Category Archives: Stringbean

Action and Reaction

Posted on October 27, 2006 by | 1 comment

Monday and Tuesday felt like nothing days really regarding home ed, though there was some maths, a bit of explode the code, some bits of reading of various sorts, and probably other things, there is usually some colouring/drawing goign on most days at the moment. House has bit a right disaster zone lately (sounds familiar) – one of those situations when it gets such a mess it feels like so much effort to do something about it that you don’t. And it’s really getting in the way of doing home ed things. Which of course just makes you more fed up with it. Not helped by being out too much last week. This week we have been staying in a lot more, and no classes etc. so feeling a bit more relaxed about that as well.

So made an attack on that this week, my mum and dad came over on Tuesday to help things along (why are Mums so much more effiecent at this than us youngsters…?), and when Helen and the girls went to Little Nanny’s on Wed I satyed here, and as it rained, I worked on tidying upstairs. Our bedroom is nice and tidy again,which is always so much more relaxing.

Still more to do, esp. the utility room – sort out some more storage for HE craft/science stuff etc.. General crap and ‘stuff’ that just seems to collect around the place and paperwork etc.

Anyway, yesterday focussed on a bit more on education – Stringbean spent ages first thing drawing and colouring and picture card for Mummy. Spent a bit of time upstairs tidying Butterbean’s room, whilst the girls ‘helped’ – though moslty they played a game of climbing in the airing cupboard and shutting themselves in :roll:

After lunch, once BB was asleep for her nap, me and SB got out the Physics science kit, and had a go at that- we ended up building a little balloon powered car. Lacking a camera, we played with video camera instead, so we can inflict his on you ;-) I particularly like SB’s ‘TV presenter’ mode and her ‘blowing up a balloon’ song:

[vimeo]112777[/vimeo]

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, literacy, numeracy, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, video, writing

One day in History – Chris

Posted on October 18, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Hi, I’m aged 43, married to Helen, with 2 daughters – SB 5 3/4 and BB almost 2.

We are home educating, and I am the parent who is at home mostly with our daughters.

Helen’s car wouldn’t start this morning – battery was very flat, so I had to get up to push it out of the drive so she could take the other car. So I was up (about 7.30 – normally I am up first and before then anyhow), so enjoyed my cup of tea (or 2) in peace and quiet. Catching up on friends blogs, reading news on the BBC and Guardian websites. But it wasn’t long before youngest was up. Breakfast of cereal for her (Rice Crispies), milk, toast, and fruit. Eldest had a lie in – catching up on sleep missed with friends staying for the weekend. So me and BB had a nice time to play together, drawing and colouring, reading, playing silly giggling games, she ‘helped’ wash up. Then we all went to the library

On the way back, did notice exactly how old the old school building is (now an electronic subcontractors). It has a plaque over the door saying it was founded in 1749. Though the building was built in I think it said 1784. The were also 3 bricks high up in the wall with the date and the initials of (presumably) some of the builders. All around the doorway are scratched intials in the brick – presumably of children attending the school. I wonder just how old they are? Must be one of the oldest building in the village. Most around this bit seem to be Victorian, and are built of different brick. Also wandered back through the parish church yard, where SB likes me to read the graves stones, while I try to put the dates into some sort of context. So plenty of reflection on history, change and permanence there. Much has changed in the intervening decades and centuries, but also much is depressingly the same.

Home to coffee, reading of library books, lunch (listening to the Little Toe Radio Show via the computer). It was going to be baked beans, but no beans, so had a treat of fried eggs on toast followed by yoghurt and fruit – youngest is on real Clementine hit at the moment. We do like to eat seasonal and local produce – and we do have great local apples, plums and pears – Cambridgeshire was real plum country and there are still quite a few orchards around. Ok clementines are local, but I do try to at least wait for the European ones to come in. The first Satsumas and Clementines being an early herald of Christmas. We’ll gloss over the Bananas though.

Afternoon passed with BB having a nap, while me and SB did some maths, some of her reading to me, watched a bit of a DVD of the old David Attenborough Living Planet programme, did a few domestic tasks like sorting out some washing. Our house is failry old 150 -200 years – in parts. So often reminded of history as I move around it. Youngest wanted some grapes (we have a 100+ year old grapevine in the conservatory). We went and cut a bunch and I am reminded of the woman (who was in her 90s then) who the previous owners met in the 1980′s. Who remembered the vine being here when she lived here as child. Did she enjoy the grapes like our two?

