Category Archives: Out and About

the big bang!

Posted on March 13, 2011 by | 3 comments

We went to the Big Bang science fair at the Excel building in London, and it was brilliant :) . we went down on the thurs and came back on sat and saw loads of friends whilst we were there as well as learnt a lot. the stands were excellent, a mixture of school science groups, industry and ‘others’ : some you asked questions to, some you made something at, and some had things demonstrated to you. SB asked lots of sensible questions, and really is getting quite confident at this, loved all the exercise to make energy places and did a fair bit of making, but mostly for her it was about finding stuff out. For bb it was mostly about the making, and the getting of goodies :) . the stands were well set out into different zones as well. I was impressed at how well thought out it was.

SO thurs saw an easy drive and park at the excel, just in time for a building evacuation, so was a bit wierd! however, soon back in and to the desks, who were being totally clueless about registration and we had to go back again to get something put right. not a long wait tho, and only needed to do it the once. we never needed the big number we had to print out tho – not entirely sure what that was all about? we had a short wander around some of the v many stands and then went to our first thing – amoeba to zebra. TBH, I loved it. it had a feel of edinburgh fringe about it, was pretty surreal and made me want to giggle, and prob wasn’t exactly what it had been sold as. [well i might not have gone! but i carefully tried to chose things with both bb and sb appeal]. perhaps i should have looked at their website before booking – but then we would have missed something we all enjoyed [bb ran out at chapter 8 of interest, and sb got to 11]. we had our packed lunch and then moved onto the stands some more, and enjoyed some more areas before going to our headline show of Bang Goes the Theory – which SB adores watching. It was really well done, and both girls enjoyed it a lot. we wandered around the purple zone with maths and found wallace a gromit looking empty, so went in earlier than our booking. our lady not v good, thick spanish accent, and couldn’t get the demonstration to work [now bb has made her kit, it is obv that the demonstrators kit joined up all wrong!] but still, got a pic with wallace and gromit and a really fab kit. i think other ppl had better demonstrators and a far better experience. After this we collapsed at the little coffee stand, tried texting the portico again, looked up and saw them! [obviously in the maths section - lol! ] chatted and SB and buttercup went off to do the wellcome institute olympic challenge – which they both loved – measuring leg length against ability to jump far… a well as a number of other stands. BB and i pottered about the maths and physics, she really liked the bernoulli wooden cups and also the v simple stand showing potential energy [it is a long time since we did that at latinetc] . finally we wandered back to the car with a nice breezy walk along the dock front and drove to docklands travelodge – v cheap and parking :) . got kids all in bed, and kirsty family back from the eye, so we got them up again :)

Next day kids were suffering from late to sleep early to up, but we got going and met v quickly deependers, rainedrops, biff and nattyem as the checked in, so arranged to sit altogether at the front for brainiacs. kids really loved it, and i think extra fun to be sitting with friends. lots of capers and explosions and use of fire extinguishers :) . we then went on to have a fab time round the stands. i went round with bb, and DH with sb. BBs highlights was blowing up a nuclear power station :) the lego stand [she was there ages!] making snot, doing the yeast experiment – tho she loved the penguins, and we looked at lots of other things too. SB loved asking ppl things mostly, i think. but also liked the cpr vest, energy challenges at various places, and was complimented on her knowledge. We went for a film workshop with the BBC, which, for one reason and another didn’t suit BB, so i took her out. We had thought it might be a gamble, depending what they did, but it was unfortunate really how it panned out. However, BB had a great time at even more stands – particularly the stick one and the windmill one but also the chocolate one- being told she was clever and adorable and having her photo taken lots :) . I managed to blag 2 solar kits [without instructions] for me, and 1 for thebabs from the dyson people, which was nice :) SB really loved the film workshop, which she did in a team with nattyem and co – also something she loved – and was proud of what they had done, and the things they had learnt. so in the end win win :) . When she came out i took SB round more stands [my poor feet! ]whilst DH had a coffee and BB fell asleep on the table – aww. we swapped for him to have a final look at the stands and had a comedic moment of thinking he and SB would have to roll under a closing hatch to get out as the exhibition came to an end.

It was really worthwhile doing. We had a fab time, and currently plan to attend the one in birmingham next year. Home to the travelodge with kirsty and co, a failure to get chips in, so more expensive pizza option but tucked into heartily and happy kids showing off their goodies. BB realised she had less pompom things, and A v kindly gave her one of hers. BB continued stropping [as v tired] but given short shrift by the rest of us!

