Category Archives: General

BB’s party day

Posted on November 21, 2007 by | 8 comments

she had a whale of a day. Pressies first thing – and was happy and excited about them all. then to the playbarn – also very excited as now officially old enough to go on all the bits. SB helped her round the first few times, and then various friends arrived – the puddles, deependers and E and R as well as a couple of local HE families. All chosen because BB loves them! [and were within a daytripping distance!]

All back to our house for party tea and general mayhem and playing. BB became v attached instantly to all presents opened – so thanks all as they were all perfect! Sb has been brillliant as older sister, but I think she was getting a bit worn out at being second by midaft, so a bit more delicate. A bit of cuddling and she was back into the fray. lots of hide and seek amongst the children, and the birthday girl has been having a great time.

After the running about sorting and then the cuddling, we did get some nice chatting time, and lots of cups of tea. Thanks al for coming and sharing such a great day. At present photos flickred by a guest first – and so lovely that our few are not in a hurry to be seen!! BB fell asleep before the guests left which means she is very sprightly now!! [got her bath with the new boat!]

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Posted in Butterbean, General

SB 4 BB

Posted on November 21, 2007 by | Leave a comment

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piccies of the card and envelope SB has done for BB. SHe has really tried to do something wonderful, including the number 3 numberjack over the envelope. Its this amount of care and attention for what she thinks someone will love [ie BB] that is one of the reasons I adore her. SHe has a big heart, and wears it on her sleeve.

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Posted in General, Stringbean

BB, I love you, Happy Birthday

Posted on November 20, 2007 by | 18 comments

lovely pic taken by Mum IMG_0467 IMG_0675 I told you she loved it IMG_1187 IMG_1293

We started the blog at her birth, and her whole life is here… Except that obviously it isn’t. Her enthusiasm for living, indefatigable self determination, mostly utterly adorable but partly, headbangingly, stubborn! We are all bewitched by her personality, merry laugh and roguish nature. She is adored by us all – particularly our gentle soul, SB. Our children were long awaited, and I had certainly given up hope. What blessings they both are! BB charms and delights. Our challenge is to walk a steady path so she grows up appreciating compromise has a role, as does rational negotiation!
Ah, We love you BB, Happy Birthday.

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Posted in Butterbean, General

monday just gets busier

Posted on November 19, 2007 by | 4 comments

during the day, SB did maths and piano practice, and the girls had their room re jigged. SB in particlar made lots of icosohedrons with the polyhedrons . I think I might have to print off the various platonic solids so that I can remember their names, and SB learn for the first time!! BB made houses and tunnels and tents – not bad![chris might expand on day, but doubt it!]

When I got back, we did some more polyhedrons. BB and i read apple tree farm, and she did lots of counting. Then – drum roll please – SB and I FINISHED SOTW!!! well, the first book anyway. The roman empire has declined and fallen! SHe wanted to do some more latin, have no idea where the minimus book is, so found the usborne first latin [or whatever its called too lazy to check!] and said hello, how are you. Chris liked being the domine – ahem!!!

SB went to ballet, returned briefly and then went on to swimming – how chaotically busy. its the new class, and there were only 4 in it today, right down at the deep end, so lots of attention each. Chris said she was excellent. BB and I played with the jigsaws and counting games, and then some more traintracking whilst I made a thai thing for tea – which i cooled down for the girls with some left over leek and potato soup from yesterday- worked well. oh, I must say at this point, SB says Marcus makes better leek and potato soup as Chris’s was to leeky!!!

BB off to bed after a numberjack hit, and SB and I then wrapped up her presents for BB, and finished her card. [OK, I have just finished it, as SB got ‘worn out with cross stitching‘ , but the design was all hers, and she did do it valiantly.] So she decided to make chocolate [dairy free] truffles to put in the party bags for wed. SO we had fun doing that, and agreed we made a very good team!

