Category Archives: Stringbean’s HE

Day 2 of BB’s Baby Welcome

Weather not so good for us today, so predominantly indoors. I was more stressy today – not sure why, as no less relaxing a set up, and I’d made the pasta bake on friday?? Prob. due to a couple of comments that set teeth on edge. [must learn to ignore for own sanity!]

Anyway, predominantly lovely day. SB had a bit of a melt when Morgan left to go home, but a long cuddle and reading new books helped [did I say I caved in to amazon and bought the barefoot book of princesses [with CD] and the usbourne stories from around the world?. Very nice. I particularly love the illustrations of the barefoot princesses book.

Guests today, as well as mine and Chris’s parents and my sister and family where my aunty margaret [mum's sister] uncle mike and cousin mark, and on Chris’s side, Uncle Bob [dad's brother] and cousin Marilyn.

I hope you all can identify the whose who and trace family resemblances.

Cats enjoyed leftover salmon.

Earlier in the morning, before the guests arrived, SB and Morgan were playing schools, doing sums and letters. Rather cute really.

Wish BB’s teeth would come in so I could get a nice sleep!

Anyway, flikr will be linked here.

Quick Blog – BB party *NOW EDITED*

will do a proper update, as yesterday great, and about to do it again, but for yesterday’s guests, as well as the Blogworld, have uploaded far to many photos of a perfect day onto flikr

It was a rather lovely day. Mine and Chris’s parents arrived Fri night, we finished as much prep as poss and had a takeaway. BB woke up, and I went to comfort her and fell asleep. I think most people went to bed soon after. Terrible night with BB, perhaps because she is teething? [please hope so, cos too many of these appalling nights will see me change her to formula

Next day my sister and family arrived fairly early, and the party began! Its so nice to see SB playing with her cousins, particularly M as they are of simialr age. E gettting the hang of playing too. The nibbles and alcohol were cracked open. Aunty Jane and Uncle Dave [dad's brother] made it next, and the huge wait for Aunty Pam and Uncel Robert [chris's mum's brother] their children Adrian and Catherine and their respective partners [SB was Catherine and Tim's bridesmaid in April]

Finally food!! The weather was glorious, the children played beautifully and the adults drank and conversed. Unfortunately Vivien fell of the path, and visions of yet another trip to the local casualty passed before my eyes. Luckilly strong painkillers and she was OK.

BB had some lovely presents, and sat on a rug in the middle like a Queen holding court, with plenty of cuddles in between. Def worth doing.

I bathed SB and M together – and allowed the jacuzzi. M thought it brill. I then settled them for bed by playing chase and monsters around the upstairs! OOPS. By 10pm they finally dropped though – shortly followed by the rest of us.

Is this a gazebo I see before me?





No it isn’t. According to Helen the other day it is a Mobile Outdoor Home Ed Room :-)

Updated flikr

And thats the most positive thing I can say!

I find thursday my most stressful day. I tend to come home fractious. BB then feeds for ages, and SB desperate for my attention- which i do want to give her – but quietly and sat on comfy chair with BB latched on not screaming. I must try harder not to be sharp – after all i am happy she wants to be with me, and i want to be with her, but quietly with no sudden movements. London news again crap.

I have done a phonics leapbook with her and read stories from my newly arrived barefoot books [links given earlier]

I will now stick some of the flikr photos on the blog – if you’re interested, will be this last weeks ouvre. This is the first added. Rather cute, even if I say so myself.

Oh and Chris won on shelving as the lady wanted mpre so scanning freecycle. did see some on ebay Jax’s neck of the woods, but chris said even if we stopped in for coffee it was a long way

Worn out

think we are all worn out. candles lit both ends and in the middle – what with me working an average of 56 hours a week and wanting to see/play with the girls as much as poss, and Chris trying to do the househusband thing so that I don’t feel the need to, as well as play etc with the girls. SB tries to stay up late with me, and BB feeds all night long. Cream Crackered in deed. Somehow we are going to have to alter the pace without too many compromises.

This running to stay still thing seems to permeate every area of our living as well. I go round house and garden and there is just loads to do. if I earned more, we could pay for someone to do it, but earning more means less time at home, and just not up for that. Weeds and grubbiness will just have to stay. Unfortunately we have a housefull of family this Sat, and would like it to look at its best. they all just don’t seem to have the problem of keeping tidy/ship shape and living life that we have. What do we do wrong?

mind you, although I say unfortunately, I am really looking forward to it. It is BB’s welcome to the family event [no Christenings here] and lots of family coming for lazy day in the garden. cold spread – maybe some BBQ items, and alcohol [I will be practising for the portico party]. of course we haven’t shopped or organised yet.

oh, home ed. I have had a lovely laid back day with the girls. We did some exeter maths, read a bit of the usbourne travel then and now[ not much], the castle section in the time traveller, started growing a crystal.

Actually, on growing the crystal, it was a science in a box [would have been v over[riced except from ebay] and it said for over 8′s. why??? There was some distilled vinegar [maybe stronger than that I use for pickled shallots perhaps that SB has handled, but I didn't find out] and a piece of limestone. vinegar [acid] poured into plastic beaker and stone popped in it – so what needs an 8 year old? SB quite happy that the bubbles were carbon dioxide – she knows what that is from ‘dizzy’ water and breathing. Also happy that now have to wait and see. i guess she was supervised. Also caught a few more bugs to look at including a fly!

Oh, and on the exeter maths, found out that she knows her number bonds up to 5, and can add and subtract quite easily. she even remembered the ‘greedy bigger sign’ and which way to face it. I had printed off about 20 pages, she found them all and did the ones she liked the pictures on! She had a go at writing the numbers for a change as well.

We also sprinkled starts with… and ends with… throughout the day – again something she is progressively more confident with. Oh, and again a lot of singing. note to self – must bring her violin down and remember to suggest piano regularly.

It sounds alot, but we spent most of the day playing [though she considers it all play, it is just me categorising!], a fair bit with the traintrack in the morning, her alphabet finger puppets, dollies and ‘mummies and daddies’ her wooden fix together toys from ikea, and directly with BB. I read various books from the library to her. played interminable Simon says.

BB is a charmer. She mostly played with her noisy toys and SB’s musical instruments. She has recently started to find knocking down stacks rather good, so SB builds them up for her to take a swipe at [will be on flikr soon!]. She obviously loves SB and waves arms and legs wildly in happiness and excitement. She is also rather keen on her food.

Other things today, I did some weeding and SB and I nipped to garden centre to buy mulch. caused a chuckle when she asked what bark chickens were. Obviously my diction not clear!

Chris got us a working shower – woohoo!!!

Crystal growing




IMG_5863

Originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

This is how we did it Daddy [update, it is working 21/7]

Dum Dum de dum Dum da Dah

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

Stringbean the artist :-)

Stringbean did this a little while ago, well I was impressed :-)

It’s a Cat, Mouse and Dog, just incase you weren’t sure ;-)

Drawing of Cat, Mouse and Dog

Mediaeval Fayre

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!]

oops

on recommendation for barefoot books, I have cut down my sonlight order, andt not ordering the lion tales one, instead have bought this and this from ebay!!

not saved a great deal of money there then!