today was a really fab latinetc. i do enjoy how it seems to be working, as the children all get on well, and have very fluid and flexible friendships withing the groups. it was at our house – which meant that i could get up later – phew!
so we started with littlies science, top set latin [rofl!] and SB had a piano lesson with gina [poor things squished into dining room currently completely full of tent!]
i LOVED todays science session. as did the children , i think! we did volcanos – always popular. having done the first one in the kitchen, we moved outside. all the children had goes at mixing, and got me to do the shaking as the eruptions ended up reaching huge heights!! then we moved onto lava lamps – more or less the volcano mixture, but with oil on top, so things bubble up and down in it – seductively calming on the mind! we all laughed lots and enjoyed it. the big group also enjoyed it, we did talk about the science behind it and i had written out instructions for the lava lamp / fizzing potion for them in 2 teams to follow and show that they could ‘do’ the instructions. i loved them working so nicely together, sharing tasks and deciding together how to get the right volumes from the variety of measures. loved it! the littlies did french i think [i was having way to much fun with science!]
after lunch and more playing, some of the deependers and all the biff crew left, with just merry and co, us , J and K. so we did some more playing, BB got her wish and a craft going, which most of the children joined in
and the gals version.
both my ‘gals’ did a pirate from the guys kit mind you. i know my mate sells them, by they really are fab kits, enough for 4 kids per kit, and loads of ‘extras’. highly recommended.
fran, J and I worked through playing as a trio together various easy piano pieces, which was much fun. merry also joined in, and finally SB, though i did simplify for her, as she isn’t at that level yet on the recorder. we did it out in the garden for ages, and all had fun [that way i could keep an eye on craft simultaneously!]
katy returned and did some latin with the middle group and then after restorative cups of tea, it was hometime! SB had her brownies and judo tonight, and BB and i made ‘bear shoes’ for her and then she watched alice in wonderland. SB watched the railway children when she came in. all in all a totally fab day.
got to have a really good look round the site, and it had interesting looking tipis and yurts, and a v interesting composting toilet. bb absolutely and resolutely refused to use this at anytime. i wasn’t that keen as you couldn’t lock it! BB was fascinated by the tennis court covered in chalk flints, and investigated these alot until she eventually found one with a fossil, so was v happy. she also did some of her painting by numbers very carefully. so we had a really lovely happy day. The older 3 went back to adventuring after lunch, all carefully packed, and told this time if they heard us shout to PLEASE respond! [but mobile phone as a backup] and were v proud and happy to be going off doing their own thing in the woods. nic me chris and BB also went for a longer walk through the woods and burial area and thought it pretty idyllic.
, we then decided to pack the tent up before 9am, so that we could get it in the car in case we needed a quicker exit than 6 pm [when we would next be allowed the tent in] chris and i were surprisingly speedy and all done and dusted. i think it is due to plan b. i tidy inner and gradually pack away all inner things and tent things [apart from 'grey box' and cooker] and then take tent down until the delta pegs. meanwhile chris is packing it all in. as taking and tidying seems to = actually getting it in the car time. so we gave the lie to Nic’s statement that we are the most laid back tent uppers and downers – though it is generally true, as why ruin a good holiday about stressing over upping and downing!
] and were the first!! to arrive. so we got to look round the museum bit in piece and quiet, have the undivided attention of lots of ladies of a certain age dressed quasi victorian [as it was a victorian event].
, but was distracted on looking up lotus flowers and read a book about nefret working for 
and then about 
because the book was nearbye!
and 
She felt a little left out as they all their football kit, so that has been rectified via Ebay for next week. I do find it a bit of a shame that all these things get so gender differentiated so early. There was only one other girl there, probably 7-8 and obviously been playing football a bit. Can’t believe there aren’t more young girls who would like to have a go if offered. 
being a firm favourite, but also the train game – 
. and then when she was we played rummy and donkey. my B-I-L has decided he loves playing games when here, so that is fab, and we had a go at settlers and at 
, expansion and also 
animals!! thankyou v much for all the thought and love for the initiators, givers and organisers . i am indeed much touched. And whilst i am doing and oscar speech, i would also very much like to thank Kirsty and James for coming early and doing lots of helpful hoovering and sorting activities! [and to chris of course!]
and nots and tots tomorrow 
and
books – which she thinks are just fab! since these are the first she has done, i got her the lower of the 2 poss years, but she is finding them v easy. so that’s good as gets her confident, and should race through a bit!! to buy books for one and not the other is daft, so a quickie amazon order, and SB also got 
, which she has taken to bed to read and 
whilst BB got 
and 
which she later complained weren’t really books, but were – aargh! must ask chris the term she used, my brain is hopeless! [added by Chris – she called them ‘about books‘] obviously SB has taken them to bed to read too… [so bb has a point!]
etc sets] and was having fun when Merry and girls arrived. they all got straight into investigating gears and making the 
, and SB and Maddy read some french together. merry and i got science ready, as some of the natives were getting restless! we started with talking about building blocks of food, and then looked with iodine at which common foods contained starch. this was pretty good fun! led into the next section with maddy noticing the paper also turned starch a bluey black colour, so we did secret writing with lemon juice. A pause for lunch, and then we iodine washed them to see the pictures underneath. the bigger 4 then played with a fab kit that merry is stocking, 
, which is absolutely fab, and comes with my full recommendation! The big 4 did all but the last bit, and then went outside to play – and used the kits in some convoluted game! the little 2 had been playing beautifully with the gears together, making up a story, and then played together outside happily.
[for a change!] bB keeps getting sore eyes with fimo-ing, and is rubbing them alot at the mo, so i had her a damp cloth to dab her eyes. not sure what else to do, as she loves fimoing.
which they very kindly got a copy for us too. We had a shorter day planned, suitable for all ages! so we started off in chaos science, and found that so fabulous that we were there for 2 hours!! we looked at bones, and bb was extremely careful with the fragile lizard one, although the student was clearly terrified she would break it! we looked in microscopes, made explosions, looked at dna, yeast, chemicals, electric circuits, light experiments and body stuff. SB was enthralled and loved all of it. by the end she was even voluntarily asking questions! she also had severe lab envy – rofl. BB spent a bit less time in there and then decamped to the zoolology museum, and made a bat mask. SB and i joined them, with sb doing a wildlife trail along the way. what a fab little museum. not been there before! we also did some of the outside things before meeting up with the manor borns. we had a chat about morning so far, chloe made off with SB to the funghi tent, and from there we dragged her off home. we saw grit and gritlets across the tent, but since we were rushing off, it seemed a bit too much like cyberstalking to say hello – even though michelle there to introduce! maybe another time, if more time to actually say hello. there were loads of other places to go on our list of possibilities, and will see more next year!