we tootled [or chuggered - to use Bb'S moving verb of choice] down to london for the day to see/hear/participate in a lecture at the royal institute for science. it was on sound, and by these guys. we were pleased to be making our inaugeral venture with friends – meeting up with Nic, monster and teeny, em, E and R, the deependers and a local home ed family. As it happened, we had failed to assess which session Nic was going to make! so she took the early showing, but we did all meet up at the park for an hourish of running about wildly greeting friends. chris and i now have oyster cards, which feels v londony!! i am going into london 2ce more this week for work, so will prob use mine up – i wonder how you recharge the things?? Em having driven quite a way then parked and tubed, i wonder whether that would be cheaper for us – as there are 2 adults?
i really enjoyed it. i think the presenter was excellent. even if the regional accent threw me once :blush: it was the herrs in the ear! in the warm up, there were q and a’s on the wall, and i was totally appalling at them! the kids all had a go though – we had them all sitting in a row together with adults behind. they loved it. K and SB both got to go down and interact. we were slightly concerned that sb had been given scissors and an instruction not to cut his nose off, and she said that when she got close, she did consider it! 
bB managed really well too. she liked putting her arm up to answer questions and volunteer slightly releived he had more sense than to choose her. she did some remarkably loud yawns, but it was only after her loo break at 40 mins that she lost concentration, and insisting on scrambling over people for a mummy cuddle, rather than the next to her daddy 
but i was really impressed with her staying power. both girls would def like to go again. i did think he had a lot left to do, and rushed the last 10 mins or so, but it was good. and he didn’t mind the home ed third of the audience shouting answers rather than hands upping! but yes, SB was enthralled by the whole thing, and lovely yo meet up with friends, however briefly, so def worth the price of travelling.
afterwards we went down to the not opened museum in the basement, and alll the children really REALLY loved the singing periodic table, where you had to bash the elements found at the RI [all 10] as the appeared in the song. most of the rest doesn’t look particularly interactive, but worth another look another time! we think we will try out the am heart one, and pop to a museum pm in Nov – hopefully limiting the pain of travelling costs by the 2 for 1 thing! Any friends doing the same also a bonus!!
all the kids were fantastic on the journey back. we had a really crowded train, and a lovely chap gave up his seat for me, and also someone gave up theirs for Katy [who needed it more with A, but 'mine' was backwards facing] the children had books read to them, and the SB carried on reading books out loud for the rest of the journey, and BB fell asleep on my lap. [due to sleep bB is STILL awake, and show us how she balances things. i am going to bed soon, and will try for a second time with BB then - SB asleep though] SB made it back in time for judo, which she v much loves.
otherwise this week maths and handwriting and piano practices have happened, lots of reading, and some violin. BB is so into sounding out syllables and what words might begin with that we are doing more before the code with her again.