Category Archives: music

01/02/06

HE: muffins, fingerprints, explode the code, sticker time book, fuzzy felt, dance mat, action songs, assorted library books, seeds grown and snowdrops, hama starfall first 3 books, cbeebies, bbc jam St David in britannia book and Thors hammer and the ivory Wand from Usborne Stories from around the world.

guess it was very educational, but was fun too. Hama flower and hama patterns started the day with breakfast [in the middle I went out to get antibiotics for raging sinusitis - and feel much better for them]

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IMG 2969?IMG 2976 edited-3??Did some sticker story books and time books – not much though, as I was playing with BB, and SB not feeling entirely autonomous! Read 3 library books and then played skittles and catch, and then when BB fell asleep made some muffins – choc chip of course. While lunch finishing, SB whipped through 4 pages explode the code – I think she rather enjoys this now.

IMG 2988?

After lunch we did one of those tescos science test-tube kits on fingerprinting. Cheap and chearful, and yes, could be replicated for near as dammit free, but we enjoyed getting it out of its testtube!! So we made and lifted fingerprints and talked about them non-stop for quite a time, BB woke up and ate muffins.

IMG 2991?We made muffins

in the afternoon, we decided to try and play all together mostly – so with the dancemat, doing action songs and with the baby dolls – BB really getting into hugging and loving the baby now. We checked on our germinated aubergines and broad beans, and looked at the snowdrops and cyclamen in the garden.

yeah, they should have been in roottrainers!?

As the late afternoon arose, and the wail quotient increased, SB sat down and did the first 3 starfall books back to back without a hitch. The plugged away at cbeebies – with Chris in attendence. Noticing a link to BBC jam in UKHE early years [or whatever its proper title is] we had a scout around, but not played with it much yet.

After bath a bit of a book marathon! BB asleep, and Chris putting SB to bed. I plan to turn in early too.

Quick today

felt rough going to work still from migraine, but gradually settled. BB went off to docs as raging conjunctivitis – so eye ointment and antibiotics – fingers crossed no passing to little raindrops.

SB did lots of painting today, and then CP’s came on a drop by, so played games together.

When I got home, SB did some explode the code – very nicely, def getting quick at it! Whilst going to be we did pattern singing -i sang a short tune and she mirors it. She’s getting very good at this now. Her pitch is improving, and her rhythm is spot on.

BB permafed. I was supposed to be going out for a meal with work friends – which is at a great indian – but with a permafeeding poorly BB, i felt I was better staying at home and made my apologies.

oh, and I liked this photo from the weekend, of them listening to stories
listening

Whirl of a weekend

katy and B arrived for the weekend friday lunchtime, which was great. we were disorganised as usual and grabbed the little beans from nursery. Cue the girls disappearing smartish! SB gave a guided tour which involved redressng both of them as princesses and off they went. Much, much later on the resurfaced to listen to the twelfth night story from while the bear sleeps and some apple tree farm books.

A few other standoffs were eased with colouring,games: hungry hippos and don’t wake dad, but actually they got on extremely well, and the standoffs were low key affairs. What amazed me totally was that after an exceptionally rowdy baths they had fallen asleep by 9.30 – what a result! It gave me and Katy plenty of time to natter, discuss wish lists etc etc.

Next day – to our shame, Katy was up first to accept a parcel before either of us had surfaced. In our defence it was cos BB had been absolutely appalling at sleeping! however, it was our seed order = hooray! SB and I pored over the packets, and she decided which were her favourites – in particular the popcorn sweetcorn!

big girls ran around, and BB pootled at our side being adorable. She is definately saying an approximation of look -ook, and pointing at the same time. SHe is a very inquisitve girl, and loves pressing buttons, and also the wacky wiggler cogs. her dancing also improving, with bobs down as well as wiggles, swaying and head shakes! quite the mover and groover. She was also doing lots of drawing – at one point joining in with the big girls – and this was great! Funnily, B kept calling BB ‘Small’ [from making it up] for the first evening.

After lunch the big girls made carrot cake with me, with all the labour absolutely divided equally – I do love using cups! Amazingly it rose as well!!! i must finally be getting this cake making busines [Merry, I need a prairie muffin badge before I ruin it!]. They did some Hama whilst it was cooking and then iced the cake [rofl - would you like some cake with that icing?] and ‘decorated’ it with sprinklies. At some point the playdough came out too.

