Category Archives: art and crafts

Drumming

Posted on May 26, 2006 by | 1 comment

This morning saw us head off to a local HE group meeting (arriving late due to 20 minute wait in traffic jam getting onto A1….) for an African Drumming Workshop which was great fun, and rather noisy Stringbean enjoyed the drumming, BB enjoyed the poddling about, saw Merry and Tammy and relevant children, though didn’t have that much time to chat. I was amused by Sam’s dislike of the drumming – standing there with his hands over his ears – and the desire to go off to the palyground :-)

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The groups singing at the end was good as well. SB also made shaker and helped out cutting up fruit for the fruit salad, though she didn’t like eating it for some reason.

Shaker making Communal Fruit Salad Making
Afterwards we went down to the playground for a bit. There are a couple of older girls, 11yo twins who seem to have taken a shine to SB and vice versa and they have taken her under their wing abit, so she spent some time playing with them. They went into the woods at the back of the playground for bit, building a bridge across a stream and generally getting muddy and wet feet. BB just went paddling in puddles to get wet feet…. I at and chatted with couple of other parents, until we got fed up getting damp as it had started to rain.

Once home later on, not much happened. Both ahd dozed off in the car and were a bit sleepy, so we sat and watched a bit of TV – SB watched a bit of videoed CBeebies followded by variosu schools programs on geography, something about Egypt.Soem sort of potted histroy programme was showing ‘highlights of the 1980′s – had? bit about Live Aid, the Ethiopian famine etc.? so that prompted various questions about that, don’t think she could grasp the idea that the people couldn’t just go somehere there was food, or just buy some more, or possibly even the whole concept of not having food to eat at all may? have ben beyond her, seing as it is totally outside her experince.SB did a bit of Jump Ahead Maths later before and after dinner.

Poor Helen has been very tired (we did both go to bed post 2 am last night for no good reason) and has been asleep since she gave BB her bedtime feed.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, IT, music, numeracy, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean

Out and about

Posted on May 24, 2006 by | Leave a comment

today we went out with one of our local home ed groups to Denny Abbey. there was stained glass making and tile making put on, and for the older children a bit more history, but SB was having so much fun playing, that the youngest group played making arches and then sundry imaginative run around games! A huge turnout.

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BB was much taken by looking through the coloured plastic to see how the world changed colour, and did this will all the colours she could grab. SB had a lollipop design for her stained glass- rofl. She was quick to answer questions, and enjoyed the tile making too – she concentrates really well on crafts.

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A reproductive lesson too by a rather frisky bull in a field full of cows and calves. Ended on a sour note, as SB ran off with her friend M and hid just as I was putting BB in car. Took me 5 mins to find them. She knows she shouldn’t run off from carparks. grr! So she looked sad all the way home as she had been naughty – by which point I felt sad too!! And I hadn’t done too much of a major telling off either.

Anyway, got home. Chris went to the meeting with the council about the pubs request for musi 4 days a week. he got chatting to the owner, who prob isn’t going to use music so much, and it seems part of the deal is some kind of noise limiter device thingy. So we’ll see.

SB did some maths – difficult bit again, so we cut it short – its adding over a 10. She’s fine at adding and subtracting within the 10, and her understanding of tens and units seems fine, its just that making tens thing. Some playing with cuisinaire rods and pattern making with that and the ideal blocks. We also made a mask – it was SB’s present to me as a sorry for being naughty, she made me a make-a-mask kit and wrapped it up – ahh, all friends again, and a long cuddle! She really can be thoughtful[yep, there is one of me in the mask!]
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We then spent most of the afternoon outside, running around, making up games, and SB and BB playing together beautifully. We lost track of time, so have had chips for tea listening to little toe radio – we are all enjoying the little house on the prairie adaption. We finished the day watching some more of the blue planet DVD series – shores this time. SB has become very taken by natural history DVD’s
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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, history, numeracy, Out and About, photos, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

Yesterday, I sneaked away…

Posted on May 23, 2006 by | 2 comments

… as definately in need of r and r!

came home to find in-laws visiting, and much merriment. i had stopped off at tescos, and they were having a womens clothing sale, so last of the big spenders, I bought shorts for 2.50, top for 1.75, another 2 for 5 each, and then a 20% discount on the lot – v pleased!

And since miserable and no money whatsoever, i then bought a dinosaur testtube kit for Sb and some v cheap walkie talkies.

so we played with the walkie talkies. SB was fairly hopeless at keeping her finger pressed down! no doubt practice will improve things. BB was very jealous – so SB let her play too.

we buillt the glow in the dark dinosaur together. a t-rex, and then she and it squiggled into a cupboard to make sure it did glow in the dark. BB read books to me. She now says ‘mine’ well!
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She and BB then spent a considerable amount of time putting on a show for us – to the fimble radio! lots of dancing and twirling, with Sb dressed in her ballet togs.

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SB did some singapore maths 1B – 10s and units, which she is galloping through, and then Chris’s parents treated us to a curry. thankyou!! it was delicious, I was ravenous, and BB seems to be a real curry girl too. in fact i’m about to have some reheated.

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what else? Oh, SB insisted BB did some match and sort – counting to 10 flap book – rofl! And they both played with the ideal blocks.

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Earlier, SB had done some hama, some explode the code and lots andlots of playdough with BB while Chris did a good tidy up of the main downstairs – for which I was very appreciative [actually i thought his mum had done it - oops]

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Unfortunately the garden and gardening gone to pot. I am trying not to care.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, gardening, General, literacy, numeracy, photos, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

a few SB-isms

Posted on May 15, 2006 by | 4 comments

we were watching the planets DVD and the asteroid crater in Arizona -

“is that where all the dinosaurs were standing when they became extinct? Had they all gone there to eat something nice, or asleep?” Hmm, perhaps not quite got that image right then!

or about her tooth that fell out today

“ how will the seed bunny know it is out? [i am wondering what to say at this point] i imagine he got an email [!!!!]”

Poor lass though, BB gave her a shocking bite. BB also deliberately bit me for her evening feed – right Chris, here she is for a bottle!

I also had to soothe hurt feelings, as at the end of home-ed group, one of her friends Mum’s invited the other little girl and her mum to their house for a play. SB asked if she could come to, and was told no. Fair enough obviously as this was an adult invite with children as it were, but SB thought she wasn’t wanted, especially as she has been before.

We had a lovely weekend though, and did lots of playing in the garden and with her dolls house and her paper dress me dolls. SB and BB playing nicely together – some squabbling over the fun blox!, we all having fun. Read lots of books – the DK encyclopaedia, and childrens history book about middle ages, some singapore maths [oops, we left the book in the rain, but it has recovered!] And more playing with the electric circuit. Also she has progressed onto the cbbc website – though some of the games there are, well!!! We looked at flowers outside, played botanist explorers [amongst others] [she was very bossy, and me 'n BB poddled along behind!] picking a few, and then she has made a picture with them that we are pressing. We have also started off a second hand triops kit. It had run out of nutrients, and we are using pond water – lets see if that works. Some cbeebies watched, and also DVD of life of mammals – SB really into these DVD’s at the moment. She was also particularly proud to swing like Violet [some hero worship going on there]- hanging by her knees from the trapeze bar thing. Thankyou Violet! Some hama beading, and I think we have had a very full Home-ed autonomous weekend!

I love home-ed. Still wish I did more of it though. Have at least finished my talk.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, science

Phew! What a scorcher :-)

Posted on May 4, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Well it was relativley here today, really hot day. Which had SB complaining when I made her take a fleece out with us when we went out this morning. SB part did jigsaw over breakfast. Went to a local HE group meeting today. Theme was Africa, with some Africa inspired crafty things.

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As usual it was down to line getting us out of the door, but we got there in time.

SB made a necklace, with beads made from rolled up sheets of paper glued together ,

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she then spent quite sometime making a painted on ‘leather’ picture which we put into a frame (hers is on the left)

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Though she did need assitance, in particular with the frame. They were very effective.

She then did a little bit of weaving with reeds/rushes:

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By the end of that it was time to have some lunch, which this time I was more organised with – though BB at some point had found someone half eaten pitta bread and helped herself to that :-) While all this was goign on, when not nicking others food BB poddled about, did bit of drawing, and kept trying to disappearr into the great blue yonder.

After the group we went down to the playground with soem others, SB complained of it being hot – it was. BB kept trying to climb up the climbing frames, and we bumped into the biggest three girls from the Puddle being given some relief from the stresses of house moving by Aunty Kate. SB was pleased as she got an Icecream out of it from AK :-)

Home, SB rather dozey, read ‘Where’s Wally ‘ to her, out to ballet lesson, back home, dinner, tears, when somehow I had BB on my lap, arm round her, cup of tea in other hand, she somehow lurched back over my arm, I couldn’t catch her and she hit her head hard on the door behind :-( big egg on her head but otherwise ok. not the best end to the day.

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

Where are we?

Posted on April 27, 2006 by | 8 comments

Seem to have lost things a bit re blogging lately – a lack of inspiration? various concerns/stresses here re work finances, house never seems to progress beyond the slighty less disorganised state etc. even when an effort to knock some things into shape is made. Kids seem to be in a getting to bed bit too late mode at the moment – not enough evening time. A short update.

Yesterday Elinor’s Nanny, (Helens Mum) called in for a day, so she was much enjoyed. At the moment that’s about all I have in my brain about yesterday. Hmm, there was some maths and some more Explode the Code, she made a Hama flower for Little Nanny.

Today there was some more Hama-ing- SB did another butterfly, she carefully matched the pattern on both wings so we had bit of a discussion about symmetry. Might intoduce bit of stuff about that next week. BB was stacking the big Duplo bits carefully on top of each other, they both played nicely together with Lego/Duplo. SB did some maths – easy stuff really, but she wanted to finish off the book. We tried to amke some inroads into the enormous backlog of washed clothes around the place – the problem when you ahev blitz on the dirty pile…..

Played outside for bit. BB is desperate to be able to climb up onto the large climbing frame.

Went shopping for few bits, dragged the swings we got secondhand in Leeds before we moved and have yet to be reassembled (needs various rusty bolts replacing) out and now have bits all over the lawn. Try to get it together for tomorrow.

Ballet class this afternoon.

Trying to get head/house organised for the’ SB Offically HE party’ party on Saturday and failing somewhat. Ah well whatever state the house is in on Saturday morning, but Saturday afternoon, 28 children will returned it to it’s normal entropic state no doubt …….

I did manage to upset SB a bit, when she thought I said we might send her to school :roll: She was calling her party her ‘Home Ed Birthday Party’, so we ended up talking about why we were having the party, talked about the law saying that at her age she has to offically ‘be educated’, that most children go to school, etc. she got the wrong end of the stick somewhat and seemed ‘But I don’t want to go to school’ . I do wonder what she imagines school is like. We don’t really talk about it much, if it comes up we talk about it, but we don’t say a lot of negative things about school.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, numeracy, Ponderings, Stringbean

Help -we’re trapped!

Posted on April 24, 2006 by | 7 comments

After Helen’s exhaust falling off episode last week, I had to take the car off to Kwik fit for a new one. My mum came round to look after the kids to save them being dragged around with me.. I had an ok time – off to the garage, had a bit of wait – once I would have been ‘grr!’ now UI just enjoy the chance to sit and read the paper for 45 minutes uninteruppted – i was quite sad when the chap said it was done ;-)

Went off to do a bit of shoppign as well, a little while alter there was phone call from my mum, they were all shut in the playroom! The handle came off the outside of the door a week or so ago. I was waiting to get some new screws since it didn’t seem to have any, other the one I could find – coincidentally I had just got some when my mum rang me. THe metal rod that goes through the door, ahd of course come out and was sitting in the playroom. Of course my mum shut the door….. soemtie later they tried to open it and were trapped – so I had to cut short my shopping.

Whiel I was out they seemd to have fun. SB and Nanna did some more patterns on a couple of T shirts wuith her ‘Puff up paints’, BB did some ‘drawing’, some general playing, some reading etc. more playing after I’d freed them and we had lunch etc. SB did read one of here Red Nose Readers to Nanna, – other than couple of odd words she can pretty much do these now. We played a game where SB was apost man and briought lots of presents, seem to eb an excuse to empty out BB’s toy box….

Whilst I took Nanna home, she did some maths of some sort – ordinal numbers apparently from singapore maths 1a thinking skills. She also did some drawing of farm animals from a how to draw farm animals books, and also spent some time looking for OS symbols on some maps. Before bed whilst palyiong on the floor with SB and BB I managed to hit SB’s head on the door whilst ‘messing her about’- got a nice egg. Didn’t stop her coming back for more though after about 5 minutes. BB is so funny, we were on the floor playing about, she comes trotting across the room, shouting and then flops down on top of you. When she does it to SB she looks like a minature Big Daddy doing a ‘belly splash’ :-)

SB is getting into the Little Toe Radio Show on a whim, as the laptop was on the table (not having DAB radio or dig TV – anyway – listening when you want is much easier), I put it on last Thursday while we had dinner, she sat listening too it silenty almost for the whole hour. So we have been listening to that a bit which she is enjoying. She listend to bit this afternoon, what was funny was that becuase she wasn’t doing anything else she sat on the chair in front of the computer and looked up at the screen, even though it wans’t really doing anything.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Daft Stuff, geography, literacy, numeracy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Tired and still migrainous

Posted on April 23, 2006 by | Leave a comment

We had a rather poor night. Not quite sure what was up with BB as she was twitchy and unsettled most of the time and permanently latched on – sigh.

So today, we started with SB playing story games with Sindy’s in her bedroom fro a vast amount of the morning, and I played with BB. We did book reading, fun blox, shape sorters and dollies mostly, with a little bit of scribbling for good measure. She and i sang to each other – she does seem to have a musical ear [as far as you can tell these things].

When SB came down, she got stuck in to some explode the codswallop and we also read a fair bit more from the usborne children’s encyclopaedia - formation of earth, tectonic drift, volcanos and earthquakes, the moon and its phases, formation of stars and government and politics – she chooses! We had lunch and I potted up some toms and peppers.

As BB fell asleep SB did some thinking skills singapore maths - a bit of an easy revision on subtraction under 10 in record time. i then offered her choice as to waht she wanted us to do together. First we painted her second ring box [from the tesco kit she got for her birthday], the we went to discuss ‘the carrot problem‘ [ie the rows are so overgrown in weeds we have no idea whether any carrot seedlings there] – we decided to sow some into eggboxes to see what we are looking for. Whilst out, we re-enacted a long fairy tale about a traveller princess with a pet lion who rescues a prince, marries him, and takes his money to give to her parents [well, its hard to make these things up!]We then went on to read the usborne book about healthy eating, and repeated the taste experiment – we did it last year for meme day! Sb was quite knowledgeable about why we should eat healthily.

BB woke up, and we finished tidying the playroom [Chris had started it] and hoovered, and then got out things for all of us to play together. We first listened to holsts the planets and discussed the fact he only knew about 8, and their roman names and atrributes. SB and BB did a rather good interpretative dance! When we get to vote on a new national anthem, I think I will go for I vow to thee my country! We followed on with the free horrible history romans CD, which we all blithely ignored whils arguing over fun blox, stacking cups and which of the girls should have prime lap/arm position!

We had an early tea to watch Jason and the Argonauts. SB enjoyed it. She was much put out that the story wasn’t entirely the same as in her book! We discussed the oral tradition and poetic licence, but she wasn’t impressed! She even moaned that their constumes were different. To give her credit, she knew it was a hydra, and it doesn’t come in this story, as well as most of the characters and monsters. She was also put out by the advert breaks!

We finished with bedtime stories of ‘great grandfather abraham’ and the cruxifiction and resurrection of Christ from her children’s bible. Discussing as honestly as possible [for an agnostic] the meanings behind things!

I think perhaps I should have chose today as meme day – though took very few photos – as we have covered pretty much the whole curriculum in one form or another. AND only the singapore maths and explode the code were suggested [2 pages of each], the rest entirely autonomous – though I think of us as child led.

hmmm, maybe i will see what photos I can russle up!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, gardening, General, geography, history, literacy, music, numeracy, science, writing

Sunny Saturday – photos to follow

Posted on April 22, 2006 by | 5 comments

It was nice getting home from the conference. It was a good conference in Norwich, I listened, learnt, talked and networked. I even ate a rather dismal meal cooked by St Delia’s krew at Norwich City [i think the non-veg may have been better]

Unfortunately, although resolutely teatotal, had horrendous migraine for drive home, and to cap it all, exhaust half fell off car on way back! Rescue man came and said best thing was to finish the job, so slithered under the car and wrestled it off, somewhat in the manor of crocodile dundee!

So to today. staggered out of bed, suitably drugged. SB was watching cbeebies and then went onto some Dora DVD’s temporarily borrowed from Merry – thanks. so we say hola and vamanos all day [? spelling??] We really should get into gear as we have some spanish and german resources. SB finished her hama star, and BB danced and sang along to all the Dora music [very cute] and played with dolls and fun blox.

SB sowed some seeds for me, and BB pulled apart a tom – good thing we have plenty! SB also did some of the ‘learn to draw…’ pictures. yesterday she did a fantastic car and tractor, and then worked put herself a very detailed bike, with person and chain and pedals. I was impressed.

When BB fell asleep after lunch we went outside. We did some tidying up of the pond. Only 3 of the fish seem to have made it. SB was interested in the pond/roots/seeds etc visible, and went so far as to strip off and stand in it. She hated the slimy bottom so immediately got out!

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We then went into the veg patch to weed and hoe and she did some singapore maths 1A – subtracting across 10. We got there in the end! Bit of use of seeds as props. Chris took over the digging though – result! SB then helped and between them they trampled over 1/4 row of carrots – mind you, I couldn’t actually see them for the weeds – rofl!

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BB woke up, so we mostly then played in the garden, on the climbing frame and toys, and SB put on a show – swinging about making my hair even whiter!!

We seem to have loads of ladybirds in the garden, so SB and BB were looking at them. SB quite confidently remembered they would have 6 legs as insects and named various other body parts. They were 6 spots. We also looked at some ants and other creepy crawlies. So she asked why woodlice aren’t insects. i was a bit stumped, but thanks to google, I now know they are crustacea – amazing!

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BB was getting too interested in the water fountain and eating ladybirds, so we went in, and looked up woodlice. We have NASA astronomy picture of the day as our homepage and it was a series of photos showing the apparently retrograde motion of Mars – so another difficult question to work out how to answer!!

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SB ‘styled’ the pizza for tea whilst BB played run across the room and jump into my arms. I read BB some books – in particular my little pony and a squeezy truck one. SB did some explode the code 2

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We finished the day watching 1 and a half episodes of the blue planet – which SB really enjoyed, and was mostly ver attentive. Well, actually, BB is STILL awake and dancing to the chart show when not trying to retype my messages. She loves doing patacake and clapping, as well as high 5′s. She is also ‘singing’ along. Has made writing this blog somewhat dificult. SB’s last dificult question of the day was to ask me to prove cats had belly buttons…

Although at the moment, I really could do with BB being asleep, i love both my girls dearly and we have had a lovely day.

I have 4 friends moving in the next 10 days at various times, so hoping it is all going smoothly for you!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, language, numeracy, science, writing

Relocation, relocation, relocation.

Posted on April 18, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Relocation being the phase Butterbean is now in.? She is endlessy finding things, picking them up, investigating them dropping them all over the place, emptying things….. You know it is.? I’d forgotten tiresome it is to have them endlessy scattering stuff about. and I suspect with Stringbeans stuff all around there is much more for her to scatter. But she is just so cute at the moment as well, so she gets away with it :-) She is very much in the midst of the learning stuff everyday phase as well, so all the time you can almost see her learning about the world.

Anyway, apologies to those wondering where we have been – we have been away at Helen’s parents over Easter. We had? a lovely time. SB spent ages playing with her cousin M, they get on so well. BB had fun ‘Rarring’ around with everyone and trying to join in with the bigger ones. I got to read lots of the paper. We all had good time. Though as we ended up going on Friday morning we got stuck in lots of slow/non-moving traffic on the M25.

Back home BB was up woth me this morning by 6.30 so we had? a good start. She almost dragged me out into the garden after breakfast . She went and got her wellies, and shouted at me until i put thme on her, then wandered off to find her coat, got me to put that on, then pulled at me to come and pointed at my coat on the hanger -? knows what she wants that girl :-) She loves getting outside. whenever the door is open, whoosh – she is off. We spent ages outside in the garden while she pottered an explored. she particularly likes finding the odd bowls/buckets of water around to investigate. She helped me hamg out the washing too – picking up the clothes out of the basket and giving them to me – she is growing up and developing so fast. Rather nice pottering around in the early-ish morning sun
Eventually went back in – I think she was getting too cold once she got wet.

after that the day got? bit frustrating actually, one of those days where time seems to disappear and it seems hard to get into things. SB got up her and BB played together for? bit, more breakfast, Sb did some maths ( a bit more of of carrying on from last week) – she asked why she didn’t get a holiday like the school children :-) When I pointed out that at school she would have to sit still at a desk fro a lot of the time, she’d have to do what she was told? most of the time etc. etc. she seemd to think the amount of? ‘work’ she has? to do isn’t so bad :-)? She did? bit of hama beading, started with? star board, she was working on a pattwer, wwhen she discovered sh could make a hexagon pattern ‘inside’ it as well, which she thought was exciting. After lucnch she spent ages on the BBC Jam site, be better when they get some more content, but she was happy.

Had to go out to get a Freecycled stereo/CD player thing, and to the farm shop for veggies, where SB did her cute, helplful, chatty girl thing.? Forget what else, but Sb watched? a bit of the Clangers DVD. Which did spark a conversation about Earth, the Universe, about he concept of ‘sky’ as SB had the idea about earth being ‘ in the sky’, though she also has the idea tht the ‘sky ‘ is all around the earth. Bit of a tricky concept sky really. We all spent some more time out in the garden, i did a couple of jobs, B got wet again.? SB triesd climbing in roller skates. BB sulked cos she could climb on the climbing frame. Then we had dinner and then tidied the playroom beforw Helen arrived homwe (rather late)

Wil try and get up todate with flickr? soon, but Helen away from tomorrow to Friday

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, literacy, numeracy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE