Category Archives: Out and About

‘zausted!!

Posted on March 22, 2009 by | 1 comment

somehow, although late to bed, i woke up with the birds. actually, i think i really did, as there are birds nesting in the loft directly over my bed, and the scratch and faff about a lot with the dawn. i tried to be asleep – no, really! but when BB joined us, i saw my excuse and leapt up and took the girl down to be fed. chris doesn’t get that many lie ins. I am just hoping that this wont set a precedent for me to have to respond to her screeching ‘get urrrp’ in the morning. SB was animal crossing-ing, but it froze, and she decided she couldn’t bear resetti [i did offer to listen to him shout for her!] so instead she mario bros-ed [giggle they all say bros rather than brothers!]. read aloud to BB – she is trying to have a go at reading, but doesn’t know all her letters yet, so a bit of a struggle!! i might suggest some more before the code… SB did some more VR and then helped BB defeat the grask on the doctor who website. at some point, chris got up, so the girls went off to finish mothers day cards and chris cooked breakfast for me. they had made me fab cards, so I was v happy.

ermm, not exactly sure for a bit, just playing, cuddling and being together I guess, then rousting to get dressed before playing outside. it is essential i watch them do everything, but much as i love them, i am not so enthusiastic a watcher after a while, i am better being interactive. so i got out the glass prisms and we all had fun making rainbows in the sun. i couldn’t get the paper to catch fire with the convex lens though – grump emoticon!! we fed fish and birds though.

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lunch and the plan was to go inaugural geocaching, which we did. the walk wasn’t too long – approx 2 1/2 miles and accross fields to a copse. was a bit breezy though!! and obviously, not involving steps, BB had enough after a while and was shoulder carried. we were a bit hopeless actually finding the cache, as the clue was about it being in the obvious place, and there was a bridge! but it wasn’t there, but instead under a tree trunk… i think i am not cut out for long searches!! [giggle!], There was then the endless decision making about which bit of something each girl chose… we left behind fimo :lol: . A lovely walk back and watched some roman mysteries [which are actually quite watered down from the books and sanitised aren't they, to suit a younger audience i guess] and had a take away curry.

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we will finish off, now girls in bed, with BSG

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Posted in General, Out and About, photos

Not according to plan, but fabulous anyway

Posted on March 21, 2009 by | 4 comments

hmm, daddybean does appear to have stopped blogging doesn’t he. this is a bit of a home-ed blog disaster, as he does most of the home-ed! This blog is brought to you with Grieg’s holberg suite as background music, in vain effort to block out singularly awful pub band next door!

thurs: hmm, not tots and nots due to a poxy chickens breakout at a terrible time for us, but yes to dual gym. [peers at BK] ‘Reading, discussing, Dsing, Oggly Googlies, VR and NVR. SB now showing BB about different hardnesses of pencils’ ‘They are turning the water off for a bit (water co digging hole in the road) kids excited about idea and filling up all sorts of things :-)’ ‘BB: “I could get my poo and roll it into sausages with my hands”. Me: “Don’t you think that sounds a bit yucky”?’ [ermmm, lets gloss quickly over that one! :lol: ] When I got home, read books and played games with BB [don't wake dad and who's who] whilst snuggling SB and she did some maths, then chatted about animal crossing, oh and we watched dr who i think. Chris and I started the latest series of BSG [holberg 2]

Fri:they played monopoly [also cribbed from BK] not cribbed from BK [unfortunately] was that SB’s glasses were ready, so they went and picked them up and spent the rest of the day and early evening at his parents. my phone was dead, so a text never reached me, so i spent the earlyy evening wondering where all my family were, and the later evening saying goodbye to a work colleague with a really appalling meal! [there was a single choice for veggies – starter = roasted pepper and tomato with some rocket, main = roasted pepper, tomato and rocket tart!! and TBH, it might as well have been tipped out of a jar [prob was actually as a bit watery]. but i got to sit next to some interesting people and have interesting conversations.

