Stringbean reads lots to us know, but mostly new books rather than old ones.
Last night she read one of the Percy the Park Keeper stories to me, i like these, they are nice gentle stories. Anyway, she was given the book with a? story tape of it by my parents. I guess when she was 3. It was one of her favorite bedtime stories for a while and I read it to her lots.
And now she is reading it back [wipes eyes].
And very fluently as well. Still bemused by how that seems to happen.
Posted in literacy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
i filled our 2 holey pools and lots of splashing in the sun ensued. we played games – including BB’s fav game of the moment, hisss.
First harvest of peas from the garden – well, 2 pods! and the first strawbs reddening.
SB had a sulk that she couldn’t buy some toffee, so we made some – more crispy toffee than sticky, but yummy.
BB counted to 26! [a couple of errors] she was counting her jumps on the trampoline.
SB wants to join the local trampoline club. a sat so not ideal, but she has really loved the half term trampolining course she was on, so i guess so.
BB still addicted to the usborne farm books, and also the little music book.
Lots of reading going on – at present titanic lost and found, what makes you ill and magic tree house ninjas, as well as whatever she just happens to pick up. we are going to have to start censoring the material left around!
Also some zoombini’s and webland today. violin and maths chugging along too.
oops i made a book people order.
Question – if we were to save and splash out on a trampoline for sb at home, or keep our eyes out on ebay, any good makes or suggestions out there?
Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, history, literacy, numeracy, science, Stringbean's HE
should be soon. Merry and co just left, our girls in the bath.
SB LOVED the trampolining, so money well spent, they are in 2 groups of 4, with an instructor each. She said they did different shapes and it was fun. She goes every day this week.
When she returned, Merry and co were here. BB and I had baked a dairy free choc and raising cake, and got pasta and sauce ready, so instant lunch for starving masses. Tye chocolate cake was quickly demolished as well.
The older 4 ran about playing complicated games, mostly successfully, and the better weather certainly was a blessing as they could let off steam outside. Merry, Josie, BB and I played Hisss. A snake game where you colour match. BB loved it, and since my landlock order for SB was in the box, I had a soft moment, ignored the state of my overdraft and purchased it! We have played it since merry left, and BB still very happy wiht ‘her’ game.
merry and I played a lot of a castle game [I'm sure she will pop it somewhere for me to link to!] and she trounced me roundly! Another great game, but for a bit older I think. And then PDQ, which is my kind of game – thinking words!
Whilst we did this, the younger 2 did lots of magic painting with us, and then got a bit grouchy, so I made some popcorn for then and some choc choc chip cookies for tea [vegan]. Jacket pots were done and kids called in for that. SB didn’t notice she missed swimming. the popcorn and cookies all eaten!
Has been a delay in finishing this blogpost! SB has played a few rounds of landlock happily. and both girls in bed. full day at work for me tomorrow, so must have an early night. no violin – oops
Posted in Butterbean, General, literacy, SB-PE, socialisation
bur SB has had a good home ed day with Chris – maths, reading, playing, colouring. She made me a present too – bless.
We did violin together – how fast does Joe play frere jaques then? we are at dirge speed with various tuning issues!! At least she is getting used to the bigger violin size now. And it is recognisable!
BB and I had lots of cuddles. SB did lots of ball catching practice. I had promised SB a maths experiment yesterday to show why I knew she was cheating at uno, so we did some probability with coins. We grasped the half heads half tails chance = 50:50, and then threw 3 coins at a time. I got SB to work out how many different patterns there were. We considered how likely we were to choose certain coins out of the pile. At the end of this we looked at the idea of how many uno cards there were, and how many 2+ and 4+, and although we didn’t do the maths [ernest can!] it was quite clear that the chance of a hand of all 2+ and 4+ very unlikely! So there we go, a good start a probability.
The coins were grubby, so we have set up the salt and vinegar to clean them, as SB remembered how good this was at cleaning last time.
Girls now using stencils and colouring in.
I am being grumpy on ‘puter
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, literacy, music, numeracy, SB-PE, science, Stringbean's HE
hmm, i spent most of last night awake or having parent type nightmares, so not full of any joys today, and have found it hard to engage. this on its own annoys me, as i have so little time with the family that i should use it to the full.
