Category Archives: language

Rainbows

ALthough I would have quite liked to be at a not back to school party today, SB was ecstatic to be going to her first ever rainbows. We had regular countdowns throughout the day. SHe needs a blue polo neck – does that mean her group is blue then Michelle?

Anyway, lots of playing first thing with the 2 of them together and separately. Quickly romped through some maths and writing practice. SB is doing measuring at the mo, and so went on to measure all sorts around the house. Being of ‘a certain age’ we have various things measuring in inches, so we discussed why we do waists in inches, and heights in cm – well, actually we do that in feet and inches, just cm for you for clothes!

I read a number of books to BB at this point as a snuggle cuddle, and SB wanted in, so she read to us half of tell me how ships float, and I read the other half. A tie in with the magic school bus programme we had watched the other day. So we decided we could do the experiments in our head, and did so! She then played on the rainforest maths that t-bird had so kindly pointed out. BB also had a go too – but the nursery level is a bit above her so she was grumpy!

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So BB and I did playing with playdough, and she made some cool monsters. Then was doing cutesy stories with them acting out. We were listening to french songs about time on a CD that I got from ebay. SB meanwhile was back with the DS getting her dog to be trained to ‘stick your bottom out’ ???

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I’d had enough of children in different places, so we all reconvened to cut the green leaves to make our rainforest tree, that we were going to do when reading about the rainforest, but never quite got to. The girls loved the idea of sticking it on the wall [chris not so keen, so a paper backing compromise reached!] . SB was VERY tolerant of BB ranting.

SB then started drawing and colouring rainforest fruit and flowers to put on it, and BB and I did a jigsaw. SB remembered a lot of the rainforest stuff – yes, I know it was recent, but I don’t test recall, so never sure what goes in!

Then – drum roll – she cycled off to rainbows with Daddy. She sad it was all right, but will be more exciting next week as they are going on a river cruise – eek!

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BB and I went out into the garden, as she was looking v sleepy. So we harvested beans for tea [surprise] watered the greenhouse and picked 2kg [!] of toms. BB very pleaed with this. I noticed that a lot of her harvested toms weren’t making it into the bowl! [we have some cherry toms as well as gardeners delight and tigerella]. Some of our peppers finally going red – making me v happy.

So I had started making spicy [allegedly mild, but i don't think so] red tomato chutney with our own toms and onions. And that sort of threaded through the rest of the evening. The house doesn’t smell too vinegary!

tomato chutney

SB came back, and the girls did some more flowers and bitterflies, and those and the ruit are now all on the rainforest canopy. We have had a discussion about the understory and forest floor – we are not putting spiders there.

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BB fell asleep in the sling again after tea – she has taken to being put in the sling at teatime. SB was doing her violin practice, so obviously has a soothing effect [rofl] . She then watched Nina and the neurons about taste and saliva before bed time.

She is presently waiting for me to go up and sleep in her bed tonight. I imagine she will force herself to be awake until I get in too. SO might nip up and cuddle her till she sleeps, and if stay awake nip back down.

Flickr has come back, so am flickring a backlog to be tucked into all the last posts!

pom pom madness

last day of SB’s cheerleading course today, which she really enjoyed. we got to see her and the class do their pompom routine. fab.

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lots of reading of the amazon books today. BB loved the 100 ants book, SB has read all the jane and the dragon ones, and flicked through the port through time and wants to start next with a sir cumference one.

we got 2 brightminds catalogues through the post today. SB went through seeing what she might fancy for christmas. she decided she would put more ticks by the things she really wanted, and then a r for really!! i should take a photo of some of them, as she obviously got v excited. She got derailed by seeing something for people just learning to read, and wants to buy it of amelie’s birthday. I said we should check with Merry, but she got out all her money from her piggy bank, and can just afford it so she wants me to know
when i order things so that she can give me the money. she is so generous it makes me proud and love her greatly.

otherwise today, i had the paddling pool out so that the girls could make the most of nakedness in the sun. oh, and i had a migraine – AGAIN

a no photo day

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.

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

Manor bound

i will add photos, but not just at this minute for the last post and this one! We all got up in snuggly mode again this morning – prob the rainy dull weather was offputting. SO we read books, children played, bit of ‘putering and then we settled in front of german Muzzy, which we hadn’t watched for a while, and watched the whole of the first series. BB was spellbound and trying to say some of the words. Sb also took some in. we should do language based things more often!

Then, having found the phone, and ascertained that the invite to Michelle at the Manor was still valid, we drove there. i memorised the route, and then gave SB the task of reading the aa instructions. she was v good at it, and we got there with no hitches. We had a lovely afternoon, and stayed v late, adults chatting and children playing. Thankyou.

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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.

i wish blog posts would write themselves

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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And finally

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.

Mmm I like summer

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

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!