Category Archives: photos

And then I had insomnia – sigh

SO lets gloss over a rather long night and get on with the day. Started in style with SB being sick – she was rather interested to note the brown bits were her pitta bread. Hmm. She is complaining a bit of tummy ache, but the amount of screeching and bouncing that has gone on today belies her claim for special treatment because she is not feeling well…

We have had a jiggle about of things in the playroom – and a second hand table takes the place of the cute little one, as this limits BB’s chances of ruining whatever SB is doing. So we started the day propery by playing UNO on it, a bit of beading and then SB got out her leappad and the phonics set. Whilst we did this, BB has got the hang of sitting and pushing along with her feet on her pushalong, so careered around the house – quite deadly to ankles!
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We then started making her plaster of paris box, that she chose herself [ok, eith some slight direction] from Tesco yesterday. She was very good at mixing and making sure it wasn’t spilled everywhere, and with the pouring, so we filled the mold and removed when set. It should be dry tomorrow to paint.

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A lot of legoing went on, and SB made a castle – well, she also made an alien and a tower, but BB got them! It looked a bit like the tower of london, so we discussed traitors and elizabeth the first in a low key way.

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Since I’d got the lego out to incorporate BB into the game, they then moved into some wierd imagination of SB’s game where shewas queen, and BB either a dog or a servant, and she threw things and BB brought them back – which she did, but much giggling between them – so great to watch – even if abandoned lego coating the floor in its usual lethal way!

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We then had a singing session – and BB is getting the hang of actions, and is particularly good at wind the bobbin up. in fact, she often asks for this song by gentle raaring and doing the winding action – very cute. I then read 3 of the barefoot book of animal tales – SB had particularly wanted a snake story, and the one in that is a good one. Because I was then voiceless without a cup of tea, she did some explode the code – only lesson 11 and the first book is finished – well done SB!

Chris stuck up the coathook for the kiddicoats, and Sb and BB were an adoring audience whilst I removed the lego minefield and took the opportunity to hoover – not that the carpet looked any nicer when finished. I need an Adymachine!

As soon as BB saw her coat she was quite clear it was time to go out, so she got kitted up and went for a pootle in the backgarden with Chris whilst me and SB opened the trial extension of education city and she did some more of the year one english – which she is enjoying. I would prob pay for it despite finances if you could just choose 2 years rather than one. Can’t remember the home-educators deal either?

Anyway, both children been in wild mode since just before tea, and having a bath now as I need peace and quiet – though monitor is on, and I’m trying to blog quickly to be done before SB gets down. I do enjoy this home-ed lark. Just wish i did more of it.

The many faces of Butterbean

Getting back into the swing.

Short and sweet here I think.

Other than breakfast etc. don’t think anything much happened before heading out to the library. As ever? handing the books is wasn’t straight forward. Some of the books om SB’s card that we took out last week weren’t appearing on her list of books out – though they were down as being on loan.? We have another book which has gone AWOL in the house and we’ve run out of renewal-ability. So that had to be marked down as ‘lost’ except it isn’t they call it something else and we get another 3 months to find it without fines racking up. Sigh….

A bit of story time, a bit of colourign and sticking, making a pancake in a frying pan, as ever we were the last to finish as SB can’t be dragged away from? bit of sticking easily. Then again she is the oldest by? a long way now of course, all her same age? compatriots are in school I assume.

Home, followed by putting coats on again to go back as we left the craft work behind…… luckilly it is about a minutes walk away.

Home, rapidly gave BB some food, otherwise she tends to want/need? a sleep around 12, falls asleep and misses lunch. So she had? nibble of bread and cheese and then fell asleep in her highchair. So me and SB lunched and I read the aforesaid Mr Men books, with pauses for? quick gander at the Grauniad ‘I’ve read two, i’m just having? little rest and drink of coffee….’

Rough order of play for rest of day was some Maths ‘Match and Sort’. I wonder how long we will keep referring to it as that ? – ‘Match and Sort was the first ‘workbooky’ thing she did many moons ago (and loved). It was easy stuff for her really, just addition within 10? – tiem to move her one a bit, her subtraction is ok, might try a bit of simple multiplication seeing as she was sort of thingking about that in the car the other day. SB watching a DVD for a bit a German cartoon series called ‘Little Hippo’ – in German, BB coming into the garden with me for she pottering around, me ditto a bit, taking some piccies of her. Finshed pruning the Wisteria. Sat in the conservatory for ,little bit once we got cold, thinking that vine must be pruned pronto before it starts into growth again – maybe tomorrow. A bit more ‘work’ from SB – Expode the Code. did one of her simople crafty things from her birthday A pre-swim snack time, swmming lesson for SB, home, chips for tea, ready for bed, BB asleep, Helen home just in time before SB due to go, so she got? bit longer up.

