Category Archives: science

bring back the birds!

Posted on January 25, 2009 by | 6 comments

we have had a v relaxing end to the week, and have chilled, read and gamed. SB has declared undying love for roald dahl, and is rampaging through his books, having read this weekend Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Fantastic Mr Fox and The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (Young Puffin Read Alone) she is going to make a list [who does she get that from] of all the roald dahl books we have, and then spend her book vouchers on getting the ones we don’t. not that she has stuck with fiction, other nose in a book moments with See Inside Your Body (Usborne Flap Books) and The Search for Radium: Marie Curie’s Story (Science Stories). but actually what she has mostly done this weekend [and this is a falling of perch moment plus extra drumrolls] is writing!!!!!!!! My daughter, the not keen on writing one, must have spent about 8 hours this weekend writing. SHe has written thankyou notes to all her friends who went to centreparcs [all of her own volition, and the one i caught site of was v effusive] as she wanted to let them all know how much she loved them – aaaah. please remember agape! those whose children receive them, will hopefully receive them more happily than the rainbow friend, who when SB told her she loved her, said that that was highly inappropriate [raised eyebrows emoticon!] lots of 2 way explanations involved which i thought rather saddened the whole thing. ANyway, proud of all her writing, we carried on with all the christmas thankyous. SB has also done some piano practice [last pieces in the gbdf book] and maths – spurred on by BB with her head in the clouds declaring that she was catching up!

yep, BB feels she is v clever in maths, and is happily working through her earlibird 1B, reminding me to do it with her. we are doing odd and even at the moment, but we had a minor blip when she insisted she was counting pairs of shoes, not individual ones, so 3 pairs are odd :roll: i think it is time to group then plant seeds!! aubergines and chillis to be precise! she did a bit of Get Ready for the Code – Book B which she is particularly keen on as there is a dinosaur on the front! we had done lots of reading together, including most of the quentin blake books we got from the book people, incl this one Mister Magnolia (Red Fox Mini Treasure) .

hmm, what else, oh, we did french, some conversation using l’arte de dire, and also I’m Too Big/Je Suis Trop Gros (I Can Read French) and we played lots of games [Orchard Toys Tell The Time , Blokus , Guess Who ] we tcikled, giggled, sylvanianed – the girls doing good compromise and cooperation – phew! BB did some brianbox electronics, and was most pleased to get a circuit that could light [she wasn't following instructions]PRIMARY2 KIT – Electronics & Science Construction Kit [bah to all that text in the link!!].

oh, and we fed the birds, and then attempted to find them for the rspb birdwatch. sigh! we saw 14 starlings, 3 blackbirds, 2 wrens [tho only sb saw them, it is a possibility] 1 robin, 2 collared doves, 3 woodpigeons and a chaffinch. and allegedly, but not so believably a thrush. we think we might try again!

each eve we have chilled with the tv – Dr Who first series [bit creepy are you my mummy] and tonight the 4th harry potter. so that us. back to work for me tomorrow – sigh

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, early maths skills, General, history, language, literacy, little languages, music, numeracy, pre reading, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

Smokin’ Science!

Posted on January 15, 2009 by | 3 comments

today was rather busy, another latinetc day, and i had 2 ‘speriments up my sleeve. katy was a bit worse for wear with a migraine [and merry got the start of something too] so since michelle and i were migrainous last week there is something in the air!

latin for the big ones to start, and science for the littlies. except i couldn’t get experiment one to work! it is from sarahs young scientist kits, and i know i need to search through her blog to find it![gotcha!!] as i was trying to use ballon over the bottom as well, and then used a plastic bag far more successfully! so the younger group got to see it work, but didn’t have the fun in it. luckilly merry to the rescue, and they all loved doing her sticking craft. i heard a great deal of fun happening in the music section too, and SB loved playing the bell tunes.

the big group used my model diaphragm/lung and did it. and due to chloes exceptional amount of hot air [i mean puff!] she inflated the balloon fully inside the bottle, and demonstrated the mvt of the diaphragm. not quite the way the speriment is supposed to demonstrate, but actually they all got far more out of that than seeing the little bit of mvt from moving the diaphragm! we chatted all the while about lungs and function and muscles, and then moved onto smoking. i had decided a sprinkling of health messages would be good, and had googled for smoking experiments, and abandoned that route!! so looked for anti smoking science fair, which was more successful, and adapted some recipes. so i made a pretend lung and it smoked a cigarette [outside] we talked about various illnesses, looked at a packet and a cigarette and smelled it unlit. interestingly, the only child that didn’t think it smelled dreadful has a smoking relative. then outside it burnt away and we saw our lung filling up with yellowy smoke, and our cotton wool around the cigarette was convincingly yellow and black. the children were most offput! when i catch up on flickr, there will be a set! a number of them thought, said or wrote some reasons not to smoke. SB did a flip book but on 1 page to cut and arrange of a lung getting more and more damaged.

lovely lunch, chat and separated to our diff afternoon events. merry and girls came here, and the girls played tho fran not so well, and did reading. and merry and i chatted about this and that, including the books in the post below! we also thought we might do a relaxed art activity here in the afternoon, as fran is spare parting at the mo, as SB plays down prob, with a love of barbies/sylvanians etc. in a fun relaxed way anyway!!

had a bit of a thing from work, so have been in once this evening, and might need to go in again. but hoping not.

SB had her new brownie pack this eve, and says she misses the old one, but we’ll see, and then judo – a firm fav. BB watched some numberjacks.

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, language, little languages, music, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

just legging it

Posted on January 12, 2009 by | 13 comments

but before i blog, i am going to ask for hE absolution, or summat, and i need an HE alternative to a few hail mary;s that work on HE. my girls are entering a v bickery phase, and it completely destroys me. i look back in the blog and i see one of my advantages of HE are the fantastic relationship the girls have. we just don’t seem to have that at the mo. it is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other, and i try hard not to play ‘the oldest’ card with SB [too often!] but also there is an entire non-share thing going on as well. aarrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

SO, i thought, if we alternate who to concentrate on, do things differently with each one, but in parallel, treat them age different etc we might get somewhere, but we don’t seem to be. [tho it might be soon to tell] what words of wisdom has anyone got. i have taken an unemotional step away to focus on how to improve this. would like a few potential strategies! [leaving them too it leads to the worst possible day imaginable!] NB, my interaction with the girls always ‘full on’ and that we are prob in each others space a lot.

so, now that plea for help is done, we can get on with the day can’t we!! lots of manic running around and i had a bit of a lie in [for a bit anyway] got up, breakfasted, discussed our lovely new book

which i have displayed, cos i think you should all get it, it is so fab. i want one too!! but actually we didn’t do it, because there was a sharing issue between accessory/spare watercolour paper should we want to use some more!! [i bought 2 of the books grrr] so i calmly said that we couldn’t do it then, unless we agreed to just do it in the book…

so instead we did some recently acquired crafts. BB did a foam dinosaur craft, and SB a glitterry butterfly craft, and we were all happy again, working in parallel, and me in the middle as the no mans zone… SB did some piano with me [very nicely] whilst BB wailed that i wasn’t playing a game with her. bB and i played a game together [not-snap with her dinosaur top trumps] and did some french counting and saying hello and some colours. SB was playing with her sindy’s and not doing the baking she said she had wanted to do, as i was playing with BB. SB and I read the end of Camille ne veut pas dormir , and discussed some french, and played then Beetle Drive Game with BB [hooray we all enjoyed it! it is a good mixed age and ability game].

then, following a contretemps, we watched a prog about cuckoos [rather than the conflicting girls choices] and that was good, particularly as one of the locations is just down the road… we all thought it was a bit yuk watching the baby cuckoo push its not sibling out of the nest!

SB has read her knowledge book [The Ultimate Book of Knowledge ] that she got yesterday, well she has read some of it, as it is big! and bb and i read stories too. then we did some tidying and throwing stuff away to get 2 usuable desks and rejig the box books for SB. then while i was out for 2 secs the biggest fight of the day lead to the loss of a ds and the dinosaur duplo. hoping they might get them back tomorrow rather than lose an mp3 player and some sylvanians…

We played ludo together, SB and I did some quick revision of latin [after i had looked up pingo - no, that can't be painting!!] and somehow it was teatime.

obviously there is always in our house a fair bit of snuggling, cuddling, tickling, rousting about and general play as well. but i have left the day feeling that i could have managed it so much better.

oh, on something that did work, we did some of the cold/ winter music thought stuff yesterday, and that went well.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, language, little languages, music, pre reading, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

Happy New Year!!

Posted on January 3, 2009 by | 7 comments

SORRY for my tardy blogging, extenuating circumstances ‘n all!!
where did I get to – reads own blog – ah thanks for all the well wishes! only Monday. i really am dreadful if there are a few days to catch up on. i had better read brightkite as well for clues!! [it wasn't that helpful]

SO, tues was a working day for me, and chris took the girls to his parents for a final play with uncle and cousins. much enjoyed! i got home v late!! [that was quick wasn't it!]

wed we did some home ed type stuff, as BB v keen to be able to read by 5 and win her DS. nearly everyone she knows seems to have one or access to one now, and she is most put out. however, entirely in her favour, she isn’t being grumpy, but pro-active. i liked the fact she got out her get ready for the code and said she was doing the whole book that wed! she didn’t – obviously! but did 4 pages, and can recognise a t now!! She also did more writing – being v keen on that, even with limited letters. they do look like words, though obviously not in a language i use! she also did various drawings and craftings. Oh, and a fair amount of ‘putering – mostly on poisson rouge.

SB did a bit of her spelling book, and read some of the crusaders book and then mostly got on with making chocolates, wrapping chocolates and decorating a box for the puddle girls. it took her most of the day, and she received negligible amounts of help. she thought to use the molds of the advent chocs, and made plain and milk choc. i was most impressed!

I made the thankyou card on publisher, unfortunately no photo printer paper, so relying on chris to get that so we can get thankyous out quickly – the girls have to write a smidge in them, rather than a whole wallop, so gets it done easily. i also cut bb’s hair at her great insistence at it was getting too long. SB doing some magic trick demonstration put her off sitting still, so a snotch later and adjustment it is shorter than planned, oh well, it does grow quickly.

in the afternoon, waiting for the puddles arrival we read loads of books. we did some french – based around a french book initially, but then cherchez le all over the rooming! we read lots of nice readers with bB – those quentin blake illustrated books from the book people [ Fantastic Daisy Artichoke , Zagazoo , Cockatoos (Red Fox picture books) ]Just So Stories stories and a rather lovely book The Glass Heart

merry and girls [and max – sorry] arrived – woohoo, though i still miss the merrymobile. and we got started!! the girls all ran off and played, with ds then dressing up and generally having fun. BB and josie took a bit more getting going, though the happy street and blokus seemed to help [merry won]. kids had a make your own pizza, toasted marshmallows, chocolates from SB and then watched fireworks provided by Max [we forgot this year - oops] . it was a touch cold!

packed off the younger 2 to bed, the older 4 got ready and ds-ed and very quietly got on with it – no idea when they fell asleep, but before midnight! merry and i played more blokus [my left hand playing as BB won] and we had a take away curry. Chris and i were not au fait with time, so we missed toasting the new year! – oops, but we did have baileys, mulled wine, ‘real’ wine and cups of tea [rofl] and a lovely evening. [we really know how to party, but...] anyway we chatted, chilled and were aspirational

Thurs morning i toddled off to work, but got back before lunch, and in fact before everyone was up. the girls were rampaging about, and ready for second breakfast. Josie and BB integrating well after a good sleep. CHris cooked about 2 billion pancakes for brunch, which were all devoured in the end. The Babs and family arrived during devoural phase, having heard via brightkite that some might be in the offing and nipping down the A14! We waved goodbye to the puddles having seen the new year in in lovely fashion – thanks v much for coming.

they were just going to stay for afternoon tea, but our new Agricola proved too tempting. we set up, puzzle over the rules, and decided to just get on with it. it took 5 hours to play the first game :lol: . During that time the children played fabulously, got their own food and drinks, and sorted things out. they were obviously v aware that parents were not likely to intervene. even more fabulously, when they did get parental attention, we were pleased to find the house still in one piece! bB and R are real cuties together, and BB has joined the throng of small girls with a crush on B – tempting him to play lego with her with the promise of dinosaurs! lots of dr who games in play anyway.

i have to say, harking back to agricola, that we all really enjoyed the game. the possible strategies became clearer. we doh-ed over various rules when we got it wrong, and although it took 5 hours playing the simple version [2 decks missing - wow what a game with the other 2 in!!] i think one hour of that was setting up and working out the rules and confirming them and just fiddling, and then we prob could knock another hour off for not knowing what things did etc. so a 3 hour game on the simple rules. AM strongly thinking of taking it to Manor Borns tomorrow, but i think they prefer the shorter games?

chris is suggesting more games : 10 days in… under the ‘will be educational’ ruse!! [a ruse i obviously never use!]. ooh, there is a europe version as well 10 Days in Europe . i think Em is raving about the Stone Age game she got as a birthday present…

Where was I. oh yes, we took so long playing the game, that it was a late dinner for the kids. ANd also declared too late for The Babs and co to go home, so sleepover declared – woohoo! the children seemed to have found a number of sweet and savoury options in the day however, so not too dreadful over late dinner rustled up from left overs – not our best catering acheivement. we had them playing outside with headtorches to use up some energy before dinner and then bed. B was excited by SB’s The Magic Tree House Library: Books 1-28 collection – so went ot bed with one of those, whilst E and SB ds-ed. cutely, when we adults went upstairs, E was asleep clutching open ds – obviously had just collapsed asleep mid play!

Fri: unfotunately despite earlyish night and no alcohol due to work [and luckilly not called in] i awoke with storming migraine, and took every med at my disposal, so missed saying goodbye to Barbara and chris – sorry. it was really lovely having you over. I slept until about 2, and have taken more meds constantly since then, so am in ‘bearable but grouchy’ condition. the house was tidied, and children did some home ed things – sb pulled out the Junior English Book 1 she hadn’t been keen on before and did the first section of the first chapter. [i didn't realise galore park was available from amazon too] BB did some more Get Ready for the Code – Book a which she enjoys, and both girls did some writing. SB did a smidgen of singapore maths. BB practiced counting to 40 [as this is her new 'stair' target] and they both counted to 40 in french. we pretended this is SB’s stair target – not that she really ever gets sent to the stairs!! [we only introduced this as BB required different parenting, mainly because she is so strong willed and determined that sometimes we each need a short break to remember we are adults, so a count to 20 [now 40] on the stairs and return and both say sorry accomplishes this]

BB fancied doing a science kit, and chose the music one [University of Oxford Kids Pocket Science Kit MUSIC ]. SB and chris set up the lap top and her new microscope [ link for kirsty: QX-5 Computer Microscope ] in the kitchen. this was her main xmas pressie, and she was v delighted by it. she looked at salt, bicarb, hair, prev made crystals and their slide. it worked perfectly and easily so happiness all round. since at least one person out their is looking to buy something along that lines, 2 things really – at 200 the lighting isn’t quite bright enough. it is oK, but could be a bit brighter. and the clips to hold the slide aren’t brill – though OK. i could be being picky, as the only microscopes i have used in a long while are particularly top of range! i can’t remember altering a slide’s position by hand for example, so i may have a high bar here!! SB found it v easy and intuitive to use, and quickly started to use the computer interface too, so i think ideal for her for quite a while. we are certainly all pleased with the purchase! BB also wanted a go, but was firmly discouraged – at least for now – as this is SB’s present. she did enjoy looking at the pics though [ah donner and blitzen, migraine returned full force suddenly, will wrap this up.]

both did a bit of xmas xraft presenting – felt flowers precut to be threaded to make jewellery for BB, and a felt crafting kit for SB. SB tested me on my french knowledge today – she chose words from the Picture Dictionary in French (Picture Dictionaries) , and I had to get the french. only one wrong out of 10 – oops. she thinks i may need more practice… [it was fire engine as i guessed with lorry of firemen]

i have just gone back and bolded. i just prefer my long blogs to be BOLD!! :lol:

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean's HE, Cooking, daubing and making, early maths skills, General, language, literacy, little languages, numeracy, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE, writing

I am appraised!

Posted on December 18, 2008 by | 3 comments

and was not found wanting, thank goodness!!

so what have we been doing – checks to seen when anything blogly written!

