Category Archives: science

How late?

The day just seems to have whizzed past, SB only went to bed at 9ish, and I’ve been messing about with the copenhagen flikr pics some more.

i rang Little Nanny and she is getting a bit better. her neighbour cooked her dinner and watched her eat it, and until end of next week, social services has a lady coming in daily for an hour to help a bit. My dad visits midweek, and my aunt the week after [and hopefully us for a day, so getting cooking!]

When we got up, SB decided we should make icecream, and was very put out we couldn’t, so settled on jam [well, jelly] so picked elderberries and added some frozen redcurrents. had assorted beasties to look at then in bugbox – mostly ladybirds and spiders. We played walk the plank, followed by a grizzle session. SB then read a book – no kidding! a starter one with simple repeats, and I did take over as she was worn out, but def sound and say. [cue trumpets]

Having worn ourselves out, she watched toy story 2 and german sesame street whilst I flikred. This segued nicely into german reminder phrases while Chris pruned the grapevine. We then set up the second drain for the jelly to go overnight and hama-ed. I read some of the usborne stories from around the world - we look at the map on the front, and chose india and denmark. Some leappad maths and phonics and thats the education!

BB still happiest when standing, and appears to be in paradise if standing and SB playing peeboo from behind the sofa. Got to eat some runner beans from garden [she likes]

My ears still playing up from flights though. Otherwise all well here [mostly, as SB has back-at-home-itis, but only mildly] Yes, as a confirmed photoholic I did take photos, and they are still on the camera!

charter celebrations

Huntingdon celebrated 800 years of charter this weekend with the full reenactment thing. So we popped along today.

we expected thre to be a lot of traffic, and not sure about the carparking availability either, so were very early. chris nipped to buy a picnic whilst me ‘n the beans played at the swings [indeed SB's favourite swings!]

We went in and were really impressed by the breadth and depth of the re-enactment [loads of photos on flikr, even when heavily pruned!]. Sb was really caught up in it, asking questions of some of the re-enactors – she particularly liked the felting, musical instruments and bone beads makers. There were also 3 arenas with back to back displays, fights and re-enactments to watch – we watched longbow vs early guns, [so now I know why gunpowder took over, even though useless in comparison for 200 years!], falconry [SB and chris participated] A play set in mediaeval times, and the best of all- jousting! SB not so keen on the loud bangs, but BB slept through.

If anyone can tell me the name of the pegged, stringed bowed triangular saracen instrument ? beginning with s, I would be greatful!

We finished off with icecream. I asked SB what were the best things – icecream [naturally] and the jousting.

We were all exhausted at the end, it was a long hot day, with lots of interest. No chairs, so must remember to take camping chair to next weekend, as hips kill me with too much cross leggedness. i am also sunburnt again – the girls aren’t. SB fell asleep in the car, and hasn’t yet woken up. BB still funny about breastfeedng today – lots of minute snack attacks driving me up the wall. Also not really eaten much solids, and a bit fractious.

SB talking in her sleep, and has just clearly said there is smoke going in my eye. My yes are also stinking, as unaccustomed to all pervasive smoke! SB now awake, and watching me make our diary. hmm, unlikely to sleep again before midnight. oops.

www.flickr.com


Edited – Hmm, 2 red nose readers, usborne who were the first people, we are now at the 1001 things to spot [usborne history]. We are really doing well on history today!

Turned out sunny – long

Thank goodness things improved. was still bluergh first thing, but some coffee and cakes from the bakery helped. I read inumerable books to SB whilst BB used me as a climbing frame and refused to feed properly. BB then played on the floor quite happily – she likes contingency toys, particularly if they are tuneful!

SB and i looked at the new webland [she had done some with Chris whilst I was still bleugh as well]. more singing of 12345, and dino tales. SB has quite got into the games extra sections. It certainly so far has been worth its subscription. We then played dr’s – SB takes it to new levels of realism by being on call and answering the phone from her bed, getting up and asking whether she needs to drive v quickly or not! I had floppy hand, closed eye and shut ear syndromes [seperately]. BB had scratchy nails!

To cut my blurginess short, I decamped to the garden and the MODHEU. I often find an abrupt change of venue, with limited resources suits me better, and gets me active.For SB I took out some jolly phonics workbooks that we haven’t done in ages, some singapore maths, usbourne story of hercules, DK why greeks built temples, a photo album of when she was BB’s age, her dough beads from friday’s puddlers group and some paints. BB had assorted toys and boardbooks – though mostly she wants to stand and bounce bottom!

had to come straight back in, as SB and I disagreed over the wind strength on the beaufort scale – she thought 6, me 4, and on reading the book = 5! Chris put up arbour seat that we had bought for old house to tempt buyers, but never actually put up. took him all day really. SB periodically helping did not really speed up the process.

We were having such a pleasant time that it was 3 o’clock before we remembered to have lunch. SB took a shine to the JP workbooks, and I was sent in to get the rest, and she drew round the letters very carefully – she is definitely getting interested in writing, so glad ordered getty and dubay. She also wrote my whole name out without letter guides [I did spell it letter by letter though] the H and N were the same and a mixture of capital and small, but i was really impressed, as 2 months ago this would have been unthinkable. Real step forward.

The maths wasn’t for her today, but we read the hercules, and the DK greek book. discussed Greek gods a bit – and the one we have in the garden [Bacchus = parties] and what other ones we should have statues of – demeter, hera as for crops and women and children and a dryad. This was not done in any religious way [to stop palpitations and fainting] as we also discussed the Greeks religion of the time, and that no-one practices any more, and that the gods/goddesses were used as a way of focusing the mind on what was important to a person at that time, and also as a way of trying to explain why things happen. Quite philosophical! We decided that although our house needed a clean, we perhaps wouldn’t divert a river through it, as SB was worried our carpets would be ruined. [she can be very practical when I have a flight of fancy]

Thinking of Demeter we went to the overgrown veg patch and harvested some potatoes and onions. in fact all the onions could do with harvesting and drying, and ditto potatoes [well not drying], or they will get slug damaged. When you next visit, Merry, ask and you shall receive! I dig, and SB rummages for them – a good team effort. lots of bugs spotted – favourite is always ladybird. our elderberries also nearly ready for harvesting and jelly making. [ edit 2 – Actually, while we were there, we could hear the hymns of a wedding – very nice, and then enjoyed the pealing bells afterwards.]

oh yes, we painted some of the dough beads [yes, chris did bake them yesterday] BB attempted to eat one, but foiled. [an aside – just loading photos from today and I took 123 – can’t imagine how – so pruning required before flikr!] In fact BB, although dreadful at milk today, has been one eating machine. Top 2 teeth are nearly through, and certainl noticeable to me after a feed – but not like Isabelle yet.

losing thread now, but we returned to each thing a few times – particularly the JP, and SB was sounding out the 3 letter words [whatever they are called] quite confidently. SHe also drew some lovely pictures in the workbooks, i think my favourite was the r for raspberry, which she painstakingly drew the seperate circles for. Her concentration and detail in art really is accelerating. She ‘read’ to BB, made up songs, princess story re-enactments, lots of climbing frame gymnastics [must sort gym out] and general malarkeying about. Unfortunately photo album a casualty, though photos not.

By teatime she was noticeably worn out, so bath first and then tea. While waiting for the quiche to cook we started cutting out for a mudpud recognisable fabric pennant to put on buggy – not sure what with at moment! SB confident at scissors, and cut oval of pond, and some of the spikes, as well as the easier bits of the duck, and the reeds [well, they were going to be beans, but not really identifiable as such, so reeds they are now!] She did nearly all of the butterfly, but was so big compared to duckling, we decided I should trim it down – a shame really. More sounding out and spelling at teatime, then Mog and shirley hughes stories at bed. She and BB flaked out rather quickly.

When i have reduced photos to a number that are not going to use up ther rest of our allowance, will be on flikr!

edit 1- looking at photos, i forgot to say that we ‘decorated’ BB

briefly………..

…got a cold and knackered, so today didn’t go too well, and eventually gave up and went to bed – so much for spending time with the beans. She got a parcel from my sister, so dressed up as a pirate, and used the painting set to paint flowers and shells – rather nicely.

Did do loads of reading library books before bailed out though, and when got up we did lots of lego games and stories.

SB went to a party at nursery thrown for the school leavers! I went to bed again. When she got back we did more lego, played outside – nice photos of her in bridesmaids dress [as this is now party dress] in the garden.

on coming in we did about 6 pages of primary 1a singapore maths weekly revision, including her actually spelling out and reading the word ten!! she is making a stab at writing the numbers, but I’m not pushing it. Also a bit of phonics cards.

She showed a fair bit of interest in the family geneology today, so we will sort out photos etc to do a family tree. Maybe I will buy katy’s timeline programme as well, and do a timeline family book. Have been thinking quite a bit about home ed and how to go on. I’m v happy with our dipping in and about approach in the main, but would like to build up a routine of normals, and also music regularly and the muzzy – which we forget now the telly in another room.

Also having looked at dottyspots blog, am interested in going to here probably on the sunday as sounds fun. [festival of History in English Heritage place in Northamptonshire of M1

BB certainly now really enjoying standing. Also musical toys, and those where you can press buttons. She is also drinking milk well from a bottle at last. of course this now gives us the problem that I’m not sure I can express enough, so may have to use formula partly on working days. Not that happy about that really.

Maybe I’m just knackerd and viral, but really feel my life just isn’t where I want it to be, and fairly powerless to change it. I’m going to have a good try though.

SB started another crystal experiment with me before i went to work yesterday. At this rate need to buy in bulk.

A Puddle Day

Both in weather and visitors.

SB was excited all morning about the imminent puddle visitors, and helped tidy up nicely. [after all, she said, we didn't want Josie to eat the sparkly bits]

We then settled down with a bit of reading, and read the bit about greek gods in the ancient history book from usbourne. We also flicked through the usbourne garden wildlife book [is usbourne our main home-ed source series!!] Did some mental maths – number bonds and additions and subtractions. SB has got now into the habit of thinking in sweeties for this ‘mummy, if I had 5 sweeties and went out of the room, and you ate 2, I would have 3 left etc’. She is much more likely to be accurate when imaginary sweeties involved as well!

Finally persuaded her to get dressed [ a relief, cos pjamas are her favourites], and agreed to plait or ponytail her hair – rather unwisely said to the number of bands she could find – 7! SO then photographed my hair creation. She felt it looked a bit roman??

Merry and the girls arrived so definitely chaos. This time they had a few false starts before getting going – mostly due to SB being quite clear she wanted everyone to play her game of mummies and daddies – dressed as fairies. She couldn’t be disuaded, and to save the peace Maddy and Fran agreed – nice girls. We managed to provide lunch in a more timely fashion today, and finished with bun icing and eating – always appreciated. the sprinkles went everywhere of course.
We were also treated to the vision of Josie crawling – BB unlikely to follow suit, but demonstrated instead her disre to be standing at all times. Also treated to some nice cakes – thankyou Merry – while we put the world to rights!

Seeing Merry always makes me feel more urgent about planning and executing our home ed. I think we will simmer ideas and aim to start with the school year with the normals idea, and a few organised themes that we can [present to SB as alighted on]. Also get some things in the house that can be used for experiments, as she is keen.

Afterwards SB chose some sticker jigsaw books and amazed me by sounding out and correctly saying far more words than I thought she could – these were largely 3 letter simple words, but definitely on the road to reading!

After bath she found my book about death and dying which I was planning to slip in at some point. She off and on has a fascination with the subject, and I can’t help but feel that we may need to deal with death in the next year or so [hopefully longer]. this wasn’t really a good bedtime read, as when I left her she then started crying about death, so daddy cuddled her whilst i fed BB. The book is actually very nicely done, but not an ideal bedtime read!

Now I have to do some education – a CD rom to watch before tomorrow. However, whilst doing it, uploading last years photos onto flikr gradually.

Two Wheels on My Wagon.

I did start a blog last night, then closed the window and lost the post :-( Couldn’t be bothered to do it again.

Anyway, recovered from the weekends festivities and the house is mostly back to it’s normal (dis)order. We did get the curtain put up in the front room though by Helen’s parents. They were supposed to go and play golf, but her mum didn’t want to go as it was raining, so cancelled it, and then of course it stopped raining a little while longer…..

Pleased, as fitting the bit along the pelmet thing required sewing Velcro to the back of the ‘dangly bit’, dunno how long that would have taken us to get round to doing (never is probably a good first approximation) all looks good now. They match with the covers on some chairs and cushions, which is all a bit grown up for us.

It was good to catch up with various bits of the family I don’t see so often, though as we now live a lot nearer to many of them I guess we will see them more often. shame a few members weren’t able to make it. Shame also that it rained on Sunday, but we did get to use the inside of the house and the conservatory. It certainly is good gathering/party house :-) It was even the incentive for me to clear the boxes out of the dinning room so we can actually get in and use the room now.

So, yesterday Stringbean started off the day with bit of crafts with Nanny French, making a cut and stick fish. And errrr…. after that I’m not sure. There was breakfast, Butterbean didn’t get up until turned nine, so then that stretched breakfast out a bit longer. Oh yes, making marble runs and some reading mostly I think, plus some computer advice for Grandad. And eating cakes from the rather nice bakery for elevenses ;-)

Afternoon, H was home so she did stuff with the girls, including finishing the clock kit that SB won at Melrose and started ages ago.while I mostly did boring domestic stuff.

IMG_6346

Today we started off with ‘Tool Girl’ as SB perused a power tool catalogue (that’s my girl) that came in the post this morning, discussed why there are lots of different ones and why an SDS drill is the dogs danglies for drilling holes in walls. Did expect her to comment on the lack of pink ones though.

IMG_6349

She got a treat? of a Cheesestring from the shop this morning and had it for breakfast. I do have a prejudice against this sort of thing, but TBH, not sure why. It’s seems to be just fairly mild cheese, with smattering of Annatto for colouring, just been processed a bit to be able to pull into strings. Anyway she enjoyed it.

I do love the way SB thinks/cares so much about BB, this morning she got out some clothes for BB, not just not set but a ‘summery’ outfit, one for if it’s colder, and one for tomorrow as well :-) So we pottered through the orning, bit of reading of books, hanging up of washing, SB picked a load of flower petals and then tipped them all over herself.

IMG_6361

We fed the fish and then spent some time watching/talking about them when SB wondered how they can swim backwards.

IMG_6360

After the inevitable lunch of beaked beans on toast I boxed up the car roofbox to send it back for repairs. They sent me a very big empty box to put it in, the courier man was amused by having to deliver just a big box.. SB did assist for a bit , she tried a bit of baby bondage by strapping BB into a spare car seat with the luggage net from the roof box and spent ages in the hayloft reading all her old baby books. She also found a folder of her at work going back ages so she reminisced over that while covering the playroom floor in them.

We then tried out Butterbean in the bike trailer again. She sits much better now and has much better neck control, so we took it for a spin around the village and stopped off at the playground.. BB seemed happy, and SB enjoyed having her in there with here. Will be good to be out using that again. Went on the swings and the seesaw – her first time I think – at the playground and enjoyed them both.

IMG_6365

H is on call and had to go back in unfortunately tonight at about 9.30 :-(, I cuddled BB and fell asleep on the sofa, which was nice, but not really conducive to doing me chores, nor is then writing a blog entry. Of course she got back about 1 am, so we of course went off to bed like sensible people, but it’s past 2 am now, so we can go to bed happly now…..

H seems to have just uploaded piccies from our Italy holiday as well.

Our crystals




IMG_6177

Originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

see, even a 4 year old can do crystals!

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!!!

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

Ahh, good day today.

though a surprise, considering I only managed to go to bed at -2:30!

SB got up and brought me some singapore primary maths 1a this am whilst I was still in bed [9-ish] sat on BB’s head so she woke up too! Since I have started being worried that we are letting things slide, I managed to prise open eyelids and we romped through the numberline pages. When SB then brought a spelling ‘match and sort’ book, i realised she was raiding the future presources box and got up. i fished out the DK eyewitness books [that were a book people special a while back] and some phonics cards and went down in search of breakfast.

SB was the teacher [as always] for the phonics cards, but I hope that she actually takes some note of my answers. I think it is going in, but no reading coming out yet. We then had a toss up between the shark and the volcano eyewitness book, and the volcano won out.

About half way through Chris reminded us that if we were going swimmin…. So a frantic getting ready and the usual SB exasperation with going out hurries. We did get there though – nice pool and reasonably quiet for the sat morning session. And [drumroll please] SB swam half a width unaided!!! Several times infact, floated on back and generally enjoyed water confidence. She is swimming like a drowning dog, but its a start! BB as always loved the water, kicking and waggling about.

Home to some joe the dragon addition and then fraction fireworks, plus the stackers. she finds numeracy easiest when she thinks in sweets, even if in her head!

Lunch was another SB palavar, as she really is driving me nuts with the not being bothered to feed, wanting to be fed rigmarole. I might not be so fazed, but she did actually starve herself between 9 and 15 months [92nd to 5th centile]

weather so good we put up mudpud camp gazebo – to find there is a piece missing! [is it with you layla??] BB had some toys on a mat, SB and I did part of a mosaic style banner until boredom set in. we the read the usbourne pocket science why people are different and 3 red nose readers. though i was reading, she is at least guessing words now. lots of general play/tickling messing about interspersed between the 3 of us. [chris mending the pond fountain]. SB has got much better at balancing, and was even scootering well. I wore different trousers today!

SB then put on a horseriding show while chris persuaded BB to nap, we also peeled and chopped veg for tea [my pretend south american dish – sweey pots, butternut squash, carrots broad beans and sweetcorn in a gingery chilli sauce. should be with couscous , but had run out, so rice and tortillas that SB makes into ‘sushi’]. The broad beans were own grown and about 5% were maggoty. We never really had pests in leeds as too far from any other veg growers i guess, and new made plot. What got me [and stopped SB helping] were that they pinged themselves all over the place – lovely! Anyway, you could pretty much tell the pods infected from the outside. When I find my veg growing books i will look it up. We ate outside again as such lovely weather. This was followed by looking at varoius seedpods – water and land iris, hellebore, sweet pea [everlasting] and a general scout around the garden. SB solemnly warned me not to eat any. I also introduced her to drosophilla – as there were manky cherries in the pantry!

While Chris did bedtime stories tonight, I have been having a kissy/raspberry giggle and ticklefest with BB – she has a great chuckle. She is now asleeo on lap, and chris coming down the stairs. What a lovely day!

general updates: littke nanny happy in convalescant/rehab cottage hosp. we will be visiting wed. My sister 34 tomorrow. not guiness [AKA Murphys] seems to have departed.

time for a limoncino and coffee!!

OH AND WHY DOESN’T MY GRAVATAR WORK??????