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i was thinking that we might be in yorkshire, but a number of events changed our plans somewhat, and we will be wending our way up on mon. not least is the total exhaustion i feel at the moment, and a couple of chilled days with the family seems to be a good plan.

hmm, thinking back to thurs and fri - obviously chris days as i got back from work v late both days. the normal things i think, the nots and tots group thurs, with crafting and recordering, but too late for frenching. then some gym for each in the pm. i think SB did some spelling and maths and maybe a piano, but not entirely sure! BB has done quite a bit of geomagging, and also making long neck dinodoors from the maize packing fillers in one of the boxes we had. friday they waited in interminably for my phone, and unfortunately meant a missed visit to a monks event, which sounded great. the phone came and had the back of it missing anyway! of course, when it arrived, chris nearly instantly found my old phone! after a great deal of fussing about - and i have complained via email re customer service - i now have a working phone - my old one on the old number. other than that, i think the whole day was spent tidying up, and it does look better for it, and the room of doom is a room of gloom instead as it just needs a bit of cleaning, but chris has organised most of it!

and so today . the big thing, i guess is SB’s grading for judo. it is her first ever grading, and she enjoyed it. i hadn’t realised you got to sit in, so BB and i stayed at home and chris took her. he snapped a couple of photos. After the grading they did a bit of shopping - including wellies and some christmas card making supplies - and had a treat lunch out to celebrate SB’s new white and red belt. it does seem to be enormously long ? adult size?

i have had insomnia most of the week, with a standard to sleep time of 5-ish and a get up of 7-ish. so am feeling in desperate need of sleep. i am also quite considerably grumpy - so another reason to try and get some sleep before being sociable! anyway, i was wondering how i would survive the morning with BB as i just didn’t have enough energy to power a biowatch. luckilly BB had some ideas! we made cuisinaire rod patterns, read books and then sorted out my 2 sewing boxes, which BB had great fun in dong, and is now the proud owner of the sewing box i was given when a child, and the pin/needle holder book i made whilst at infants school! following this BB chose to make happy maize pictures, and we have now run out of happy maize.

she then was v keen to do baking, so we did that, and made pink sugar sprinkles cupcakes, which were then iced with various greens. hmm! anyway, loads to take with me to yorkshire. we had a more boring lunch and i did a short violin practice which she danced to, before we read more books together all snuggled up. At this point chris and SB came home and mayhem ensued!

SO with a few card supplies, and the brass rubbings we did a while ago, we made a start on making cards, and between us have made 12 - so not bad! then a bit of grumpyness tidying up, followed by a bit more work on the secret santa things from the girls, as both decided they needed more paint. and actually they both look better for it. i think SB’s really is fab [even with one upside down zebra] and BB added some detailing to hers, which elevated it from looking like a paint accident to a design! SB did a piano practice with me, and had a go at a christmas carol she thought would be too difficult in a different book. SHe was very impressed she could play it [we 3 kings] so that was good. then she is making fudge [rather than tablet, which i prefer] and it is currently in the fridge. So more tidying and then bathtime, and i red meg et mog les oeufs de meg [or something similar!] which is Meg’s Eggs (Picture Puffin)
book in french from the little linguist shop that was fab at delivery times etc and comes recommended! and also hurry up molly, this subterfuge makes me seem interactive, yet doing something easy [reading] educating [french] and ensuring that for once the majority of the bath water stayed in the bath rather than cause further damage to dining room ceiling. fab!
dinner and the bedtime. i think i shall hope for sleep tonight. i feel i should be able to sleep for centuries! SB also at somepoint today fitted in some music theory.

and the mincemeat is being made.

AArgh to christmas coming. why do i get so behind with christmas thoughts! pressies to get etc etc. its at our house again this year, we were going to have a break, but i’m working boxing day, so no point going to my parents to come back late on xmas day!

