Category Archives: Stringbean’s HE

Back to normal?

Posted on December 29, 2005 by | 7 comments

well, sort of. We have ar least done some obvious home ed!

SB thrashed Chris in a game of tubes that have to build across the board [logic and creative thinking!] – twice. They went to chemists for assorted hair bobbles and slides. I got to play hairdresser [which I love] as SB wanted them all in – yep, will flikr!] We did some colouring of pictures and then some hama beading. While SB doing that, I went and found the magnets, so she shew me how to make iron filings faces, and I shew her how to make a compass. so discussions on earths magnetism, magnetic fields, north and south etc.

We did a bit more story of the world [ we have left it awhile, so only on to theIndia bit, but she likes that - looked for india on globe and chatted about climate etc.] Some more fun as I got to paint her face – she wanted it to be a ballerina flower fairy. I had to paint it as a dolphin yesterday [and she painted mine as a lion - rofl!]

We have done more work on tens and units, using jojo in numberland, and just measuring things around the house with the tape measure. Also looked at webland chocolate and played some of their gamesShe has gone around all week sounding out words as well.

What else? eaten lots of chocolate, watched Stuart Little. played with BB – stacking things
, hoops on the pole, feeding mummy game, her click clack caterpillar, and draw on mummy. She slept better last night too, which was fantastic.]

SO a lovely day playing with the girls. Arm still very painfuil, so a bit worried, as I really need to get better soon. Work is keen for me to return, and as I don’t actually feel sick, I feel guilty. However can’t drive, can’t lift things with left hand, and can’t rest on it so not actually able to do much. sigh.

Shopping for a new carseat tomorrow. fun!!

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and for yesterday

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, photos, science

Catching up

Posted on December 21, 2005 by | 5 comments

SB off with grandparents. Chris rang them up to arrive at lunch, so a good compromise and all happy.
SO we made muffins, and looked to see if any toys of hers to put away for BB [no!]. played with paper dress up dollies, and did drawing.

Chris did lots and lots of tidying!

Since SB left for playing wioth chris’s parents and their christingle service, I have made the minceppie muffins – they are fab heather, and easily converted to vegan. the last of the curries, and some wrapping, bought 2 goats as final Xmas pressies.

BB now awake – so doing a 1 to 1 play session now!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, writing

A game of 2 halves

Posted on December 20, 2005 by | 1 comment

well we:
finished the cards
finished wrapping the pressies from SB
made the aubergine, mushroom and paneer curry
made brandy butter
did jump ahead year 1 placement test thingy – SB very impressed to have a certificate! She found it offputting when I said she could guess if she didn’t know, as normally I scaffold answers till we get there.
did some drawing and colouring – she spent absolutely ages doing a really beautiful card for her cousin M. His family on the front, our family in the middle and the writing.
We messed about counting in German and some basic phrases.
I read loads of books to her. the insited she read 2 to me – she did really well with an early ladybird phonics book and a library book happy dog sad dog.

BB slept loads to make up for dreadful night. She also did some drawing when she woke up, and generally chortled.

So are we the perfect stepford family?? Well, not really. BB getting to have a dreadful temper-in the making. She shrieks and screams for her own way. Doesn’t like me to share cuddles with SB. Is absolutely vicious in her quest for milk, and now throws herself on the floor and drums heels – hmm. luckilly not that often! And SB, well she still is her cry at any negligible provocation phase, which I don’t as a rule blog, because the majority of the day is great, and although has short term driving me up the wall capabilities, isn’t a major focus of the day thing. Mind you todays kerfuffle over the minimal tidyng i asked her to do did lead her to be sent upstairs. She then waisled as she was tidying, only i hadn’t noticed – obviously at the same speed tectonic plates move then. I am not an immensley patient woman, and Chris getting rattier – due to sleep deprivation all round I suspect. SO not Stepfordd, but normal.

Summary was though of a busy and fun day.

RANT ALERT: hadn’t realised that Chris parents who I finally did agree could take SB to a carol service in the evening are actually coming to take her away in the morning – why?? I def didn’t want that. SO grumpy. Luckilly I had vetoed the stopover in advance. i just don’t want SB to be taken away from me when I am at home, as I feel my home time is precious. Thursday is nursery party day, and friday I am at work, so losing her for 2 days already. I had thought I had made myself clear on this.

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Posted in art and crafts, General, language, numeracy, writing

fingers crossed

Posted on December 20, 2005 by | 6 comments

an electric cooker on freecycle…..

Oh, and I have done bugger all today – well, apart from spoend the morning in the hospital, 3 very long phonecalls in afternoon and evening- 2 with work colleagues about appraisal. You know, I am about to have my first on friday, and i am the expert – rofl!

SB crafted, drawn, dot the dotted, played chase with BB and another over 1 hour on the maths game my dad bought. Also wrapped up 3 of her old toys for BB – bless. Autonomous ed rules!

All ebay items bar one safely in.
Must be at least a bit productive tomorrow – are you visiting Merry, or blocking my emails and texts, and ignoring the comments ?- sigh! anyone would think she had been posting 699 parcels [rofl]

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Posted in art and crafts, General, numeracy, writing

Another busy day

Posted on December 18, 2005 by | 2 comments

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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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, music, photos, writing

You can put it on the blog

Posted on December 18, 2005 by | 4 comments

Stringbean is getting the hang of this. Twice in the last few days she has got me to take photos, and told me that I can ‘put them on the blog so that everyone can see it’ :roll: :-)

Firstly on Friday when she did this at the Puddlers group:

IMG 1331

Never knowingly under pom-pom-ed our girl…..

Then today, after she had been clearing out the melted chocolate bowl:

Chocolate chops

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Posted in art and crafts, photos, Stringbean

Aaarrgh

Posted on December 17, 2005 by | 1 comment

why does beautiful list not translate into all items ticked??

Also, why can’t I take beautiful tree pictures – have put my meagre offerings on flickr, but just can’t get the focus right- so you’ll just have to see the tree after you have drunk about 2l of mulled wine! Gives an impression anyway – sulk sulk. If any do come out good in the next week, at least I can substitute!

Anyway, mince pie muffins not done yet Heather, but in the lakeland muffin book – and easily vegan too!

Have done – sausage rolls, peppermint creams and dahl, and sokaing the fruit for dundee cake. Chris didn’t do the shopping today, but having a delivery ? I think he organised it anyway? on Monday.

Good news, that SB finally back into her bedroom – woohoo – with new early Xmas pressie of fabulous bunk a la Portico! And speaking of the Portico, BB wearing a rather snazzy Portico dress – so today obviously a homage day [rofl!]. Oh, did being a contact mean that the list could be viewed in big?? Anyway, room in pink and lilac- surprise! However, bit of a shock in that she wanted a yellow stripe, so there it is. Will flickr at some point.

The spare bathroom now has a single bed all made up in it ready for Little Nanny and the spare room already sorted for my parents. I obviosuly haven’t done any of the furniture removals or lifting due to massively annoying and still v painful broken arm! Chris’s parents came round after he rang them [whilst I was asleep]

SB painted some glass baubles today and put the on the tree, and did 2 more vases we found as pressies, as well as helping with the baking. Other than that, she was mostly helping with the room restoration upstairs.
Oh, forgot that we ate pomegranates and discusse persephone in the underworld, and that in the bunkbed wrapping we played egyptian mummies in a sarcophagus. otherwise mostly christmas caroled!

Gave me lots of time to play with BB in a seriously one to one fashion. We got about 4 hours nearly uninterupted – apart from me doing aside tasks, like soaking the split peas and cokoing their tea. It was really great. Though I did miss SB’s noise!

Just watched the video of restoration – argh – how awful to let house fall aprt. Probably worse as I have a few misgivings about this one – ie the windows and conservatory desperately need some tlc, and we have a small roof leak! But we painted BB’s room. Finances though…

Anyway, glad you all enjoyed the list – what do you think I have missed off it??

tomorrow :-
print labels for jams/chutneys and wrap as mini hampers.
SB finish the 2 vases,
18 more early years HE cards [though we have sent to everyone we know, and thanks to those we have received],
fudge and choc truffles,
dundee cake
potato and cauli curry – yep you know the one!
When SB in bed, wrap her pressies.
Find the heat thingies for the dining room table,
remove boxes from dining room and living room to squirrel away somewhere.
go to Christingle
breathe!!!!

less than a week before 17 people come to stay – what was I thinking of!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, DIY/ house renovation, General, photos, Stringbean's HE

type 1 Parents R Us!

Posted on December 16, 2005 by | 4 comments

I am not sure quite why I had the gall to complain – well, I wasn’t really, just laughing at myself!
anyway, as a tried and convicted flickerite……

Today was Mudpud group end of year bash. Resolutedly with no Christian theme as it is multifaith. Actually, I am going to digress immediately.

SB wanted to know why all the usual people weren’t there, and to use Merry’s phrase, I said the scarf ladies weren’t there because they were Muslim, and knew that a Chrsitian church hall was bound to have loads of the usual Christian decs. this was a bit of a gloss, as they all had other apologies, but a good way of introducing faith and how you must respect each other. As we have the Hannah and her grandmother book, and a few other faith type books, we have discussed Islam before, and talked about Eid when it was. She wanted to know how you knew which god was right – a bit deep for bedtime really. SO I discussed that it was the one that you felt comfortable as having, either because your family had had that God, or as you grew older and looked into these things, that God was the one that you felt was right [I think most of the scarf ladies are converts] I always find this more dificult being an agnostic. However, I guess if we do it often enough, I will feel more comfortable, and she will have an open mind. Although Chris’s family are very religious [baptists], I don’t want their religion to be the automatic default one should she choose to follow one. To that, I may struggle to go the the church Christingle this weekend with her, or to the carol service next weekend.

for those that do Christingle – do I have to make an orang and candle thing, for most C of E, will it be OK just to turn up and look hopeless? Is there a particular form to follow?? AArrgh.

Anyway, we took along a dancing ladies craft made from paper plates – though mostly called angels by those doing them, they didn’t actually have wings, and I cut them to have crowns instead of halos. There was also a decorate the snowflake from Merry, and a decorate a biscuit. SB was rather over the top with the decorating [surprise surprise], but Amelie exceeded all with her snow lady – totally whited out by cotton wool!

the bouncy castle brought was a fab idea, and a great hit with the children. A food spread and party games completed the very enjoyable no faith end of term party.

on our return, SB insisted on wrapping up some christmas presents [sorry to the recipients!] but did write their names and hers on a tag. lots of roller skating being different animals. Again the T rex was best, though the grasshopper quite amusing.

She is being a reluctant to go to bedder again – this time she came down because she thought she saw a dragon peeping around the corner. I suggested that could she ask it to live with us, stay in the utility room to replace the boiler, and we will feed it catfood with the occasional treat, and it can have all summer as a holiday!

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Posted in art and crafts, Dance/drama, General, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean's HE, writing

2 more weeks

Posted on December 15, 2005 by | 7 comments

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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Posted in art and crafts, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, music, photos

Oh Festive Day

Posted on December 14, 2005 by | 3 comments

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!

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