Helen on call, had? very long day and home late, so off to bed at? sensible time. Me not so sensible….

I liked this photo though – even though it’s not quite focussed on the right place.

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A Drama Day

SB ‘mummy, don’t sing, I’m allergic to it’ [tough!]

Anyway, day started with total inability to get SB out of the house – I can’t remeber how much wailing went on! Daddy didn’t let her walk on the bath edge, I didn’t put her tights on [in the shower!], Daddy mustn’t help as I had said do it herself etc etc! So finally – way late – got in car and trotted off to Merry’s. we did, however [AVERT EYES CHRIS] do Daddy’s birthday card – and very nicely too.

I’d better say this early – Merry made a fantastic lunch, and all plates cleared! It was home edders Pasta Special – yummy yummy! Girls all played together, though SB not the only drama queen of the day. Probably Melrose come down syndrome! luckilly Merry had a plan B and we did PVA/tissue paper suncatchers and bowls. They’re still all wet so cluttering Merry’s house – rofl!

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We did manage to have a good gossip though in between wailing children, and also used the new-to-us camera. So a really nice day, in spite of probable overtired children! BB and Josie had fun playing with, beside and arguing over various toys. What also made me laugh was at the end with the shiny ball, Fran was quite determined josie should be the winner, and popped it out of BB’s hand for Josie to get, and SB was equally determined that BB should have it, so did the same to Josie. Luckilly it seemed more of a game than a fight to the death!

on the way back, SB started counting in the back of the car, and we gradually realised she was working out the 2 times table. She did it very well [apart from 2×7=13! So I dotted about the 2 and 3 times table for her. Some she was obviously counting up, and some she just came out with the answer. She also said with a voice of wonder that six could be 2 lots of 3, or 3 lots of 2. And we worked out that as 2 lots of 6 were 12 [one of those she could just do] and 2 lots of 3 were 6, then 4 lots of 3 should be…12! So a full scale mental maths lesson on the way home of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. She was surprisingly agile.

At home, SB was in full crash and burn mode, so read 4 of the usborne stories from around the world, and then settled her with cbeebies, a quick tea, and the a soooo protracted going to sleep, as she was a night owl again, so got cuddled to sleep. By this time BB woken up, so thats our evening sorted. [Chris has got her again].

I did watch the apprentice – someone give that girl a tranquiliser! haven’t started tagging the Melrose pics, and can’t put todays up out of sync [rofl at my listmaking tendencies!] Will start now, though actually should be sorting a number of more urgent work related tasks instead.

Back in action.

Ah, that’s better :-)

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Melrose

after reading others blogs, it is difficult to know what to write!

We did have a lovely time, and I think between us talked to everyone. SB had a ball, and played with all age ranges. She was loving and kind to the littlies, and the oldies were loving and kind to her. I never heard Kennedy and Hannah’s placing for her, but think it might have been bossy…

It was much more comfortable this Melrose knowing most of the people.

Things: well, luckilly the Morrocan stew seemed to go OK, and it was all eaten up. So i think I might do that again. Perhaps with rice rather than couscous, as although the cous cous was far easier [once Alison and sorted it out from exploding out of the saucepans – it was a right PItA for sweeping up from the floor!! Good sous chefs and conversationalists in Alison and Karen for the veg chopping, and Jax was in charge of rice.

Trips:The little roman trimonutium museum in town is lovely. SB really got a lot out of it, and we were in there for some time. She particularly liked the roman game, the pictures, and getting dressed up with the clobber and sitting on the horse! Apologies to Jonathan and Jan for her inclusiveness when they were probably looking for some family time!

We went round the abbey this time, just before closing. the warden was great, and allowed SB to lock all the big doors. we talked about home-ed – which his sister is doing! It was a little bit chilly…

A hooray for leandra organising the Jed Forest outing. Yes, I know it was totally brass monkeys weather, but unless leandra really is a goddess, I can’t see how that could be avoided… SB loved being able to have the hawk land on her. She also asked some sensible questions!!!! The chicken moment was the best really. Its not often you get to really see how good they are as birds of prey! The chappie doing the demonstration was cute, and although the farmer not cute, he did talk to SB about the deer and ponies in the sheds.