Girls did painting and playdough, handstand practice. SB can do that climbing up doors thing that Pea did with the portico walls a couple of years back. SHe read a DK book called time travellers, we did the roman and viking bit, then went to the exploration of america book about the vikings, and the eric the red and leif the lucky sonlight book. [i read those]. girls did lots of self directed play whilst i mooched.
piled out into the garden. chris mowed the lawn, i planted out some runner beans, and the girls helped/hindered each of us in turn. I mostly snuggled bb as she didn’t like the unaccustomed noise of the lawnmower!
thats about it. i made up a bit at bathtime and bedtime though. Sb and I are having a break from britannia and reading roald dahl
forgot, Sb has been goign on a bit about improbabilty of tooth fairies. and she noticed that father christmas seemed to have got some things from yellow moon. So she begged me to tell her the truth about tooth fairies. i temporised, but now after several days, with a direct tell me the honest truth, i have. so much desolation.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, geography, history, literacy, Stringbean's HE
We all went with the not very local group yesterday to the open day of Boughton House – looking at how an estate works. weather so so! Very interesting.
The girls particularly loved the dogs I think, gun dogs and hunting dogs, sheepdogs etc. They stroked ferrets, grassnakes and slowworms as well as all the dogs, and also some owl chicks and an owl [all supervised!] SB was v good at asking questions, whether it be about dog training, bees, logging or sheep shearing! There was a good not quite enactment of the problems with the enclosures act – something not commonly done, and sparked a few conversations. SB was most happy to get a freshly logged mushroom! Good chris comment – you know the dog chap sounded scottish [yessss] well, thats because he came from scotland [duh!] Apparently chris meant their scottish estate! I chatted to what was prob the duchess about the wonders of home-ed whilst BB played with her dog.
Anyway, pictures to follow on flikr.
We got home and SB did her violin practice and read books. We britannia-ed at bedtime and read when the tiger came to tea.
Today BB has been to baby gym, they have shopped, and SB has been to ballet and done violin. not sure what else. We had lychees and asparagus for tea [separately] 2 treats! yummy. Game playing and more britannia and tut’s mummy at bedtime. we are with sir francis drake in the first, and about to enter the tomb in the second.
Posted in Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, literacy, music, Out and About, science
well, we have had a fun day, though it seems unusual not to have been outside much! When I got up [i know, I know, really late!] SB was copying out the caterpillar poem from first language lessons for the well trained mind [lesson 2!!]. She really wants to improve her writing, but it doesn’t come easily to her. SO we are doing writing and getty and dubay to help.
Hmm, trying to remember! SB certainly has done a fair bit of reading today. Ah, that’s right, she then got out an M and S body book and the DK pop out body book. SHe was particularly enjoying the fun facts. She has always had an interest in how the body works. I was reading to BB, who has been my little limpet today. SB also finished the polar bears magic tree house book – which she was very impressed with.
We had pancakes for lunch [rofl!] and then the girls did lots of playing with bricks. SB did a bit more writing, and BB and I sowed some melon and more runner and french beans. BB got a bit sleepy, so I read to her, and then she snuggled and fell asleep. SB did her gym practice – handstands, shoulder stands and trying backwards head over heels. SHe also did her violin practice.
I read the page of underground rivers from our lovely active geography of rivers book. We discussed the piccies, caves, what an acid was – remembered the coin in acid experiment! When BB had woken up, the girls played whilst i found the ingredients for the next experiment – making stalactites and stalagmites. Luckilly ours should be done within the week, rather than in years! SB did a line of writing on and off through the day. BB was keen to get out the gears, so we all ended up doing gears gears gears!
Posted in Books, Butterbean, General, geography, literacy, music, SB-PE, science, Stringbean's HE, writing
me and blog me are getting more dissociated these days. SO I apologise about the humdrum nature of my blogging!
Anyway, as Chris said, I have had a tough week this week. Wasn’t helped by insomnia for part of the week, and on thurs, waking up at 2am convinced I had missed a call from work, so ringing in – to their bemusement. i spent 2 days interviewing. on the thurs we interviewed for 11.5 hours, with a sum total of 50 mins break spread out amongst that! I could have cried for some of the candidates. these are those that we didn’t shortlist, but everyone now has an interview at their first choice. i think when we do the specificity and sensitivity we will have good specificity, and reasonable sensitivity. Well, in our area [geographical and discipline] anyway.
[ps I am watching the eurovision while I type - which may cause neural disturbances!]
so today was a lovely rest. i have done bits with SB in the week -mostly games and reading, but violin hasn’t happened! As well as the magic tree house [and yes, you can borrow some books merry if you want!] i also got some leap through time books, one about pompeii which I think is partic fab. SB and I have read britannia at night, and she is working through reading sonlight tut’s mummy lost and found to me. i loved my present. I think there is real artistry in the gold shapes on the silver tinfoil. She has also done handstand practice [rofl] every evening.
So to today. I had my saturday lie in, both girls were reading books on the bunkbeds, and then stickering. SB did some maths. it was a revision adding /subtracting/ number bonds type bit, so she raced through it. BB and i were making walls and towers with bricks, and reading. SB also did some lovely brick building – though BB knocked down as fast as they went up! I read SB and BB another story from the barefoot mothers and daughters book. SB and I the read some of the Xray buildings book – starting with pyramids. [i might link some of these books!]
We had lunch and then spent most of the rest of the day outside working and playing in the garden. I failed to do some violin with SB. I weeded, chris and the girls spread much for the french and runner bean trenches, chris put in the canes. We looked at the fish, a waterworm and various garden beasties. SB and BB sowed some round carrots. Actually there is a half price seed sale on the thompson and morgan site! [cough]SO I bought some more seeds [cough]. SB was ecstatically happy with the round carrot seeds as she has wanted some for ages, as well as the dwarf french beans that can go in her plot! That’s my girl. She danced about with the packets in excitement! Actually, the carrots they sowed in their plot ages ago have started to come up, as have the runner beans [goodness knows where they will run too! might give each a cane!!]
Anyway, lots of outdoor play, handstands and headoverheels practice [BB also determined to learn!] races, climbing and messing about. After a grump about whether SB could be naked outside like BB [I sort of feel she is at the age of knickers, but admit that I don't have much of a defence here] we then cheered up with a hand of rummy together, and then all painted outside. SB did mirror paintings of butterflies and caterpillars. BB painted a caterpillar too.
We had a raucous bath as the girls insisted i got in too as my feet were dirty [they were]. Thank goodness for an enormous bath hey!! We even put the bubble machine on – not for long as BB wasn’t convinced by it. tea and more tut’s mummy and britannia [liz 1] and bed.
so, now well into the voting for eurovision -rofl still. Oh, and it turned out quite well for a not knowing what to blog blogpost!
Posted in art and crafts, Blogging, Books, Butterbean, gardening, General, history, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE
Tuesday wasn’t very exciting. Didn’t go to the library since awaiting DHL yet again trying to deliver something – they failed again, something about the van maybe (it appeared the next day on the doorstep, so much for signing for it…..). This was another wodge of the Magic Tree House Books – so we seem to have plenty of those now for SB to read. (we also have some spare – Helen managed to bid on two lots on Ebay, and there was a bit of overlap with some other we had).
A long bath with lots of bubbles for the girls.
Some housework – not that it seems to show really. But we did put loads of washing away and tidy up the girl’s bedroom.
A bit more Maths. The girls got out the Happy Mais. Butterbean had started the other day spearing the bits onto cocktail sticks. They sat using up most of a box of cocktail sticks skewering Mappy Mais to Happy Mais Kebabs, then they set up a Kebab Shop 
yum yum, tasty. some reading was happening at some point as well, but then it normally does. cooking dinner for later whilst they did this.
Swimming lessons rounded off the day. Not entirely convinced of the worth of this at the moment, doesn’t really seem to be a lot of progress, though I suppose it’s happening – we haven’t been swimming much lately so don’t get to see her in action much I guess.. Lack of feedback I suspect. Thing is, last year at the end of each term, they would tell you if your child had passed the next level, you got a card with the various criteria marked, on whether they had passed, needed to practice it a bit more etc. and then move onto another class the following term if necessary.
Now they have a rolling process. Once a child passes the appropriate level, then they move onto another class (assuming there is a space), but until you do, there is no arrangement for feedback (well not yet anyway). It’s feeling somewhat unsatisfactory.
Late finish for Helen today, meant BB in bed when she got home and a long day for everyone.
Wednesday we went off to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum with a local HE group – no Helen, she had to work today 
. They had a session of about 1 1/2 hours with the museum staff, looking at pictures, amour and other things. apparently enjoyable, I didn’t get to see it as I had BB. Had coffee with a couple of other parents until the little ‘uns got restless and then took BB outside to run about. Climbed steps a lot (ekk! , got to the top, realized there was a sheer drop to the side….), played chase and boo around the sculpture. Wahted the lift for the building works which fascinated BB.
I like the detailing on this little shed hidden behind the main steps, someone had made the effort to cut a nice little ventilation holes, not just drill a few holes
Afterwards we lunched on the grass and then went for a visit to the Botanic Gardens. so I didn’t actually get to see inside the museum. Tried to do a bit of shopping but then it started to rain, so got the bus back to the Park and Ride. Girls had a bit of a picnic in the back of the car before coming home.
Thursday seemed to mostly disappear into BB’s Toddler gym followed by shopping – nothing exciting, Tesco’s , cat food (cue lots of looking at the fish), DIY, Staples – where did the time go?
Home to a bit of playing, dinner cooking, maths, ballet lesson (see below re the cycling) dinner eating and another late finish for Helen.
Friday. Bad start, SB came into our bed crying about something I’ve since forgotten, at about 5.30. soon followed by BB, who drunk milk and then was a total pain, jumping, climbing around the bed, wiggling and kicking, so gave up and took her down stairs where I dozed in front of breakfast TV and BB fell back to sleep 
Umm – lots of time doing maths, she had a bit of mental block re place value and how once you got ten units/tens etc. then it carried over onto the next column. So we played with cuisenaire rods and things . Did a bit more of First Language Lessons (well lesson 2 ….), it focuses on a poem Brown and Furry about a caterpillar, so we’ve read that a number of times, and talked about what it’s about. SB made a present for Mummy – an old container, wrapped and decorated and filled with M&Ms
We had an impromptu experiment outside to do with pendulums – aka the swings. she noticed that BB in the baby seat was going faster than her (the ropes are much shorter on the baby swing), so we investigated what happened when we changed the length of the ropes on the swing (shorter = faster if you wondered). They ran around and played for a bit whilst i did a few garden jobs. Greenhouse is looking good at the moment.
Another lateish finish for Helen, glad it’s the weekend now
Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, photos, science, socialisation, Stringbean
typing this round bb – so difficult!
I had a lie in. I’m not sleeping well, and tend to fall asleep 4am and wake wake up with BB at 6-ish and then where possible have a second shot at sleep. I am lucky that chris lets me do it, but it does take more time away form the children.
Whilst I was snoozing, both girls had a wild hama-fest. even BB did a lovely job with the midi beads. SB did me a pattern and put an M in it for mummy, and a lovely wrapping up [luov to mumee from SB]. BB also proud of hers, and we took a picture.
Both girls also did some colouring in and then some drawing. I read some apple tree farm books to BB, SB read some to herself and then some magic tree house to me. SB then did some violin practice – she declares this new violin is too heavy to hold!
BB did some playdough before lunch and I read to SB some of the rivers book described below. We did the ill fated experiment after lunch! Weather ed indeed!!
The girls then did lots of outdoor play and running about – getting v wet! Chris finished sorting out the greenhouse, so I moved loads of things there ready to get ready for the great ourdoors [toms for indoors, cucurbits, runner and french beans and sweetcorn] I gave them a good water and some rooster feed.
BB wanted to do happy maize [do you still have any Merry?], so she started on that, and SB did some fimo – she made a face pencil topper and some beads. When she did the hair with our garlic press [thanks merry!] BB also wanted a go. luckily BB made a nice colour rather than brown out of her bits squished together, and lot of hair!
The girls watched some TV and I hoed the onions and chris made tea. BB fell asleep and had to be jiggled awake – and why I have been blogging with her in my arms! oh, we joined up the princess hats!
obviously finishing this blog a bit later! SB had britannia and read me a story from usborne young readers for bed. i am getting mentally prepared to go back to work tomorrow. Have a presentation to write as well!
Anyone who hasn’t stated a castle day preference, either email me or go to the protected post below. Thanks
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, General, geography, history, literacy, music, science, Stringbean's HE
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