We finished off our time away with a great museum day at greenwhich with kirsty and family, and also the porticos joining us for the maritime museum and some general running about. It was great to spend more time with kirsty and family, our kids all got on really well this time [not a given with eldest and youngest!] the royal observatory was excellent, with really good info and displays and interaction. SB spent birthday money on a fab bag as well :) . Also enjoyed maritime museum, but by then could have done with more chairs, as feet were beginning to think i had changed profession :) . nice talking to adults, really enjoyed the science of the seas, not so sure of the kids interactive room, but they loved it :) and by the time we decided to have coffee, i was def in need of restorative :) . nice chatting with adults as kids raced around on lawns, and felt we came to natural end of day before BB completely lost it. I was wrong, of course, and after complete melt down she fell asleep on DLR – obviously what she completely needed :) and remained asleep, even when DH put her down by car to get everything in it. Am amazed she can sleep squatting really.

We popped home via manorborn for some v v nice fajitas [well, how could you turn down an invite like that!] said hello to their new french daughter, who played the piano beautifully for me. We chatted, the 3 older girls played a game, and BB was just not right as tired :( . got home after midnight to a bit of a crisis in part of my life. hmmmmm

so hooray for a lovely time away, with my lovely girls. children who are enthusiastic about learning, meeting and talking to new people and have lovely friends as well :)

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, history, investigating, numeracy, Out and About, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

A Games Weekend

Posted on March 6, 2011 by | Leave a comment

this weekend we went wandering off the path to play board games with friends. It was a fab weekend, and worked really well, mixing at least 2 portions of friends from diff parts of life :) . Playing the games eliminates awkward silences or clumping in friend groups :)

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We got there early [ish] and had brought along enchilada to add to the lunch or whilst gaming food. we had had for lunch, and i have to say, even nicer than expected :) [is it bad form to like ones own brought food??] then helped spread table with foodly offerings [i particularly liked M's choc and nut biscotti - brownies receiving their 2ce baking in a row and being v delicious for it] and the tables with games. Various ppl came who I didn’t recognise, and a family that i did. I enjoyed playing smallworld, Mao [much more than i anticipated!] and then a round of extensioned agricola [tho my brain a bit swimmy at that point, so did crazy things!]. DH also got to play Ingenious Strategy Game , which i think would be a good addition to our game stash some time :) . The following day, we nearly went home but were strongarmed into playing another game before we left. we v much enjoyed alhambra :) .

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The children all had fun, i know SB played 10 days in europe, giro galloppo [which we left behind :roll: ] , dingo and a large number of imaginative games with C and M. BB mostly played riotous games with J and R. :) they make a lovely posse together. Unfortunately BB did struggle with bed time, but hey ho!!

lots of scrumptious food – would like the veg cornish pasty recipe tho. There was a fab birthday cake as well. Thanks for a great weekend :)

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Posted in Out and About

rest of week so far

Posted on March 4, 2011 by | 1 comment

monday, hmm, think that must have been getting braces day for SB – bless her. these are removable, and top and bottom teeth, and she really isn’t that keen, but perservering. Did i say that BB now has glasses too? for long sightedness. I had a genetics counselling appt about risks of breast cancer etc etc. so when we all reconvened at home we were quorate for feeling self indulgent! Home ed stuff got done, fairly happily and i think BB might be about to ‘get’ reading :) once she does it is going to be v fast i think. ballet in the eve.

tues i was at work. various home ed bits in the morning, and then in the afternoon to the absolutely excellent home ed djembe drumming session. Nanna went along too, as it was an undersubscribed session, and they all loved it. swimming in the eve, and i was v late back from work as a long hard day [cue violins :) ]

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wed already blogged :)

thurs was mostly drama about whether f-i-l would be sprung from hospital [and in the end wasn't] and whether i could make it through work feeling so v v bad from migraine [i did] oh, and SB had a music theory exam :) she can really easily do grade 2 theory, but veers between concetrating and doing v well, and not using brain at all!! and then not doing so well. i think she is a happy dreamer :) but she says she checked 5 times and was happy with it, so we will see. grade 2 music theory doesn’t ‘matter’ , it is exam practice and confidence, and stretching herself a bit. Just happy that she is happy :) BB had a fab time with the deependers and really enjoyed herself. In fact, I think she has inveigled herself into a home ed trip with them tomorrow, whilst DH finally springs his dad from hospital :) :) thankyou k :)

and adding friday, the girls had a fab home ed trip with deependers today to the cathedral and learnt about middle ages and cromwell. SB said she knew all the middle ages things, but the cromwell was new and v interesting. they both loved the trip, so thankyou k :)

