Category Archives: literacy

The Church Bells Ring

Posted on November 6, 2005 by | 1 comment

and its time to get up. i think I am going to stop being vaguely hopeful about BB’s sleep, as whenever I do, she turns back to snack monster!! Anyway, with the 10am peals calling to the faithful, I rejoined the world. SB had been playing nicely with her barbies and my sindys.

We did manage to go swimming, and had a good splash around. SB very confident at swimming a width, and now keeps her legs up more, so just looks like she has a doggy paddle stroke rather than always on the cusp of drowning! We practised various ways of swming together – so now if we have to plunge off a boat, we can swim to shore together [rofl! - as a trained lifeguard, I don't think I would have planned the stroke we have both decided on - her holding my shoulders and kicking to the side while I do breast stroke] We applied for swimming lessons. BB doesn’t float any more – a reduction in her natural buoyancy since she has become more active. She loves the water though, and enjoys kicking and is fearless and unfazed on going under.

After lunch we did some DK science explorer – taking further the discussions we had had on electricity while getting changed at the swimming pool, and any other bit that took her fancy. She wants to make electricity. Hmmm, may start with a brainbox thing and do circuits.

We read some books – usbourne time traveller castles, and the first quarter of the London through the ages – but this degenerated somewhat into a game with me being her cat – no, i don’t know quite how, but we played cat and owner for a while! With BB waking up, SB did some Hama while me and BB played, and then came and joined us. BB rolling a ball to and from, and doing some hammering. Also a game she finds hysterical of standing on her own and then leaning forward until she falls over into my arms!

SB read 2 letterland books to me, and I read her a barefoot book on dun and ice in return. We planned what sweets we should make for Christmas, did a lot more role playing with her being the cat, and finally both to bed – a bit earlier than normal at 7.30, as Chris and I both tired, and SB whinging about trivia, so we decided she must be tired too.

Ooh, and Dad has offered to help paint SB’s room, and Chris’s dad the bathroom. SO thats good!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, geography, history, literacy, photos, SB-PE, science, Stringbean's HE

Lots to do

Posted on November 4, 2005 by | 4 comments

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?

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, DIY/ house renovation, General, history, language, literacy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Mayhem and Madness

Posted on October 26, 2005 by | 6 comments

Encapsulates my life. I think as a family we are a very good example of chaos theory, and the workings of entropy. however hard we strive for some order, it gets wooshed away.

good news
1.My sister and parents decided the bunks were a good christmas present and bought them [so I see some reasoning for my sister, who will get to sleep on them rather than blow up bed!]
2. Hooking and crooking we are going to halloween party [though I see Alvin shaking his head and sighing at me!]. Haven’t got a costume as such – may go as myself [though only Merry finds that scary, and although I wouldn't want to scare Merry anyway, she won't be there]. thought chris could go as an animal rights chappie, to be the anti-Chris (P) [who I believe is going as himself?] And as for children???

Bad news
1. Pay has dropped
2. Totted up likely cost for christmas for 16 at ours [shriek!] and staying 3-4 days.

Anyway, to the day. BB gave us another totally abysmal night. I was on call as well. In the end Chris took BB to the spare room as I just couldn’t feed her again, and I am supposed to be reasonably alert if called in! SO both of us starting with a small camel to begin with.

SB woke up really early, had me making up stories in bed at 7 – she now has to help with the plot, so getting good at this – , and then up at 8 – no rest for the wicked! So we came downstairs. Now I knew i should have made a list!! Hmmm, well the second thing we did was the maths joining cubes and some singapore 1A on add/takeaway/number bonds. however, we spent far more time just making realtionships between things, thinking about going up and down 0-10 in 2′s. and then doing clumps of 3′s. Preliminary tables really, and some odd and even stuff.

Aha!! first thing was numerous jigsaws!! Then – and how can I forget, we started a papier mache monster head. So that means the maths was the third thing. It was SB’s idea – of course, and I am in TCS mode [or was until desperate need for some quiet!] SHe was very careful tearing up the strips of newspaper and applying to the balloon [flour and water paste], and also helped tidy up. In fact SB has been really considerate all day, and helped with lots of tidying, and not done much grumping or weeping over inconsequential mundanities – really lovely! She is a really gorgeous daughter, and I don’t say it often enough in this blog. Everyone, I have 2 gorgeous daughters.

BB joined us so we had to put away the cubes and jigsaw pieces, so that led to a really good old tidy up. I was going to let Chris have a lie in, but he was downstairs before I had heard BB. breakfast next and getting dressed. SB and I made the first of the days halloween sweets - orange and black coconut ice hmm!!

Then some playing with BB time. She has just got the hang of walking with the walker – though a bit perturbed if it goes too fast! She is such an investigator as well – getting into cupboards, boxes etc. She’s quite good at furniture walking. She chatters and claps, and was having great fun with a pair of toy glasses. I put them on her a few times – immediately whipped off, anf then asked her to put them on – at which point she tried to balance them on her head – very cute! She talks to things as she goes round as well. She also likes posting things in holes, so tidying up suits her! SB also did some playing with BB in a reasonably succesful kind of way. She is also really proud and pleased when BB can do something that Josie can already do!!!!

edited – at this point she also did some drawing and colouring. She has cut out the free archaeolog postcards she got and made a collage – all by herself, finding glue and scissors. She has also had a look at the learn to draw things that go – and done a really good hot air ballon and submarine.

While BB preparing to sleep, SB read some red letterland books to me. She is reading the known stories rather than the words, but I do make her read out some letters and turn them into words. Not too much as sometimes this really annoys her. I then read some of the Usborne farmyard books [she has to sound out/read the title]. i’m mainly trying to show her that guessing the word is sometimes made easier if you sound it out a bit first.

With BB asleep, we did a lot with the marble run. We joined it up in different ways, sometimes steep or curvey or shallow or straight, and guessed how fast the marbles might go, and where they might come off. We had 12 marbles, so 6 each, and SB now good at 6 number bonds, but was easily seeing if we had enough by doing 2 lots of 3, and seeing what was missing or extra. SO more easy maths. Also picked up that the steeper the slope, the faster it went, but curves slowed things down, and curves on a steep slope were more likely to cause the marble to come off – must be science! [oh and we had lunch, and I actually read one of the 3 journals I must read today as getting behind!]

Finally we did the last 2 sweets for halloween – orange flavoured pumpkins and mint flavoured bat droppings and snails – yum! Don’t worry though, we kept our hands and bowls scrupulously clean, as others are going to share in the joy of eating these sweets. Whats more, as Chris looking frazzled, i had a rather good stab at keeping the kitchen tidy.

our next activity totally foiled this – making pumpkin and ginger chutney. What is it about pumpkin seeds – pinging off everywhere! Also so slimy. instant kitchen disaster. We haven’t finished it – SB whizzled the carrots, onions chillis and ginger up, i choopped the pumplkins, and we have added the spice and the vinegar. Chris in trouble, as I had made excess perfumed vinegar for the pickled shallots, so was going to use it, as popped in a jar, but he has thrown it away!! SO mixture of what we have got. CHillies and ginger tend to be predom flavour though. I think today i have earned a prairie muffin award for my kitchen endeavours!

SB now doing some leappad in the kitchen as I said I needed 5 minutes peace, and BB is pootling behind me [with plastic glasses in hand]. Since I have had 30, I had better go and rejoin the family. not many photos as the battery on the camera ran out, and we have lost our alternate rechargeable – a bit of a bugger. I’m sure I will find something to flickr later on – well, if I have time when finished chutney, and potentially thought of a 5 second costume for SB. realised Mum has sewing machine too. bugger! Oh, SB ran in really excited as she has completed one of the phonics books all herself with the games, and CHris [also in kitchen cooking tea] has given her the star for their chart. Very sweet! Back to life, back to reality…………………..

edited to add -OK, so the non-whinge disappeared over dinner, but prob cos she was tired! We then read Ulysses from Usborne’s heros, and for bed the magic faraway tree.

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edit 2 – have done chutney [lovely vinegar aroma!] and journals, but no costume for SB!

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Posted in art and crafts, Blogging, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, photos, science, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

A weeks beginning.

Posted on October 26, 2005 by | Leave a comment

Suffering ‘Blogger’s brain’ again re yesterday.

