Category Archives: Stringbean

Not doing what we were supposed to be doing.

Posted on October 21, 2008 by Daddybean | Leave a comment

We were supposed to be heading off first thing to one of the National Schools Film Weekshowings, but my mum had rung up on Sunday to ask about coming over this week as my Niece (L), who is 19, is over staying at theirs and they wanted to come over. Arranged for them to come over today, and only realised late in the evening what we supposed to be doing (I was a bit vacant about this week as I wasn’t doing stuff with them last week and hadn’t yet checked whaqt was happening this week yet – everything being on Google Calendar – need an Internet linked fridge with a screen on the door…) . So we didn’t go to the film.

SB got out her Wizard Whimstaff spelling book and did some of that first thing, also a bit of maths IIRC, once they were dressed and stuff we launched into trying to tidy the playroom,which still hadn’t quite recovered from the Deependers visit on Saturday).

Well, it did get reasonably tidy, I could vacuum the floor anyway, but my grump levels were pretty high by the end and we had had much wailing and bemoaning from BB – ‘I can’t tidy anymore’, ‘I’m bored of tidying’ etc. etc. (it’d probably be easier not to ahve her doing it, but it’s the principle I guess. But it seemed to take a loooong time.

And then my parents and L arrived - to much excitement from the girls. We haven’t seen L since I think Christmas about 4 years ago. She has lived in Ireland but has decided to move over to UK. She is staying at my parents house before she moves into a house she is sharing with friends.

So spent the rest of the day, chatting, kids bouncing about, playing games etc. Helen managed to get home pretty early even though she had extra work to do. Unfortunately we missed SB’s ballet class as we forgot about it until midway through the lesson which was a rather annoying. One of those – why didn’t that pop into my brain half an our ago moment We always seem to end up missing a couple of sessions of classes becuasae of being away or whatever, so like to make all the others. Probably not helped by there being no Brownies this week as they are having a joint roller skating trip with the other pack on Wednesday. So chatting and playing continued until after dinner (a rather yummy, beany shepherds pie) and then children where chased into bed.

It was lovely to see L again (she’s the same age as H was when we met – seems very young now), I had a conversation with SB about what age you have to be to be a grown up, she seems to have decided on it being 20.

Parents then blobbed out and have stayed up to late for no good reason….

New Mondays, with added spice

Posted on September 23, 2008 by Daddybean | 8 comments

Been a bit of rearrangement of Monday since before the summer, SB still doing ballet (3.40 – 4.25), but this is now followed by Brownies, which she started this term. Rather annoyingly there is a 30 minute gap between the two (the venues are right next to each other) which is short enough to mean it isn’t worth going home, but seems long enough when you have to go back out to the ballet class to pick her up to wait for Brownies to start. OK at the mo when we can go in playground, but in winter will need to ask ballet teacher if we can waitin the hall I guess. So it leaves me feeling a bit like a yo-yo, and SB hungry by the time we get dinner

The added spice is that the Punto now has no MOT so only one car on the road at the mo, and the HE sports sessions started up again today. Luckily Helen is working just down the road from there on Mondays, so 7.45 (eeek!!) saw us all in the car. Dropping Helen at work we popped in to the supermarket to buy some stuff for breakfast/lunch. Said they could have doughnuts for breakkie 8-), but then in the car the decided to eat the Wotsits and Quavers they had bought to ahev with lunch – so a nutritious energy packed breakfast before doing sports then

BB tried out the sports session today (guide age is 4-7 for the younger group) stayed in there almost to the end, though she had SB with her, showing her what to do and helping her. Don’t think she’d have been up to doing it all by herself though yet. But seemed keen to do it again, she was so pleased to be doing the same thing as Stringbean. SB was going to try out the older group as well, but decided not to after all, I think she decided she’d rather run around and play instead So there was some rather noisy and raucous playing, with some grown up HE talk then headed off to the park for a bit. Helen’s text to say she was finsihing work came at the same time as the Deependers were departing, so that was good timing.

Home via Tesco’s just in time to start the above Ballet/Brownies yo-yo. BB fell asleep in car, watched something or oher and did some Fimo-ing with Helen. While waiting for Brownies to start, had a bit of a conversation about what the Scouts etc. are, the Guides, relationship between the two, why maybe the guides etc. have stayed girl only whilst the Scouts etc. accept girls as well now. She did say that she liked the idea of doing wild things with boys ! AS an aside, it’s be interesting to see how the Cubs activities compare to the Brownies.

Children all in bed at appropriate times tonight, so getting things back to normal, I was going to go to bed at sensible time, but haven’t managed it. Have blogged though And have discussed possible science activities with Helen for the Wednesday group

8 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, Out and About, SB-PE, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Feeling happier today.

Posted on July 30, 2008 by Daddybean | 3 comments

SB went off for her 2nd day of her Musical Theatre week. She was a bit weepy about it again, esp. with Helen in the morning, but then got herself organised, did her own packed lunch and went and found her old jazz shoes from when she did Stagecoach to take with her. I said I would wait at th place for a bit before I left her. Excuse to sit on aÂ sofa and read a book forÂ 1/2 an hour anyway
So seemed much happier today with it. not really much sitting about time it sounds like, so thatÂ maybe suited her more. Sounds like they were moslty doing singing andÂ doing sticking – presumably for scenery or something. Said she didn’t get to talk to people much, but that was becuase there wasn’t much time except lunch, though she said she did try to say hello to some of them.. I’m wondering if the whole worrying thing was more to do with her being leftÂ than anything else? Since hurting her foot she still doesn’t like being left around the house for long without knowing where you are.

So I think we have got over that one. There was a sweet stall with sweets in jars which every since buying some at FoH she has liked the idea of. So we bought some sweets there afterwards (oh, and popped into Adams to get her more knickers and ended up with more leggings as well.. ). i’d said she could ahve her choice of dinner tonight, and she’d said chips, Ginger beer (fizzy drinks being a very, very occasional treat in our house for her) and Ice Cream. Though she spotted a Watermelon so wanted that instead

Other than that, my parents have been around againÂ – helping sort out pre-family party on Saturday. (Helen’s parents coming later today – coming early so they can help out prepare – do you think they are trying to tell us something ) So they have been doing useful things about the place, while entertaining BB as well. When I came back she was hiding in aÂ box on the lawn being a Bunny Rabit in it’s burrow

I’ve gotÂ dining table covered with sorted out crap to rehome, and the hallway has managed to fill up with stuff again – when Kirsty came down aÂ couple of weeks ago I’d just given it a good sort out

Had me morning tea, time to do a few things

3 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, Daft Stuff, Dance/drama, Out and About, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

making the most of it.

Posted on July 7, 2008 by HHaricot | 1 comment

i had a much needed lie in today. my head, body and soul were not at all engaged. whilst recovering, i heard sb do piano practice. when i came down, chris and sb had gone through those lovely anholt books around artists. we did some HE – handwriting, french. i have to say that SB’s handwriting is really coming on. She has struggled at writing, but in her own time and on her own terms she is getting there. She likes the getty and dubay, and does lots of practice with cards and notes to people. She also spent a lot of time doing the colour in doggy clothes she got from merry’s girls.

BB also did french and some early numeracy with singapore early bird and literacy from before the code and letterland red books – which i managed to find. BB was very impressed to get some books, its a shame i can’t get sb gagged quickly enough before she says they were hers first!

we did lots of imaginative play altogether today. i am trying to jumpstart my immersion back into these games, as i have sort of gradually faded out of being a pinky ponk, or a doggie or a vet etc etc. so i decided this was ridiculous, so i have been a pinky ponk [or whatever it is!] bought and cared for doggies, played with cuddlies etc etc and made my girls happy.

we also baked carrot cake, watched some how things work, nina and the neurons and magic school bus, picked peas and broad beans from the garden.
aargh how did it get to be this late?? bedtime!

1 Comment

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, Cooking, early maths skills, General, language, music, numeracy, pre reading, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

Feet and Romans

Posted on June 11, 2008 by Daddybean | 5 comments

Monday, other than hospital not much seemed to happen. spent ages on the phone getting a hosp appt. for that day as they had given us one for next week. Then phoned various people to tell them SB wouldn’t be attending her various classes because of her foot. hospital appt ended up not being until afternoon, which was good as it meant Helen could make it as well. I think SB finished off some hama beading she’d started off about 5 times.
My parents came round in the morning as they were going to look after BB when we went into hospital. Chatted, girls played games, read etc. with them.

I took SB into hospital, consultant happy with her progress, should be no need for skin graft on the heel, healing up nicely. Removed the back slab. Heel injury still painful but getting there. she is now able to place her front part of foot on the ground. Can’t think what else we did when we got back home.

Tuesday we went off for a HE group event on Romans at a local museum. Almost didn’t go, I felt like staying home, but SB keen to go so I made the effort. Interestingly, rather than taking longer as might be expected, we got out quicker than normal with SB partly out of action. In 35 minutes they were dressed, washed, hair brushed etc., we’d also gone over the road and bought stuff from the bakers for lunch and got them in the car ready to go. Obviously should not leave SB to get herself sorted. She said it’s because she and BB go and play….
First session was good, it was done by a chap who does talks etc. with kids about Romans.

He was dressed in a Centurions outfit, was mostly about life as a roman soldier, their clothing/armour, their weapons etc.

The local Roman legions’ standard.

How they used the different javelins.

Sb was a hopping Legionnaire

some others formed a Testudo and we all threw stones at them (well foam balls….)

Demonstrated the Scorpion.

Demonstrated the various bits of personal kit they would have carried. He was a bit coy about saying what the big T shaped nails were for (crucifixion) – i reckon it’s those gory bits that kids like best – SB wasn’t fazed by it hen I told her – BB would probably want to try it out on someone… (it’s already come up before, and it’s a pretty fundamental bit of Christianity)
Had a pleasant lunch outside in the sun. followed by a session making roman pots using coil or thumb/pinching as the romans might have done. Enjoyed by the kids but would have been better I think if we had a bit more time and could have looked at the sorts of pots the Romans made/used.

We then had a litle look at the musuem, particularly the Roman bits and the fossil bits. tried on a roman helmet and did some rubbings.

Afterwards I considered going to find WH Smiths so SB could spend her voucher, but decided I didn’t want to push her around in the big buggy whilst dragging a tired and grumpy BB with us. So went straight back to car and came home, Where we all flopped for a bit, do to warm car, being generally tired – it’s hard work for us all i think taking SB out in her current state. Did manage to play some chess and Uno with SB and look at some books with BB.

Finished up the day watching a bit more of Sound of Music with SB, finished just before the bit here the fighting starts, which is apparently her favorite bit

5 Comments

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

Getting on with it

Posted on May 19, 2008 by Daddybean | 2 comments

Which is pretty much what the kids did today.

Up, a bit of screen time (Pingu and Magic school bus) before getting dressed so we could go across the road to buy bread, milk and marg to have breakie with a bit of Hama beading on the side. After breakfast SB went off without the smallest reminder and did some maths (subtracting things like £6.13 – £4.85) and piano practise – though had to be reminded a bit how to borrow when subtracting. BB moslty played with the Geomags – she is really into them at the mo, we finally need to get some more I think. That and random 3 yo games with random objects, checked on the mushrooms in the mushroom kit – does;’t like to eat them, but fascinated by growing them.

Then SB started on some more Hama-beading, with BB also doing a bit. Whilst all this was going i was assisting in various ways, and being domestic – washing up, and cleaning out the fridge, cooking chickpeas etc. Sb then moved onto finishing off her T shirt that she was decorating for Amelie (late birthday present) . finished off the design on the front. Decided to write on the back – i wrote it down on paper for her, she spaced it out ok and then finished it off by writing Birthbag instead of birthday ! – it was funny, but I tried not to laugh as she was really upset by it. Helen laughed even more when she got home which didn’t go down well. Will try to rescue it – it hasn’t been ironed to fix it yet. Helen was trying to convinve SB that Ams wouldn’t mind, SB not convinced. all the morning passed without too many arguments
They both went off and did some bits on the Starfall website until lunch was ready.

After lunch I sat down for a ‘five minutes peace’ cuppa and to write an email in my role as Merry’s tech support ;-). BB wanted to do a craft kit she found floating about – making bugs out of pom poms or some such. I said I’d do it once i’d had my tea, but then SB said she would help, so they went off to the kitchen to do it. Not sure how much BB did and how much SB, but they were both happy when I went in to see how they were doing so left them too until they stopped.

They both did some skating about for a bit at some point, so maybe that was now, then Sb helped me start to cook dinner – cutting up the Paneer and onion until H came home.

They played a Dinosaur ludo game – Sb didn’t like getting sent back it seems. Before long it was Ballet, more cooking, home from ballet, playing in the garden, feeding birds, Swimming, home to eat the curry that H finished off – a treat of cookies that SB bought from the shop (with her own money) when we got home. Bb to bed, while Sb and h played a game I think. Then I weeded the fruit bed, then time for coffee, chocolate and the last episode of Heroes Series 2 (a bit odd as it was cut very short by the writers strike.

and I’ve even blogged !

I’ve still got to blog my photo meme day from Friday, maybe tomorrow?

2 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, Cooking, Dance/drama, daubing and making, gardening, IT, music, numeracy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Spooky Spoon Bread

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Daddybean | 2 comments

Thursday.

Off to Tots and Nots groups in the morning. Just in time for SB to take part in a French game with Katy. I sat with BB and did a picture with her made from different shapes cut out of paper. Bit of general playing and snack eating. SB did a picture as well. Drew a portrait of Helen. Gina whose does various music teaching there brought along some flutes. so they got to have a go with those. BB was interested, but didn’t want to try. SB managed to get some sound out of it without to much effort. Bit of singing of songs, then SB had her first recorders session with Gina. said she enjoyed it and wants to do some more. It should be becoming a regular thing.

By now BB was pretty grumpy – she wanted to go and watch SB playing, said she was hungry but didn’t want to eat any of the things I had in the bag. Didn’t want to do anything I suggested etc. – probably tired (had woke me up before 5 am, though went back to sleep later) and hungry (only had eaten half a slice of toast and a modicum of yoghurt ).

Headed off home via Tesco’s for a few things – which was a bad idea – it’s a big Tesco Extra store and buying just a few things seems to involve walking miles. BB was amusing by the bakery counter. I was with SB a bit further along whilst she chose her bread, BB was sat in the trolley shouting out ‘ I want Spooky Spoon bread’ ! :-) Spooky spoon (from the character in Numberjacks) bread being her name for a French stick – ever since we had one that was vaguely spoon shaped at the end and they kids dubbed it Spooky Spoon.

They both amused a mother at the veg bit. They were both begging me to buy a bag of Peas in their pods because they love eating them straight from the pods – but they were imported and rather expensive so I didn’t. Good to have kids who like consider buying bread and vegetables a treat though

Escaped Tesco and got home to a late lunch of mostly Spooky spoon bread accompanied by a dose of Magic School Bus. SB did piano practice, and handwriting. BB got out her violin and played with that, couldn’t find her maths book which she wanted, so did some leap-padding. then they both got out the Geomags. BB got upset because they kept on sticking to each other and they bickered and argued over which Geomags they each had, could do with more really. I cooked some soup, which neither of the kids seem to like much – probably a tad too spicy for them. Helen came home and read some books with them – I caught one about Alexander Graham Bell.

Then off to bed.

2 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, language, music, Out and About, pre reading, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

bank holiday camping!

Posted on May 6, 2008 by HHaricot | 8 comments

i am going to ignore the fact that i have a migraine, and that we are behind on blogging to say that we had a really fab ban holiday camping.

weather was excellent, camp site fab – with sea views and no midges!. great company. we loved our new tent, and the porch addition worked really well. we had a porch inner for our proper tent bit, and i noticed although it was a khyam ridgipod classic porch, it also had motordome classic badging, so poss good for both – for anyone else with a khyam! BTW the porch addition isn’t made for our tent, so a wind vent space – pics to follow – but worked v well and easy to put up!

our neighbours seemed v happy with their new tent, and certainly the outwell brand in general but i’ll let them say all that when they return on their blog! my new sleeping bag was truly fab, i never felt cold, and was in fact too warm on the last night ad de-layered!

we got there fri eve, and managed to pitch v quickly. SB placed and pegged out the groundsheet, put poles together and cliped them in, and was generally v helpful. bB handed out pegs and poles, and was potentially v helpful, though not quite if we didn’t actually immediately take them and use them! anyway, 30 mins saw tent up, and sleeping stuff allready, and since it was nearly 9pm… quick pasta tea then bed. next morning saw us adjust a few bits in the light…

we went to east runton beach. sunny but v blowy. SB got herself drenched in the sea after saying she wouldn’t so no need to swap skirt for sunsuit… chris made numerous runs across the pebbly/stony bit and up cliff on toilet runs. and we finally went back to campsite for lunch and arrival of the manor borns. As said, we were impressed with their new tent, it looks great. girls all played, including an ‘extra’ girl from a tent a space or 2 away [that is what i like about camping!]. BB is getting v proficient at like-a-biking. and the campsite had a handy concrete track bit on the nearly flat for her to whizz along just by our tent. also appreciated by the 3 bigger girls who all had scooters. the dynamics needed some tweaking, and unfortunately we hadn’t packed craft stuff for me to do with BB, and she wouldn’t be interested in any of the games, but the older ones were pretty good at including her, and i tried to give them breaks as well!

SB has restarted animal crossing – we wiped the last town!

nice curry tea and chatting till late. girls all dropped off successfully. perfect camping

next day weather was more variable. we got v blown about at the beach and abandoned. then went to cromer in pm, which the girls all loved as they got to go on some fairground rides. BB in particular was ecstatic by both bouncy castle and teacup rides. SB got far more bouncy castle opportunities when that age – must do better!! SB waited for ages for bb to stop bouncy castling so that they could both teacup together – aw what a fab big sis!

we goy blown around the pier, saw the crabbers and went back for another fab meal.

final day for us, and we went into sheringham for lunch out [at a v quaint local restaurant stuck in basil fawlty timewarp, but good food!] and then a ride on the steam train. scorching weather, so we should really have done the days the other way round, but we were sort of going with the fact that bbc and metcheck might be vaguely right weather wise! we all got hot and bothered. i in particular, as taking tent down in heat does not suit my constitution! final meal chez manorborn tent – yummy stirfry, and home.

i love camping. looking forward to festival of history, and must organise another weekend jaunt to norfolk coast – well, maybe more than one! other attendees more than welcome!

8 Comments

Posted in Butterbean, General, Out and About, Stringbean

no more maggie, hamilton and the ferocious beast, sob

Posted on April 21, 2008 by HHaricot | 2 comments

i have been making up a story for SB after the book is read for, well at least 4 years! ANd for most of them it has been M,H and FB. caan you imagine how many of them there are? we had an alternative universe for them, 2 cats [spots and jet] with a caterskelter to play in. a resident fairy -maisy the maize fairy who builds an amazing maize maze every year. they had their house built for them, they grow their own fruit and veg, and i know their favourite colours, icecream flavours, what they would choose to do at crafts. they have been to various historical re-enactments, out to space, had angelina ballerina as a guest. well, at least 1000 diff stories i guess! in the last year i have sometimes been asked to do robin hood instead [which is much harder!!]. tonight she said she would always prefer an extra chapter of a book rather than a made up. SOB! i hadn’t realised quite how much i loved M, H and FB!

this growing up thing is hard on parents

2 Comments

Posted in General, Stringbean

Honey, I Set Fire to the Cake

Posted on April 9, 2008 by Daddybean | 5 comments

While i was at Rainbows, H was at home with BB making her birthday cake (me and the girls were going to make it this morning, but it didn’t happen) we were going to make a marble cake, which after BB saying she wanted to make two cakes, they ended up doing.

Looks rather like a volcano to me.

Anyway, after dinner me and the girls were doing the candles etc. on the cake. we were going to make the digits 39, but BB was helping, so we decided just to put as many candles as we had on.

I lit them, it all looked good:

and then the of half the candles which we had lit first had ot so hot from all the candles being together they were melting and collapsing, which ten set fie to the ruff round the cake all rather entertaining.