ANyway, I digress - well, i don’t really digress, as i haven’t started. I just am not feeling bloggable. I want the blog to just write itself, i like a record of what we do to look back on. i am barely using the camera either. obviously something is not quite right!

SB is more cheery these days [ or else i have got used to her wails and abrupt emotional changes/fragility] she is more stroppy as well. perhaps this is an age and growth thing. i do love having my mostly happier girl back again. She is talking ten to the dozen again, it is often like being in a wind tunnel! [and yes, I do know pressure of speech is a psychiatric term!] SHe tells me her ideas, what she has done, how tshe thinks the world works, and is alive again. phew. I am sure we are not out of the doldrums completely [as her wail about not going to the shop to buy a magazine shows, she is v quick to be desolate], but i no longer have her tell me she doesn’t see the point of being alive. BB is a squirmy armful of self confidence, bounciness, determination and joy. she is grasping the world around her and making it work her way! i love how she has such a clear way of describing things, and using her older sisters vocab to strengthen the emphasis on what she wants to say, and also the gestures and facial expressions! nearly 4! how time flies.

SO this weekend i have been working, but not too busily. The girls have done a fair bit of playing and also HE stuff. we are castle reading in our history at the mo - always a fun thing to play and recreate! SB is doing lots of spelling practice and maths - she hopes to finish her 2B book in time for when the MPAH 3A arrives [she prefers the MP as opposed to the primary maths which i prefer!]. She has also done music theory and 2 violin practices with me. BB is really grasping sounding out words as they are said. she doesn’t know the alphabet and scanty letters, but is good on the sounds and joining them together. we have done a fair bit of the before the code book 1, and today when we were going to do it together she told me she could do her home ed stuff by herself, and did!

thurs was a divali day at nots and tots, which they enjoyed. SB mostly played with L and E, and BB mostly did the crafts. they went on to a fun playdate afterwards, which both were v keen to tell me how much they had enjoyed it. So that was good.

fri was already blogged by chris - SB was v scary i think. she had been desperate to buy the mask, and I agreed as long as she made the costume to go with it out of an old sheet - she had the idea to bespatter it with blood. Was so excited to have the costume and rarred at lots of people in it, and was most impressed with the squeeze the heart thing. BB got fed up with her costume, so we tore the eye holes so that she could poke her whole head through, and then she was a much happier little ghost.

SB got this book from the library.The Magician of Samarkand
i would strongly recommend it [as would SB] and we will look for more books by that author. it is one of our favourites on junior jackanory, and the book itself is written beautifully. we love!!

we have done some french reading and conversation. following a recommendation on another blog, i purchased some more french resources, and we are doing the l’art de dire. I like it. i guess this bit could easily be made up and done with someone confident in french - which I am not! and there may be cheaper alternatives [luckilly i bought before all the currency turmoils through canadian relatives!] but actually i think it is deceptively simple, in that initially i wondered what i had spent my money on [ i bought the lire ones at the same time, and they are more obviously a good buy for that kind of thing] but as i use it to formalise our conversation, both SB and BB seem to be getting on well, and I have more confidence to extrapolate and experiment. you know, by the time i have finsihed home edding, i might be able to speak french! i did suggest to deepend Katy that she could prob write a home-ed conversational french package and have a market ready! I think she may be lacking in time though!! we are still using a various books and reading lots in french.

today we started making mincemeat using Delia Smith’s Christmas
. it worked well last year, and smells gorgeous! unfortunately with the nutmeg grating, there was a small amount of SB grating… never mind!!

what else? ermm, both girls have done lots of playing. BB loves her little things to play with, so will no doubt love her sylvanians - though still tempted by those rather glorious anamalz for her birthday! am thinking what to get other children for presents as well, and yes, christmas is coming!! [i think that may be where this blog started!]

which has been my scintillating conversational skills!

Me and the girls have been very busy today. First off we read the St Lucia bit from while the bear sleeps [barefoot books]. I know the day is tomorrow, but we are out, so we did it today. After reading, we went on to make some St Lucia crowns

And then the girls went on to do some christmas stamping - allegedly to laminate and turn into table mats, but BB’s were just playing a game with each other, and SB’s is ‘minimal’ so we shall see!

Whilst they were doing this I was making the lasagne filling. I am v happy being a vegetarian, and no desire to eat meat, but sometimes chopping veg just takes TOO long, especially when you are making 4 lasagne [for 14]. because my attention was distracted, the children became distracting, so I bailed out of the last few veg, and we went and labelled the christmas cards. Muddlepuddlers be of good cheer, your cards are on the way - and open over the sink! Since with family cards we were talking of 50-ish, this took quite some time! BB also played with playdough. Chris took the difficult things into the post office and managed to cause a nice jam!

We had a late lunch [3-ish] and SB hurried off to rainbows. BB and I did some playing with her duplo, and then made her gingerbread man kit she got for her birthday - with lots of run run… Whilst it was cooking she did some starfall, starting with the gingerbread man one but then dotting about.
 

When Sb returned they both decorated them, had a bath and then a light supper. SB has done some more of ‘the surprise’ with me, and read to me magic tree house and thomas the tank books.

i must look up tomorrows route and get an early night.

On Friday me and the girls went out for a walk in the afternoon. Not far, but with BB we don’t go fast It was lovely sunny and cold early winter/late autumn day.

We splashed through puddles, looked for berries (the Blackberries weren’t nice confirmed SB ), squelched around in a ditch, played pooh sticks, swung on branches, stroked horses, watched diggers and got home to a nice cup of tea/hot choc.

Had lots of discussions as well about things, Why railways often run on embankments, why it’s cold, even though the sun is out all day, why more clothes keep us warmer, why the digger was digging holes, how things like water and electricity get to houses, other stuff I’ve forgotten. Lovely bit of fresh air, and modicum of exercise, really need to make the effort to get out more.

Other than that, this morning there was more maths (almost the end of Singapore Maths 2A - she can do it easily, but likes to finish things) Has said she prefers the My Pals Are Here ones, with the Aliens, so we’ll have to see, we’ve only got up to 2B in stock. Keep meaning to mix it up with the ‘Exeter Maths’ MEP stuff, but tend to forget. Did find the other day that they are starting to put some of it up online - the Year 3 practice books (as in you can do it online) which saves printing stuff out, and having yet more paper around the place. Some handwriting, reading of library books and some tidying of the girls room.

Much playing as well with BB’s Bob the Builder Duplo/Lego which she loves, even though she isn’t so much into BTB on tV.

Once Helen was home, we’d had dinner, we retired to the sitting room, to roast Chestnuts on the fire and watch Earth: Power of the Planets

Thursday was mostly a recover from BB’s party day - the parents were knackered anyway., with much tidying up to be done, a few bits of maths etc. SB’s Rainbows friend R came round after school and except for one standoff over where to play what they had fun. Playing something upstairs, some Fimo-ing, watched an awful My Little Ponies video, I cooked something she didn’t want to eat much of again H was staying over at this training thing so I got the girls into bed as promptly as I could after they’d gone home so i could collpse in a heap and watch TV moslty - even went to bed at sensible time.

SB watched cbeebies at unearthly hour this morning, as did BB, and I gradually came to! Breakfast was a protracted affair. We looked at our useless bio clock, and the zinc seems to have completely corroded away in the lime juice one. Since it ddin’t make much in the way of electricity, we all pondered our uselesness in successful experiments!

SB wanted to do some wicker stuff, so I put some canes in to soak - which reminds me Merry, I have also a huge wodge of canes and bases for you from Jax from ages ago. If you weren’t going to use them for PB group any more, we could set up an alternative basket weaving day?? Whilst they were soaking, SB and I did lesson 14 of first language lessons for the well trained mind. I’m not sure on this book. It moves at a snails pace - perhaps because actually aimed at a much younger child? SB likes learning the poems anyway. I might do some ‘chapter jumping’. BB made patterns with cuisinaire rods - I remember SB in a similar phase. SB then carefully wrote out the poem, whilst BB and I did a jigsaw together.