What else? well, more demonstration of their imaginations, a start at a wacky wigglers robot, hide and seek, excellent 10 number bonds with hungry hippos [ha ha] and some attempt at the 5 times table using all the hands available [maths then!], a show performed by the light of some of the wackly wigglers for us too. Lots of singing of christmas carols in particular.

they went to bed eaily enough but not straight to sleep, they weren’t particularly noisy, but certainly shattered the next day. BB not quite so awful at night – thankfully. Poor katy, spending her weekend with zombies in a shambolic chateau!

Next day SB voluntarily got out explode the code – amazing!! Though she did tell B it was boring. We finished the wacky wiggler, and then did Yoga for children – as Katy had brought the DVD. Thanks Katy, just what i was after! Lunch, some violin playing and the home time. SB was gutted when they left to go home, and wished they lived next door. A few melting moments due to extreme shatteredness! I had a great time nattering as well, so a succesful visit, and looking forward to seeing katy and family in feb.

After they had gone we unwound, did some explode the code, lots and lots of painting, read loads of books together – SB remembered she hadn’t had her 12th night present, so we did today as 12th night read the story again, and got the little token present to go with the story. [another dressing up dress 2nd hand from ebay]

she has had lots of bumps and accidents, so ether drop down exhausted or expecting a growth spurt. BB ecstatic that SB playing with her again, especially when she read BB 2 of her books. Both have been lovely and cuddly this evening. BB coughing at rattling a lot though, so have given her some ventolin that gp gave us a while back but wasn’t sure whether to or not. hmm, wait and see.

double trouble!

I still have migraine, but chris doesn’t like to be left out, so got a caustic soda burn on forearm and hand from finally unblocking the drain – full of animal fat crud -yukkety yuk. Obviously a present from previous owners! Anyway i dressed it, and it should be OK. told him if he gets compartment syndrome I get to slice open forearm – wicked gleam!!

We obviously had a rather shite night, as BB didn’t settle, and SB then joined us in bed, so a Mummy sandwich as 2 little beans had a competition on who get the closest!

So a slow start to the day. Infact, I may have to come back to the beginning – rofl! [Edited to add – SB shrugged and sid mostly Sindy’s and doing mazes] Anyway, slightly later SB cut out piccies of fruit and veg from the catalogues that she would like to grow, and stuck them on some paper for her file!! [i like self directed] She did 4 pages of exeter maths – first 2 she did some of the writing, but the second 2 she just gave the answers. this is once we got past the problem of 2 less being the same as takeaway 2. Once translated into sweetie maths she was away!

She then had a haircut – much needed! And Chris bought a tool for the drains to attatch to pressure washer. We read the Ulysses story from our usbourne greek heroes and perseus from ladybird famous legends. The ladybird one has a handy map of greece, so wee had a peek where places were – including Tiryns! I have been to lots of these places interrailing as a student, and really recommend the pelopponnese for the equally ruin addicted – and cret for that matter! mycenae was stunning. Anyway, I digress! following on from this, we jumped ahead in the story of the world to read the crete bit, as I had been talking about bull dancers. We have read the theseus story before, but SB loves them, so not unhappy to hear it again. Susan Wise Bauer doesn’t abandon Ariadne. I think part of the greek mythness of these stories is the casual dropping of women and children, and also the casual attitude towards cruelty and homily free status. BB feeding and the napping for this marathon!

After this she had a bit of a bike ride, but soon abandoned as I wouldn’t come outside with her, and instead worried over Chris, who had just had caustic soda incident. SO a smidgen of fresh air! We did a bit of recap on the piano - she had pretty much forgotten, but did find D. she enjoyed the ‘lesson’ – all of 5 mins and then pootled around again doing her own thing. I’m going at this in the ‘you want to make music, is this useful?’ Approach for now.

Sb and BB played together a bit with the shape sorters and the hammer shape toys, SB abandoning this in favour of the leap pad for a bit, until BB’s interest got too great to be distracted by Mummy reading books and playing! SB read to me a whole red nose reader – trying hard to sound the words and doing very well. She seems very keen on Maddy’s word flower thing, so maybe try that out.

She was also very good assistant at dressing Chris’s burns [made him go to the chemist!] so we had a discussion on being careful with chemicals even though they don’t look very dangerous – she could clearly see why! Also on dressings and bandages – minimal obviously! So red cross ticked too.

Whilst cooking tea she wanted to write the names of everyone who was here over Xmas, so with some spellings prompted she has done just that. Chris is supervising tea as BB a bit fretful, and if she sees me she will just want to bf. We will play a game or 2 of whatever takes her fancy before bath as well.