Monday

Both Stringbean and Butterbean slept a bit longer after Helen went to work -Stringbean hadn?t got to sleep until gone 12 (or was it 1 am?) as she’d slept on the way home and unfortunately woke up when i put her to bed . She did spend a long time in bed but just didn’t get to sleep so she caught up a bit. Both woke up all perky soon enough though. BB is such a total wiggler when it comes to getting changed, as so a you let go she rolls over and is off across the bed. She loves it so much – she does this thing where she sort of flops her head down on the bed while sticking her bottom up and then chuckles away. That and making beeline for the end of the bed so she can stand up holding the top of the frame. So with her and SB generally messing about and ?helping? it can take a while to get her changed.

SB seemed a little out of sorts after the weekend, as she often is after seeing people, And didn?t want to settle down to anything that I suggested in the ?worky? nature so after her breakfast while I finished BB and mine she pottered about in the playroom. She found some more pens and pencils in a small draw in the cupboard so dragged them out and sat herself down with some paper quietly to do some drawing. She did a great picture of a rabbit. It is apparently jumping up into the sky so the grass isn?t too long. She spent a fair while on this so me and BB got a little while to play little peep-bo, hiding games, taking and passing games etc. Bit of a blank spot here, though I do remember some reading of stories, though I got SB to try reading some of the words out as well.

Did go outside after BB went down for her nap. We filled up the bird feeders ? talked about why we put different food in them, why some goes on the bird table or the ground, what different birds eat, why small ones need to eat often, why fat useful as a food for them in the winter, the names of some of the birds we see. And then spent ages poking around outside. Found a couple of big sticks and played a few ?big stick games? , balancing them on end. trying to find the point of balance (talked about why it is roughly in the middle), a bit of sword fighting. Various other things which I now forget came up as well.

After our lunch, BB then woke up, so SB settled down to play a few games, listen to stories etc. on the Cbeebies website while I fed BB. Tried to listen to a couple of the record BBC Schools Radio programs with her, she was half into it ? particularly the one where we had to act out a little drama ? making noises, being an elephant etc. but not really into it. A little bit later at some point Helen came home. Not sure exactly what was done there but they did some good lego Pyramid building at some point before dinner. There were plans to make some lemon curd, we even went and bought the eggs, but somehow didn?t get round to it.

Helen here – we actually did quite a bit, but can’t remeber so much either – oops. did do some explode the code, 3 pages, SB helped me write the numbers in the Kakuro game – she has grasped it is an adding game, so that made us do a bit of mental maths. I also read 3 or 4 stories from the usborne around the world, and therefore she had to read me a red nose reader [for every 3 I read, she has to read 1!!!] lots of squiggling about with BB as well. lego was fun though. We even put the characters in the pyramids with the lego animals to keep them company in the underworld.

Tuesday

Well girls esp. SB awake early enough this morning BB had a pretty poor night ? she is doing this thing where she will wake up and have a feed, then when I try to take her, she will scream madly as she wants to go back to mum, so bad night.

After her breakie, SB went back to some more Lego. This time making a train and some ?sofa?s for all the people to sit on apparently. Once me a SB had finished up we got dressed etc. and sorted out the library books she wanted to take back and which she wanted to renew ? She uses hers and BB?s card and has various books taken out on different weeks, so we have fair pile of books to sort out, check etc. Still wondering what has happened to two Mr Men books that disappeared in the house ages ago. Did I hide them is despair and my dislike of then I wonder?

Got sorted, time to go out. First stop baby clinic. Have only been once since we moved here, no real need to go, but BB weighed and got HV to try and get the endless requests for SB to have jabs she has already had stopped (various people not doing/telling who they should it would seem) Missed SB 8 month check as GP does it ? but she seems ok ? Sb had an hearing test but don?t do that now, and we missed the birth one. But she seems to hear ok.

To library, where for once we managed not to cause delays and confusion as we normally seem to manage to do. Read few books ? found some Red Nose Readers, so we read those in the library. Got out some more books and headed home. BB to snooze, me and SB to eat toast, drink coffee and read all the books at least once. My Mum rang asking if we could go over to help sort out some problems with wiring the TV, video etc. so once we ?d finished and sorted out stuff to take we headed over there.

