Category Archives: socialisation

The hours before the dawn…

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Daddybean | Leave a comment

Well, the positive first. Butterbeans endless desire at times to feed away the night has been somewhat controlled the last few nights, but dint of BB not getting to see Helen.Wed night when she started to fuss I just took her off to the spare room, when she settled down again without to much fuss. Moved her cot yesterday into another room (the ‘spare bathroom’) ok didn’t actually sleep in it a lot, but she was in it asleep when we went to bed. Sadly she woke at around 3.30 am and I gave her a cuddle in the bed in the room but she didn’t overly make? fuss, but didn’t feel the need to go back to sleep until I took her back into Helen and 6.15 when of course? she then felll asleep when getting up time was going to be 7.30…….

Main event of the day was the Puddlers group, where there were some rather good actvities arranaged on the topic of Healthy Eating . I particularly liked Lydias blindfolded fruit tasting one.

Stringbean made a beeline of course for the sticking activity – it was supposed to be ’5 a day’ maybe she’s forgotten how to count to 5? And she doesn’t even like mushrooms. She wasn’t really to interested in anything to educational, she wasn’t even sure what the theme was when Helen asked her at home

As Merry has mentioned there were some new families there today as well as plenty of the regulars, so there was a good buzz in the hall. I’m just quite useless at getting around to chatting to people, or remembering their names, lots of babies and littlies as well. Plenty of running around and playing tag etc. A nice time.

BB was entertaining in Sainsburys on the way home, she’d see things she would like the look of and recognise – such as oranges, bananas, cherry toms and she would start making such a fuss , me and SB had to hide things so she didn’t see them until they were in the trolley. She wanted a magazine as well (fimbles, Tweenies/thomas etc.) Had been a discussion at home the other day about getting ones with enough stories as she likes that. So she sat and looked through everyone to check the story quotient – glad there were only eight.

Nothing really more interesting to say really. Photos are in the usual place.

A social kind of day

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Daddybean | 3 comments

We had the puddles and porticos over today. Although there were some concerns that it may be a bit princessy for Ernest, he raced away! Master of events was Violet – organising them into a game of sardines [which our house is well suited to], and we didn’t really see them until lunch was called

Merry tried twins out for size, and decided it was far to heavy!

After lunch there was some more violet in charge of line ups..

But due to some global tiredness, a bit more chilling including DVD and cbeebies. Ernest and SB played schools – very odd concept!

SB devastated when they all left. For a start, she had just put on her princess clothes! Thought that an overnight stay at least should happen.

We adults gossiped, cuddled assorted children and looked at blog updates.

Sorry Merry about Amelies itchy eyes. Hope they settle soon. Also took outrageously few – and crap – photos!
Thankyou Alison/Gwenny for green bead bracelet. BB is still not to be parted from it. She is now dressed in a different sleepsuit!

After everyone had gone, SB did some drawing, I read her a story or 2, and she cbeebied. Now hopefully fast asleep. BB is shouting very very loudly at the moment – she collapsed asleep when everyone left, so a late nap means a late evening sleep. I guess we should tidy up…

3 Comments

Posted in General, socialisation

Getting going

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Daddybean | Leave a comment

a bit of a slow start to the morning due to feeling tired and lethargic, nothing much really happened between getting up and getting girls into the car to go to my parenst house. Had nice time there SB did some painting, sat with Nanny making some little William Morris cardboard boxe, A bit ofreading, playing with a few toys, such as some of the old toy cars from my childhood. Butterbean beaning around as usual, trying to sneak up the stairs – open treaded bare wooden ones so not very toddler friendly.

She even got my Dad to read bit of a book to her, which is pretty unusal, not because he doesn’t really want to, but becuase he finds sustained reading a bit hard work as this ability was affected by the brain damage he suffered with his botched operation (years ago when I wasn’t even 2) and he finds it hard to concentrate on the words. Bit unfortunate that the book she had picked was a rather wordy one rather than nice simple book with not so many words. Anyway, it was nice to see.

Had nice lunch there, went out to help my Dad measure up their garden. BB insisted on coming out as well, so got rather wet tights as the grass is damp and she has no shoes yet, she also kept scampering down the drive, where there is no gate yet. Guess it’s time to get some shoes. Got home with just about enough time to get swimming stuff organised, then off to swimming lesson for SB. home, pasta tea, Helen home, happy children, bath and bed. SB is getting to sleep much better recently.

Re BB and sleep, plan is to move her out into spare room /bathroom – it has a bath and handbasin, but shower doesn’t work and proper guestroom has a handbasin so not really used as a bathroom anyway see if that will help.

Alison and the gang are here tomorrow along with Merry and co – upping the ante on last week there will be 10 kids here – kitchen and play room in particualr are disaster zones, half wonder if there is any point in tidying them up

A bit of Flickr-ing

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Daddybean | 1 comment

Bit behind with the old Flicker-ing – all this socialising

However, first batch are up, of the visit by the ‘Puddles and Muddies‘ yesterday.My favortites:

Playing Cindys/Barbies, like most compact digicams ours doesn’t do so well at natural light indoors, so liked the light through the big stairs window here. shame about the clothes on the banisters.

I’ll get them all to pop up one way or another !

Icing fun

Ok, guess what colour the icing was here

Yum.

1 Comment

Posted in photos, socialisation

A Day of Mayhem

Posted on January 11, 2006 by HHaricot | 2 comments

On the sleep front, I finally got to sleep at 5am. not all BB’s fault though, SB woke up so I went in there, thought i might tay and avoid BB, but had insomnia – typical! When BB woke at just before 5, it was a bit of a relief to get the feeding done, then fell asleep. She then only woke 1ce more.

Thanks for advice in comments boxes.

So to today. ROFL! not a quiet day. We did some tidying so that there was room to tread in the house, and Sb did 6 pages of singapore maths 1a [thinking maths weekly revision] we whip through much more quickly if she doesn’t have to write anything. I read a couple of the library books. Sb dressed ready for guests in Belle costume.
The hordes then descended! Merry and girls and Kris [mud and mischief] and girls. What fun. instant mayhem as all tried to play a game [don't wake dad] for 4 [7 big girls and 2 muscling in babies!] I’m not sure that they ever actually played the game. Lunch went quite well, and various princess and fairy games ensued, with lots of different groups playing and then splitting and playing in a different arrangement – reminded me of those 7! type maths sums! All the toys upstairs were out – so I guess lots of fun. We did ice the biscuits – rather appreciated and very messy. forgot to warn that we have caterers food colouring, so not quite so water soluble. I did get most off most of the children. Maddy had a very good line in blue mouth – must flikr! SB had a couple of melts – more at the beginning, but it does seem to be her way of coping with things at the moment – very am dram! Josie was a good influence on BB, as she saw how to stuff her face and ram pasta in, so made a creditable show of eating! We nattered, looked at the garden and thought of seeds and vegetable plots mostly. Very little home ed talk anyway! myf had a go on the 10th size violin SB has – she needs a bigger one, and I’m going to say Elida trading for the ebay people we got it from, as they were very very helpful. i think if she wants one, I would go for a 1/4 size. If you think the others would want to play too, then 1/8.

Anyway, great to have you visit. I will flickr! [now running far behind!!] It hasn’t taken too long to tidy either – always a bonus – and we have found amelies beaker again!

SB clearly needed a chill by the end, so watched a Noddy video, and the start of monsters inc. now about to go to bed. BB looks not one bit tired! But about to be fedded and bedded!! Actually, BB is such a smiler, with a cute dimply grin on her. She hugs and comes running with a lovely beam! She seems very confident in her own world.

i am on annual leave this week [not sick leave] and tomorrow have a fair number of work related projects I want to lick into shape for my return next week – hit the decks running again. However, will try for early night tonight.

oh, and on the saucepan thing, we have gone for some ebayed circulon commercial [20cm saucepan with helper handle and 24cm 5.5l stockpot] and will get 20cm triple steamer from john lewis and a sturdy 18″ stainless steel saucepan [+/- another 20 inch] I unfortunately got outbid on the circulon ones, but don’t think these need to be non-stick particularly.

www.flickr.com

2 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, General, numeracy, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

still shattered

Posted on January 10, 2006 by HHaricot | 6 comments

and must flickr!

quick blog then – as will again try for an early night! We hve a plan this time, that if BB wails after a reasonable feed, Chris will sleep with her in spare room, and just bring her back if he really does think she is hungry – controlled feeding – sigh. We are both sad to resort to this, but I just can’t go on with a maximum of 3 hours sleep, and also incessantly feeding. The last 2 days I have tried to stuff food into BB at every opportunity to make her less hungry at night. We’ll see if it works.

So today, having incessantly fed last night, I had a lie in. SB and BB went to the library, both to change books and for the story telling and crafts session. This itme on the senses. BB getting into it now as well. SB loves choosing books, both for herself and for BB. I was up when they returned, so did the usual reading marathon!

We followed about 4 books with 2 pages of explode the code 1, with me agreeing she didn’t have to do the writing today. After lunch I had a phone call from a friend who is happilly on maternity leave with her 4th child, and also contemplating work life balance. I had promised SB we would do some baking from the usborne fairy recipes she had got from the library. While I got out the stuff, instead of finishing the page she had left of explode the code, she did 2 more fresh pages. She has decided that without having to do all the writing, it is quite easy! She is also being funny by trying to work out how many syllables things have [though she is sure she means sentences!]. So dalek speech all over, both for letter sounds, and for syllables!
We baked some biscuits [vegan] for tomorrow, but haven’t iced them. I am debating whether to ice them first thing, or have that as an icebreaker [so to speak!] when Merry and girls and Kris and girls come. During this, SB did lots of mental maths unprompted, as we do things in cups, she was trying to keep a hang of all the cups we had used, and how many ingredients etc. Just simple counting and adding, but growing confidence to just do it.
We failed to get the christmas decs down though – may make a stab at it this evening, though planning a very early night!

SB had her first swimming lesson today, and was very happy with it. only 2 of them were without armbands, and they seem to have done lots of things and she thought it was great. so thats good. I stayed at home with BB, and had a good hour of solid, uninterrupted interacting and playing – we both found this a lot of fun.

girls in bath, but I hear a lot of wailing, so imagine BB about to come down – oops chris not happy. Must go!

6 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, literacy, numeracy, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

Whirl of a weekend

Posted on January 8, 2006 by HHaricot | 6 comments

katy and B arrived for the weekend friday lunchtime, which was great. we were disorganised as usual and grabbed the little beans from nursery. Cue the girls disappearing smartish! SB gave a guided tour which involved redressng both of them as princesses and off they went. Much, much later on the resurfaced to listen to the twelfth night story from while the bear sleeps and some apple tree farm books.

A few other standoffs were eased with colouring,games: hungry hippos and don’t wake dad, but actually they got on extremely well, and the standoffs were low key affairs. What amazed me totally was that after an exceptionally rowdy baths they had fallen asleep by 9.30 – what a result! It gave me and Katy plenty of time to natter, discuss wish lists etc etc.

Next day – to our shame, Katy was up first to accept a parcel before either of us had surfaced. In our defence it was cos BB had been absolutely appalling at sleeping! however, it was our seed order = hooray! SB and I pored over the packets, and she decided which were her favourites – in particular the popcorn sweetcorn!

big girls ran around, and BB pootled at our side being adorable. She is definately saying an approximation of look -ook, and pointing at the same time. SHe is a very inquisitve girl, and loves pressing buttons, and also the wacky wiggler cogs. her dancing also improving, with bobs down as well as wiggles, swaying and head shakes! quite the mover and groover. She was also doing lots of drawing – at one point joining in with the big girls – and this was great! Funnily, B kept calling BB ‘Small’ [from making it up] for the first evening.

After lunch the big girls made carrot cake with me, with all the labour absolutely divided equally – I do love using cups! Amazingly it rose as well!!! i must finally be getting this cake making busines [Merry, I need a prairie muffin badge before I ruin it!]. They did some Hama whilst it was cooking and then iced the cake [rofl - would you like some cake with that icing?] and ‘decorated’ it with sprinklies. At some point the playdough came out too.

What else? well, more demonstration of their imaginations, a start at a wacky wigglers robot, hide and seek, excellent 10 number bonds with hungry hippos [ha ha] and some attempt at the 5 times table using all the hands available [maths then!], a show performed by the light of some of the wackly wigglers for us too. Lots of singing of christmas carols in particular.

they went to bed eaily enough but not straight to sleep, they weren’t particularly noisy, but certainly shattered the next day. BB not quite so awful at night – thankfully. Poor katy, spending her weekend with zombies in a shambolic chateau!

Next day SB voluntarily got out explode the code – amazing!! Though she did tell B it was boring. We finished the wacky wiggler, and then did Yoga for children – as Katy had brought the DVD. Thanks Katy, just what i was after! Lunch, some violin playing and the home time. SB was gutted when they left to go home, and wished they lived next door. A few melting moments due to extreme shatteredness! I had a great time nattering as well, so a succesful visit, and looking forward to seeing katy and family in feb.

After they had gone we unwound, did some explode the code, lots and lots of painting, read loads of books together – SB remembered she hadn’t had her 12th night present, so we did today as 12th night read the story again, and got the little token present to go with the story. [another dressing up dress 2nd hand from ebay]

she has had lots of bumps and accidents, so ether drop down exhausted or expecting a growth spurt. BB ecstatic that SB playing with her again, especially when she read BB 2 of her books. Both have been lovely and cuddly this evening. BB coughing at rattling a lot though, so have given her some ventolin that gp gave us a while back but wasn’t sure whether to or not. hmm, wait and see.

6 Comments

Posted in art and crafts, Books, Butterbean, Cooking, gardening, General, literacy, music, numeracy, photos, SB-PE, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE

howdy helen

Posted on January 6, 2006 by HHaricot | 5 comments

honestly, this is the new wordpress and so far dont like all the blue, and the howdy helen nonsense – grumble grumble!

well after the great tax news the beans came back from nursery.

SB got stuck straight in with the wacky wigglers to make something for BB. My friend Liz from work popped by on her way home and stayed for tea – very nice – so SB enticed her into playing don’t wake dad. She also wrote Liz a thankyou letter and gave her a picture. Also made us giggle by her sp-ell -in-g t-al-k, a bit like a dalek on an off day! BB doing her very noisy giggle and just being adorable.

Went to bed with no fuss. We are looking at getting her a few more story cd’s as she is prob a bit bored with hers. There are some young classics greek myths, and also perhaps the barefoot story tree one. I also wondered about the E Nesbit ‘however many children and it’. In my dim recollection it seems to be spanning the faraway tree to the secret 7 gap? Are you the expert here Merry?

Also, Mistakenly, looked at the book people and caved in to buy angelina ballerina set for her birthday. she wanted it every time she saw the catalogue, and books are good value here. And a readers series. oops.

Think we will opt for john lewis pans as they are essentially free as we have vouchers, and after seeds and book people order…

Looking forward to blogbumping tomorrow- i am afraid Katy that decs likely to stay up past twelfth night at this rate.

Oh, and rather annoyingly, I have my first kakuro failure! I finished grid, and last number entered is wrong – ie a 7 for the across or a 6 for the down. So i chased it back, but haven’t found out where to change to get it right. So annoyingly will have to wait for the guardian answer for number 080 to see where I went wrong

5 Comments

Posted in Books, General, science, socialisation

Nice Start to 2006

Posted on January 1, 2006 by HHaricot | 1 comment

I did have a lie in though – very nice!
I could hear SB playing with the Sindy/barbie dolls having a great imaginative time

When I came downstairs, SB was doing the new webland – she devours the whole thing when it arrives, so Sharks, songs, construction and I missed the other one.

She and BB bounced around a bit playing, then SB read a fair bit of an usbourne farmyard tale, with Chris filling in the more difficult words.

When BB fell asleep, we played with her wooden marble run. when we first had it, i did all the building and design, the i just built to her design. now she designs and builds whilst i troubleshoot. excellent – lets call it science. She is very anthropomorphic, with Mummy and baby marbles!!

We did 2 pages of explode the code – i sounds – and she is speeding up and more confident. we were aiming for 4, but lunch was ready.

A bit of cbeebies and jump ahead to follow – mostly stories. BB awoke and neighbours [remember homedad? now back at work] came round. they are both trained teachers, and his wife asked lots of questions re home ed. she then says she shares an office with the E something or other [EWO??] in charge of home ed. guess we are not likely to remain unknown. lots of playing with their daughter – 2ish, and SB wrote them a new years card.

After they left, SB and I looked at the usbourne book of britain - starting with the intrductory bit on how the country was shaped, and then a look at where we are. In it it was mentionig glaciers, and I could see SB hadn’t got them, so got out the Earth DK book – loads of info and then lovely pics of glaciers. i have promised to take her to one, but, disappointingly for her, not tomorrow.

I then read several back issues of disney princesses and played shape snap before dinner. We devoted afterwards to games -farmyard dominoes and don’t wake Dad. It was nice playing games together so will try and do that more regularly.

Feeding BB as I type and Chris putting SB to bed.
All in all a very nice start to the New Year.

1 Comment

Posted in General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, science, socialisation, Stringbean's HE, writing

11.30, both girls still awake

Posted on December 30, 2005 by HHaricot | 3 comments

and I am about to scream with aggravation!
actually, as it is over 5 mins that SB last slumk downstairs, I hope she is asleep, and I have shifted BB to chris so she is yelling.

Apart from that. Main item of day was going to Halfords to buy a bebe confort hipsos for SB. Still not entirely sure about which seat to have bought, but she was comfortable in it. She was more excited by tassles in the sale for her bike handlebars…

Halfords being a hop and a skip away from Merry, we descended. Children played – some monster gobbling up game! We nattered and then came home. SB fell asleep in car – thats the problem!

At home we read the India bit from story of the world, and made another wacky wiggler with the gears. Also I read countless books, and she read me the first read with me book – not badly either.

Just need that peace and quiet a young puddler has offered to sell!

3 Comments

Posted in General, geography, history, literacy, science, socialisation

Category Archives: socialisation

The hours before the dawn…

A social kind of day

Getting going

A bit of Flickr-ing

A Day of Mayhem

still shattered

Whirl of a weekend

howdy helen

Nice Start to 2006

11.30, both girls still awake

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