A Cheesy Kind of Day!

This week's 'make and bake' theme seems to be going reasonably well and the children have more-or-less embraced their creative sides!

A recap so far

Monday ~

In the morning Paul & I had to take my Nan to an Outpatients appointment 'out of town'. We took the four smallest with us. Taz, Minnie and TP stayed home and played Monopoly City together for the morning (Bugs was away in Cardiff - again).

We didn't get back until lunchtime (long wait!), so that meant a short day to fill :D

Lilo did some sequin art (from last Christmas, still not finished ~ she doesn't have the patience for lots at once) which DD joined in with for a bit.

Then she, DD & TP did some drawing and colouring. They are all particularly enjoying some little ''stained glass' colouring books I have, of birds and baby animals. Today was birds. I believe Minnie was doing some drawing then too. 

At some point DD, Lilo and Stitch decided they wanted to paint a 'giant gingerbread man', which Taz drew for them and they duly got busy on, but when Chip decided to join in (with their permission I might add) the littler boys struggled to cope with him not playing by their rules! With a little reassurance that Mr Ginger could be rescued, they carried on nicely for a little while. He had to wait to be dried, and is still waiting for more 'decoration' ~ maybe tomorrow morning's project... DD eventually couldn't cope any longer and removed himself to go and paint his own little gingerbread man, which he did quite nicely, but had failed to stick to my 'rule' about water pots on trays, etc... and you can guess the rest! I was none too happy, but miraculously nothing was actually ruined with the spillage - only my fuse!

Taz did some work on a Pivot animation (he's really good at these) and then went off to drum for a bit.

Not really quite sure what else the children did tbh! I know there was some computer work/play somewhere along the line..

Tuesday ~

Definitely more drawing was being done by everyone in the morning. 

Taz did a great picture of a whale (can't remember what sort of whale, sorry).

I helped DD finish of his 'crazy cat' (that blog will follow some-time soon), which had been waiting a little while. He did a lot of it, but then needed to add a bit more pastel to one part, but lunchtime sprang up on us. He didn't come back to it later and instead had a go at it today (Weds), but he used the wrong colour and rushed it, rather spoiling what, up until then, was an excellent piece of art. I have spent some time 'rescuing' it for him ~ pondering how teachers have the patience for primary art, and wondering how much time they spend rescuing children's art, so as to not have devastated children on their hands!!

TP did some Benderoos ~ and made a Christmas tree. They enjoy these and they've really come down in price ~ might have to get some more!!

Lilo played with the Geomag a bit, but I didn't see what she made.

I'm sure there was some Moshi Monstering and at some point a game of 'Yes/No' going on.

I'm getting old ~ my memory escapes as to what exactly I did all morning, but I know I was busy (like busy enough to not even really go on my phone or computer) and I know it did NOT involve that pile of marking I've still not done!!

After lunch, having given up hope of getting any in the post from OTP ;-), we did some baking and made some Cranberry & Chocolate Snow Cookies. They are absolutely delicious, but might have to be eaten by Minnie & myself, as my ridiculously fussy lot moaned they don't like the cranberries (even Paul!). Just as well we have guest coming on Thursday ~ it was a big batch!

Bugs arrived home in the evening ~ it's nice to have him home and he's had a great time :D

Today ~ 

Minnie started the day with a bit of craft from a cardboard box ~ she's making this.  She got half way through, before she got a phone call from her best friend R, asking her round for the day/night ~ so off she went about 11ish.

The others did yet more drawing, animating, Tux-painting, computer gaming, played Cranium Cadoo, drumming, sleeping (Bugs)...

Then just before lunch TP, & Lilo decided to do some baking. They've never really attempted anything without Minnie before (or me), but they did a fabulous job making Welsh Rarebit Muffins entirely by themselves ~ and they are scrumptions!

Whilst they were busy doing that I took the time to rearrange (and clean) our kitchen food cupboards. I wanted to move the bread products & chocolate snack-bars out of the pantry, because I am sick of throwing away food the mice have found first (sorry ~ we practically live in a field - and it's winter...). So now they will have to try and nibble their way through tin cans! I just hope they don't find where I've put the bread and chocolate! Just need to decide where to put the potatoes now ~ or whether just to resign myself to them feasting on those and leave them to it, whilst keeping a separate stash more 'secure' for our use! I'm sort of of the opinion that if I remove their food source they will find another ~ and removing THEM (which is what I would really dearly love to do) is probably not very realistic in the long term!!

Once I'd finished that major chore, loaded up the dishwasher (2nd load), Bugs and I started on lunch ~ Easy Cheesy Bake ~ more cheese! We doubled the quantities, which of course meant double the cooking time, which I forgot to take into account, and we had a VERY late lunch!! However, it did generally go down well-ish with most of the children. I personally thought it was absolutely delicious ~ but my tastes and my family's are not quite always on a level!!

Pretty much as soon as 'lunch' was swallowed it was time to for Paul to take various kids to gym and dance etc... TP  went for a 'trial' in the development group tonight and then on to the cinema with a friend to see Madagascar 3. Both seem to have been a success :D

When Paul came home with DD from gym he was looking rather glum. They were sent with a letter to say there is a competition on Dec 2nd (a Sunday) but fees have to be paid by tomorrow ~ sorry for the short notice! No details of times ~ only that it is in 'Bury' (miles away) and that it is a 'important grading competition'. DD understandably really wants to do it. He loves his gym and works hard at it, but Sundays are really difficult for us. I don't drive, or it would be less of an issue, but for Paul, as a pastor, he can't just 'drop' a Sunday to take the children to places. It's really tough on them. More warning and more details might make it slightly easier to work with, but still not always. I'm not sure how we are going to address this going into the future. Also, gym digs a VERY big hole in our monthly outgoings and adding competition fees into that... It's not that we would WANT to hold them back at all, and we would dearly LOVE to see them reaching their full potential in WHATEVER sport they chose, but sometimes our circumstances hold us back, regardless of our wishes :(. I promised DD I'd ring the gym to find out times and chat to Paul tomorrow lunchtime to see if it is at all doable ~ which I sadly fear it won't be  ~ poor DD :(

In case you haven't noticed ~ we don't 'do' Halloween. Today we have nicely avoided it and tomorrow it will all go away and everyone will start talking about Christmas instead :D

If I get chance over the next couple of days I will update this post with the relevant pictures, although I haven't really had my camera out this week much. I so want my portrait lens back now!! 

Tomorrow ~ we have friends arriving for a couple of nights, so if I don't blog you'll know why!