SO to today, I wasn’t allowed up initially as craft things going on – i think this may be related to mother’s day if lucky. so i had a bit of a lie in and finished Imperium , which i have really enjoyed [ although as reading The Dolphins of Laurentum: Roman Mysteries 5 (The Roman Mysteries) to SB at the moment, i have felt a bit over-romaned at times!!]. [small break to get to part 3 of holberg suite! – now, where was I??]

oh yes, i got up and went to see what was happening. SB ds-ing animal crossing, then did piano practice with me. BB and i then read a variety of stories, and SB and i looked at minimus chapter 3. A short break as BB insisted on getting the paddling pool out as it was sunny, and was surprise at how cold that was!! however, both girls did have a whale [wail] of a time and came in freezing. i sorted out some seeds for sowing. i am feeling time pressed this year, so we are going for some easy things that we def like, rather than trying to do loads. then lunch for the girls [too close to brekkie for me!]

both girls declared keen to do some science [we had been going to the science festival again this weekend, but somehow inertia and a desire by me for a simple day at home kept us here. BB was enthusiastic to do the ‘bean thing’ so we have 3 jars of broad beans, a control, a fridge and an airing cupboard to compare. SB got out a kitchen science kit she got for Xmas and was happy to see a volcano in there. BB found the other volcano and we were away. [holberg 4] we decided to colour green, and SB’s does a massive shoot up. obviously a tighter fit and smaller hole so more pressure [and far more mess] = way more fun!! With shaking them, could make BB’s do it, and SB’s even more dramatic – may add video clip. so we are all out of vinegar, and will need to buy bicarb in suma quantities!! After we had washed and cleaned up i set out to do a slow explosion [tho actually not entirely sure it will explode!] we put sugar, yeast and warm water into bottles with balloons on the top. SB actually guessed the right gas [well, i guess we had just released it in far more dramatic manner!!], and we have been checking back on it. balloons inflating, not sure will pop!!

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more playing outside in the paddling pool until a small contretemps saw SB retire to the top of the climbing frame with the non-verbal reasoning book [half way through already] and BB into the playhouse. i got ingredients for seed sowing, so both girls joined me on the grass – bB first for a bit, then SB for much longer, and brief return of BB.

    edited to add, due to the lack of life in my gardening blog, i am going to stick this here for now, we sowed chilli peppers, tomato illidi [a huge success last year] and gardeners delight, pea misty, sunflowers [must buy some more seeds] and dwarf french bean gold tepee.

we looked at the birds guzzling on the birdfeeders – more and more. must be mouths to feed. in to tidy playroom [v poor grace!] I read The Rock Factory: A Story About Rocks and Stones (Science Works) [holberg 5 – though pub band having a break], they helped chris peal potatoes and I remembered a small parcel so SB opened it. We had a go at the first duet in Descant and Treble Recorder Duets which we were evenly matched for as i was on treble, so finally coming to grips with what the notes actually are. She just had a few counting issues, but even the low D noticeably better, and we both decided that it had def been fun.

SO finally to tea infront of Dr who, and much enjoyed scribbling one. BB off to bed with chris, and SB and i looked at the doctor who website, and she played some games on it. SB and I played connect 4 – which she is getting rather good at. Usual bedtime roman mystery read from me, and she is currentyl reading Ordinary Jack – The Bagthorpes 1 and enjoying it. [a far cry playing holberg, and band restarted]

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean's HE, early maths skills, gardening, General, geography, history, investigating, language, music, music to love, numeracy, Out and About, pre reading, SB-PE, science, Stringbean's HE

Sciency Saturday and Sales Sunday

Posted on March 15, 2009 by | 1 comment

I guess i should do a small sum up of the week before – loads of hama beading! [i mean loads! serious inroads into the stock!] gym for both girls, a ‘big paint’ session at an HE group – which was lobbing paint covered tea bags at paper, which i believe degenerated into a brown splodgy mess!! but great fun was had! A visit to the puddles [forgetting to take Ams lily doll or to pick up our tent pod!!] and then some tidying. SB has been regularly doing her piano practice as well.

SO sat was an early start to get up and out to go to a science festival. we weren’t TOO far behind schedule, and pretty much immediately ran into the manor borns who were off to here some more of george’s adventures George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt which they very kindly got a copy for us too. We had a shorter day planned, suitable for all ages! so we started off in chaos science, and found that so fabulous that we were there for 2 hours!! we looked at bones, and bb was extremely careful with the fragile lizard one, although the student was clearly terrified she would break it! we looked in microscopes, made explosions, looked at dna, yeast, chemicals, electric circuits, light experiments and body stuff. SB was enthralled and loved all of it. by the end she was even voluntarily asking questions! she also had severe lab envy – rofl. BB spent a bit less time in there and then decamped to the zoolology museum, and made a bat mask. SB and i joined them, with sb doing a wildlife trail along the way. what a fab little museum. not been there before! we also did some of the outside things before meeting up with the manor borns. we had a chat about morning so far, chloe made off with SB to the funghi tent, and from there we dragged her off home. we saw grit and gritlets across the tent, but since we were rushing off, it seemed a bit too much like cyberstalking to say hello – even though michelle there to introduce! maybe another time, if more time to actually say hello. there were loads of other places to go on our list of possibilities, and will see more next year!

SO back home, and just in time to welcome our weekend visitors – nattyem, E and R. Girls started off playing games of varying natures and then settled down to make a book, this took quite a while, as an illustrated cat book. then some bookmarks. the played a variety of games after tea. we parents played agricola – always fun, i do like that game – and eventually chased the girls to bed approaching midnight.

the next day, the girls finished another book, and after breakfast set up a stall on our drive to sell the 2 books and various bookmarks. they discussed their selling strategy, and organised their display etc etc and were v dedicated, finally selling 4 bookmarks for 20p each to complete strangers! they bought some sweets with their proceeds and all seemed v happy. lots more playing, mostly outside, including pond dipping and filling up the bird feeders before they set off home. it was lovely seeing you!

BB has been flaking since, watching the clangers, and SB also, ds-ing away. Both are now in bed, and feel they have had a fab weekend

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Posted in art and crafts, General, investigating, music, Out and About, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

busy day today – Science museum

Posted on March 11, 2009 by | 2 comments

actually, i think its been a bit busy both days. yesterday was a library day and then a trip into town to get SB’s eyes tested and then she will need some more glasses :roll: lets hope she doesn’t lose these ones as quickly. her eyes are still a little bit worse. BB had a massive strop in full bB mode in the shop because she wasn;t going to get some glasses. apparently she kept this up for quite a while… [so much so that SB doesn't have any glasses chosen yet]

Anyway, today we had promised the girls a visit to the science museum. we were going to go to an electronics workshop. we got to the museum, but the girls elected to do their own thing, so fair enough i guess. getting there was both easier and with a higher number of failures along the way! firstly we decided that we would park not in the exorbitant £6!! but at my work, and chris drop us off, and then cycle back after parking. that worked well. rather brainlessly, i bought a ticket right the way in, rather than the tube stop. and we just missed the 9am train. but happily got the next one, chris laughed at the wrong ticket, and then the ticket had the last laugh by not stopping at where we usually get off – so we did go all the way in! oh, and the other failure was the croissants and brioche left sitting at home… we did have loads of games of the fabulous treehouse game on the way in though.

ANyway we wandered around the spacey bit, spent loads of time in the launchpad. i particularly loved the dry ice ‘melting’ in water, and the girls both seemed captivated by the viscosity experiments – easily repeated at home! also, remember the waves of fire lecture? well, there is a sound to water waves tube here. not as exciting, but still rather fab!SB declared herself baffled by mirrors :roll: but the electic circuits were ‘too easy’. We then had lunch in the picnic area [home made soup and cheese scones] then we did a bit more launchpadding and followed our noses around the rest of the museum. we went into the computer bit. SB wanted to look at the pegasus computer, and when the chap came to speak to us, went completely quiet, and i couldn’t think of anything to say [unless it was can you make music with it!!] mind you, i think his first language may have been computer geek :wink: just as i was hoping the earth would open, SB asked a sensible question about the paper with holes in it. phew, exit not too embarrassedly. we really enjoyed the flight section – particularly bB who loved investigating the engines. i realised i had remembered more than i thought about the air traffic simulator i had had a go on as a child [my dad an ATC] and rather liked looking at it, and we searched for him in the relevant photos but didn’t find him.We had a short romp around the boats, and longer look at the ‘firsts’ [most impressed by stevensons rocket and Apollo 11 lander] and a bit of a play for bb in the pod bit. we were all tired then and made a break for home.

SB read a french story book rather well i thought, and something on planet earth while chris and bb snoozed, then with all more enthusiasm we played the treehouse game again! so that passed the time quickly [well, that and the m and s flapjacks]

SB has had brownies and judo, BB has vegged and watched my little execrable ponies [Bob, i believe it is trademarked as that] and then both together nanny mcphee before going to bed.

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, General, investigating, language, Out and About, science, Stringbean's HE

wonderful friend filled weekend

Posted on March 1, 2009 by | 10 comments

i am getting a bit stressy about something work related, so it was wonderful to have such a busy weekend with negligible time to sleep!! Sat SB went to the young astronomers club for the first time, and really enjoyed it. she did point out that they wouldn’t ever get to see the stars because it was in daytime – amazing bit of sense!! it was based around the royal astronomers i think. chris helped out by being the timer, and read his paper.

bB and i had an adventure, and went into town [by bus having found the bus stop eventually] and then wandered around the ‘dinodoor museum’ which she loved. she partic loved spotting fossils with a passing resemblence to ammonites and belemnites and saying v loudly, ooh we have those! there is an elasmosaurus [well i think that is what it is, might be a pleiseosaur] and she thought it looked like a fab jigsaw and she wanted to be a dinodoor bone person when she grew up. The museum has quite a few books in its hands on bit, and so we read a number i have in my amazon basket! The Birth of the Earth (Cartoon History) The Day of the Dinosaurs (Cartoon History) The Rock Factory: A Story About Rocks and Stones (Science Works) Monster Stones: The Story of a Dinosaur Fossil (Science Works). the last 2 i could read to BB as is, but the first i simplified a bit. we went into the shop, and she spent christmas money on a bag of gems and a bouncy ball with a dinosaur pic in it. these have made her overwhelmingly happy, and she has clutched those gems everywhere. Also a haematite ring present for SB.

BB and I totally failed to find the bus stop leading back out of town, so chris picked us up! we went to diff bits [as i had no map] and when finally did meet up, in a blinding something of fate, there was the bus stop! well, i know now!

we bought a picnic lunch and headed off to the RSPB place. BB was cold, as it was colder there, and we didn’t have enough layers, so wrapped her in a blanket while we ate. The manor borns arrived, ate a bit and we set off. bB declined to wear any extra layers, but ran about happily. we did do BB’s favourite walk, which is the quarry one, and prob my favourite too. it is the longest walk, though we did a ‘shortcut’. We started with a talk with the ‘birdman’ who identified the call of a nuthatch for us, and the shew us 2 treecreepers. we climbed the usual climbing tree and scared the birds from the bird hide and then raced around the quarry. actually, we didn’t race at all, there were that many diversions, looking at things and sitting thinkings that i did wonder if we would get round in the daylight!! but we did, and i really enjoyed it.

moved to the manor for tea and conversation. BB pootled reasonably happily on her own, using michelle mercilessly to get her things that she then abandoned! [though did a good geomag twirler] SB and C played lots of games together, finally settling on Ravensburger Labyrinth Game. it was too cloudy to go to a possible astronomy evening, to the disappointment of the older girls. We cheekily did a masterchef critique of both main course and pudding, but i have to say how lovely it i to have effort lovely expended for us.

today the girls did the birthday cards and that actually took all morning :roll: and so we were late to the party :roll: , :roll: but i won’t expand!! was a lovely birthday party at the deependers, and loads of muddlepuddle/blogring friends and local friends. Pah to home educated children not getting to socialise. its stopping them and getting them to do their maths that can be the problem [as g and I giggled to each other]. lots of party games, party food and 4 fabulous cakes!! SB gave the v lovingly made dolly cloak to L. all cut and sewn by her, so truly a labour of love. we went back to the deependers for a spot of tea and cake [more cake!!] before the children got noticeable enough to be shepherded into the car and home!

PS, sorry for nearly making Katy vomit describing BB’s awful book, and also if you think you may have been caught speeding, you can check here

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

Forensic Fun

Posted on February 22, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Thursday we were going to go to Tots and Nots in the morning, but we had had a rubbish night, with both kids waking up, bed moving etc. and  Stringbean still not quite right and seeming very tired. We also had something on in the afternoon and I thought that it might all get a bit much

So we abandoned that plan. I’d started reading some more of Inside the Beagle with Charles Darwin, which we had started the night before. We spent the next 2+ hours !  reading the book and talking about various bits :-) Butterbean sat and listened a bit, pottered around with Lego, looked at some books of her own etc. Lots interesting discussion about sailing boats, navigation, time, clocks, fossils, variation, species, islands, evolution, scientific evidence (which is why we spent so long). SB can happily read such books, but often prefers you to read them to her.

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By the time we had finished we were hungry so had breakfast :-) and the rest of the morning soon went with SB doing maths (until she got stuck in a sort of Limbo land where nothing much seemed to be happening, perusing a couple more books, while BB did some more fimo-ing and I got dinner ready to put in the oven.

Then a quick lunch and out. We were just in time, which then turned out to be plenty of time, as the time for the session said 1.30, but it was starting a 2, the time before was for setting the stuff up.

The session was about Forensic Science, normally the leader of the session spends all day doing this in school and we had a couple of hours – so it was obviously a bit contracted. Though the younger ones wouldn’t have coped with longer session though.

Basically, we had an introduction to some forensic techniques and did things like make paster casts of prints, took our finger prints (a little bit of chalk dust on the finger tip, push onto Sellotape, stick it to a piece of acetate sheet – look at with a hand lens.

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She showed us a simple DNA extraction from Kiwi fruit. Whizz up the kiwi with a bit of water and salt (to break open cell membranes). Strain the mixture through a cloth, and a bit of detergent to the mix, then carefully pour in a little methylated spirits to make a layer on top. you can see a some white stuff in the methylated spirit that is DNA.

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Then they had to investigate a crime.

There was a sheet of suspects with  a bit of info about them. We had to look at 5 sets of evidence and try to wrok out who did it. Footprint, fingerprint, car paint, DNA, clothes fibre. We didn’t manage to get round them all (spent too long peering at fingerprints). But we did the footprint:

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The car paint left on a wall:

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And the fingerprints:

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By which time it was time to go home, both kids were seeming a bit tired. SB in particular looked a bit pale and washed out when we got back. So they vegged a bit  once we got home before dinner. BB of course slept in the car so didn’t go to sleep til too late.

Friday

My parents were coming round, so tried to get a bit done before hand. SB did some maths, and read some bits out of her Encylopedia of Knowledge (or some such) which she had for xmas, and we tried to tidy the playroom. Was supposed to do some music but we had a phone call from H to say her Sis and family were stopping off on the way home from Centre Parcs. About 20 minutes later they appeared :-)

So they arrived and the kids were all off playing. A bit later my Mum and Dad appeared. A little while after lunch H got home as well :-) Once Sis and family had gone on their way, SB played kiddie Monopoly, can’t really remember what else might have happene. Parents stayed for dinner, then off to bed for children

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, history, investigating, music, numeracy, Out and About, photos, science, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

fossilised daleks

Posted on February 19, 2009 by | 2 comments

what a fab title! today was latinetc, and we should have been on time, but a section of the road we were travelling down was being lifted up, and it was only when we got to the front of a several mile tailback that we found this out. harrumph.

As usuall SB enjoyed the latin – and apparently did know more than one word! and loved the music and bells, and was trying to tell me all about the hand signals – is that the doh a dear stuff? thanks gina for link!] the littlies started with a fimo workshop from Merry, where they made snowmen. BB was most happy, and impressive snowmen turned out by all. we then did science. we have put chicken bones in jars of vinegar and sealed, and in 2 weeks will see what has happened. we discussed the properties of bone, what it might be made out of, and then made wild guesses about what might happen to it in the vinegar. A little segue, and i got out some of our fossils – a lot of belemnites, some gryphea and some ammonites. much impressed by ancientness – though obviously the many stones in the garden they have touched are ancient also!! [could side track into ramble on relativeness of ancientness]. we looked at pictures of what it is imagined they looked like, different ways fossils are made and then we got to work making our own fossils out of air drying clay, real or imagined! when i did the bigger group, pretty much along the same lines, but with more detail J had fossil designers block. I suggested instead he could contemplate what might be fossilised today for the future. so he as done a dalek! rofl!! I had in my head that i would get loads of ammonites, trilobites and a few extras, but i should have known that this group has their imagination always on!!

an interesting aside, is that we always have some free questions and answerings in science, and the biguns surprised me by asking about madeleine mccann, and the evidence her parents killed her. I am of the opinion that they didn’t, and that there is no evidence to say otherwise. we talked about how it focuses minds of parents to keep children safe, and not leaving them completely unsupervised, however ‘free’ it might seem. they then moved onto shannon, it is always an honour to hear a group of children discuss these things with you as an equal. i do wonder whether some of them knowing about the current consultation has perhaps kickstarted some thinking.

some fab playing, some french games for the littlies – bb now doesn’t have a problem with staying glued to me, which is nice! BB found a newt in the garden, which she thought was a toy [like her stretchy lizards!] but C then took charge, and all the children got to hold and have a look before it was released into mud world. BB was quite liberally covered in mudworld…

SB was getting a bit worn though, as she wasn’t at her best [though this has meant lots of bonus cuddles for me, always nice!] but she had a bad night on mon, so i slept with her last night, and she did wake and stir most of the night [so not so good for me! but it did settle her more quickly]. SO for once she asked to go home, and so we did. Some of the group were moving on to a museums thing, and we had considered going, but SB was too fragile really for crowds and tramping about.

Merry and co came back with us, as she had a late pass!! and a bit more fimo-ing was done by the children – another fab snowman by BB. She really has quite an eye for detail, and is keen to get things right. playing around and about. but merry’s girls had loved the music at melrose, and were keen to repeat, so a quick sort out of merrily we row, and off we went! a full house of players. J is obviously another keen glockenspiel player, BB had SB’s violin, she recordered, and Merry, ahh, she brought a viola. it was fab. we will hopefully keep this going, and perhaps this will enthuse and encourage.

BB went to bed without too much wailing [ok, i fib slightly] chris read The Beagle with Charles Darwin (Inside) to SB, and she carried on, having really enjoyed it. we are looking forward to Darwin and Evolution for Kids: With 21 Activities: His Life and Ideas (For Kids Series) and The Evolution Revolution arriving. talking of arrivals, my rspb order arrived with ripped packaging – sigh – so now going to get a replacement. the felt also arrived ready for next latinetc.

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, history, investigating, language, little languages, music, noises and sounds, Out and About, science, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

and back again

Posted on February 15, 2009 by | 2 comments

sad to leave Melrose, especially as next year it will be closed for refurb, so maybe not the opportunity to go again. our journey there and back have been made much better with the acquisition of a few audio CD’s that we all enjoyed a lot [well, BB was mostly asleep, so it is not tested on her!]. We learnt a lot, they’re not in depth, but enjoyable, with background, yarns and the important stuff!! i would highly recommend!!

go, on!! they’re worth it!! 2 CDs in each etc etc. SB loved the scientists one best, then the inventor one. it is amazing how many were home educated!!

We stopped off at the angel of the north to start with as migraine needed a break. it is rather a fabulous art piece, and SB in particular loved it. we had a long chat about how to commission art.
we then stopped at scotch corner as a lunch break. I often grumble about it being called scotch corner, its not as if it is anywhere near scotland. no doubt there is a reason, and i could probably google it! SB and I missed kirsty and family, whilst chris and bB didn’t.

luckilly :roll: we got to meet later on, so SB didn’t feel left out. as we got near wetherby the car started to wobble alarmingly. chris thought it might be a puncture and kicked the tyre on the hard shoulder, and then we wobbled all the way to wetherby services. having brightkited, we had loads of messages of support and assistance – thanks guys. kirsty rolled in and provided chocolate and moral support, and chris eventually decided a weight thingy was declared missing from a wheel, and the wheel changed and we set off – thankfully wobble free!!

SO we arrived far later than planned to SOTP for feeding, playing, chatting and book swapping. as well as a discussion on evolution resources – listed below. some of which are overtly and some perhaps covertly anti-creationist rather than ignoring it. [i think we all know i favour evolution :wink: ]
the next day lots of play, particularly sweet with J and BB. and SB, C and M put on a show. I was impressed with SB’s modal tune, which she reprised later. As always C sang beautifully, but M also has a voice to be proud of.

Finally we set off home, and got in at 11. unfortunately BB has got her times all wrong, and was then awake! but never mind. we had a fab week, and lovely to visit friends on the there and back again.

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Posted in Books, General, music, Out and About, science, socialisation

Melrose 2009

Posted on February 15, 2009 by | 14 comments

well, where do you start? it was utterly fabulous. I have always been greatful to mrs muddlepuddle for starting out the melrose early years winter camp. this year was no exception. and we had snow!

we arrived just in the nick of time to put the pasta sauce on for the starving hordes, and well received! we met and gret [meeted and greeted?] new faces, old faces and firm friends, made from the very first muddlepuddle camp we ever attended 4 years ago [did i mention i was greatful?] then we got down to business, children playing elswhere and parents chatting, wine timing and playing games. the kids might call this ‘the snowy melrose’ but for us adults, it might well be ‘the games melrose’.

snow: oK, i am not going to do a blow by blow account – quite! we all had fun in the snow. the sledges [i got more off as it came to under a tenner for 2!] i bought at the last minute – and nearly sent back :roll: due to colour arguments – were well worth the pennies, and were used a lot every day by our kids and others – was pleased how well the sharing thing worked. the portico also brought sledges – rather cool silicon mat type thingies. so yes, snow was a key part of the melrose experience this year.

Gaming, was a v adult part of the experience! i really REALLY enjoyed stone age and Pandemic, and would be happy to play those lots. others played carcassonne and mission 44 and blokus, but i settled for those 2! lots of the adults got involved, and what with those stitching beside giving helpful commentary, it was all v sociable.

communal food was all delish. thanks to all the other makers. luckilly i didn’t over cater on the cooking front quite so outrageously. things to remember for next time 3kg rice is plenty. 5kg potatoes, 4 tins peas, 12 tins toms, 3 caulis, 1 tube garlic paste, 1 bag red lentils, 1 bag split yellow peas or channa, 10 onions, 1 tube tom paste, 1 spice pot bombay spices, 1 spice pot korma. only need 1 large yoghurt pot! with 1 little bag mint leaves and 1 cucumber.

crafts/activities. three cheers for nattyandplusone [avoiding google hits there!!] for providing felting and a computer gaming workshop. both my 2 got a lot out of them. i particularly loved the care and effort and significant attention bb put into her dinodoor scene [shh, its a secret present for daddybean], and they both worked hard on their ideas and looks for the computer game. finally they, courtesy of bead merrily, fimo-ed for ages, particularly BB as SB was off playing and practicing for the show at the end of the week. i also fimo-ed some aliens, and did a special one to one workshop with Jpie on fimo snowmen.I also did an ad hoc activity, and prepared skye boat song for the instruments available. in the end it was done when none of the guitarrists, or my children, where present. oh well! however, fran did a fab job with the sightreading of a lovelty cello part, various adults held the tune, and various children played d and e at mostly the right time. we heard e’s glock for the first time too.

music: i got to play the violin some more with em. always a joy. we snuck off and remained hidden for a fair while until required to be parents again! next time, if fran there, may simplify the continuo and see if she is interested…

escaping the hostel. well, we didn’t do dynamic earth this year, and though i planned to visit jedburgh and mary queen of scots house, a migraine put paid to that. and somehow – prob due to the snow, we didn’t swim in galashiels either. However, chris, SB and the manor borns walked up to a trig point, and then scudded down on their bottoms in the snow! i had an amble around Melrose with merry and 2 of her girls, and that was about it for us as i failed to persuade SB to walk to trimontium.

playing: well, the girls appeared to do a lot of that. Seemed to be mostly very smooth as well with little flouncing and bouncing – always good. BB also packed in some TV watching. There was a cabaret at the end put on by the kids and compered excellently by gwenny – nice to see the portico holding on to their traditional roles :lol: SB did a fab gym routine and also a leaping lunatics dance, and finally a bit of recordering. after some rather good clowning act moments – including heckling by small – BB also did some recordering. lovely acts from all in it i thought.

challenging moments: well, i thought i had better before BB was outed too!! ‘i’m not tired’ wail shriek and full tantrum. lovely! I saw you all giggle, particularly Marcus! to say that BB was challenged and challenging whenever she didn’t get what she wanted from her parents is an understatement. Luckilly no more than 25% of the time – :roll: but am wondering what she was doing when out of our view…

So there was melrose. do you wish you had gone? you would have enjoyed it!!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, music, noises and sounds, Out and About, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

the way there

Posted on February 15, 2009 by | 3 comments

i really don’t like blogging in such retrospect!! but here goes. we were out only a little bit late, but the whole world seemed to be going to tesco and the shell petrol station, and this added a fair bit onto our journey time! But we got to The Babs street, but it was still absolutely covered with snow, and a steep incline, and we so nearly got there before slipping back!

Anyway, we got there, and got gaming straight away! i think we might have played pandemic first, and then a beany game with the kids, a bit of children playing, lovely dinner and more pandemic and bean game then powergrid. i do love playing games, and although did a wild game plan, nearly won!! we only stayed up until 2.30!!

next day and we didn’t get up v early, well, BB had kept me up half the night, and on normal getting up time i had shoved her across to chris and had an hour of 2 more sleep. but eventually we got up, dressed, had a pancake brunch and set off for Melrose.

SO, thanks to The Babs and family for a lovely night stop.

the journey up to Melrose was v straightforward, with snow only when we crossed the border, and entertained by multiple brightkites all the way up. Very happy to arrive.

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Posted in Out and About, socialisation