Category Archives: literacy

One day in History – Chris

Posted on October 18, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Hi, I’m aged 43, married to Helen, with 2 daughters – SB 5 3/4 and BB almost 2.

We are home educating, and I am the parent who is at home mostly with our daughters.

Helen’s car wouldn’t start this morning – battery was very flat, so I had to get up to push it out of the drive so she could take the other car. So I was up (about 7.30 – normally I am up first and before then anyhow), so enjoyed my cup of tea (or 2) in peace and quiet. Catching up on friends blogs, reading news on the BBC and Guardian websites. But it wasn’t long before youngest was up. Breakfast of cereal for her (Rice Crispies), milk, toast, and fruit. Eldest had a lie in – catching up on sleep missed with friends staying for the weekend. So me and BB had a nice time to play together, drawing and colouring, reading, playing silly giggling games, she ‘helped’ wash up. Then we all went to the library

On the way back, did notice exactly how old the old school building is (now an electronic subcontractors). It has a plaque over the door saying it was founded in 1749. Though the building was built in I think it said 1784. The were also 3 bricks high up in the wall with the date and the initials of (presumably) some of the builders. All around the doorway are scratched intials in the brick – presumably of children attending the school. I wonder just how old they are? Must be one of the oldest building in the village. Most around this bit seem to be Victorian, and are built of different brick. Also wandered back through the parish church yard, where SB likes me to read the graves stones, while I try to put the dates into some sort of context. So plenty of reflection on history, change and permanence there. Much has changed in the intervening decades and centuries, but also much is depressingly the same.

Home to coffee, reading of library books, lunch (listening to the Little Toe Radio Show via the computer). It was going to be baked beans, but no beans, so had a treat of fried eggs on toast followed by yoghurt and fruit – youngest is on real Clementine hit at the moment. We do like to eat seasonal and local produce – and we do have great local apples, plums and pears – Cambridgeshire was real plum country and there are still quite a few orchards around. Ok clementines are local, but I do try to at least wait for the European ones to come in. The first Satsumas and Clementines being an early herald of Christmas. We’ll gloss over the Bananas though.

Afternoon passed with BB having a nap, while me and SB did some maths, some of her reading to me, watched a bit of a DVD of the old David Attenborough Living Planet programme, did a few domestic tasks like sorting out some washing. Our house is failry old 150 -200 years – in parts. So often reminded of history as I move around it. Youngest wanted some grapes (we have a 100+ year old grapevine in the conservatory). We went and cut a bunch and I am reminded of the woman (who was in her 90s then) who the previous owners met in the 1980′s. Who remembered the vine being here when she lived here as child. Did she enjoy the grapes like our two?

We finished off with a drive (6 miles) to the swimming pool, for SB’s swimming lesson. Home to pasta and tomato sauce for dinner. Once children were in bed we relaxed by writing our 1 Day in History blogs. One of our friends has had a baby today. I wonder what sort of history they will be looking back on in 40 years time?

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Posted in art and crafts, Blogging, Books, Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, Ponderings, SB-PE, Stringbean

Jax and co and catchup – edited!

Posted on October 16, 2006 by | 2 comments

came to visit for the weekend. we will flickr, but I was a bit lax with my photography. the children disapperaed, BB is desperate to be one of the gang. Sb and Small took a few adjustments as she had him pegged as a BB game wrecker. Big and SB raced around having fun and very late nights! Jax taught us to make the heat little wool dolls. And we nattered. lovely weekend!

will stuff in a flickr photo when I get it though

before her arrival, some friends from leeds popped by on their way past, which was lovely. We all used to be in choir together. Their son is similar in age to BB. Much fun was had with bubbles.

forgot to blog that I had played some lovely games of set and scrabble with SB, baked with BB and done a fair bit of ‘normals’ with SB.

from the garden we have even harvested a pumpkin! Loads of brocolli is ready now as well, as a bonus

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, history, literacy, numeracy, socialisation, Stringbean, writing

The last quiet weekend for quite a while

Posted on October 8, 2006 by | 3 comments

Friday

got home to find the kitchen table covered in Fimo – had to explain to SB it was expensive, and stamped out houses and butterflies in the future would be done in playdough… lovely pig and mouse though modelled.

They had also been to another home educator in the morning for a playdate and to bake jam tarts.

Saturday

Basic explode the code and maths done. we are holding a while on adding and subtracting crossing a 10 until SB competently bored by it. She was so proud of her writing in explode the code that she asked me to take a picture of the page!