AH yes, well the brownies christmas carol concert went well, though i wasn’t there to see it. chris took his mum and nephew instead. it was apparently much fun to sing in, and it didn’t matter that she didn’t sing her solo bt – good. bb joined in with all the carols too. i got home very very late, and then had to do lots of appraisal related stuff.

wed was latinetc, which i enjoyed as always. was a bit tired, but the children had fun. they listened to their hearts with a stethoscope and then excercised and listened again – always easier than failing to find pulses, though we had a go at that. unfortunately the sphygmanometer failed to work after the littlies session, but still with some effort we proved blood flow!! we talked about the names of the vessels, red blood cells, oxygen and lactic acid. All the kids got together to do the horrible hearts and similar kits in the garden, and giggled about them, as they don’t do multiple use well!! [and i got pink hands - which are still pink!]

SB said she really enjoyed the latin, always good. we must have a resume obviously of grammar words, as we haven;t done much on that having been bored with language lessons, but i will jump ahead and find bits for her! BB was v v in need of hugs and cuddles, and i didn’t think we were going to be separated, but she did stay to hear katy read meg et mog, and then play the french game. Katy, i think we left the book at your house?? [no urgency for return, but don't want to have lost it!]

Children did lots of outdoor play, and some did crafting indoors – including bB. when we went home I was VERY impressed that i fitted the whole suma order into the car, as well as the girls! When we got home, BB insisted on doing recorder practice, so SB did some maths. we then cuddled, read books and generally chilled.

Last night i went out with work colleagues to a turkish restaurant not far from here. and it was utterly delicious. apparently there is belly dancing on a thurs night…

today the girls are with grandparents. chris is feeling a bit better having been quite under the weather. we are planning to wrap the girls pressies tonight, do xmas cards for work and perhaps have an early night for a change…

edited to add – still wrapping, and chris has a lovely haircut!!

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, early maths skills, General, language, literacy, little languages, noises and sounds, numeracy, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

briefly as time is short

Posted on December 16, 2008 by | 5 comments

and it really is, the full OMG of what needs doing hit me when i updated our christmas planning list! i am going to see how many of the meals i can make whilst glittering with the girls from sat onwards!! chris will prob do the mince pies and perhaps cheese scones for the freezer, but he isn’t well at the moment. i am not allowed to make him laugh as he then has this weird woofing cough.

brr, it is cold in here tonight, missing the fire, and my insomnia struck again last night grr! today the girls seem to have done bits and pieces. SB has done her piano practice and maths and handwriting. she also appears to have told the leader of brownies that she doesn;t want to do her solo at brownies party last wed. apparently it didn’t go down well and she was told off. i suggested that next time she discuss with us, as i had no idea she wasn’t doing it, and nor did chris, until sunday. i think it because she lost the words. anyway, i am being proud of her for telling the leader her self, headbanging that she has done it so late, and made life tricky, but tbh, if i was brownie leader, i would prob have backup plans for things like this, so not too bothered. shame she didn’t tell us though!

and i think they have spent a vast amount of time doing xmas cards. they watched some science clips or other which they both enjoyed, and we all played games. i read – a bit late – the st lucia bit of While the Bear Sleeps: Winter Tales and Traditions to them. SB has really enjoyed the usborne books we bought from joanna. SHe has now started the Crusaders (Usborne Young Reading: Series Three) one, after we read the start of the section on crusaders in SOTW2 [The Story of the World: Middle Ages from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance v. 2: History for the Classical Child (Story of the World: History for the Classical Child (Paperback)) ]. I see what you mean Merry!! I think the Usborne version is a bit more even handed!! we had also finished the samurai section, which went well with one of the other books Samurai (Young Reading (Series 3))
from jo. i would really recommend the usborne young readers books. they seem to have a nice reading style, enough pictures for the facts! we have also been dipping into Crusaders, Samurai and Aztecs (The Childrens Picture World History) that we got as a remaindered book from a library.
bit more french practice in a mild way, and the day was done. chris is doing the big sainsbury order at the mo. i should still be doing appraisal stuff [boohoo]

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean's HE, daubing and making, General, geography, history, language, little languages, music, numeracy, pre reading, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

hearting

Posted on December 10, 2008 by | 11 comments

today i took my first and second anatomy classes ever! and no-one managed to accidentally dissect off their own fingers either. no fainting, and i think they all did well. we did have some ground rules – if you stopped wanting to do it, stop doing it and tell me. if you want me to do it and show you, tell me, and when you’ve ‘found something’ let me tell you what it is. so we found lots of things. I just managed without gloves as there was only enough for kids by going ‘in role’ and that way i could also block out the smell of the abbatoir! not that i have ever been in one, but still… since the majority of the kids were veggies like me i think we all have a pat on the back. but they did all seem to v much enjoy it, and they found everything. we only had one leaver, and that was after everything found, and i think the smell was becoming a bit much. hopefully no nightmares… the littlies did other stuff as well with listening to hearts etc, and i must listen to one of them again, as well as getting the biguns to do it. this is a rather fab website with various sounds on it, as is this one, and i will revise before next week!.

Michelle kindly took all the pictures this time, as my hands were somewhat too mucky for the camera – though actually they didn’t make much mess at all [to my surprise]. hopefully i will get a juicy big email of them, or something!! ANyway, the piece de resistance came at the end, as one had a lung attached and most people had a go at inflating it with a straw. [ady mr health and safety prob wouldn't think this such a good idea, but they each had their own straw!] anyway, c and SB inflated one side fully to everyone’s delight. i def did not want a go – yuk!

we cleared it all away and opened windows and doors, and maybe i should have taken a scented candle, but the smell did dissipate, and thanks katy for hosting something that wasn’t particularly pleasant! the biguns did latin – sb said it was chapter 4, and v happy with that, and the littlies did french – bb even stayed in the french, which made life easier for me.

J had made a fab cake to celebrate gina’s birthday, so we sang to her and enjoyed the cake! some playing and we came home to find the loft insulators leaving – hoping to cut down on a few bills. must put up the curtains for doors as well.

SB had a brownies party and then received her judo certificate. I have to say the judo cert is fab. i must photo and flickr. it is a work of art [and free]. i am still migrainous, but settling, so back to work tomorrow, so i must do some stuff for work [hence early blog, as a distraction!]

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, early maths skills, General, language, little languages, online resources, pre reading, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

shaking off the rain and making the most of things

Posted on November 26, 2008 by | 5 comments

as you can imagine, after yesterday, my black dog on the shoulder seems to have turned into a clydesdale horse! so i decided to be as computer free and child available as possible, with my facilitator hat on. it has actually meant we have had a v productive yet fun day, but i am totally bushwhacked from being so engaged! in reality, i think disappearing off to an alternate reality with a book might help my weariness, but not my heartache.

having fallen asleep [wayhay for actually sleeping] playing civ 4 last night – a go at alternate reality, but actually i prefered the earlier civs – i was woken up by bouncing children at 9.30. managed to keep them bouncing in a mole game, rather than having to get up straight away! On coming downstairs, SB and i started with piano practice together. now she isn’t playing the violin [and i v much miss that] we are making a concerted effort to practice the piano daily. this is already paying off! bB was a bit grumpy that i was doing piano practice with SB, so once she had got going on it i played the most dificult game of hangman with BB. she was in charge of the hang, and the only letter of the alphabet in her 17 letter word was 1 m! so i lost.

BB then leappadded, and chose the phonics series. being BB she chose number 7 rather than actually look at some of the letters of the alphabet! she is def going to learn to read her own way. she wants the dinosaur leappad book that sb has but never looks at. SB meanwhile was doing maths. they have got to thousands – woohoo and all! so she raced through that, as having grasped hundreds, tens and units, thousands is really just more of the same. SB then insisted on more ballet practice whilst BB said she was doing her ‘writing practice’ – ie squiggles on a white board! SB settled into some spelling – she enjoys these wizard whimstaff, and BB and i did a bit of piano fun. I then did some violin practice [faint!] as have strings. boy am i rusty!! i think i now have finger strain – rofl!! WHilst i was doing that, bB was quite happily following instructions on the brainbox primary electronics kit to make a ‘whizzer’ with only a little bit of support from SB.

After lunch it was baking time. SB chose a recipe of chocolate marzipan biscuits – something nice and complicated! and through the afternoon did it pretty much on her own. BB and i opted for the simpler peanut butter cookies. SImpler in recipe, but obviously complicated by BB’s desire to lick things all the time [so i have a series of spoons that are single use licking spoons to keep the biscuits edible!] and her sometimes idiosyncratic weighing and measuring :smile:

SB’s mixture had to rest for a while in the middle, so we all read one of my french books from the little linguist – berthe makes a pizza – which we loved. [here it is on amazon] and SB did a recorder practice. the new outerwear from muddypuddles arrived, so SB now has some camo trousers, my pink girl really has vanished! BB got a free glove puppet, so equally happy.

SB finished her biscuits whilst bb and i had a romp and read a book together, then we all had tea before SB went out to Judo. BB off to bed, and SB watched some nina and the neurons when she got back.

SO there you go, a busy day in our household! flickr pics of the day

oh, and any advice on trampolines. still humming and hawing. jumpking ovalpod oval vs bazoongi deluxe 12 foot with funring [ouch for more money, but ? its worth it?]

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Posted in Butterbean's HE, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, language, literacy, little languages, music, noises and sounds, numeracy, pre reading, SB-PE, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

not a snowy winter walk

Posted on November 23, 2008 by | Leave a comment

we woke up to snow, and were really hopeful that our monthly RSPB walk would be snowy, but then it rained and was just v cold! Whilst michelle and i did half empty glass brightkites, marcus was much more positive. and you know, he was right! apart from some setting out rain it was fine, and sunny in parts! by the end, my toes were a bit on the cold side though! BB had a walking crisis, but managed in the end!

i am getting ahead, we fitted in HE on the sly! we did a v short piano practice – for each girl, and did some french conversation for at least 30 mins in the car and french games. And, when we were at M and M’s SB did ballet practice.

AHA! i did nearly forget to blog that bB and SB had a delightful conversation about greenhouse gases in the car. currently, when sb grows up she is going to be a research scientist and sort out the problem with greenhouse gases. mms says bb, because they are naughty – yes says sb and does a bit of greenhouse gas talk and melting things. mm says bb, so it is good it has snowed because that sucks up the greenhouse gases, eerrrr, well not quite! v cute together anyway. bb is going to be a dinodoor bone finder btw! later bb decided the problem with greenhouse gases were that they were smelly! err, well, i guess some of them!

So we had a lovely fresh walk, with some coffee to warm up on the way. SB and C climbed trees – something they are rather keen on! well, one tree in particular, and then ran about a bit before going back to the car.

we went to M and M’s house for dinner, chat, world righting and the kids played well together, and lots of games. very nice evening, thanks v much!

now i just need to get flickring!!

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Posted in Dance/drama, General, language, little languages, music, noises and sounds, Out and About, pre reading, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

penguins dropping from the sky

Posted on November 19, 2008 by | 3 comments

today was busy busy! after such a late bedtime, i am surprised we all got up, as sb also had v late bedtime, and bb woke up as we went to our v late bedtime! but, a fianl tidying push, stuff set out for science and sort of party food! BB opened her presents, and was particularly ecstatic but the sylvanian stuff from both sets of grandparents was a clear winner [as anticipated], and the mp3 from my sister. however, she is now working though the pepa pig set with great keenness! SB and i did some MORE pas de basques, cifras and clappy dance practice – and she has really got the pas de basque thing. just the rest to go! SB’s my pals are here 3 and 4 arrived from singapore and she was very happy!

the latinetc group arrived and we kicked off with science. i thought a fun session of dropping and consolidating the things we had learnt was in order, so we dropped crumpled vs tightly packed paper, and then made parachutes with different size and weight material squares. the children are getting better at making a hypothesis and thinking why they chose that, even if wrong! they certainly enjoyed all the dropping, and were confident with the concepts. then we made paper aeroplanes, which stretched me some, as the origami instructions were complicated! at this point merry arrived, so hers also had aeroplanes which whizzed about a bit. SLight mayhem and chaos later, and a latin session. i was v giggly to here amo amas amat [amamus, amatis amant] from the living room!

finally the ravening children were fed – we had missed out snack time – oops! and fully satiated went on to head shed loads of cake. though my pingu cake looked good, most children ate icing only. i tasted it and thought it was a lovely sponge! BB v keen on the full dark room and lit candeld cake being brought in and all, so we duly did this.

so mostly an afternoon of playing for children – inside and out – and chatting for adults. thankyou to Anne and A who also attended, and chris’s parents. we had a lovely chilled day. BB fell asleep pretty much as guests left, SB did some maths and the judo. BB is awake and playing again :roll:

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Posted in Books, Butterbean's HE, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, language, numeracy, pre reading, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE