says BB.
oh, do you mean webland?
no when i is olderer i 20 and do webland or 24. I is littler I mean saturday.
[so I put on possion rouge]
NOOOO saturday
[aha! I click on starfall calender]
YESSSS SATURDAY
so she is now growing a seed on starfall as we speak!
Posted in Butterbean, General
girls taken labels off. If lids right, which is blue and which is red? Which tastes the most disgusting? other test to identify??
Posted in General
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]
we set off monday a bit late as the car battery died on us, and i did some cool dosey doing in the punto on the drive so that we could jump start it. Easy drive down, with SB doing a classic SB doh moment en route. I had said we would be about half way at dartford bridge. we are on the bridge looking over the river, and she asks me when we will get to the bridge. bangs head and giggles simultaneously!
We got to Fishbourne roman Palace and Nic was there already wit monster and teeny. the children ate and rampaged and then went into the museum. SB and the MT’s were too excited at seeing each other again after such a long 2 week gap! i thought SB didn’t notice that much this time, though we have been before, but actually she talked relatively sensibly about mosaics and hypocausts and skeletons in the evening. Def a brain in there!!
BB just an adorable cutie [yep I'm biased]. ALl were taken by the modern mosaics on display, and SB very keen that we do some. SHould be manageable. Actually, she wants a roman day sometime!
We went to tescos [I know!] afterwards and car battery failed on us again, so much hilarity at me pushing the car to start it! We went to a dif campsite this time. A lovely site, with a fantastic park. once the tent was up we had had dinner, the girls had a lovely time at the park.
our holiday was a lazy mornings and doing afternoons type of affair. so the next day we tried really really hard to get to nic’s before lunch – and succeeded in surprising her by our promptness! The chickens are lovely, and will hopefully be hens. BB was a bit scared of them though. Also lovely to see lucy and the beyond my wildest and Ali where the days go and ros, whom I’ve not seen for ages. lovely day. SB had a few wobbles over complete incomprehension on dr who!! we left really late as easy hospitality and comfortable conversation. made it back before curfew though.
Wed and BB got her hearts desire as we went swimming. she adores going swimming, as no fear at all and has a good kicking action. SB and i also had a swimming lesson moment with me ploughing widths in front crawl to show her how to move arms, not whole body, and minimal head. I’d forgotten how fast front crawl is, as its not conducive to keeping your eye on children! She got the idea. Back at the tent, there was more general playing at park and cycling around, and SB made friends with an 11 year boy.
thursday was a beach day, and we had a great time, swimming, making sandcastles, the usual. it had looked initially gloomy but soon was a lovey hot day.
friday was the rainy day, so we escaped to portsmouth, the hms warrior predominantly. Sb and bb loved looking around we were 2 hours on that one boat! SB had a go in a hammock and ‘firing’ a cannon as well. towards the end bb started shouting that she wanted food, so we left the ship just as the heavens opened, and the mad dash to costa coffee saw us completely drenched. we then spent an exorbitant amount on lunch! sb wanted to be a bit interactive, so we looked at the dockers apprentice bit, and then the action stations until it closed. sb was most impressed with the climbing wall. and also the canoe simulator. I was a bit less impressed with all the opportunities for firing weapons at things!
Both girls managed to spend some money, and we had chips on the waterfront before going home. then BB stayed awake most of the nigt, but we were entertained by the harry potter twitterfest. i bought the book today, have read the last chapter, and will now read the whole thing. and no, it doesn’t spoil my enjoyment at all!!!
saturday, a park and play morning as another family had arrived and SB played with their 6 year old lad, and bb their 2 year old. so they got well acquainted before we went to the weald and downland [not download as chris seems to think!] museum. we really like it, there is loads to see and think about, as well as a pleasant walk in rural england. sb was much more inquisitive about building structure, and working out functions han before, and did remember what she had seen last time – a year ago – though we went to mostly different bits this time. BB proudly shew off her new corcs to allcomers, and just was cute. she was particularly good at finding things for us to look at. i think she was most taken by the wee hole in one house though [rolls eyes!].
SB had wanted a BBQ, so that was the BBQ night. BB did more painting – did i mention we had a craft fest? doing some foam prince and princess guing kits and painting. we also read books by the heap – particularly SB.
on the last day, after a final parkfest we left and went to amberly working museum which is great. the garage made me think v strongly of my grandad and great grandad. we rode on the open top bus, peered and talked about various things. spent ages in the telephone bit, with sb working out how to man an exchange. the elcetricity bit was my fav. there was a demonstration o
of a tesla coil as well as lots of other high volt bits of kit!! Sb also enjoyed the rather safer hands on bits around the perimeter, and we did lots of talking about the finer points of volts, amps, electromagnets [hopefully correctly!!]
finally exhausted we came home. and here we are! today the girls have been pronounced dentally sound, bb has painted, and when i came home we went to the library and signed up to the reading challenge -sb has already read all 6 books!! BB was quite insitant we did a craft kit, so we have made a spider pot. she is most proud. i think i need to start seeing her as a competent little girl rather than my squidgy baby.
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Posted in General
i thought for my interest in the future, i should say the SB has a go at reading all sorts now, she doesn’t sound out, she reads in her head, and if it doesn’t make sense, usually asks me the word. SHe loves the short chapters of maguic tree house books, also the pictures in the treetops and ORT and various of the ‘now you can start chapter books’. but does also read felicity wishes.
SB’s writing is still v laboured, and the spelling idiosyncratic, but now she does want to learn, I hope it will progress swiftly like the reading did.
BB also would like to think she can read and write, and often mimics the activity. I think this will spur her on to be an early reader and writer.
Posted in General
mine i’m afraid. I was short with SB – and although sometimes i feel she can test the patient of a saint, today my patience was wafer thin, so she didn’t really deserve the tone.
When i tried to make it up with baking – that they both wanted to do – the girls both argued and made a huge mess, and were picky. so a great bonding experience enjoyed by all.
on the postive, CHris worked hard to get us all packed to go on holiday. the girls and i packed clothes – always a good ‘un, as SB chooses a movie star wardrobe of 3 changes a day, which we then discuss and whittle down! but we wer v educaitonal – discussing how to pack things so that you can find them – shock horror – at the other end.
ALso, both girls, but mainly SB washed the cars. spurred on by ?1 per car. They even did look better when she had finished!!
After tea, we rebonded over little house on the prairie, and book reading before bed.
I hope she remembers that i love her, rather than I always was snappy and talking through gritted teeth.
Posted in General
I got up late today – my treat for being able to I guess!! Chris brought me brekkie in bed – thanks love. I read a book, listening to SB trying to teach BB how to successfully play hide and seek ‘no, you have to hide somewhere’ ‘no, don’t call to me’ ‘you have to hide all of you’ etc. They were both laughing and giggling for a considerable amount of time about it. A good reason to stay in bed, so as not to disturb hey? I guess they might have had such a good relationship if SB had gone to school, as she is so very loving and tender to BB, but I like to believe that this is a very particular success of HE, since they spend so much time together.
Anyway, I did get up, read loads of books to BB whilst Sb was dancing around, drawing and also reading. BB is gradually getting an idea of colours, but is good at counting. SHe still adores the apple tree farm books, and anything with a metre to it.
we went outside – a request of experiments from SB, so we tied in birds and forces by doing lots of air experiments. So we have dropped things, thrown things, made parachutes, chased balloons, feathers and bubbles… When SB got carried away with flying thngs, BB insisted we did the next experiment on water resistance. Shockingly, she even toddled off and got the required bowl of water and a marble and pompom!! SB and I read about wind from my lovely book on the beaufort scale. We also looked at different cloud types - it has been a good day for wind and clouds. We were going to make an anemometer. But as i was trying to find the weather kit buried somewhere in the garden she got carried away with chasing feathers and balloons, so we left that!
BB did do lots of the experiments too – just her kind of thing! But the books were tedious, so she also got herself the hama beads and the happy mais. mostly jumped all over me though! She was v proud of doing an experiment with me though.
Both girls did some chipping out of a smilodon from ice [a national geographic kit] and then just poured hot water over it till the ice melted. When SB bored with it or forgets it, I might ebay the kit. we always end up just pouring hot water over, and the tools with it aren’t brill. or maybe we need to have slushier ice? perhaps mix some alcohol with it!
Both girls came indoors, BB to poisson rouge – her mouse control is coming on in leaps and bounds and she really loves the site. SB was doing the latest webland . All outside again for chips – celebrating the reopening of the chippery. After bath BB went straight to bed, SB and I played loads of games – who’s who, landlocked and don’t wake dad. we like our games evenings. She has started another magic tree house book, and is prob still reading it upstairs!
i’m waiting for chris, and we’ll start on series 2 of prison break. So for all those who have gone, HP5 – good?
Posted in Butterbean, General, geography, literacy, online resources, science, Stringbean's HE
obviously chris needs to blog as this week has been a slog for me at work, and they are playing fast and loose with paying me for wrok done – hmm!
But, in my moments at home, the girls have gone to bed late, so I have seen quite a bit of them. SB has read loads. bB pretends to read. SB has had a go on education city and says it is way to easy – anyone know when they put up a year? ALso some webland. but we have mostly cuddled, loved and played games. i know she has done some maths, writing and mahabharata with chris, but I’m sure he’ll blog the out and abouts they’ve done!!
Now I have a week off. I am in a far better frame of mind this time to just enjoy being with my family – and hope for some sunny weather to go with it!
Posted in General
so I’ll blog. today stressful at work, somewhere where not usually stressful. hmm.
anyway, while I was at work, BB did some painting, SB did some maths – subtraction her favourite! Also some handwriting practice. Chris has been reading her chapters of the maharbharata – what a complicated story that is, i an remember watching it in student days when on late at night.
when i got home the girls where ecstatic to see me – always good for ailing morale. we played in the water outside, brought in the washing. SB did some first language lessons – looking for nouns, read some bird things to me and loads of education city – first time for ages. BB did lots of poisson rouge, played with the ideal blocks making shapes and we all played tummy ache. spoke a bit of french
yummy dinner from chris. thinking now and watching prison break