SB is reading to me the next magic tree house now at bedtime – lunchtime with lions, and I read another chapter of 21 balloons, which we both giggled over. [and yes, a maggie , hamilton and the ferocious beast]

SO now wondering whether to do a BB blogpost or read new book!!!

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, Cooking, Dance/drama, early maths skills, General, geography, history, language, literacy, music, numeracy, pre reading, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE

Visiting V

Posted on November 18, 2007 by | 3 comments

my sister visited this weekend with M and E – her 2 children. Mine were therefore ecstatic, and there was a lot of playing and merriment. Flickr is receiving a bonus of photos, 1 or 2 might get a p2 tag. [this is the tag for those that might want a minimal version - not sure why anyone would :¬P ]

the seeds for latinetc sprouting – well first the sunflower and now some lentils, and the butterbeans appear to be splitting. we had a chat about them. SB quite confident on seeds because of the number we sow and grow. BB v interested.

Yesterday we made mixed spice biscuits and first of the birthday cakes for BB [which wasn't a great success! passable]. lots of games and toys ended up stren everywhere, but they did then help tidy up nicely. We had a nice evening of mulled wine and chat with my sister. Trying for her to ‘get’ HE. She pointed out that originally we were going to stop at 7 – I think I might have said that as a delaying tactic! SO I said it was working just so fabulously [fibs! I can think of loads I wish we were doing better] that there didn’t seem to be a good reason to stop [well, that bit true]

Today we made banana, oatmeal choc muffins. more games and toys [particularly gears]- lots of co-operation which is nice. BB got her present – a dora scooter – and she has been much taken with it, scootering everywhere. A party lunch with jelly and icecream and cake. My sister then went home – dreadful drive in the snow! SB did a violin practice. we have started reading 21 balloons [a sonlight book] and did masses of train playing.

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i have had an amazon order – so off to read some books, but will keep an eye on rss!!

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, Cooking, early maths skills, General, language, literacy, music, pre reading, science, Stringbean's HE

How can I be this geek

Posted on November 15, 2007 by | 21 comments

it must be the sci fi – thats not geek is it??
64% Geek 64%

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Posted in Daft Stuff, General

grumpy guts

Posted on November 14, 2007 by | 3 comments

being me. I had to go into work today, which messed with mine and girls heads! i started getting fidgety early on so i apologise to the hostess. We were also late – more apologies!

Its a lovely group, and the children are nice with each other, and on the whole interested in all the bits [odd bits of wildness aside] A start with making some habitats in a bag, where various seeds were sown. Both girls did it – though BB in her own sweet time! Then Latin – which SB and i had quickly revised in the car as we had missed the last group! [we had also learnt how t say it is sunny today in french - which SB set to music]. This is followin the minimus books and various other things about roman life. [in fact at the moment SB is dancing around shrieking puella whilst dancing about] We ‘spare’ mums did a bit of gossiping, veg chopping and baby holding [and reading to BB and playing!]
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Then after a restorative toast, they did science. There was some red cabbage water looking beauifully purple, and the children guessed what would happen with vinegar [pink.acid] and bicarb [green.alkali - or alcohol as SB said to me this eve!], and then a variety of other things. Finished with the fab bicarb and vinegar volcano – which the children were rowdily impressed with. Must utube it!

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I then rushed off in stressed mode, and chris arrived moments later. SB has also had rainbows today – looking at compasses and directions – very nicely fitting with our maggie and ferocious beast theme!

We are slumped in front of downloads. We have watched beginners guide to the cosmos, about how to get to Mars, and now watching return of the raptors. Both girls interested in that. BB has a big interest in chicks, eggs and birds, and we are reading those lifecycle dk books over and over again! Both girls really enjoyed the raptor centre too.

Adding – Sb has playd a variety of patience games and read to me beautifully. i particulralry liked the different accents she gave different characters! My amazon not gone through – those textbooks too expensive, so the fraud squad at the bank need me to ring and confirm me! bother!

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, General, history, language, literacy, Out and About, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

festival of history – 2008

Posted on November 12, 2007 by | 8 comments

dates for next year are decided.Bit of a surprise as earlier this year with 19/20 july! we camped at wicksteed park this year, as v cheap and easy, and a great place for a bit of communal camping! we would plan to do again, so any other joiners, mark it i your diary.

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Posted in General

walking and cycling

Posted on November 11, 2007 by | 3 comments

My car being at work due to the shenanigans of last weeks travelling meant we all went into town today, but to the other side and had a lovely walk/cycle around the park. SB cycled, BB triked [sometimes pushed] and walked and we did all the usual looking at things that goes on. was chuffed that SB had remembered loads about clouds and weather, reminded her of the names. BB in particular had a real ball with leaf kicking. Ended at the cafe – where else? and they coloured and drew funghi and SB read the display.

and off we go

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Home, mostly playing. SB did do some violin practice though. Whilst we did this, BB was very carefully ascending and descending a note at a time on the toy keyboard, singing doe a deer at the same time. i was impressed. BB and I read books – she loves counting at the mo, and she and SB played a complicated game with the alphabet cards, and SB and I played a lot of card games, including rapid adding up. Rather HE-ly, we now have 2 and 3 times tables up in the toilet, which she chants loudly when she goes. 2′s are fine, and the early 3′s any way. When BB in bed, she then went through a DK gymnastics book, doing warm up and various positions. She has finished the magic tree house ghost town book already! so I have put various mapping, atlas and explorer and such like books in her choice box at her request.

I need to buy some textbooks. they come in at 150 – 200 each! added to our 2000 [well just under] mondeo bill and christmas, aaarrgh. So might just stick some of the Katie art books in anyway – or is SB too old now?

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Posted in Books, Butterbean's HE, Dance/drama, early maths skills, General, geography, literacy, music, noises and sounds, numeracy, Out and About, pre reading, Stringbean's HE

Soothing Saturday

Posted on November 10, 2007 by | Leave a comment

we planned a chilled day today – or rather hope to plan! S and I had a nice morning snuggle in her bed with me making up stories for her, and just chatting about this and that. When she went downstairs I fell asleep until BB came up with a card she had made for me – ahh.

SB did a long violin practice [we're getting to the end of the book and the musical antics of last week also enthused her] and a MUCH shorter piano, as we’ve hit a piece where she needs to move her hands, and at the present it is a bit of a brick wall, so gently manouvering around it. She won’t move on till she can do it btw.

A mood enhancing high carb lunch to gee us parents up! Worked to, with strong coffee!! Then SB did loads of maths – again a book end in sight, read cover to cover jan’s Richard scarry books and then did some circle based painting.

BB had been doing jigsaws and also painting – well demanding I make circles for her to turn into things! i read a variety of books, and she pretended to read some too. Lots of counting involved, as she likes counting. She then went on to play with the playdough – after having a sulk that it wasn’t fimo – rofl! rule is we do fimo with SB and mess with playdough otherwise – I am so harsh.

BB was the one with particular post camp behaviour [and parents - me flickring and chris just being out of avery one's way!] SB was fine.

Watched some numberjacks and roar pre tea, and little house on the prairie post tea. SB discussed the story as one where an 80 year old dies, and her friend pretends to die so she gets to see her family. SB just didn’t understand why they wouldn’t visit. I explained travelling being so much more of a deal than jumping in a car!
With BB reluctantly going to bed, SB and I did some sewing as she wants to make her a sewn card. we cannabalised some shorts embroidery, and she cross stitched one onto a card very nicely. She is now reading the next magic tree house – Ghost Town at Sundown, so as well as the little house on the prairie, I need to find a few other books that vaguely tie in for her ‘choice’ box.

Hmmm, time for a cup of coffee methinks. oh, SB can remember roman numerals – she knew a VII was 7!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, literacy, music, numeracy, Stringbean's HE