Category Archives: Stringbean’s HE

quick post

Posted on January 26, 2007 by | Leave a comment

chris has gone to bed very early the last 2 nights as he has a cough and not feeling brill. This means that on Thurs, very little happened while I was a t work. BB went to gym, and SB said hello to all the girls as they passed her, and did a bit of colouring, rather than anything else. I don’t think they did anything when they got home – she has played on the poisson rouge site alot. Then she had ballet. SB wants to restart gym classes.
SO today, before I went to work, I put some singapore maths on the table and getty and dubay and explode the code. SHe did do some maths, looked at a free horrible science cd rom with chris and she and BB did some glass bottle[ok plastic] painting from a kit, which they both enjoyed, and since there are a few of them, those with imminent birthdays may be blessed by a hand decorated gift! They did do something else, I am sure?

OUr singapore 2 books arrived from half moon – hooray, and excellent service. Also arrived was a cheap farm through time from ebay, so we looked at half of that when I got home. Sb also read to me another ORT book – she really is getting far more fluent, and sounding out far less words. she even made a creditable stab at ‘sympathetically’.

She also did a bit of the science leappad on how the body works, or where food goes or something! Then BB got a bit territorial, so they switched to mother goose. BB has lost the only book for her little leappad, so disaster! ‘it is actually mine’ all over the place. [i have a little sister, she is small and funny]
SB’s gone to bed listening to horrible romans – which she can pretty much quote. I have been busy on call, and may get another call shortly, so can’t bake cake, and put off doing anyhting sensible. T-bird may be ready for Melrose, but with Chris under the weather, we haven’t even started. Oh, and the new top i bought from ebay and got sent to Jax is going to be too small! [aargh]

Anyway, tomorrow SB has to make 2 birthday cards, we have to shop for monday food, pack and well maybe tidy a bit?

Edit by Chris:

It’s not so much the cough, that’s been hanging around for a few weeks now, and is probably gradually wearing off. mostly it is just annoying, esp. when I want to get to sleep. On Thursday, some other lurgy came along as I felt pretty dreadful no energy and awful back and muscle aches While I was at toddler gym thing,? i had to sit down on the mats becuase of my back – but then I felt just like lying down on the mats and going back to sleep 8-).

?

We managed to do? Tesco visit, via Tesco’s cafe for a top up breakfast for the girls. But i had to abandon it partway through, as i felt so bad, once we got home BB was asleep, so I collapsed on the sofa with BB, whilst SB amused herself – playing,? ‘putering, looking at a couple of books, not sure exactly.


They insisted that i give them lunch by about 3 ;-) – not really sure what else happened until ballet lesson, which I would probably have given up on but she missed last weeks due to the power cut, and will miss next weeks due to our Melrose camp.

Fed them (and us)? pretty dreadful looking dinner of pizza from the shop and baked pots. It was quite a relief to get BB into bed, as then I could just lie down and go to sleep – bliss – I was out by 9? pm

Friday was better, except I still had dreadful backache,and needed to endlessly rest it, and had to avoid picking up BB if i could.

Helen’s pretty much covered it i think – no i don’t think we did anything much else Helen, though there was fair bit of playing in between, and we did managed to clear the pre-Melrose washing backlog But her maths session did start at about 12.20. encompass lunch, and BB’s entire nap until 3 :roll: She just seems to get endlessly distracted :-)The CD ROM was one of the Free Kellogg’s ones, not bad, but it doesn’t have any sort of narration of the text, so SB needed my assistance to read and navigate it. I did have to chase them out of the kitchen after they managed to un-zero my scales twice helping measuring out for the flapjacks.

Again it was just bliss to collapse into bed with BB :-)

today, not so bad, backache still there but reducing, not feeling as washed out as I did yesterday?

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, history, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, science

snow!