Re Merry’s chore thing, and we have also been gradually introducing chores – SB has to tidy her things away before lunch and tea, and if requested without a fuss, including BB’s things. She also lays the table for us. Not too onerous, but having a blank canvass after the meal frees the mind! We are also going to try and keep the main living bits tidier as a rule, so that we can actually not feel there are loads of jobs weighing us down every evening.

Mind you, I feel weighed down today, as this evening I am collecting together everything needed for a tax return, and will do it tomorrow, sigh!

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relapse…

…mostly as i have a migraine, and it becomes quite clear that my children are far more charming when I am being charming!

Anyway, still had a reasonable day, but I had to work quite hard at it. Chris had made a wacky wiggler with SB – this was and ace pressie! And also jointly they read some apple tree farm books.

Me and SB did morefiddling with the wacky wiggler to make something for BB, as she is very interested in cogs/wheels etc.

SB then got out the sonlight word bingo game instead of a match and sort book [AKA explode the code], so we did the blends and the words. she was actually better at the words. I think she really isn’t a phonics girl – reading out the word with wild guesswork seems more her thing! She got a bit stroppy as I got 3 bingo’s before her, but what can you do?

At lunch I did a kakuro game, i usually do sudoko with SB, as she likes doing it with me – i spot what to do, and then say things like the number 1 in that big box, and she will work out which of the 9 it goes in. She is gettin rather good. I thought I could do the kakuro in peace and quiet, but not really. They’re not that diffiuclt, but require more addition and number pattern skills than SB has, so I wrote out the strings and pointed out why 3 in 2 boxes has to be 1,2 ; 17 in 2 boxes has to be 9,8; 6 in three boxes has to be 1,2,3 and 24 in 3 boxes has to be 9,8,7. She got these patterns but i had to do a bit of explaining over the other fixed strings [3,1: 4,2,1 etc] so got in some number bond practice and why maths is still interesting to adults, as well as then the logic in putting them in the boxes and her writing in the numbers. She stuck it for the easy bonds and the first 4 or 5 where deduction used – so not bad on concentration really.

After lunch whilst BB slept we did giant shape snap, read some usborne stories from around the world. BB didn’t sleep long, so we got the lego out for the rest of the afternoon. they mostly played together. BB and I read some of her board books, and i trimmed her fringe slightly. [first trim!]. So a bit low key really!

We did, however, manage to do some piano – which Sb and I had agreed on, and she asked for. We did patterns of keys and their names, and then mouse-walked up and down thumb to 4th finger trying to keep our hands flat [didn't have a rubber] from middle C. we searched for all the A and D’s as well. Finished with this is c middle c from gbdf and ace. After this she played on a mini keyboard making and recording tunes. BB did quite a good dance and jig, clapping her hands, so SB felt very proud.

I have just put in the tea – unispired at chips quiche and sprouts! [I have a migraine!], and suggested to chris i needed P and Q. He is reading some of the usborne greek myths – prometheus and pandora so far. Drives me wild, as he is tired, so is being an exaggerated tony blair – seems like hours gap every few words! BB is playing with the click clack caterpillar – excellent present from aunty shaula.

Merry, did you want us to jot down the weird tangents we spin down with these stories for your puddleside curriculum? or are you not planning to have some FIAR type suggestions? i know the idea is to follow where child leads [and that is what we do] but wondered whether a one liner would be good?

btw, I think i may have to take over as Chris mixing heracles with hercules to get heracules and driving me up the wall! does he do this on purpose? Sb correcting his pronounciation of tiryns [go girl!] and cross referencing to our other book where there are pictures. She *really* loves these books [maybe cos i do too?]. She is now correcting the book, as the hydra grew 2 more heads, and it only says 1 [rofl rofl]

Feeling better as tablets kicking in. Sb requesting i take over. Will see you later with my ponderings on socialisation and group joining in!

Another busy day

But didn’t get through list even though early start!
Sb woke up at 5 am, and after her wriggling around in our bed, since I had migraine and awake anyway, took tabs and carted her off to here bed. Numerous made up stories later, and also some story tapes the sunlight was well and truly pouring through the uncurtained windows, so time to get up!!

She played with Sindy’s for ages whilst i tried to be asleep. Chris got up, so she cadged brekkie from him, and I descended at around 10am!

So stright into the fray – we finished the jar painting- hooray! so wrapped and labelled them all.
Next on agenda sweeties – always such a hardship to make. Last year we made fudge, and I was told it was tablet – very nice too. This year we have made fudge from an usborne book recipe, so no worry about setting points etc [though I do have a sugar thermometer]. Also courtesy of usborne, white and dark chocolate truffles. If anyone else making them, add 25g more cake and 15g approx icing sugar to get the dark to be as firm as the white – otherwise a very squishy mess.

Question: for the sweets – do you think I should freeze them untill xmas or leave in the fridge – usborne plays a week shelf life in fridge game.

massive diversion – listening to favourite Corelli Xmas concerto grosso, and just must get violin out and then join something local. I miss the yearly xmas concert ritual.

Quite a bit of drawing from SB whilst i gave BB alot of attention. She really is a giggly heap of a girl, and enjoyed chase and jiggles, then some putting things on head and laughing games. She also did a bit of making marks with purpose [rofl!]

SB and BB then turned the large chopping board into a wobble board, using a masking tape reel as the fulcrum – kept them both entertained for ages. BB sat on it and wobbled her bottom, giggling, and SB – well, she was just mad!

Tea of couscous and morrocan stew, some help/hindrance in the starting off of the dundee ckae, and it popped in the oven as they had their baths.

As I type [after a considerable delay!] SB is asleep – shattered, no fuss tonight. BB is pottering around at my feet, having woken up after 30mins and very awake. She likes tongue wiggling talking to me, and has been pointing out the cat. She also shared in mine and Chris’s meal of spaghetti – very amusing!

i have wrapped SB’s pressies, and the dundee cake is out – piccie to join the other one. Hmm!!!

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2 more weeks

Have been suggested to me as appropriate sick leav, so have notified work. I still ahve to go in 2ce next week – once to the fracture clinic, and then do a mound of paperwork, and then to do my yearly appraisal to make sure I am not dodgy. i have to do it by end of Dec as otherwise no pay progression. Seems unfair, as monday will be spent chasing the details, which I did initiate in Nov, but not been in since!

As for today, SB’s bedroom nearly finished. not done tax return though

it was SB’s nursery nativity, so midafternoon we went in for that. SHe, being part time, had a chorus role only. But to be honest, at least she would have said some of the lines – only the angel could bring herself to talk! Very cute, but full of type 1 parents in a dither about it. Anyway, SB enjoyed it, we told her she sang fantastically, and all was well. BB had obviously been very messy and in nursery clothes. She really looks much older in jeans!

At home we did some water painting, SB helped me make pasta bake – she is rather good with a sharp knife! She also spent ages being a drama queen – pretending to be different animals etc. She was rather good as a roller skating T rex! I am still surprised she didn’t enjoy stagecoach as she really does love doing shows here, and gets more and more inventive with her characterisations. Bit of bob the builder watching on video, and now [hopefully] asleep!

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Oh Festive Day

In this home-ed lark, it does seem like the whole of December is a Chrismas-ed type of month.
today we hav done:
Christmas crafts – no surprise there, loads of christmas cards done
Christmas writing practice – loads of writing SB to be honest, but still, writing.
Christmas maths – we have 28 cards left to do, how many have we done now, how many left
Christmas counting – how many address labels are left??
Christmas economics – discussion on how we pay for posting, and her jolly stamps or stickers wouldn’t cut the mustard with the post office, why there are 2 different rates [why are there really now, when first class not guarenteed?].
Christmas history – a foray into history of stamps, christmas cards and christmas trees – yes, those victorians!
Christmas music – yep Christmas carols!
Christmas baking – delias yummy savoury scone recipe

OK, and I read loads of Apple tree farm books, which are not Xmassy, we looked at the 1001 things to spot history – but thinking of geography as well. Some cbeebies – particularly good at the roly mo spelling game. Lots of playing with her sister – which I really like. general playing.

BB – well, she is feeling a bit better today, and ate 1/3 of my donut treat [shouldn't live opposite a bakery!] She was mostly stacking things, running off with SB’s toy animals, rarring at shape sorter when bashing in hard still didn’t get things to go in the wrong holes. Also, turning pages of the books I was trying to read to SB, as she doesn’t like me doing this! She is very good at turning pages. She has been walking faster and aster recently as well.

Overall a lovely day. Tomorrow they are both in nursery. I am 2 minds about this as usually we cancel when I am at home, but there is so much we need to do, that a short burst of childcare will hopefully do the trick, and let us really relax and enjoy the weekend. [does this make me awful, having just moaned about lack of time with the children???]

PS SB gagging me – she obviously doesn’t like the descants
password is the usual ,email if you have forgotten and want it – not v exciting though!

Christmas tree and vomit

being the 2 main things that characterised our day today.

The vomit was BB‘s, she has vomited through the night and on and off through the day, so I have been doing a lot of bf – no change there then! She feels a bit hot, and has a cold, but no obvious dredful anything, and apart from when vomiting, she has only really seemed a bit tired, rather than particularly out of sorts.

Before I flickr it, try and imagine what you think our Xmas tree would be real/artificial ;tasfeful colour scheme/whatever; less is more/deck the boughs. Anyway, Chris had to curse and swear with getting it i the right places, as no good helping with a broken hand. Only one set of lights working, so severly underlighted [I do like lighting to have somthing of an operating theatre intensity about it!], but will sort out something. Last year I divided the decs into breakable, and fairly sturdy, and so gave SB the fairly sturdy to do the lower bits with. WHY NOT ONE OF THESE SHE SAYS, OOPS! I guess there was the reason. The other main showstopper was realising BB was quietly munching on one. hmmm. After excavating most of the shards from her mouth [expect interesting nappies] I realised she has 9 teeth in full biting order. SB chose Christmas chants as the accompanying music – she has excellent taste, before we moved on to more traditional carols. SO all decced up there. Some decs put on staircase, and nearer the day, may prune non berrying holly and strip some ivy. Frugal princess or what!

what else? SB and BB went to library with Chris, and did a sticking Christmas activity and chose about 600 books [minor exaggeration]. We then read 4 on the trot until I insisted she read 1, she did 2 pages anyway with sounding and working out. Beans on cheesy toast. We considered the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vits and minerals to discuss further the book we had read yesterday.

After lunch we did 4 whizzing pages of Singapore maths primary 1A. Very easy pages and romped through them. SB definitely sure of odds and evens. Doing much more mental maths as well without using fingers. i have decided i prefer the primary maths to my pals are here, though both very similar. When we get to 2, I think I will stick to the primary maths series.

Rest of day taken over with Christmas tree business!! i did print the family Christmas cards, with a front and back picture showing my 2 meeting Father christmas.

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Simple Sunday

BB gave us a dreadful night last night, so we have felt a bit zombified.

SB drew a lovely piccie of our house and all the expected Christmas guests in it. She also put the pub next door in as well for GrandadF. Surprisingly, she also drew a route to the seaside [hmm, artistic license?]She then has done a sparkly [very] red Xmas decoration for the tree.

We did go swimming, and I pootled about. It was still rather painful though – possibly due to the 2 children, rather than the actual pootling in the water. SB investigating swimming backwards and dolphin dives. BB just chuckles around the pool.

on the return we did some hama – another glow in the dark star, 2 pages singapore maths 1A, SB read a red nose reader to BB, and I read a variety of books. We never did get to the explode the code. SB then looked at the new webland.

Lots of sindy and barbie playing. WHilst i was otherwise busy [snoozing if I;m honest, with BB asleep on my lap] SB got some blu tack, and is now fully understanding on the reason why you don’t squidge blu tack into a barbies hair – yuk! Any remedies??

We also did a lot of singing paractise – actually going up and down with ploacing our hands on feet, knees, tummies, head and up in the air. After discussions at Okehamton, I’ve decided to be pro active, and hopefully SB will sing better than her dad!

Finally vietnamese stew for tea, and Sudoku for SB and me – it does make it rather more challenging when you aren’t that sure what the numbers are! She has had her bath and is shining my pen torch through my cheek – sigh!

Other things – Chris planted out the garlic [at last] BB played with her musical toys, the tambourine was a real hit. She also had a great giggle at SB playing chase with her. She has enjoyed walking about – shut herself in the downstairs loo in the dark!!

I must see orthopod next week, as arm still really painful. Also, although they did views of my scaphoid, the base of my thumb is still hurting. I can’t think work is going to be that impressed if I need more time off.

Tomorow, Christmas tree.

May try and google child bonds tonuight. would like an ethically friendly one if ok – smile seem to do one through someone else. My dad alread has a babybond with the childrens mutual for each of them [i think] so i don’t think we can have another one?

Oh, and I finally won 2 ebay dressing up dresses for SB within the specified gift price from little Nanny- yippee! [helped by ebay postage coupon]