we went to CHEF Christmas party. SO lots of fun and making things, singing carols, [playing, eating – all in no particular order!
Got home late and adjusted SB’s character skirt for her to twirl about in, then had roaring fire and watched some History of Britan [or whatever its called] with Alan Titchmarsh – SB really enjoyed it.
Read some of the cutaway transport book to SB, and then mostly chilled and wrapped a few presents, listened to chtismas songs etc.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, photos, socialisation, Stringbean's HE
Well, I am anyway. Perhaps in common with a number of others on this blogring Chrsitmas has snuck up on me. I have a craft cupboard full of good intentions. We do have trees up, and SB has done lots of Xmas cards – even if not posted [first 2 handed out today though] and I am mostly done on pressies. no cooking/baking preparation. House a mess.
I have also been letting the side down with spending so much time at work. 2-3 days a week I don’t make it home in time to see SB, which makes me feel very dislocated from family life.
I have been appraised – and passed. Wait to see how job planning going for next year [AKA how many hours they think they can wrangle out of me for nothing]. I just missed being excellent enough for an excellence award – but a miss is as good as a mile [or something?], so feeling grumpy.
SO onto better things. BB is weaned, and failry happily. A couple of feeds snuck at Barbara’s but none other now for a month. Kind of sad and kind of happy, but def right! She is a total cutie, and talks beautiful toddler talk, and has wierd dancing shuffle runs and mooch walks that she does to show her mood – saying OTay as she goes off to do something. Still very edible.
SB has been reading more, and enjoying a number of books from the library – including a good transport Xray book, and ocean book and archaeoloogy book. should have done another story in while the bear sleeps tonight, but she preferred the xray transport as a bedtime story! She’s enjoyed watching robin Hood as well as various of the David Attenborough natural history DVD’s. I need to spend more time with her, as I also miss our reading and craft sessions. She had her dancing thing last before week – which I did manage to get back for [terrible temporary camera!]
today we went to Merry’s. I am glad she lives relatively close, and we really should see each other more – maybe when I am made redundant or summat… instant disappearance of SB with the older girls. Fran tried to encourage them to put on a show, but SB and Amelie weren’t being very thespian! They then all disappeared off pretty much for the whole day. SB did look gorgeous in Fran’s skating outfit though. BB and Josie mostly played together – though BB did terrorize her a bit – she is obviously getting a nasty habit of face scratching – not often, last infact with R at Barbara’s. mostly over a Dora laptop though!
Merry and I gossiped a lot, Looked forward to Melrose and did a bit of fimo – Merry made a very beautiful statuette and I did some fiddly angels that fell apart in backing and made me stroppy! The bordeaux red in the classic range is a perfect angel colour. Merry intervention and they are now hanging on our Xmas tree! [they look rather brill actually on the tree, the white one looks best, we used superglue with no ill effects]
oh, Chris went out and did his usual timewarp thing, but did return with camera. Didn’t get the paper i asked him too though! oh we got SB’s mug back, and it looks lovely [from that painting place] and SB’s choice of colours works really well.
Anyway, thanks Merry for a lovely day. Everyone should have a fimo angel or 2 on their tree, and listening to carols is good for lifting the mood! [as well as spending the day with friends]. I am now going to watch telly and make a few angels. I am sure I have bought this colour, so will search it out!
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Dance/drama, General, history, literacy, Out and About, socialisation, Stringbean's HE
BB still a pest with sleeping, so Chris was up very early, and even the rest of us were quite prompt. I have migraine – almost continually, so must be stress.
Morning was mostly playing with BB’s birthday presents – traintrack, etch-a-sketch, building blocks and some play food, as well as her ‘den’. Some reading aloud of various library books as well.
The a race to the painting session Merry had organised. We thought we were going to be late, but were the first – total shock horror! Poor SB was travel sick when we got there – nicely decorated the carpark. SB was really happy decorating her mug and had a clear idea of what she wanted to do, and how i should help her. BB was a challenge to keep happy – and Chris mostly did that, as with migraine in hot room I was better holding head still. I’m sorry Merry, but I am going to have a little rantlet here – I feel a bit bad doing it, as SB really enjoyed the activity, and the place was nice, and you organised it, BUT…
1. Why did she go on SO much about not being able to pronounce some people’s names, and saying she was going to give them numbers? She didn’t even try SB.
2. She made a huge deal at the beginning of being [to my view] slightly snide about HE – could they tell her anything about winter, did they know anything, did their mummies do all the work.
3. The huge deal at all having to draw a thin neat line before they were allowed to paint on pot. SB started to get nervous about this, so I got her to just start [which earnt me a frown!] And SB then asked me if we were going to get told off!!! We did actually, for using ‘the wrong colour’ SB had wanted to do snowflakes and stars at night. We were told she couldn’t use black – fair enough – so she chose a dark blue. OK, so maybe it isn’t going to look like the others, and perhaps the colour is overpowering – we will have to see – but after all it is actually what SB wanted to do, its never going to be in ‘work of art’ category, but I and she will be proud of it anyway, so whats the big deal? She didn’t come round to us after that, but was cross that I shew SB how to add rays to her star, and then did a bit of line that SB was worried she couldn’t do thin enough – I was told it was no longer SB’s mug as I had helped/done it. It was her design, her choice of colours, and I scaffolded at times so we had fun doing it together. What is so wrong with that?
Hmm, actually reading that, I am more pissed off than I thought. One girl nearly refused to do the thing altogether she was so worried about not being able to do a thin enough line! At one point I found myself getting worried about the state of SB’s lines – FFS! At least she was trying. The older lady when she came round was much mellower and encouraging.
I have to say, in case Merry doesn’t boast about it, Amelie did a really stunning snowman. But SB loved doing it and wants to go back and do more.
on the way back we picked up a freecycle microscope, which SB is going to have great fun with. We had a preliminary play after Chris cleaned it up and got it working again.
For bedtime story, I am reading SB charlie and the chocolate factory. However, I feel an overwhelming desire to call them the bouquet family, so TV sets about its insidious corruption!!
edited to add. Actually, migraine prob making me partic grumpy. I think the place was v nice, and prob it was this ‘I shall educate them’ thing that was narking me – my autonomous mothering coming though! Those that did do it the ‘envisaged’ way though were helped very well. They had loads of things to choose from, loads of paints, we were never hurried a long, and were made to feel very welcome, in spite of nearly as many non painting children as those painting! We got lots of 1:1 care as a group.I am still narked about items 1-3, but at the end of the day, SB said she’d had a lovely time, and her and Maddy were going round wondering what they could do next time, so = success from her point of view!
Posted in art and crafts, Books, General, Out and About, science, socialisation
of course, after Merry’s blog, i should just post a glowing account of today so you all wondered why she would say that it wasn’t true! of course, we did have a glowing account kind of day, which makes me wonder which bits she doesn’t want to be true. Of course, I guess asking us to bring lunch just as we’re setting out may not sound perfect hostessy, but hey, it was easier for us to do that than she drag 4 children to local shops. An she did go out to get dinner. of course, telling me that her stock room was a disaster and she’d just recieved 600 boxes of stuff, which I could only look at after they were on shelves, and I could watch her work all day if i wanted, was probably guarenteed to make me put stuff away, and then, knowing how aspergerish I can be, organise bits so that like was with like and it was all beautifully in rows etc!! and the see what she was short of…..I enjoyed it, chatting as i went, and it didn’t persuade me to buy more than i had intended either! I would like a stock room i think! She didn’t quite persuade me totidy the cupboard though – organising = fine, tidying = no no!
I did my the fimo multipack though as it has lots of colours, as well as some skin tones. the dragon kit is ace. oh and when she puts them up, the jewellery kits look brill too.
and we had a totaly fab day of gossip and company for adults, Josie and BB were having a lovely time playing together – particularly with josie’s cooker. they sang together, played boats together, messed up my nicely ordered fimo shelves together!!!
The older girls also played all day with no fuss. mostly playmobil [of which SB now wants loads] fran made a lovely game of fairies, with them all re-enacting a fairy book. other games played.
in fact it was a pretty much perfect day. why wouldn’t be true?
Posted in Butterbean, General, Out and About, socialisation
Yeah, chris was VERY late back yesterday, but forgiven. SB had a lovely time. SHe did tell me tonight that she had been frightened by some of the costumes, but hadn’t wanted to hold Merry’s hand as she was being a big girls like Fran and Maddy. She did winge that her sweets were all swapped about and then she didn’t get to eat many – but as far as I can see, she ate LOADS. So thanks to Maddy for helping!! but she said she REALLY liked it, but she missed having made up stories and me – ahh, she knows how to woo me.
We went to pick her up and generally chatted with Merry. I really MUSTN’T every go in that darned stock room again, as I have bought more fimo – for me and Xmas pressies, but also this for BB as it is just gorgeous and I don’t think description does it justice.[and yes Nic, I have read your blog on wooden things for the parents, but I think BB will like this, and anyway...]. Rather scarily, it says customers who purchased this also bought… and its my just made order! so if you’re quick you can see what else I bought. Luckilly Merry doesn’t sell [and I haven't bought] and ‘adult’ products!!!!!!! However, I have just reviewed it in text language.
Anyway all the girls had a play. SB sang to us, BB just was adorable. We ate well and talked well. Sign of a lovely day.
Little Nanny is recovering well after her knee op as well, though not walking yet – and the hospital plans to discharge her on Friday. Deep Breath!
Posted in art and crafts, General, Out and About, socialisation
A couple of days ago, Stringbean was sitting at the table, with Butterbean. SB was teaching BB about numbers. She wrote down the numbers on a piece of paper, and showed them to BB and went through them telling her they were numbers. Oddly BB seemed to take it in, when I pointed to words and numbers in a book, she said yes and no when asked if they were numbers at the appropriate points. Or was it just a fluke?
Other than that, what else, some more maths – she has done some MPH stuff on weighing and mass, and multiplication. We have eased off on Explode the Code, as it seems to be going ahead of her a bit now, so we are concentrating more on a bit more reading, seeing as she seems to have moved on to actually reading things. She picks up (very) simple books and can read them, and is reading all sorts of other things, so we think she might appriciate a bit more focus on it – we do have some books we have stashed away for her to read herself, so time probably to break out some of those.
Spent rather to much time yesterday morning watching kiddy TV, I got bogged down it fiddling with the wireless network. The wireless AP fell onto the floor and something inside got dislodged. Tracked that down and sorted that, but then got bogged down with getting it all up and running again. I hate wireless networking – it can work fine for ages, and then it decides to not work. And the AP struggles at times with all our solid walls etc. to give coverage over our house, at the moment it has been relocated until I can rejig the network wiring feeding the old box currently in the sitting room feeding downloaded stuff to the TV. so now if you wear the wrong shirt or something the wireless just gives up. Pah! And (while I’m at it) our ISP is giving us a pants ADSL service at the moment…..
She watched some of the Walking with Beasts DVD as well yesterday.
Today was library/storytime day. BB insistent that she take her Muddlepuddle bookbag with her – dragging it along behind her 
Afterwards, coffe, some reading of library books, lunch, BB and SB played for bit mostly making patterns with cuisenaire rods. My mum and dad came round, SB showed off her firefly costume, did some maths and then we headed off to the Puddle, where a very excited BB is going out Trick or Treating with Merry and the girls, followed by a sleepover – first time at someone else’s other than my parents. We are going over to pick her up tomorrow. All the girls were so excited, we were engulfed by a gaggle of noisy excited children (including an unsurprisingly naked Josie :roll:) as soon as we got there, and they seemed to spend the next hour crashing noisly about the place
I got in touble for saying I was coming home and then spending and hour (oops…) drinking tea and chatting with Max though….
And here is our little Firefly. Would probably been better if we’d cleared the wooden train track out of the way first…..
[vimeo]113927[/vimeo]
Posted in Books, Butterbean, cute, Dance/drama, literacy, numeracy, socialisation, Stringbean, video
its just a good b movie title! we had a lovely drop by on their way back from hallowween camp. SB had insited on making chocolate spread cake, and it didn’t work at all this time. Nic and Ady manfully ate it though and i don’t think the children cared as it was ‘cake’.
lots of running about by the children, playing will all sorts of bits – the wacky wigglers still a favourite – and a brief slow down with a film. they wet to bed far to late as were being very happy an not disturbing our natter!. A chippery supper and final collapse.
A VERY late start in the morning for the adults, though children up with the larks. A bad start for me since was woken by BB infrming me there was poo in her nappy, and proving it by showing me a handful – lovely! After a sluice down we went downstairs. What I hadn’t realised, was that there were a few other places in the house where she had investigated the contents of her nappy. This came to light when Teeny asked what was on her foot…. SO a trawl around cleaning the house and we were ready for the day [if slightly mortified]. Pancakes and play. A very tired monster! After lunch we said goodbye and settled down for a relaxing afternoon, as SB also needing a chill out in front of a david attenbrorough film [mammals]
BB was a total pest going to sleep. I had had a lovely [very long!] phone call, and BB woke up 3 secs after we got cut off [for exceeding the allowable length of phone calls - 2 hours] and then wouldn’t go to sleep.
my system adminstrator has for once done something useful, and attached the old computer stack to the television [somehow - too technical for me] so we could watch battlestar galactica downloads directly rather than putting tehm on DVD. fantastic. Since BB would nOT sleep, we did this till 2 – oops. She was a pain even when we had gone to bed, so me and Chris tired today.
Posted in Cooking, General, socialisation
We had Katy and B [or do you want me to use other names?]. The girls had a great time. As Jax blogged, she, tim , Big and Small crashed Friday – and were very welcome. This time leaving with nearly all their belongings! The triso of SB, K and Big disappeared instantly to play, and Small and BB had fun with the wacky wigglers again. it seemed very odd to be cameraless though. The girls had a very late night…
The next day there was a great deal of playing, with a judicious use of a DVD as a break, and some colouring time – making things that fly [a rather nice little 'experiment' set for both flight and visual permanence]. Actualy it was all of ours first time with iceage 2, and SB picked up on the Noah’s ark reference very quickly, and thought it very funny. Lots of playing with BB and a great deal of chatting! Home made pizza and a slightly earlier bedtime.
today more fun, particularly with fun blox and hama, so I felt a bit guilty sending Katy on her way home via Merry’s incase the stock cupboard proved too alluring! SB and BB were flaked so more hama and read books before the girls collapsed. Unfortunately BB reawoke and has only just sucumbed to morpheus again, so I am afraid Jax I haven’t looked at my rainbow resources catalogue.
Posted in General, socialisation
came to visit for the weekend. we will flickr, but I was a bit lax with my photography. the children disapperaed, BB is desperate to be one of the gang. Sb and Small took a few adjustments as she had him pegged as a BB game wrecker. Big and SB raced around having fun and very late nights! Jax taught us to make the heat little wool dolls. And we nattered. lovely weekend!
will stuff in a flickr photo when I get it though
before her arrival, some friends from leeds popped by on their way past, which was lovely. We all used to be in choir together. Their son is similar in age to BB. Much fun was had with bubbles.
forgot to blog that I had played some lovely games of set and scrabble with SB, baked with BB and done a fair bit of ‘normals’ with SB.
from the garden we have even harvested a pumpkin! Loads of brocolli is ready now as well, as a bonus
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, history, literacy, numeracy, socialisation, Stringbean, writing
Ok, we didn’t actually get wet in the end, but I couldn’t resist the alliteration.
Yesterday we went on a trip with other local HE families to Wicken Fen. A National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust that preserves a bit of the old Fenland landscape that has mostly gone now .
But getting wet was a close run thing, before we left it was chucking it down, as it was much of the way there, but it was easing off as we got nearer ‘ look, the sky is getting lighter’ was the refrain from the back of the car. Still little rainy when we got there (just a bit early as well for us..), by the time we had all assembled (luckily inside) it had stopped. The older ones were starting off with screen printing, whilst the younger went off for some pond dipping.
They are well set up for this so have nice big rectangular pond with wooden edges etc. for easy dipping. I think everyone managed to find various little beasties – Dragonfly Nymphs, mayfly nymphs, Water boatmen, Great Diving Beetles, tiny little Pea Mussels, water snails, and various other unidentified small wriggly/swimmy things.
Good fun and no one fell in, everytime I moved off to take a photo I thought BB would go for it.
After dipping we went off to do bit of clay modeling. The idea was to make clay models of beasties or whatever, some did, lots just made random clay things. I think screen printing sounded more fun.
After this we headed back to main building, I was going to suggest snack and tea stop but there was a sort of treasure hunt thing organized around the boardwalk on the reserve – where the kids had to find hidden wooden animals, by the time me and BB caught SB up, who had gone on ahead she was ready and raring to go, so we did that instead. I’m a little dubious of these sorts of ‘ let’s find all these x things’ as I feel it can just mean the kids go around looking for them and you miss out on the point of whatever place you are going to. But that’s probably me just being grumpy old man.
Anyway, SB enjoyed it running along with the bunch of the older-younger ones (IYSWIM) looking for them. Mostly she was way ahead of me and BB, as we pootled along, chatted with other pootlers etc. She did have daft SB wail at one point when looking for something and boy point it out – ‘ Wail, wail – I wanted to find it myself and now I can’t…..’
But that was easily out done by her later escapade. Heard SB wail in the distance, and some one said she had fallen off the boardwalk. Amongst the wails I was regaled of tale of really quite excellent dimness. She was ‘ running my fastest’ and so ‘ I had to have my eyes closed’ (WTF? ) – and so yes she fell off the edge of the board walk…..
I did well I thought to keep straight face, while trying to be sympathetic.
I’m sure Katy was sniggering up ahead.
By the time we had hunted all the animals down, I certainly was ready for lunch, so it was time for a nice cup of tea Though it was rather damp to sit outside and BB was bit on the restless side and wanted to be outside, so a fairly short and not esp.. relaxing lunch. And the rain started up again just as we left.
Once home we just really flopped, watched an episode of Life of Mammals, played with BB etc. After dinner SB insisted she wanted to go outside ,so she was scootering around the garden in the almost darkness. Whilst BB pottered around slightly bemusedly I think.
It was a good day, the place was interesting, they had some great large cutaway models of things like the inside of a fly etc. Certainly worth another visit. SB is now quite good friends with some of the other kids and they make good little gang. Shame Helen wasn’t able to come (it is normally her day off of course), she was being an examiner type person.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, geography, Out and About, photos, science, socialisation, Stringbean