Category Archives: SB-PE

A bit slow

Things seem to have been a bit slow here last couple of days. After her late night on Wed SB had bit of lie in, which did give me and BB time to have a good play together, which probably doesn’t happen often enough. She is really into trying to copy you and say words for things now, which is entertaining. She likes books as well, esp. those that have touchy/feeling bits, – she really likes the ‘That’s not my..’ series. She will often go and get a book from the shelf and come and climb on you lap.

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Not really sure what happened with SB in the morning, she played with the cindy/Barbie and cuddly toys – apparently she likes to tell them a story everyday. We did what a couple of schols programs. There was one comparing two farms in UK and France which she liked – about sheep farming, shearing and making cheese.

There was some reading of library books again, she will often now read bits of books as we go along. She wants to do some stuff about Space. In particular, Rockets, Astronauts and stars so we looked at books about that sort of thing and talked about why the Saturn V rocket was so big, but the bit that the men travelled in was so small. Must organise some thing on this – any good links?

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In the afternoon we walked the scenic route via footpath and old railway line to the veg shop. Walk was pleasant, BB enjoyed toddling along, played Pooh Sticks, looked at some of the flowers and at a Badger set. BB blagged a pear in the veg shop. She went, in made a beeline for the box of pears took one and started munching it. didn’t notice at first (it’s normally unstaffed as it’s at the garden nursey and the staff there come in to serve you) until it was too late. The woman who served us let her have it free.

Home in a hurry (losing BB welly on the way) out to Ballet. Visit to the playground, home for dinner, watched the Coral Sea episode of Blue Planet. SB got to saty up very late as said she could wait up for Helen who was giving her talk, but she didn’t get home until well passed 11pm. She was quite happy and spent ages playing on Webland.

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Friday

So again SB had little bit of lie in. :-)

BB helped me tidy the kictchen a bit, hang up nappies (waste of tiem it was soon to rain later) etc. SB hama beaded over breakfast – though rather upset when she knocked it and dislodged lots of the beds – BTDTGTTS, put away quite a few of childrens clothes upstairs. Went hrough all her T shirts, shorts etc. to check on stocks before th summer. soem reading with SB, SB did some more Explode the Code, almost at the end of the book now. she has fair whizzed through this one. She does the same thing as me and gets ‘b’ and ‘d’ mixed up wehn she writes them. At least she won’t get sent back down to sit in the younger class like I did at primary school – presumably the teacher thought I was doing it deliberately.

After lunch we hit the supermarket – forgetting I was not going to go to the Tesco at the moment as it’s pain while they rebuild the store. hoem to meet Mumy back from work SB did some maths , red Nose readers with Helen.

Both went to bed bit late, for reasons that I’m not sure about.

Cousdin M coming to visit this weekend so time to egt the hoover out.

Sporty Monday

A local HE group is having a monthly ‘sports’ session, we didn’t go last month as SB was ill but made it this time. Though a 9.30 start and a 40 min journey meant getting going in the morning. BB helped by getting me up before 6 am ;-)

Basically it is a ‘teacher’ doing various games etc. using balls, hoops, skittles etc. and lost of running about. SB enjoyed it, BB kept wanting to join in – running and chasing games are her favourites. Though SB also wanted to join in the older session (nominally 7yo, but some were younger i think) afterwards as well as she liked the look of the netball. Spent another hour afterwards while she played with various children and I drank tea, chatted etc. You know the score. Someone we’ve met a few times is moving from their house to buy a boat (with a ‘little bit of?? land attached’ ) sound that was interesting to chat about.

Their headed up your way Merry, so will likley appear at local stuff there.

Headed off eventually. Rain put paid to vague ideas I had of? bit of? walk somewhere. We headed of homewards, via a bit of shopping . Looking for? wholefood shop, since we don’t have? a decent one in the nearer towns (H&B is not a decent wholefood shop…. In fact it seems to be all pills and potions moslty nowadays). anyway, found a different one than the one I was looking for, so stocked up on a few things, and? nice bit of halva for an evening treat. SB entertained/or was enterntained, i’m not sure which, by the man up packing various boxes of stock as she peered at what he had and nattered away. I over heard her counting up in 2′s as well. It was a rather wholesome wholefood shop, which was rather nice, not haveing been in one sicne we moved house really. I took the oppurtunity to peruse the rack of green/right on publications that they had and was left feeling somewhat? unfaithful to? a former self as I was for? moment or two back? 15-20 years ago (that long), shopping in wholesome shops, persuing similar magazines. I used to be? a pretty strict vegan, among other things, which has gone by the way side, that former self did try to care about things, even? if as is the way of things it was naive at times. I’m not sure the current self really does care much any more.

Still raingin, som popped into a cafe, for a ‘pretty cheap, but shouldn’y have really’ lunch (but the plan of something sat on the grass was out due to rain), and Beans were getting hungry. SB wooed the counter staff buy asking for? a straw in the most polite-est way possible. Then via a chinese grocers for some noodles. Spent some time just persuing the various options as this was new experince for SB as opposed to the standard Sharwoods ones from the supermarket. she then just went around the shop going, what’s this what’s that at the various interesting things in jars and tins and packages. I resisted the urge to buy various interesting things.

Then home to playing, Mummy home from work time, and dinner.? Stir fry with the aforesaid noodles, we also had? a bit of Arame with it(it’s a dried Japanse seaweed in case you wondered). SB was intrigued when she relaised it was proper seawed, not the fried cabbage called seaweed that chinese retaurants do. She gamley tried some at dinner time as well. She professed not to like it – but it’s not really at it’s best eaten by itself, but she was munching in with vegetables a bit later, she just didn’t want to be seen liking it :-)

Before bed we watched another epsiode of the DVD of the ‘Life of Mammals’ (it was meant to be half, but I dozed off…).? SB has really got into all these sort of things since she watched the recent Planet Earth series so we are working our way through various ones. Have watched some of the Blue Planet as well – from which she has remembered among othe things that the Blue Whale is the biggest animal that ever lived, and also that there are lots of recently discovered things deep in the ocean, also is very taken with the idea that there might be somethign even bigger lurking in the depths.

Then a quick ‘Thomas’? story (the originals – not the modern pap) for bedtime

our ‘typical home-ed day’ Photo Meme 2006

somewhat late, and I didn’t get started with the camera quite at the begining, but hey ho, that is probably what my typical day is! Obviously, this wasn’t entirely a typical day, as it was bank hols and both parents at home. Full photos on flickr.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Little Nanny!
Started with SB and BB playing with the happy street at too early o clock, and then by the eime I got up, SB had moved onto Sindy’s and BB was rarring about. I fed her and she settled down to playing with the bricks.

So, 10:00 and SB starts with explode the code – 4 pages. SHe’s quite good at doing this mostly on her own. I did need to remind her that there is a double l at the end of words such as sell and spell etc. Also, it took a while to convince her that there was a st sound and how it was made.

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So that was 10 mintues – I happen to know because thats when she decided to play nursery with BB, who was being the baby in the baby room. BB took it all in good part, and I do like seeing SB playing games specifically with BB, rather than just moaning when BB ruins things.

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11 -ish, and we did some maths. SB chose to do some from the miquon book – something that I find more dificult, as I have to sit there with the instructors guide to work out what we are supposed to be doing. mostly counting and adding, as we do it so rarely she is on ‘easy’ pages.

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12-ish BB had an early lunch and fell asleep. Chris and SB looked at rocks and minerals with enchanted learning, moving on to the cretaceous period – and quite a bit of discussion on extinction and then to continental drift on the ‘puter. SB then looked at the new webland.I went out and did a spot of gardening, coming in for lunch – by which time BB had woken up and had a second lunch! 13-ish!

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14:00 I read to BB, and SB did lots of dot to dotting – going up to 50, and then looked at a thomas the tank book. She then disappeared to her bedroom to play some more with sindy’s

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15:30 We all got ready and went out to the park and stayed there until nearly 17:00. SB loves the park, and clambered happily about. BB did lots of climbing practice – antother Know No Fear daughter! So we took lots of pictures of BB, as its the first time she has had all this fun. Although heart in my mouth, was proud of her climbing skills!

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when we got back, SB played with the ballerina candleholders and various kinder egg bits for a while. TBH, I have no idea what we did then! BB drew on herself.

18:00 ish teatime -in which SB was trying to remember all the countries she had heard of – second one was indonesia!, then tidyup and pyjamas on 19:00 we watched the deep on DVD and the 20:00 bedtime stories and finally sleep!

Other photo-meme days for this year can be found here, here, here, here and here [so far!]

Had 2 glasses of wine

so at least one glass over my tolerance!

Chris took the girls out for a walk today – so will let him do the blogging. I am fractious – hence wine! i had managed to lose 8lb on my diet, but all this stressing and chocolate and wine therapy has put half of that back on – sigh.

Oh well, read more from the usbourne encyclopaedia with SB, today she chose: art, diferent people and homes. She also did 4 pages explode the code 2 – she wondered how sam was so far ahead of her, and meanly, I said because he does it every day! i believe with Chris she did some singapore maths. She also finished her hama princess – somewhat amazingly, as she has redesigned it mumerous times. it is, well, faceless!
She was desperate to sow some more seeds, so we sowed the extra early purple sprouting brocolli ‘rudolph’ BB sowed some butternut squash seeds. Merry, when you do your allotment, if they all germinate, we may have some to offload!

Just gone and got more wine

More hama, and i permafed BB since she came home really. oh, and we read a new Mog book.They are having bath, and I plan an early night – though I do have a talk to write at some point this week.

SB back, and wants me to read more encyclopaedia – the travel bit!

Time Out

has been had – thank goodness.

Am behind on blogging, well this blog. the gardening blog going great guns.

Anyway, yesterday the beans got me up by 7.30! makes such a diference to the day having all that time! I can’t remember in my usual technicolour detail though.Our plans changed first thing as we were going out, but a doublebooking and I took the chance to relax.

So we did some hama

SB is getting more inventive with hama patterns so grown up - hama-in on my own table!

of course, the problem with hama is…

the trouble with hama beads...

Oh well!

We painfully did explode the code – not sure why it was so awkward. set myself into a corner and ‘had to’ carry though. I think work stress and newly ‘official’ is affecting my parenting. Hopefully a temporary derailment!

So we de-stressed by sowing the pepper and squash seeds from last weeks aztec meal. 48 of each!!! hmm, I wonder how many will germinate. BB took the opportunity to pull up a few of the sunflowers – sigh

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While BB slept, I did some more mute apologising, making a dairy free sponge. I have never baked with soya milk before, but it was fine. Not vegan as I used eggs. SB wished it to be purple!

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We went outside to enjoy the sun, and SB played hide and seek and I made stories for her to enact. BB awopke and the cake was out and cooled for some family cake decorating. SB wanted the cake cut to be Xmas trees and pressies – always seasonal here! I was amazed how keen BB was, and how much she concentrated.

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And then we all went outside to rampage about again, and Chris finished panting the fruit trees

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So, tuesday a great day!

Shall blog today seperately!!

Calm before the storm…

well, for me anyway.

Lovely day today. Sun shining and all is well with the world. Sb happily did her Singapore maths 1A – we are still in term one allegedly, though doing this for some time. Not in a hurry. SHe’s confident enough to do the subtraction on her own, and was getting grumpy ‘cos it was all under 10 answers. So time to jump ahead! She then did a bit of a jolly phonics workbook – but said it was too easy. So after that mostly played with the dolls house and snappit donkey until lunchtime. sometimes with BB, and sometimes most definitely not.

After lunch she wanted to use the egg shells to grow cress in – no cress, so they now have basil. I didn’t supervise/help at all, and she quite happily got it all done, watered and ready for the propagator. i potted up a couple of the toms. She said she wanted to take a ‘window picture’ so here is one by her.
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She then fancied going to the park, so we all got dressed, and she cycled there with the stabilisers on, got to the field, they came off and have stayed off. BB stayed for ages in the swing – SB hated swings at this age, but BB loves them. SHe was also particularly thrilled with the slide. She clinbed up with chris’s supervision, and I made sure she didn’t fly off too fast – well, i took a puiicture once and she did…

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they both seesawed, and then Sb had a great treasure hunt game, and we lefted righted and walked 6 ‘places’ etc to find the fruit snacks. BB had a whale of a time running about and trying to climb up.
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SB was grumbly at home, and BB asleep, so some book reading went on, and another snack. We then decided to cook for tea, and she chose aztec tortillas. Like a good HE Mum, i went to find various books with Aztec bits in them, so she read the romans pages! [ok extrapolated from pictures!], while I got the stew going – beans, corn squash and pepper. When she started doing the tortillas, I the read various Aztec facts to her, and she remembered a few to tell Chris. DInner was a resounding success anyway!

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We have finished the day watching the planet earth on video, and it was a great one, all about caves. I was lucky enough to study in borneo for 3 months of my training, and have seen the bats exit and swifts ingress into the caves. We did race all the way back to the hut in the dark absolutely terrified though [4 girls without guide!]Now i know that bloody huge wierd thing was a giant centipede! luckilly didn’t have to climb the guano mountain, though did have to throw away a daypack, as never got the guano stains out of it… Confirmed my belief that even if I was thin, I could never be a caver.

Now going to watched a videod Apprentice [I fell asleep with SB...]

Oh and this having more than one blog business is a nightmare!

Monday, Tuesday …..

Time to catch up, so what happened on Monday then? a bit of black hole memory wise.

Monday morning – me and SB played her ‘Build a Beetle ‘ game for ages, before during and after breakfast – and er, not sure what else, there was some reading of books as well. We also tided the sitting room – wel l i tidied, BB untidied and SB persched on sofa and watched CBeebies moslty

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Afternoon we were going out to a home ed social gathering at a another house a couple of villages away. Luckilly Helen was able to make it from work as well. Rather a nice time, got to sit and meet chat with some more/new/different home edders/play with some other children. Though SB not quite herself the last few days and was a bit reticent to join in as much as she normally does. But didn’t want to go home , so take that as a sign she was enjoying herself. Took place in a rather nice ‘room ‘ they ahev in their garden. Bit like a very large shed, but all fitted out nicely inside, with an office room as well – rather nice.

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Tuesday me and SB started off by having good look at one of here Picturepedia books on space. Spent quite a long time looking ta things in in chatting about variosu things such as star life cycles, gogin to the Moon, planets, space stations, living on the Moon, Mars etc.

Then we played with the Wacky Wigglers, made one from the instructions, later on SB made her one ‘monster’ with it. There was little bit of Hamaing over breakfats, and then it wa tiem to get organised/dressed and go to the library for storytime and book changing. Helen and found one of the books (Huggly’s Pizza) which had gone AWOL so we don’t have to pay for another lost book. As usual, SB was the last to finish doing her crafty stuff.

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Home, lunch, lots of reading of library books, more more Hama-ing. SB did start on following a Dinosaur pattern, but decided to use her own colours, then I think got mixed up and then got fed up so stopped. Then started on a large heart board with a complicated pattern that she is still working on. Told me to make a giraffe, but that is still unfinished as well.

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Did some maths, this time using Miquon maths, mostly working on doing numbers up to a hundred. Then it was tiem to get dinner ready, the girls pottered about a bit doigng this and that, then dinner in the oven while we went off to SB’s swimming lesson, hoem from that to dinner, and then a bit of long stretch before Helen got home at about half 8

Under the Weather

we all had a lovely swim together today. BB adores the water and kicks and splashes and likes being whisked about in it. SB is equally happy, she was trying to be the whale from planet Earth TV prog after i had made BB the wale and come out entirely – rofl! [we watched it on video yesterday] SHe is still practising back stroke, and doesn’t sink quite so quickly. However, we got out early as SB had a sudden loss of energy and felt ‘unwell’. So we got out, and went home, and both girls then slept until woken up at 4 [about 3 hours]. We thought SB in particular needed it, even though we will no doubt notice the consequences tonight!

Whilst they were asleep, i blogged and then we went out into the garden to make a late start on the fruit tree planting as the ground was ready.

having roused the beans and fed them, SB finished her plaster of paris box kit by painting it, and once dried, gluing the bits on. Its a fabkit actually, even though SB was disappointed that the picture on the front is far bigger than the box. She also decorated grandads present with stickers.

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A bit of a relapse and watch of toy story 2 . BB poddled about – and amused us by the total greed that she shows with dried apricots. She can just about wodge 3 in her mouth and continue chewing, but still tries for 4. She also had fun shooting about on her pushalong. SB did some webland, and then played with geomags whilst I made tea – chilli for us and veg and rice stew for her. She didn’t like it.

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Because she had a late sleep, we all cuddled up together to watch tonights planet earth. SB loves glaciers, and enjoyed it. She and BB have finally relinquished themselves into the arms of morpheus.

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time to breathe. work tomorrow.

Still chocolate/wine deficient!

And another poor night from the little beans…

So Chris got up with them this morning. SB used her puff up paints on a T-shirt bought for the job. Must get thankyou’s done and out. She did only get them on real birthday not party though! Then to the library for story time and some cutting and sticking whilst I got a few tasks sorted at home.

Chaos as the beans returned and i did the readingnew library books stint! I think a my little pony annual followed by spongebob was way beyond the call of duty though! BB fell asleep, so we decided it was games time. SB chose walk the plank and the around the world game . She then wanted to do some knitting. I honestly looked at the instructions very closely in the galt first knitting box, and I honestly did not understand a single word! You what? was the best term. SO we had a go at the french knitting, and although she could do this, a few times round and it got a bit boring. So a go at explode the code – she really wasn’t in the mood, but we persevered for a bit and then gave up. Instead we organised the seed potatoes for chitting. We got the Thompson and morgan favourite half dozen, sarpo axona and a trial one.

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After this I was so grumpy i couldn’t bear to think before the room tidyed and hoovered, so thats what we did! and then all played happy street – which although SB growing out of, BB growing into. SB then went off to swimming lessons – which she loves.

Me and BB had a great time with an uniterrupted hour! We played with the happy street, the hammer shape sorter for a bit, some chase. SHe loved having a bang and a crash on the piano – MUST do some music with SB. With her books, she was saying boo on opening the flasp – how cute! And she has really mastered the backwards bottom/sit-on-lap thing! We then played with the little pony fuzzy felt that karen B doesn’t want to be sent on. She really enjoyed it, and concentrated for a long toddler time. We also had lots of cuddles and snuggles and general rousting about today, which was good.

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i posted my johari, but not my nohari – motly cos so few people did it – though thankyou to those that did. 100% say I am unhappy. I am not erally sure how to sort that out either. Its like my daily emotions are over a pool of unhappiness. there are some obvious things that are getting me down, and others i blame. I’m not sure whether i am right or just labelling things. I can’t quite work out how to sort things without upsetting applecarts or potentially worsening things either. Sigh. I am hoping this is a ‘this too will pass’ thing, and as I get more confident in my role at work, and far less stressed [it is dificult to be more stressed TBH] that at least i wont carry that around with me all the time, and will then enjoy home more. Hmmmm

The Weekend

Some additions by Chris – 12.50 am

Friday was mudpud. Chris may add a bit, but it was maps and things. I think they had a good time!

Yep we had a good time, though my activity with symbols etc. didn’t get used much, but the jigsaws got done. Unusally for MP there was no gluing and sticking, which must be a first. SB did Merry’s co-ordinates thing, played with Amelie, Fran and Maddy loads with the playdough. They were making some wonderful playdough biscuits which kept increasing in price, to somethign like a zillion squillions or something. she didn’t do Tammy’s comapss making as Fran was goign to show her she said but they didn’t get around to it. so of course once in the car we had a big fuss about this :roll:

Stopped of at Tesco’s on the way home for so food, and looked for some cheap games, but nothign much left . Looked also for soem tops for SB, but unimpressed, found a couple of cheap fleece tops and a long ans short sleeved top she liked – but most were horrible – these funny things which look like you got about three layers on, with all sorts of various straps over the shoulders – and other fashionable (I suppose) sorts of styles. It’s just not the sort of thing we would like to dress SB in anyway – somehow it just doesn’t seem appropriate, and anyway, I think she’d fidn them annoying, and we’d have arms through all sorts of holes.

Bit of late to bed as SB wanted to wait up for Helen to come home, but she was home much too late (past 11pm) so once we got back She painted a card for Sam and couple of pictures. took me ages before I could convince her to have her dinner. By the time I had them both in bed it was about all I could do to flop out in a heap.

Saturday was Sam’s party. SB had a lovely time, and particularly enjoyed the snakes and lizards, though not so impressed by the spiders. She would like to see them again. would we dare do it for a mudpud friday??

She was late mostly due to me, [Chris – :roll: – they didn’t come back until about 5 minutes before my ‘very last minute to leave – SB did comment on how short the party was..] as I took a bunch of flowers to ‘homedad’ and wife [though he isn't homedad any more!] as they had had a rather unexpected and rapid homebirth! Fantastic says I – she is not quite so sure!! Anyway, baby fit and well, but diff to prise SB away. Earlier still she had looked at the new webland, and done some education city science. We also redid the Bicarb volcano experiment, this time with blue colouring

Me ‘n BB went to have a lovely afternoon with a work colleague [my boss!] and her family, and also another work colleague and wife. It was really nice. BB was a charm, pootling about and smiling at everyone. When SB arrive after Sam’s party she went straight to the park with 2 of Suzanne’s children, and they had a blast. We didn’t actually get that long at the playground as they carried on walking up to then rivertalked about locks Her princess party dress not quite what was best for the park! Indeed not it was very cold she only had socks on and no hat and gloves, but she managed ok – got hat and scarf donated by another grownup. Suzanne had cooked a lovely meal for both parents and children – so fantastic for all. Her youngest introduced SB to the concept of a happy meal, after she had misidentified nearly everything – to his complete bewilderment!

When we got back, SB and I played snakes and ladders, and I read her 3 Brittannia stories. We did skip a saints one, as she is bored of saints! [actually, they are rather saint heavy at this historical moment!]

Sunday. I had thought we would look at some snakes/lizard books, but we didn’t! Trying to get memory in order here! Failed. Anyway, we did a lot of tidying up, as the house looked like an utter bombiste. organised one of the bookshelves and the games cupboard as well. So not soooo awful!

We did some face painting. I painted SB as a piggy [her request] and she painted me as a princess [mine!] BB was forcibly painted by SB as a clown – but only red cheeks and a yellow line on forehead. Moved onto doing the coloured water/white flower science experiment. SB did some explode the code 1 – nearly at the end! i played with BB, reading her her most favourite book – thats not my monster!

Most of the afternoon was spent in the garden. We are very late getting inour fruit trees, and hope they will be ok. Anyway, clearing the bed and playing with the girls – hopefully got some nice snaps too! SB wanted to help, but the forking over was a bit difficult. when we plant should be better. Otherwise she mostly played imaginative games on the climbing frame and hide and seek [with me]. BB is very good now at that little tykes cube frame/slide. She also showed enthusiasm for getting up onto the TP one – argh! She was quite happy on the little rocking horse too. Both BB and SB played football!!!

we did some singapore maths 1A on ordinal numbers and the ‘teens’ Although SB proficient at counting in the teens, we haven’t really looked at the hundreds and tens thing for a bit, so I think this was a section that could do with some practice.

Finally SB painted her ladybird flying thingy from her party bag – rather cool Tammy! and BB, shattered by the fresh air had a long munch and a nap – bang in the wrong place for teatime etc etc. Both girls have been asleep so far, so lets hope they stay that way. Lat 2 nights BB has been in bed with us, so snack-attack city, and SB also joining us. Could do with a good night!

SO a good day al round – and I am on annual leave next week. A lot to fit in – Chris parents want him to move furniture, so a visit there. SB’s birthday money bruning a hole in her pocket – so need to shop. I would like to visit little nanny if poss. And I actually would like to have a relaxing time for some of it!!

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