BB got a picnic ready for all of us, including a picnic blanket, and SB made a ‘declamation’ about the picnic, so we all enjoyed that, and had a bash at saying the food items in german and french. BB put on one of the french songs cd’s as well.

SB chose the Usborne book about the celts to read, and having enjoyed that, she then followed the quick links. Excellent self directed learning! BB had more fun making stories with her numberjacks. Unfortunately she has broken the number 3, so at numberjack hospital being glued together!

SB and Chris now at the scouts centennial church service in the village. SHe wants some school uniform trousers though to wear underneath. I had better see if some still in Tescos. BB is watching magic school bus about bees and giving me hugs. I have found the felting equipment as well, so when she returns, felting and weaving on the cards.

Chris as broken some more of the window panes in the arched window, so has the glass, and is going to look for some matches to replace with. It has obviously been done before, as there are some not brill matches there!

SB and I woven 2 willow coasters. BB has stropped alot about weaving a fish! For her safety, she is now helping Chris cook dinner!

ANd once BB safely in the bath, SB and I have done some felting as well. She is felting a rainbow. She is much better at both weaving and felting than when done in Kessingland - I guess that was a year ago, but even so! While she did it, I read several mother and daughter barefoot stories and had a nice snuggle when BB returned from bath.

Busy day tomorrow, so rousting her up and to bed! We are going to have a short break from magic treehouse at bedtime, and read some of her DK pompeii book.

…if i don’t blog But I do have photos as well in mitigation.

So today, SB has read loads. Usborne Book of Ledgends before breakfast (Hercules I think), as  well as a bit of Little hippo DVD (in German) which is one BB’s favourites  -she can get it playing now, and select an episode sometimes. And if the folder of downloaded kiddy programs is open she can pick one of those and start that, though she hasn’t worked out how to make it full screen yet (”bigger! bigger!”). She is scarily competent at working the mouse for a not yet 3 yo. Thats’ what having an elder sister does I think.

We had a good sort out of the playroom, clearing up all sorts of detritus from the floor, under and behind sofas etc. SB did a great job at vacuuming it. I rather like the room when not carpeted with crap, just wish we could keep the table even sort of clearish for more than 3 seconds.

Put away  more  clothes in the girls room.  I think that all their clothes that are washed and dried are now put away, a rare event indeed. SB tidied the floor again and made beds as she is on tidy room hit at the moment, then I vacuumed it for her. Did the bathroom as well while I was at it. 3 rooms, that’s plenty for one day .

More reading, she is very keen on  the My little Treasury of Stories and Rhymes  that she got from the library the other day. She spent an hour or so, before and over lunch reading it. By this point BB had decided to have  napped, so it was all rather peaceful.

After lunch is was bit of maths - measuring from Singapore 2A, so pretty simple stuff really. A bit of Getty and Dubay, then they both went off into the garden to play for a bit whilst I started on dinner. Playing seemed to involve most jumping in the paddling pool, getting wet, and then running around like loons shouting ‘I’m bare , I’m bare”  Had to make an impromptu run up to the potato farm for potatoes for dinner, where they managed to get a free apple each, by dint of being  cute really I think..

Dinner made  and in oven, SB had a go at some secret/magic writing, as H had brought home some Tincture of iodine which we had needed. Basically, write/paint of the paper with lemon juice, dip it in water with a bit of TOI in. Paper goes a darkish blue colour due to the starch. THE bit where the juice was stays lighter so you can read it, as there is a different chemical reaction between the acid in the juice and the TOI solution.

BB had been playing and pottering, but noticed she’d put on more Little Hippo This took us pretty much up to dinner time really.

After bath, (H was home by now) there was playing with the wooden train track, with the customary wailing from both children , a bit more Little Hippo. A bit of Education City (apparently i hadn’t let her earlier….???) and then bed. EVen BB who had napped for an hour was asleep by 9.

Started watching Regenesis last night, watched another tonight, quite enjoying them. Makes a change from the normal ‘policy’ type things. Though it is a  bit like a microbiological Numb3rs when they launch of into an explanation of some aspect. Been also flipping between Eureka, which is enjoyable and lighthearted - reminds me a bit of Northern Exposure with it’s collection of slightly kooky characters, and Space Above and Beyond, which is mildly diverting, but a bit rubbish overall really. It’s getting  bit repetitive now. It has an excellent collection of corny lines though, which is fun

I got up late today - my treat for being able to I guess!! Chris brought me brekkie in bed - thanks love. I read a book, listening to SB trying to teach BB how to successfully play hide and seek ‘no, you have to hide somewhere’ ‘no, don’t call to me’ ‘you have to hide all of you’ etc. They were both laughing and giggling for a considerable amount of time about it. A good reason to stay in bed, so as not to disturb hey? I guess they might have had such a good relationship if SB had gone to school, as she is so very loving and tender to BB, but I like to believe that this is a very particular success of HE, since they spend so much time together.

Anyway, I did get up, read loads of books to BB whilst Sb was dancing around, drawing and also reading. BB is gradually getting an idea of colours, but is good at counting. SHe still adores the apple tree farm books, and anything with a metre to it.
we went outside - a request of experiments from SB, so we tied in birds and forces by doing lots of air experiments. So we have dropped things, thrown things, made parachutes, chased balloons, feathers and bubbles… When SB got carried away with flying thngs, BB insisted we did the next experiment on water resistance. Shockingly, she even toddled off and got the required bowl of water and a marble and pompom!! SB and I read about wind from my lovely book on the beaufort scale. We also looked at different cloud types - it has been a good day for wind and clouds. We were going to make an anemometer. But as i was trying to find the weather kit buried somewhere in the garden she got carried away with chasing feathers and balloons, so we left that!

BB did do lots of the experiments too - just her kind of thing! But the books were tedious, so she also got herself the hama beads and the happy mais. mostly jumped all over me though! She was v proud of doing an experiment with me though.

Both girls did some chipping out of a smilodon from ice [a national geographic kit] and then just poured hot water over it till the ice melted. When SB bored with it or forgets it, I might ebay the kit. we always end up just pouring hot water over, and the tools with it aren’t brill. or maybe we need to have slushier ice? perhaps mix some alcohol with it!

Both girls came indoors, BB to poisson rouge - her mouse control is coming on in leaps and bounds and she really loves the site. SB was doing the latest webland . All outside again for chips - celebrating the reopening of the chippery. After bath BB went straight to bed, SB and I played loads of games - who’s who, landlocked and don’t wake dad. we like our games evenings. She has started another magic tree house book, and is prob still reading it upstairs!

i’m waiting for chris, and we’ll start on series 2 of prison break. So for all those who have gone, HP5 - good?

well, we are NEARLY at a china chapter in SOTW, and it Chinese new year tomorrow, but not quite managed to co-ordinate them, having been a bit slow with SOTW recently. Chris had done some India in the week, and SB wanted me to read the Buddha enlightenment story again today, so I did, and then we read some stories from the Barefoot book of Buddhist tales. however, it being chinese new year [it lasts 15 days], i went ahaead and downloaded some of the little books from enchanted learning to do - and SB enjoyed that, and both girls made firework pictures. BB’s rather liberal use of glitter pens [as if a firework store had blown up tbh] has meant she pretty much used up a whole pack!

In the middle of all this, we had an outside play - in and out of the playhouse! And also football. Chris and I did a bit of garden tidying up to do, but it seems a bit like the forth bridge at the moment. Need to get an industrial quantity of the permeable garden weed mesh stuff.

SB has read to me and BB - apple tree farm books and books from the library. We have done a lot of building with the marble run, some internetting - nick jr and cbeeies.

BB has been absolutely in love with a galt alphabet thing, where it makes a long line, but the pictures are in little blocks cut in half. She was so excited doing it, clapping as she matched things up - very cute. Also she was having fun counting things - she is very keen to count, but just using 1,2 and 6 makes it tricky. Back in nappies though today as a weeing spree - sigh!

we finished with a rousing second half of the sing along sound of music [watched the first half last night]. and SB chose a book about seasons and time etc for her bedtime book, so we did that too.

Only temporary, SB and BB getting ready for bed, so more like distant screeching rather than the in ear variety! Those looking at the piccie below will realise we have had company!

So, we got up, did a bit of tidying [though as I did it, i wondered why, knowing that with 6 girls the floor would have secondary carpeting soon enough!] We made a dairy free choc/banana loaf and got that baking [yummy!] and SB started some more subtractions to get a handle on how to do it.

Merry and girls arrived, SB much put out that she had to finish sums - there were only 4!! But was told that Merry’s girls had all done their’s. So they finally got playing, and mostly dressed up and played being children??? Had lunch and then the playhouse was up so a roust about outside. I love the playhouse, and made by family of someone that posts on uk parents newsgroup. Now we just need a trellis and a white picket fence around it! Little House in the Big Garden. We need to get new swings for the tp frame though, as now the final swing has broken - sigh.

merry - bless her - had bought LOADS of craft things round for the girls to do. Including floam - which I have never used before, and has a weird texture. It was really good to use as a joiner between pompoms, polystyrene balls, mini sticks etc. so we did some playing, and then the children joined us [rofl!]

[ returning some time later, as have been playing lego with SB, then reading about mediaeval towns, and then she red me a blue red nose reader!]

not sure how quickly floam dries though! then merry had some foam sew it yourself bags. SB made a start, but then finished half of it when Merry and crew had gone home. She found it very simple to do, and was very happy with it. I think I am all linked out now!!!!

The cake was demolished to the last crumb, and more playing ensued. BB and Josie were cute, BB did NOT demonstrate well her potty trained ness! The other girls ran about, outside and in. The wendy house was a hit. We grown ups chatted and did some home ed discussion. Merry said that I had lots of craft kits!!!!!!

Very nice day, thankyou for visiting and having a wendy-house opening ceremony photo!

not enough to cover a hobbit’s toes though.

bad nights sleep. BB woke early. must get this sleeping lark sorted.

today we did do HE - some singapore maths, addition and subtraction across the 10 in tens and units. SOme getty and dubay - trying to adjust SB’s pen position so it is more comfortable, and getting her to start at top not bottom of letter. Some education city.

We also baked some brownies - ostensibly for melrose, but the top fell off as we got out of tray, so not sure re burnt offerings? The jelly didn’t set either btw.

We went outside and measured up the place for the playhouse. we are getting one of these in the blue and white with heart design shutters mode. Sb played with the snow until her fingers froze.

We did a bit of looking at lions, read our various books, looked at their habitat etc, and downloaded some stuff from enchanted learning. well, the enchanted learning was a pain, cos we haven’t used it for ages, could remember our login details, or email address used - so much palavering. Did it in the end. SB did a bit of reading to me. She did some fiddling about on nick jr and playing
BB and i played marble runs, education city and kneebouncers website. also had some animals pairs cards, so spotted the animals and made them families. SB joined in too.

Anyway, BB has been a pain this eve at sleeping, Chris just taken her up to try again. I haven’t been able to sew as fingers still numb and tingley [not too bad now though] and SB wants a bunny tail on the fantastic fleecy sleepsuit that Katy made.

As they are arriving late, and it gets dark round here - mind you, they are used to rural!

I’m beginning to feel a bit better in the hand/wrist dept - not so swollen. got fed up with sausages for fingers. Saw the rheumatologist, who suggested an up and down thing for 2-3 weeks, but should just go. good oh!

Whilst I was at work, the beans went to PBEO and learnt about birds. BB has been going on about birds intermittently ever since. Difficult to settle when they got back [mid aft], so they argued over every toy [and they had picked up a few in the morning to argue over] and swapped them every 5 seconds. SB couldn’t settle to anything either. Finally she did some nick jr and moved onto education city. Apparently spanish will be available in a months time! BB desperately jealous of edu city - and although found a number of nice sites - and tried the poisson rouge recommendation from Katy - they just distracted SB, whilst BB was mad keen to do education city too. SO have another trial version now running with BB nursery. I am not paying for the nursery just so she doesn’t shriek! I will put a BB list though in the sidebar. SB is excited that on monday her selection for education city will change - she is such a daft but gorgeous girl to be excited by it!
A colleague from work came round - bringing choccies to make me feel better. SB and BB coloured for him and generally shew off. I must integrate more with work, so that it seems a better deal. He is one of my favourite colleagues though, and always makes me smile.
Oh, the other thing I have done is started some grape and redcurrant jelly, but lost the jelly bag, so rigged up some not-quite-good-enough-for-the job alternative. Oh well, it will just be cloudy. Home grown grapes though! [and redcurrants that have been sitting in the freezer for yonks]

Bath time now, and girls have been fed. I will make us an aubergine, mushroom and paneer curry [yum] for our tea. the ‘off the pathers’ are eating on the way down, so we will eat while SB is staying up [watching attenborough natural science progs and little house probably]

I have got guests coming excitement, so no good for settling down either - do you think we should make a bit of room for them in this bombsite??

i knew i was being one all day, and though very contrite, had the tolerance level of kamikaze on acid. Mainly I think with worry that this is not going to be a weird one of joint thing, but…

Anyway, SB did lots more education city - she does really enjoy it, and getting there to the french without so much help [i nearly bought rosetta stone though Deb!]. She has also done some singapore maths MPH 1B - and as we are 2/3 through, have bought 2 series from half moon books - well, nearly, I have sent them an email! - so they are across in resources bit. I had bought the original 2a and b textbooks half price from sonlight when they went to the us ed, so though i had better have matching workbooks - so we will be doing a not MPH year - shouldn’t matter!

My mum and dad popped in on the way back from Little Nanny’s, and were a bit shocked at my cronkiness. Anyway, they played with the girls a bit and had a bite to eat before carrying on.

BB had a look at toddler cd - though prefers still just to irritate SB! we read some apple tree farm, she played ‘yego’, and had great fun with a magnetic break apart ball that SB also loved at that age from ikea. we all stopped for a ‘yup-a-tea’

SB and I finished the marco polo jigsaw in our explorers book and discussed that a little bit, before moving on to story of the world, where we got a bit stuck with the punic wars - cos unlike my usual ask very little questions, and minimal narration back, i got fixated on her remembering carthage! [why i don't know, as i hardly expect that telling her today will give her instant recall in 30 years time!!]. however, we made up over the Hannibal and the elephants story. She read me 1/3 of a level 8 ORT book - the magic carpet - and she is def getting more fluid. Apparently, whilst at Jax’s, she had a go at one of Big’s fairy books, but they are too difficult.

I got grumpy so left her and BB to play, and looked at sonlight core 1, rosetta stone and worried that we dip around a lot and aren’t organised, and maybe should be sonlighters etc etc [usual panic there]

BB wanted to play a game, so we got out the marble run, and SB made her runs and it all went predictably pear shaped, but they kept trying. eventually giving up to play bouncy ball games.

My sister rang to commiserate - well I think that was what for, but in a jovial way she said i have got it too, and it is worse than yours and yours will get far worse, so I pretty near hung up. tea really was ready, but I was rude, and feel bad as I just took it the wrong way rather than her meaning to make me even more grumpy. [she is a much lovelier person all round than me] I will ring tomorrow if I am less grumpy.

Ah well. the girls had a bath whilst I grumped. SB came down and saw big’s castle. she def wants a castle for her birthday, but no longer tower of doom, but perhaps the pintoys mediaeval one - which I also like. SO I guess that is on. She then got stuff ready for tomorrow, as BB goes to a toddler gym session first one, and SB will have to sit at edge as quiet as a mouse - fingers crossed for chris there, as it will be difficult for SB who will be desperate to join in.
I have now eaten loads of chocolate - which I had banned from my diet - sigh.

we have a tell a friend code if anyone else wants to buy it which gives both the person who already has it, and the person buying it a free extra 3 months.

Your unique Tell a Friend code is C8A26B9D.feel free to use it!

education city = fab!! ?20 for 12 months, and 3 more free - go on!

SB would like to learn more about the time to go with this. I am doing a quick trawl, but if anyone else knows any places, could they link in comments! I know there is a whole curriculum out there, but prob a bit oTT for our needs

http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1496.html http://schoolathome.blogspot.com/2005/01/little-house-on-prairie-lesson-plan.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_House_on_the_Prairie

http://www.hoover.archives.gov/LIW/

http://www.littlehousebooks.com/resources/resources.asp

http://webpages.marshall.edu/~irby1/laura/index.html

when they flick screens for some unknown reason and you lose your whole blog post! It will consequently be very short.

Edu - SB very into Education City, on a trial, but will finally convert to the realy think this time - if anyone has a code they wish us to use, let us know. she is level 1+ for the english as 2 is a bit hard, and level 2+ for the maths. at least this time you are allowed to have different levels as this has been something that has put me off in the past.

we have played with the nursery bit with BB too, though won’t be buying it as a lot for nursery rhymes.

BB has been desperately under the weather for past few days, and last night and today def ill - nurofen/calpol the works. I weaned her this weak - actually without much trauma in the end - so suffering pangs of my faultiness about it as she no longer has my antibodies.

Other than that she has enjoyed playing with her birthday presents a lot, and playdough [which she does whilst SB fimos] SB fimo-ed today a lovely angel. i forgot to add any holes to hang on xmas tree so it may be a cake decoration

SB and i did lots of reading today with BB semi flaked on my lap [wanting to watch her bring me back on a loop - so we need to video her doing something else!], we story of the worlded the romans, read some ORT and usbourne farmyard books, she did lots of colouring and EC.
We were going to make a pegdoll fairy/angel, but BB wasn’t well enough to let us do it without her, and not sick enough to ignore us doing it with her IYSWIM

SB has enjoyed playing with my mum this weekend as well, and they enjoyed wathcing strictly come dancing together, amd planet earth. what a good mix! SB has been doing a lot of ‘interpretive dance’ about the place, and suddenly informed me their ballet uniform has changed to a lilac one with a ribbon belt? Why don’t the teachers let us know these things, as she saysd she is the only one still in the old uniform. and we need a character skirt as they no longer wear the blue polka dot one - sigh!

oh well, she has enjoyed some ‘trials of life’ as well today. SO although I feel I have mostly held a grumpy sick 2 year old, I guess we have done HE as well. SB has been very good at fetching things so i don’t have to jiggle bb too much. what a fantastic older sister she is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/inuit.html

modern throat singing

cool throat singing clips audio

loads of throat singing!

video of throat singing

http://www.civilization.ca/educat/oracle/modules/dmorrison/page01_e.html

http://www.avataq.qc.ca/home_en.cfm

http://www.nativevillage.org/Libraries/Music%20and%20Dance_library.htm

http://www.beloit.edu/~museum/logan/catalog/namerica/arctic/alaska/index.htm

http://www.polarnet.ca/~netsilik/sandra/CTS/My_Site/Local_artifacts.html

long utube video shaman life [keeps crashing though!]

http://www.romansinsussex.co.uk/level1/theme.asp

history colouring pages