http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/inuit.html
cool throat singing clips audio
http://www.civilization.ca/educat/oracle/modules/dmorrison/page01_e.html
http://www.avataq.qc.ca/home_en.cfm
http://www.nativevillage.org/Libraries/Music%20and%20Dance_library.htm
http://www.beloit.edu/~museum/logan/catalog/namerica/arctic/alaska/index.htm
http://www.polarnet.ca/~netsilik/sandra/CTS/My_Site/Local_artifacts.html
Posted in General, geography, history, online resources
BB is speaking more and more sentences – and not always commands! But i find it weird that she doesn’t mispronounce the same way SB did. i used to like the ‘helants’, ‘gery’ and ‘amiyals’ of SB. BB says ‘enelant’ not ‘helant’ for elephant.
Posted in General
Monday and Tuesday felt like nothing days really regarding home ed, though there was some maths, a bit of explode the code, some bits of reading of various sorts, and probably other things, there is usually some colouring/drawing goign on most days at the moment. House has bit a right disaster zone lately (sounds familiar) – one of those situations when it gets such a mess it feels like so much effort to do something about it that you don’t. And it’s really getting in the way of doing home ed things. Which of course just makes you more fed up with it. Not helped by being out too much last week. This week we have been staying in a lot more, and no classes etc. so feeling a bit more relaxed about that as well.
So made an attack on that this week, my mum and dad came over on Tuesday to help things along (why are Mums so much more effiecent at this than us youngsters…?), and when Helen and the girls went to Little Nanny’s on Wed I satyed here, and as it rained, I worked on tidying upstairs. Our bedroom is nice and tidy again,which is always so much more relaxing.
Still more to do, esp. the utility room – sort out some more storage for HE craft/science stuff etc.. General crap and ‘stuff’ that just seems to collect around the place and paperwork etc.
Anyway, yesterday focussed on a bit more on education – Stringbean spent ages first thing drawing and colouring and picture card for Mummy. Spent a bit of time upstairs tidying Butterbean’s room, whilst the girls ‘helped’ – though moslty they played a game of climbing in the airing cupboard and shutting themselves in 
After lunch, once BB was asleep for her nap, me and SB got out the Physics science kit, and had a go at that- we ended up building a little balloon powered car. Lacking a camera, we played with video camera instead, so we can inflict his on you 
I particularly like SB’s ‘TV presenter’ mode and her ‘blowing up a balloon’ song:
[vimeo]112777[/vimeo]
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, literacy, numeracy, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, video, writing
I would show you one of the angellina ballerina firefly costume so far. must think about tiara and wings
Posted in General
Is certainly very difficult! We have had people to stay and BB has been being unbearably gorgeous, and apart from video – which we rarely use – no mechanism of catpure. Unfortunately we have a 150 pounds excess on insurance, so not sure what to do.
This week was a bit of a stay in week, with Chris on Mon, and his parents came round on Tues, so the ‘match and sort’ has been going well, and SB doing more and more voluntary reading of books. We have also read a lot to her, particulary from the ‘I wonder why…’ series. We’ve thought a lot about seasons and changes. i’ve managed some piano lessons – yippee!
today we went to little Nanny’s. As I drove there we did our usual singing and qwuestions [always helps me concentrate on driving!] pointing out my favourite buildings [and SB's] on the way. She made me giggle by pointing out the roman road, and telling me it went in straight lines so the British couldn’t hide round the corners – she says this MUST be fact as heard on a CD [yep HH] – as I tried in vain to explain it was a joke. We do a lot of car ed.
little Nanny is well, she is having a knee replacement next week [much needed] and hopes to be more mobile aftr that. In her mid 80′s this is not something she takes lighlty, but having been housebound for a year, quality is more important than quantity. I can see though, however much she denies it, she is worried about surviving, so I have suggested she requests a spinal. I think she can take the noise of the orthopod, and spinal’s are better for cognitive function in the elderly – and she is worried about that too, as she hasn’t been as good since last years run of bad luck. SB made her a lovely picture card to take into hopsital with her, and also a beautiful hama star [which we can't photo!] threaded trhough with pink ribbon to make a talisman necklace. Bless her, but Nanny wore it all day. SB and BB were delightful.
When home we had a look at a human body book, and then to bed. I am filling in some dratted form for work to try and get pay progression. it is due in tomorrow, but I am doing it last minute cos it is a right pain. I don’t think I’ll be successful though – they are only going to give the points to 8 consultants in the trust. i should have given the form to Nic! [yep, I am distraction activitying still!]
Speaking of Nic, I have had a number of garbled texts this evening, so I guess they are having fun.
Hmm, I am charged with making a costume like angelina ballerina’s firefly one for halloween. I have bought some ribbons, and am planning to embellish a dress with it. I hope its OK – I am just not as good as seamstress as SB believes!
Posted in art and crafts, General, history, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, science, writing
We had Katy and B [or do you want me to use other names?]. The girls had a great time. As Jax blogged, she, tim , Big and Small crashed Friday – and were very welcome. This time leaving with nearly all their belongings! The triso of SB, K and Big disappeared instantly to play, and Small and BB had fun with the wacky wigglers again. it seemed very odd to be cameraless though. The girls had a very late night…
The next day there was a great deal of playing, with a judicious use of a DVD as a break, and some colouring time – making things that fly [a rather nice little 'experiment' set for both flight and visual permanence]. Actualy it was all of ours first time with iceage 2, and SB picked up on the Noah’s ark reference very quickly, and thought it very funny. Lots of playing with BB and a great deal of chatting! Home made pizza and a slightly earlier bedtime.
today more fun, particularly with fun blox and hama, so I felt a bit guilty sending Katy on her way home via Merry’s incase the stock cupboard proved too alluring! SB and BB were flaked so more hama and read books before the girls collapsed. Unfortunately BB reawoke and has only just sucumbed to morpheus again, so I am afraid Jax I haven’t looked at my rainbow resources catalogue.
Posted in General, socialisation
BB showing off here singing skills, esp. for afficionados of the Kellogs Rotten Romans CD:
[youtube]e9ZwO2A8k_k[/youtube]
Posted in General
Pah! My rucksak got stolen from the kiddies playground while we were there this afternoon, sadly it contained the digital camera (and the usual kiddie related stuff) 
Turning it from a annoyance to an ******** ANNOYANCE
We’d been to the last of the ‘African Drama’ sessionsm which had been extremely noisy – lots of loud drumming, and SB had enjoyed herself muchly. Afterwards we headed back to the car. We have previously gone to the nearby park afterwards with others. Everyone else was going elsewhere afterwards, but SB wanted to go anyway, and whilst I probably wouldn’t have otherwise, seeing as the car was parked right by it I said we’d have short play.
BB had been grumpy all afternoon, and was continuing to make a fuss about the swings. So I went in put the bag down our of the way and put her in the swing. At some point some scrote must have come in – I suspect over the fence and nicked it. Ar**, I would normally take the camera out – both for security and for piccie taking, but we were in there less than 15 minutes, and I didn’t.
annoyed with myself and the theiving whatsit. Grrrrrr.
And we can’t take photos….!!!!!!
Other than that – a reasonable morning, Helen’s car playing silly buggers again re starting, at least this time it wasn’t blocking in the Mondeo – I’m hoping it’s just a knackered battery.
SB Hama-ed first off, BB being cute (to me)/annoying (to SB) insisted she wanted to do some, wandering around going ‘Hama,Hama, Hama’! Of course she wants to do midi beads like her sister – she even manged to put a few in place, but then SB was hiding some of the beads fron her and they ended up all over the floor …:-( Anyway, she finsihed yet another multicolour princess (photo – oh, sorry …).
Rest of the mornign involved breakfast – some upstairs playing of some sort, some more maths (MPH1B)and Explode the Code. The maths is a bit easy maybe for her – Addition and subtraction up to 40 – getting into Tens and Units, but before when we jumped about more we got a bit lost really. She seems to like doing it anyway, so we are just carrying on with it for now. anyway, she is bit dense at time re number bonds, so it’s practise for that. She mostly remembered about vowels and consonants when doing ETC. It also mentioned syllables. I don’t remember covering this with her, and she didn’t know what it was, so we spent a bit of time talking about that and spotting syllables in words.
Then it was hurry hurry for lunch so as to get out in time. (Lunch was crumpet pizzas – basically crumpets with a bit of tom sauce, cheese, + whatever on top and grilled – went down well)
After the debacle of the bag etc. we went and got a new battery for the car, went to Tesco as the bag contained all the drinks/snacks and SB was hungry/thirsty. Probably should have got her something cheaper than a pre packed fruit salad. But after she chose this in preference to some sort of cake thing that was also on display I felt a bit churlish. and both her and BB munched away happily on the way home. Back just in time for Ballet class. We cheered oursleves up with chippy chips for dinner.
SB called it the ‘Chippery’ the other day, which we thought rather good
Posted in General