Category Archives: history

Melrose

Posted on February 20, 2006 by | 15 comments

after reading others blogs, it is difficult to know what to write!

We did have a lovely time, and I think between us talked to everyone. SB had a ball, and played with all age ranges. She was loving and kind to the littlies, and the oldies were loving and kind to her. I never heard Kennedy and Hannah’s placing for her, but think it might have been bossy…

It was much more comfortable this Melrose knowing most of the people.

Things: well, luckilly the Morrocan stew seemed to go OK, and it was all eaten up. So i think I might do that again. Perhaps with rice rather than couscous, as although the cous cous was far easier [once Alison and sorted it out from exploding out of the saucepans – it was a right PItA for sweeping up from the floor!! Good sous chefs and conversationalists in Alison and Karen for the veg chopping, and Jax was in charge of rice.

Trips:The little roman trimonutium museum in town is lovely. SB really got a lot out of it, and we were in there for some time. She particularly liked the roman game, the pictures, and getting dressed up with the clobber and sitting on the horse! Apologies to Jonathan and Jan for her inclusiveness when they were probably looking for some family time!

We went round the abbey this time, just before closing. the warden was great, and allowed SB to lock all the big doors. we talked about home-ed – which his sister is doing! It was a little bit chilly…

A hooray for leandra organising the Jed Forest outing. Yes, I know it was totally brass monkeys weather, but unless leandra really is a goddess, I can’t see how that could be avoided… SB loved being able to have the hawk land on her. She also asked some sensible questions!!!! The chicken moment was the best really. Its not often you get to really see how good they are as birds of prey! The chappie doing the demonstration was cute, and although the farmer not cute, he did talk to SB about the deer and ponies in the sheds.

We also managed to get to the swimming pool without getting lost – hooray! SB did some swimming, but mostly tried to cling onto Joanna [already laden with 2 of her own] or Jonathan, who also was dragging 2 around! BB loved the pool.

Other People: well, there were very noticeable changes in some of the children – ‘Little Chick’ who does indeed now talk, and talked to me for a bit. also Small, who in adding talking to his repertoire seems way older! Some of the older girls are definitely proto-teenagers – somewhat scary! Manny thanks to Violet for her organising SB, and allowing her to be in the play at the last minute. A born Head Prefect that girl! [maybe we should make some prefect badges for next year - give them the task of keeping the middle ones happy??] SB played with loads of different people, and had an absolute ball. Some predictable falling outs with equally strong-willed girls, but quickly resolved. i had lovely evenings of chatting, though didn’t actually drink much [shame!] with as many people as possible.

US: well, SB had a great time, playing with all sorts really. i thought all the children goit on really well. The age ranges of the people playing were fluid, and that is one of the things I erally like about home-ed. Port and Starboard seemed to be quite a favourite, and other wierd counting games involving the staircase that I never quite sorted out. I actually missed SB a lot, as in my hols i do like full-on parenting mode, but she had a riot! BB enjoyed poddlilng about. As predicted, she did have rather a thing for the saucepan lids… She did seem to play with rather than just alongside the other triplets and R, J and L. Chase was her favourit game. BB also seemed to love the disco – doing her groovy dance moves [rofl]

things I missed: well, actually the resource table to look at. Also everyone who went home early! I didn’t realise some where leaving, so never said goodbye.
Hmm, may add more to this blog later! Anyway, thankyou Merry for doing a great organisational job.

oh, and although all my photos already on flickr via Mery [as she kindly lent us her camera as I was going to suffer major withdrawal otherwise!], I will put them up again i our bit and then add them from there.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, history, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean

Where is that seller of peace and quiet when you need him?

Posted on February 8, 2006 by | 4 comments

I am in desperate need of some, as is Chris.

both girls gave us an appalling evening, and the night was made perfect by Sb doing a very uncharacteristic wee in our bed – mostly over Chris! So we have started the day in sleep-debt mode. the girls, being also short of sleep have been particularly loud.

Another bad start to the day was that the library is shut, so no picking up library books – cue an inordinate amount of wailing!

