Petits Haricots

we placed the final few tadpoles in the pond. all the froglets have gone in as get frogletty, and we have seen one since climbing a water iris leaf.

well, I am going to start with the happy dance of exam news SB got a merit in her grade 5 music theory SO we are v v happy [and she is one step closer to getting the 3ds animal crossing - needs to pass her ballet exam too]

Currently she is trying to do 1000 starjumps a day – she has a chart to tick off! crazy girl.

in fact she has done a lot of charting and tallying, as was looking at her clothes to see what she might need to take to France.

can’t believe that in just over a month she will be off off and away. I do hope she has a fab time. The family she is going to seem lovely, and have done this before, so I have faith in the process.

today was a slow start. bb needed a filling, and today was when she could be fitted in, we should have gone to duxford, but bb wanted to have a day with me, and i am feeling all wobbly as tomorrow is my sister’s birthday, but she no longer gets to celebrate them, so it is a day of loss. so we stayed at home, and maybe i should have gone out!

But a bit of home ed was done. BB and I are at another musical impasse. i need a very easy book of piano recognisable tunes for BB. I am hoping that this one will do , we ill see when it arrives! SB did maths and geography and english.

I planted the sweetcorn, pumpkins and butternut squash. need to plant out courgettes too! did do the weeding and admired the flower arch over the back door.

The girls spent a long time playing sylvanians together, which was lovely, and then we did some djeco crafting in the lovely conservatory. Merry sells these kits. BB also did some etching kit.

I read about the pointless wars in story of the world, and we finished the day with Judo

PS did I mentions SB got a merit in her grade 5 music theory??

we went to the final weekend of tudor recreation at Kentwell Hall. It was a complete scorcher!! Thankyou to all I met, chatted with and giggled with. It was unfortunately a bit TOO hot on the sunday, so my sleeves had a fatal accident and parted company with the kirtle and BB’s whole kirtle was shed. we pretended she had sweating sickness . SB also got what was probably a migraine – she says she was well cared for and treated in the stillroom.

The sat night ceilidh prob my fav so far, as ended up dancing a lot! not my usual thing but… Loved that both my girls were dancing [and BB had a stream of partners] and having fun.

yippee SB ballet exam went ok [she thinks] and my mum and dad arrived weds eve and then aunty margaret on friday, so fab to see them

mum did some piano and cello with BB, dad has been pointing a bit of wall for us with lime mortar, but mostly it was just lovely to see them and be with them v much into the tennis tho! i loved hearing mum and dad giggling one night as we were all going to bed. not sure what about

I didn’t take many pics, but think mum and aunty m did, partic of fri when i was at work when there was much messing about in the paddling pool

I might add one of those pics when i get them

we were shattered by Kentwell, but managed to get going on the home ed front in the week, as well as relaxing! So here are pics of some of the home ed things we have done:

BB has amongst other things read a fact book about frogs and one about snakes, read aloud to me, done some collins grammar, started her own fact book about snakes [she really really wants a corn snake!] and looked up snake related facts on the internet. She has also done piano and cello practices.

SB has amongst other things done lots of ballet practice for her grade 5 ballet exam, geography igcse work, italian, maths, painting , listened to story of the world history and some baking. we also did piano prac together.

they ended the day with judo. I am very lucky to spend such lovely days with my daughters.

i think it is week 25 anyway?
week 23 we were before kentwell, and think should have been a ticksheet! it was for sb a mostly music theory week anyway as she had her grade 5 music theory exam on the saturday.
week 24 we were at kentwell. so new things learnt – BB how to use a potters wheel, how to sandpaper down the fired pottery with a stone ready for glazing, making pots, game pieces etc. in the barnschool she learnt penmanship – and got her certificate – dissecting a pigeon, her tudor numbers to 100, and also her letters. SB learnt the uses of a vareity of herbs and medicaments, and made her own plaintain and beeswax salve, how to use mice to cure a cough etc

so to week 25 – BB 12, SB 34 with lots of added gardening

some have v short tails now and 4 legs. these we have rehomed to the pond. fingers crossed!

BB has really enjoyed watching the tadpoles grown and studied them carefully

although we usually have a weds group, most were at kentwell, so we spent the day chilling at home . made elderflower chanpagne – see below – and got on with various home ed things as well as starting to wash loads of things. the hallway still is full of kentwell stuff and the hose is in uproar . so we got on with some home ed, played some board games, did some practice [including ballet] and gardening.

we do plan to make some cordial, but SB was v keen tjhat we try to make elderflower champagne – not that she will get to drink it?? however… we used this recipe

so here we are, we have elderflowers in our garden and we picked some

we then got the zest and jiuce of 3 lemons and one orange

we added this to the hot water and sugar, gave it a stit and hoped for the best

we have covered it over with a cloth and now hope that it will start to ferment and then perhaps taste nicely