Category Archives: General

Autonomy

they woke up early – far too early! luckilly they then went to sleep fro 2 more hours, so 8 when I got up.

we have had a very full day. the only non-autonomous things were cookie making and watching sound of music – neither were at all resisted!! Trouble is, we did so much today, that there is a real problem in recall!

Anyway, SB has been very keen on learning more about space. So we read a DK picurepaedia book and then started painting a picture of the solar system – we have done the sun, complete with solar flares and some constellations. when it is dry, we will stick on some planets. SB pretty clued up about the solar system, various star types, rockets and astronauts. however a bit unsure about the various unmanned missions, as not sure that remote control would work. [she could have a point, thinking of mars!]

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BB also keen to paint, and did a lovely daub picture – she concentrated very hard, and didn’t make too much mess either! It was great having them painting together.

Back into play mode, adn SB insistent she wanted to play Jojo in numberland – so worked her way with ease through first CD whilst I played with BB.

BB and I read, had more fun with those Ideal blox from Merry, played with teddy and dollies etc. BB jabbers away non-stop. it sounds more like words now – though not my lnaguage yet! She has been rather fascinated by our hama window decoration, and worked out that if she moved a chair from the playroom to the window she could finally reach. She was careful though, and didn’t pull any off.

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A quick lunch and BB fell asleep. I had promised SB we would start to put together her roman villa, so we started taht. I had thought she would get fed up very quickly, but actually we did a fair bit. we read and chatted about the accompanying book about roman life as we went. The house lararium we decided was dedicated to Minerva – goddess of crafts amongst other things. Actually, it highlighted how much SB has picked up about ancient greece from reading around the myths and legends. I failed to find a suitable alternative goddess to Hestia for us, in the books, but now looking it up, it is Vesta, of vestal virgins fame! Hmm, her feast day is coming up. This comparative religions lark!

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when she looked flagging, we moved on to hama a flower for Aunty Margaret’s birthday. [more of Merry's goods!!] We were going to play the piano, but instead SB started excavating out a pretend triops fossil [that tesco's dinosaur tube]. we msut get some replacement triops eggs [unfortunately chris spilled the last lot all over the floor, though they hadn’t hatched - actually does anyone know how long they usually take to hatch, and if we can just use pond water, or need to get a new nutrient bag as well?]

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BB woke up, so some playing upstairs with happy street – and SB joined us when she had lost interest in teh excavating. it was time to offer the baking cookies. Somehow we muddled through – BB loved making them! S’s mixture was ‘interesting’ so I added flour until it felt more reasonable! They were topped with smarties, and the girls ate the spares. [where is Sam when we have cookies?]

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SB went back to jojo, doing the second CD all through – multiplication and division. Although we have done grouping and sharing as mental maths, she’s not seen it written, so I did have to do a bit of helping. However, the easiest level seemed pretty much right for her. i just had to occasisionally remind her of the signs.

More general messing about type playing, imagining allsorts, and arbitrating between BB and SB as the inevitable ‘mine’ war hotted up. Honestly, SB winds up BB on purpose. I think this might been the greenest phase she has been through. We do our best to treat diferent but equally -IYSWIM – and explain what is funny in an 18 monther is not in a 5 [when it is plain naughty] – yep, a difficult concept. I suppose BB is going through a rapid grow and develop phase and their relationship has to adjust too.

Ah well, tea of noodle, veg and seaweed soup, listening to little toe show and then settled down to the first part of sound of music. BB was slow to fall asleep tonight, but SB out like a light. She needed to be as took a long time last night – though she does now enjoy the 5 children and it story CD [partly as the phoenix one has been on little toe]

What we didn’t do was any gardening – wail so far behind!! but the weather was awful – even hail, thunder and lightening. The good thing is though, that there will be frost. And its been so long since we planted anything that I’d have prob planted out all the tender things as well ‘while I’m at it’ hopefully we will get a lot of things in this weekend. today [and working the weekend] has left me fair worn out. Must have a shower, as have paint in my hair.

Family Gatherings

i like the 4 generational thing. Mum and Dad brought Little Nanny to visit. I was really happy to see her since it has been a while. Work has been so crazy that I have been derelict in my duties on visiting.

Anyway, I was at work in the morning, but on call since then [and amazingly didn't get called back either - well yet!] so I got to enjoy the whole visit.

SB put on a dance show to start with [surprise!] and BB joined in. We then had some yummy home made sweet potato soup, and some home made bread rolls that Chris and SB? had made in the morning.

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then just a happy family afternoon, some reminiscing, some looking to the future, and a lot of giggling at my girls. SB slightly green tinged which was a shame – a bit like she was overtired actually. She enjoyed dancing on my dad’s feet- just like i did as a girl, and read to my mum. Some dance mat craziness went on, and BB showed her circus skills – almost head over heels and climbing.

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Rather cutely, as they were leaving [after an excellent curry for tea] BB demonstrated a new today skill of blowing kisses – majorly cute! SB and I read some fly on the wall egypt and they are both now asleep. Aah, quiet.

What type of mother are you

From mother crone’s homeschool

go here

Your type is: intp ?The ?Love of Learning? Mother

?I keep the encyclopedia in the kitchen so we can look up things together while we eat.?

  • Intellectually curious and patient, the INTP mother relishes those times with a child when they are learning something interesting together. Whether they?re at the zoo or computer terminal, she sparks to answering his or her ?whys? with in-depth responses or new knowledge.
  • The INTP mother is also objective and introspective. She listens to and discusses children?s ideas and questions as she would those of a peer, fostering self-esteem and confidence. Open and non-directive, she allows children the freedom to do for themselves and quietly encourages them to believe they can do it.
  • Independence, autonomy, intellectual development, and self-reliance are probably the INTP?s highest priorities for her children. An avid reader, she naturally imparts an appreciation and love of reading as well.
  • Drawn to all types of learning, the INTP may also value her mothering experience for all the new insights about life it provides her.

Actually, going through old blogs, I am usually an ISFP – so just putting that in gives:
Your type is: isfp ?The ?Giving? Mother

?A people pleaser from Day One, it took me 30 years to
figure out I could say ?no.??

  • Quiet and unassuming in her devotion, the ISFP mother is responsive to her children?s needs, offering behind-the-scenes love and support. She is gentle and non-intrusive, flexible and adaptable.
  • A ?be there? mother, the ISFP takes pleasure in physically caring for her children and doing for them. Her best times might be ?doing little things? with each child one-on-one.
  • More than anything, the ISFP mother wants her children to know they are loved. And she enjoys being needed in return.
  • Dedicated to raising children who are responsible and care for others, she favors a non-directive approach: instilling values by setting a good example. She may be a strong role model for community service.


hmm! i prefer the first option – have been an INTJ before as well,

Your type is: intj ??The ?Individual Integrity? Mother

?My kids are better off arguing their own point of view than telling me, ?But everyone else is doing it.??

  • Individualistic and independent, the INTJ mother is both a role model and teacher of how to be an individual and live life with integrity. She is introspective, defining her own success from within, and generally confident in her decisions. She is unlikely to be persuaded by her children saying, ?But all the other mothers are doing it.?
  • The INTJ is competent in providing for her children?s basic needs, but she is likely more focused on developing their self-esteem and confidence. Observant and insightful, she puts great importance on independent thinking and self-sufficiency, yet she is comfortable providing protection and boundaries.
  • Self-motivated and intense, the INTJ works hard and takes life seriously. As a mother, she lives for those moments when she can impart knowledge and offer her children perspectives on life and important issues.

?so I guess i am probably a mixture – as always! I think the first is more what I aim to be, but I do see myself in the other 2 as well. what does anybody else think?

Thanks nic – freudian inventory

Freudian Inventory Results
Oral (56%) you appear to have a good balance of independence and interdependence knowing when to accept help and when to do things on your own.
Anal (50%) you appear to have a good balance of self control and spontaneity, order and chaos, variety and selectivity.
Phallic (36%) you appear to have negative issues regarding sexuality and/or have an uncertain sexual identity.
Latency (53%) you appear to have a good balance of abstract knowledge seeking and practicality, dealing with real world responsibilities while still cultivating your abstract and creative faculties and interests.
Genital (53%) you appear to be somewhere between a progressive/openminded and regressive/closeminded outlook on life.
so apart from not wanting a one night stand, I’m a bit boring really!
Big Five Word Test Results
Extroversion (41%) moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

Accommodation (58%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly kind natured, trusting, and helpful at the expense of your own individual development (martyr complex).

Orderliness (47%) medium which suggests you are moderately organized, structured, and self controlled while still remaining flexible, varied, and fun.
Emotional Stability (44%) moderately low which suggests you are worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious.
Inquisitiveness (67%) moderately high which suggests you are intellectual, curious, imaginative but possibly not very practical.

Take Free Big Five Word Choice Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

oh, and on this? 92%

mine teddy!

a sentence!

shrieked repeatedly. [it is SB's though!]

Out and about

today we went out with one of our local home ed groups to Denny Abbey. there was stained glass making and tile making put on, and for the older children a bit more history, but SB was having so much fun playing, that the youngest group played making arches and then sundry imaginative run around games! A huge turnout.

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BB was much taken by looking through the coloured plastic to see how the world changed colour, and did this will all the colours she could grab. SB had a lollipop design for her stained glass- rofl. She was quick to answer questions, and enjoyed the tile making too – she concentrates really well on crafts.

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A reproductive lesson too by a rather frisky bull in a field full of cows and calves. Ended on a sour note, as SB ran off with her friend M and hid just as I was putting BB in car. Took me 5 mins to find them. She knows she shouldn’t run off from carparks. grr! So she looked sad all the way home as she had been naughty – by which point I felt sad too!! And I hadn’t done too much of a major telling off either.

Anyway, got home. Chris went to the meeting with the council about the pubs request for musi 4 days a week. he got chatting to the owner, who prob isn’t going to use music so much, and it seems part of the deal is some kind of noise limiter device thingy. So we’ll see.

SB did some maths – difficult bit again, so we cut it short – its adding over a 10. She’s fine at adding and subtracting within the 10, and her understanding of tens and units seems fine, its just that making tens thing. Some playing with cuisinaire rods and pattern making with that and the ideal blocks. We also made a mask – it was SB’s present to me as a sorry for being naughty, she made me a make-a-mask kit and wrapped it up – ahh, all friends again, and a long cuddle! She really can be thoughtful[yep, there is one of me in the mask!]
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We then spent most of the afternoon outside, running around, making up games, and SB and BB playing together beautifully. We lost track of time, so have had chips for tea listening to little toe radio – we are all enjoying the little house on the prairie adaption. We finished the day watching some more of the blue planet DVD series – shores this time. SB has become very taken by natural history DVD’s
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Yesterday, I sneaked away…

… as definately in need of r and r!

came home to find in-laws visiting, and much merriment. i had stopped off at tescos, and they were having a womens clothing sale, so last of the big spenders, I bought shorts for 2.50, top for 1.75, another 2 for 5 each, and then a 20% discount on the lot – v pleased!

And since miserable and no money whatsoever, i then bought a dinosaur testtube kit for Sb and some v cheap walkie talkies.

so we played with the walkie talkies. SB was fairly hopeless at keeping her finger pressed down! no doubt practice will improve things. BB was very jealous – so SB let her play too.

we buillt the glow in the dark dinosaur together. a t-rex, and then she and it squiggled into a cupboard to make sure it did glow in the dark. BB read books to me. She now says ‘mine’ well!
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She and BB then spent a considerable amount of time putting on a show for us – to the fimble radio! lots of dancing and twirling, with Sb dressed in her ballet togs.

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SB did some singapore maths 1B – 10s and units, which she is galloping through, and then Chris’s parents treated us to a curry. thankyou!! it was delicious, I was ravenous, and BB seems to be a real curry girl too. in fact i’m about to have some reheated.

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what else? Oh, SB insisted BB did some match and sort – counting to 10 flap book – rofl! And they both played with the ideal blocks.

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Earlier, SB had done some hama, some explode the code and lots andlots of playdough with BB while Chris did a good tidy up of the main downstairs – for which I was very appreciative [actually i thought his mum had done it - oops]

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Unfortunately the garden and gardening gone to pot. I am trying not to care.

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You Are Balanced – Realist – Powerful
You feel your life is controlled both externally and internally. You have a good sense of what you can control and what you should let go. Depending on the situation, you sometimes try to exert more control. Other times, you accept things for what they are and go with the flow. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don’t attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don’t beat yourself up when bad things happen to you… But you do your best to try to make your own luck. When it comes to who’s in charge, it’s you. Life is a kingdom, and you’re the grand ruler. You don’t care much about what others think. But they better care what you think!

what on earth did i say? I think not!!!

I am rather proud of these 2 photos

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i am getting through the flickr tonight!