Category Archives: history

so a quiet day in

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

SUN!!!!

Well, it was lovely to feel that there might be a bit of summer left, and chris has worked hard outdoors [not that i can tell, because it is dark - but there is greenery on the floor!]. Anyway its the start of painting of our personal the firth of forth bridge – AKA the windows!

i left as early as poss [10 - rofl] to drive to little nanny’s. the drive was uneventful, though I did have to stop numerous times in laybys to get various bits and pieces for girls as BB didn’t fall asleep.

Got there and had lunch – apart from BB, being in awkward mode. After that we set out for Gressenhall Rural life museum. i’ve been there before as a child, a couple of times. Last when I was 13. i still remember it quite clearly, and a lot has changed. I liked the mishmash agricultural huge ground hall as was better – and my enduring memory of harvesting mangels is from this! Also, very coolly, my Nan’s Dad made the wheels of one of the carts there.

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Also, for more family history my nan’s gran was born there, as were her first 2 children, so we have real family connection to the poorhouse there. ALso her gran’s first child [of 10] went back to help run the place, before going onto a v successful business career.

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Anyway, although I prefered the older version, this was still good value, and had children’s things laid on. the girls made wagons and gypsy wagons. then we went to the re-enactment of a working day of managing the poorhouse. i had to cry into BB’s head, and my dad was dressed up [yes audience participation] as a grandad fallen on hard times and made destitute with wife and 2 grandchildren, whose parents have died. And SB was the girl child. My dad turned out to be a brilliant actor, so was far too realistic for me. I guess i have never doubted my dad’s love for his family, and that he would put us above all else, so this did sound far too credible.

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BB started to play up [understatement], so i went back to car to pop her in the buggy, and then met up with family for some more looking around all the displays. my nan was disappointed not to see her mum’s butter churn, as it was there lat time we went, though we didn’t go in all the bits as walking with stops was still a bit strenuous for her. Dad took SB to the playground, and me, mum, little nanny and BB went to the cafe. From there back to Nanny’s home, and then finally back home here, with the sun in eyes for whole drive – aargh.

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Can’t seem to get photo’s into blog, so will ask my system administrator when he brings me coffee!!

Humm, he was fiddling! so they are now in.

Oh yes, back at home we had tea, and the girls watched an arthur and the knights of the round table narrated by the BT advert chap, and then a programme about wild elephants. SB then collapsed into bed, but BB took forever, having had all that sleep.

rain rain go away

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.

thank bosch its friday!

great excitement as chris took delivery of our new washing machine. a bad month to need to buy one, but the last one we bought v cheaply 12 years ago thinking it wouldn’t last long. anyway, chris did a fair bit of work tidying the room of doom.

when i came home from work [early] chris’s parents wre there having come to take abot 20 fish out of the 30 chris picked up last night for their pond. SB had done some more maths and was doing loads of cbeebies. BB was poisson rouging and starfalling. We chatted, I read lots of books, SB did some handwriting practice. watched some kleine hippo.
went into the garden to pick veg for tea. lots of french and runner beans, a carrot!! [first of season] and some onions. the sweetcorn seem to be coming back to life – good-oh.

bB helped me cook tea, and then both played various games – next to each other but not together. rather cutely BB will often refrain what SB has said – she so adores her sister. then mayhem outsider.

BB fell asleep over tea, and SB and i? sorted out the crafts cupboard and science shelf – meant she found my hidden fimo stash!! but all much better organised, even if some of it unusual, as SB was quite clear where she wanted things.

OK, so this is a boring blog post, but actually i had a very nice normal kinda day, a bit of work and more home. i need more normal days!

Castle day/ weekend

we had a lovely time, thankyou everyone for coming. I can’t say that it was totally stressfree, but at the point that everyone had eaten, the kids and adults where obviously happy, I could begin to relax.

i loved SB’s welcome poster and goodbye poster by the door. Thanks T-bird for helping me out on the friday, and the multiple helpers on the sat when I had loads to do, and BB and B both decided to have complete wobblies about the whole thing! In fact, BB wobbled so much I had to take my dress off [Merry wore it] and wear a demure version of a wench outfit!!

The weather was with us – which was great, and loads of friends near and far came. Actually, at the end SB said there had been so many friends there that she hadn’t been able to play with them all properly, and we need to arrange to see them again.

I think Chris did a fab job with the castle. The crafts seemed to work well. The children were rather frightening in their mob mentality with the severed head pinatas. No major injuries despite much sword waving! Admirable mention to Vix making traditional mediaeval fayre – particularly the cabbage pottage, which I think only Michelle and I tasted, and is presently adding to the compost bin, and the interesting sweet spinach pie! The piggies were a def hit though.

So yes, it was a fab day, surrounded by friends, and I might even do something similar again. Didn’t take too many flickr photo’s as busy ‘doing’ but I see my friends have made up for this. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

Relaxed evening as there was lots of clearing up help. and a good nights sleep.

Today had the usual wail quotient from far too tired children, but they muddled through for a bit, and the brainbox science saved the day really

white teeth and baking

the girls came back with chris’s parents this morning, they were really excited about what a lovely time they had had. they’d gone to a butterfly and animal place, and ran about lots. grandparents exhausted! at least the girls slept well for them.

After some general nattering, i went off to dentist. A filling i had as a teen was cracked, and needed replacing. the place was heaving – should have thought of school hols, as loads of families crammed in, and standing room only. There were 2 families, with? a fair number of kids, and the mums nattering. they decided they needed a cigarette and left the 5 kids alone in the waiting room – mostly under SB’s age, and one 8 year old. was impressed how well behaved the kids were when parents disappeared. finally after waiting neaarly the magic hour I went in. got a rather good injection, as within secnd half my face disappeared, including half my tongue! and was sent out for it to work [already is!] and 3 more people seen before i went in. SO after 2 hours and 85 lighter, I have a white filling instead of amalgam on one of my molars. When the injection wore off some 2 hours later it hurt like hell, and I wondered whether I should have been gritting my teeth so hard whilst interacting with the girls!! Seems to be settling down now though.

So why was i gritting teeth? well, we were baking, and both girls are being tetchy with each other, I was in pain, and they are tired – not a brill combo. But determined not to sound tetchy, and I only reduced SB to floods of tears once, when I suggested [through said gritted teeth] that shouting she was thirsty when I was covered in cake goo liberally applied by BB, and am trying to capture some of the remaining to actually bake in the tin was less than helpful, as she knew where tap and milk and cups were. We recovered as she almost single handedly made the brownies – lets see what they taste like! So for castle day, we have chocolate banana loaf and choc and raisin brownies – dairy free but contain eggs.

We have perhaps 30 children and 25 adults coming if all come, so doubt my baking will feed all anyway! But its a pot lunch affair, so I’m sure with a fair wind everyone will be filled with something!! will do a bit more baking anyway between now and then.

panicking a bit about this crafts bit too, and people seeing the house in its usual state of doom, and the weedy garden. But I think many people have caught it like this before!!

We had a major book reading session, both girls have now read, or i have read to BB, all their library books. SB has been reading the usborne children’s encyclopaedia alot. well, I read some to here whilst BB slept on my lap, and she then carried on when BB woke up and made a fuss!! Also lots of game playing. SB had a convoluted solitaire version of walk the plank going on at some point. Also a bit of singapore maths so that we didn’t appear autonomous!!

ABout to play games with girls who are down from bath. At present they are arguing about who can choose the game [its going to be SB's turn to have parental support]

oh yes, blogging

nice to have a day off! girls woke up wayyyy too early! STill didn’t have breakfast until 11 though. before that the girls did lots of playing with gears gears gears! SB making up her own monsters, and bb fitting them together and messing with eyeballs! A spot of book reading.

SO pancakes for breakfast. then both girls did some piano practice – we had been concentrating on violin, so SB had some wobbles, but realised she still knew where to put her fingers! BB also had a go at playing middle c.

SB did some maths, BB is a bit of an addict for baby einstein dvd’s – havng quite rightly shunned them earlier [what was I thinking??] also reading books, doing Maisy’s colour book – and getting most wrong! We played animals – mostly monkey’s. if i roar as a lion she puts her hand over my mouth making a soothing shsh sound – very cute.

ermmm, general interaction type stuff. jigsaws, me flickring, girls shrieking etc. actaly will do a piccie kessie blog to tie in some of the key day things, maybe. oh, we did a bit more on firstlanguage lessons – proper and common nouns. some writing.

After lunch [obviously late as late breakfast] I agreed to take 2 desperate girls to the park. i really am not a going to the swings girl. Anyway, 2 girls loved it, stretching the boundaries on how dangerous looking they could be before i looked panicky! We were joined by school children later on, and SB and a girl started playing together. I could hear a ‘what, you stay at home?’ and SB confirmed it was the HE question! BB gor whingey, so said it was home time. SB wailed all the way home as it wasn’t fair we left because OF BB. BB fell over after about 3 steps, and I picked her up and she fell asleep in 3 more steps. sB wailed more when i suggested she carried the bag [2 drinks and 2 apple cores! - really heavy] So we frogmarched home with her wailing even more. gloss gloss.

SO she did something with chris whilst i became human again, and BB slept. she then read the usborne book about celts that i bought from joanna at Melrose – fab book, and followed the quick internet links.

[watching prison break, and am v glad we don't have a death penalty in the UK]

BB finally was persuaded to wake up, and both girls had a bath and downstairs for tea, watching bob the builder. SB and I read about the life of a roman soldier and then bedtime.

so there we are, a day! oh, and BB now asleep again – phew

oh, and i really miss bolding – i might have to restart doing it

OK, so kessie weather worsening

aargh, but I will still have great fun, SB and BB won’t notice. the pool is good!

SO into work this morning, reasonably smoothly, but 1.5 hours longer there than planned. Met up with chris and the girls in town, and he had picked up my new glasses. I put them on and SB immediately laughed, told me I looked silly. Apparently they are too noticeable and go perrr-chinggg at you. sigh. that was good for the ego. Have been wearing them all day to get use to them. After lunch in town we left chris shopping and came home.

We did violin practice.SB has cold feet over playing the violin at kessie, and it is prob too wet anyway! so she will prob make up a dance. we did lots of playing outside and made up an adventure course – great fun for both. in breaks, I read some more SoTW – augustus caesar, and also some of our emperor book. SB read me a life cycle of rabbits book. She also did some maths and reading whatever took her fancy.

I did some weeding, planted spare beans in the gaps. the girls helped me with watering – always good for a laugh!!Actually SB very responsible at it, BB watered weeds, SB’s feet etc etc! I think we may have glutted ourselves on strawberries! and also bought cherries today.

Chris was sorting out camping stuff – yes we will bring poles! and girls aslo helped him and pottered about in the hayloft. what else? oh yes, BB and Imade some nice sausage rolls. I think that is it.

difficult day anticipated at work tomorrow. will def have wine at kessie!!

weather

under the shade of a ‘cooliar’ tree

which is one of the many phrases from songs that BB likes to string together. At the moment she likes to tag different songs together. [in fact she is doing that at the mo - 22:43!]

Well, BB woke up v early, so we had a singing session whilst chris tried to stay asleep. eventually chris admitted to being awake, so BB made him get up, and I finished an Iain Banks book [inversions] until SB rousted me out.

Today was an outside day. Amazingly it didn’t rain. [how english of me!!] So we got out pool, our new camping table – obviously you can’t home-ed without a table! And our gazebo – perfect. SO we hama-ed. I’ve done another sort of dreamtime hama – when I put it on flickr, you can guess the story if you’re feeling bored. Also the girls splashed and raced about. SB also kept confetti-ing me with grass seeds, so I have itched all day.

SB did some maths – she insists on doing it all in her head rather than writing it out. fair enough. i just ask her to write it in columns if she gets it wrong – which she did once. though she did take 15 mins to do the first addition [looking at birds, BB, my hama design, discussing how biro's work - you get the picture!] She says she prefers subtraction. BB did some kids k’nex and fell asleep at lunchtime.

We did some SOTW – julius caesar attacking britain, falling for cleopatra and getting murdered. SB enjoyed this, and we looked at other books around things – celts, cleopatra etc. BB woke up, so more playing and then planted out the rest of our cucurbits – squash, pumpkins and courgettes. they are desperate and very late. the girls helped – bb putting the rooster in the hole, and SB the plant. i had to dig all the holes mind you! We picked a bowl of strawbs in the morning, and a huge bowl in the afternoon – far to many to eat raw! bit of garden maintenance whilst the girls did the picking.

Discussed all sorts of trivia – she has a good memory for things when she fancies it. Just a nice family day – and how i have needed it. SB is so loving and caring. even when she is being teethgrindingly flighty she is so precious to me. The girls had a wild bath and SB soaped BB’s hair – cue major wails. Much fussing to get BB to consent to me washing it out!

We made strawberry tart and strawberry milkshake for pud – yummy!! SB went to bed and read me stories – I have to say WOW for her reading now. she often forgets to read out loud, and the pages flip over quickly.

BB has now gone to bed – way later!! I have read her stories, she has watched baby einstein neptune – she likes the fish and she has bossed me around – a lot!! She is just so gorgeous, and such a strong will!!

Natural history museum

we went yesterday and it was fab. a full 12 hours out so we were exhausted on return! It did make the journey in easier in that we could swap to tube before the main London station which then took us to south ken. We had brekkie of cheese scones on the train, and a runabout when we got there.

SB chose the young explorers monster pack – which is the dinosaur one. I didn’t think it would take that much time, but it really captured her imagination. I thought there could have been a bit more, but it was free! There was a bag in it with 3 clues in it to identify your specimen. SB was so methodical that she had carefully scoured so well on this that we knew which specimen it was from clue 1, so it was a bit disappointing for us that clues 2 and 3 were the same one. However, we did expand it a bit! i loved her spottisorus [her spelling].

Chris took BB for a run around the whole museum in the end. She did come back and invented her own spider dinosaur! We had our packed lunch and made our way back, looking at the marine fossils, primates and then Chris took BB for a run in the garden outside, and SB and I went to the main dinosaur bit – which she really loved, espec the T-rex. We all joined up in the human biology segment. BB loved listening to the toddler talk and randomly pushing buttons, where SB tried a bit more! I don’t think we quite did enough homework to keep BB interested though, so Chris ended up not seeing much of the museum, and me not much of BB. we can work on that for another time. Chris and I were worn out, so had restorative coffee. we left the museum at 4pm!!

We caught a bus from Hyde Park to Trafalgar square and SB was desperate to climb a lion. We said she had to do it unaided, and she had a damn good try! We went to an Italian just of leicester square for a cheap dinner before heading off home. BB totally charmed the waiters there by scampering about, and giggling.
Such a great day. loads of conversations with Sb about allsorts [including congestion charges and car sharing which she was most taken by!] She def wants to go to the science museum and the earth bit if the natural history, an open top bus ride, the london eye [you get the drift] and would like to live in cenral london!! [no smallholding then!!]

great time out. we did take photos, but you may have noticed we are well behind on flickring again – oops.