Category Archives: Stringbean

so far so good

Posted on December 31, 2005 by | 3 comments

we have had a good day today so far.

Sb did 4 pages of explode the code 1 – 2 more than she said she was going to do. She’s getting good at it, though does have to ask me for the americanisms [pal and gas and going to bat!] Today she didn’t want me to watch her do it either, and just came when she had a query – excellent!! So whilst she was doing that, I played roll the ball and run to Mummy with BB.

I then read to her the new years eve section of the barefoot book while the bear sleeps. this has been a good buy, and has stories for various dates though the Winter calnedar for various faiths and cultures. todays was African American. We did think of making a bean soup/stew like the story, but when I found some recipes, SB decided she didn’t fancy it after all. instead, I took the leftovers of mashed potatoes and some sweetcorn and made fritters with them for lunch. With some fruit, so not as entirely unhealthy as it sounds!

Sb then did some of the story and numbers section of jump Ahead 2000 year 1 – again all on her won, with me in the room for advice. SO BB and I played click clack caterpillar , funky footprints, chase and read some of her books.

We all played Mummies and Daddies [surprise] and SB was a working mummy ballet teacher – dancing and singing galore! while BB was our baby. When they stopped for an apple, I read the first China section from story of the world which included the silkworm story. SB remembers silkworms from another barefoot book – the silk road – so we had a bit of a discussion about them and materials. we found China on the globe. SB decided I was to be a geography teacher, so we went through the lattitude, longitude, equator, seasons and day and night thing – which she seems fairly comfortable with now. Since Chris and I did the trans siberain train journey in our youth, we chatted about that, and the different ways of getting to China and how long they mght take.

Chris and Sb then fixed her tassles to her bike, and have gone off for a ride to the park. BB and I had a play and I sang some folk tunes. She is fitfully sleeping as I type, but must wake by about 3.30 at latest [will be 1 hour] so that we break the really late night crapness for my sanity sake.

Its nice to get back to a bit of normality. I keep trying to work out how I could effect change in my life so that I get to do more of this. I discussed it at some length with my clinical director, but my job doesn’t make it so easy. And I do enjoy my job, so woudln’t want to change it altogether.

I’ve also been fiddling with family tree, as inherited from cousin Anne who died this May – she had traced part of it back to 1600′s. After popping it onto genes reunited [thats your fault KatyB!] was immediately contacted by someone who had been working with Anne to trace part of it. So thats another thing i would like time for.

Ah, the cold beans are back – time to go back to my life. SB demanding hot chocolate, and Chris says she can have it if she can spell it – meanie!

edited to add that we finished the day with playdough – lots of it, pretend baking, monster making etc etc. vietnamese stew with rice for tea – so very healthy!

3 Comments

Posted in Books, Butterbean, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

‘Twas the night before xmas

Posted on December 24, 2005 by | 2 comments

Well, not quite, but it is xmas eve now. And the house is quiet, as everybody else is in bed. So I’m enjoying the peace and quiet with a last minute cuppa.and probably no time to blog xmas eve night.

More ticks off the list, even if BB didn’t help, poor little stick. Deleiberated for some tim with MIL over how many Brussels sprouts we needed, and was there enouhg ion the veg order. Bought an extra Kilo, confidently expect to ahve a kilo extra left over :-)

Various things bought by me or Mother-in-law. Teapot, cheap,totaly tasteless table mats for hot dishes, extra roasting pan , tablecloth, etc. Wondered why I couldn’y find ‘Just Brazils’ anywhere in any shop it seemed – oh well bought ptobably nicer Thorntons version. I like going shopping at this point, where I’ve just got to pick up a few non-pressie items really, whilst nearly everyone else seems to be laden down with armfuls of bags. Popped into Waitrose for a few items, which actually felt busy for a change. Even had some decent queues. Realised you get better sort of queue in Waitrose though as we got offered some small cups of fizzy wine and sweeties by some of the staff. In Tesco the other day I just got told off for overloading the belt with bottles……

Me and SB got the cake decorated tonight, bit of last minute effort, and pleased in the end I didn’t find any xmas-y cake decs in the shops. Did simple spikey/snow scene Royal icing (bit late I know), SB applied plenty of silver balls, finished off witha few holly leaves and berries on the top and round the base. Actually looks quite good in a rough and ready way. also made a veg Goulash for tomorrows dinner (smoked paprika – yummy) and prepared the soup for slow cooking in the oven tomorrow morning – a nice couple of hours pottering in the kitchen by myself.

A few outstanding ticks on the list, moslty a bit of sorting of stuff for the guests – in particular need to do the curtain track in SB’s bedroom tomorrow morning, but the freezer and fridge are stuffed, pantry is looking like a pantry should at xmas, more goodies, and copious wine etc. lurk in the cellar, tree is beautiful, pressie are under the tree, SB so excited by it all – for the first time really.Feeling pretty organised actually. (soon to be disabused come xmas morning …..)

Really looking forward to it all, will be so good to have a houseful

So Christmas – bring it on :-)

Have a good one everybody.

2 Comments

Posted in Cooking, General, Stringbean

Well that flummoxed her.

Posted on December 20, 2005 by | 3 comments

Went to the story time at the library this morning – just as well, pre-xmas week meant only us another mum and kiddie and the mum and kiddie doing the stories. Someone asked stringbean what she wanted for xmas, to which she looked a bit blank for awhile, until she remembered that she’d seen a pink music box in a catalogue. I realised that we don’t really do (or at least haven’t yet) the whole ‘ what do you want for xmas’ thing, and try not to make big deal of the present thing – xmas is for being together with family, having fun etc etc. – it seems to have some impact, though show her toy catalogue and she is away :-) This years she does seem genuiely excited by the whole thing – and being in our house with all the preps going on probably adds to that.

Other than making lots more cards i’m not sure what else went on for much of today as I spent an inordinate amount of time on what I realised was probably best part of a 40-50 mile round trip to pick up the Freecycle-ed cooker, getting electrical bits to wire it in before the weekend, curtain track for SB’s room and other gubbins. Totally lost my patience with tedious urban driving now since I mostly drive on country roads, or small towns – cities are such hard work……

On the subject of new rooms, I am pleased with SB’s new room, – a vision in pink and lilac – with a dash of yellow – it’s so her. Though the preparation and subsequent finish is not as good as I would like – time pressures. but the new bunk bed means that I can’t kiss SB goodnight (as I’ve done for as long as I remember) before I go to bed as it’s to high :-(

did want to almond paste the cake tonight but time just went, too late now. Not too late to clean the kitchen floor though.

3 Comments

Posted in General, Stringbean

You can put it on the blog

Posted on December 18, 2005 by | 4 comments

Stringbean is getting the hang of this. Twice in the last few days she has got me to take photos, and told me that I can ‘put them on the blog so that everyone can see it’ :roll: :-)

Firstly on Friday when she did this at the Puddlers group:

IMG 1331

Never knowingly under pom-pom-ed our girl…..

Then today, after she had been clearing out the melted chocolate bowl:

Chocolate chops

4 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, photos, Stringbean

More home comings

Posted on December 9, 2005 by | 5 comments

Been away in Okehampton with some other HE friends, just releaxing after the journey home, which was rather more tedious than the outward one. We left a bit later for homeward journey and hit the busier roads at the homeward end. In particular road works + heavy evening traffic = long queues which meant the last 30-40 miles took about an hour longer than it should have.