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Posted in BB-PE, General, history, language, literacy, little languages, music, noises and sounds, numeracy, Out and About, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE, writing

One ring to rule them…

Posted on February 25, 2011 by | 3 comments

… one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Some how our children have passed by the lord of the rings. We did try reading the hobbit a while back to sb, but she wasn’t keen, so dropped it. However, today was bright and sunny, and I am making the most of the time off, so after a morning with M-I-L [F-I-L's progress v v slow post op, he has been in for a week, and I estimate a further week to go] we were to go out after lunch. I say a morning with M-I-L, but sb was singularly unable to get up! this was unfortunate, as although we had made DH presents previously, we hadn’t done cards, and she was allegedly getting up early to do them!! BB mostly finished making all her lego, and did a short piano prac. When SB did get up, we both made cards for DH, and M-I-L most appreciative :) SB finished her theory book as well.

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A bit after after lunch [as it were!] we set off to west stow for their ring quest. It was only £8 for the whole family!! bargain :) there was a fab orc :) [the elf wore jeans!!!] the trail was fun and well thought out :) and we could flip between lord of the ring trail and anglo saxon easily as it was nearly empty, so we could make believe. [this is where the lord of the rings thing earlier was going too!] Had to do some telling the girls the back story, and after getting into giggles with DH, I took over :) [i may have read the book far more times :) ] SH enjoyed pretending to be aeolderman, sitting in the chair in the main hall :) BB was intermittantly wolfhound or warg – you decide which best fits her personality :) SB was in charge of runes and clues, and myself for daydreaming saxon or LOTR depending on what was called for :) We v much enjoyed it. Both the village – tho see might be better with re-enactors, it would also be busier – and the romping walk. Both girls did it at a fast trot, so obviously runes searching is better than geocaching for BB!! Def a good afternoon out.

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this evening DH chose takeaway pizza for tea and we had yummy birthday cake made by SB of sweetspice victoria sponge with vanilla buttercream and home made jam – yummy :) . the girls happily watched the first dvd of LOTR extended version set. Not frightened was the verdict. we will see as we go along then :) .M-I-L says F-I-L a bit perkier, which is good, but no nearer walking – not so! planning another eventful day tomorrow as last of my annual leave. Think i have done the best with it :)

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean's HE, history, investigating, noises and sounds, Out and About, Stringbean's HE

Twilight at the Museums

Posted on February 23, 2011 by | 6 comments

I am trying to do lots on this holiday at home, so that it seems that i have really made the most of my time off. [tho perhaps should have pencilled in more bed time!] This does mean that if I blog the next day, I may have forgotten what we did!!! We had meant to go to a NT property, but the day was v miserable and awful! so we decided to do some home ed in the morning and go shopping with christmas vouchers in the afternoon. This is pretty much what we did – though not sure exactly what! SB and I did make a cake for DH whilst he was out picking up BB’s glasses. SHe is very happy with them, in mr bump styling. She is long sighted, so they magnify her eyes. SHe looks gorgeous, but v different! We tested it out by reading some more level 2 books :) . SB def did some maths on turning decimals into fractions and vice versa.

After lunch we went out to the city to waterstones and wh smiths to spend vouchers. SMiths first, where bb made herself v happy buying 2 lego things, which were on buy one, buy second half price :) and a winnie the witch in space book. SB bought the missing two harry potters and 2 enid blytons. We then went to waterstones, where BB v quickly bought herself an animal sticker book, the latest astrosaurs book, and the latest winnie book rather than picture book ‘for when she can read’ . SB took aages longer :) and in the end bought 3 jacqueline wilsons, a enid blyton audiobook, hmmm not quite sure what the other 3 were! would have to check :) [sometimes i can't bear to look at amazon price!! however, this was xmas tokens, and the girls love doing it person, as adds excitement to whole deal]

We had a restorative cafe stop before heading for the twilight at museums event [dropping baggage in the car on the way :) ] It is a good thing we had a restorative cup of tea, because allthough we arrived within 10 mins of starting, the queue was just over 30 mins! AND it was drizzling progressing to light rain. BB in particular was NOT iMPRESSED! Unfortunately, although we started at the dinosaur museum for her, this turned out to be a BAD PLAN as on entering she moaned that she had been there before, seen everything before, and it wasn’t that dark! not an auspicious start. we others happy tho, so she had to drag her feet around! I did like the lighting effects, but think that perhaps a something different – trail or craft or something – would perhaps have been nice.

