Category Archives: General

 Library day, as usual somehow the time before we go always seems to slip past. Though I did manage to get some Dhal going in the new slow cooker beforehand.  BB grumpy becuase I said she couldn’t get anymore books out as she had too many out we couldn’t find. She had dressed very trendily, as she wanted to wear shorts , so said she needed to wear tights (which  she doesn’t really like much). So we hard shorts over tights.

Off to the library, where I managed not to confuse the library ladies at all over anything, some piratey stories, where we wondered why pirates always managed to blind each other in one eye. Did a piratey craft, B didn’t get books out, Sb got a couple, and also she donated them one of her xmas books which doubled up on one she already has (It’s volunteer run, it’s not a proper county library, so these books stay as the stock of the local library). 
So we were out prety quick.

A short walk to the other half – HE family we know, where the kids made some oatcakes, including some experimental sweet ones.

For oatcakes they tasted prety nice (not a great fan of them), we chatted about this and that, including the 6 week holiday they are taking to New Zealand in February – rather jealous of that. Playing tends to be  a bit erratic with C, but they mostly got on well and had a good play once settled down, once they got a argumentative with each other it was out in the garden for a running about, scootering and chicken harrassing.

They found a newly laid egg, which pleased them, and SB helped clean out some of the straw.

Then it was home for a bit, SB finished rerading a book she started in the library, I sat a played with BB for a bit, and then she strung some new beads she got at christmas, and then spent ages playing some game with the beads, where they all seemed to be different characters. Snacking, finished some dinner preps, before you know it it’s time to go to swimming lessons.

Home from swimming to find Helen already home the Dhal smelling nice  nice to have dinner pretty much ready (sapped some rice from the fridge, stirred fried up some veg with some spice, prety yummy). BB did a bit of letter writing and making words in a Thomas the Tank Engine book whilst waiting.

Which meant that got kids into bed at pretty much proper times

Oh, and as for the post tilte, talk of Oatcakes reminded me of the ‘How oats and barley grow’ song. We have ona  car CD, always annoys me.  ‘Not you, nor I, nor anyone knows, how oats or wheat or barley grow’.

Yes they do, we actually know rather a lot a bout how plants grow ! chunter chunter

chris’s parents used to run an old peoples home prior to retirement, so when i first met chris they had a second christmas, where all the family came. this tradition was reinstated last year, and we had a january christmas with chris’s mum’s side of the family. we had that today!

the girls had been busy both buying and making gifts for all the family, which were well received. they also received more presents -again lovely.

our niece liana was there. unfortunately her experiment with living in england has come undone this time, and she is back off to ireland. but is thinking she might try again one day, perhaps in a big city rather than in a small village nearish but with minimal transport to a small city…

noticeable absences were chris’s uncle robert, who is getting more unwell. he had a further scan last week, and gets the results monday. we aren’t talking about it, but it is clear all the family is expecting the worst now, as he gets more tired and unwell. it makes a day visit more of a priority.
his son [chris's cousin] and partner also didn’t make it, which is a shame, as he is a life and soul of party chap and i really like him. luckilly all the others made it, and bb and sb had a fab time with playing with little A, now 2. we all had a lovely relaxing time.

before we went, SB, BB and i had a look at Watercolour (Klutz) which looks absolutely fab, and we are planning to do some tomorrow

went to the nots and tots today, the girls really enjoy it. BB in particular loves recordering! she was most jealous that L and E got to do 2 recorder sessions! both did french, but SB mainly. and they had fun making janus faces, which lucky relatives are going to get as presents this weekend! [must find baby A's present!!] it was particularly nice as they didn’t have to rush off to a different town for gym. chris is wondering whether to move bB’s gym session, but it would be difficult.

ANother session requiring moving is apparently brownies. we specifically went into the monday group as it fitted around ballet, and the wed group clashed with judo. both groups are being brought forward 1/2 an hour. this means that ballet and brownies directly compete [as she has gone up a ballet group and would have a 15 mins crosssover anyway] and brownies and judo doesn’t, but there is no space in that brownie pack. aarghh.

at home chris put up 2 new coffee tables, one of which is BB’s desk – aah. i don’t understand people who don;t love tables!! sb did some piano practice.

when i got home, bb and i made soap. sb not so keen too. this time we made a thin layer of coloured soap, used fimo shape cutters to cut it out, and then made a translucent soap and popped them in. fab. more presents for the rellies!! [though i nearly died when i saw chris's soap receipt, so i am not saying that this is a particularly cheap way of getting soap...]

a dr who – where bb announced from the start how to kill slitheen!! and bed nearly finished the The Assassins of Rome: Roman Mysteries 4 (The Roman Mysteries) . SB has been reading charlie and the chocolate factory, scoop, a rumer godden book, 13 days of christmas and George’s Secret Key to the Universe [giggle!]

quick sum up of week so far [am trying to persuade chris to do the odd blog!]
mon – HE sports in city1. BB does the younger class and SB the older. they both really enjoy this session, and the teacher that takes it is fabulous and enthusiastic. After that they went to a snowy park for a play. I met up with them at tesco, quite accidentally. i was buying a couple more of the £7 pine coffee tables from tesco as they are such a bargain, and recognised the spotty jumper down an isle, and shortly afterwards realised it was indeed on SB!

i took the girls home, and we did lots of squabbling. to be fair, i have insomnia, job worries and go to bed too late and haven’t completely shifted a migraine for ages now, so i didn’t defuse and alter the flow of dynamics as well as i could have done. but they really do seem to be horribly squabbly at the moment, and argue about pretty much everything. i am hoping that this is a post christmas come down stage!!

anyway, after i had removed various toys, stopped doing fun things like soap making and in the end sat down with a maths book each, things settled. but wasn’t really what i had planned [no, the maths wasn't a punishment! they both enjoy it. but i find that sitting them down with something that is individually theirs can stop the perpetual squabble cycle]. chris took ages to get home, as he hadn’t shut the boot properly and the shopping flew out at one point to clear up.

we are doing doctor who watching in the eve, we should have caught up by the time of the next series.

tues i went to work before the girls woke up, and got home after bb went to bed. but did catch a bit of sb, and we made chocolate gifts together. they had all had another busy day. library day and craftxs at the library for bb. then various bits and pieces in the afternoon. sb did her piano, some galore park, some maths and then had first swimming of the term.

today was latinetc. always enjoyable, and this time with added merryness. i was even on time! [just!] we have a slightly different running order to make the most of things, and this seemed to go well. SB enjoyed her latin, and was showing off her declension of the amo amas! and she was v keen to tell me all about doing music with gina, including recorder practice apparently. BB loved doing the felting kit. and also v happily went off and did french. i really enjoyed the science, particularly with the older group as they appeared to have so much fun doing it. we did some general lung things, and then made our own lung capacity measurements. v watery and messy!!

merry came back to ours with the girls in the afternoon, and they ran about crazilly whilst we chatted. chris had taken down the christmas trees while i was out – always a sad moment. we might try and do something SOTW activity related, you never know!!

after they had gone, SB did a lovely piano practice and some music theory – encouraged by doing music with gina. bb did some more before the code. and then we slumped infront of dr who again. i am totally worn out now!

BUT I have found my new years resolution for this year. I plan to remember that i am an adult with more stores of patience [hopefully] than my girls. and that i will find a squabble box, something that we can use to distract us all.

so i have done loads of musical mondays of music i like, and prob could continue ad infinitum. i share this music with sb, and sometimes we chat about it, sometimes we listen, and sometimes its in the background.
and then i contemplate ambleside online. now, i know actually that this isn;t right for us yet. i don’t think we are in the mood to start with the discussion of composer and time and place etc. we can touch on these things – and have done. but percolating though my mind, this just hasn’t grabbed me.
soooo, since i have so much free time and all i thought i would do what i think will suit us best!
and it is still music listening and themes. i doubt i can do this weekly, but def monthly.
amy commenters are v welcome [indeed i would be indebted!] to link to music in the theme. and if i had time, i would like to find artwork themes to match.

i have a lovely pair of walking boots that i have had since the sixth form – 20 years oldish. i have had periods when i have barely worn them, but wearing them again more recently at helmsley remindded me how beautiful they are in fit and comfort [scarpa asolo, cost a fortune at the time!]. anyway, i wore them yesterday as it was nature walk day.

we went to meet up with the manor borns for our nature walk. it was a bit parky in the weather department, but we took soup with us to eat when we got there [it takes 3/4 hour] and then waited. Marcus cycled there, and looked pleased to see us [and soup] and the michelle and chloe. we got walking and did the hill fort route this time. its fairly newly opened. it was a good walk actually, in the end. but we all still prob like the quarry route best! we did think the walk might be doomed, but the girls all cheered up – in part helped by santa sleigh gold coins that were dotted about.

Back to the manor borns for a lovely tea [as always] and then we were dreadful guests – well sort of – because we game napped marcus and had a fab game of agricola. michelle was a resigned game widow and ‘putered away and provided drinks, one i spluttered over then game as marcus made me laugh just as i had taken a mouthful

is anyone a game player at centreparcs?

anyway, lovely evening.

today we have been to the panto, and all really enjoyed it, organised by the brownies. the girls thought it totally fab, and me and chris enjoyed it to, the same place as we went to last year. i think they do a good panto. don’t try to be fancy or clever, and stick to tried and tested panto success!!

came home and watched the second harry potter followed by the second dr who, and bb still bumbling about as she slept in the car.

* commission payable to mazportico for use of term i believe!
I find nov and january my typical times to take stock. this nov was far too busy, so i went for the jan option. so i asked SB what in the HE lark was good/ exciting

she said she liked best spelling, and reading. i said, is that it?? well, no, she said she liked the maths, science and french. ermm, and everything, but wasn’t sure about galore park. she enjoys all her groups, and is happy with what we are doing at the moment and doesn’t think there is anything new at the moment.

so there, that is the basis of the orgoplanning – more of the same