Bare Necessities

we have been singing this a lot, as SB has been enjoying the audio CD from the times [well, we didn't get the times, but got this from ebay]

anyway, I should be writing a talk – and am on slide 30 [don't you pity them!] so am doing some diversionary activities and blogging.

hideously hot today and massive migraine.

Chris and little beans went to CHEF rainforest day today – and I am sure he will blog. they did pick up a rather lovely physics kit, which I did with SB in the early evening. SO this evening we learnt how to show air was there, rather than there being nothing. Of course, i am not suggesting SB has proved this to herself, but shew a grasp of the idea and did a bit of preding. The measuring the air bit didn’t work – I didn’t really imagine it would!

SOme playing in the garden together, and little toe radio while eating tea. both have taken ages to fall asleep, but have finally.

Better go back to my talk

Childhood days don’t last forever…

So guess whose blog I have been reading? But true here as well. I was given some advice by a very wise woman that even if redundancy looming feels it is taking over my whole life, I must still seize the life and grab some back. I am finding this hard to do, and consequently feel the children’s childhood is slipping away from me.

today, we went swimming – SB made me proud by swimming a width backstroke, and then deciding to learn to dive in, and after a few belly flops did a couple right. In the diving end of course. Also more painful as she refused to learn by first sitting or squatting at the edge, but wanted to do a ‘proper’ dive. BB also enjoyed the water, and mostly kicked and floated herself about in a swimming ring. She was exhausted by the end, and fell asleep on the journey home.
So at home, SB wanted to do some electronics, so we got out the fabulous brainbox primary plus kit, and made a variety of siren noises. She follows the instructions and diagrams very easily, and we discussed electrocution, and how it kills you!

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Moving on, we went out into the garden after lunch to paint a rainforest picture for tomorrow CHEF. SB decided she wanted to do it with handprints and footprints, so I facilitated by insisting we do it outside! I painted BB’s hand and foot cast, and SB then did her hand [even better than mine].

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We looked for caterpillar eggs on the brassicas, having seen a number of cabbage whites, so since our brassica crop is about to be decimated, have put some in a jamjar, for a lifecycle thing. we have some yellow eggs, and a leaf with 2mm long teeny weeny caterpillars on. We also pointed out various birds in the garden, as SB getting quite good at naming them. We have a near tame robin and blackbird, lots of sparrows and a variety of finches seen every day, and today we had a thrush.

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BB woke up, and whilst we had a play, SB did a fair amount of explode the code 3 , which we are nearly half way through. It has been very useful for us – though very workbooky! finally after lots of storybook reading, singing songs, play cooking etc all together, we watched the end of Mary Poppins as I had totally run out of steam. Oh, and somewhere in the day, we got a bit more piano lesson in too.

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Life does go on

we have pottered about a bit. SB went to CHEF sports [I think] Monday, and stayed and played in the park after that. Chris’s parents came round after the library story and craft and read loads of books. We went to Merry’s on Wed and had a lovely day there. The new hama kits look very tempting – I particularly liked the maxi bead fish, and when we get low on hama – the midi great jars look absolutely fab! Anyway, I bought a mobile for little Nanny’s neighbour as a present, and hope she enjoys making it. Chris’s parents came round on thursday, and lots of Home-ed type stuff was done – explode the code 3, miquon maths, she read to Nanny red nose reader, as well as lots of games playing. Yesterday also another good home ed day on the ‘normals’ and has started singapore 1B, going at multiplication. She is also quite confident with the jump ahead year 1. I have made time to read or play a game when I’ve come home in the evenings, but it has been minimal.
today BB and I have played a lot and cuddled and sang. When asleep, SB and I did some marble runs, making them different steepness and curvaceousness, and guessing before whether the marble would be faster or slower. She quickly got the hang of this, and we moved on to discuss inertia, momentum, gravity whilst having fun.

IMG 6345 Then we did more of her roman villa making,and played a roman chariot game. i am afraid merry, that she wants to invite you and family to a roman party, and toga’s are NOT optional! We did a fair bit of discussing romans, roman room names, how they lived etc whilst making the villa, and practised saying I love you in latin. [must get out the latin's not so tough!]

