Category Archives: language

Sunny Saturday – photos to follow

It was nice getting home from the conference. It was a good conference in Norwich, I listened, learnt, talked and networked. I even ate a rather dismal meal cooked by St Delia’s krew at Norwich City [i think the non-veg may have been better]

Unfortunately, although resolutely teatotal, had horrendous migraine for drive home, and to cap it all, exhaust half fell off car on way back! Rescue man came and said best thing was to finish the job, so slithered under the car and wrestled it off, somewhat in the manor of crocodile dundee!

So to today. staggered out of bed, suitably drugged. SB was watching cbeebies and then went onto some Dora DVD’s temporarily borrowed from Merry – thanks. so we say hola and vamanos all day [? spelling??] We really should get into gear as we have some spanish and german resources. SB finished her hama star, and BB danced and sang along to all the Dora music [very cute] and played with dolls and fun blox.

SB sowed some seeds for me, and BB pulled apart a tom – good thing we have plenty! SB also did some of the ‘learn to draw…’ pictures. yesterday she did a fantastic car and tractor, and then worked put herself a very detailed bike, with person and chain and pedals. I was impressed.

When BB fell asleep after lunch we went outside. We did some tidying up of the pond. Only 3 of the fish seem to have made it. SB was interested in the pond/roots/seeds etc visible, and went so far as to strip off and stand in it. She hated the slimy bottom so immediately got out!

IMG 3566

We then went into the veg patch to weed and hoe and she did some singapore maths 1A – subtracting across 10. We got there in the end! Bit of use of seeds as props. Chris took over the digging though – result! SB then helped and between them they trampled over 1/4 row of carrots – mind you, I couldn’t actually see them for the weeds – rofl!

IMG 3553

BB woke up, so we mostly then played in the garden, on the climbing frame and toys, and SB put on a show – swinging about making my hair even whiter!!

We seem to have loads of ladybirds in the garden, so SB and BB were looking at them. SB quite confidently remembered they would have 6 legs as insects and named various other body parts. They were 6 spots. We also looked at some ants and other creepy crawlies. So she asked why woodlice aren’t insects. i was a bit stumped, but thanks to google, I now know they are crustacea – amazing!

IMG 3576

BB was getting too interested in the water fountain and eating ladybirds, so we went in, and looked up woodlice. We have NASA astronomy picture of the day as our homepage and it was a series of photos showing the apparently retrograde motion of Mars – so another difficult question to work out how to answer!!

IMG 3599

SB ‘styled’ the pizza for tea whilst BB played run across the room and jump into my arms. I read BB some books – in particular my little pony and a squeezy truck one. SB did some explode the code 2

IMG 3600

We finished the day watching 1 and a half episodes of the blue planet – which SB really enjoyed, and was mostly ver attentive. Well, actually, BB is STILL awake and dancing to the chart show when not trying to retype my messages. She loves doing patacake and clapping, as well as high 5′s. She is also ‘singing’ along. Has made writing this blog somewhat dificult. SB’s last dificult question of the day was to ask me to prove cats had belly buttons…

Although at the moment, I really could do with BB being asleep, i love both my girls dearly and we have had a lovely day.

I have 4 friends moving in the next 10 days at various times, so hoping it is all going smoothly for you!

Getting back into the swing.

Short and sweet here I think.

Other than breakfast etc. don’t think anything much happened before heading out to the library. As ever? handing the books is wasn’t straight forward. Some of the books om SB’s card that we took out last week weren’t appearing on her list of books out – though they were down as being on loan.? We have another book which has gone AWOL in the house and we’ve run out of renewal-ability. So that had to be marked down as ‘lost’ except it isn’t they call it something else and we get another 3 months to find it without fines racking up. Sigh….

A bit of story time, a bit of colourign and sticking, making a pancake in a frying pan, as ever we were the last to finish as SB can’t be dragged away from? bit of sticking easily. Then again she is the oldest by? a long way now of course, all her same age? compatriots are in school I assume.

Home, followed by putting coats on again to go back as we left the craft work behind…… luckilly it is about a minutes walk away.

Home, rapidly gave BB some food, otherwise she tends to want/need? a sleep around 12, falls asleep and misses lunch. So she had? nibble of bread and cheese and then fell asleep in her highchair. So me and SB lunched and I read the aforesaid Mr Men books, with pauses for? quick gander at the Grauniad ‘I’ve read two, i’m just having? little rest and drink of coffee….’

Rough order of play for rest of day was some Maths ‘Match and Sort’. I wonder how long we will keep referring to it as that ? – ‘Match and Sort was the first ‘workbooky’ thing she did many moons ago (and loved). It was easy stuff for her really, just addition within 10? – tiem to move her one a bit, her subtraction is ok, might try a bit of simple multiplication seeing as she was sort of thingking about that in the car the other day. SB watching a DVD for a bit a German cartoon series called ‘Little Hippo’ – in German, BB coming into the garden with me for she pottering around, me ditto a bit, taking some piccies of her. Finshed pruning the Wisteria. Sat in the conservatory for ,little bit once we got cold, thinking that vine must be pruned pronto before it starts into growth again – maybe tomorrow. A bit more ‘work’ from SB – Expode the Code. did one of her simople crafty things from her birthday A pre-swim snack time, swmming lesson for SB, home, chips for tea, ready for bed, BB asleep, Helen home just in time before SB due to go, so she got? bit longer up.

Helen on call, had? very long day and home late, so off to bed at? sensible time. Me not so sensible….

I liked this photo though – even though it’s not quite focussed on the right place.

IMG 0242 edited-1

A game of 2 halves

well we:
finished the cards
finished wrapping the pressies from SB
made the aubergine, mushroom and paneer curry
made brandy butter
did jump ahead year 1 placement test thingy – SB very impressed to have a certificate! She found it offputting when I said she could guess if she didn’t know, as normally I scaffold answers till we get there.
did some drawing and colouring – she spent absolutely ages doing a really beautiful card for her cousin M. His family on the front, our family in the middle and the writing.
We messed about counting in German and some basic phrases.
I read loads of books to her. the insited she read 2 to me – she did really well with an early ladybird phonics book and a library book happy dog sad dog.

BB slept loads to make up for dreadful night. She also did some drawing when she woke up, and generally chortled.

So are we the perfect stepford family?? Well, not really. BB getting to have a dreadful temper-in the making. She shrieks and screams for her own way. Doesn’t like me to share cuddles with SB. Is absolutely vicious in her quest for milk, and now throws herself on the floor and drums heels – hmm. luckilly not that often! And SB, well she still is her cry at any negligible provocation phase, which I don’t as a rule blog, because the majority of the day is great, and although has short term driving me up the wall capabilities, isn’t a major focus of the day thing. Mind you todays kerfuffle over the minimal tidyng i asked her to do did lead her to be sent upstairs. She then waisled as she was tidying, only i hadn’t noticed – obviously at the same speed tectonic plates move then. I am not an immensley patient woman, and Chris getting rattier – due to sleep deprivation all round I suspect. SO not Stepfordd, but normal.

Summary was though of a busy and fun day.

RANT ALERT: hadn’t realised that Chris parents who I finally did agree could take SB to a carol service in the evening are actually coming to take her away in the morning – why?? I def didn’t want that. SO grumpy. Luckilly I had vetoed the stopover in advance. i just don’t want SB to be taken away from me when I am at home, as I feel my home time is precious. Thursday is nursery party day, and friday I am at work, so losing her for 2 days already. I had thought I had made myself clear on this.

yesterdays blog

Hmm, well I really do need some sleep ? the combination [boring though it is getting] of these broken bits means I just don?t get a decent sleep for love nor money. When combined with SB having nightmares about being made into mushroom stew by a witch ? that girl has too much imagination, and BB feeding non stop?..

Anyway, we actually have had a good day, so I shouldn?t moan, even if adult tempers frayed significantly as the beanies bathtime approached.

