Category Archives: music

Blogging with LOTR

Posted on November 13, 2005 by | 3 comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, history, language, music, photos, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE

Meal Swapping

Posted on November 12, 2005 by | 10 comments

In a blogring way, we cooked Sarahs aubergine and chickpea casserole for tea – very nice, and now see she is planning beetroot rissoto.

I think Chris and I are too tired. Work is very full on – and I guess will always be so, so I feel that I am full on in every aspect of my life, with little opportunity to catch my breath and just waste time! BB not sleeping, and my dreadfulness at going to be early combine to make me permanently sleep deprived as well. I notice that Chris and I get short with SB at times when we wouldn’t have done before. I shouted today, and have felt dreadful since, as it was just about putting her coat on – not life shattering at all. She had refused, I said fine, we got to the car and she was complaining she was cold, so I shouted. Sigh.

Chris and I need to work on this, as SB doesn’t respond well to being shouted at, and it is usually entirely unneccesary, just a release of our frustration. With my working, she is always keen to stay up as late as she can push it to play with me, and I can’t help but want to play with her. This, though, is also not helping, as I think she is sleep deprived too, and much more likely to wail at the slightest thing, therby setting mine/Chris’s teeth on edge, etc etc – you see how this goes. I think, as soon as I’ve got the things at work vaguely running, I can try not to stay late – I’m often back at 7ish on Tues and Thurs, so that we avoid those being late nights, and potentially try and leave a bit earlier on the Mon and Fri to be back by 4:30 – 5ish if i can.

Anyway, to today. I got up late – another poor night, not helped by SB going to bed so late, that i stayed up unneccessarily later etc etc! We went to stagecoach [and I shouted about coats]. SB always reluctant to go, though enjoys it whilst there, and we haven’t renewed to go next term. We might try it or something similar again when she is older. I am not totally happy with stagecoach anyway, as I think they teach the children bad singing techniques – ie louder and false american with smiles, rather than concentrating on tunefullness. However, thought she would love it – how wrong! While SB there, me and BB had a nice walk around the nearby country park – good for my cobwebs, and giving BB her own time.

the weather was so lovely I promised SB we could eat outdoors for lunch – so we did, warmly wrapped. Chris had made potato and leek soup – yummy.

I the afternoon, I read SB a magazine and a story whilst BB fed and then dozed and she did spiral drawing. We then spent quite a long time painting and did blow painting and stamp painting. a rather imaginative under the sea picture with handprints as seaweed and the fish/shell stamps. she even drew a safe path for divers.

She then coloured in a picture for a present for me. BB woke up so we had a fair bit of playing all together. Mostly with the stacking cups and the moving tortoise, with SB also using the spacehopper to bounce up and down the hall – to BB’s bemusement.

Later I read most of the Roman Usborne time traveller to SB, and we had a look for Italy and Rome on the globe, discussed empires vs kingdoms, capital cities, slaves and the rather horrible roman games! We did a page of thinking skills in maths 1a. I am feeling guilty about the lack of formal maths at the moment, so will try and gradually creep it in. Yep, I know not autonomous, but then I don’t pretend to be autonomous, just generally child led, but would feel more comfortable with a ‘normals’ set up in addition.

Tea was the well received aubergine and chickpea casserole, and then some story reading and general looking at our globe before bed, and the magic faraway tree at bed.

To tell the truth, I am wondering whether we are a bit slack to be home educators, as SB such a bright spark that part of me thinks we should really be managing to do normals, and let the rest be child led. Somehow, we don’t. its not a worry so much now, as she isn’t even compulsary ed age, and I do think formal education is pushed far too early, and yet….. [everything we did today bar stagecoach was truly autonomous]

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Posted in art and crafts, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, music, numeracy, Ponderings, Stringbean

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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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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Late starts and early finishes

Posted on September 21, 2005 by | Leave a comment

well, hopefully chris will finish the blog for yesterday and put up :?)

today – well I had had such a crap night with BB feeding permanently, and rather a few work calls that I was no good for man nor beast and had a lie in.

Rousted up, and came too with nice cooked breakfast from Chris and played ‘round the mulberry tree‘ board game with SB. I read the last 2 disney princessess magazines [oh joy] cover to cover. SB loves them though, and it is all learning to enjoy the written /oral word after all.

I gazed with a suitable amount of impressedness at the map and postcards she and chris did yesterday [is that a spoiler?] whilst feeding BB [so she went to sleep for 2 hours- nice!]. we found where people lived, and those that sent postcards from areas other than their home address caused some consternation. Chris had aimed the postcard to Dartmoor, but it is now re-aimed somewhat closer to home. [you know who you are!]

We went outside to measure up the fruit bed – which looks a much more promising site for an archaelogical dig. I am going to buy minarettes, as although I think they are aesthetically fairly awful, they are the best functional use for that space, and then will have some espaliered pears and apples around the veg beds. Ken Muir are doing an offer with the kitchen garden magazine, which is effectively 6 at 12 each. I trimmed some more holly, and played catch games with SB, and stories for the climbing frame.

Found guinness, and unfortunately confirmed tht he has a very nasty leg injury, so is at present in the vets awaiting xray and then hideously expensive treatment. [so maybe fruit trees will wait]. Its either broken or dislocated – possibly from being run over. Rest of him seems ok – thank goodness. We will find out tomorrow.

SB had desire to make cupcakes, but settled for chocolate muffins. I have found out that she prefers to measure things in imperial – well there are far less oz than g! So returned to the past to measure in oz theingredients. They were delicious – so obviously an imperial recipe! Did some match and sort – AKA miquon while they were cooking – she def prefers singapore, but i think that is because miquon is so different to start with. She does, however, really like using the cuisinaire rods. Hooray – not a frip after all!

Whilst she ate her lunch, I got some of our shallots and started preparing them for pickled shallots – they are steeping in the brine overnight. prob 1/3 our shallot harvest, and will make 2 kilner jars. I will use some for shallot confiture. then discuss with chris whether to use the others fresh or pickle. Since we are a family keen on pickles and chutneys, I think its better to pickle and chutney, and use onions for everyday eating. We are going to replant some of them, as too late to do a shallot order.

BB keen on more feeding, so we read a book on earth sea and sky [well half], about, well, what is says on the tin – we didn’t get to sky part. She likes things involving the globe, so we looked at various features on there as well – though ours is such a cheap tesco globe that not very featureful, more political. We also played dinosaur ludo toghether. SB getting much better at understanding the flow of games. May even introduce the catching concept now. A ring on the bell, and the last of the redbook order [that had gone to leeds by mistake - I am sure i changed the address - LOL]. So we then read 4 of the anholts artists series. A real hit. A nice way to start thinking about art. She was particularly struck by the art in the Picasso one – asking why he painted the girl so many ways. [why not?]

We also have been listening to classic fm, and trying to discuss the type of music etc a bit. Must do a bit more stuff with the piano though.

BB has crawled alot today – getting very good at it. [in a slow lollopy way]. i am still making sure that I divert attention purposely to her, and SB getting better at following along, or doing something else [albeit reluctantly].

I’ve been out for a works meal – which was very nice. Given a slight grilling over home-ed, put played it as an even balance, not an anti schools thing, and something that just seemed right for us at this time. i wish Chris had never been a teacher though. I am p****d off with the, well its ok for you as Chris is a teacher – irrelevant!!! I keep plugging on about it just being an extension of what i’m sure they do for their own children without noticing anyway. no special skills, just time, patience, books and enthusiasm [well, ok there are some special skills in that lot - patience being one I have to master!] Some nodding there, so left it at that point.

Sundry messages and notices: I was having a dig at myself in the last post as a reaction to the school solar plexus thing. Do keep on posting your lists of what you do – i think it was the 10 pages of miquon!!! I like to see it, and although I do compare, on the whole I am not too stressed by it, as SB a wee thing. I can’t believe my blog stresses anyone – after all, we don’t often DO much of anything [ie 1-2 pages miquon with a lot of round the housesing] and its often me just reading lots.

If I was to be critical, I think i don’t do enough hands on demonstrations. This is why I am exited by the idea of a fake dig. I did look for old terracotta pots for painting and then breaking – with the idea that they could be dug up and glued together. However, we seem to have not brought any down from leeds with us. nor broken crocks. Will rethink. On a similar vein, having blanched the shallots in their skins and got a lovely deep coloured water, how much onion/shallot skins do you think you need to put in to make a dye??

Oh, and Kirsty, I only have 2 K books!!! [LOL] I thought I had more than that, but i have some 1′s and the usborne science ones making me think I have a lot!!!! My real flirtation with sonlight will start at about core 2, when the history and readers start to tie together. we might even try it then for that part.

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Dum Dum de dum Dum da Dah

Posted on July 18, 2005 by | 3 comments

SB doing her stagecoach concert and all the blog titles have kept this in my mind today.
What have we done in the last 2 days? well quite a bit on the HE front
maths:my friends are here singapore maths with the cubes. number line stuff, addition and easy subtraction, measuring. Joe the dragon. dot the dots [thankyou sarah, this really is reinforcing the higher numbers as is] snakes and ladders.
literacy: studydog – back in favour again, but suddenly we lost sound, and it becomes impossible! Spelling out words [starts and finishes] phonics cards, red nose readers. Also lots of reading of whatever book came to hand [stories]
history: some on ancient egypt, does a paraphrased Homer [usbourne] count, as spun off discussions of ancient greece? history of school on webland [most dischuffed girls didn’t go.
music: rhythms, recorder and create your own on webland
science: mostly concentrating on bugs at the moment – DK book and the magnifying glass. Caught a lily beetle [grr] however we were sitting by pond when we knocked it out, it fell in the water and a goldfish rose up like jaws and ate it. Other bugs included ants, earwigs, woolly aphids [on bay tree - grr], woodlice, dead bees.
PE: well, i played numerous games of tag [thank god garden not overlooked as running a la charlie dimmock not really a good idea!]. Also some scootering/like a biking/gymnastics over the climbing frame. Chris took the family swimming yesterday while I was on call, so also armband free swimming practice.

Also miscellaneous discussions on death, castles, computering, birds, fish etc etc. i am quite worn out!

lots of lovely photos onFlikr

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Posted in General, history, literacy, music, numeracy, SB-PE, science, Stringbean's HE

Mediaeval Fayre

Posted on July 16, 2005 by | Leave a comment

not called in overnight – always a result!

so stagecoach in the morning for SB – last in the term. I think these have been a success, so we will carry on. i do think they are expensive for what they are, but at this stage of the game, its more important to provide SB with pattern. She loved the fact that they sang doe a deer to the video with actions, and that she already knew the words.

We then took a picnic to the animal shelter in godmanchester that was hosting a mediaeval fayre. I was surprised at how empty the place was, and I think it would have been much better if bustling, so that SB could have watched people using the archery/crossbow and jousting stuff. She was just that little bit too young, but next year….

Anyway, she enjoyed the axe throwing competition – but really wanted a go! And found a playmate to play knights and princesses with [i made up a story whilst feeding BB. He was such a nice lad that he immediately gave her his new sword and shield to use while he played with a bigger one! The re-enactment of one of the roses skirmishes was good. no gunpowder due to animals close by. SB very hot, so I amused others by dribbling water down her back and into her hat. [many photos on flikr]

At home we read the ancient egypt dorling kindersley eyewitness and looked at joe the dragon again – SB good at adding [not carrying over] and also like the chinese numbers – I think that might be new. We also did a it more castles at bedtime. I am getting her to spell out headings and have a guess at blending and making words, think this may be successful, as if thinking about it, she can do it. of course postman [as in pat] does not come out quite right, but she did realise what it was meant to be.

Nearly organised the books, but Chris has vetoed stickering for now. Sonlight order will prob go in tomorrow. Thinking about those plug and play electronics things – brainbox whatever. Sarah, are you still being a facilitator for edu toys or should I buy direct?? Looking forward to my lovely books!!! [and no, have not got harry potter, but if anyone does buy 2, i would consider coming to a deal, else tescos next week!]

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Posted in Butterbean, General, history, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

lovely house…………..

Posted on July 9, 2005 by | 5 comments

i decided while outside eating dinner looking at it. when i’m panicking over money and wondering what we have done, i am going to go outside and look at it. the back view *is* my dream home, no wonder we overextended to buy it.

Anyway, BB is a happy girl. she has been plying with those press and ghastly woofy tunes play type toys today. mesmerising! Also while in bath did first roll from tummy back to back – a surprise for her! She lies on my lap like a little cherub form rubenesque school! we would make a very rubenesque mother and child!

SB had her stagecoach show today. it was all very lowkey – as anticipated for a group of mostly 4 year olds. i though SB concentrated remarkably well, and her overacting building sandcastle and pretend cry as sea washed it away drew laughs. I was proud!! [also low key].

At home we played shops – gradually i am using money with real values as i think we use switch too often! We also made our own pompoms to turn into a chick. attention span didnt quite last, so i finished. A bit of piano playing and object hide and seek.

the day brightened though, so we went out intio the garden and dug up more potatoes and picked more beans – yummy. SB raced around the garden, and even rode bike without stabilisers [i think the like a bike a like was instrumental there]. We played tag, and i was hampered by BB in my arms, particularly when my trousers fell down – luckilly no cameras! SB also had great fun climbing and swinging on the tp frame.

the weather was so nice we ate our curry sitting on the lawn. BB had peas and swede instead, as dont fancy her having tummy ache!

OH, earlier in the day SB wrote my sisters birthday card. She is getting quite into writing so nearly did sonlight order for getty and dubay but couldn’t find cc. Also hadn’t clicked from mudpud. on that note, cant find my link to sarah’s science experiments in a box??

chris and i have come up with an order of housedisasters to be sorted – roof leak being at number one spot!!

edit – omg 2.30. how did it get to that time??

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Posted in Butterbean, DIY/ house renovation, gardening, General, music, numeracy, SB-PE, Stringbean's HE

sunny day

Posted on July 3, 2005 by | 3 comments

And so it needed to be, as first opportunity to play with SB for me since I left Kessie. only got home from work at half 10 and ravenous, but after that went for quality SB time, as get more interaction with BB in the evenings.

Started with playing all together, with me n SB stacking up cups for BB to knock down, and putting toys in them for her to find. BB is such a sweetheart, and her face is all aglow with excitement in these combined games with SB, who it is quite clear she hero worships. [what a long sentence]

BB carried on while SB and I started doing some hama aboriginal dreamtime style piccies. Actually SB not bad, though attention span compromised, so moved on to playing copy each others patterns and sorting out the colours. Particularly including counting, adding and spatial relationship skills. Kept us both happy!

we spent alot of the afternoon playing in the sandpit, burying our dinosaur fossil and then hiding it around the garden.
Sb also put on shows for us to watch. We then dug up potatoes and picked broad beans for tea, but actually had pasta – LOL. Oh well, there for tomorrow. Unfortunately the potato tops have blight, and the whole veg patch weed city. Not done a good job.

Actually whilst on house update, roof leaking, bath taps dodgy, showers not working, 100 year old grapevine dying etc etc. sigh massively!

After tea we read the 10p book from the hospital friends stall on rivers and water. very nice. It also had a picture off newt eggs on oxygenator plants. we of course know that now from last years experiment of what are these eggs, and what will they become [well 2 goldfish and 2 newts].

BB hasn’t been ignored, and has been doing lots of standing practice and manipulating objects. also some tummy shuffling. She is such a bundle of happiness. 3rd tooth nearly through.

little nanny walking with special zimmer, and the girls visited her for a long time yesterday – did nanny the power of good I think. the other ladies also cooed over my girls. SB took in the usbourne pocket science book of why we are ill for little nanny, so she would understand 0 bless. other ed moment sith chris [in case he doesn't blog] were stagecoach yesterday final rehearsal, and my fav, SB asking if the world slowed down spinning in summer so the days were longer. we need a globe I think!

I really would like to organise and arrange our home ed better again [still autonomous, but with the ideas etc ready] however, with the house in chaos and me always at work, I am worried that we are never going to do it as we would like. Early days yet I guess.

oh, and Chris P, 2 ways to my heart, food and calling my child gorgeous! Thankyou.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, DIY/ house renovation, gardening, General, music, numeracy, Out and About, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE