I thought this was great.
Stringbean spent quite a while carefully doing this. It is portrait of Butterbean, I love the spidery feet. The greeny/yellow bit is here high chair, she evn went into the kitchen to check the colour. she asked me to do the toybox for her, shame it doesn’t look any better really…..
Posted in art and crafts, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
Well SB set a new record for bedtime of 2.00 am 
and if I’d not gone tobed I think she might have happily carried one. Thoughcheating a bit as she did have a sleep earlier Very amusing hearing her sing Do-Ray-Me to herslf in her bedroom getting into her PJ’s. judt been upstairs – 08.10 and she is happily playing in her bedroom. 
Off to Copenhagen in a couple of hours, Helen has a conference, come back Friday. Y’all have fun now y’hear.
Posted in Stringbean
We went to bed to late again and struggled to get up, by Alys did sleep in her cot again for most of the night which was good
Once H had staggered off to work I seem to remember we were doing something fairly constuctive, just struggling to remember what……
Sringbean didn’t want any breakfast at first so while me and Butterbean had ours she brought things out into the kitchen. We had a few books, she did a couple of jigsaws, one of which was her wooden one of Europe. Talked about different countries, where we had been, were we are going (off to Copenhagen next week for a few days when H goes to a conference. She saw th e little compass mark on the map so talked about that and about N, S, E, W etc.. The fact that it is in ‘Forrin’ ‘ and ahd and ‘O’ for East just added to the learning experince
At somepoint I aksed her if she had wanted breakfast yet, she plaintivley said ‘I’m waiting for my porridge……’ which I had started making then forgot… bad Daddy moment.
After all the post breakfast babby changing , abluting, dressing etc. (sent SB off to get some clothes, came back with here fairy outfit….) decided about time to start tidying up a bit as Joanna and the girls from Trying Our Bestwere paying a visit on their way back to their house. Stringbean was quite helpful today. Putting away various toys – she is getting much better when asked to do this, unless she ahs got too tired. Wiping down coffe tables and the kitchen table, putting things in the dishwasher etc. Butterbean helped out by going to sleep Joanna said how nice it was having a house just like her with stuff all over the place…..
I’d said they should be coming about 12, so once her clock got to 12 oclock, which she can recognise, she was hopping up to the window to see if they were here yet They arrived bearing lunchy items from Waitrose, so that was rather nice. I is still managing to hang on to a bit of baby chub which Alys is gradually loosing now. so they did a bit of baby bonding. T and Stringbean took a little while to settle down, moslty I think becuase T didn’t necessarily want to play what she wanted 
but they rubbed along happily enough, dresing in fairy outfits each, playing with the Brio train track, scampering around outside. SB showed off one of the Singapore maths books whilst I got the lunch ready.
Helen managed to get back before they had to go which was good. so we finished of with tea and cakes on the lawn before they departed. SB confused Tamisn with her different take on the rules for ‘tag’, so at one point they werew bith standingthere expecting the other to be doing something
SB’s lack of sleep catching up caught up with her at about 5.30 when she came over all whingey and cry-ey so she made a failry painless progression to bed tonight. It was lovley to have you all visit Joanna.
Helen seems to have found a window in her tight Flickr uploading schedule to get todays snaps in.
I esp like the ‘Fairy Controllers’:
Isabelles quiff:
And SB’s toes:
Posted in Butterbean, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
I did start a blog last night, then closed the window and lost the post 
Couldn’t be bothered to do it again.
Anyway, recovered from the weekends festivities and the house is mostly back to it’s normal (dis)order. We did get the curtain put up in the front room though by Helen’s parents. They were supposed to go and play golf, but her mum didn’t want to go as it was raining, so cancelled it, and then of course it stopped raining a little while longer…..
Pleased, as fitting the bit along the pelmet thing required sewing Velcro to the back of the ‘dangly bit’, dunno how long that would have taken us to get round to doing (never is probably a good first approximation) all looks good now. They match with the covers on some chairs and cushions, which is all a bit grown up for us.
It was good to catch up with various bits of the family I don’t see so often, though as we now live a lot nearer to many of them I guess we will see them more often. shame a few members weren’t able to make it. Shame also that it rained on Sunday, but we did get to use the inside of the house and the conservatory. It certainly is good gathering/party house It was even the incentive for me to clear the boxes out of the dinning room so we can actually get in and use the room now.
So, yesterday Stringbean started off the day with bit of crafts with Nanny French, making a cut and stick fish. And errrr…. after that I’m not sure. There was breakfast, Butterbean didn’t get up until turned nine, so then that stretched breakfast out a bit longer. Oh yes, making marble runs and some reading mostly I think, plus some computer advice for Grandad. And eating cakes from the rather nice bakery for elevenses
Afternoon, H was home so she did stuff with the girls, including finishing the clock kit that SB won at Melrose and started ages ago.while I mostly did boring domestic stuff.
Today we started off with ‘Tool Girl’ as SB perused a power tool catalogue (that’s my girl) that came in the post this morning, discussed why there are lots of different ones and why an SDS drill is the dogs danglies for drilling holes in walls. Did expect her to comment on the lack of pink ones though.
She got a treat? of a Cheesestring from the shop this morning and had it for breakfast. I do have a prejudice against this sort of thing, but TBH, not sure why. It’s seems to be just fairly mild cheese, with smattering of Annatto for colouring, just been processed a bit to be able to pull into strings. Anyway she enjoyed it.
I do love the way SB thinks/cares so much about BB, this morning she got out some clothes for BB, not just not set but a ‘summery’ outfit, one for if it’s colder, and one for tomorrow as well So we pottered through the orning, bit of reading of books, hanging up of washing, SB picked a load of flower petals and then tipped them all over herself.
We fed the fish and then spent some time watching/talking about them when SB wondered how they can swim backwards.
After the inevitable lunch of beaked beans on toast I boxed up the car roofbox to send it back for repairs. They sent me a very big empty box to put it in, the courier man was amused by having to deliver just a big box.. SB did assist for a bit , she tried a bit of baby bondage by strapping BB into a spare car seat with the luggage net from the roof box and spent ages in the hayloft reading all her old baby books. She also found a folder of her at work going back ages so she reminisced over that while covering the playroom floor in them.
We then tried out Butterbean in the bike trailer again. She sits much better now and has much better neck control, so we took it for a spin around the village and stopped off at the playground.. BB seemed happy, and SB enjoyed having her in there with here. Will be good to be out using that again. Went on the swings and the seesaw – her first time I think – at the playground and enjoyed them both.
H is on call and had to go back in unfortunately tonight at about 9.30 :-(, I cuddled BB and fell asleep on the sofa, which was nice, but not really conducive to doing me chores, nor is then writing a blog entry. Of course she got back about 1 am, so we of course went off to bed like sensible people, but it’s past 2 am now, so we can go to bed happly now…..
H seems to have just uploaded piccies from our Italy holiday as well.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Out and About, photos, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
And on the family front??
Well, SB and BB are really good at playing [most of the time!] SB likes to feed BB, hold and hug her. today we got out the little tykes climbing frame and SB had great fun sitting feeding BB at the top, and then sliding down with her on her knees. [see flikr]
BB rolling and wriggling to get around, and is really good at spotting what might be food! Lovely laugh and giggle, and is such a merry contented baby – I could write a book on my perfect technique!
SB on the whole been great too, keen to play, interact, leading with what she wants to do. Not too much fuss on the tidying up! She is high maintenance to keep happs, and I do worry still that BB therefore gets less of a lookin. It prob is common for second children, but I wish I could just have more time!
Chris been looking at leaking roof – up massively high ladder. SB disappointed that she couldn’t get up there with him. Thought it rather jolly when he took the hosepipe up to see if he could replicate leak conditions [not]. We are debating a bookcase purchase at the mo. We haven’t got the money, so i am tempted to cc it, so I can get the books out [see what debt does to me!] but chris trying to be more sensible.
i have had fun with my girls – SB stayed up till 10pm yesterday playing, so I feel although worked the weekend, I have not been ‘absent’. yet another on call tomorrow though. Cooking risotto, drinking limoncino and blogging – a bad combination!
Posted in Butterbean, DIY/ house renovation, General, Stringbean
I hate the Mr Men books, sorry don’t know why but ‘Grrrrrr!’
We do haveone token one in the house, it was a present.
So when she chose her books in the library this morning, did SB choose one Mr Men book, or maybe two, no not three – no she chose six !
Talk about torture…….
Posted in Books, Stringbean
Hmm, this time last week I was holed up in Merry’s tent waiting for the rain to stop at Kessingland so I could finsih packing up. Where did that week go then? Plenty of other blogging about Kessie on the ring and Helen did some as well, A and now seems a bit late, but I’ll chuck in a few snippets.
Some of the best bits for me:
Watching the kids playing, SB catching up with old, and making new friends, the endless, gradually morphing games they play, and not to many tiffs. SB loved it.
The three babies ‘communing’ they really seemed to enjoy each others company, much arm waving, leg waggling and toy tussling.
Sitting , relaxing, chatting, watching the kids, eating outside the tents. Making a few new friends and catching up with current ones. Missed you though Sarah from the mix
Being the center of attention – well feeling like it as the area around the front of our and Layla’s/Simon’s tent seemed to become the area where people hung out for some reason. So we didn’t have to go anywhere to socialise
Sitting outside the tent at 6 in the morning (when Helen had gone back to work early), sun up, tea in hand, quiet, watching the ducks patrolling through the campsite.
Merry flaggin down the ‘train’ in the wildlife park, as it was the last one and had already left the ‘station’ He let them on anyway I took BB and Josie off in the buggies and enjoyed ’5 minutes peace’ sitting under a tree.
The rain on Thursday which got SB into a tent and doing some other things such as making necklaces which she said afterwards she enjoyed,and gave some great puddles for them to splash in which I love watching. And of course hearing Kirsty shout ‘Marcus’ disparingly as the last pair of trousers gets wet….
This photo, which really should be a bit of video:
The girls were taking it in turns on ther ‘pogo-er’ thing. To time their turns they were singing ‘Zip-a-dee-do-dah’ – which SB has learnt at Stagecoach
Worst bits:
The sinking feeling when I realised the tent poles weren’t in the roofbox……
Eventually giving up waiting for the rain to stop on Thursday afternoon, going out and getting wet packing the car, only for the rain to stop as soon as the only thing left was the tent outer Grrrrr Thank’s for getting wet helping though Simon.)
A bit of BBQ related disgruntlement.
Oddest thing.
We never got to go and look at the sea.Which seeing as I love the sea is very strange
We had a great time, loved it, want to do it again I think one or two areas will need a modicum more organising though.
Sorry to all those in statics we didn’t come up and see (though it sounds like if we had we might not of actually identified many of you), but I think we were just feeling too much at home and too lazy on the camping field.
Other snippets of things from this week
Stringbean drawing dots all over her body in felt tip, then joining them up as a dot-to-dot – ‘it’s a dot-to-dot of a my body’
Nanny finding SB asleep on the landing when she had got out of bed:
Possibly more, but I have to go and take then to Hospital to see ‘Little Nanny’, may update later, but will publsih incase I don’t
And here we are later….
Another SB snippet. A couple of days ago she was suddenly sick over the playroom floor. I don’t think she has been sick for ages, and didn’t realise what was happening, so it just sort of came out She recovered quickly though. About 20 seconds later she was saying she was hungry, and excitedly peering at it identifying her dinner - ‘Oooo look, noodles!’
Little Nanny is ok, but it’s going to be while before she is walking about well enough to go home, though I doubt she will be back entirley to her pre-fall self. She should be moving tomorrow back to her local hospital to get rehabilitated. Probably better that she is back there, but she seems to have quite liked this hospital (as they go…) so is probably loathe to move. And it will be less convienent for visits etc., for her daughters as they both live a fair way away, whereas we have been a handy coaching stop And of course Helen works in the hospital.
And nice though it has been to have people staying it will be nice to have the house back to ourselves and for us to attempt to have nice quiet family weekend. Though given our current record, you ca’t help wondering what will happen this time….
Stringbean’s Stagecoach group is doing a little ‘show’ for the parents this weekend which should be fun. And try to get a swim in on Sunday as well, do miss the lovely kiddie/baby pools they had at the gym we went to in Leeds though – but not the paying for the privilidge….
Posted in Butterbean, Out and About, photos, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
You can see a not very select selection of photos from Kessingland here.
Some could do with tweaking etc. but if I wait till I’ve done that the moment will be past.
PS shout if you want one removed
Posted in Butterbean, photos, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
After the last day, I thought every so often I would capture a day in photos again, fairly randomly every once in a while to see what happens.
Today started with me making maggie and the ferocious beast stories up in our bed,, until my obvious sleepiness and halfheartedness persuaded SB to get up! She the started making her fairy garden with daddy – its an M and S kit, with marigolds and cornflowers, and some cut out fairies and a castle.
next was stage coach, where they are practising zippedeedoodah and summer holiday and sun has got its hat on for the end of term concert. SB has decided she definitely likes stagecoach, so thats good. Next sept she will go to ballet in the village as well.
On her return we finished the fairy garden, and put it in a heated propagator to get it off to a good start in the conservatory. While there we heard a live brass band, and remembered it was the float procession through the village today, so SB and I nipped out to the village centre to watch the floats and listen to the band.
Lunch was a pittapocket picnic on the lawn. very nice, and BB woke up, so had her puree on the lawn as well. Unfortunately, being nap free she also pooped on the lawn – sigh!
SB then played on her bike, my hammock and the climbing frame before settling down to pasticine and the monster stick in bits. however, when I brought a bowl of water and some plastic toys for BB to play with, this seemed much more fun, so she got her own bowl to do some more float/sink experiments. BB continued playing with the water all afternoon [with some snacking!]
When SB was starting to be a bit more adventurous with the water [over BB] I got out the paints and paper, and we cut out some stamps from sponges and did stamp picutres – very nice! even an alien world with two huge red suns. So I think we’ve caught up a bit on the craft front.
Before dinner she got out the cuisinaire rods and made patterns with them, and discussed with me the different steps you could make, and which ones to put together to make same lengths. She hasn’t assigned numbers to them. We then did some complicated game she made up, with looking at the phonics flashcard with her bouncing on the spacehopper, and me kicking a ball to her that she had to catch in a cup – a la mouse trap! She read out cat and knew it was cat. was really pleased when she red out fox and knew it was fox, until she admitted she had seen a flash of the back! She went off to teach daddy them with dinner.
After bath she got out her leappad and did the mother goose music one, and the richard scarry one. Both her and BB dancing to the music, with me and SB also singing. Bedtime stories, and the end of the day.
BB mostly investigated grass, a few toys, wriggling around and water today, with a bit of da teh and ra practice and lots of feeding. A bit of dancing, throwing about and general larking about~!
Weather was hot – luckilly a fair bit of shade in garden. We had a lovely day. I have got a box for chris for next week with some maths, some phonics and early readers, bit on the body, bit on people/religion, bit on garden wildlife and bugs so that should fit emergency ideas!
photos will be added to this a bit later.
Added by Chris
SB was having boiled egg for tea. ‘So what is egg yolk made from?’
‘Um, well…’ couldn’t think really of any sensible terms to use for 4 year old, so deflected the question by talking about what it is used for instead.
Posted in art and crafts, Blogging, Butterbean, gardening, General, literacy, music, numeracy, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
Some photos, following on from the post below.
The new hammock seat
On a hammock seat made for two…..
Butterbean was sitting in the middle of the lawn in her own little baby world for ages, quite contentedly eating grass, playing with leaves etc.
Posted in Butterbean, photos, Stringbean