We had a great time, maybe blog bit more later, big highlight of the week though was Butterbean really getting a grasp of walking and showing it off to all and sundry, time to find the camera and upload the piccies and sort out some dinner. Stringbean slept in the last bit of the journey so don’t expect an early night

5 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Out and About, Stringbean

BB Birthday

Posted on November 20, 2005 by | 10 comments

Well, the day was lovely, as it was mostly about socialising with friends. We had Monster and Teeny staying and Merry and girls accross to visit too. Me and my girls were rather tardy getting up, and soon got stuck into socialising and party tea making. the children helped to make jelly, adn then were soley responsible for the artistic decoration of the birthday cake – which I thought looked great. There was some encouragement to put it on the cake rather than eat the icing mixture and sprinkles…

Main games were brio and happy street, but a lot of imagination with the bald eagle toy, and then the fun of blowing up balloons. In the afternoon we opened BB’s pressies and had party tea, and just mingled, which kids and adults alike enjoyed. Will miss Nic for the glass of wine tonight though.

Chris’s parents came across with a lovely trifle and chocolate cake – yummy! SB really excited to see her. They also rather enjoyed being lord and lady in the dining room!! Oh, and thanks very much to Ady for the pouch for Johns bionic device.

Ady has taken some great piccies of our house, thankyou, and I will be flikring lots of party shots.

I am enjoying having blogvisits, and not forgotten you Katy. Nic suggested we should try 2 families at once!

www.flickr.com

10 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General, photos, socialisation, Stringbean

from SB – plus short addendum

Posted on November 15, 2005 by | 1 comment

SB wants everyone to know she has had a glass accident just like Amelie! Chris dropped the cafetiere ans she went to investigate rather too quickly. unlike Amelie, she didn’t get to ride in an ambliance [her word] since i could get it out and wrap it up without all the torrential bleeding. Have made it look good with a bandage, so they can compare notes!!!

edited: having decided to go to bed any second, will log my evening. managed to leave work at 5 – so not bad. got home and SB had drawn a piccie for me, told me about her stickign at library. they had made pizza dough, so we had pizza for tea – yummy. SB did some maths – yahay – primary maths 1a number bonds of 6 and 7. she has really got the concept of these, and plays with the joining units to see differnt wayws of making things. since i have been doing the kakuro, she also does 3 way splits too. Otherwise we had the spontaneous first aid display – and discussion of circulation and levels of the heart. BB jolly wee thing – more ta, passing things, and she was very interested in the first aid display too. At present asleep in cot [lay your bets please!!]. Now I will say goodnight too.

1 Comment

Posted in art and crafts, General, numeracy, science, Stringbean

Baby-blogbumping

Posted on November 14, 2005 by | 3 comments

Highlight of the day was a ‘Mudlepuddle Triplets’ get together at Patch of Puddles as Trying our Best made a visit there. As Merry commented, it’s fascinating how different they are.

All the kids had great time with much raucousness -there was a big session of playing party games such as musical statues, musical chairs, sleeping lions etc. Ended the day watching Barbie and the Magical Pegasus or whatever it is called. Quite cute, they all sat around on the floor in part circle in front of the TV witht he lights off – looked like a cinema.

Proper Flickring of the photos will have to wait until tomorrow (Drive home late enouhg for children to sleep didn’t entirley work, SB woke, but did go off to bed ok, BB still not in bed at 11pm….), but here is a taster:

IMG_0407

What cute threesome :-)

A nice time, thanks Merry : -)

What else happened here then?

Breakfast, organised and out to the doctors, home where BB had nap and me and SB read her ‘Barbie’ mag we bought in the shop. Then we made a little jewellery box out of the mag and then also some braclets so much gluing and sticking fun was had.

Then time for lunch, she had been going on about ‘Barbie and the magical Pegasus’ or somesuch video which she had seen part of before at The Puddles and was advertised in the mag, so got out the books and looked at who/what Pegasus was, then browsed the book. SB was taken by soemsort of Aztec mask, so we looked at where the Aztecs came from on the globe. She mentioned about the globe and night and day and summer winter, but was a bit jumbled about it (fair enough – she’s not 5 yet, I find 15 year olds who can’t grasp it….). so BB in her highchair became an impromtu Sun and we moved the globe around it talking about what a year is, what a day/night is, how the tilt of the earth affects the length of day, the seasons etc.

Though surely over her head at times, she seems to like to be given good explainations of things, so it’s always interesting to see what sticks. I over heard her this evening telling Helen about some of it at least.

