Category Archives: geography

trying to get back on track

Posted on September 20, 2007 by | 1 comment

before you all shriek, I just don’t think we are home edding to the best of our aptitude and ability. I’m not wanting to do school at home or anything, and quite happy with our mostly child led, but I’m not sure we are giving the wings as it were to fly. hmmm and more hmmm. lots of cogs and little whirring!

Anyway, we had a dreadful night. SB required feeding at somewhere between 3 and 4 am. BB woke up somewhere between 5 and 6am… So we were not at our peak!

After a very slow start to the morning, SB did some weighing things in kg and g, which we generously called maths. we have lost the 2a workbook – bugger!! Also need to scan some more Getty and Dubay. But we did read Usbornes who were the first people to go along with our magic tree house book. We looked onto the globe to see the spread of humanity out of Africa, and how it took a long time but in the end the whole world had humans on it – a bit of diversions about getting to America, australia and some islands but not all!! We also did some violin practice [onto the E string!] and some education city – english, which was tricky for her as she had decided earlier levels too easy, so on level 3 – decidedly not too easy! She read to me some stories, and I read some barefoot stories to her. This lead to a discussion about Hawaii, and islands being created by volcanos.

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BB did some chair fixing with daddy. We have had a trick broken chair for about a year now, and BB has fixed it – well done BB!! She was very proud. BB also did some ‘match and sort‘ counting up to 20 [she misses out 15 and 17, and looking at her numberjacks numbers to try and recognise which one was which as part of a game. She has also watched the magic school bus, and played snowman on starfall.
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After lunch :¬) we went to The Deep End to see their not so new anymore house and have a play. Also took some of the experimental carrot cake, which we all agreed didn’t taste a whole lot like carrot cake, but was quite edible even so! Children played, SB baby worshipped, adults nattered. ALl very enjoyable. Left an hour later than planned – oops.

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SB and BB therefore fell asleep in the car, so jiggled them about at home long enough to get tea into them. SB went to bed at 7, BB had a second wind, so watched 64 zoo lane and has finally succumbed. Regenesis and a coffee for us.

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Posted in Butterbean, General, geography, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

weekend HE

Posted on September 2, 2007 by | 7 comments

BB is feeling very autonomous these days! she draws, she tries to read books all the time, she enjoys watching language videos: first fun with french/spanish, and bonjour mes amis. She loves the magic school bus tv programme and pretends her little bus is the same one and it goes on similar adventures! I’ve read to her a lot usbourne starting science books. She loves to sing and dance. go girl!! She also is being rather horrible to SB – often with no cause or provocations – i guess that is strong willed 2, but not happy for SB to bear the brunt of it, so behaviour modification required [for all of us]

SB not quite so industrious [rofl] has done some maths, lots of playing with barbies, tidying her room of doom. when I have been at home [some of today] we read some books together – on castles and evolution. yesterday she looked at countries on the globe and maps looking where nana and grandad and now nanny and grandad have been/are on holiday. She’s watched some nina and the neurons. She’s read lots of books herself – likes enid blyton short stories a lot. She has nearly completed her mosaic suncatcher. that might be about it! Oh, she has finally got to the top of the rainbows waiting list – woohoo!

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

a no photo day

Posted on August 27, 2007 by | 3 comments

as the girls chose to spend it entirely in the birthday suit! this is not unusual for BB – whose photo’s I regularly crop, but is more unusual for SB. SO no photos – well chris took one of a hidden window!

BB came to me this morning saying she wanted me to “fill the sky with water” , ermm why? ” the sky with the rainbow, fill it with water”. SB earnestly explained how to make rainbows with a hosepipe as an alternative to doing a raindance and hoping for the best [she got the technical words mostly too]. ANyway, I had a lightbulb moment, and got out the sky patterned pool! SO i did and she was most happy. While doing this, SB ran a shoe shop for us – very proficiently.

SO most of the day was messing around outside. Did hang out he washingg chris did [including the disp in shorts pocket!] . 3 loads went through. SB and BB argued over who could help me hang it out, so they both did and it took 2ce as long – rofl. we all watered the greenhouse, splashed in the pool and generally chilled. All of us except chris of course, as he was up a ladder.
We did do some more painting – lots of leaves for our tree made from hand prints. Then green papers so we can cut camouflaged things from it.
Then the girls washed off in the sky pool and did lots of loon like playing agian – rofl.

I made for tea… yes, you guessed it BEAN with chick peas etc stew to fill tortillas. oh yes, earlier I blanched loads of beans with SB’s help to freeze. Maybe we will eat something different tomorrow!

BB and SB helped me make maize flour tortillas – except they didn’t really bend or wrap, so more like flat breads! A wind down with first fun with spanish.
BB fell asleep, so SB and I finished our fab rainforest challenge book/game  and unlocked the box to find the game and bits inside. SB was ecstatic. She also read another magic tree house chapter, and I read the rest of from lava to life.

And tomorrow, to work.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, geography, language, literacy, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

so a quiet day in

Posted on August 26, 2007 by | 1 comment

i was going to go to the inland waterways festival, as that looked fun, but it was hot, and BB needs a bit more attention. SO we stayed in, and tried to get a working pattern that incorporates 2-ness.The girls watched some edutainment DVD’d whilst i napped – chris’ll know what! [edits to add - gorillas, and also read why are people different]

When I got up, SB migrated to the ‘puter to do jump ahead, which she enjoys, and I read and cuddled BB, hoping some one 2 one would set the tone for a happy day ahead – rofl.

BB and SB both wanted to make ice lollies, so we managed to find enough bits to do that, and I also got SB to make up a tray of ice colours [paint mixed in water]. bemused, she did it, and all went in the freezer.

Since it was a nice day, I got out the cheap tent that i had got from the tesco sale a while back, and BB and I put it up. She was very impressed with it, and happily pottered inside doing some happy maize, whilst i went between her and SB trouble shooting.

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SB joined her, and they were playing so happily that i took the opportunity of digging up some potatoes. Got very stung by the nettles, and fingers still twitching a bit from that. obviously when I was at very grubbiest there was a wail about tent ownership, so we all read books together taking turns. mostly apple tree farm for BB, and stories from around the world for SB.

Decided that it was obviously lunchtime! SB and BB agreed on Muzzy German as an acceptable compromise on video, and watched the complete second level while I made home grown spuds, beans and carrots with sausages for them, and chris and i home grown spuds, beans aubergines and onion fritatta for us. yummy. SB ate hers whilst finishing watching the programme.

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Both had had a mood boost at this point, and SB did some more jump ahead and BB pottered in the tent. the paints were frozen, and both girls liked the idea of cool painting in the sun, so we did that very pleasantly and co-operatively – hooray.

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the girls then had some sweetie letters [from little nanny] that then kept them engaged for ages longer as they had made games out of them, families of colours, letters and then shops. I fed our fish, BB cycled and then SB read me the why were the pyramids built. She then harvested loads of beans and tomatoes, which I must do something with once this blog written.

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I cooked a bean [surprise!] pea, sweetcorn and lentil curry for tea, with an additional home grown aubergine and paneer curry for us – yummy. The girls watched a magic school bus episode while i did this, as CHris showering, and it seemed they might settle- they did.

BB fell asleep after tea, SB watched tots tv, read some magic tree house, and is now in bed – maybe asleep?

chris has spent all day hard at work cleaning the big arch window and getting some of the paint off it. it needs new putty and repainting with linseed based paint. will hopefully be then watertight. some bricks also need the lime mortar repointed – we know someone for advice there ;¬)

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dragonfly

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, Cooking, DIY/ house renovation, gardening, geography, history, IT, language, literacy, science

rain rain go away

Posted on August 23, 2007 by | 5 comments

you know, I am definitely grumpy that we have catapulted into Autumn with not much of a summer to show for it. today was miserable weather, the evenings are shorter. grumble grumble!

anyway, today we have had a bit more of a chill day. my parents left this morning, and both me and SB were doldrummy because of it. So we have read loads of books snuggled together with BB as well in a heap on the sofa. The new shelf reorganisation is OK-ed by BB and SB, and they have been picking books off left right and centre. SB very happy to find old favourites such as greek myths, archaeologists dig for clues and the usborne science books.

SO when i couldn’t talk at all from parchedness, i got out the pattern blocks and sheets, and the girls both made patterns for a bit, interspersed with ‘putering. Mostly webland and cbeebies. BB is exceptionally good at manipulating, mouse control and general ‘puter using. she switiches it on, goes into her screen, finds firefox and them the bookmark toolbar. or else webland explore – which she manipulates well too.

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girls keen on baking, so went out for supplies, bt when I got back in, SB got all wobbly, so we called tots tv magic adventures french, and she snuggled in a duvet to watch it whilst BB and I made chocolate brownies. After that it was BB’s turn to get waily, so we snuggled together and she fell asleep.

SB and I made ‘rainforest’ cake – well, it had bananas and chocolate in it, which are rainforest ingredients. We thought adding rubber would be yuk, and that although we like carrot cake with cinnamon and nutmeg, they might be a bit weird with the coc and banana combo.

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Since BB was still asleep, we then did some fimo-ing. SB made a particularly ace turtle, some cool beads and a weird ‘thing’ i think it was for putting babies in? We glossed some fimo things we had made before, and also threaded a necklace we had made from one of the bead merrily kits up.

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SB felt perky enough to do a bit of maths, so she did, and I woke BB up – I know, cruel mum! so we did more reading squished together, including stories from around the world and various fairy tales.

We neede some more baking therapy so made some cheese scones all together. I forgot that earlier SB wailed as I had *made* her have some sweets in the shop – it was a treat! hardly compulsary. She then decided not to eat any of the cake. She has been complaining of tummy ache today, so prob that. However, being me, I am now panicking instead about eating disorders, so wondering what the best thing is to head it off. i would rofl at myself being concerned and paranoid if I wasn’t so concerned.

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Might do a self image thing on positive things?? am i overreacting?? [and I am imagining you all think so, but...] Anway, we also did some piano practice. she enjoyed this enough to want ot do it again, and thinks she prefers piano to violin.

Anyway, both girls then happily playing together and then next to each other on the ‘puter until tea and bed. SB has started the next magic tree house book sunset of the sabretooth, she read me a chapter, and I read her a chapter of from lava to life [her choice, honest! i read anything she chooses]

BTW, i got some duplicate magic tree house 17-24 from the states – new in wrapping [8 books]. I could have got them more cheaply from amazon as paid $44 including postage – sigh. They would cost 17.39 through amazon [not put any postage there]. SO if anyone I know fancies emailing me a best offer, I’ll consider it before putting on home ed bring and buy or ebay.

  • #17: TONIGHT ON THE TITANIC
  • #18: BUFFALO BEFORE BREAKFAST
  • #19: TIGERS AT TWILIGHT
  • #20: DINGOES AT DINNERTIME
  • #21: CIVIL WAR ON SUNDAY
  • #22: REVOLUTIONARY WAR ON WEDNESDAY
  • #23: TWISTER ON TUESDAY
  • #24: EARTHQUAKE IN THE EARLY MORNING

This set is brand-new, unopened in original packaging/shrink-wrapping.

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, language, literacy, music, numeracy, science, Stringbean's HE

i wish blog posts would write themselves

Posted on August 21, 2007 by | 5 comments

today just wasn’t what I wanted. it was rainy and def autumnal, and I am still hoping for a summer! Also meant that chris couldn’t make a start on the windows – which I am panicking about. And that the thought of walk to park or trip to the raptor centre didn’t seem a good idea either.

We did, however, have a v good home-ed day! We all woke in the same bed – not unheard of! so the girls and I had what seemed to be who could suffocat mummy the most successfully game! the girls went down for brekkie, and the plan was to look at a french vid at the same time, I think it was sort of done – but not really!!

SO, we rampaged through yesterday’s maths, and got the plus and minus right this time. then a romp through Getty and Dubay K. BB and I did some painting at this point.

SB and I then spent ages with her rainforest challenge book/game. this is truly excellent [linked before] and she has really loved it. we did the plantlife and the human culture sections this time – at least an hour if not more totally engrossed.

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BB during this was building with blocks and playing games with me – good at multitasking me!

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lunch was quickly flowed by craft, as SB did some paper weaving – to mimic the palm weaving done by the indigenous rainforest tribes. i discussed how the Iban live in Borneo, and we thought about all the things we eat or use that come from the rainforest – rather a lot!

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We were all needing a bit of light relief, so following the success of the magic school bus programmes at SOTP, we have also acquired some, and the girls happily watched one before returning to the playroom – SB to check out their website and then move onto webland, and BB to mostly play in a box, with a bit of being read to and poisson rouge.

While they did this, i made organisation of the book shelves, and brought down a bookcase from the bedroom [leaving chaos there]. so now we actually have some spare book space to fill. oh, and while BB and SB had a bit of a spat and wail session. to calm us all down, we listened to the pure voice of emma kirkby.
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Unfortunately my car went into the garage today and requires welding and all sorts. This has a multiple hundreds but as yet to be confirmed tag attached, so I am assuming that more books are unlikely. oh well. will hope that I can nab a bit of cosmic supply company energy here to make all work out.

SB labelled her weaving and was v proud of it, and then we all did some playing together before tidying up.
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we were going to do some violin, but the arrival of Merry’s girls so I could sign some photos got her out of this. Oh, we have also done some general chatting using french and english words – mainly around the please and i would like so encouraging this. Was contemplating rosetta stone french or german, prob the latter, but will defer this.

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girls came and all rampaged wildly around the house. it has to be said that BB was the wildest. aargh she is so willful and yet so gorgeous.

After they went, BB went to bed, and SB and I had a lovely peaceful hour together gently bonding over the sunflower mosaic we got from bead merrily. its lovely to do. not at all messy. we then read stories and went to bed.

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

And finally

Posted on August 13, 2007 by | 2 comments

well, i did get to see some of the percy-whatsits last night. i hadn’t realised they could be so fast! the clouds lifted enough at about 2am – oops.

today, girls watched more bonjour les amis as they like moustache, SB did some maths and there was some tidying and reading. When I came home, she read me some more of a rainforest book and at bedtime another chapter of the magic tree house rainforest book. The has been doing a lot of jump ahead on ‘puter. i read to BB, and a doze as still migrainous – not quite so bad now, but shattered at lack of decent sleep and rest too. BB and I did a pairs game with animals. some have names [actually most do] but some are just ‘nother mamimal’ She particularly likes lions.

tea was chips, in the hopes that the real kick of carbs might lift blasted migraine! SB and I played battleships and connect 4 and BB went to bed. A good bedtime read with SB, and there you have it.

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Posted in General, geography, language, literacy, numeracy, science

Quick blog

Posted on August 6, 2007 by | Leave a comment

as I’m doing something else!! [writing talk]

SB did maths, BB did happy maize [no longer supplied by bead merrily!] then SB wailed as we hadn’t signed her up for any of the clubs at the sports centre – because she said she wanted to make her own mind up and hadn’t! she decided that after all she wanted to go to the one I had suggested – hip hop and street dance [i was guessing sparky party dances!] . it started today. luckilly there was spaces, so a quick drive out. SB has really enjoyed it. 2 hours x 3 days. maybe she’ll also do the cheerleading one in a couple of weeks time?

When she got back and I got back from work i had a short demo, we did jigsaws, SB had a complex game with her paper dolls [another benefit of the start of room of doom 2] and BB was keen on the ABC book and cards, and the ABC animal puppets. she is desperate to read.

We made heaps more mess with trying to sort out the books though – oops. DId read some more rainforest stuff, and played a rainforest addition game with SB.

BB did some poisson rouge and starfall. she knows how to start up the computer, wiat until the personal setting screen comes up, ‘press snowflake’ and then the ‘firefox’ – rofl at a 2 year old knowing the browser we use. SB? expanded – its the mosaic firefox [close!!]

Both had a short violin lesson. SB picking up london’s burning. Happy to have had a break after stress of thinking she was going to play at kessie. SB then wrote me a letter on the etchasketch about how? ‘ I lic plaing with you mummy. love from elinor ++++++++’
BB fell asleep at the dinner table – bless, and we had such a nice snuggle then on the sofa that I fell asleep too – oops. woke up to find SB happily playing with zoombinis.

both girls filling me with lots of rewards and blessings as they are so loving and affectionate – well, when BB isn’t being awful to SB, and SB isn’t wailing in repsonse, or winding BB up!!

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Posted in Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, geography, literacy, music, numeracy, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

Fido and Brutus

Posted on August 5, 2007 by | 6 comments

On and off during the day the girls are playing at being dogs, SB has been Fido, and BB Brutus. SB particularly has been a gorgeous child today. She is usually gorgeous, but some days i am reminded just how lovely she is more than others. today she has been so caring and loving to BB, trying to think of things to do with her that she will enjoy.

the taming of room of doom has again had benefits, with both girls hama-ing first thing in the morning. I didn’t know where the big hama beads were, but BB unerringly found them She is very good at just finding things – when she wants to. Has a better memory than me, thats for sure.

Actually, that reminds me of a game they were playing that chris overheard. SB was being mummy going to work, and Chris said she was very good at the intonation of ‘i can’t find my shoes, anyone seen them? I can’t go to work without them’. yes, I do tend to have shoe crisis on work days. Maybe i should have more than one pair, but they have lasted nearly 8 years now! Actually, maybe BB should be in charge of my shoes!

We started filling up the pool [its about 11 foot] and SB and i made a start on room of doom 2 – ie the playroom. It took for ages to get to the point of maximal mess, when you’re just about to logically put it away, when i was abandoned as the pool was ready!

SO we have all had much fun in the pool. i still need to give the playroom a sort out – will do that with both girls in bed. SB and I have also played a few games, and read a book about the rainforest – ties in with her magic tree house book, and she wanted to learn a bit more. i also have a DK search for eldorado book as a rainforest theme, so maybe will read some of that to her too. All these books she can read herself, but its nice to be read to, and I like reading aloud. We chatted about my time in borneo, and how it is like to be living [albeit temporarily] in the rainforest. Mostly whilst she mimicked sloths and monkeys on the swing and trapeze. she has rigged a rope to the 2 person swing, so that i can sit on a chair and read a book to her whilst pulling the rope and swinging her!!
The room of doom 1 has a new shelf for not finished art/craft projects, so she picked up a painting project present from big that we hadn’t done for a while, and happily painted together various insects. BB by then was fast asleep from so much playing in the pool. You know, I might even try to stay tidy [faints to the floor].

Sb and I then had fun picking french and runner beans, looking at the different flower colours of the different varieties. We have Blauhilde french beans so they are a nice purple – though green once cooked. I think beans are going to be a staple of our summer food this year.

SB did then a bit of diego on nick junior, and BB woke up with lots of books. both girls are now playing in the pool with chris looking on. past both bedtimes, though BB not going to sleep due to long sleep earlier, and it seems a shame to spoil SB’s fun as she has been such a blessing today.

this eve i must write a talk I am giving, as next week might be rather hectic.

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

Mmm I like summer

Posted on August 4, 2007 by | 3 comments

Girls woke up way to early and bounced and screeched round our bed for a bit, eventually chris got up and I had a lie in.

our room of doom tidy has already paid dividends, as when SB went downstairs, she easily found the bead/bracelet kits that she now remembered we had. SHe and BB spent a while making bracelets that they wore for the early part of the day, and are now deposited in various corners of house and garden. ritual offerings again. future archaeologists are going to be stunned by the wealth of tat they find in our garden – hama beads, fake jewels and now bracelets. posibly bits of plastic food too – almost certainly ritual offerings for the afterlife!

oh, and once they had done that, more autonomous entering the room of doom to the science shelf to get out all the magnets, and play with iron filings and what might be magnetic. Hooray!

when i got up, this spontaneous learning activity was over, SB was playing a diego game on nic junior and BB prob poisson rouge! i read some books to bB, SB took ages to get dressed, and decided she wanted to do more science, so found a science chemistry experiment kit, and we went outside to do that. BB helping. we mixed up sand and iron filings in water, and the worked out how to separate them out [second part best done after sand an iron dried out]. We also proved that the bubbles in fizzy drinks were gas, and we could separate them out too. We nearly but not quite made sticky ice, and discussed melting points.

This took up quite a bit of time, so BB also did jigsaws on the side, and Chris realised our freecycle pool has 2 holes – now repaired, so we couldn’t put it up till tomorrow – cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from children! I trimmed SB’s hair – looks much better, about 3 inches shorter. ANd then we had lunch.

After lunch, SB played a lot with the castle, and BB and I read and did jigsaws until SB fancied painting. She sorted BB out with magic painting, and did some herself too. fantastic this new organised room of doom!! I flickred. Chris abused the washing machine some more. SOme more maths went on, and a map of the world jigsaw.
Erm, mind hits a blank? I think we played a game outside, and the girls ‘putered a bit, then bath early as BB looking sleepy. After bath, BB flung herself off the top bunk slightly wrong, so fell onto the floor rather than gracefully landing. SO we watched tell, she chose bonjour mes amis, and then wanted ‘the one with the bottom’ [sigh] ie first fun with french.

We had dinner – rather yummy frittata. just needed chickens to supply own eggs. BB went to bed, abd and I played games and the she went out for a last swing and tapeze as cooler.

Another lovely day! last prison break tonight

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