We played a bit of game that my parents got when I was around 10 called Hare and Tortoise . It?s a fairly cleaver race type game, but it?s not dice based, so there is much more strategy to it than chance. A bit to old for SB, but she saw it and wanted to try it .She got the hang of the general gist of the game – collecting and then ?spending? carrots to move around the board. And it gave us excuse to practice working out how to make up the right number of carrots from various denomination cards, talked about the idea of counting in tens again. Didn?t finish the game as I had to pop out and then she wanted to stop. Also impressed Nanna a bit later by slicing up the potatoes to make nice chips. Spent basically all afternoon there, not as planned. Was a nice afternoon and had had an idea to get out again and maybe do something like bark rubbings.

Managed to get home with out SB falling asleep. Tea, a bit of reading of library books again. SB made some pictures for me and Helen ? I liked the ?love to Babby? Bit on mine :-)

Butterbean note. She is so much into everything at the moment, put her down and she is off investigating, nosing about, getting stuck in places. She loves the dishwasher. As soon as it is open she is in there. Almost literally – I found her on the open door, head inide the machine….. :-)

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, Dance/drama, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, photos, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

A Family Weekend

Posted on October 24, 2005 by | 4 comments

we visited my parents for the weekend. Such a nice time. put the worlds to right, wailed over children growing so quickly. Hopefully allayed some fears about home ed. Felt loved.

Friday:That was the short version! We wet down on the Friday and had a hideous journey due to a major smash on the M25 which we were luckilly not involved in. SB so excited to be visiting my parents, and BB, well being BB. lots of reading books and investigating the toys went on, and a very late SB bedtime.

Saturday: The next day SB cycled with my Dad to the swings. She was very proud that grandad was taking her, and had begged for us to take her bike with us for this very reason. Grandad proud to be so wanted too. SB ‘read’ a book to Nanny – well, at least sounded out some of the words, did a bit of explode the code, and also Mum had bought a colour in book, so that done too.

In the afternoon we went for a wallk along the river at Marlow – always something I enjoy. I played many concerts at the church, and spent a lot of my childhood walking there! SB likes the rather nice childrens play area. there were loads of swans and geese to be fed – but Chris had not remembered the bread [my mum and I travelled in a diferent car as we went to homebase first. hummed and hawed about a fantastic deal bunkbeds – abit like Ernest and Buttercups, which I thought were a great idea when we visited. Sense prevailed. After all, if we are too broke for a halloween party, then I cant buy bunkbeds. mum bought us paint as an early Xmas present!] Anyway, back to Marlow. A nice walk along the river. Some georgeous houses – how many home eds would have to live together to club for them??? SB running along the bank spotting things.

Nice family evening [though Chris doing the computer guru thing with my Dad, it was me that saved the day with the laptop on trial!!]. Played scrabble – I love it, so sad!

Sunday SB did some explode the code, and told Mum about Elizabeth the first. good girl! We also did sweetie maths. My sister Vivien and her 2 children came over, so basically lots of fun and merriment. I love my family! SB and my nephew M play together realy well, and my niece E is now a happy thing – playing with both SB and BB. BB went into adorable baby mode. She needed to make up for the horrendous night we had had! lots of photos I need to put on Flickr

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean

Jinxed!!

Posted on October 18, 2005 by | 3 comments

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!]

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, language, literacy, numeracy, Stringbean's HE

Back to today… edited

Posted on October 17, 2005 by | 3 comments

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!!!!!!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, gardening, General, history, language, literacy, music, numeracy, photos, science, Stringbean's HE

Wednesday’s child is full of…

Posted on October 12, 2005 by | 6 comments

.. beans and energy and enthusiasm! We have had a great day [rather full-on]. i might even have to dash backwards and forwards re-editing, as I think its going to be hard to remember it all. i had thought that since I fell asleep with the beans last night and then woke up at 11, stayed up till 2, and at 3 had to leave to sleep in spare room as chris snoring so loudly it woke me up [I kid you not!] that I would feel lousy, but somehow no.

We started with reading. In a rather countdown style when SB asked me to read, I asked for 1 from the top, 3 from the middle for her to read and 2 from the bottom [rofl!!!] i sort of got them. So I started with the story books - the twelve princesses orchard books [v nice] and something a bit mawkish about baby snow fairies from the library which she really liked. In fact liked it so much she then read it to herself. She then read – with varying degrees of success, but at last really trying – 3 red nose reader books. Both she and I were really proud of this. I then read a fair wodge of the rest of the Usborne Greek Myths [bellorophon and the flying horse, king midas, the chariot of the sun, pygmalion and his wife, eros and psyche]. She has got the hang of quite a few of the ancient greek gods – and goes ‘oh no’ in advance whenever a character says they are better than one of the gods! Whilst I played with BB for a bit, she then got out the Happy Street and made a huge track.

just before lunch we went for the chosen craft of the day – glass bottle painting. I had got some half price glass paints from lakeland last christmas sale, and chris had gots some Ikea bottles, so SB set too. the isntructions were limited, so it has been a bit trial and error. For some of them I drew the demanded shapes with the black outliner for her to colour in, and others are coloured without/spotted/splodged. We have done this on and off then all day, as you have to wait a fair while for side to dry enough to turn and do next side [oops for the drippy sides]. We haven’t quite finished any yet – 4 on the go and a window transfer. Both of us have really enjoyed this!

Between sides I finished off some of the mammoth greek myths session [as above] and suggested we get a greek history book to look at things in more detail. Nope said SB, I want this one – Usborne beginners Elizabeth 1. We read the book and discussed bits and pieces of it. She was much taken by the idea, and remebered some of the names from before. We – for once – dd the internet linked bit as well, and printed off the pages to colour in as well as looking at the various games and linked sites. She particularly liked a link to some Elizabethan music. so we stuck on a CD of roughly right music while we then read most of The history of britain – the Tudors. This book is aimed older, but still reasonable as a read aloud, with snipping if the page doesn’t seem to be as attention grabbing. the first thing SB noticed about henry the 7th was that he didn’t have many jewels, so we discussed fiscal reponsibility, and the fact that wars had made the country nigh on bankrupt. how much she takes in I don’t know, but I go round things until she indicates we move on – or I run out of knowledge! When we got to Mary Queen of Scots, it shows her being beheaded – but she was in prision shouted SB, so we wenty back to first book and re-read it, pointing out she was beheaded in the text, even if the picture was prison. I guess that means it is mostly going in. Not that I actually mind. i think of this as foundation stuff – learning to love listening, finding out, and working out how things are ordered – for example king and queen numbering is understood now, and that there are many year gaps, asn she is happy our queen is Elizabeth 2.

Half way through the book and BB woke up. As agreed with SB, this was BB special time, and she sat down to colour in the Elizabethan pictures. BB and I played with cars, rolling them to each other. We put the happy street people in and out of the cars. We did a bit more peeboo games and walking practice. BB then meandered over to where SB colouring,a nd did her best to see what was going on! SB decided to join in – so heavily moderated happy street play. [No SB, you can't take all of BB's cars to the far end! - we have at least 20 of the things!!] SB played peeboo too, and then pushed BB around in the happy street box, until decided it looked fun, so daddy roped in to push them both! A final bit of glass painitng and curry for tea. Aaargh to SB eating speed!!

After tea and bath SB insistant on Joe the Dragon maths website. She did the non-carry over addition and subtraction pages – though I scaffolded quite heavily some of the subtraction as she was being odd about it. [7-3=7 type thing??] however, soon got the hang and I could be less gritted teeth.

Just as I thought she would go to bed, she spotted the newly arrived rainbow resources box [yippee!!!!] We pulled out the story of the worlds and their activity books. the main text is apparently for when she is 9 [her arbitrary age!] and the activity books for now. And then she saw the Latin!!!! So, massively excited to be learning Roman language, and we have done the first 3 sounds. It is really nicely done, and suitable for her age [though I do have to do the reading] So thankyou really v much Jan for that tip. Dare I open up the massive doorstopper of a rainbow resources catalogue though????

I think that might be it – I was childed out as it were though by this stage!!

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today part one

Posted on October 9, 2005 by | Leave a comment

well, I am going to swindon this eve, so won’t blog, so thought I should do it in stages!

Today I had a lie in due to BB being an execrable sleeper and feedaholic. Whilst doing that, it seems that SB and Chris read through all the red and yellow letterland books. I really dislike the letterland books actually. I think it would have suited me best, once we had done letter sounds and common sh and th things to go onto see and read rather than phonics. this is what we seem to be doing now, though using letter sounds to work out words. Hmm!!

When I got downstairs, SB was ready for another Hama session. today we finished off the flower, and then concentrated on glow in the dark sun, moon, jupiter and stars. i did the glow in the dark bit, and SB then filled in with whatever pattern she wanted. My glow in the dark bit for the sun and moon was as directed by her. The moon is quite cool actually, as in the day, it will appear a full moon, but at night, only a crescent is glow in the dark. This has essentially taken all morning. While doing this, we read the ‘I wonder why stars twinkle…’ book, and discussed that our sun is a star, but ours is closer so bigger and we have given it the name sol. We also did the path of lights through different media experiment [straw in glass of water!]

to be continued…..

Have had a very nice time playing with BB. We have done stacking toy, played with sensory things – like the feather boa, done some walking, and now on pressing buttons annoying tunes toys! SB playing upstiars on her won – so don’t feel quite so comfortable about that, though when I enquired she was happy with Sindy’s/Barbies. Am persuading chris to make a house for my sindy things so they don’t get trashed! He is hoefully sorting veg bed – it does need it!!

Have read 3 greek myths stories from the usborne book [arachne, echo and narcissus, daedalus and icarus] her winnie the pooh book. She has helped chris in the garden and found 3 flints - and told him about chapping [aka knapping!]. We have reseeded the fairy garden and will hope something grows,

Now for tea and then I’m off. Aargh – the first time without my baby, not back until Tues. How crap do I feel?

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tears before bedtime – edited

Posted on October 8, 2005 by | 4 comments

It has been one of those days. I think all this socialisation and frenetic living is getting to all of us – time for some r and r!! Not helped by BB’s return to sleeping nightmare!

Initial Hama-ing. SB wanted to use the circle to do a face of BB – which she did really nicely, and started a new flower. A struggle over going to stagecoach – she definitely doesn’t want to go any more, and even the promise of a Christmas show isn’t wuite doing it. We will notify them she won’t be coming back next term. While she is there, she does seem to enjoy it, and goes off quite happily. For one reason or another, we are missing quite a few though anyway. We also have found the messing up of the weekend a bit of a pain.

This afternoon she has dissolved easily into tears. SHe has wanted to play with me non stop, but if I break one of her unspoken rule games she is heartbroken and sobs dreadfully. All very difficult, as I do also want to play with BB. When BB qwent to sleep, we did a shortlived word game with the boggle dice [she spelled cat and dog, and me bird, and then she did seeds] I then wrote a word without saying the letters I was looking for, so a standoff and it was put away. We had a nice game of dominos, and then I turned a corner without permission – game over! We read quite a few books though – the skeleton hiccups one she actually read quite a few of the words before she realised, and then abrubtly stopped. SHe has also done some colouring.

The other activity- mainly to give myself some headspace – was baking carrot cake – which we have done, wone to eat and one to freeze. At least that was enjoyed and tear free. the results were very nice too. Not so easy with dinner, as a cry when she realsied the spaghetti i had cooked weren’t tinned ones – sigh. She ate it all though. Some home grown grapes for pud. At present I am breathing[!!] as Daddy does bath before I do the stories.

I did get to have a short bit of BB only time – which is always nice. She is such a smiler. We were playing with the stacking cups, and a 4 high stacker toy. She enjoys this. Today she did the stacker toy herself!!! She was most impressed, particularly that I clapped, so did it lots more – until I went for the camera that is! Sb had been in the garden with Chris, but it rained, so she came back. we then did singing with actions for BB – wind the bobbin, twinkle twinkle etc.

It is clear that SB loves BB, but she can be so rough with her. I think as BB gets more mobile, she gets more of a threat as well -IYSWIM. Not that SB will be putting it in those terms, but I do have limited BB alone time [ i am trying for perhaps 2 x 15 mins slots - shouldn't be too hard??]. Hmmm – thinking cap!

Anyway, getting the call for stories, so a good thing I have blogged quickly!

edited: she wasn’t quite up for bed. so we looked at the DK pop out body book a bit, and discussed the spinal column and spinal cord mostly. then read roald dahl’s revolting rhymes – which are an unusual take n the standard fairy tales.

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