We also managed to get to the swimming pool without getting lost – hooray! SB did some swimming, but mostly tried to cling onto Joanna [already laden with 2 of her own] or Jonathan, who also was dragging 2 around! BB loved the pool.

Other People: well, there were very noticeable changes in some of the children – ‘Little Chick’ who does indeed now talk, and talked to me for a bit. also Small, who in adding talking to his repertoire seems way older! Some of the older girls are definitely proto-teenagers – somewhat scary! Manny thanks to Violet for her organising SB, and allowing her to be in the play at the last minute. A born Head Prefect that girl! [maybe we should make some prefect badges for next year - give them the task of keeping the middle ones happy??] SB played with loads of different people, and had an absolute ball. Some predictable falling outs with equally strong-willed girls, but quickly resolved. i had lovely evenings of chatting, though didn’t actually drink much [shame!] with as many people as possible.

US: well, SB had a great time, playing with all sorts really. i thought all the children goit on really well. The age ranges of the people playing were fluid, and that is one of the things I erally like about home-ed. Port and Starboard seemed to be quite a favourite, and other wierd counting games involving the staircase that I never quite sorted out. I actually missed SB a lot, as in my hols i do like full-on parenting mode, but she had a riot! BB enjoyed poddlilng about. As predicted, she did have rather a thing for the saucepan lids… She did seem to play with rather than just alongside the other triplets and R, J and L. Chase was her favourit game. BB also seemed to love the disco – doing her groovy dance moves [rofl]

things I missed: well, actually the resource table to look at. Also everyone who went home early! I didn’t realise some where leaving, so never said goodbye.
Hmm, may add more to this blog later! Anyway, thankyou Merry for doing a great organisational job.

oh, and although all my photos already on flickr via Mery [as she kindly lent us her camera as I was going to suffer major withdrawal otherwise!], I will put them up again i our bit and then add them from there.

Withdrawal symptoms

Arrived home a little while ago from Muddlemuddle Camp at Melrose, via a couple of days stopover at Helen’s Aunt and Uncle’s house. Lovely time, only marred by the decision of our camera to stop working on the first day :-(. So now got the twitches as don’t get to download ooodles of piccies to the ‘puter on arrival home. Ok I know Merry sub contracted out her photo taking to us at Melrose, and that we got to see lots of them atheir anyway, but it just aint the same. Beside’s we missed lots of nice photo taking opportunities yesterday when we went to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Proper blog to follow no doubt , time to try an ignore children so I can catch up on some blogs :-)

Party and packed :-)

Had a good joint birthday party for SB with Maddy (of Patch of puddles) at Activity World, of those in attendance who might blog it are alos busy prepapring for Melrose Muddlepuddle camp. so ‘a good tiem was had by all’ is about all you’ll likley get here. SB wa spleased to ahve some of here good friends come and pleased as well that soem of them are staying over here tonight, none seem to ahve got to the sleeping stage yet though. Plenty piccies, but flickr will have to wait. Edited to add flickr photos – the last our camera will ever take, as didnt work the next day – who knows why!
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To finish off a nice day the car is pretty much packed for tomorrow, and what isn’t is on the list on the fridge, so no real, excuse for not getting away on time tomorrow. Really looking forward to it.

Merry took some really nice piccies

When can it be bedtime?

Well, we did the experiment at lunchtime, and have just reviewed the results after tea. rather unsurprisingly, vinegar, diet coke and brown sauce made the shiniest coins. red wine made one of the [a canadian one] shiny, and the other [english] not. milk and bicarb made no difference. So we went back to teeth and looking after them.

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In the afternoon, SB did another heart sticker thing for valentines day and rather a lot of jump ahead maths. We had a peer at the crystal experiment. The stones are still floating, and very little on them, but obviously a nice crystal growing on a preciptate on the bottom! So will be a success ater all.
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I took my eye off the banana loaf, so it is a bit overdone – not too dreadful though! She and chris picked up her library books from the library, and so we had a readathon! The afternoon was finished with her ballet class, and she and chris cycled there and back on the tandem.

of course massive wailing to actually get her out of the house on time. How is it that my teeth can grit so hard, and yet i manage to get words out? i am trying not to shout with frustration, but am aware that both of us need to perhaps work a bit on our tone not sounding so violent as well! It would help if she could, for once, just do something without lots of i’m justs, walking off, and sundry other delaying tactics. She does actually want to go though. i think the fact that we had yet another broken nights sleep doesn’t help any of us really.

BB has done lots of dolly loving – i’m sure she is nearly saying baby. Also playing with this metal car she has taken a fancy too – and doing a brr kind of sound with it. She has also dived head first off the sofa. Didn’t cry though – is that more worrying?? oh, and lots of dance mat moves! i like the twirl around [in slo mo] move she now has too.

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Both girls ate the stirfry nicely – well done particularly for SB as she’s not keen on peppers, cashews or courgettes, and they were all included, though I made sure she mostly had brocolli and tofu. And before that, she had tidied her bedroom as well. So she really is a helpful girl, just at her own pace not ours!

There is wailing upstairs at the bath. So i’ve had ooh, 9 mins on my own!! Other plus of the day, was my argument with Catipol1 about bank chrages, whih they took off – after a concerted discussion with someone more senior.

These are just some other photos I liked
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Where is that seller of peace and quiet when you need him?

I am in desperate need of some, as is Chris.

both girls gave us an appalling evening, and the night was made perfect by Sb doing a very uncharacteristic wee in our bed – mostly over Chris! So we have started the day in sleep-debt mode. the girls, being also short of sleep have been particularly loud.

Another bad start to the day was that the library is shut, so no picking up library books – cue an inordinate amount of wailing!

So we begin, with a mad dash into town and then sight tests for 3 – just under 2 hours worth!! Actually both girls were very good. SB doesn’t need glasses, but was obviously under the inpression that the optometrist was deaf, as she bellowed out the letters. i shew particularly good coordination by bf BB through part of my test! Outcome is that my eyes minimally worsened, so can keep present specs, though they are showing quite a bit of scratching [that will be keeping them then!]. Chris is getting old – as starting to be borderline for reading glasses – eek! While i had my test, SB drew a lovely picture of a house with our 2 cats, and wrote miaow 2ce. once forwards, and once in true mirror writing. Again she can’t tell the difference??

Nipped round town to get some more paints, and a god-awful photo to go in passport application [only lost the thing in sept, and had no driving licence since may!] And shed loads of apricots and sultanas for the morrocan wotsit I have agreed to cook at Melrose. I’ll have to whizzle them up at home and stuff in the fridge.

Home for lunch. SB still doing the addition pages of Singapore maths 1a. We read a couple of red nose readers, and then planted an avocado stone and some lemon pips. The conservatory was gloriously hot, so that will help the aubergines. about 2/3 germinated at best. The broad beans have romped whilst i wasn’t looking and outgrown propagator, and some blackening of tips, so fingers crossed for survival!

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oh well! Chris and SB went to the bottle bank with all our glass – nicely following on from today’s webland extravaganza, where she was most interested in the recycle bit. She seems to think if we had zips we could turn our plastic into jumpers though – hmm!

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BB has a bit of a love affair with baby dolls at the moment, as is being quite gorgeous with the loving.

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She is also getting more and more interested in ‘making marks with purpose!’

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When they returned from the recycling bank, SB wanted a grape feast, so we harvested the last of the grapes, sat in the rather lovely conservatory and I read her 2 more just so stories. We both really love these, and the language just rolls off the tongue [mellifluous!].

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BB and Chris filled up the bird feeders, and had a bit of a troll around the garden. We haven’t got the pond netting up, so had a bit of a panic about that! MUST DO! I met someone just last week who lost her firstborn to a pond accident. So no excuses hey.

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It was jolly cold out, so we have all warmed up with prolonged dance mat excercises! They are great fun. Even BB thinks they are great – in fact it was her who insisted it was got out. BB and SB have played together a fair bit today as well – lots of chase and noisy games, lovely to see. I was a bit worried about there being a large age gap, but they both seem to love each other greatly anyway.

As the evening has gone on, the decibel level has ramped up, and the silliness quotient, so Chris and I both frazzled now. they are both down from their bath, and it sounds like we have a schoolfull. I need to make a sponge, and I might try a banana and walnut loaf for melrose [sorry Katy!

giving up on baking due to unruly – or at least unsleepy little ones.

Have however looked at romans and vision!