After lunch SB played with Cindy/Barbie upstairs, while me a BB pottered about until Helen came home and we headed off to the Puddles

3 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, geography, history, Out and About, photos, science, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Meal Swapping

Posted on November 12, 2005 by | 10 comments

In a blogring way, we cooked Sarahs aubergine and chickpea casserole for tea – very nice, and now see she is planning beetroot rissoto.

I think Chris and I are too tired. Work is very full on – and I guess will always be so, so I feel that I am full on in every aspect of my life, with little opportunity to catch my breath and just waste time! BB not sleeping, and my dreadfulness at going to be early combine to make me permanently sleep deprived as well. I notice that Chris and I get short with SB at times when we wouldn’t have done before. I shouted today, and have felt dreadful since, as it was just about putting her coat on – not life shattering at all. She had refused, I said fine, we got to the car and she was complaining she was cold, so I shouted. Sigh.

Chris and I need to work on this, as SB doesn’t respond well to being shouted at, and it is usually entirely unneccesary, just a release of our frustration. With my working, she is always keen to stay up as late as she can push it to play with me, and I can’t help but want to play with her. This, though, is also not helping, as I think she is sleep deprived too, and much more likely to wail at the slightest thing, therby setting mine/Chris’s teeth on edge, etc etc – you see how this goes. I think, as soon as I’ve got the things at work vaguely running, I can try not to stay late – I’m often back at 7ish on Tues and Thurs, so that we avoid those being late nights, and potentially try and leave a bit earlier on the Mon and Fri to be back by 4:30 – 5ish if i can.

Anyway, to today. I got up late – another poor night, not helped by SB going to bed so late, that i stayed up unneccessarily later etc etc! We went to stagecoach [and I shouted about coats]. SB always reluctant to go, though enjoys it whilst there, and we haven’t renewed to go next term. We might try it or something similar again when she is older. I am not totally happy with stagecoach anyway, as I think they teach the children bad singing techniques – ie louder and false american with smiles, rather than concentrating on tunefullness. However, thought she would love it – how wrong! While SB there, me and BB had a nice walk around the nearby country park – good for my cobwebs, and giving BB her own time.

the weather was so lovely I promised SB we could eat outdoors for lunch – so we did, warmly wrapped. Chris had made potato and leek soup – yummy.

I the afternoon, I read SB a magazine and a story whilst BB fed and then dozed and she did spiral drawing. We then spent quite a long time painting and did blow painting and stamp painting. a rather imaginative under the sea picture with handprints as seaweed and the fish/shell stamps. she even drew a safe path for divers.

She then coloured in a picture for a present for me. BB woke up so we had a fair bit of playing all together. Mostly with the stacking cups and the moving tortoise, with SB also using the spacehopper to bounce up and down the hall – to BB’s bemusement.

Later I read most of the Roman Usborne time traveller to SB, and we had a look for Italy and Rome on the globe, discussed empires vs kingdoms, capital cities, slaves and the rather horrible roman games! We did a page of thinking skills in maths 1a. I am feeling guilty about the lack of formal maths at the moment, so will try and gradually creep it in. Yep, I know not autonomous, but then I don’t pretend to be autonomous, just generally child led, but would feel more comfortable with a ‘normals’ set up in addition.

Tea was the well received aubergine and chickpea casserole, and then some story reading and general looking at our globe before bed, and the magic faraway tree at bed.

To tell the truth, I am wondering whether we are a bit slack to be home educators, as SB such a bright spark that part of me thinks we should really be managing to do normals, and let the rest be child led. Somehow, we don’t. its not a worry so much now, as she isn’t even compulsary ed age, and I do think formal education is pushed far too early, and yet….. [everything we did today bar stagecoach was truly autonomous]

10 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, music, numeracy, Ponderings, Stringbean

A wooing we shall go.

Posted on November 9, 2005 by | 9 comments

Well Stringbean anyway, though of course Butterbean does her ‘Smiley chuckle-y baby’ thing to anyone who looks at her for more than a few microseconds :-) On Monday it was the lady in the farm shop, yesterday it was various people – the ‘library ladies’, the lady in the dance shop, in Woolies, in the cafe, in Waitrose…… I think its’ the confident way that she starts up chatting to people, and telling them something in that ‘well it’s important to me so you must be interested’ kind of 4 year old way, and she si always really polite whenever she asks for anything when we are out and about.

So the lady in the dance shop was regaled with tales as soon as we walked in about how Daddy (? !) lost her ballet sock, bemoaning how she had got cold legs in the wind to the assistant in Mackays when we went in to buy some emergency tights, the checkout girl in Superdrug got run down on BB’s teeth as we got toothbrush for her in there. The woman in Wololies got all sorts of things, mostly about her new wellies and how they matched her umbrella, how she wanted a ‘Princess dress’ she saw the various dressing up dresses and has always coveted the Patch of Puddles gilrs for theirs :-). In the cafe she really politly asked for a cake and glass of milk, as well as regaling them with tales of new wellies, toothbrushes, SB being asleep ( ‘ she likes to wake up at night’…)

Ah well it makes out and abouting entertaining.

So what else happened in the last couple of days. Mornings at the moment seem to start for SB with a bit of Cindy/Barbie and dolls house playing, really is into hat at the moment. Need to relocate the Cindy box somewhere else in the room as it is near the door and the entrance just gets littered with Cindy bits. Looked at couple of her science books and made a ‘tin can telephone’, talkeda bit about how the sound travels from one to the other. She had the idea that the sound would travel down the middle of the sting like pipe, but said that wouldn’t work as there was no hole. So we played about a bit and talked about sounds being made / transmitted by vibrations. Sat a read a few of the Usborne Farmyard Tales books, where she made a good stab at quite a few of the words. She doesn’t seem that bothered heself about reading stuff, but if you ask her to do bit she normally likes to have a go. She seems to be in that ‘on the cusp’ of it point at the moment. Did some easy stuff and some writing in one of her workbooky things

After lunch we made a trip out to a local ‘Farm shop’. It’s not really a farm shop – it’s located at local plant nursery. The greenbrocers in the village shut earlier in the summer and then this place opened -possibly in response – they seem to have aqquired the old till from the GG. So far seem ok, I did get some dodgy chestnuts from there last week so she knocked a bit of the bill yesterday.

So we hit the road in the ‘Bean mobile’ – the tandem with trailer attached for BB out the village one way for the Fruit stall at the orchard, where they have good variety of apples, quite a few old ones, that you don’t see often and if you do tend to be expensive, then back through the village to the aforsaid farm shop. Where SB chatted to the lady about BB, insisted we buy things like parsnips and green apples (made a change from today when she kept on about sweets at every turn) and generally did the charming thing. Cycled back home, a tad cold by then, but just enough pedalling to blow out the cobwebs, and SB absolutley loves going out on the tandem.

Home for tea, warming up, a few books and then SB hit the CBeebies website until Helen came back from work (and a rather horrible ‘quick’ visit to Tescos on the way home)

Helen made a nice Beetroot Rissoto for tea (she had it in a restaurant once), SB turned nose up at first, but then ate it all once she was fed it :rolls:

Tuesday

‘Library day’, which somehow, after we have breakfasted, dressed, located all the books, faffed about etc. always seems to take up the morning until it’s time to go out. SB did the aforesaid wooing, listened to story time (much the biggest there now as all the others her age are now in school). BB sat and watched/listened for quite a bit as well, had to be prised, along with couple of other girls from the sticking and colouring afterwards :-)

Home, BB to nap, reading library books with SB, lunch out for the above shopping and wooing which took up the rest of the day. Noticed that SB can spend ages looking at books etc. by herself, I do wonder if she is trying to read some of the words to herself? but probably not :-) Had mean to make the Christmas cake but didn’t get round to it. It takes about 4 hours to cook so one for the morning I think.

9 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, literacy, Out and About, science, socialisation, Stringbean, writing