantastic this new organised room of doom!! I flickred. Chris abused the washing machine some more. SOme more maths went on, and a map of the world jigsaw.
Erm, mind hits a blank? I think we played a game outside, and the girls ‘putered a bit, then bath early as BB looking sleepy. After bath, BB flung herself off the top bunk slightly wrong, so fell onto the floor rather than gracefully landing. SO we watched tell, she chose bonjour mes amis, and then wanted ‘the one with the bottom’ [sigh] ie first fun with french.

We had dinner – rather yummy frittata. just needed chickens to supply own eggs. BB went to bed, abd and I played games and the she went out for a last swing and tapeze as cooler.

Another lovely day! last prison break tonight

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thank bosch its friday!

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!

bene gesserit litany against fear

i remembered this, and Jax mentioned it on her blog, so i thought I’d put it here as a reminder

LITANY AGAINST FEAR

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear – From Frank Herbert’s Dune Book Series
? 1965 and 1984 Frank Herbert
Published by Putnam Pub Group
ISBN: 0399128964