How late?

The day just seems to have whizzed past, SB only went to bed at 9ish, and I’ve been messing about with the copenhagen flikr pics some more.

i rang Little Nanny and she is getting a bit better. her neighbour cooked her dinner and watched her eat it, and until end of next week, social services has a lady coming in daily for an hour to help a bit. My dad visits midweek, and my aunt the week after [and hopefully us for a day, so getting cooking!]

When we got up, SB decided we should make icecream, and was very put out we couldn’t, so settled on jam [well, jelly] so picked elderberries and added some frozen redcurrents. had assorted beasties to look at then in bugbox – mostly ladybirds and spiders. We played walk the plank, followed by a grizzle session. SB then read a book – no kidding! a starter one with simple repeats, and I did take over as she was worn out, but def sound and say. [cue trumpets]

Having worn ourselves out, she watched toy story 2 and german sesame street whilst I flikred. This segued nicely into german reminder phrases while Chris pruned the grapevine. We then set up the second drain for the jelly to go overnight and hama-ed. I read some of the usborne stories from around the world - we look at the map on the front, and chose india and denmark. Some leappad maths and phonics and thats the education!

BB still happiest when standing, and appears to be in paradise if standing and SB playing peeboo from behind the sofa. Got to eat some runner beans from garden [she likes]

My ears still playing up from flights though. Otherwise all well here [mostly, as SB has back-at-home-itis, but only mildly] Yes, as a confirmed photoholic I did take photos, and they are still on the camera!

Copenhagen pics

Are up on flikr

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Family matters

Little Nanny has been unwell while we have been away with another infection – and is fact barely walking at the moment. I am trying to work out when best to visit. She has had such a rough summer, I am no longer optimistic that she can remain independent in her own home anymore. I don’t think she will accept any alternatives though.

Also, rather bad news in that Aunty Peggy has lung cancer that has spread to the brain [very ex smoker, or was it mainly Uncle Robert?], and a fairly limited lifespan has been given [weeks], So need to see her again, as she has been an important figure in my life – although whether to take girls, as she has become somewhat disinhibited. After next weekend, I seem to be unavailable until the end of sept – which is prob too late.

Where can you grab time from??

Copenhagen part 2

I was reasonably dilligent at conference, so feel OK about that [a few bits I couldn't face as so esoteric, and a few so marketing oriented, hackles raised on reading program!].

Chris will prob comment on the majority of the time! The other thing I had time for was a nip to the museum of history, with childrens museum attached. I got to do prehistory and the children’s bit, and they then carried on without me. Nicely set out museum, and SB good at them, as long as at her pace, and she chooses what to look at – but we are allowed to comment! In the children’s section there were also clothes of the period to dress in and a viking ship – which she liked, and a mediaeval wall building display – very much liked!

SB says favourite thing the little mermaid – and statues and fountains in the main. we have def done too much greek myths and legends, as she saw a nude and decided it was the mother and baby goddess as you could see the nipples. hmm. Whilst away we have done lot of book reading – both stories and history [viking and egyptian, though she had wanted indian] looked at maps – SB now very clear on what maps are, what they show and how to use them. She had her own map to use, and enjoyed showing people where she had been on it, and how to get to places. We also looked for landmarks as we went around – particularly the interesting towers or coloured houses so that we could always find our way.

edited – Forgot to say that on the walk around copenhagen on tues, after Netto, we were at great park with dragon based childrens activity area – which SB rather liked – can you tell where I am with photos?

before we caught the plane today we had a final walk up the watersedge, and SB had a great time playing with a small kindergarten group and their rather fun and jolly carers. Language no barrier.

safely home – at least we didn’t fly BA. Got an ear prob throwing me out from the flights that I can;t shift though. will rampage around blogring, but perhaps not have time to comment as photos to do as well!

Copenhagen!

well, here I am at the conference, taking a short break to type a blog – as I am so dedicated. Actually the conference on the whole very interesting, and itsthe lunch break, so not skiving.

the other beans were planning a canal cruise today whilst I work hard at keeping updated. [these keyboards aren’t quite the same, so a few spelling errors creeping in. [also doing my best to show off by typing as fast as is huanly possible for me.]

Anyway, we had a fab time looking around copenhagen yesterday. SB walked a really long way without too much whinging. Copenhagen full of babies, buggies and really bril bikes with buggy/baby seating arrangements [chris going green]. Massively expensive living costs though, even in Netto

oh, and Jax, you are in SO much trouble – a little matter of travel kettle, as to get hot drink we have to shell out 3.50!!!! so mostly drinking water and getting caffeine fix at conference [well i guess it is good for me!] [i hope we aren't hibernated??]

going to join lunch queue – faint hopes for vegetarians.

A new record.

Well SB set a new record for bedtime of 2.00 am :-) and if I’d not gone tobed I think she might have happily carried one. Thoughcheating a bit as she did have a sleep earlier Very amusing hearing her sing Do-Ray-Me to herslf in her bedroom getting into her PJ’s. judt been upstairs – 08.10 and she is happily playing in her bedroom. :roll:

Off to Copenhagen in a couple of hours, Helen has a conference, come back Friday. Y’all have fun now y’hear.

charter celebrations

Huntingdon celebrated 800 years of charter this weekend with the full reenactment thing. So we popped along today.

we expected thre to be a lot of traffic, and not sure about the carparking availability either, so were very early. chris nipped to buy a picnic whilst me ‘n the beans played at the swings [indeed SB's favourite swings!]

We went in and were really impressed by the breadth and depth of the re-enactment [loads of photos on flikr, even when heavily pruned!]. Sb was really caught up in it, asking questions of some of the re-enactors – she particularly liked the felting, musical instruments and bone beads makers. There were also 3 arenas with back to back displays, fights and re-enactments to watch – we watched longbow vs early guns, [so now I know why gunpowder took over, even though useless in comparison for 200 years!], falconry [SB and chris participated] A play set in mediaeval times, and the best of all- jousting! SB not so keen on the loud bangs, but BB slept through.

If anyone can tell me the name of the pegged, stringed bowed triangular saracen instrument ? beginning with s, I would be greatful!

We finished off with icecream. I asked SB what were the best things – icecream [naturally] and the jousting.

We were all exhausted at the end, it was a long hot day, with lots of interest. No chairs, so must remember to take camping chair to next weekend, as hips kill me with too much cross leggedness. i am also sunburnt again – the girls aren’t. SB fell asleep in the car, and hasn’t yet woken up. BB still funny about breastfeedng today – lots of minute snack attacks driving me up the wall. Also not really eaten much solids, and a bit fractious.

SB talking in her sleep, and has just clearly said there is smoke going in my eye. My yes are also stinking, as unaccustomed to all pervasive smoke! SB now awake, and watching me make our diary. hmm, unlikely to sleep again before midnight. oops.

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Edited – Hmm, 2 red nose readers, usborne who were the first people, we are now at the 1001 things to spot [usborne history]. We are really doing well on history today!

flikr badge of today

was very ruthless with photos in the end, and think I’ve finally worked out how to do this! [fingers crossed]

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Turned out sunny – long

Thank goodness things improved. was still bluergh first thing, but some coffee and cakes from the bakery helped. I read inumerable books to SB whilst BB used me as a climbing frame and refused to feed properly. BB then played on the floor quite happily – she likes contingency toys, particularly if they are tuneful!

SB and i looked at the new webland [she had done some with Chris whilst I was still bleugh as well]. more singing of 12345, and dino tales. SB has quite got into the games extra sections. It certainly so far has been worth its subscription. We then played dr’s – SB takes it to new levels of realism by being on call and answering the phone from her bed, getting up and asking whether she needs to drive v quickly or not! I had floppy hand, closed eye and shut ear syndromes [seperately]. BB had scratchy nails!

To cut my blurginess short, I decamped to the garden and the MODHEU. I often find an abrupt change of venue, with limited resources suits me better, and gets me active.For SB I took out some jolly phonics workbooks that we haven’t done in ages, some singapore maths, usbourne story of hercules, DK why greeks built temples, a photo album of when she was BB’s age, her dough beads from friday’s puddlers group and some paints. BB had assorted toys and boardbooks – though mostly she wants to stand and bounce bottom!

had to come straight back in, as SB and I disagreed over the wind strength on the beaufort scale – she thought 6, me 4, and on reading the book = 5! Chris put up arbour seat that we had bought for old house to tempt buyers, but never actually put up. took him all day really. SB periodically helping did not really speed up the process.

We were having such a pleasant time that it was 3 o’clock before we remembered to have lunch. SB took a shine to the JP workbooks, and I was sent in to get the rest, and she drew round the letters very carefully – she is definitely getting interested in writing, so glad ordered getty and dubay. She also wrote my whole name out without letter guides [I did spell it letter by letter though] the H and N were the same and a mixture of capital and small, but i was really impressed, as 2 months ago this would have been unthinkable. Real step forward.

The maths wasn’t for her today, but we read the hercules, and the DK greek book. discussed Greek gods a bit – and the one we have in the garden [Bacchus = parties] and what other ones we should have statues of – demeter, hera as for crops and women and children and a dryad. This was not done in any religious way [to stop palpitations and fainting] as we also discussed the Greeks religion of the time, and that no-one practices any more, and that the gods/goddesses were used as a way of focusing the mind on what was important to a person at that time, and also as a way of trying to explain why things happen. Quite philosophical! We decided that although our house needed a clean, we perhaps wouldn’t divert a river through it, as SB was worried our carpets would be ruined. [she can be very practical when I have a flight of fancy]

Thinking of Demeter we went to the overgrown veg patch and harvested some potatoes and onions. in fact all the onions could do with harvesting and drying, and ditto potatoes [well not drying], or they will get slug damaged. When you next visit, Merry, ask and you shall receive! I dig, and SB rummages for them – a good team effort. lots of bugs spotted – favourite is always ladybird. our elderberries also nearly ready for harvesting and jelly making. [ edit 2 – Actually, while we were there, we could hear the hymns of a wedding – very nice, and then enjoyed the pealing bells afterwards.]

oh yes, we painted some of the dough beads [yes, chris did bake them yesterday] BB attempted to eat one, but foiled. [an aside – just loading photos from today and I took 123 – can’t imagine how – so pruning required before flikr!] In fact BB, although dreadful at milk today, has been one eating machine. Top 2 teeth are nearly through, and certainl noticeable to me after a feed – but not like Isabelle yet.

losing thread now, but we returned to each thing a few times – particularly the JP, and SB was sounding out the 3 letter words [whatever they are called] quite confidently. SHe also drew some lovely pictures in the workbooks, i think my favourite was the r for raspberry, which she painstakingly drew the seperate circles for. Her concentration and detail in art really is accelerating. She ‘read’ to BB, made up songs, princess story re-enactments, lots of climbing frame gymnastics [must sort gym out] and general malarkeying about. Unfortunately photo album a casualty, though photos not.

By teatime she was noticeably worn out, so bath first and then tea. While waiting for the quiche to cook we started cutting out for a mudpud recognisable fabric pennant to put on buggy – not sure what with at moment! SB confident at scissors, and cut oval of pond, and some of the spikes, as well as the easier bits of the duck, and the reeds [well, they were going to be beans, but not really identifiable as such, so reeds they are now!] She did nearly all of the butterfly, but was so big compared to duckling, we decided I should trim it down – a shame really. More sounding out and spelling at teatime, then Mog and shirley hughes stories at bed. She and BB flaked out rather quickly.

When i have reduced photos to a number that are not going to use up ther rest of our allowance, will be on flikr!

edit 1- looking at photos, i forgot to say that we ‘decorated’ BB

noise abatement

recovering from migraine – took day off work shocker!
last thing i needed was heavy metal live band at pub opposite.
How can you look up a pub’s license – to see how late and how often the noise is, how noisy it can be etc.
Intolerance is the word here!