Category Archives: General

oh go on

i really should blog the weekend. we have had a lovely time, with my parents and sitster and family visiting. SB enjoyed her birthday and loved her presents – and had a surprise in the way of a camera as well as castle.

SB went to a fun rainbow birthday party of a friend sat morning, and that set us up for a weekend of fun. BB loved having the family there, and SB and M had a lovely time together. I haven’t seen mum and dad for ages, so I was really happy too.

I am entirely soppy by nature, but not so publicly on blog, but just thought I would say what a delight SB is for us. We had a long wait before we were lucky enough to have her, but it was worth it! This year has seen her transform from little girl into big girl, she is great fun, loving and brings a smile to my face 95% of the time.? Children are a privilege.

BB last night was somewhat less of a privilege due to her inability to recognise when her parents wished to stay asleep! oh well.

rewind to wed

we’re not really doing a good job of blogging in order are we?

I guess wed was really a game of 2 halves, but i didn’t balance them well. Sb def losing out to BB. Must do better really. we did get a fair bit of home ed done -sb mostly confident with the subtractions [54-28 type] now, and did a fair bit of maths on edu city – multiplying. Also her reading is nicely moving along. she is really enjoying reading, and a while back i bought a set of usborne young readers from the book people, and now she is racing through them, they are pretty much dead right for what she wants to read. must give back merry her ORT 8 as well as read well now.

She has done some more of the chinese books from enchanted learning, and liked the numbers. She is finding it particularly amusing that 2 looks like=. it is making the maths slightly tedious as we have ‘the joke’ about all the 2′s each time. But lets face it, its a good joke, and she is really happy saying it.

We read random pages out of an encyclopaedia – insects, industrial revolution, volcanos, and talked quite a lot about evolution.

BB and i did a lot of playing, cuddling and messing about. we built towers and boats out of blocks, and knocked them down again, read books, danced and messed about.

After lunch we piled outside to enjoy the sunshine, sowed some carrots and make a makeshift cloche/polytunnel affair to put over the row. I did a fair bit of weeding, and the girls did lots of playhouse and climbing frame play as well. They did help chris with pruning the grapevine, and i popped the babyswing seat on the tri-swing [just as BB growing too big!] She did love it, and SB pushed her as she giggled. Lovely.

When we came in, all girls [including me] turned into grumpalumps for some unknown reason. BB screeching like a banshee over who knows what, SB wailing and me stroppy. so we divvied up, and SB had piano and violin lesson and Daddy kept BB occupied. The peace restored, we read, played games [spot the animal!] and the day back on track.

Every evening this week, SB and I have had an extra 30 mins of games or reading – whatever she wants – before her bed following the departure of BB. SB is really appreciating this.

Today I got home earlier to have a bit more time, and we mostly played and did some tidying up. We made a chocolate brownies – didn’t get the timing right – they were in and out of the oven like yoyo’s! more games and reading and a nice bedtime.

SB’s birthday this sunday. have the castle, no wrapping paper, and family arriving tomorrow to house of chaos!

oh, and i forgot to say, that BB is quite insistant she is a boy ladybird!

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trying out the clustermap thingy [thanks greer]

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an electronic filofax

i think i may have call for one – gradually, no hurry. I would need it to ‘talk’ to my ‘puter with perhaps a scheduler type thing, an spreadsheet type thing, and email. i am sure some of you gadgetty people can think what I,m talking about, so any recommendations?

started on the sowing

so feeling much better. The middle of the fruit bed was weeded and covered in cardboard which we have sowed broad beans through – aquadulce claudia. i say we, because SB and BB worked as a team to plant them. SB reiterated that BB was an excellent helper frequently, for us all to exclaim just what a really useful engine she was these days [rofl] we also did some ivy removal – but carefully, as didn’t want to disturb any early birds nests.

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the girls also did lots of playing in the new playhouse with BB also now confident at getting up to the upper level and down again – though did like me and chris to pop in and out. what with having to bend over double to get through the door! but def a good buy – though very muddy on the floor now!

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In no particular order! We did the rest of the India bit in story of the world, SB liked the activity of nail varnish and make up!! She was in princess clothes anyway. we read some more of the buddhist tales and discussed the buddhist lifestyle vis a vis our own. SB finished the foam bag with great ease. Has obviously got the hang of sewing [sowing and sewing in one day!] and so will attempt to find the little cross stitch sewing kits from yellowmoon [via FC] to continue on with. [merry was right, I do have a lot of crafts, but you have to say that is a bit pot caling the kettle!]

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edited to add – gah,silly browser lost post as I was putting up, and I had only presaved half [silly me]

Anyway, that lead to lots of being at a ball, with me singing and SB and BB dancing in dressing up clothes – very jolly. When worn out, we relaxed wathcing bonjour mes amis. [now I have forgotten the blog post!] oh yes, we had a piano lesson – got to adding in D now, so 6 notes. BB came in half way and grumbled on the bass notes. SB not phased until she made a grab for the lego as well!

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BB and I have read lots of books together, done more marble running and jigsaws, and also general rousting about. SB has been investigating the enchanted learning printouts in depth, and done 2 more china booklets, and cloluring in and naming maps. She has thought the printout folder rather fab. I had better keep up and have some always in it. we discussed new year some more [and were a wintsy bit jealous of various flikr photos - she needs more organised and outgoing parents!]

We looked at seed catalogues – BB most interested in the fruit, and very good at naming them! Sb a veg girl, but we need a few more companion flowers to jolly things up. Must raid Merry’s cardboard box heap, and find a cheap supplier for smeipermeable membrane for keeping down the weeds [any advice?] Actually, can I ping Ady – does he know whether this type is any good for planting through, or don’t they do any planting through? [no, i don't think we need quite that much!]
there was a bit more ramble, but totally forgotten it. sorry!

not quite there quick enough

well, we are NEARLY at a china chapter in SOTW, and it Chinese new year tomorrow, but not quite managed to co-ordinate them, having been a bit slow with SOTW recently. Chris had done some India in the week, and SB wanted me to read the Buddha enlightenment story again today, so I did, and then we read some stories from the Barefoot book of Buddhist tales. however, it being chinese new year [it lasts 15 days], i went ahaead and downloaded some of the little books from enchanted learning to do – and SB enjoyed that, and both girls made firework pictures. BB’s rather liberal use of glitter pens [as if a firework store had blown up tbh] has meant she pretty much used up a whole pack!

In the middle of all this, we had an outside play – in and out of the playhouse! And also football. Chris and I did a bit of garden tidying up to do, but it seems a bit like the forth bridge at the moment. Need to get an industrial quantity of the permeable garden weed mesh stuff.

SB has read to me and BB – apple tree farm books and books from the library. We have done a lot of building with the marble run, some internetting – nick jr and cbeeies.

BB has been absolutely in love with a galt alphabet thing, where it makes a long line, but the pictures are in little blocks cut in half. She was so excited doing it, clapping as she matched things up – very cute. Also she was having fun counting things – she is very keen to count, but just using 1,2 and 6 makes it tricky. Back in nappies though today as a weeing spree – sigh!

we finished with a rousing second half of the sing along sound of music [watched the first half last night]. and SB chose a book about seasons and time etc for her bedtime book, so we did that too.

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Any Better? probably

BLUE

You give your love and friendship unconditionally. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

What colour are you?

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

 

Though it seems totally unrelated to the answers I gave.

HT Ron

Ah, peace!

Only temporary, SB and BB getting ready for bed, so more like distant screeching rather than the in ear variety! Those looking at the piccie below will realise we have had company!

So, we got up, did a bit of tidying [though as I did it, i wondered why, knowing that with 6 girls the floor would have secondary carpeting soon enough!] We made a dairy free choc/banana loaf and got that baking [yummy!] and SB started some more subtractions to get a handle on how to do it.

Merry and girls arrived, SB much put out that she had to finish sums – there were only 4!! But was told that Merry’s girls had all done their’s. So they finally got playing, and mostly dressed up and played being children??? Had lunch and then the playhouse was up so a roust about outside. I love the playhouse, and made by family of someone that posts on uk parents newsgroup. Now we just need a trellis and a white picket fence around it! Little House in the Big Garden. We need to get new swings for the tp frame though, as now the final swing has broken – sigh.

merry – bless her – had bought LOADS of craft things round for the girls to do. Including floam – which I have never used before, and has a weird texture. It was really good to use as a joiner between pompoms, polystyrene balls, mini sticks etc. so we did some playing, and then the children joined us [rofl!]

[ returning some time later, as have been playing lego with SB, then reading about mediaeval towns, and then she red me a blue red nose reader!]

not sure how quickly floam dries though! then merry had some foam sew it yourself bags. SB made a start, but then finished half of it when Merry and crew had gone home. She found it very simple to do, and was very happy with it. I think I am all linked out now!!!!

The cake was demolished to the last crumb, and more playing ensued. BB and Josie were cute, BB did NOT demonstrate well her potty trained ness! The other girls ran about, outside and in. The wendy house was a hit. We grown ups chatted and did some home ed discussion. Merry said that I had lots of craft kits!!!!!!

Very nice day, thankyou for visiting and having a wendy-house opening ceremony photo!

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