She spent ages on the latest webland - and that had a wild mushroom bit, so I got out our dried ones and looked at all their diff shapes, and also a nature book. This of course led me to make the mushroom risotto… We are prob going to go up to the webland 5-7 for a bit, and are still debating the education city. Oh for a bit more ready cash!

She coloured in a volcano page and we then looked a volcano book and then got distracted by the ‘universe‘ book we got from the book people. She’s getting good at UNO now. A fair bit of colouring in as well.
The rest of the day was spent playing outside and harvesting things, being ‘messed about’ – ie thrown up and around and using me and Chris as climbing frames.

BB and I played with the lego, did some pegboards and jigsaws, fuzzy felt and she really enjoys a good sing and dance, and also a tickle.

The evening ended with watching 2 epsiodes of ‘the trials of life‘ with david attenborough from the tesco’s rental [3 months for the price of 1 - not bad!]
Sunday

started of with very early cbbc dose, where i was requested to stay – aargh! BB brought me some toast though. both girsl did some playdough play after the glorious pancakes [second breakfast - turning into a hobbit!]

Out into the garden to enjoy the rays of sun when we get them. I did some pruning/hacking back whilst BB and SB ran about. SB did then help me with some de-ivying. Horrid job, spiders, dirt, dust and woodlice. SB enjoyed the woodlice though.

Lunch and BB having a nap and SB doing maths. Dding 10′s onto things – so easier than crossing the 10. Having basic conversations in French at the moment to spark an interest in learning. Still feeling we should be doing more with languages and music. [and perhaps even something!]. BB still napping so have struggled over origami and now we are jointly making up a story and enacting it with the origami animals.

BB awoke and the mayhem began! SB decided not to bake and went out to play, so i baked cookies with BB. When SB realised [despite being told] there was a mega wailing session, which didn’t really end, so she was quietened down with explode the code – I know, mean of me. BB and I jigsawed, built towers and steps with bricks, and then they both wailed! So I read some stories, and then popped them in the bath whilst Chris cooked tea.

om our return, Sb insisted on doing a bit more maths. then tea, and now she is screeching now into my ear for going up to bed, so so be it!

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, gardening, General, language, literacy, numeracy, writing

A shorter post

Posted on October 2, 2006 by | 3 comments

maily to catch up on blogging as we are well behind on flickr!

SB had CHEF sports and a romp in the park with friends today [chris can elaborate?]

I got home from work early while chris went to dentists. SB did explode the code 4 whilst BB used me as climbing frmae and trampoline – nice! She also had fun with a generic builder kit toy, particularly the hammering – ouch! Chris came back, and I retired for a short nap before dinner having take some migraine tablets, SB I think did some maths.

After dinner/bathes, we explored my naughty book people order. SB was very taken by this atlas, and looked through it whilst I plaed with BB, and the we read this roman flap book together, which had been the real reason for the order. As predicted SB loved it. romans and flaps, what more can a girl ask for [she has the castle one already!]. She also impressed me by trying to read some of the flaps [after I had, so very scaffolded, but a definate interest in reading now]

So we were late to bed. For the last week when at home I have been reading poetry to her [at her request] as bedtime stories. We have now finished the book, so wonder what she’s going to go for next! Oh, and we ended the day with an ebay purchase of an abridged story tape of the railway children, which she very much liked. I have the book somewhere!

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Posted in General, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, SB-PE, socialisation, writing

A whole blog gone!

Posted on September 26, 2006 by | 1 comment

can’t be bothered to write it all again!

went to little nanny’s. she has a brave face and her neighbour very helpful. the cancer seems to be growing [secondary on breast bone] reasonably noticeably now. She says it doesn’t hurt and she is in her 80′s. I hate intimations of mortality. However, am from a strong line of very stubborn women, so we will see how stubborn she manages to be – hopefully very.

SB and BB gorgeous there, on best behaviour both of them, and a credit. Suitably rewarded with sweeties and icecream by adoring great nanny! They all played games. SB impressed by making 4 letter words on the upwords board. BB reolsutely accumulated all the remaining tiles and then carpeted the board with them. Slightly less succesful game of 3D snakes and ladders [still a favourite tammy] as BB insists no hipping all the balls to put down the long slide.

We raced back to go to swimming, ostensibly for me to watch at SB’s insistance, but it was a closed lesson! SO twiddled thumbs. We were rather slow in getting dressed afterwards, and the mums of the next class must have thought me crazy to take 30 mins! no, just blessed with time for a change.

Chris had cooked a lovely kidney bean and sausage hotpot for us to enjoy, and then we enjoyed the first bit of the trials of life – lots and lots of eggs and sperm!! SB asked lots of questions, clarified lots of words, but did not extrapolate any of this [well, at least verbally] to humans. I am a wuss, and was relieved!

oh, and the cake, we didn’t start it, so Nanny gets to eat it all. It smelled gorgeous though. i will? make one for Melrose!

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Posted in literacy, Out and About, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE, writing

Writing in retrospect

Posted on September 25, 2006 by | 1 comment

We didn’t go to to Gressenhall in the end, partly cos I’m going near there tomorrow, and the drive 2ce put me off. Instead we went to a National trust watermill. We had a lovely time there. Its really good, with lots of children friendly demonstrations of how bits work, and it is still milling flour. So we all enjoyed wandering around it – even BB [who got soaked by the watery activities!]. Should be some good flickr pics eventually.

We also did some explode the code, and SB read another magic key book – this time about the red planet. She is asking to read to me now [well, 3 days in a row anyway!] so I have bought some more books from the book people. Well, I haven’t ordered for over a year. i took more than half of the order out of the basket before I paid as well [:rolls eyes:]

Otherwise we did lots of running about in the garden playing and discussing various imponderables – all of which I have now forgotten, but at least 2 I thought I should blog. Oh well. She finished a hama princess. Must buy some clay from Bead Merrily! We watched the next bit of the dvd about living in the ice. She was predictably very interested in the antartica bit
Today I nipped into work for some how to work in a non-NHS enviromnent discussions – difficult! but on returning, SB has been building the whitehouse, and having a chat about america with chris, and looking up virtual tours on the internet. obviously, she forgot instantly about the president! Se as exploded the code. Book 4 she has to think about a bit more. We have missed maths for 2 days unless I persuade her to do some now? We are going to do a piano lesson when I have finished typing this though. Ha Ha! suggested the maths, and she’s doing it!!! OK, not autonomous, but no complaining as I actually only said it cos she was asking me what she could do next.

So what else, oh, we have another cake experiment in the oven. This time a chocolate mayonaise cake. SOunds a bit wierd, but lets see. Always good with both BB and SB doing it. Actually, SB does it, and I try and stop BB from doing anything too dreaddul by letting her mix up a small bowl of chocolate gunk. The cups work really well though. For example, she need 2 cups of flour, but only the 1/3 and 1/4 ones fit in the bag easily, so she worked out she needed 6 of the 1/3. Unfortunately she forgot what number she had counted to somewhere on the way to the 6, so lets see! [i'm also baking it in the wrong sized tin, so timing uncertain.]

BB is being gorgeous still, kicking a ball about and giggling. She loves the fish – they are prob being fed too much as a result. She likes being read to and jiggled about still. Operation attention is going well, but no noticeable loss in bf antics!

Anyway, guess I’m done now, will help her on this second page, and then to the piano. Tonight I’m out for a work meal. Hopefully we will flickr monster’s party soon, and then with yesterday we are up to date – wahayy!

edited to add – the cake is out of the oven and looks and smells delicious – oh the temptation!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

In fear of hibernation!

Posted on September 23, 2006 by | 5 comments

So we have done multiple postings today. TBH, home ed has meandered on, but I feel we aren’t quite getting it right. This might be more that I am not getting it right, as I have let my life get unbalanced recently. However, I don’t do unbalanced for very long :grin: , so time to rebalance and get my ‘carpe diem’ motto back in action. SO I have.

On the home ed front, we have been getting into a habit of a bit of explode the code, and a bit of singapore maths near every day, just 2-4 sides depending on mood. This is working well. Explode the code has been good for us, as SB was adamant she couldn’t read, and actually still thinks she can’t, and wasn’t going to try. Explode the code has never been reading to her, so has never hit the can’t read so won’t button. However, now she can read the singpore maths instructions, words all over the place to make sure I am telling the truth – sigh! but very excitingly for her, she read one of the usbourne young readers on pirates and an oxford magic key on robin hood with barely any stumbling or help. So thanks Merry for the introduction to ExTC!!!

We’ve done a fair bit of bobbing back and forth on history. She likes books about Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I. We have also carried on reading about ancient greeks, minoans and the legends and myths from these cultures. Some nipping to Roman times, 1066 and the mediaeval times [well, Robin Hood myths mostly] to fit with various history re-enactment outings we have done, and also with the street through… and city through time books. I really like the Story of the World text and activity, as it breaks things up into SB chunks. We get pictures from DK eyewitness books and the Usbourne ancient civilisations book. i don’t imagine SB will remember great chunks, but she does enjoy it, and weird facts pop out all the time. Today we were doing Medea and Persia in SoTW, and she i quite good at paraphrasing, but also seeing stories are similar – particularly the abandon your baby one, as she thought it was going to be about Perseus.

I haven’t got to grips with regular music lessons [piano or violin] – which is very bad of me, since it is a passion! We listen to classic fm alot, and SB tries to describe the type of music. today one of the planets came on, so I said it was the planet. Initially she said she could hear the words jupiter, but then decided it had to be about Uranus or Pluto as it sounded so cold and far away. I was impressed [and it was Uranus]. We do do alot of singing, and she makes up music for her dances, so I will just put it in my list of thinks to get into the habit of!

Another thing in my blogroll of shame is languages. I really mus just get bottom in motion and sort this out! Still very tempted by Rosetta stone. Merry suggested I should relook at education city – as something computer oriented may overide my inertia!!

Geography is covered well at the moment – possibly driven by the mediteranean history we are doing, but also by gettting a free globe ball from the kids national geographic subscription [we are awaiting our first magazine] . We also watch are fair number of the David attenborough DVD’s, and this covers natural history and geography regularly. Must look up what this evenings one was, but essentially it was about volcanos. SOmething SB quite keen on.

Science is mostly from books – the why does… and the usbourne ones get a regular reading. We have looked at caterpillar lifecycles on the brassicas this summer. Unfortunately BB likes feeding the ‘snakes’ to the goldfish, so they don’t really get to complete the cycle. Also the free fish are rather good. It would be better if we actually knew what they were. Linked to a photo on the rare offchance anyone might hazard a guess! but we have done crystal experiments, talked A LOT about dinosaurs [and the 2 have played games with the cheap ones from tesco], and thought more about surface tension and sound and light rays in a number of ways.

SB has dance and swimming lessons, puts on countless dance shows for me and is still keen that we find her football lessons. i can’t believe that she won’t just wail… We still aren’t at the top of the rainbows waiting list, so at this rate we will be starting with brownies! She’s going to more CHEF and PBEO group meets, which is good.

Crafts are never underrepresented! Today we have drawn and coloured with SoTW, a birthdaycard for my niece as well as various other pictures. We also try to regularly bake or be involved in food prep. today we tried that choc spread cake again, but using oil to see if it could be adapted – no! but its still edible.

We are also spending alot of time outside, to get the most of the last of the good weather. We are still harvesting bits and bobs from the garden, and SB and BB love the swings and climbing frame and slide. Actually the most amazing harvest has to be the carrots, as i thought we had smothered them in weeds months ago, but they aare doing well! The butternut squash also a surprise last minute success. We have just started harvesting the grapes too – yummy!

if all this sounds rather busy, it has to be said that SB plays for the majority of the time, hearing me read to her is never turned down, she chooses the books on the whole. We play set, uno, made up princesses/queens/roman slaves etc etc regularly [I wonder what the people in the pub think!!]

BB is adorable. Mostly speaks in full sentences, with one comprehendable word embedded in it. She dances, sings, draws [on absolutely everything - the menace] and likes to copy SB in everything she does. BB and SB usually play reasonably well together, with dollies, lego, happy street and outside. BB not good at recognising when SB not in a sharing mood – and both give no quarter! Weaning is not progressing, though BB usually play feeds now, which is a nuisance, and I presume territory marking! So I am trying to develop other 1:1 times with reading, doing jigsaws etc, and sharing SB’s activities [not altogether impressing SB] so that it becomes less necessary to play bf acrobatics.

So, I guess in summary I am enjoying my children more again. I can’t altogether switch off work and the worries, but I am doing better at not letting it get between me and my family. Hopefully this will in turn reassure them, so SB less waily, and BB less feedy in time.

oh, and I rather liked those Gressenhall piccies K. hmm, I wonder about going tomorrow???

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, science, writing

What we been up to then?

Posted on September 23, 2006 by | 2 comments

Oh dear, our electronic life seems to have gone AWOL lately, not much blooging or Flickr-ing – what’s the world coming to?

So, what’s been happening?

Yesterday we went to Mountfichet Castle with a few other HE families from a local group.

It is the site of a Norman Castle, though little was left above ground other than humps and bumps. A replica of an early Norman wooden motte and bailey castle has been built on the site. It was interesting – certainly looked like I would imagine it to be. but the weather put a dampener on things as it rained rather too heavily for rather too long for what is basically and outside atraction. So didn’t entirley get our moneys worth really (it was fairly expensive) as would have spent a fair bit longer there I imagine, but once we had got out of the rain we didn’t feel like going back into it.

But we did find it enjoyable and interesting, Seeing as we visit a fair few ruins it was good for Stringbean to see the variety of things that would have gone on in the castle.

When we got home just dried out, flopped and had chips for tea :-)

What else?

Thursday we were supposed to go to the next African Drama sessions, unfortunately it was cancleed at the last minute so we didn’t hear about it. So we went to the park instead with M , SB’s favourite pal from the group. Is this the ;atest in playground rides?

.

Monday was pottering about in the morning, We went Blackberrying in the afternooon and made rather lovley apple and blackberry crumble for dinner

Sunday me and the girsl went to a ‘Life in Roman Britian Day’ at a local country park. SB always enjoys this sort of thing and listens quiet intently to the talks.

We popped into see Helen at work, I thought we were bringing her lunch, but she didn’t and had had lunch, so didn’t communicate well there…..

They got a nice big slide on a heap of earth there now, and a arial ropeway thing so SB had fun on those. It was a beautifully warm day, still felt like summer.

In between times, there has been a fair bit of Explode the Coding going on – started book 4 now. and maths, moslty MPH 1B. We’d got a bit lost with what we were doing, so have been trying to work through this in a sensible order. Some reading, lost of drawing and colouring, and some writing.

The other day SB sat down with a sheaf of pages I’d printed off from Enchante dLearning a while back – a booklet about some dinosaurs. She coloured them all in – she is taken witht he idea that we had no idea what colour thet really were, so they are all a bit like Elmer the Dinosaur. Very jolly. She sat and carefully copied down the little bits of writing about each one – spent ages doing it.

She laos did a picture the other day with shadows on it. she gave each person a shadow, trees etc. Carefully all facing the same way, etc. I think this in the first tiem she has done this.

Oh that will do, moslty it’s just l;ife I guess :-)

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

today – chris says this isn’t a very inspired title.

Posted on August 30, 2006 by | 1 comment

at least I’ve blogged!

I was grouchy. SB was waily, and BB was more ignored than she should have been.however, not all gloomy. I had a crap on call last night [in my defence!] and am panicking about job related angst.

Sb wanted to play a gaime where she was home educated – whatever! So we read more of the city through time, and also the apollo 13 mission – which she enjoys. It fell apart a bit on what should have been revision maths on subtracting over a 10 [ie 23-6]. we got out cuisinaire rods etc to give a picture, but much wailing ensued. I have been concerned over the summer that she hasn’t been doing as much maths as she could, and this got to me, as we had sorted this back in June. So we did a bit, with me showing her just how easy it was if she picture the right thing – ffs she could do this in her head before! [you can glimpse just how patiently gritted teeth I did this] Luckilly, I realised that having done a few, I should call it a day, as she wasn’t in a receptive mood, and lets face it, a gloweringly gritted teeth mother is not the best teacher in these situations. [BB asleep]

So we had lunch, and then listened to little toe. the crstals are growing well, so we had a look at those too. Sb is looking forward to working out their shape – as the leaflet comes with crstal shapes to identify.

SB is very forgiving, and we were on best terms again rapidly. we went outside and she did me shows, clambering all over the swings and climbing frame, but has recently decided she is afraid of heights. grrr to that thought being implanted into her head. she went to a fair with Nanny F and her cousin O, and didn’t want to carry on going up the helterskelter, after all , it was tall, and Nanny wasn’t going up it with her, and O would have skipped ahead, so I don’t blame her for coming down. I would have told her it was better for when she was bigger, and not said anything height related, but unforunately the deed was innocently done. Now it is a BIG THING. I am trying to ignore it, or say, well roof height is a bit tall, and hope she recovers – it has taken me years to combat a fear of heights such that I’m now not bad [though not brilliant]

where was I? oh yes, she harvested an apple for her and one for BB from our new trees – jolly good, and then romped through her explode the code with no murmer. We listened to that free horrible history romans while playdoughing. She liked the legions song! BB enjoyed playdoughing, but the 2 were making a fuss about who had which bit – so 2 screechy wailers – aarrgh.

Back outside and i caught some of the fish from one of the waterbuts [6 of them] and we have put them in a fishtank to bring inside and look at for a bit. no idea what kind of fish they are. must have come from eggs on the oxygenating plants – any clues anyone? at least 10 still left in the waterbut. [we had loads of oxygenators, so put some in the waterbut as Bob flowerdew said a good idea. he also has goldfish in his too, so maybe fish not a bad idea either] BB was enthralled by them, and is very good at shrieking fish. SB also interested.

Chris came back with new bit of downpipe, so we all took turns tlaking into it, and listening. SB mostly as a dinosaur. BB giggling. We then ran around wildly for a bit and played simon says to release steam.

that was most of the day really. not brilliant mothering, but OK I guess.

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Posted in Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, history, literacy, numeracy, Stringbean's HE, writing

Bank Hols

Posted on August 27, 2006 by | 3 comments

TBH, I’m finding it hard to blog atm. Sure it will come back, but its the most expendable activity of my day, so I’m not doing it – or reading blogs much for that matter. i have had my nose stuck in as many alternate realities as possible – a good thin I have a wide number to chose from on the bookshelves! No, I don’t know yet. Though now very belated, I might find out Thursday – so rumour has it. luckilly, there has been a change in redundancy payouts so that they are not age discrimintory, and it looks like I would get 13 months now not 13 weeks as my notice period would be beyond 31st Oct – so there’s something to be greatful for. A soon as I can be bothered to fill out forms etc, I am going to plunge into the hitherto completely unwanted world of private practice. No idea how much of a living I can make from it, but feel I need to start at least, so that if the day comes, I might have some income. One of my colleagues made ?2000 after tax last year – hardly encouraging! Also, where would be the time? finding it hard to keep up with everything at the mo. The bank balance however is not encouraging me to be slack!
Had a lovely party with parents last week, but too many people commiserated, so felt quite moody and fed up by the end. Day went really well for them, which was the most important thing. All my work days finish really late now, so don’t always get back in time for bedtime. Good wednesdays and weekends though. and when at home I try to be REALLY noticeable – cue much roaring and chasing.

Yesterday was crafts and books, and then a much overdue visit in the afternoon to flag fen. We all enjoyed it – BB shouting and running around, and SB spying the things to find and pretending to be ancient. I don’t know how much handling of the stuff in the roundhouses you are supposed to do, but we did a lot, but it was all put back. BB was most disappointed in the fake apple… SB and I had re-read the usbourne first people, and the DK story of a street recently, so she was fairly clued up anyway, but its nice getting a real visual.
we did buy a dinosaur egg thing [her money] and DK story of a city [mine] while out, so read some of the book when we got home, and otherwise played.

today was an in day, an easy HE day as well, as things seemed to flow – we started on her dinosaur egg – the tools with it are hopeless! form that moved on to some enchanted learning colour by numbers dinosaurs – but the numbers are sums to work out. We a read a bit more of story of a city – whch is quite different from the street as not UK, and then got out a crystal kit that we have had for a while – SB had a mad crystal phase and then cooled off a bit. we’ve read a number of other history through the ages type books as well – the ‘really intersting bits’. london and some more ancients people. SOme explode the code – SB is finally grasping that perhaps she can read as we near the end of book 3.

Sounds a lot, but threaded through the day were costume changes, being ballerinas/ fairies/ princesses and servants. Apparently she enjoyed being my servant best of all! SB was in her belle dress for a bit. BB refused point blank to be dressed as a pirate [which she normally seems to like, being able to say pirate] but was keen to be a fairy – thus it starts! We played outside and in, reading storybooks and making up stories. Quite a bit of chase…

We baked chocolate brownies – nice and quick! SB was rather proud to harvest some carrots from the veg bed. they are, well, diminutive! But certainly carrot, and more than bitesize – well, 2 out of the 3 plucked were! more yummy were figs.

bB has done a fair bit of peg boards. jigsaw and joint book reading today as well. She is always up for chase, dancing and singing with SB, and when SB doing a def not for BB activity, a good bit of playdough keeps her endlessly amused.

Tomorrow maybe to Denny Abbey.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, history, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, science, Stringbean's HE, writing