Category Archives: online resources

I’ll get told off again…….

Posted on September 8, 2007 by | 6 comments

…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.

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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..

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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 :roll: , 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 :-)

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, IT, language, literacy, numeracy, online resources, photos, science, Stringbean, writing

Yay – sun!!

Posted on July 14, 2007 by | 1 comment

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!

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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?

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Posted in Butterbean, General, geography, literacy, online resources, science, Stringbean's HE

not quite there quick enough

Posted on February 17, 2007 by | 2 comments

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.

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, history, literacy, music, online resources, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

Ah, peace!

Posted on February 14, 2007 by | 11 comments

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!

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11 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Cooking, General, history, literacy, numeracy, online resources, socialisation

snow!

Posted on January 24, 2007 by | 2 comments

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.

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Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, literacy, numeracy, online resources, writing

hoping friends stay on the path

Posted on January 19, 2007 by | 4 comments

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??

4 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, online resources, science

crosspatch

Posted on January 17, 2007 by | 7 comments

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.

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, General, geography, history, language, literacy, numeracy, online resources, science

education city

Posted on January 11, 2007 by | 5 comments

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!

5 Comments

Posted in General, online resources

Little House on the prairie

Posted on January 6, 2007 by | 7 comments

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

7 Comments

Posted in General, online resources

i hate laptops

Posted on November 26, 2006 by | 6 comments

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.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, IT, literacy, numeracy, online resources, science, Stringbean's HE