Posted on January 24, 2007 by | 2 comments

not enough to cover a hobbit’s toes though.

bad nights sleep. BB woke early. must get this sleeping lark sorted.

today we did do HE – some singapore maths, addition and subtraction across the 10 in tens and units. SOme getty and dubay – trying to adjust SB’s pen position so it is more comfortable, and getting her to start at top not bottom of letter. Some education city.

We also baked some brownies – ostensibly for melrose, but the top fell off as we got out of tray, so not sure re burnt offerings? The jelly didn’t set either btw.

We went outside and measured up the place for the playhouse. we are getting one of these in the blue and white with heart design shutters mode. Sb played with the snow until her fingers froze.

We did a bit of looking at lions, read our various books, looked at their habitat etc, and downloaded some stuff from enchanted learning. well, the enchanted learning was a pain, cos we haven’t used it for ages, could remember our login details, or email address used – so much palavering. Did it in the end. SB did a bit of reading to me. She did some fiddling about on nick jr and playing
BB and i played marble runs, education city and kneebouncers website. also had some animals pairs cards, so spotted the animals and made them families. SB joined in too.

Anyway, BB has been a pain this eve at sleeping, Chris just taken her up to try again. I haven’t been able to sew as fingers still numb and tingley [not too bad now though] and SB wants a bunny tail on the fantastic fleecy sleepsuit that Katy made.

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Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, literacy, numeracy, online resources, writing

Enormous

Posted on January 23, 2007 by | 2 comments

Enomous was Butterbean word of the day. We had an ‘enormous poopy’ when I changed her nappy :roll: , and we had an ‘Enormous Orange’ at lunch time, and a couple of othe ‘enormous-es’, which i’ve forgotten exactly what they were. Quite amusing listening to her say it really.

Other than that, I seem to fell a lot at the moment that time slips through my fingers, without almost noticing, January seems to be rapisly approaching the end already, and the middle of the afternoon seems to appear where I imagine lunchtime at the very most should be resting comfortably.

So, today, me and BB were up first thing, but I let SB sleep in a bit as she had a busy weekend. But me and BB went and woke her up at someshere between 9 and 9.30 am.

Sleeping in itself doesn’t bother me exactly, but I think it’s probably one of the reasons she can’t always get to sleep (left to our own devices, both me and Helen are got to bed at 2 am,get up after 10 am sort of people anyway). also it tends to mean that the morning can be well on it’s way by the time she has faffed-breakfasted-faffed-dressed-brushed-faffed etc. We just seem to be missing out on a useful amount of time becuase of this. so there is plan to wake her up if she doesn’t get up anyway somewhere 8 – 8.30, with the aim to be ready for action an hour later.

So somehow the morning then evaporated, a bit of reading with SB, breakfast, a bit of magic painting for both of them, then getting dressed etc. – interspered with the normal domestic tasks, of washing up, sorting washing, a bit of tidying etc., before you new it it was getting near 12 and time to take BB to the docs. Of course docs appointment > chemist > home (probably a 5 minute walk at the most to do the circuit) at BB speed took a good 1/2 hour or more probably.

Lunch of left over soup, 1/2 hour of the little toe show and then settled SB down with a bit of maths (an exercise from a singapore Maths revision book) which moslty managed with no problem – though struggled with a subtracting 4 sequence in the 70-80′s range for some odd reason. But she spent probably getting on 1 1/2 – 2 hours doing it ! – Helen came back just as she was finishing it.

I took Bb back to docs for a jab, SB helped Helen finish of the Grape jelly she started at the weekend – with a bit of added redcurrant it has a lovley colour, and quick finger-dip tasted good. She also did some bits out of the SOTW activity book re the Romans, and Hannibal I think. Whilst tea was cooking, SB was sent off to tidy the playroom, she was somewhat hampered though, because BB was in their and kept demanding that SB do ‘Education city’ and ‘lola’ (cbeebies site) with her :-)
We talked with SB about the idea of doing projects and would she like to do one. Not sure she really understands what a project might actually be though. anyway she said, animals, which we then narrowed down to Lions, so they piled up a few books with potential stuff about Lions in. Try to have a start on that tomorrow, see how it goes.

While I put BB to bed, Helen and SB did a bit more ello, as demonstrated here :-) :

[vimeo]131609[/vimeo]

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Posted in Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Stringbean's HE, video

grr to blog titles

Posted on January 22, 2007 by | 2 comments

got home from work to find SB and Chris engaged in the longest ever maths sum [46-18 I think!!]. I don’t think they had spent all 90 minutes on that one sum though! There had been a bit of a lie in and some painting and some tidying I believe, the a romp to the doctors about BB’s eczema-ish dribble chin, for which we have a steroid and antifungal cream. She’s had it on and off for a while, but just looking work at the moment.

Oh, and BB – what on earth are we going to do at Melrose about her potty training – it is going to be a nightmare unless we persuade her to use nappies, and that seems very retrograde. Though today has not been a good day!

Actually, for SB I think we need to work on number bonds again for a bit, as its 6-4 of it that often gets her.

Anyway, BB then went for her pneumovacc and SB and I finished the grape and spare redcurrent jelly. She then did lots of colouring in of her roman SOTW sheets. including a map of roman control at julius caesar. i remembered about our roman emperor book, and read from that about julius[we had already done the sotw chapter] she – thank goodness – could tell me rome fought cathage – wayhay – as she did the hannibal maze!

She wants to learn about lions this week – so rootled through the shelves to find likely lion books. I was wondering whether we could have a proto try at a baby lapbook??? [a real home-edder!!!!] partly cos I was so impressed at Kath and M’s. I am going to try and sort the desk for her tomorrow.
She has done some listening to little toe, and showing BB various websites. BB has been gorgeous, mostly running about, dancing [weeing] and had an early restorative bath to get her to bedtime! She really is adorable, even when she wee’s on you! [oopsie]
SB had a slightly later bedtime, as we did more of that jungala ello, which we are both finding fun. [design and technology!]

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, numeracy

hoping friends stay on the path

Posted on January 19, 2007 by | 4 comments

As they are arriving late, and it gets dark round here – mind you, they are used to rural!

I’m beginning to feel a bit better in the hand/wrist dept – not so swollen. got fed up with sausages for fingers. Saw the rheumatologist, who suggested an up and down thing for 2-3 weeks, but should just go. good oh!

Whilst I was at work, the beans went to PBEO and learnt about birds. BB has been going on about birds intermittently ever since. Difficult to settle when they got back [mid aft], so they argued over every toy [and they had picked up a few in the morning to argue over] and swapped them every 5 seconds. SB couldn’t settle to anything either. Finally she did some nick jr and moved onto education city. Apparently spanish will be available in a months time! BB desperately jealous of edu city – and although found a number of nice sites – and tried the poisson rouge recommendation from Katy – they just distracted SB, whilst BB was mad keen to do education city too. SO have another trial version now running with BB nursery. I am not paying for the nursery just so she doesn’t shriek! I will put a BB list though in the sidebar. SB is excited that on monday her selection for education city will change – she is such a daft but gorgeous girl to be excited by it!
A colleague from work came round – bringing choccies to make me feel better. SB and BB coloured for him and generally shew off. I must integrate more with work, so that it seems a better deal. He is one of my favourite colleagues though, and always makes me smile.
Oh, the other thing I have done is started some grape and redcurrant jelly, but lost the jelly bag, so rigged up some not-quite-good-enough-for-the job alternative. Oh well, it will just be cloudy. Home grown grapes though! [and redcurrants that have been sitting in the freezer for yonks]

Bath time now, and girls have been fed. I will make us an aubergine, mushroom and paneer curry [yum] for our tea. the ‘off the pathers’ are eating on the way down, so we will eat while SB is staying up [watching attenborough natural science progs and little house probably]

I have got guests coming excitement, so no good for settling down either – do you think we should make a bit of room for them in this bombsite??

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, online resources, science

big house in the dark village

Posted on January 18, 2007 by | 4 comments

well, we’ll get on to that i guess!

i couldn’t move knees and below or elbows and below when i didn’t get up this morning. so name as mud at work, as we aren’t ever supposed to be sick, and i was interviewing – so someone else had to do it without prep [though my notes and questions available]

anyway, that meant SB stayed at home while i was in bed, and Chris took BB to her first gym class. by all accounts she loved it ‘i climbed ladder, i diiiid’ ‘i did do ladder’ etc – obviously the key bit as far as she was concerned! it was a little circuit – sounds very like where i used to take SB at that age.

SB was happily doing education city. she did tell the postman she didn’t have a key and mummy was in bed [blush!] when he came to deliver a parcel – now languishing in the post office. However, when whiskey brought a bird in that escaped and flew all over the room, she came up. we decided to leave bird for chris, and got her current ORT book [flying carpet] and read another 10 pages.

We staggered downstairs, and SB had second breakfast and did some more of the painted garden kit that Big bought her for xmas. I was looking at the internet, but the wind has been blowing hard, and the ‘leccy was an early casualty. Severe weather indeed. So i found bird instead and released it outside – to whiskey’s total disgust. We read some DK history, the really interesting bits [pharoahs - where she recited what she knew from the terry deary cd - alot in fact, and the crusades]. I rang and apologised to my sister for grumpiness, so felt better.
Chris came home with a sleepy BB, who napped [they had been shopping] apparently a bus had got blown off the road . He pronounced the ‘leccy global to the village, so we rousted out various camping supplies and candles, so that when night fell we would be all set if normal service not restored. Good thing, as no ‘leccy till past 7 as it happened. SB did some MPH singapore maths 1B and we then played ‘who is it’ – or whatever that guessing game is with picture cards.

more playing, and then tidying so we were all ready for the dark. the fire was lit, sauce for the pasta cooked, candles and torches and gas lamps placed in useful places.

IMG_1967_edited-1

We retired to the fire room – all nice and snuggly warm – as the dark fell. the girls loved it. BB thought it weird the lights and tv didn’t work.

IMG_1975

So we played little house on the prairie, the various games we had – buckaroo, dancemat, animals. but in honest, the singsong was the favourite thing! so we had picnic tea and then cakes. the lights came on the street just at bedtime. SB wanted to finish the day in old style, so we took the candles up to bed, told stories by candlelight and discussed how few books laura had – family bible and shared schoolbook that had been her mothers and a lot of other things about the early settlers.

IMG_1982

the village looked very different without light. you forget the effect of streetlamps and window lights on a place. I haven’t done a roof tile count yyet though

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

crosspatch

Posted on January 17, 2007 by | 7 comments

i knew i was being one all day, and though very contrite, had the tolerance level of kamikaze on acid. Mainly I think with worry that this is not going to be a weird one of joint thing, but…

Anyway, SB did lots more education city – she does really enjoy it, and getting there to the french without so much help [i nearly bought rosetta stone though Deb!]. She has also done some singapore maths MPH 1B – and as we are 2/3 through, have bought 2 series from half moon books – well, nearly, I have sent them an email! – so they are across in resources bit. I had bought the original 2a and b textbooks half price from sonlight when they went to the us ed, so though i had better have matching workbooks – so we will be doing a not MPH year – shouldn’t matter!

My mum and dad popped in on the way back from Little Nanny’s, and were a bit shocked at my cronkiness. Anyway, they played with the girls a bit and had a bite to eat before carrying on.

BB had a look at toddler cd – though prefers still just to irritate SB! we read some apple tree farm, she played ‘yego’, and had great fun with a magnetic break apart ball that SB also loved at that age from ikea. we all stopped for a ‘yup-a-tea’

SB and I finished the marco polo jigsaw in our explorers book and discussed that a little bit, before moving on to story of the world, where we got a bit stuck with the punic wars – cos unlike my usual ask very little questions, and minimal narration back, i got fixated on her remembering carthage! [why i don't know, as i hardly expect that telling her today will give her instant recall in 30 years time!!]. however, we made up over the Hannibal and the elephants story. She read me 1/3 of a level 8 ORT book – the magic carpet – and she is def getting more fluid. Apparently, whilst at Jax’s, she had a go at one of Big’s fairy books, but they are too difficult.

I got grumpy so left her and BB to play, and looked at sonlight core 1, rosetta stone and worried that we dip around a lot and aren’t organised, and maybe should be sonlighters etc etc [usual panic there]

BB wanted to play a game, so we got out the marble run, and SB made her runs and it all went predictably pear shaped, but they kept trying. eventually giving up to play bouncy ball games.

My sister rang to commiserate – well I think that was what for, but in a jovial way she said i have got it too, and it is worse than yours and yours will get far worse, so I pretty near hung up. tea really was ready, but I was rude, and feel bad as I just took it the wrong way rather than her meaning to make me even more grumpy. [she is a much lovelier person all round than me] I will ring tomorrow if I am less grumpy.

Ah well. the girls had a bath whilst I grumped. SB came down and saw big’s castle. she def wants a castle for her birthday, but no longer tower of doom, but perhaps the pintoys mediaeval one – which I also like. SO I guess that is on. She then got stuff ready for tomorrow, as BB goes to a toddler gym session first one, and SB will have to sit at edge as quiet as a mouse – fingers crossed for chris there, as it will be difficult for SB who will be desperate to join in.
I have now eaten loads of chocolate – which I had banned from my diet – sigh.

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, General, geography, history, language, literacy, numeracy, online resources, science

monday

Posted on January 15, 2007 by | 2 comments

The beans went to local group this morning all about favourite things. SB took heaps of jacket potatoes – and we had some of them for tea!
in the afternoon, when we had all got home, she did some education city – enjoying it, and I have stared with the easiest bits doing a my city. She wanted to do the spanish, but that doesn’t seem an option at her level. i might email and ask if we can have access to it. she did like the french though. i helped identify the sounds the first time and thenn left her to carry on so I could read apple tree farm to BB.
BB did some oogly googly gears and playdoughing, and SB looked at a DK history book with me – rather lovely – and we did early people in it, picking up the theme at bedtime by reading about otzi the ice mummy. She also did some letter formation with getty and dubay – they’re big letters, but I guess she needs to start in the right place, as she otherwise chooses bottom up. we all playdoughed for a bit.
tea of jacket pots, and then watched some more trials of life before bed.

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Posted in Books, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, language, literacy, numeracy

The value of money

Posted on January 15, 2007 by | 2 comments

This was from last week – Thursday I think, somehow it got left as a draft and dnot posted, so here it is.

Yesterday SB emptied out her purse and counted up all the money. She did very well, did it pretty much all herself. Got bit lost with lots of 2p’s, until I showed her how to sort out the money into piles of 10p each and then count them all up. She had the grand total of ?19.01 (there was ?10 of xmas money in there). WSo she was quite excited by that :-)

She has just sat down with a Vertbaudet catalogue looking at all the kiddy furniture, bedding and stuff, deciding what is too much, what she can afford, and whether or not it would be really owrth it spending all her money on it. :-)

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Posted in Daft Stuff, numeracy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE

Party time.

Posted on January 12, 2007 by | 2 comments

IMG_1747_edited-1 IMG_1748

Stringbean has had this Jump Ahead Starting Maths CD-ROM for ages – 3 years? dunno, but she was doing it in our old house anyway. She’s done it on and off in spurts, probably redone it at least a couple of times, so? a little bit of a fan fare when she finally completed the last bit tonight tonight, had got the 100 candles and had the party :-)

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Posted in IT, numeracy, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE