Category Archives: numeracy

i wish blog posts would write themselves

today just wasn’t what I wanted. it was rainy and def autumnal, and I am still hoping for a summer! Also meant that chris couldn’t make a start on the windows – which I am panicking about. And that the thought of walk to park or trip to the raptor centre didn’t seem a good idea either.

We did, however, have a v good home-ed day! We all woke in the same bed – not unheard of! so the girls and I had what seemed to be who could suffocat mummy the most successfully game! the girls went down for brekkie, and the plan was to look at a french vid at the same time, I think it was sort of done – but not really!!

SO, we rampaged through yesterday’s maths, and got the plus and minus right this time. then a romp through Getty and Dubay K. BB and I did some painting at this point.

SB and I then spent ages with her rainforest challenge book/game. this is truly excellent [linked before] and she has really loved it. we did the plantlife and the human culture sections this time – at least an hour if not more totally engrossed.

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BB during this was building with blocks and playing games with me – good at multitasking me!

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lunch was quickly flowed by craft, as SB did some paper weaving – to mimic the palm weaving done by the indigenous rainforest tribes. i discussed how the Iban live in Borneo, and we thought about all the things we eat or use that come from the rainforest – rather a lot!

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We were all needing a bit of light relief, so following the success of the magic school bus programmes at SOTP, we have also acquired some, and the girls happily watched one before returning to the playroom – SB to check out their website and then move onto webland, and BB to mostly play in a box, with a bit of being read to and poisson rouge.

While they did this, i made organisation of the book shelves, and brought down a bookcase from the bedroom [leaving chaos there]. so now we actually have some spare book space to fill. oh, and while BB and SB had a bit of a spat and wail session. to calm us all down, we listened to the pure voice of emma kirkby.
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Unfortunately my car went into the garage today and requires welding and all sorts. This has a multiple hundreds but as yet to be confirmed tag attached, so I am assuming that more books are unlikely. oh well. will hope that I can nab a bit of cosmic supply company energy here to make all work out.

SB labelled her weaving and was v proud of it, and then we all did some playing together before tidying up.
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we were going to do some violin, but the arrival of Merry’s girls so I could sign some photos got her out of this. Oh, we have also done some general chatting using french and english words – mainly around the please and i would like so encouraging this. Was contemplating rosetta stone french or german, prob the latter, but will defer this.

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girls came and all rampaged wildly around the house. it has to be said that BB was the wildest. aargh she is so willful and yet so gorgeous.

After they went, BB went to bed, and SB and I had a lovely peaceful hour together gently bonding over the sunflower mosaic we got from bead merrily. its lovely to do. not at all messy. we then read stories and went to bed.

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Merrily gossiping

because that is what i did today!!

We did a bit of stuff this morning . BB insisted on violin practice as soon as i got out of bed, and then on reading lots of books sitting on the loo [i have take a photo as it made me laugh so much – decent as she has a dress on! SHe is pretty reliably now potty trained, such that we are taking her out and about, even in the car without a nappy. Just one for the night. She particularly likes the red nose readers. Also she is singing merrily around the place, making up her own songs or singing snatches of others.

SB did some maths – singapore 2A. unfortunately she was so keen to finish that she didn’t look whether a + or – was in the sum, so did all addition and half wrong. ‘but mummy, would they be right if it was a +?’ She also keenly did some getty and dubay – J. She is keen to improve her writing, and happily does this at the moment. She wants to write nicely this year.

Both girls also had a bath before we headed off to Merry’s. I missed Merry’s last twitter, so we got there way too early, so SB did her violin practice while she waited. I had take both girls violins so they could play with Amelie if they wanted. They did – right at the end of the visit when Merry was frantically trying to get everything tidied up.

the girls all played – wildly and then more gently – mostly as doctors, nurses and patients. Fran was very keen to tell me how tiring it was to be a doctor – rofl. merry and I gossiped, and I raided her stock cupboard. This rather gorgeous window mosaic is even on special offer. I love the look of rather too many things at the moment! Also can’t wait for the play merrily site to go live

BB was fascinated by the geomags – as usual. i had a look at draw write now, but think too advanced for SB at the moment.

lovely day, thanks merry.

And finally

well, i did get to see some of the percy-whatsits last night. i hadn’t realised they could be so fast! the clouds lifted enough at about 2am – oops.

today, girls watched more bonjour les amis as they like moustache, SB did some maths and there was some tidying and reading. When I came home, she read me some more of a rainforest book and at bedtime another chapter of the magic tree house rainforest book. The has been doing a lot of jump ahead on ‘puter. i read to BB, and a doze as still migrainous – not quite so bad now, but shattered at lack of decent sleep and rest too. BB and I did a pairs game with animals. some have names [actually most do] but some are just ‘nother mamimal’ She particularly likes lions.

tea was chips, in the hopes that the real kick of carbs might lift blasted migraine! SB and I played battleships and connect 4 and BB went to bed. A good bedtime read with SB, and there you have it.

Hip hop to the candyman

What have we done today? ermmm. I did get up late. I am just sooo tired at the moment.

Anyway, BB and I read books and did jigsaws – she is quite happy to do a 12 piece jigsaw, but likes me to give help if bigger. she has a cute celebration dance when they are finished! Through the post I got a rainforest challenge game for SB [rather excellently for 1.50 from ebay!] And we did the first section on animals. She has quite enjoyed tying in with the magic tree house book – she reads a chapter alternate days.

our rainforest challenge book/game

chris’s parents also popped round as they are about to go on hols to greenland and iceland. Needed some help with the automatic fish feedr

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it was then time to go to SB’s hip hop dancing at the liesure centre – third and final one. SHe has really enjoyed this. they have done routines made up by the isntructure, and routines made up by themselves in small groups – not as complicated as sparkies! We went to the supermarket with BB to top up on suncream, buy her a treat, and generally use up time before the ‘show’. SB very proud all her family there, and really enjoyed doing it. In fact all the children looked like they had had a fab time. of different ages, and had differnt bits to showcase the different ability levels as well – what a good instrcutor with plenty of enthusiasm.

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When we returned, BB played with beetles, SB did some more of her rainforest book. SHe then did some getty and dubay writing practice.

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I then read loads of library books to BB, and SB read loads of library books herself. SB and BB also had a spell of cutting things out of newspapers, and helping Chris fix the lights on my car – rofl. SB then made sandwiches for a picnic outside – PB and jam! So playing outside, and I picked yet more beans from the garden and some toms.

BB is in a lovely phase of making up songs all the time – often describing bodily functions, but not necessarily! But a particularly nice song was the i love mummy and daddy song in the car today.
Had tea and BB now in bed, and SB doing zoombinis. She has done the practice ones a lot, so is now doing adventures – on the easiest setting. My migraine has finally settled with huge wallops of tablets!

Quick blog

as I’m doing something else!! [writing talk]

SB did maths, BB did happy maize [no longer supplied by bead merrily!] then SB wailed as we hadn’t signed her up for any of the clubs at the sports centre – because she said she wanted to make her own mind up and hadn’t! she decided that after all she wanted to go to the one I had suggested – hip hop and street dance [i was guessing sparky party dances!] . it started today. luckilly there was spaces, so a quick drive out. SB has really enjoyed it. 2 hours x 3 days. maybe she’ll also do the cheerleading one in a couple of weeks time?

When she got back and I got back from work i had a short demo, we did jigsaws, SB had a complex game with her paper dolls [another benefit of the start of room of doom 2] and BB was keen on the ABC book and cards, and the ABC animal puppets. she is desperate to read.

We made heaps more mess with trying to sort out the books though – oops. DId read some more rainforest stuff, and played a rainforest addition game with SB.

BB did some poisson rouge and starfall. she knows how to start up the computer, wiat until the personal setting screen comes up, ‘press snowflake’ and then the ‘firefox’ – rofl at a 2 year old knowing the browser we use. SB? expanded – its the mosaic firefox [close!!]

Both had a short violin lesson. SB picking up london’s burning. Happy to have had a break after stress of thinking she was going to play at kessie. SB then wrote me a letter on the etchasketch about how? ‘ I lic plaing with you mummy. love from elinor ++++++++’
BB fell asleep at the dinner table – bless, and we had such a nice snuggle then on the sofa that I fell asleep too – oops. woke up to find SB happily playing with zoombinis.

both girls filling me with lots of rewards and blessings as they are so loving and affectionate – well, when BB isn’t being awful to SB, and SB isn’t wailing in repsonse, or winding BB up!!

Mmm I like summer

Girls woke up way to early and bounced and screeched round our bed for a bit, eventually chris got up and I had a lie in.

our room of doom tidy has already paid dividends, as when SB went downstairs, she easily found the bead/bracelet kits that she now remembered we had. SHe and BB spent a while making bracelets that they wore for the early part of the day, and are now deposited in various corners of house and garden. ritual offerings again. future archaeologists are going to be stunned by the wealth of tat they find in our garden – hama beads, fake jewels and now bracelets. posibly bits of plastic food too – almost certainly ritual offerings for the afterlife!

oh, and once they had done that, more autonomous entering the room of doom to the science shelf to get out all the magnets, and play with iron filings and what might be magnetic. Hooray!

when i got up, this spontaneous learning activity was over, SB was playing a diego game on nic junior and BB prob poisson rouge! i read some books to bB, SB took ages to get dressed, and decided she wanted to do more science, so found a science chemistry experiment kit, and we went outside to do that. BB helping. we mixed up sand and iron filings in water, and the worked out how to separate them out [second part best done after sand an iron dried out]. We also proved that the bubbles in fizzy drinks were gas, and we could separate them out too. We nearly but not quite made sticky ice, and discussed melting points.

This took up quite a bit of time, so BB also did jigsaws on the side, and Chris realised our freecycle pool has 2 holes – now repaired, so we couldn’t put it up till tomorrow – cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from children! I trimmed SB’s hair – looks much better, about 3 inches shorter. ANd then we had lunch.

After lunch, SB played a lot with the castle, and BB and I read and did jigsaws until SB fancied painting. She sorted BB out with magic painting, and did some herself too. fantastic this new organised room of doom!! I flickred. Chris abused the washing machine some more. SOme more maths went on, and a map of the world jigsaw.
Erm, mind hits a blank? I think we played a game outside, and the girls ‘putered a bit, then bath early as BB looking sleepy. After bath, BB flung herself off the top bunk slightly wrong, so fell onto the floor rather than gracefully landing. SO we watched tell, she chose bonjour mes amis, and then wanted ‘the one with the bottom’ [sigh] ie first fun with french.

We had dinner – rather yummy frittata. just needed chickens to supply own eggs. BB went to bed, abd and I played games and the she went out for a last swing and tapeze as cooler.

Another lovely day! last prison break tonight

thank bosch its friday!

great excitement as chris took delivery of our new washing machine. a bad month to need to buy one, but the last one we bought v cheaply 12 years ago thinking it wouldn’t last long. anyway, chris did a fair bit of work tidying the room of doom.

when i came home from work [early] chris’s parents wre there having come to take abot 20 fish out of the 30 chris picked up last night for their pond. SB had done some more maths and was doing loads of cbeebies. BB was poisson rouging and starfalling. We chatted, I read lots of books, SB did some handwriting practice. watched some kleine hippo.
went into the garden to pick veg for tea. lots of french and runner beans, a carrot!! [first of season] and some onions. the sweetcorn seem to be coming back to life – good-oh.

bB helped me cook tea, and then both played various games – next to each other but not together. rather cutely BB will often refrain what SB has said – she so adores her sister. then mayhem outsider.

BB fell asleep over tea, and SB and i? sorted out the crafts cupboard and science shelf – meant she found my hidden fimo stash!! but all much better organised, even if some of it unusual, as SB was quite clear where she wanted things.

OK, so this is a boring blog post, but actually i had a very nice normal kinda day, a bit of work and more home. i need more normal days!

transistors and fimo

woke up with my brain obviously 2 sizes to big for skull, from the amount of pounding to escape that was going on. so decided that really only option was to swig pills and collapse in bed, which I did. A rather bad day to be off sick really but can’t be helped. i eventually surfaced at 2-ish, not feeling brill, but BB very insistent.

So read books, SB and BB did lots on the ‘puter. SB had done some maths earlier. SB and BB going through an awkward phase of shrieking, screaming and wailing at each other. not good for mummy’s with migraines.

got them set up with painting, and then went for some more quiet option. Then to GP’s for hosp referral. When I returned, to bring tranquility, I thought we could do the brainbox electronic kit. not quite so tranquil as SB chose to make the transistor radio, and there was a fair bit of shrieking argument over who was going to build each bit. But they did mostly do it cooperatively, and it worked. we then turned it into what SB called ‘half a telephone’ and took turns being the shouter or listener. rather cool kit.

BB seems to have a particular fascination with making things work and joining them together. I guess that we didn’t have the same toy around for SB at her age, and she had lots of fun with happy street, train tracks etc so i can’t compare. But she does seem to have? joy in making things work.

a quick tidy up and dinner, then when BB collapsed asleep, SB and i did fimo.? together. she wanted to make things to sell, and has done lots of twiddle things. so this time we made coasters and decorated a jar. Bedtime, reading and now prison break.

oh, and Chris has brought back some fish for our pond

white teeth and baking

the girls came back with chris’s parents this morning, they were really excited about what a lovely time they had had. they’d gone to a butterfly and animal place, and ran about lots. grandparents exhausted! at least the girls slept well for them.

After some general nattering, i went off to dentist. A filling i had as a teen was cracked, and needed replacing. the place was heaving – should have thought of school hols, as loads of families crammed in, and standing room only. There were 2 families, with? a fair number of kids, and the mums nattering. they decided they needed a cigarette and left the 5 kids alone in the waiting room – mostly under SB’s age, and one 8 year old. was impressed how well behaved the kids were when parents disappeared. finally after waiting neaarly the magic hour I went in. got a rather good injection, as within secnd half my face disappeared, including half my tongue! and was sent out for it to work [already is!] and 3 more people seen before i went in. SO after 2 hours and 85 lighter, I have a white filling instead of amalgam on one of my molars. When the injection wore off some 2 hours later it hurt like hell, and I wondered whether I should have been gritting my teeth so hard whilst interacting with the girls!! Seems to be settling down now though.

So why was i gritting teeth? well, we were baking, and both girls are being tetchy with each other, I was in pain, and they are tired – not a brill combo. But determined not to sound tetchy, and I only reduced SB to floods of tears once, when I suggested [through said gritted teeth] that shouting she was thirsty when I was covered in cake goo liberally applied by BB, and am trying to capture some of the remaining to actually bake in the tin was less than helpful, as she knew where tap and milk and cups were. We recovered as she almost single handedly made the brownies – lets see what they taste like! So for castle day, we have chocolate banana loaf and choc and raisin brownies – dairy free but contain eggs.

We have perhaps 30 children and 25 adults coming if all come, so doubt my baking will feed all anyway! But its a pot lunch affair, so I’m sure with a fair wind everyone will be filled with something!! will do a bit more baking anyway between now and then.

panicking a bit about this crafts bit too, and people seeing the house in its usual state of doom, and the weedy garden. But I think many people have caught it like this before!!

We had a major book reading session, both girls have now read, or i have read to BB, all their library books. SB has been reading the usborne children’s encyclopaedia alot. well, I read some to here whilst BB slept on my lap, and she then carried on when BB woke up and made a fuss!! Also lots of game playing. SB had a convoluted solitaire version of walk the plank going on at some point. Also a bit of singapore maths so that we didn’t appear autonomous!!

ABout to play games with girls who are down from bath. At present they are arguing about who can choose the game [its going to be SB's turn to have parental support]

i don’t like password protected on the top.

so I’ll blog. today stressful at work, somewhere where not usually stressful. hmm.

anyway, while I was at work, BB did some painting, SB did some maths – subtraction her favourite! Also some handwriting practice. Chris has been reading her chapters of the maharbharata – what a complicated story that is, i an remember watching it in student days when on late at night.

when i got home the girls where ecstatic to see me – always good for ailing morale. we played in the water outside, brought in the washing. SB did some first language lessons – looking for nouns, read some bird things to me and loads of education city – first time for ages. BB did lots of poisson rouge, played with the ideal blocks making shapes and we all played tummy ache. spoke a bit of french
yummy dinner from chris. thinking now and watching prison break