IMG 6385 Moving on, we had a piano lesson, which she enjoys. It is quite funny, as if she starts to be silly/whingey about nothing, I remind her i am being her teacher for this, and she either does it, or we end the lesson – causing her to behave impeccably!! [ROFL] A short lesson only, but she is enjoying and remembering.

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BB awoke, so whilst i fed her [yet again] I suggested SB did some maths. She whipped through 14 pages of singapore maths – though it was revision of shapes and ordinal numbers from the 1A we hadn’t done before. some general mayhem playing – catch, run around, reading books [girls not taking turns thrusting books under my nose to be getting on with!! ] And then watched Mary Poppins for the first time. SB spellbound, and BB jigging to the music. Actually, what i forgot to say with the piano bit, the SB was singing the note names along with playing, and mostly hitting the right pitch, so I am happy and proud! [if you are wondering why, ask chris to sing one day!]. finally after tea, SB spontaneously got out a key stage one maths workbook, and worked through the money section with minimal assistance – excellent!

We plan some swimming tomorrow.

Call for ideas

finished last seiries of west wing, and uncertain what else will keep me sane? might try to find the early series.

It can’t be scary/ minimal dying – particularly of children. CSI OK as they are already dead/ a step away from my life?

any ideas??

quickly

colleagues around yesterday. nice bunch of people. shame one topic conversation.

today elinor read yellow nose reader with few hitches, did loads of webland, we read together about things underground and watched some shuttle mission video clips.

we all went to meet my mum for a cup of tea.

Ballerina


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Originally uploaded by Scrumbledelicious.

end of term dance

TRYING HARD

Lilypie Trying To Conceive Ticker

not to be shouty and grumpy with the girls, and to actually engage – easier with BB who just loves and cuddles. Not so easy with SB who has picked up on my stressiness, and is whiney, whingey and just on edge too. ‘mummy, I just feel angry and sad’

so I am not pushing home ed in anyhting but a lets read lots together – her choice. Chris can do the ‘normals’.

so today she did jump ahead year 1 for ages [got 2 reading caps and a time cap], we read about apollo 13, some general space stuff, and a book about the tudors. We also did some egg decorating – worked out how to blow out the middles, and then she painted. we might even do it one easter! She picked up a scrabble card game from the library without instructions, so we worked out a satisfactory game with that and had fun. SB’s sunflowers are flowering.
BB had lots of cuddles and ran around. also did some painting. Mum and dad made a flying morale visit. I hemmed SB’s ballet skirt. this eve I have watched 2 west wing – leo died :( . however west wing is whats keeping permanent jitters at bay at the mo.

Anyone who fancies a visit here before we move…

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5 things

from Jan

5 things in my fridge [could have been 105!] [chose those i have consumed most recently!]
beansprouts, diet coke, jarlsberg cheese, morrocan chickpea pate, olives

5 things in my wardrobe

thin clothes I can’t get in to, fat clothes i don’t like, nothing I want to wear [does that count?] bag of theatre blues, crochet blanket made by my gran [so something precious]

5 things in my handbag

bleep, purse, dictaphone, mobile, hand sanitiser

5 things in my car

sandwich packet, carparking permit [x2], 2 child seats, tape of the string orchestra i was in aged 12

5 people I am tagging

Tammy, NattyEm, stella , Claire, Amanda

local fete

with a colleague and wife, who kindly catered also! and met there by another colleague and her family.

lovely sunny day out – we tried not to talk tooo much shop [but in the circs, it is quite difficult]

there was a plastic duck race down the river [we didn't win] SB played on climbing frames, painted a mug [with the eengerland flag!!! to remind her of the world cup], and also filled a pendant with coloured sand in layers – very pretty.

lots of icecream eaten as a scorcher. evening feels very close, and think it will prob thunder.

the bees appear to have swarmed again, and a couple of hundred are resting on our parasol. presumably they will move off again, as not an ideal bee home.

thanks to a great friend for a helpful letter.