Category Archives: General

Housekeeping messages

Posted on October 12, 2005 by HHaricot | Leave a comment

Aargh to spammers, so a bit more tightening. I apologise if anyone gets caught. Hopefully I have been creative enough to get people out of jail as it were, but if not, let me know!! No person or persons are willfully excluded, just dratted spammers!

hmmm

Posted on October 12, 2005 by HHaricot | 3 comments

get back to find BB has a shiner, huge gash across face from falling over, and has fallen out of bed. Aaaarrghhhhhh .[cry] both girls enthusiastic in welcome.
BB has had a lot of fun rocking on the rocking horse.
sb said she didn’t miss me, but wouldn’t let me out of sight. we iced cupcakes [made earlier with daddy] and read books while BB guzzled. They visited Nana and Grandad yesterday and bought some pretty new shoes.
east west home is best

www.flickr.com

3 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General

Swindon – it’s true……

Posted on October 9, 2005 by Daddybean | 2 comments

Ok, I had intended to avoid tacky Swindon jokes, but Helen just rang me, then we got cut off as she lost mobile reception. Though she then did manage to text me.

So Swindon really is a blackhole…….

Edit – no i’m not going to do it, i’m not going to start sorting piccies and Flickring, I’m going to attempt to have a sensible bed time……..

2 Comments

Posted in Daft Stuff, General

today part one

Posted on October 9, 2005 by HHaricot | Leave a comment

well, I am going to swindon this eve, so won’t blog, so thought I should do it in stages!

Today I had a lie in due to BB being an execrable sleeper and feedaholic. Whilst doing that, it seems that SB and Chris read through all the red and yellow letterland books. I really dislike the letterland books actually. I think it would have suited me best, once we had done letter sounds and common sh and th things to go onto see and read rather than phonics. this is what we seem to be doing now, though using letter sounds to work out words. Hmm!!

When I got downstairs, SB was ready for another Hama session. today we finished off the flower, and then concentrated on glow in the dark sun, moon, jupiter and stars. i did the glow in the dark bit, and SB then filled in with whatever pattern she wanted. My glow in the dark bit for the sun and moon was as directed by her. The moon is quite cool actually, as in the day, it will appear a full moon, but at night, only a crescent is glow in the dark. This has essentially taken all morning. While doing this, we read the ‘I wonder why stars twinkle…’ book, and discussed that our sun is a star, but ours is closer so bigger and we have given it the name sol. We also did the path of lights through different media experiment [straw in glass of water!]

to be continued…..

Have had a very nice time playing with BB. We have done stacking toy, played with sensory things – like the feather boa, done some walking, and now on pressing buttons annoying tunes toys! SB playing upstiars on her won – so don’t feel quite so comfortable about that, though when I enquired she was happy with Sindy’s/Barbies. Am persuading chris to make a house for my sindy things so they don’t get trashed! He is hoefully sorting veg bed – it does need it!!

Have read 3 greek myths stories from the usborne book [arachne, echo and narcissus, daedalus and icarus] her winnie the pooh book. She has helped chris in the garden and found 3 flints - and told him about chapping [aka knapping!]. We have reseeded the fairy garden and will hope something grows,

Now for tea and then I’m off. Aargh – the first time without my baby, not back until Tues. How crap do I feel?

www.flickr.com

tears before bedtime – edited

Posted on October 8, 2005 by HHaricot | 4 comments

It has been one of those days. I think all this socialisation and frenetic living is getting to all of us – time for some r and r!! Not helped by BB’s return to sleeping nightmare!

Initial Hama-ing. SB wanted to use the circle to do a face of BB – which she did really nicely, and started a new flower. A struggle over going to stagecoach – she definitely doesn’t want to go any more, and even the promise of a Christmas show isn’t wuite doing it. We will notify them she won’t be coming back next term. While she is there, she does seem to enjoy it, and goes off quite happily. For one reason or another, we are missing quite a few though anyway. We also have found the messing up of the weekend a bit of a pain.

This afternoon she has dissolved easily into tears. SHe has wanted to play with me non stop, but if I break one of her unspoken rule games she is heartbroken and sobs dreadfully. All very difficult, as I do also want to play with BB. When BB qwent to sleep, we did a shortlived word game with the boggle dice [she spelled cat and dog, and me bird, and then she did seeds] I then wrote a word without saying the letters I was looking for, so a standoff and it was put away. We had a nice game of dominos, and then I turned a corner without permission – game over! We read quite a few books though – the skeleton hiccups one she actually read quite a few of the words before she realised, and then abrubtly stopped. SHe has also done some colouring.

The other activity- mainly to give myself some headspace – was baking carrot cake – which we have done, wone to eat and one to freeze. At least that was enjoyed and tear free. the results were very nice too. Not so easy with dinner, as a cry when she realsied the spaghetti i had cooked weren’t tinned ones – sigh. She ate it all though. Some home grown grapes for pud. At present I am breathing[!!] as Daddy does bath before I do the stories.

I did get to have a short bit of BB only time – which is always nice. She is such a smiler. We were playing with the stacking cups, and a 4 high stacker toy. She enjoys this. Today she did the stacker toy herself!!! She was most impressed, particularly that I clapped, so did it lots more – until I went for the camera that is! Sb had been in the garden with Chris, but it rained, so she came back. we then did singing with actions for BB – wind the bobbin, twinkle twinkle etc.

It is clear that SB loves BB, but she can be so rough with her. I think as BB gets more mobile, she gets more of a threat as well -IYSWIM. Not that SB will be putting it in those terms, but I do have limited BB alone time [ i am trying for perhaps 2 x 15 mins slots - shouldn't be too hard??]. Hmmm – thinking cap!

Anyway, getting the call for stories, so a good thing I have blogged quickly!

edited: she wasn’t quite up for bed. so we looked at the DK pop out body book a bit, and discussed the spinal column and spinal cord mostly. then read roald dahl’s revolting rhymes – which are an unusual take n the standard fairy tales.

www.flickr.com

4 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, literacy, music, numeracy, photos, Ponderings, science, Stringbean's HE

Thankyou Tim

Posted on October 8, 2005 by HHaricot | 3 comments

Handholder

You go out of your way to build bridges with people of different views and beliefs and have quite a few religious friends. You believe in the essential goodness of people , which means you?re always looking for common ground even if that entails compromises. You would defend Salman Rushdie?s right to criticise Islam but you?re sorry he attacked it so viciously, just as you feel uncomfortable with some of the more outspoken and unkind views of religion in the pages of this magazine.

You prefer the inclusive approach of writers like Zadie Smith or the radical Christian values of Edward Said. Don?t fall into the same trap as super?na?ve Lib Dem MP Jenny Tonge who declared it was okay for clerics like Yusuf al?Qaradawi to justify their monstrous prejudices as a legitimate interpretation of the Koran: a perfect example of how the will to understand can mean the sacrifice of fundamental principles. Sometimes, you just have to hold out for what you know is right even if it hurts someone?s feelings.

What kind of humanist are you? Click here to find out.

3 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Daft Stuff, General

moderating

Posted on October 7, 2005 by HHaricot | 5 comments

I’m going to have to add the word shoes!! we have been blitzed with shoe spam???? what is going on out there, as the amount of dud comments is exponentially increasing?

i apologise in advance. if you find something moderated, point it out and i will search and reinstate

5 Comments

Posted in Blogging, General

and relax

Posted on October 7, 2005 by HHaricot | 3 comments

What a busy but fun week we’ve had!
Also a busy one at work, and due to bursts of creativity there, I now have lots of evening work to do for presentations/business plans.Also off on a union course on negotiation skills from sun in swindon, so weekend feels shortened.

got home late from work to an enthusiastic hello from SB. She then danced for me, talked to me and we made an elephant together. I then read her half the ‘my very first bible’ so all read out! She was excited by the egyptian bits, as told me they weren’t kings but pharoahs, and was happy discussing clothes/houses – so a bit of a detour. She had a later bedtime as it is so nice to snuggle and catch up.

A play also with BB – as well as a huge feed. She stood unsupported for very brief moment and was very excited. She loves investigating, and is showing awareness of language other than her name.

I feel despondent that I will ever return to a decent work life balance though. I just keep hitting brick walls.

3 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, General, Stringbean

A beany Bean.

Posted on October 7, 2005 by Daddybean | Leave a comment

Nursery day.

Kirsty and gang still here this morning, so didn’t plan on trying to get SB out until they had gone. In the end no worries as she was sleeping like a log still at 8.30 – a bit of sleep catching up. Young Bartholomews had had breakfast by then, so went up to get BB changed/up (she was awake) and rouse SB. They were impressively on target to leave at 9 am so she just got little play in before they left. After that there was bit of faffing while she woke up a bit more, missed them a bit, we read acouple of books then breakfast, dressed and on our way.I came home and was domestic, washing, in and out and hung up, clearing ‘Disaster zone 1′ – aka the kitchen (well a bit anyway), then straight into ‘Disaster Zone 2′ aka SB’s bedroom. If it doesn’t get done styraight away, it ends up just languishing in a mess for too long. So matresess back on beds, back in spare room etc (as psrt of the futile attempt at them sharing the one room the matresses all ended up on the floor), pillows/duvets relocated, spare room ready for the next visitors.

At this point had one of those ‘oh dear I’m getting old and sensible’ moments. When I find myself thinking what a good thing it is to have the room ready so people can just turn up, as opposed to scurrying around as they wait to go to bed finding the least manky sheet and duvet cover. I don’t mind it being a sensible idea, but part of me minds me being pleased that I’ve done so……..

showed SB’s carpet what the daylight looks like again, and reminded the toyboxes of their function in life, Grrred at the kids for gettting out some of the too small/too big clothes from the cupboard, then mixing them up again and leaving them on the floor . Must fit new cutrain track and new curtain to her windows and make plans for repainting the room – it is such a dreadful colour – a horrible insipid, institutional murky apricoty.peachy type colour. Her old room was realy nice (though I say so my self ) and felt like her room. This still feels like we’ve just sort of put the stuff in their and plonked it down, needs decorating, a bit of organising, more things on the wall, her mobiles etc. back up. not much need for debate on the colours though……..

also managed to excavate at the bits of embedded biscuits (thanks J and SB ) from the playrooms ‘most impractical carpet you can almost imagine for playroonm’ carpet. It’s one of these sisal, or other natural fibre type things- and has ridged surface texture – which is bugger to clean, esp. wet stuff that gets squidged into it – and of course some of Bonnets Bakers best….. It’s also awful to sit or kneel on – luckily we have rug in the middle.

Continuing later with my domesticity, I got dinner prepared before I went off to get the girls and dropped SB at her ballet lesson, popped back home to have cuppa and play with chucklemeister peacefully for a bit, before pedalling back down the road to get SB, a bit of play in the playground, then home to finsih getting tea ready – SB top, tailing and peeling carrots all by herself, and slicing the cabbage, and H managed to get home in time to enjoy it with us

a fair while later, after SB bedtime, BB had awaken and was not interested in sleep. while we watched the Elizabeth 1st program on Channel 4 she chcukled and babbled her way around the room – she has almost lost the lopsided crawl and is getting much more proficient at proper crawling. Sat with Helen tried to climb up the back of the sofa and bounced madly up and down, laughing away, she is such supremely happy and cheerful baby, now she slumbers contentedly

So much for early bedtimes here. I’m off.