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We then moved on to queue for the zoology, after 20mins we met lecielrouge coming out, and had a jolly chat before they headed off to join the dinosaur queue. soon after, we were told the queue was prob an hour, and there was no queue for the bijou science museum around the corner. We decamped since both BB and DH had lost their will to live with queuing. [it had at least stopped raining!] . I loved it. Not been there before. txt to lecielrouge saw them abandoning their queue to join us, and the fishes also arrived, so a merry party :) children much happier as there was a sheet to go and find out things. BB happier as not been there before, and played with the zootrope and various other visual effects. Z and I completely failed to use a slide rule cylinder :blush: and we all got our happy back :)

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SO much so that when we saw only a tiny queue on the way back to the car at the zoology, we decided to go there. it was still 20 mins tho! and so only 10 mins actually in, and they switched lights on after 5, oh well!! Kids happy making an angler fish head band, and actually queuing with friends :) .

so actually, what had seemed like a v stressed and over sold evening whilst queueing for zoology ended up being fun and happy :) and also the cause of BB’s griping became clear in the car – she was just desperate to make her new lego!! A chippery tea and late bedtime. I fell asleep on the sofa, woke up at 1am, plodded upstairs to hear SB switch off her light and pretend to be asleep!! naughty naughty! I think she couldn’t wait to read new books :)

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Posted in Books, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, investigating, music, numeracy, Out and About, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

Daddy Blogging

Posted on February 18, 2011 by | Leave a comment

there is a half finished draft post on victorian day back here in the workings bit of petits haricots. 52 drafts altogether, nearly all with daddybean as the author. I am hoping he will get his blogging mojo back :) at least for some of the fun trips and groups he goes to with the girls.

Yesterday they went to multisport, i worked a v v long day, and f-i-l had surgery. today they went to the arts award group for the first time. it is 10+ but bb got to stay with DH helping. they were doing botanic drawing, so quite a challenge, particularly for BB. in the end DH drew the chilli i think, and she did the shading in. SB did a plum and strawberry, and I am partic impressed by the shading of the plum. they both enjoyed it and plan to return. I believe BB did have a melt moment, cos on paper not what in head, so hoping wasn’t disruptive to the group.

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in the afternoon they dropped m-i-l into hosp. F-i-l has been in quite a bit of pain today, as the leg muscles all spasming :( i hope they can get it under control, perhaps with an epidural?? Looking forward to him moving to the rehab bit of recovery rather than the initial pain bit.

The girls had opticians appts. It turns out BB is long sighted, and needs glasses to read! SO we are getting a pair of Mr Men glasses for her. sb went to 2 diff opticians, but couldn’t find what she wanted, and is unkeen on the bendy ones again. I am v keen on the bendy ones, as they are the first pair not to be trashed and require recurrent visits back for fixing!

got home from work and we had cuddles, tickles and watched cartoons altogether. also a couple more canada books arrived. SB read one of the dear canada diaries last night and loved it, so was glad for another to arrive [they are 'preloved'] and BB is reading her prev ones again. I am loving going to canada in the summer, it is like a ray of sunshine in the dreary winter, giving us fun in planning, and learning and thinking :)

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, history, music, Out and About, pre reading, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE

Christmas Camp 2010 :)

Posted on December 4, 2010 by | 10 comments

we are back from a fab week at Christmas Camp. One of the surprising joys of home education for me has been the finding of firm friends via the internet, who crossed over from imaginary to real friends by the home ed camps. These were initially Muddlepuddle camps at Melrose and Kessingland open to allcomers, but the Nic Christmas camps are friends only and we are happy to be on the invite list :) . This year we were in Okehampton and it was snowy :)

We went down via mum and dad’s, said farewell to some of our baby bunnies – Olive, Tweedledum and Hamster. Tweedledum and Hamster being a last minute rehoming :) I hope they are all settling in well. The girls were rather devastated to be losing the babies, as they were hoping to keep them all – but I am v happy knowing that they have happy homes to go to. :) . I stayed up late chatting to mum and doing family hugs.

SO an easy drive down to Okehampton, third there, just pipped there by kirsty and co :) and we were sorted. Hugs, hoorays and beginning the dinner. we ran bets on the order of arrivals, and we were mostly right. Nice to see everyone in real life and give and receive hugs and benedictions :) . jacket potatoes cooked – amazing for a youth hostel – and eaten in convivial style and game on for holiday :)
we played games and drank mulled wine [diet coke mostly for me], ate cake and caught up. Children raced around like loons and also caught up :) . Actually SB mostly spent the evening with Kirsty’s A – which isn’t the most common exclusive pairing – and they made some really fab christmas cards for everyone between them, and were really lovely with the drawing and sharing.

So most of the week we only saw the girls at meal times and bedtimes, tho we both periodically wandered to see what they were up to and make sure happy. They always were and seemed to have had a fab time. Nice to see BB with her own posse of friends – J, R, J in partic. SB was far more fluid with who she spent time with. Both played many games tho with many friends and had a fab time with no fallouts and flounces [that made it to my ears :) ]. SB has said that she missed C and B, both in france on en famille trips, and is looking forwards to seeing them again.

So what did we grown ups do then?? well, a reasonably large amount of kitchen and catering – i enjoy cooking for a group, so this is no hardship, partic when giggling with the other kitchen krew. We played board games, ate cake, drank tea, ministered to each others worries, prepared activities and gossiped. I didn’t get to play music with Em – due to migraine :( I begin to think hostels have a something or other that triggers migraine, as cleared as i was driving home – and i was v stressed then! but we did spend an evening writing out carol music and teasing each other, which was v pleasant. i didn’t get to see my friend Shaula either, as snow stopped play :(

communal things were common tho :) Monday we had a geocache walk with our girls, lecielrouge family and a number of friends. I felt fairly honoured that I got to take out ‘wherethedaysgo’ F as well. Failed to find the first one, and I had to return with the youngest walkers and the coldest walkers – :roll: The others found the second geocache, and then found the first one on the way back. It was a beautiful day tho for the walk, bright and crisp and even. Looking forward to seeing our pics [daddybean is in charge of those, as much more brutal with the final cut] In the eve we had the birthday parties. A and J were near enough 40, BB at 6 and S at 8. 17 cakes on a table to celebrate that [photo to add of course :) ] and they were fairly swiftly polished off in order of chocolateyness. BB was ecstatic with the cake, the general singing, and particularly the fab presents :) ppl seem to just know what i like – she said – big grin :) . I was v pleased J and A liked there presents too, and they had seemed to work. Their fav pics of kids on large canvas bought with love from all of us [and a little bit of panic!] Camp Curry night, which went really smoothly, except the hostel had a distinct lack of big saucepans, so we did 3 rounds of 5 small saucepans.

Tuesday was a camp historyetc, predominantly on phoenicians, but with added plague of frogs :) we tiedyed canvas purple – as they developed purple dye from snails. we used red cabbage tho :) . we made bracelets out of ‘glass’ beads, as they also developed glass. We made tanit charms from fimo – isn’t fimo fab :) and also made a plague of frogs from paper plates – and it did look like a plague by the end. we didn’t get to the peg dolls, and we didn’t get to do geologyetc either, but loads of kids did some of it, and loads did all, so chalking it up as a success :) . I didn’t get to go geocaching in the aft, having persuaded ever so many other ppl to go, as BB decided to stay in and make more [and more] frogs, but daddybean went out and all seemed to be great fun. gallons of hot choc drank on everyone’s return tho. Stew night, which was delish, and Z and I did some v genteel dumpling throwing, then wrapped the veggie stew up well whilst the chaotic and crazy meat dumpling throwing went on :lol:

Weds was the Pennywell Nativity. We did this 5 years ago, and SB was spectacularly sick on the way, so we took a longer but straighter route this time :) Arrived in good time to eat packed lunch in FREEZING barn. the kids looked at the animals, and I sat by the only source of heat :) lots of ppl migrated towards it. it was almost like being by one of those bins on a picket line. the nativity was great, SB was the angel gabriel and BB sat with me. I loved that SB asked 2 diff staff members why she couldn’t have been able to say the words, as they weren’t difficult. SHe didn’t get much of an answer :) i was told several times i did a beautiful descant – giggle! not the only one tho. I think the HE parents much more of a rousing joining in crowd than school teachers and parent helpers. Lovely :) Father xmas was slightly ditzy doling out pressies, but both girls happy. I was v much bemused by the reindeer head singing country – odd!! We went home via marble place, bought some marbles, looked at the history, watched the demonstration, and pressed as many buttons as poss for the fab marble runs :) . unfortunately on way home migraine started to be pretty awful, so didn’t help with dinner, and instead had short nap. SB loved doing the bells with E in this time, and BB played with J in our room with their new lorries. E and I then wrote out our carol extravaganza, making them all in G, with tune, cello, easy violin, easy recorder and clarinet parts. 6 carols in total. took us ages [and then the next morning, realised gone wrong with transposing for clarinet so redid 3 of them]. finally set about gaming, but ended game when spilled the coffee – at least all over our game rather than someone elses :( . v late night.

Thurs unfortunately for me, migraine no better. SB rehearsing a play for most of the morning, BB watching films and being a bit under the weather. Lots of cuddling required. Daddybean in the kitchen for this meal, I just helped with plating out. this was the grand christmas dinner, and delicious it was too :) particularly the nut roast. lots of chatting and noise and cheer. We unwrapped secret santas, and were all v happy with those that we received, and the recipients of ours seemed to be happy too – always a relief :) .There was a play by the children, which had much more of a plot than last year, and we all enjoyed watching, then the christmas carols, sung and played with gusto and occasional correct notes :) admirably held by E as conductor and encourager. finally a grad shift of children to bed and initial tidy and pack ready for the morning.

i am unkeen to blog friday :( as it all went disastrously wrong for us, with SB slipping and breaking both her front teeth, and will poss need to lose one of them and have the other rebuilt. :cry: :cry: i feel so bad about it, she is trying to be so brave and it was so scary for her and is still v painful. deep breaths. But i do want to say a BIG thankyou to KIRSTY for asking for a classicfm request for us as we drove home <3 x x x

in true oscar fashion, would also like to thank Nic and Ady our hosts, and our other friends that made another memorable holiday.

photos on flickr

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Posted in General, Out and About, socialisation

Latinetc and Botanics

Posted on November 24, 2010 by | 6 comments

Today was a game of 2 halves day, which made me feel v much like the more outgoing home educators whose blogs i read blogs! very adventurous :) Morning was a compressed latinetc and pm was a CHEF event about Insectiverous plants at the botanical gardens. lunch was going to have to be in transit! I thought i had been v organised getting things ready, but unfortunately i forgot all the music stuff :roll:

anyway, we are continuing with our real science 4 kids. Having looked carefully through, I advised all the group to read level 1 and then only go onto Chemistry Level II Student Textbook (Real Science-4-Kids)
if partic keen. it was molecules, and the level 2 does a fab detailed discussion of s,p and d electron orbitals and how it all works before then showing you the sigma, pi and hybrid covalent bonds when it happens. a totally brilliant explanation, but past GCSE standard, and since we are talking predom primary here, seemed a bit far to go! we chatted electrons, protons, neutrons, atomic numbers again, to get more fixed in, and then our covalent and ionic bonds before making some molecules and using some rules. we made freestyle molecules with only CHO and saw what different molecules the groups ended up with, methanol, glyoxilic acid, ethylene, propanoic acid etc etc. If they hadn’t followed the rules, i was allowed to add and subtract the ‘fail’ bits. Still stressful doing the 3 groups, but worked hard on the middle group to redeem last week. this time i think the oldest group not so well balanced and looked like it might wobble over. on the ball this time tho, and i think the compressed timings didn’t help. Third time would be lucky, but just found out i have mammogram that week, so making me v v stressy already. [hate mammos, have had 2 so far, both ok, but now always expect worst and near sick with nerves by the time i have it, and it hurts!]

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Lots of other things go on at latinetc, I write more about the science because I am sitting there doing that! But i know SB did some recorder, and some music theory [i think] and def some latin but not sure about the french? [thankyou katy, she did do some french! ] BB did french and also art and she did bells for music with J and they loved it! We took iced cupcakes with dinosaur sprinkles and some candles to sing happy birthday to BB at snack, so she was v happy :) had so much cake that she only had fruit for lunch…

So on to the second half of the day, and mad drive to a nearby city botanic gardens for the middles and older children to learn about insectivorous plants whilst the littlies played outside. SB was with her friends and lecielrouge mum as a supervising adult. i gave her the phone to take ‘a few’ pics with so i could see some of what she did. she took 182 – in 120 mins. i am hoping she remembers something!! however, she did say it was fab. she enjoyed the ‘lecture’ and film, not so keen on the collecting part – so took loads of photos then, and enjoyed looking round the glasshouses – raking photos – and the insectivorous plants collection. She liked the sarrecenias best. great, cos i do too. for a while i had some pitcher plants whilst we lived in leeds, but they did die off. maybe we can start another collection in the conservatory :) She also took loads of crazy videos too !

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Meanwhile i had BB and J, and various other adults with their youngest. we went out and went through the glasshouses first, having a peek and a look at quite a few things and chatting as we went. loved the tropical bit and the fish :) i had planned to do some nature art with the children, but they were having so much fun exploring and racing around that we didn’t do that at all. finally made it to cafe for restorative cup of tea and cookie for the children. BB did some pics of some of the leaves we picked up and chatted to her friends. i suddenly realise what a ‘big’ girl she is getting to be, rather than my baby as she is proud and happy to sit with friends on own table, and that i can now be reasonably certain she won’t be crazy :)

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returned to pic up SB and chat to parents and thank A for organising. All families returned with a carnivorous plant – a sundew. easy drive home, but quick turnaround for SB with brownies, and then judo grading – she now is a yellow belt – woohoo!! i am baking this eve- banana cake

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Posted in Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, Cooking, daubing and making, investigating, language, little languages, music, noises and sounds, Out and About, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

Just another Thursday

Posted on November 19, 2010 by | 2 comments

Kids have got too used to lying in a fair bit lately (even BB, for whom it was unsual to sleep in past 8am), so they were soemwhat bleary-eyed and difficult to raise when I woke them up at 8 this morning :-)

Tots and Nots in the morning, which means a 9.30 am depature, which is early enough to be getting us all out in the morning thankyou very much. After prising them out of bed  1/2 hour later a bit of chivvying saw us leaving just about in time. (though SB thought she had found her missing music theory book, becuase she had found an orange book, if she had read the cover she might ahve noticed it was a science book ….)

SB did piano practice with Gina (G1 exam  in a few weeks). BB not feeling interactive and lay on my lap for the first  1/2 hour. After a brief play with the Tots and younger Nots who had spent ages with  a block of ice and some knive and forks (really, they spent ages just palying with this,) she then did soem recorder as well. BB warmed up by now, so she was having a play as well. After snack and a play, SB ffinsihed up with a Grammar book. Little ‘uns with stories and then songs, BB still loves to join in with the songs :-)

Bit oF  a run around out side , whilst I watched out for traffic wardens, as the car was round the corner on an expired ticket (they are pretty hot on the parking, so you need to watch out).

Into the car, drive home, listening to more French Songs on CD.  Home, lunch,  a bit of DS-ing and tea drinking. Then SB did something else, which for the life of me I can’t now remember :oops: Whilst I got dinner prepared. managed to be fairly efficient in the kitchen and got veggie shepherds pie made and Brussel Sprouts prepared in about 45 minutes. A quick pop into the garden to see and feed the bunnies.

Then it was into chivvying the girsl (well moslty BB) into getting ready for Gym. Having told her to put anything she wanted to take whilst watching SB into a bag, 5 minutes before we went she had one thing in her  hand and didn’t have leotard I’d told her to get in the morning as she said I’d had it, which I’m pretty sure I hadn’t. But, chivvy, chivvy, chivvy and we out the door again.

With H at work, it means an almost 3 hr session at the gym whilst they both have their sessions. Supplied with Gruaniad, flask of coffee and snacks the first half is bearable, but it begins to pall after that. SB did some singapore maths whilst we watched BB.

After the swap, luckily H picked BB up on the way home, so I didn’t have a tired and grumbly BB as well. Anyway, they both got slips to say they had got BGA badges and certificates, so paid for those and then headed home. Shepherds pie was nicely cooked (I always worry I didn’t set the oven timer to come on properly), so just had to cook sprouts. BB declared she doesn’t like sprouts, but seeing as she’s eaten them a number of times, and she likes to seemingly  randomly pick things she isn’t going to like, this sort of thing gets resisted – she likes to complain about potatoes as ‘they don’t tatse of anything’ :-)  (SB tends to the pragmatic approach to such things, saying  that ‘she might as well eat it as you will tell me to eat it anyway’ ) So I  poo-pooed this. In a spirit of believable parenting I told her that there was a law that said you aren’t allowed to not like sprouts, but I don’t think she believed me :-)

Dinner and next episode of Edwardian Farm to finish off the day

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Posted in Butterbean, language, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Better blog or else…..

Posted on November 10, 2010 by | 5 comments

there will  no doubt be all sorts of complaints from readers used to H’s output :-)

Problem is, on the whole my days don’t seem very interesting, but here goes.

Got up a bit earlier then we have  been lately, as H had to go off for her first day back at work, so that was abit of shock to the system, Had an unexciting morning, waved H off. Drunk some more tea and enjoyed a quiet breakfast as neither of the girls had woke up.  BB got up and sata t the table playijng little games with whatever odd items she could fine handy, I pottered around the kitchen, put on washing, that sort of thing.  tried to wake up SB for the first time. (It would take about 3 goes and  1  hour to get her out of bed (she isn’t sleeping well due to her cough, and woke up last night and came into our room).

Me and BB went out to see the bunnies, and let Skittles out for a run about, explored things a round the garden with BB for a bit. She has collected all the used fireworks up from Friday, and played various games with them, whilst gradually dismantling them, disppionted not to find any gunpowder left in them :-).