We started with cards ? as sooooo far behind on both the early years list, and those for friends and family. How did Xmas get so close?? Then a fair bit of just playing followed by tidying up. I read to SB the why we eat usborne science book, so we did a few of the experiments out of that as well. Lunch was disregarded by both the little beans as neither fully chipper. SB did feel well enough for an icecream though?.

After lunch we had a group play session, which BB thoroughly enjoyed. Then we painfully did 4 pages of explode the code 1. SB great at the reading and ringing bits, but finds writing dreadful. Must sort the getty and dubay. She then did lots of sprinklies over the house picture, rather than more xmas cards. Her next book for me was all about magnets. We had quite a long chat about them. BB asleep fitfully in lap, so didn?t do experiments, but discussed the brio trains and the fridge magnets as reference, and we bought a magnet and iron filings set from brightminds as xmas pressie ? so will use that later. When the book got to electromagnets we thought we would have a break.

At this point BB vomited rather impressively all over me. Lovely. SB cheered her up by gentle stroking [read manic mauling] and was then persuaded to put on a music and dance show ? something she needs only minimal encouragement for!

Over tea with did a lot of counting in German and some mental maths ? adding and subtracting. SB also through the day has being coming to me with one liner queries regarding the concept of tens and units, so something percolating there!

Internet connection down, so done this as a word document. Hope it springs back soon!

www.flickr.com

calming down

chris much better. i’m not, but really expected!
we are hoping to set off tomorrow – and i have packed [very slowly!] the clothes.
will text if we don’t.
i have loads of ebay bids on dressing up clothes, and will see if i have won any on return – chris laughingly thinks i will win the lot, but not wiht my max bid!! prob none.
BB well and jolly, and SB hasn’t caught anything

Actually done a fair bit of home ed stuff – lots of reading, story books, books on engines – plus ad hoc experimenting!] Hama beads, mental maths. lots of role play, sindy playing, lego playing. Some christmas cards – not too glittery actually!

Mistakenly looked at finances after an im with Jax – so back into depressed mode! But decided to ignore until after Xmas, and just be prudent until then – apart from an increase [dramatic] in the alcohol budget.

We unfortunately missed SB’s last stagecoach show, as I broke my arm the week before, we weren’t told, hadn’t been the week before that as Nic visiting, so this week she was taken by grandparents, who stayed to watch it. I’m less upset than I thought I would be – prob because the grand scheme of things problems are a bit large at the moment. SB did us at least 6 ballet shows to make up!

BB a treasure also, very happy laughing and cruising around. [shouting!] only the odd unaided step though. May bring her walker toy with us. Sh’es got great dimples.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Down but not out

l feel issue ridden, but not a good time.
BB still dread-ful with purulent eyes.
-*also helping me to typ++e ++++++++a+t th+e- moment – mainly the plus sign, you will have noticed.
lots of sleeping and milk.

SB did 4 pages explode the code with nanny, lots of sindy playing. drove me wild with her bouncing on the spacehopper – only suppose to be done in corridor, but knocked my arm. bowled bb over and final straw my much needed cup of tea. and with it my patience,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [bb again]
cue totalmayhem and appaling cheekiness and strops. finally settled with sitting beside me quietly for 3 mins, doing an errand [getting bb's cardi], a hug and some tears. she was an angel for the resr of the day. odd. need to get this under control, as cheekiness horrid.

lots of book reading [mostly reading books, included ulysses, a+--nd caught mum to giggle at goriness. She learnt it in latin!], lego and the spent over an hour on a maths cdrom dad brought. we aLso did come german

dad nearly finished pink bedroom, and chris has managed to help a bit.

my arm killing me, if anything worse as had to keep BB ok, as unwell she is not into mummy substitutes.
+

Blogging with LOTR

well, we have had a lovely weekend. It is nice to have a haven of tranquility [rofl!!]. however, when weekends are your haven, the passing of the days really does seem swift – tempus fugit and all that.

We had another execrable night with BB. god only knows why, and in the end, i was at wits end so Chris went with her into spare room, and SB slept with me. Some confusion this morning, as church had a remembrance service at 9, rather than usual 10 o clock, so the peal of bells [and they outdid themselves as it was great] made me think i’d slept till 10 when we were supposed to be making brekkie.

So hurried SB downstairs to make brekkie – the Egyptian pastries, and that went well. We discussed egyptian way of life, who would have made them etc, and enjoyed eating them.

SB did some webland, and we all got ready to go swimming. Another good swim. both girls love it. SB developing another method of near-drowning – trying to swim backwards!!

I made a chickpea pasta for lunch – we were all ravenous so devoured it in record time, even SB.

Whilst SB bounced around shouting 1-10 in English and German, BB and i played with the hammer shape sorter. She really enjoyed popping them out and back, and SB came and helped us. SB spotted the red one was a pentagon [so obviously a knowledge of shapes - and in fact had told me off whilst making pastries ecause i said I was putting honey on one of the corners, and circles don't have any corners.]

BB napped, and we discussed the remembrance day. We looked at the history of britain modern book, and the DK really interesting bits of history. SB just didn’t really get war, and why people died, and why they just didn’t move to another country or all not fight. Didn’t press any points, but said that many daddys had gone to try and save the country and way of life for thier families, so that their children could grow up safe. Many died, and so we remember their bravery, but also a reminder that war is dreadful, people die, and that we should try to avoid it. We also chatted about rationing, evacuees, poppies and winston churchill – whose image she recognised from a previous scoot through the modern section. I popped family history in along the way.

SB spent the rest of the afternoon engrossed with playdough, making a farmyard and a complicated story to go with it. I intermittantly helped and also prepared the veg for tea – a thai style curry with the odds and ends we had got. BB woke up, and I found the other shape sorter, so she had great fun with that. It was nice to have the 3 of us pottering in the kitchen, doing different things, but together. [chris weeding again - we were going to plant garlic with him, but SB not keen]. good that SB and BB are getting better at playing together – even if SB has a habit of ‘showing’ BB what to do so much that she doesn’t always get a look in.

Served the curry with rice, and again wolfed down. SB even had seconds – unheard of. Some more playing, watching a video and then bed. please let BB sleep better tonight.

Thought for the day: I wish I could do this every day.

www.flickr.com

Lots to do

We have done a fair amount of life and discussion home ed, but not a lot of bloggable! SB been interested in the history behind fireworks night – particularly as it follows on from Elizabethan stuff. She has been writing lots of things – with me or chris spelling the words for her, and is very excited that she has some ringbinder files – for the photocopy for writing, latin and ‘things’ as she put it. She’s also making up lots of stories and songs – both for herself and for me and BB. She has been to ballet – and continues to enjoy it.

We have been lighting our fire in the evening – SB very much enjoys our ‘ancient fire’ and is now keen to tell everyone how to make it and keep it going. i’m sitting here with candlelight and the fire in a very warm room. have just watched the gunpowder plot [whilst blogging] – very enjoyable. The light is on in the conservatory – so it looks quite magical. the vine leaves are loosing the chlorophyll, but back to the veins – so very pretty. must photo.

BB can now stand up unaided, and today did her first step – woohoo!!! crash landed against Chris’s leg. I am so happy to have seen it rather than be told about it. She is an armful of delight. I think her and SB are enjoying playing together – which is nice.

Tonight, seeing both my daughters laugh, giggle, cuddle and tickle [ok and strop!] i just wanted to blog again how lucky we are, and the joy they bring to Chris and I, who just over 5 years ago thought we may never have children. I think its something in those trusting, happy eyes that does it.

We have lots to do this weekend – not sure how we will get through. The dafodil bulbs, garlic and shallots need planting, and ideally the broad beans need to be sown. We should make the xmas cake and the grape jam, and possibly the onion chutney. i’d like to go swimming as well.

At some point, I would like to repaint SB’s bedroom [since we've got the paint] and put up new bunk. Also Mum bought paint to cover the lurid bathroom – so would like to do that too. the rest of the Ivy and the wisteria need trimming. We need to write wills, put BB’s baby bond somewhere [can't believe we haven't done either of those]. And at some point to some Home Ed!! Where shall I find the time?

Jinxed!!

Obviously saying BB was finally getting better on Joanna’s blog gave her the wrong idea – aaarrghhh. SB also had a rare accident! So today harder work really. I was going to try and get us into the pattern of ‘normals’ but have failed totally on this. Feeling typically middle class on this issue, as feel we need to get this to be an easy habit to follow.

Anyway, lets concentrate on what we did do. Hmmm?? Well, we did some more train track, and SB went off to have her haircut – she told the hairdresser that it was to be like a princess, and then to the library with chris. unfortunately the normal storytime wasn’t on. I did get to spend a whole hour with undivided BB attention – which is unusual! She just blossoms with the attention, wreathed in smiles. She is letting go and standing unaided at them moment – so a number of falls! We destroyed the train track of course!

When SB returned we read some of her new library books. I am gradually persuading her that the ones in big print are for her to try and work out the words and read. It would help if they weren’t all the wierd ones!! We then did some more glass painting – so 4 bottles finished for pressies. I made the elderberry and blackcurrent jelly at this time [that the juice has been stored for ages in the freezer]. The usual setting crisis, and Chris went on an emergency pectin hunt. Honestly, they are supposed to have moderate to high pectin content, and I had included some apples.

Beans on toast for lunch, and made a play for some ‘normals’ – some monster maths book that chris couldn’t resist [its bad news that he is getting to be a resource collector as well!!!]. we did half a page! I did my normals too – the adding up one – bah what is it called! – in the Guardian. SB does prefer Sudoku, but I fancied a bit more brain stimulation. BB finally had a nap.

We moved on – she chose which terracotta pot to break, and we went outside and ceremonially dropped. it. it shattered on second drop into6 big pieces with 4 smaller – so fairly ideal. We then glued them back together. It didn’t feel too sharp, and some tiny fragments were lost – adding to the authentic look of the glued together result. I helped obviously since it was UHU. We did get some maths in, as it worked best if tacky on sticking together, so SB had to keep counting to 60 after I had applied glue before she was allowed to stick the pieces together. She was fine to 49, and now to 60!!

archaeology update – in case we forget, has anyone some more UHU they could bring- as that was the best gluer upper! We have half a tube, and will try and remember some more, but as loads of children prob need more tubes.

Poor Chris was sorting out the pantry crisis as I had a strop since with so much stuff around, I had knocked over some eggs I coudn’t see, and then preserving sugar on top, so a nightmare! Its all beautiful now though!

SB helped me with the final Jelly – Christmas Quince Jelly by measuring the juice from yesterday, and also the sugar to add and lemon juice. Even though quinces are high pectin, this was also reluctant to set. I must be going wrong somewhere? So more pectin added and voila! We plan for SB to decorate the jamjars, so trying to decided whether to do glass paint transfers, or paint direct. SB will prob choose to paint direct. [yep, more xmas presents]. OOh completely forgot till looked at piccies that we got SB to do our shredding – she loves this, and the she and BB had fun playing with the bits in a box. [Merry, do you need shredded paper for rabbits??]

Whilst I put the jelly in jars, SB went back to the train track, and made up a rather complicated story about what was going on.

We then played games with BB – more Ta, and jiggledy on lap games. It is nice when SB joins in nicely too. Whilst BB went off to wreck the traintrack, SB and I had read aloud time – 3 stories from the usborne stories from around the world, and the Sonlight Maps and Globes. Both encompassing geography. i then read one of Muzzy accompanying books in German and English, so we practised some phrases about ourselves. We tidyied up [hallelujah!] and had tea.

After tea, SB read me a red nose reader, and has gone to bed. So although no normals, I do think we covered reading OK. When Chris comes down, we need to discuss finances- in Alvin mode as well. [panic - panic - panic!]

www.flickr.com

Back to today… edited

Early start to the day, as SB really still not well, and both beans were unsettled last night.
We therefore started gently with some DVD’s ‘christmas Nemo – AKA ‘the Gift’ from the alpha – omega bunch [so thats religion then] and kleine hippo. A german TV programme for approx her age [and languages!]. we don’t understand many words, but the cartoon gives you the gist. I played ‘Ta’ games with BB – she’s getting good at handing over, and then waiting to be given back and things this is a great game. sometimes even saying ‘da’. though not convinced that it is language as opposed to copying at this stage.

I had taken in Story of the World and a dot to dot book, that is both numerical and alphabetical. I then read mummification [and thought both of Tammy, and also the crocodile experiment of the yorkshire group] and pyramids. SB keen on visiting Egypt. She was sad though that all Cheops jewels were stolen. She chose to do the alphabetical dot to dots. unfortunately, although she can relate the ABC song on the whole to abc, the fast LMNOP she doesn’t keep up with with her pen, so gets annoyed and lost!!

We were all more perky, and keen to include BB regualrly in SB’s games, we decided to make our brio/tesco/elc hybrid train track. SB likes convoluted patterns, so it is a bit stretching for me as well – as I get the job of finally making it meet. She is rather annoyed that since we have an even number of points, and an engine shed, that that means there will always be a branch line if we use all the pieces. She wants them all to join up [apart from the shed of course] but I’m not allowed to leave out one of the points, so there is always a sulk about the branch line. BB also not so helpful, as rather a puller aparter, but the buildings and one carriage usually please her.

When we had finished it, SB decided to finsih the glass bottle painting, so we have done ever more complicated designs. Whilst she was doing that, I started the Quince Jelly – what a lovely aroma!

We popped back to the trains for a bit, and listened to one of the schools singing radio programmes on native north americans. AHA SB remembered her violin, so we got hers and mine out, rejigged the way she holds it a bit, and did open strings. Not for long, but a good thing to do, as the violin now the right size [1/10]

What else? oh we practiced painting the terracotta pots to see how long they take to dry. SB did 2 – 5 secs each, so not great works of art!! We did have a look at ancient greek terracotta and black pots in the DK book.

She then went outside with Chris and got cold, as she only had a t shirt on and refused a coat.
Edit from Chris – well didn’t complain about the cold when outside :-) it wasn’t actually cold anyway. She helped a bit hoeing some of the weeds on the ‘fruit bed to be’. She was keenly looking at all the stones to see if they are flints as she is keenly taken by the idea that people used them (and ‘it tells us people used to live here ‘ so likes to colect bits of flint. Talked little bit about why people used stones not metal tools, why it is called the Stone Age etc. Convinced that the little bit of glass bottle she found was Roman :-) Pottered around watering some things in the greenhouse with her watering can before heading back indors.

i had a bit more of a play with BB with the trains. The when SB came in, we played a pass the parcel game between the 3 of us saying ta with rattles. Seemed to be enjoyed. Pasta for tea, and SB and I then did a Sudoku puzzle together [today's guardian]. SB has grasped the rules very well, and i usually say – we can now put the 1 in this box [of 9] and she can generally work out where it must go. [is this logic now, since she knows her numbers?]

Anyway, she is supposed to be eating supper, and then another installment of the magic faraway tree. instead she is trying to get me to provve the underworld doesn’t really exist. Blogging may save my sanity, as I think she is far to advanced on comparative religion now for me to keep up. [I have previously been asked to prove evolution and disprove the adam and eve versiosn - aargh] I do firmly believe that the evidence towards evolutionary theory is the strongest hypothesis there is, but i haven’t yet managed to work out how to tell it to a 4 year old so it doesn’t sound far more fanciful that the god created line [no offence to creationists out there, but I'm not one. I do, however, tell SB that some people do believe in creationism].

At last, milk drunk. Bedtime!!!!!!

www.flickr.com