We finished off with a drive (6 miles) to the swimming pool, for SB’s swimming lesson. Home to pasta and tomato sauce for dinner. Once children were in bed we relaxed by writing our 1 Day in History blogs. One of our friends has had a baby today. I wonder what sort of history they will be looking back on in 40 years time?

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Posted in art and crafts, Blogging, Books, Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, Ponderings, SB-PE, Stringbean

Jax and co and catchup – edited!

Posted on October 16, 2006 by | 2 comments

came to visit for the weekend. we will flickr, but I was a bit lax with my photography. the children disapperaed, BB is desperate to be one of the gang. Sb and Small took a few adjustments as she had him pegged as a BB game wrecker. Big and SB raced around having fun and very late nights! Jax taught us to make the heat little wool dolls. And we nattered. lovely weekend!

will stuff in a flickr photo when I get it though

before her arrival, some friends from leeds popped by on their way past, which was lovely. We all used to be in choir together. Their son is similar in age to BB. Much fun was had with bubbles.

forgot to blog that I had played some lovely games of set and scrabble with SB, baked with BB and done a fair bit of ‘normals’ with SB.

from the garden we have even harvested a pumpkin! Loads of brocolli is ready now as well, as a bonus

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, history, literacy, numeracy, socialisation, Stringbean, writing

Wet in Wicken

Posted on October 12, 2006 by | 4 comments

 

Ok, we didn’t actually get wet in the end, but I couldn’t  resist the alliteration.

Yesterday we went on a trip with other local HE families to Wicken Fen. A National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust that preserves a bit of the old Fenland landscape that has mostly gone now .

 But getting wet was a close run thing, before we left it was chucking it down, as it was much of the way there, but it was easing off as we got nearer ‘ look, the sky is getting lighter’ was the refrain from the back of the car. Still little rainy when we got there (just a bit early as well for us..), by the time we had all assembled (luckily inside) it had stopped. The older ones were starting off with screen printing, whilst the younger went off for some pond dipping.

 Sisters togetherGetting a better look

 They are well set up for this so have  nice big rectangular pond with wooden edges etc. for easy dipping. I think everyone managed to find various little beasties – Dragonfly Nymphs, mayfly nymphs, Water boatmen, Great Diving Beetles, tiny little Pea Mussels, water snails, and various other unidentified small wriggly/swimmy things.

Good fun and no one fell in, everytime I moved off to take a photo I thought BB would go for it.

After dipping we went off to do  bit of clay modeling. The idea was to make clay models of beasties or whatever, some did, lots just made random clay things. I think screen printing sounded more fun.

Clay Modelling

After this we headed back to main building, I was going to suggest  snack and tea stop but there was a sort of treasure hunt thing organized around the boardwalk on the reserve – where the kids had to find hidden wooden animals, by the time me and BB caught SB up, who had gone on ahead she was ready and raring to go, so we did that instead. I’m a little dubious of these sorts of ‘ let’s find all these x things’ as I feel it can just mean the kids go around looking for them and you miss out on the point of whatever place you are going to. But that’s probably me just being  grumpy old man.

Anyway, SB enjoyed it running along with the bunch of the older-younger ones (IYSWIM) looking for them. Mostly she was way ahead of me and BB, as we pootled along, chatted with other pootlers etc. She did have daft SB wail at one point when looking for something and  boy point it out – ‘ Wail, wail – I wanted to find it myself and now I can’t…..’

Come on then.

But that was easily out done by her later escapade. Heard SB wail in the distance, and some one said she had fallen off the boardwalk. Amongst the wails I was regaled of tale of really quite excellent dimness. She was ‘ running my fastest’ and so ‘ I had to have my eyes closed’ (WTF? ) – and so yes she fell off the edge of the board walk…..

I did well I thought to keep  straight face, while trying to be sympathetic.

I’m sure Katy was sniggering up ahead.

By the time we had hunted  all the animals down, I certainly was ready for lunch, so it was time for a nice  cup of tea Though it was rather damp to sit outside and BB was bit on the restless side and wanted to be outside, so a fairly short and not esp.. relaxing lunch. And the rain started up again just as we left.

Once home we just really flopped, watched an episode of Life of Mammals, played with BB etc. After dinner SB insisted she wanted to go outside ,so she was scootering around the garden in the almost darkness. Whilst BB pottered around slightly bemusedly I think.

It was a good day, the place was interesting, they had some great large cutaway models of things like the inside of  a fly etc. Certainly worth another visit. SB is now quite good friends with some of the other kids and they make  good little gang. Shame Helen wasn’t able to come (it is normally her day off of course), she was being an examiner type person.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, geography, Out and About, photos, science, socialisation, Stringbean

What we been up to then?

