Category Archives: history

monday just gets busier

during the day, SB did maths and piano practice, and the girls had their room re jigged. SB in particlar made lots of icosohedrons with the polyhedrons . I think I might have to print off the various platonic solids so that I can remember their names, and SB learn for the first time!! BB made houses and tunnels and tents – not bad![chris might expand on day, but doubt it!]

When I got back, we did some more polyhedrons. BB and i read apple tree farm, and she did lots of counting. Then – drum roll please – SB and I FINISHED SOTW!!! well, the first book anyway. The roman empire has declined and fallen! SHe wanted to do some more latin, have no idea where the minimus book is, so found the usborne first latin [or whatever its called too lazy to check!] and said hello, how are you. Chris liked being the domine – ahem!!!

SB went to ballet, returned briefly and then went on to swimming – how chaotically busy. its the new class, and there were only 4 in it today, right down at the deep end, so lots of attention each. Chris said she was excellent. BB and I played with the jigsaws and counting games, and then some more traintracking whilst I made a thai thing for tea – which i cooled down for the girls with some left over leek and potato soup from yesterday- worked well. oh, I must say at this point, SB says Marcus makes better leek and potato soup as Chris’s was to leeky!!!

BB off to bed after a numberjack hit, and SB and I then wrapped up her presents for BB, and finished her card. [OK, I have just finished it, as SB got ‘worn out with cross stitching‘ , but the design was all hers, and she did do it valiantly.] So she decided to make chocolate [dairy free] truffles to put in the party bags for wed. SO we had fun doing that, and agreed we made a very good team!

SB is reading to me the next magic tree house now at bedtime – lunchtime with lions, and I read another chapter of 21 balloons, which we both giggled over. [and yes, a maggie , hamilton and the ferocious beast]

SO now wondering whether to do a BB blogpost or read new book!!!

grumpy guts

being me. I had to go into work today, which messed with mine and girls heads! i started getting fidgety early on so i apologise to the hostess. We were also late – more apologies!

Its a lovely group, and the children are nice with each other, and on the whole interested in all the bits [odd bits of wildness aside] A start with making some habitats in a bag, where various seeds were sown. Both girls did it – though BB in her own sweet time! Then Latin – which SB and i had quickly revised in the car as we had missed the last group! [we had also learnt how t say it is sunny today in french - which SB set to music]. This is followin the minimus books and various other things about roman life. [in fact at the moment SB is dancing around shrieking puella whilst dancing about] We ‘spare’ mums did a bit of gossiping, veg chopping and baby holding [and reading to BB and playing!]
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Then after a restorative toast, they did science. There was some red cabbage water looking beauifully purple, and the children guessed what would happen with vinegar [pink.acid] and bicarb [green.alkali - or alcohol as SB said to me this eve!], and then a variety of other things. Finished with the fab bicarb and vinegar volcano – which the children were rowdily impressed with. Must utube it!

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I then rushed off in stressed mode, and chris arrived moments later. SB has also had rainbows today – looking at compasses and directions – very nicely fitting with our maggie and ferocious beast theme!

We are slumped in front of downloads. We have watched beginners guide to the cosmos, about how to get to Mars, and now watching return of the raptors. Both girls interested in that. BB has a big interest in chicks, eggs and birds, and we are reading those lifecycle dk books over and over again! Both girls really enjoyed the raptor centre too.

Adding – Sb has playd a variety of patience games and read to me beautifully. i particulralry liked the different accents she gave different characters! My amazon not gone through – those textbooks too expensive, so the fraud squad at the bank need me to ring and confirm me! bother!

bonfire night

not feeling much like blogging as home alone. anyway, yesterday we went out for a fab meal with my parents at a local gourmet pub, and then did a fair bit of playing then got ready a bonfire and fireworks and roasted chestnuts – yummy. so a great last day of my parents stay. its been a great visit and we have all enjoyed it. more readng – celts, where the rivers go, some ill fated baking also!

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girls now at niccamp, and i am on a course, work is approaching another crisis – oh what joy!!

Notes for another time

Tues: chris’s parents here, maths, writing, lots of baking, read a bok about oceans and fishes, SB read another fish book, grek myths and legends.

Wed: my parents here. maths, writing, piano and violin practice, rainbows. fimo halloween decs. trick and treating, spooky picnic. games

Thurs: sightseeing. Sedgewick museum of earth sciences, fossil hunting, drawing a dinosaur, following a trail. Peeking in at various colleges and a nice lunch . violin practice, reading about the body. playing with grandparents

I think I am now a bit partial to sewing

said SB when BB gone to bed. I would quite like to try the doll kit [from Vix and M some time ago]. OK. I get out my sewing and the doll kit, we decide to start easy with the waistcoat and she is away. no stabbing incidents. We are slightly disagreeing on what some f the clothes might be, so if anyone done this, could they comment on whether the red bits make dungarees, and whether the yellow flower is a skirt for the yellow and red top bit? Anyway, a very happy hour.

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Other than that, whilst I was at work a massive tifying fest. i rescued the little angel dress knitted by aunty phyllis [little nanny's sister] from the bin pile.

Angel in our garden

Sb has done lots of webland, some handwriting, read usborne first elizabeth 1 and looked at quicklinks and decided that the dolphins at daybreak is a totally fantastic book and read the lot. Also been to ballet.

BB and I have baked choc cupcakes, she has been a total pickle otherwise. hmm!!

Halloween preparations

Yes I know its American, yes, I know it is also druidic, and no we are not doing anything educational at all with it.

Instead, we are – allegedly – having fun. I am not entirely convinced, after all, the girls are at an awkward phase of sibling relations, and I am not at my most emanating gentle calm vibes mode. After all, how can you share making red icecubes? theres just nothing to it?? OK, i guess one could have stirred, and the other put in the colouring, but only BB wanted to do it, she found the tray , asked nicely, so why make some bit for SB – I did say she could find her own tray, but of course we didn’t have another one…

Actually, that was just the end, we have been rather more positive for a lot of the day. SB did a quick bit of writing practice – getty and dubay C – and we read the DK space explorers book together. We all played with jigsaw and had a toy food picnic. Chris vanished to sort out the clothes mountain in the spare room [ultimately the best place to be!]. Sb insisted on having her haricut so she could brush it better – so 3 inches removed!
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BB wanted to make cupcakes, so we made halloween cupcakes – orange food dye and sprinkles integral to mixture. they were lovely, and didn’t keep to be iced! BB chose too large cups, but the advantage was that the cupcakes came out weird shapes, extra halloweenness!

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There was a debate about going swimming, but instead we did pumpkin cutting. Well, I was directed by BB and SB, did all the hard bits. they drew fiendishly difficult patterns for me to cut out. SB’s I was quite good with. BB’s I artistically ‘re-imagined’ [ooh, battlestar galactica soon!]

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The choice then between hama/fimo and sweetie making – yep we made peppermint creams – orange food colouring and egg white powder as not cooked recipe. Oh, and we used vanilla essence instead of peppermint. So peppermint creams re-imagined too. And it was only after the peppermint creams that my patience, and SB and BB’s ran out.

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SO we are snuggling – different parents each – and watching TV. We are on the next magic tree house book – dolphins at daybreak, so must look out some related books to read through.

edited to add: Have had tea and bath, calm restored. I have had a glass of wine, and hope the pumpkin soup I am making for Halloween won’t suffer too much as a result! SB reading about birds in the DK picturepaedia, and BB playing with numbers. Soon BB will be off to bed, and SB fancies  fimo then when a bit of peace.

SAD

I am just not so good at this time of year. I get grumpy for no apparent reason, decided that I am crap at everything I do [well, even crapper than I normally rate myself] and just fid it hard to shift. Thinking about whether those lights actually work, whether i should get one – what a lot of money! and whether it is because I am actually just crap. This time of year is a big reflection time, so will be putting up something home-eddy at some point! [not a surprise announcement of schooling!]

This week may have gone more sadly/badly because of the death of my godfather, but I have been crap and morose at work as well as home, and it just isn’t on. Work is not a place that accepts [or should accept] anything less than as near perfection as manageable, so feeling that let things down there a bit too.

SO at home, chris and the girls done lots of shopping trips as far as I can see! we had that lovely day at Michelles, and SB also has had a lovely playdate with Rainbows R. oh, the girls had a midweek swim, which they both enjoyed too.

I was at home thurs, but not sure what we did at all, apart from Chris took the girls shopping. SB did some maths, something on the web, we watched some downloads?? Nope, no idea – should have blogged! oh, a lot of playing with the castle! Oh, and the lego. Bit of a little house on the prairie revival as well.

Today both girls have spent a fair bit of time on the computer – poisson rouge and starfall for BB with a bit of rainforest maths, and education city and rainforest maths for SB. SB and I read the fall of the romans in story of the world, and then some more about atilla the hun in raiders and invaders – and discussed why both books might have what might be ‘key facts’ different. The some looking at their internet links – which were poor. luckilly Sarah blogged, so we snitched some of her roman links instead. might look up the usborne ones- must be some quicklinks on their site.

Starfall Education city - maths

SB did some running and sports with Chris in the garden – new trainer/running shoes from la redoute which she isn’t sure whether she likes. BB and I have had lots of snuggles and silly play. SB took herself to the piano to do some practice – asked me to help when her new piece has made her move her hands – cue much panic! do I play the note they’ve written or the finger number? both dear, you have to move your fingers – aargh.

i had set up some pots of glue, assorted bits to stick on and some pringles tubes in the kitchen for them to fiddle with. SO they did that for a bit. SB got glue all over a new dress, despite me begging her to take it off and minor scene about that with me stumping off into garden – just as she spills it everywhere.

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SB and BB rather nicely playing together – BB is doing match and sort with lego with SB! Dinner ready. off I shoot.

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Back again. SB fancies watching robin hood, so we will do that. Chris has downloaded torchwood as we have run out of regenesis. Enjoying that too. they do like filming the girls bottom in tight jeans! That isn’t exactly the bit I watch for though!

Guilty Pleasures!

Chris’s parents have been here tday to look after the girls whilst i was at work and he was working on the window. s we have had the heatng n. t is still on! and it is lovely. must switch off tomorrow though.

Sb has bee very good, and has done her singapore maths, and her getty and dubay – finally started book C – woohoo. She has read lots to the – scored easy impressing marks! Nana French read one of the explorer books back – about polar expeditions.

When I got home we did some violin and piano practice too – SB was supremely confident about playing to them. Def proud Mummy moment – twinkle twinkle on the violin and haydn was a happy man on the piano.

Lots of game playing also – both girls keen to tell me all the games they had played. BB bamboozled nana with her playing who’s who, but i was actuall surprised at how well BB had the concept and what to ask for.

Watched some downloads, and a fab junior jackanory about the sorcerer f samarkhand – don’t know about the girls, but I was spell bound.

BB fell asleep, SB finished her magic tree house book, and we did some ‘proper sewing‘ [her phrase!] . Nice start to what is going to be a frantic week [in part because I've left my submission of evidence of learning to the last minute for work]. Chris has done a god job on the window today to. smiley faces all round.

cosmic supply and polyanna

today i was a bit low on patience. The girls were a bit low on tolerance. Various people comment [IRL] that this blog always sounds good – the spin i put on there. i guess thats because I want to remember with rose spectacles, I know the usual tensions were there, so I don’t necessarily need to go into them. for posterity, however, a fairly standard exchange

BB – wail cry, want to watch numberjacks. i haven’t watched for ages

me- lets read a book or play a game

SB – I want to play a game

me – after you’ve finished your maths

BB – no, its my game, I’m bouncing

SB – BB bouncing on me – wail wail

Me – BB stop bouncing on SB, SB do your maths up the table, on the sofa or in the dining room, not spreadeagled on the floor where BB wants to bounce

SB and BB – wail, its not fair

[BB scratches SB to make her move ]

SB force 10 wails, BB SCRATCHES ME

Me – SB, on the sofa NOW. I asked you to move, you have stayed on the floor to annoy her. BB off the bouncer and say sorry to S – NO? then to the stairs

[bounce bounce bounce , BB goes, comes back and says sorry, peace restored, until next time!]

Does that help?

Anyway, great wailing choruses apart, SB did maths, handwriting, much computer gaming. We read about the first landing on the moon. BB bounced, read books, played with dolls house, starfalled [she is v good on starfall].

We all just about did a jigsaw of America together – BB wanted to do it, less than impressed with SB helping, though we did manage to do it toether without too much stress in the end. We all bailed outside, where a bit more personal space enabled us all to be happier people.

the cosmic supply bit is that chris wheeled out our old broken washing machine, and 1 mins later there was a knock and an enquiry to take it away. Fantastic – someone can fix it or sell it for parts, and we don’t have to go to the tip.

i made a particularly yummy chilli bean soup/stew [it was halfway between - rofl] for tea. we all wolfed it down. We finished watching Adam Hart Davis looking at the cosmos: a beginners guide.

home maid

so, having had B educationally polishing the staircase yesterday and picking fruit and veg, today she became the kitchen maid and the dairy maid.

She wanted to make some bread rolls, so she did this, with minimal help from me as i was busy helping BB make shortbread cookies [yummy]. So having got the dough proving, we decided to make our own butter to go with the rolls. Added several coins in the hope that it would be quicker to do, and it was! SB read the dairy section on a farm through time and a few other pages.

Shaker shaker butter maker bread dough vs cookie dough

We then had a lunch pause with number jacks and mama mirabelle fix – i think we are watching downloads too often. hard when BB can put them on. we minimised TV by having it in a different room. I a kinda hoping its a phase in winter as not out so much.

SO we went outside for most of the afternoon. doing an autumnal glue picture mostly scattered poppy seeds = which they both loved doing. chris was doing more fixing of the window. Both girls were very interested in the whole business. General playing too.

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SB did some piano practice,means a lot to me, but on GBDF ad ACE she has got to Haydn was a happy man – a tune often sung in our family. BB bounced and did lego. We ate the yummy rolls. We got a free book where did the river go, and SB enjoyed reading that whilst BB and I played catch. The pages were in order of clues by maths at the bottom she enjoyed the challenge.

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SB and BB then had some lovely play together with dolls house and animals whilst made dinner, and then I took BB to bed whilst SB did some jump ahead.

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Lovely day. tomorrow SB wants to make cheese!!