So we begin, with a mad dash into town and then sight tests for 3 – just under 2 hours worth!! Actually both girls were very good. SB doesn’t need glasses, but was obviously under the inpression that the optometrist was deaf, as she bellowed out the letters. i shew particularly good coordination by bf BB through part of my test! Outcome is that my eyes minimally worsened, so can keep present specs, though they are showing quite a bit of scratching [that will be keeping them then!]. Chris is getting old – as starting to be borderline for reading glasses – eek! While i had my test, SB drew a lovely picture of a house with our 2 cats, and wrote miaow 2ce. once forwards, and once in true mirror writing. Again she can’t tell the difference??

Nipped round town to get some more paints, and a god-awful photo to go in passport application [only lost the thing in sept, and had no driving licence since may!] And shed loads of apricots and sultanas for the morrocan wotsit I have agreed to cook at Melrose. I’ll have to whizzle them up at home and stuff in the fridge.

Home for lunch. SB still doing the addition pages of Singapore maths 1a. We read a couple of red nose readers, and then planted an avocado stone and some lemon pips. The conservatory was gloriously hot, so that will help the aubergines. about 2/3 germinated at best. The broad beans have romped whilst i wasn’t looking and outgrown propagator, and some blackening of tips, so fingers crossed for survival!

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oh well! Chris and SB went to the bottle bank with all our glass – nicely following on from today’s webland extravaganza, where she was most interested in the recycle bit. She seems to think if we had zips we could turn our plastic into jumpers though – hmm!

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BB has a bit of a love affair with baby dolls at the moment, as is being quite gorgeous with the loving.

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She is also getting more and more interested in ‘making marks with purpose!’

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When they returned from the recycling bank, SB wanted a grape feast, so we harvested the last of the grapes, sat in the rather lovely conservatory and I read her 2 more just so stories. We both really love these, and the language just rolls off the tongue [mellifluous!].

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BB and Chris filled up the bird feeders, and had a bit of a troll around the garden. We haven’t got the pond netting up, so had a bit of a panic about that! MUST DO! I met someone just last week who lost her firstborn to a pond accident. So no excuses hey.

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It was jolly cold out, so we have all warmed up with prolonged dance mat excercises! They are great fun. Even BB thinks they are great – in fact it was her who insisted it was got out. BB and SB have played together a fair bit today as well – lots of chase and noisy games, lovely to see. I was a bit worried about there being a large age gap, but they both seem to love each other greatly anyway.

As the evening has gone on, the decibel level has ramped up, and the silliness quotient, so Chris and I both frazzled now. they are both down from their bath, and it sounds like we have a schoolfull. I need to make a sponge, and I might try a banana and walnut loaf for melrose [sorry Katy!

giving up on baking due to unruly – or at least unsleepy little ones.

Have however looked at romans and vision!

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

Vegan cakes and alum crystals

Posted on February 7, 2006 by | 3 comments

luckilly not in the same mixing bowls. oh, and by the way, I have popped the Tate Modern photos on the blog and on flickr

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SB and BB did the library crafts thing with Chris in the morning, and made hearts, the theme was valentines’s day. Unfortunately, they left the bookbag and new books there – cue much wailing, and only realised after library shut. So must go fetch tomorrow. luckilly the mudpud book bag is somewhat distinctive! Anyway, before lunch she whipped through 4 pages of explode the code without any difficulties [though I had to explain what a mutt was], and we went on a read a red nose reader, and the first of the letts active readers ‘ratman and the big cat’.

Whilst there, she ‘buyed’ a my little ponies video, we had a chat as she noticed I ‘bought’ so we might not hear buyed much longer. We then watched it. It was a little bit frightening TBH, and a very odd storyline [even if I was only half watching, with the guardian in the other hand!] about stolen shadows.

We were both relieved when it finished – though possibly different reasons! And decided to make carrot cake. No carrots – so chris sent out, and instead we started a crystal from tescos testtube crystals kit. Nice simple kit, and for just under ?3. Aluminium, so we had a good discussion about safety, washing hands etc etc before starting, and mixed it all well. the ‘stones’ appear to be plastic, and you have to sandpaper them to key them. The main problem though, si that they don’t sink!!! Not sure how this experiment is going to work with floating stones! Especially since we have one on string – which is also floating on the surface. If I bought the kit again, I think I would use garden stones instead. Interestingly, they suggest you put in food colouring to make the crytals cool colours. Obviously haven’t done that this time, but will def go for it another time. Anyway, thats 2 different tescos testtubes that are fun. Have 1 more to try.

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Carrot man returned [oh, BB is asleep during this btw!] and we made an adapted recipe vegan carrot cake - hopefully it will be fine. one for Melrose, and one for saturday. [ps, they are being frozen, so won't be stale] Do any of the children other than mine like carrot cake? Otherwise can make a sponge too for sat. Then cakes for children and adults.

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We also did lots of mental subtraction and addition. though the sums SB gives me are sometimes quite unusual – in the dame slap style! Started the origami kit she got at the tate modern, neede Chris’s assistance with the instructions though!

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SB then did some starfall while I played with BB. Mostly peekaboo and pop-up animals. BB most put out though when got left behind and SB and Chris went to her swimming lesson. i made a curry [incredible mild] for tea. BB and I did more messing about together. It is nice to be able to give her undiluted attention. SB is getting better at letting me do this without taking over, but I suffer from parent-not-at-home-enough-guilt when we do it. Silly really, as SB gets all that time when BB asleep to herself.

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This evening we have read a couple of just so stories, and about henry the 8th, Mary and edward in the tudors -history of britain. SB dissappointed that didn’t get to elizabeth, so will read that when she has finished her bath.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, history, literacy, numeracy, photos, SB-PE, science, writing

Ed over the weekend

Posted on January 29, 2006 by | Leave a comment

i know, but it is a home ed blog, and I like to see what we have done!

B4 the randrops we did some explode the code, and also looked at the DK a street through time [fabulous book!]. SB read a red nose reader.

Whilst the raindrops were here, we read a book about the human body, and had a quiz on it, and used the steth to listen to heart and lungs. Did a bit on healthy eating as well.

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Posted in General, history, literacy, science, socialisation

Not so bad in the end.

Posted on January 14, 2006 by | 2 comments

Just a few moments of teeth grinding [see both posts below]!!

Started well [after a poor show of a night, but not our worst] with Chris bringing me breakfast in bed – croissants in fact!

i got up, after reading the guardian magazine cover to cover, and pluged into reading Sb archeologists dig for clues, and persephone again from usborne’s greek myths. We read this earlier in the week, and she got the night and day stuff with the globe, but had to be reminded of seasons. Today she did both straight off after the story. We agreed that the persephone one sounds nice, but not so nice for persephone!

meanwhile BB was quite happily playing with the maths cubes, bringing them to me to be joind up, and having some incomprehensible sprinkle and collect game! So SB wanted them, and did a bit of number bonds on them, so we got out the singapore maths… We are supposedly slipping into the routine slowly, and this bit of singapore maths 1a doesn’t challenge her at all, the whole idea is she whps through it, feeling very good and gets the hang of doing it without it being a struggle. She has always liked match and sort books, and what we do here is far less complicated than the mental/verbal maths she likes to play all the rest of the time. sigh. Oh well, BB was pottering with the aeroplane from the porticos, so SB learnt a new word – aviatrix. [my father wnated me to be called Amy, but veto'd by my mother!]

Sp after lunch, I thought I would rescue the day while BB was asleep by making the much wanted lemon curd. After all, Jan promised home made stuff tastes nicer, and not lemon crud at all. She is right -n my opinion. Will get SB to try eating it for breakfast!

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However, as I needed to regroup, she and chris went outside and ended up making lovely sandcastles and decorating them with things from the garden.

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I got BB up and had a play with her. BB is finally starting to follow a pointed finger now to find things, so we were sort of playing this game. When SB came in and helped we changed tack!! She is so vocal, and very easy to understand, even if her only word is OOK – shouted, and a pointed finger if you are in doubt what to OOK at. Child of our time is on this evening, and I will watch. Reminding me to find the wooden bricks again for building with.

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Finally SB and I did something easily without a fuss! We told stories around her hama glow in the darks in the pantry – taking it in turns to make up alien stories. She then did a lovely sticker picture for me, and wrote on the back of it. I think for us, not doing much of the writing int he workbooks, and just doing it as required outside of them is working well. It means she is happy to do the explode the code, and will sometimes volunteer the writing, and is happy to write SB mummy and daddy [even if mummy had no y]. Her pen holding skills have always seemed a little behind her peers, and since she can do this much, i can’t see any reason to try and push her forward until ready.

As a final regroup. we made from the usborne fairy cookbook mini fairy slices – well, nothing like when I had finsihed adapting! but rolled out puff pastry with pizza type top. Yummy though. SB and BB both hoovered up all the spare ingredients – mozarella, frozen peas and sweetcorn, and the ever popular olives. i have promised SB that I will have a recipe pages bit on this blog.

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They are now in the bath, and we will again try a cot experience early as poss for BB. might work one day.

oh, and we finished off with a bit of the yoga DVD as well. Sb quite likes the salute to the sun. I can’t weightbear on broken arm yet.

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

double trouble!

Posted on January 4, 2006 by | 12 comments

I still have migraine, but chris doesn’t like to be left out, so got a caustic soda burn on forearm and hand from finally unblocking the drain – full of animal fat crud -yukkety yuk. Obviously a present from previous owners! Anyway i dressed it, and it should be OK. told him if he gets compartment syndrome I get to slice open forearm – wicked gleam!!

We obviously had a rather shite night, as BB didn’t settle, and SB then joined us in bed, so a Mummy sandwich as 2 little beans had a competition on who get the closest!

So a slow start to the day. Infact, I may have to come back to the beginning – rofl! [Edited to add – SB shrugged and sid mostly Sindy’s and doing mazes] Anyway, slightly later SB cut out piccies of fruit and veg from the catalogues that she would like to grow, and stuck them on some paper for her file!! [i like self directed] She did 4 pages of exeter maths – first 2 she did some of the writing, but the second 2 she just gave the answers. this is once we got past the problem of 2 less being the same as takeaway 2. Once translated into sweetie maths she was away!

She then had a haircut – much needed! And Chris bought a tool for the drains to attatch to pressure washer. We read the Ulysses story from our usbourne greek heroes and perseus from ladybird famous legends. The ladybird one has a handy map of greece, so wee had a peek where places were – including Tiryns! I have been to lots of these places interrailing as a student, and really recommend the pelopponnese for the equally ruin addicted – and cret for that matter! mycenae was stunning. Anyway, I digress! following on from this, we jumped ahead in the story of the world to read the crete bit, as I had been talking about bull dancers. We have read the theseus story before, but SB loves them, so not unhappy to hear it again. Susan Wise Bauer doesn’t abandon Ariadne. I think part of the greek mythness of these stories is the casual dropping of women and children, and also the casual attitude towards cruelty and homily free status. BB feeding and the napping for this marathon!

After this she had a bit of a bike ride, but soon abandoned as I wouldn’t come outside with her, and instead worried over Chris, who had just had caustic soda incident. SO a smidgen of fresh air! We did a bit of recap on the piano - she had pretty much forgotten, but did find D. she enjoyed the ‘lesson’ – all of 5 mins and then pootled around again doing her own thing. I’m going at this in the ‘you want to make music, is this useful?’ Approach for now.

Sb and BB played together a bit with the shape sorters and the hammer shape toys, SB abandoning this in favour of the leap pad for a bit, until BB’s interest got too great to be distracted by Mummy reading books and playing! SB read to me a whole red nose reader – trying hard to sound the words and doing very well. She seems very keen on Maddy’s word flower thing, so maybe try that out.

She was also very good assistant at dressing Chris’s burns [made him go to the chemist!] so we had a discussion on being careful with chemicals even though they don’t look very dangerous – she could clearly see why! Also on dressings and bandages – minimal obviously! So red cross ticked too.

Whilst cooking tea she wanted to write the names of everyone who was here over Xmas, so with some spellings prompted she has done just that. Chris is supervising tea as BB a bit fretful, and if she sees me she will just want to bf. We will play a game or 2 of whatever takes her fancy before bath as well.

Re Merry’s chore thing, and we have also been gradually introducing chores – SB has to tidy her things away before lunch and tea, and if requested without a fuss, including BB’s things. She also lays the table for us. Not too onerous, but having a blank canvass after the meal frees the mind! We are also going to try and keep the main living bits tidier as a rule, so that we can actually not feel there are loads of jobs weighing us down every evening.

Mind you, I feel weighed down today, as this evening I am collecting together everything needed for a tax return, and will do it tomorrow, sigh!

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Posted in art and crafts, General, geography, history, literacy, music, numeracy, writing

relapse…

Posted on January 3, 2006 by | 2 comments

…mostly as i have a migraine, and it becomes quite clear that my children are far more charming when I am being charming!

Anyway, still had a reasonable day, but I had to work quite hard at it. Chris had made a wacky wiggler with SB – this was and ace pressie! And also jointly they read some apple tree farm books.

Me and SB did morefiddling with the wacky wiggler to make something for BB, as she is very interested in cogs/wheels etc.

SB then got out the sonlight word bingo game instead of a match and sort book [AKA explode the code], so we did the blends and the words. she was actually better at the words. I think she really isn’t a phonics girl – reading out the word with wild guesswork seems more her thing! She got a bit stroppy as I got 3 bingo’s before her, but what can you do?

At lunch I did a kakuro game, i usually do sudoko with SB, as she likes doing it with me – i spot what to do, and then say things like the number 1 in that big box, and she will work out which of the 9 it goes in. She is gettin rather good. I thought I could do the kakuro in peace and quiet, but not really. They’re not that diffiuclt, but require more addition and number pattern skills than SB has, so I wrote out the strings and pointed out why 3 in 2 boxes has to be 1,2 ; 17 in 2 boxes has to be 9,8; 6 in three boxes has to be 1,2,3 and 24 in 3 boxes has to be 9,8,7. She got these patterns but i had to do a bit of explaining over the other fixed strings [3,1: 4,2,1 etc] so got in some number bond practice and why maths is still interesting to adults, as well as then the logic in putting them in the boxes and her writing in the numbers. She stuck it for the easy bonds and the first 4 or 5 where deduction used – so not bad on concentration really.

After lunch whilst BB slept we did giant shape snap, read some usborne stories from around the world. BB didn’t sleep long, so we got the lego out for the rest of the afternoon. they mostly played together. BB and I read some of her board books, and i trimmed her fringe slightly. [first trim!]. So a bit low key really!

We did, however, manage to do some piano – which Sb and I had agreed on, and she asked for. We did patterns of keys and their names, and then mouse-walked up and down thumb to 4th finger trying to keep our hands flat [didn't have a rubber] from middle C. we searched for all the A and D’s as well. Finished with this is c middle c from gbdf and ace. After this she played on a mini keyboard making and recording tunes. BB did quite a good dance and jig, clapping her hands, so SB felt very proud.

I have just put in the tea – unispired at chips quiche and sprouts! [I have a migraine!], and suggested to chris i needed P and Q. He is reading some of the usborne greek myths – prometheus and pandora so far. Drives me wild, as he is tired, so is being an exaggerated tony blair – seems like hours gap every few words! BB is playing with the click clack caterpillar – excellent present from aunty shaula.

Merry, did you want us to jot down the weird tangents we spin down with these stories for your puddleside curriculum? or are you not planning to have some FIAR type suggestions? i know the idea is to follow where child leads [and that is what we do] but wondered whether a one liner would be good?

btw, I think i may have to take over as Chris mixing heracles with hercules to get heracules and driving me up the wall! does he do this on purpose? Sb correcting his pronounciation of tiryns [go girl!] and cross referencing to our other book where there are pictures. She *really* loves these books [maybe cos i do too?]. She is now correcting the book, as the hydra grew 2 more heads, and it only says 1 [rofl rofl]

Feeling better as tablets kicking in. Sb requesting i take over. Will see you later with my ponderings on socialisation and group joining in!

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Posted in General, history, literacy, music, numeracy, science, Stringbean's HE

Nice Start to 2006

Posted on January 1, 2006 by | 1 comment

I did have a lie in though – very nice!
I could hear SB playing with the Sindy/barbie dolls having a great imaginative time

When I came downstairs, SB was doing the new webland – she devours the whole thing when it arrives, so Sharks, songs, construction and I missed the other one.

She and BB bounced around a bit playing, then SB read a fair bit of an usbourne farmyard tale, with Chris filling in the more difficult words.

When BB fell asleep, we played with her wooden marble run. when we first had it, i did all the building and design, the i just built to her design. now she designs and builds whilst i troubleshoot. excellent – lets call it science. She is very anthropomorphic, with Mummy and baby marbles!!

We did 2 pages of explode the code – i sounds – and she is speeding up and more confident. we were aiming for 4, but lunch was ready.

A bit of cbeebies and jump ahead to follow – mostly stories. BB awoke and neighbours [remember homedad? now back at work] came round. they are both trained teachers, and his wife asked lots of questions re home ed. she then says she shares an office with the E something or other [EWO??] in charge of home ed. guess we are not likely to remain unknown. lots of playing with their daughter – 2ish, and SB wrote them a new years card.

After they left, SB and I looked at the usbourne book of britain - starting with the intrductory bit on how the country was shaped, and then a look at where we are. In it it was mentionig glaciers, and I could see SB hadn’t got them, so got out the Earth DK book – loads of info and then lovely pics of glaciers. i have promised to take her to one, but, disappointingly for her, not tomorrow.

I then read several back issues of disney princesses and played shape snap before dinner. We devoted afterwards to games -farmyard dominoes and don’t wake Dad. It was nice playing games together so will try and do that more regularly.

Feeding BB as I type and Chris putting SB to bed.
All in all a very nice start to the New Year.

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Posted in General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE, writing

so far so good

Posted on December 31, 2005 by | 3 comments

we have had a good day today so far.

Sb did 4 pages of explode the code 1 – 2 more than she said she was going to do. She’s getting good at it, though does have to ask me for the americanisms [pal and gas and going to bat!] Today she didn’t want me to watch her do it either, and just came when she had a query – excellent!! So whilst she was doing that, I played roll the ball and run to Mummy with BB.

I then read to her the new years eve section of the barefoot book while the bear sleeps. this has been a good buy, and has stories for various dates though the Winter calnedar for various faiths and cultures. todays was African American. We did think of making a bean soup/stew like the story, but when I found some recipes, SB decided she didn’t fancy it after all. instead, I took the leftovers of mashed potatoes and some sweetcorn and made fritters with them for lunch. With some fruit, so not as entirely unhealthy as it sounds!

Sb then did some of the story and numbers section of jump Ahead 2000 year 1 – again all on her won, with me in the room for advice. SO BB and I played click clack caterpillar , funky footprints, chase and read some of her books.

We all played Mummies and Daddies [surprise] and SB was a working mummy ballet teacher – dancing and singing galore! while BB was our baby. When they stopped for an apple, I read the first China section from story of the world which included the silkworm story. SB remembers silkworms from another barefoot book – the silk road – so we had a bit of a discussion about them and materials. we found China on the globe. SB decided I was to be a geography teacher, so we went through the lattitude, longitude, equator, seasons and day and night thing – which she seems fairly comfortable with now. Since Chris and I did the trans siberain train journey in our youth, we chatted about that, and the different ways of getting to China and how long they mght take.

Chris and Sb then fixed her tassles to her bike, and have gone off for a ride to the park. BB and I had a play and I sang some folk tunes. She is fitfully sleeping as I type, but must wake by about 3.30 at latest [will be 1 hour] so that we break the really late night crapness for my sanity sake.

Its nice to get back to a bit of normality. I keep trying to work out how I could effect change in my life so that I get to do more of this. I discussed it at some length with my clinical director, but my job doesn’t make it so easy. And I do enjoy my job, so woudln’t want to change it altogether.

I’ve also been fiddling with family tree, as inherited from cousin Anne who died this May – she had traced part of it back to 1600′s. After popping it onto genes reunited [thats your fault KatyB!] was immediately contacted by someone who had been working with Anne to trace part of it. So thats another thing i would like time for.

Ah, the cold beans are back – time to go back to my life. SB demanding hot chocolate, and Chris says she can have it if she can spell it – meanie!

edited to add that we finished the day with playdough – lots of it, pretend baking, monster making etc etc. vietnamese stew with rice for tea – so very healthy!

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

11.30, both girls still awake

Posted on December 30, 2005 by | 3 comments

and I am about to scream with aggravation!
actually, as it is over 5 mins that SB last slumk downstairs, I hope she is asleep, and I have shifted BB to chris so she is yelling.

Apart from that. Main item of day was going to Halfords to buy a bebe confort hipsos for SB. Still not entirely sure about which seat to have bought, but she was comfortable in it. She was more excited by tassles in the sale for her bike handlebars…

Halfords being a hop and a skip away from Merry, we descended. Children played – some monster gobbling up game! We nattered and then came home. SB fell asleep in car – thats the problem!

At home we read the India bit from story of the world, and made another wacky wiggler with the gears. Also I read countless books, and she read me the first read with me book – not badly either.

Just need that peace and quiet a young puddler has offered to sell!

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Posted in General, geography, history, literacy, science, socialisation