Nice, but cold and windly outside, so nice to come back in into the relative warmth, and finally prised Sb out of bed. She had breakfast whilst reasding some more of her Yes Mag, and reprised me with interesting facts from it.

SB then settled down with some Singapore Maths, I did half an online order, so that I can book a suitable delivery time, before I ahve to think of all the rest of the things we want. Then I braved to cold again, to sort out bike carriers and SB’s bike onto the car to take to her next Bikeability session. Sorted out various other bits like snacks to take with us, Sb wrote a bit in her journal about fireworks night, a quick pasta lunch, and then we had to head out, pretty much on time. SB took her Galore Park Science to do a bit of in the car on the way.

Which is where the rest of the afternoon went a bit pear shaped…..

About halfway to Bikeability, I realised we had left the swimming stuff behind, which we needed for swimming lessons, well it was to late to go back for, so left the decision on what to do till we had dropped of SB, Parked car, met up with the Deependers outside the car park, and sent the cyclist on their way.

Decided to see if I could get some cheapish swimming cossies and a couple of towels so they could do lessons. Now we were right outside the swimming pool, which does have cossies of course, but Zoggs,a nd Speedos etc. so not cheap., decoed we’d walk to a nearby shopping centre (about 10 mins walk).

Tried, Primark, BHS and Debenhams, and a couple of charity shops on the off chance. The only things were some  (left over from the summer I guess) farily horrible bikinis on sale in Primark which I passed over. Not the time of year for cossies I know, but did hope for some. Best bet would have been to have gone to the big ASDA, or the big Tesco, but that meant driving around which I didn’t feel like. So bought a couple of towels in BHS (which BB loved for their fluffyness). Stopped for a quick very cake and sandwich in the cafe (no tea, not enough time :-( ) as I’d promised BB we would do that (when it was goign to be a nice hour or so me and BB pottering about….). By now time was running out, so I shoulder carried BB back to the car walking very quickly.

Went in the Swiimming pool after all to see what they had …….  feeling very hot and flustered as we had about 5 minutes. Managed to find some reduced so not so bad in price. But BB fussy, as she doesn’t like ones with the cut away backs, which most were. Found one that was acceptable, found one thst might have been ok for Sb, though probably to big  (I can never remember want ixn size she is for things like cossies and leotards) But then noticed the signs saying they could only take cash payments as the card system was down or something :-(  Only enough for one, so BB got it, seeing as she was the poor lass who had had to do all the traipsing about, and it was cheaper.  Buy this point

Rushed outside to see the cyclists just gathering up the road to cross over to the park, ran up to retrieve Sb and the Deepender boys we were giving a lift to.

Head back to the carpark, carried bikes up a flight of stairs , got to the car, managed to laod all the bikes on the rear rack – a bit of faffing as not used to those bikes and it’s always a bit of a fiddle getting them to fit together, strapped down ,lighting board on etc. So much easier using the roof carriers (though not in a car park with a 2.1 m height restriction…) . Ran downstairs to find a pay machine, payed (at least it didn’t charge me for another hour as we were about 5 minutes over the time), back upstairs, into the car, gave the kids a bag full of random snacks and drinks and headed off. Just over 35 miinutes to get to swimming lessons in annother town, it was going to be tight.

Traffic heading out of town was frustratingly  slow, but luckily the main road was very busy , but moving ok and we made it to the leisure centre with about 2 minutes to spare.  Rushed BB into her lesson jujst about in time and then wentback to help Katy transfer bikes to her car. Bikes and children transferred me and SB went back inside to flop down for 20 minutes whilst BB swum. Domino’s Pizza have a 2 for the price of one offer on Tuesday’s, and the kids like their Pizza’s so decied to get some for dinner. I tried ordering them online using H’s iPhone which I had with me, but it kept falling over  at the last bit on the Verified by Visa, which was a bit annoying. Would have been mcuh easier just to ring them :-)

Once BB was out, and I’d prised her out of her nice new fluffy towel and into soem clothes :-) we headed down to dominoes, ordered them in person, popped into the Waitrose next door for a few bits and were back to find the pizza’s ready :-)  Headed home finally, to find H with a migraine :-( ate Pizza, drunk soem much needed tea and I moslty dozed whilst the kids watched a couple of Sarah Jane Adventures on iPlayer (The Wii makes a pretty good way to watch iPlayer ont he TV easily)

Felt pretty knackered this evening, so haven’t done the jobs I should have done for having lots of people here for  tomorrows History group, but at least I have blogged :-)

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Posted in BB-PE, music, numeracy, Out and About, SB-PE, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing