Category Archives: art and crafts

hoping friends stay on the path

Posted on January 19, 2007 by | 4 comments

As they are arriving late, and it gets dark round here – mind you, they are used to rural!

I’m beginning to feel a bit better in the hand/wrist dept – not so swollen. got fed up with sausages for fingers. Saw the rheumatologist, who suggested an up and down thing for 2-3 weeks, but should just go. good oh!

Whilst I was at work, the beans went to PBEO and learnt about birds. BB has been going on about birds intermittently ever since. Difficult to settle when they got back [mid aft], so they argued over every toy [and they had picked up a few in the morning to argue over] and swapped them every 5 seconds. SB couldn’t settle to anything either. Finally she did some nick jr and moved onto education city. Apparently spanish will be available in a months time! BB desperately jealous of edu city – and although found a number of nice sites – and tried the poisson rouge recommendation from Katy – they just distracted SB, whilst BB was mad keen to do education city too. SO have another trial version now running with BB nursery. I am not paying for the nursery just so she doesn’t shriek! I will put a BB list though in the sidebar. SB is excited that on monday her selection for education city will change – she is such a daft but gorgeous girl to be excited by it!
A colleague from work came round – bringing choccies to make me feel better. SB and BB coloured for him and generally shew off. I must integrate more with work, so that it seems a better deal. He is one of my favourite colleagues though, and always makes me smile.
Oh, the other thing I have done is started some grape and redcurrant jelly, but lost the jelly bag, so rigged up some not-quite-good-enough-for-the job alternative. Oh well, it will just be cloudy. Home grown grapes though! [and redcurrants that have been sitting in the freezer for yonks]

Bath time now, and girls have been fed. I will make us an aubergine, mushroom and paneer curry [yum] for our tea. the ‘off the pathers’ are eating on the way down, so we will eat while SB is staying up [watching attenborough natural science progs and little house probably]

I have got guests coming excitement, so no good for settling down either – do you think we should make a bit of room for them in this bombsite??

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, online resources, science

big house in the dark village

Posted on January 18, 2007 by | 4 comments

well, we’ll get on to that i guess!

i couldn’t move knees and below or elbows and below when i didn’t get up this morning. so name as mud at work, as we aren’t ever supposed to be sick, and i was interviewing – so someone else had to do it without prep [though my notes and questions available]

anyway, that meant SB stayed at home while i was in bed, and Chris took BB to her first gym class. by all accounts she loved it ‘i climbed ladder, i diiiid’ ‘i did do ladder’ etc – obviously the key bit as far as she was concerned! it was a little circuit – sounds very like where i used to take SB at that age.

SB was happily doing education city. she did tell the postman she didn’t have a key and mummy was in bed [blush!] when he came to deliver a parcel – now languishing in the post office. However, when whiskey brought a bird in that escaped and flew all over the room, she came up. we decided to leave bird for chris, and got her current ORT book [flying carpet] and read another 10 pages.

We staggered downstairs, and SB had second breakfast and did some more of the painted garden kit that Big bought her for xmas. I was looking at the internet, but the wind has been blowing hard, and the ‘leccy was an early casualty. Severe weather indeed. So i found bird instead and released it outside – to whiskey’s total disgust. We read some DK history, the really interesting bits [pharoahs - where she recited what she knew from the terry deary cd - alot in fact, and the crusades]. I rang and apologised to my sister for grumpiness, so felt better.
Chris came home with a sleepy BB, who napped [they had been shopping] apparently a bus had got blown off the road . He pronounced the ‘leccy global to the village, so we rousted out various camping supplies and candles, so that when night fell we would be all set if normal service not restored. Good thing, as no ‘leccy till past 7 as it happened. SB did some MPH singapore maths 1B and we then played ‘who is it’ – or whatever that guessing game is with picture cards.

more playing, and then tidying so we were all ready for the dark. the fire was lit, sauce for the pasta cooked, candles and torches and gas lamps placed in useful places.

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We retired to the fire room – all nice and snuggly warm – as the dark fell. the girls loved it. BB thought it weird the lights and tv didn’t work.

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So we played little house on the prairie, the various games we had – buckaroo, dancemat, animals. but in honest, the singsong was the favourite thing! so we had picnic tea and then cakes. the lights came on the street just at bedtime. SB wanted to finish the day in old style, so we took the candles up to bed, told stories by candlelight and discussed how few books laura had – family bible and shared schoolbook that had been her mothers and a lot of other things about the early settlers.

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the village looked very different without light. you forget the effect of streetlamps and window lights on a place. I haven’t done a roof tile count yyet though

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, history, language, literacy, science, Stringbean's HE

Migraine Monday

Posted on January 8, 2007 by | 4 comments

I am having a lot of them again aren’t i. must be something to sort out. Actually have had all weekend, and as working it has been really difficult. I would have gone off sick Sunday it was so bad, but my backup rang in to say he was too unwell to cover, and I didn’t have the heart to ruin the only option available’s weekend. SO when I couldn’t open eyes or lift head off pillow this am without wanting to shoot myself, I took today off – and feeling guilty still. got out of bed after lunch though. Not sure what the girls had been doing in the morning – lots of screaming anyway! Chris had been tidying, and BTB was on the vid.

the ebay oogly googly arrived – wahey. [btw, there seem to be a fair number of wacky wigglers on there atm] so although an eyeball missing, still a bargain! we set to making an oogly googly – well, as I was still very rough I observed and enhanced/scaffolded from the semi recumbent position on the sofa! SB and BB both very happy to get on with it, and loved having weird eyeballs. I mainly got it as the cheapest way to have another motor so the girls didn’t argue. rofl.

blank mind – o yes, a late lunch. read BB some more apple tree farm – which she loves – and did jigsaws, then she went for a lap. SB and I then did roman sotw, with other roman book on the go and colouring in. She loves story of the world – she said today anyway. oh, before, she had started the getty and dubay how to form letters, as hers are a mishmash. she chose to do i, and then wrote as other i words, ivee and iys, with suitable pictures. She then read some ORT book to herself – rather well. BB came down and we did some blocks and building, and mostly jumping on mummy – very helpful for head! So then SB was detailed maths – argh 3/4 through MPH 1B, so have to buy some more! and BB insisted on doing her maffs too. So cutesy homeschool picture of them both at table doing workbooks. [if i ever get round to flickring them!].

we then all looked at our model heart and discussed the arteries and veins – I wonder if she will remember their names – she certainly remembers [atm] that the pulmonary ones are odd as the vein is red and the artery blue, and even why. we matched it up to all of us, and decided it probably was a 10 year old heart!! BB enjoyed wiggling her fingers down the holes. SB wants a body shlef – so far we have a heart and eye. I think i have been watching too much bones [yep Jax, it does get much better when you stick with it!] and a body bits shelf just sounded a bit, well…..

We did a fair bit of dancing around, talking about little house on the prairie [firmly identified with laura there!] making sure her plaits were like lauras!! We also did our french conversation, and have added how old are you, I am 5 to it.

more obligate kleine hippo watching for BB as room tidied [very very slowly by SB with many accompanying wails, but this is her LHOTP task - evil grin]. They both watch this, and SB has started asking me what some of the words are – eek, as if I know!! Promised SB I would pay for education city. she really likes the next stage webland too. story tonight was the lion witch and wardrobe, and they are both is SB’s bedroom. SB took some ORT books to bed to read though – rofl.

I looked on Gill’s blog about compulsory NC , and it gives me the shivers. I don’t think I could pretend we follow it, as we don’t do it in the ‘right order’. I could write an ed phil that should satisfy anyone, and I’m sure if we ever allowed a home visit that it would be hard not to show we were providing an education. However I realise that is the stated not actual goalpost. After all, I don’t have lots of evidence of work or progression, as it is practical based or verbal as SB not keen on writing. I am sure they would say ‘behind’ too. I would just say she has only recently shown an interest in it, and so it is appropriate for a starter position. I used to do a list of what NC areas I thought we had covered, and maybe will start that again, but I just don’t want too! I guess I have the tags. So here’s what it might look like [though TBH, I couldn't bear to look at the national curriculum for actual places on it!] and it doesn’t account for the actual time on any item [think bite-sized!].

PS, Chris has just checked on SB, and she is very proud of the fact she is reading her ORT book to herself. Is this an official reading milestone - reading in bed!!!!

maths [mph adding 10's and units]; literacy [ORT, LWW]; geography [SOTW] history [SOTW, roman flap book, LHOTP], design and technology [gears], science [gears, heart, carrot experiment [ongoing]], modern language [KH, conversational french], writing [GD], ICT [KH], arts [SOTW, photography]

OK, OK, linking to years 1 and 2 [SB in year 1] it is all really waffly, and I guess if I was BOVVERED, I could stuff lots of it in little category boxes of waffle. but it would still be pointless. At a push, I could change the categories to the NC ones. Still not BOVVERED. I still think the great thing about HE is the FREEDOM to follow SB’s interest at the time she is interested. I list and tag because I am weird like that [see below] rather than because I think its required.

oh, and as for citizenship, isn’t that what PARENTS and FAMILIES are good for. I don’t need to TEACH this, she just needs to live it – I quote the goals

  1. to recognise what they like and dislike, what is fair and unfair, and what is right and wrong
  2. to share their opinions on things that matter to them and explain their views
  3. to recognise, name and deal with their feelings in a positive way
  4. to think about themselves, learn from their experiences and recognise what they are good at
  5. how to set simple goals.

etc etc!!!

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

On the 7th day of christmas

Posted on December 23, 2006 by | 7 comments

We fell off schedule [rough as it is], as my parents arrived at lunchtime, and I though they were coming eve, and a text at their halfway point had me scurrying around!

SO Chris took SB to shop for my pressie, and a few other things, and BB and I made some more scones at home together. It was really nice to have the chance to do that 1:1, and we both enjoyed it.

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We then played games with little tykes people [unfortunate name] until my parents arrived, and BB went into a paroxysm of mad joy! lovely having Mum and Dad here, and Christmas now upon us. Did mean that i didn’t take SB to see a film this pm, which had been the plan. But as I hadn’t said that to SB, there was no harm done, and she and BB went suitably loopy for my parents approval!

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We took a bit of redirection, and made chocolate icing and iced and decorated a lovely yule log. I cheated and bought the roll inside from the bakery. It is an arctic yule log – though as SB pointed out, it has polar bears and penguins. I then tipped too much icing sugar on it to my Mum and Chris’s merriment – so I growled at them. Its snowy in the arctic!
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SB read a level 7 ORT book to my mum, a bit of stumbling as we haven’t read much for a fortnight, and this was a new [to us] book. But still, was happy to do it, and Mum a good encourager. We did some positive home-ed discussion.

BB was flagging at 4, so had a bath, and then made it until 8, even cuddled up watching beauty and the beast [free from the mail].

I have finished wrapping presents – always a good moment! Though SB crept down the stairs just at the point we were discussing the bits you don’t want overheard about the machinery of Christmas, so I am hoping that either not heard, or doesn’t make a difference. I went up to explain she needed to tell us she was moving, as she might overhear Christmas secrets, so the next time she told us. [insomnia again poor thing]

Anyway, with visitors – especially ones that don’t understand the lure of the blog!, blogging service may be interrupted . So Happy Christmas everyone.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, literacy, photos, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

on the 6th day of christmas

Posted on December 21, 2006 by | Leave a comment

they are whizzing past aren’t they! slow down!!!!!

Anyway, mostly broken up due to the fact that I went into work at lunchtime and with some of my colleagues, took some of the secretaries out to lunch at expensive local restaurant that is seriously yummy! We had a really nice meal and chat.

made up for it in the afternoon by being crafty and bakey. Chris made pastry with the girls, but they never turned into mince pies. We made the marmalade muffins though – also yummy, and did some more hama deeds – 2 stars for the xmas tree, and SB is halfway thourgh a big heart. BB helped me with a star, but wanted to watch TV, so we put on ‘kleine hippo’ on the laptop and listened to the German as our hands were busy.

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We then settled for a read – some red nose readers for BB, and while the bear sleeps solstice and nativity narrative for them both – with discussions around as usual. I do like that book. SB has done lots of jigsaws and playing with BB.

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BB was seriously flagging, so attempted the bath thing, but she stood up in it and wailed ‘mummy, tuddle meeee, I need tuddle, mummeeeeeeee’ so I did, and she fell asleep. meanly I then dressed her, and she managed to make it through tea before falling asleep in my arms whilst I was on the phone – sweet.

SB was listening to little toe, and then we have watched some recorded robin hood together. It is the most adult thing we have ever watched with her, and I wonder what she makes of some of the subtexts – if they are noticeable. But she loves the gore and fighting! :rolls:

Must wrap pressies tonight. Meant to do the stollen – so have that for tomorrow, and somehow need to do the delia scones again as all gone!

Oh, and it was fudge – rather yummy actually.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, language, literacy, Out and About, Stringbean's HE

On the fifth day of christmas – I made toffee fudge

Posted on December 20, 2006 by | 4 comments

Today was prob always a bit of a push! We are well behind schedule – does that surprise anyone? However, the aim of the game is to have a great family Christmas, so top of my list of to dos were some yoghurt pot bells for the christmas tree, and decorating some mugs for the grandparents, and some family baking.

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BB was ecstatic about the bell making – which was good as the craft was pitched for her. Sb also enjoyed it, so they painted and glittered together, with a bit of sticking. I threaded the bells in [well, its more fun if they actually jingle!] when they had dried. Much singing of jingle bells [still usually to the bring me back theme by BB] and other Christmas carols.

SB moved on to decorating the mugs using ceramic pens in her own inimitable freestyle way. One was made up of a drawing of computer wires, one an exploding comet, the other a trajectory of a golf ball… BB carried on with the painting and sticking.

They both did some christmas sticker book before lunch, and general play – with all the noisy things BB could find [a lot!] including that ELC footpath thing. Chris went out, so we took the opportunity to wrap his present from the girls. Carefully chosen by SB, its the first pressie she has wanted to buy either of us!
After lunch we made choc/banana porridge muffins. yummy. SB and BB worked together very cooperatively [well mostly with a Christmas eye of faith!] and with a wing and a prayer were cooked and worked out. So one for them to eat, and the rest in the freezer for Christmas morning. I am making some marmalade ones for the grown ups. [mum is bringing gammon for the traditionalists!]. I quickly made the brandy butter with them too. SB doesn’t like it – good!

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SO there we were, all achieved with lots of fun by 3! So we tidied and sorted SB’s bedroom – well overdue. Now my sister and family can sleep in their quite safely. SOme general playing, but BB in particular was getting fractious as we didn’t allow her a nap today as she has been being a nightmare. So we put on another episode of the great britain series with allen titchmarsh – the ice age [SB choice] and quickly gave BB a tea. bath and she perked up, so a latish bedtime after all, and will hopefully stay asleep.

I am waiting to see what my fudge has done, but early impressions are of toffee. i don’t get fudge right ever! in fact last time i gave up [edited aside, SB down as her egyptian and world war 2 now finished, so I’ve suggeted she goes for a longer cd!] and made fudge with soft cheese, but didn’t like it – I’m more of a tablet person. this time have used this recipe for the first [and probably last] time. Anyone with any surefire recipes! [i have a jam thermometer, so know the temps]

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Chris now making soup. watched the battlestar galactica on mon – nice cliffhanger – and getting into bones as I forget the books! Must do some wrapping up, but feel can’t start anything till I ‘know the worst’ with the fudge! We have taken loads of photos btw, just haven’t yet flickred!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, music, numeracy, photos, Stringbean's HE

On the 3rd day of christmas

Posted on December 19, 2006 by | Leave a comment

we went to CHEF Christmas party. SO lots of fun and making things, singing carols, [playing, eating – all in no particular order!

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Got home late and adjusted SB’s character skirt for her to twirl about in, then had roaring fire and watched some History of Britan [or whatever its called] with Alan Titchmarsh – SB really enjoyed it.

Read some of the cutaway transport book to SB, and then mostly chilled and wrapped a few presents, listened to chtismas songs etc.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, photos, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

Hama Deeds/ on the second day of christmas

Posted on December 17, 2006 by | 5 comments

well, we did quite a lot of hama deeds. SB had to do hers twice, as B ‘helped’ her. The first version was better, and so never mind to the receiver of the gift! I also did 2 hama stars as presents, so will remember to flickr them to Merry’s group. i have now run out of christmas green though.

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A bit of general mayhem, and book reading and the BB went to sleep. SB and I had been going to do something fiddley then, but she prefered to get stuck in on the baking, so we made Delias chees and olive scones [where she tipped out approx half the egg, so we made up with milk and it is fine]

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and then some choc choc chip cookies for CHEF tomorrow. I didn’t get them out of the oven earlier enough though. I just am no good at cookies – they are either biscuits or soggy. Anyway, they are edible. Bb helped with the end of the cookies, having woken up. She mostly ate the choc chips, but did wodge some of them in. We have been using the great big solid balance scales, which are rather lovely, in oz! SO SB adding, doubling etc like mad all by herself.

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We have posted out the early years HE cards at last – sorry everyone. I still have my own cards to do.

bit of relaxing with the yoga DVD, SB definitely getting much better at it, and then more general mayhem. lots of singing carols – i quite liked BB’s jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells my legions [to the bring me back tune - rofl] Bit of ad hoc talking around the chinese calendar from the restaurant, and the years of thing. Chris and I are apparently totally incompatible! I have promised to celebrate the chinese new year.

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Dinner and now bath. How does the day go so quickly? we were supposed to be making yoghurt pot bells for the Xmas tree? AH, wailing from upstairs – shall I see what Chris is doing?? [it sounds like SB is saying BB bit her nipple? def one for chris to handle]

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE

On the first day of christmas

Posted on December 16, 2006 by | 4 comments

well, it is for me OK, as off until thurs after xmas! So, got home from work and huggled the girls with great relief. We got stuck straight in with reading, snuggling and playing together. Lots of drawing – BB loves her etch a sketch, the wacky wigglers are still a huge hit. SB has begun to be more imaginative herself, working out how things might join and what might not work. Both girls are rather sweet at making up imaginative stories with the christmas tree decs in the playroom. Even BB has got the hang of making them kiss and fall asleep. 2 trees may be a frip, but it seem to be money well spent. Straight into Xmas crafts and we made coconut ice. SB and BB – so the mixutres may not be exact! SB is quite able to do it herself, but we still do it together as fun. BB made a huge mess but enjoyed it!

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After lunch, we did some making stained glass windows with black paper and tissue paper – glue city! i cut out a snowman shape for BB who stuck bits on it, and then demanded I did it! SB liked the snowman idea, so she did one too.

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We read the hannukah section of while the bear sleeps and then watched Disney’s Aladdin, strictly come dancing and Planet Earth ['cos I was steamless at this point!]

i fell asleep, but BB woke me up, so now I have insomnia!!

A lovely first day of the hols though.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, history, music

muddling along

Posted on December 13, 2006 by | 7 comments

Well, I am anyway. Perhaps in common with a number of others on this blogring Chrsitmas has snuck up on me. I have a craft cupboard full of good intentions. We do have trees up, and SB has done lots of Xmas cards – even if not posted [first 2 handed out today though] and I am mostly done on pressies. no cooking/baking preparation. House a mess.

I have also been letting the side down with spending so much time at work. 2-3 days a week I don’t make it home in time to see SB, which makes me feel very dislocated from family life.

I have been appraised – and passed. Wait to see how job planning going for next year [AKA how many hours they think they can wrangle out of me for nothing]. I just missed being excellent enough for an excellence award – but a miss is as good as a mile [or something?], so feeling grumpy.

SO onto better things. BB is weaned, and failry happily. A couple of feeds snuck at Barbara’s but none other now for a month. Kind of sad and kind of happy, but def right! She is a total cutie, and talks beautiful toddler talk, and has wierd dancing shuffle runs and mooch walks that she does to show her mood – saying OTay as she goes off to do something. Still very edible.

SB has been reading more, and enjoying a number of books from the library – including a good transport Xray book, and ocean book and archaeoloogy book. should have done another story in while the bear sleeps tonight, but she preferred the xray transport as a bedtime story! She’s enjoyed watching robin Hood as well as various of the David Attenborough natural history DVD’s. I need to spend more time with her, as I also miss our reading and craft sessions. She had her dancing thing last before week – which I did manage to get back for [terrible temporary camera!]
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today we went to Merry’s. I am glad she lives relatively close, and we really should see each other more – maybe when I am made redundant or summat… instant disappearance of SB with the older girls. Fran tried to encourage them to put on a show, but SB and Amelie weren’t being very thespian! They then all disappeared off pretty much for the whole day. SB did look gorgeous in Fran’s skating outfit though. BB and Josie mostly played together – though BB did terrorize her a bit – she is obviously getting a nasty habit of face scratching – not often, last infact with R at Barbara’s. mostly over a Dora laptop though!

Merry and I gossiped a lot, Looked forward to Melrose and did a bit of fimo – Merry made a very beautiful statuette and I did some fiddly angels that fell apart in backing and made me stroppy! The bordeaux red in the classic range is a perfect angel colour. Merry intervention and they are now hanging on our Xmas tree! [they look rather brill actually on the tree, the white one looks best, we used superglue with no ill effects]

oh, Chris went out and did his usual timewarp thing, but did return with camera. Didn’t get the paper i asked him too though! oh we got SB’s mug back, and it looks lovely [from that painting place] and SB’s choice of colours works really well.

Anyway, thanks Merry for a lovely day. Everyone should have a fimo angel or 2 on their tree, and listening to carols is good for lifting the mood! [as well as spending the day with friends]. I am now going to watch telly and make a few angels. I am sure I have bought this colour, so will search it out!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, history, literacy, Out and About, socialisation, Stringbean's HE