Posted on September 23, 2006 by | 2 comments

Oh dear, our electronic life seems to have gone AWOL lately, not much blooging or Flickr-ing – what’s the world coming to?

So, what’s been happening?

Yesterday we went to Mountfichet Castle with a few other HE families from a local group.

It is the site of a Norman Castle, though little was left above ground other than humps and bumps. A replica of an early Norman wooden motte and bailey castle has been built on the site. It was interesting – certainly looked like I would imagine it to be. but the weather put a dampener on things as it rained rather too heavily for rather too long for what is basically and outside atraction. So didn’t entirley get our moneys worth really (it was fairly expensive) as would have spent a fair bit longer there I imagine, but once we had got out of the rain we didn’t feel like going back into it.

But we did find it enjoyable and interesting, Seeing as we visit a fair few ruins it was good for Stringbean to see the variety of things that would have gone on in the castle.

When we got home just dried out, flopped and had chips for tea :-)

What else?

Thursday we were supposed to go to the next African Drama sessions, unfortunately it was cancleed at the last minute so we didn’t hear about it. So we went to the park instead with M , SB’s favourite pal from the group. Is this the ;atest in playground rides?

.

Monday was pottering about in the morning, We went Blackberrying in the afternooon and made rather lovley apple and blackberry crumble for dinner

Sunday me and the girsl went to a ‘Life in Roman Britian Day’ at a local country park. SB always enjoys this sort of thing and listens quiet intently to the talks.

We popped into see Helen at work, I thought we were bringing her lunch, but she didn’t and had had lunch, so didn’t communicate well there…..

They got a nice big slide on a heap of earth there now, and a arial ropeway thing so SB had fun on those. It was a beautifully warm day, still felt like summer.

In between times, there has been a fair bit of Explode the Coding going on – started book 4 now. and maths, moslty MPH 1B. We’d got a bit lost with what we were doing, so have been trying to work through this in a sensible order. Some reading, lost of drawing and colouring, and some writing.

The other day SB sat down with a sheaf of pages I’d printed off from Enchante dLearning a while back – a booklet about some dinosaurs. She coloured them all in – she is taken witht he idea that we had no idea what colour thet really were, so they are all a bit like Elmer the Dinosaur. Very jolly. She sat and carefully copied down the little bits of writing about each one – spent ages doing it.

She laos did a picture the other day with shadows on it. she gave each person a shadow, trees etc. Carefully all facing the same way, etc. I think this in the first tiem she has done this.

Oh that will do, moslty it’s just l;ife I guess :-)

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

Getting behind again

Posted on September 8, 2006 by | 1 comment

Monday we saw Helen off on the train on here way to Athens for a conference. We all managed to go together when she went there before a couple of years ago, but feeling a bit more broke at the moment, and the rules on drug companies paying for such things have got stricter. So me and the girls are still here. Shame, Elinor enjoyed all the ruins etc. she’s really into all the Greek Myths etc. now so would have got even more out of it now.

So we all sort of lazed and moped around bit really, Helen not feeling like she wanted to go, still all in the depths of job worry etc. But once me and the girls were back home, got the girsl into bed reasonably early and was even in my bed by about 10.30 – which is probably some sort of record.

Tuesday, can’t really remember much about the morning, had visit from a local woman who I sort of know. She is starting to HE her only just 4 yo daughter C, so she came round to look at some of the resources we use, and just generally chat about things. Monday was their ‘first day’, she used to be nursery teacher at one point and has leapt into in in very a ‘must be organised’ and ‘do stuff’ kind of way, including having a book to record everything they do in, and how well it goes, and what to do next etc. I was gently pushing our, ‘little bit of structure but mostly going with the flow and the childs interests’ approach. She did email back to say the next day had more relaxed approach which had been successful. she is interested in some of the local group stuff so I expect we will be seeing more of them, and of course SB and C had fun playing, though C didn’t like BB being on the scene once she got up, I think she liked having E to herself.

There is another HE family in the village so I’ve heard, but never yet come across them.

Wednesday SB was goign off to stay at my parents overnight somehow getting up, pottering about, going over there, doing this and that there and then coming home took most of the day. I did have to go and get BB some new shoes though. The jelly shoes nroke the night before, leaving her with two left foot wellies of the right size, a pair of too big wellies and one black patent shoe of the rightiash size (the other ones gone AWOL). So went to a nice empty :-) shoe shop and got here some shoes. BB slept in the car on the way home, so of course didn’t go to sleep until about 11pm…..
Today it was just me and BB , who did managed to sleep in to a reasonable time, spent most of the morning playing with her really, with other things such as washing fitted in around that. Lots of Playdo, looking at a few books, building towers of blocks, running around out side, playing ball, all good fun, and it’s farily concentrated attention that she doesn’t really get some much with SB around. While she napped after lunch, I treated myself to some child-free peace and quiet – I sat for a good hour in the conservatory, with a fresh brew of coffee, and a book (Da Vinci Code, not read it before, trashy but fairly entertaining) – luxury…..

Rest of afternoon disappeared in domestic tasks really, until SB came home. After dinner there was Dumbo watching before bed. I think modern computer animated films are great, but some how, knowing that people sat down it did all these older films by hand always gives me an extra pleasure. And I love the crows.

Tomorrow is ‘packing and up and going to Nics house for Monsters party’ day. Missing Helen, looking forward to seeing Helen on Saturday night at her parents.

Hope that we can shift some of the slough that’s been weighing on us some what for the last few months now.

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Posted in Butterbean, Stringbean

Roar! – Meat !

Posted on August 25, 2006 by | Leave a comment

No we haven’t all suddenly turned into rabid carnivores. Been doing some Dinosaury stuff this afternoon and it finished off before bedtime with a lot of chasing around upstairs with everyone being Dinosaurs.? SB and BB were baby T-Rex, we had to go and get meat for them to eat :-). BB loves being chased so that was very noisy.

Morning was domestic stuff – washing and stuff. then once we were eventually organised off to do some shopping. Sb had been inspired by something on Smart – or whatever the older version of Smarteenies (SB was quite excited to see Kirsten O’Brien from the Little Toe Show on there) is called which reminded us we needed to buy some more tissue paper, so we went to the stationery/art shop. Got said tissue paper – though they had? miriad colours so getting SB to choose which ones, rather than just one of each was time consuming, until the lady showed us the mixed pack.? Bought a couple of packs of Berol felt tips. We have the nremains of various cheap and free felt tip packs around the house in various places, but of course half don’t work, have lost lids, can’t find the colour you want etc. , weedy colour when it does work, and generally just a waste of time.And BB is? total pain with felt tips at the moment. So have been meaning to get some decent ones for a while. I know from school use that Berol last ages, even with lids left off, and have decent colour etc. So found some at a reduced price, so got some. SB is charged with keeping them in their packs and away from BB.

Must now try to colect all the pens/pencils/crayons etc. together and to try and rationalise them a bit and remove anything not BB proof from the general pool.

Continued via the fair trade shop in a local church – where BB entertained the woman behind the counter by singing various songs to herself – such as Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and Row, Row Row Your Boat – words not exactly intelliligible, but the tune is clear. BB seems amazingly good and picking up such tunes, I don’t remember SB being like that, -? their cafe for a snack stop – where I explained what Fair Trade was all about? and then went to see upstairs where there was an Art Exhibition by a local Art Group. Didn’t get to look at much as SB went to touch one of them, and the man who asked here not to (quite mildly) scared her apparently, so we left. She likes the stained glass windows though.

Next via the market stalls for some fruit and veg, where BB (again…) entertained the woman behind the stall by spotting the Strawberries and shouting ‘Strawb, Strawb, Strawb!’ (or somesuch) at the top of her voice :-), finished off with picking up some things in the supermarket.

Once home it was a lateish lunch with Little Toe Radio Show on listen again. Some Maths – Singapore Maths Weekly Revision book some bits about completeing number sequences. Then we looked a bit at some books/web pages about Dinosaurs as SB has been into them recently from watching the Walking With Dinosaurs series on DVD. Printed off a? few things from Enchanted Learning, while SB went off to draw a picture of a wobbly house made of Jelly with her new felt tips…… Then it was time for a bit of Explode the Code followed by colouring in a Dinosaur maths puzzle – T-Rex, her favourite, of course, which Helen joined in with as she got home about now.

BB’s milestone of the day was to ask for something on the TV. Doing her shouting, push/pull you thing she got me into the living room, pointed at the TV, pointed at the ‘on’ button, pointed at the DVD box :-). So I settled her down with the Clangers DVD. I went toff to get one with dinner, but she evidently wanted me in there becuase she kept coming after me shouting ‘Back, Back’. so in the end, I put it on the laptop in the kitchen. Which was ok until she started hitting keys and buttons…….

Which is where we came in really.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, IT, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, science, Stringbean, writing

Sports Day

Posted on July 23, 2006 by | 9 comments

On Wednesday we had a sports day with a local Home Ed group. nothing to dramatic, so little team races -run back and forth, doing stuff like squats and sit ups, sacks race, egg and spoon, tug of war, daft dressing up race etc. didn’t have to run too far, so although it was very hot (supposed to be around 35- 36 a bit later) we had lots of shade from big trees and there was a nice little breeze to cool us down a bit. Races were followed by a picnic. it was great fun anjoyed by kids and grownups a like. I recommend it to any local groups. afterwards we cooled off by the paddling pools.

Really, Flickr tells the story better than words.

Worst part of the day was driving 40 mins home in the hot humid late afternoon in car in which the aircon isn’t working -esp. if you are a Mum with persistent migraine :-( Much flaking out once we got home


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Posted in Butterbean, Out and About, photos, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean

mum and dad

Posted on June 28, 2006 by | Leave a comment

mostly a day talking tactics for the future and gardening. its nice to have some help in the garden. Dad gave the topiary a good trim, mum and i weeded, SB watered and BB pulled up to veg – sigh!

SB did do some obvious home ed stuff – she did some explode the code, read some raiders and rioters book, and then some history with mum – mostly mediaeval bits and pieces. She is starting to read words out and a bout – which is nice, even if it was predominantly shed [garden centre] and getting more and more proficient with mental maths of adding and subtracting over a ten. She did some nice singing for my mum, and lots of maze books.
Most of the day was playing though. I think my uncertainty is not helping the girls, as SB more waily at the moment, and mimicking BB for the attention.

BB also had fun today. pottred around, started undressing upstairs as poopoo – so we might start potty training in the good weather. she enjoyed the sandpit and the brio track the most.

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Posted in Butterbean, gardening, General, literacy, music, numeracy, Stringbean, writing

Muddlepuddle Camp Snippets

Posted on June 22, 2006 by | 8 comments

Helen has already blogged on Kessie, but I was reminded of things looking at the piccies.

So here are few of my personal snippets, in no particular order.

Ducks – One of her words of the week. Butterbean was endlessly running off to the bridge to look for ducks (which was rather tiresome at times…), and would look over both sides either commenting on the ducks she could see, or hopefully calling out ducks if their weren’t any. When they came into the campsite she was ecstatic :-) I do think my plan for tethering her down in the middle of the camopsite had merit though
Dik-dik – BB’s word for biscuit which she used endlessly.

Small boys - Small boy ‘holding up’ another boy with his water pistol. ‘Show me your willy or I won’t be your friend’ – ‘victim’ was happy to oblige :-)

Playing – the endlessly playing was lovely to watch, the big space opposite us was well used once the other tents had departed. Having friends and space and time to just play and play like that in the sun must be some sort of kiddie heaven.

Water pistols – well it was perfect water pistol weather/territory

Small Girls - one minute sitting playing with dollies, playing babies etc. then arming themselves up with water pistols for a battle :-)

Layla’s rants – I particulary liked the ‘come near this cake and I’ll chop off your arm’ one to assorted children desperate for chocolate cake.

Biggest embarrasment? – Knobbling Emma’s BMW. BB got her keys and dangled them into a mug of juice – which wasn’t very good for the remote keyfob/immobiliser thingy. Only discovered it wouldn’t work of course once they were all packed and the kids hidden by lots of gear….. Arrghhh! – Luckily the RAC man was able to dry it out with much blowing inside with his airjet.

Teapot – tea is designed to be made in a pot, not dangling a tea bag in a mug. So how can you not take a teapot camping. It also makes it much easier to keep your neighbours supplied ;-)

Chillin’ – so which tent shall we go and sit outside (and drink aforesaid tea) now….?

Gazebo’s? - you can never have two many gazebo’s at a Muddlepuddle camp. What is intriguing about them is the magnetic effect they havee on people – they even collect under them in the dark when there is no shade benefit to be gained.

Small children and shops – Well it probably was a bad idea? to let Big, Small and SB go to the shops by themselves – Big to get bread, Small and SB to get sweets.? Poor Small didn’t get his sweets, Buig did get bread, and her and SB each got? lolly, though apparently Big took the one SB wanted – she is still complainign about this. Just what confusion they sowed in the shop can only be inagined :-)

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Posted in Butterbean, Daft Stuff, Out and About, Stringbean