During this morning 'Mums Bible Study' at my home my hubby took the boys up to the skateboard park to play on the ramps - something they've been nagging for for days, bless them. Jacob came home and gleefully informed me that he had mastered the highest ramp! I'm just glad it's their Dad who takes them -I'm not sure I could bear to watch!!
After Lunch Abbie and I went out together to the library (and to buy her a new pair of Doodles). We had a lovely couple of hours together (just her, me and the baby) and she was the perfect angel. She picked out some beautiful books to read and some good choices for her younger sister too. I pretty much left her in charge of 'girls books' while I had a hunt for books for the boys. I found a fabulous book of 'cross-sections' (no, not anything gruesome) - all sorts of things from ancient castles, to trains, boats and then of parts of the human body. It shows all the intricate workings in the most fascinating way and even has little pictures of sailors on the loo (although quite decent)! The boys were captivated and so was Daddy! I can see me hunting it down for the book shelf as a permanent. I also thought I'd try some Origami as a bit of fun with the children, so I got a book to show me how. I'll keep you posted with that one and if I can ever get my website up and running again I'll post some pics! When it came to leaving the library we filled 3 carrier bags full of books - should keep us going for a little while! I think the librarian was a little amused. Abbie was great - she handed over her library card and books like such a big girl. Then, as the lady handed them back to her, packed them one by one, ever-so carefully into her bag. She makes me so proud sometimes. :)
Sadly when we got home she was so tired with all the effort she had put in that she spent most of the rest of the evening being stroppy and tearful - ho-humm!
Tomorrow I'm going to buy her a new bike (from a charity shop) that looks almost new and is going for £15 - I hope I can get in before anyone else beats me to it. Boo is tall enough to need a bike the same size as her 5yo brother and this one is lovely and pink - she'll love it.
Well that's my day. Sorry I've not posted for a couple days. I'll try to be less patchy.
Friday, May 14, 2004
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Blue Tattoos...!
I couldn't think of a title for today!!
I've had lots of comments about my word tree, so if any of you want me to send it to you as an attachment (it's a Word file) then shout WITH your email address and I'll be happy to oblige!
Today has been...today! A usual schooly day, but I tried to involve my smaller ones a little more today. Boo (that's Abbie's nickname) was fabulous and impressed me with what she could do and how much she was willing to put in. I've got 'write 'n' wipe' books for her and Phoebe which is great for re-use, but oh, sooo messy! By the time Beef (that's Phoebe) was finished she looked like she (and her clothing I might add) had been given an elaborate blue tattoo!!:) The girls were then fed noodles for lunch and when Phoebe put her hands in them...they too turned blue - yummy!! Not quite relishing the thought of my entire home becoming decorated with blue ink the girls duly found themselves having a lengthy midday bath. This confused Boo somewhat as she followed it up with a request for stories and prayers - bless!! Anyway my now clean girls are presently napping peacefully...aaah!
Joel (5yo) had a bit of a reluctant day today, but we plodded through slowly. Four new leaves were added to the tree!
Jacob was doing really well to begin today, but then about 10 mins from the end of his maths he lost it and those last ten minutes of work took him more than an hour! Bear in mind that this wasn't solid working because he took 'breaks' that he wasn't supposed to (that is he got down and played when I wasn't looking!). I was a tad cross. He knows the wrap - that once the work is done he gets to play - officially - and he gets rewards for working well and snacks and longer times to play, etc... but no, he'd rather 'steal' time and hence misses out on his bonuses! It's such a shame that in two whole years of schooling he hasn't grasped that there are so many perks to be had from home-school, if he'd just 'get-on' for the little while that is required of him! Ho-hum!! Bang the same old drum!!
And then in the middle of everything a lady turned up from the council to assess our rent allowance. We were expecting her tomorrow (our mistake), so I didn't have anything ready for her and Paul was out. We were in the middle of school and the house looked like a bomb-site (nothing unusual about that though!). I had to try and run around looking for bits of financial information that were buried under the piles of paper rubble that is our desk and much to no avail (we were planning on sorting it out today ready for tomorrow)! In the end I turned on the computer and accessed our Money files there, as I knew they would be reasonably up-to-date. What a life-save the PC can be sometimes!! Fortunately she was really nice and patient, but I felt she really didn't go away with any more information than she came with!! Of course the children had taken major advantage of my being occupied elsewhere and caused even more havoc than was already reigning before the lady came!!
Top all that with the fact that I feel like I might be brewing a throat infection and that Paul has been out for most of the day (he was fortunately around to help with noodles and bath episode)... I am TIRED - and it's only 4.30pm!
Oh! I forgot to add - the baby has been really restless all afternoon too. We had Spag-Bol' last night - a kiddy fav! - but we think Ellie (baby) might have some intolerance to fatty foods. If I ate mince in pregnancy I always felt REALLY sick. If I ate it when she was first born she would scream the whole of the next day. Now it still seems to affect her even at almost 6 months old, both in my milk and her own food. She also seems to get 'upset' by foods with high milk content (like fromage frais), and I think that's to do with the high fat content of f/c milk. Anyone any ideas on that one?
Oh well, what was I saying about sleeping girls?... - they're awake again!!:(
Aaah, but Paul's home...:)
I've had lots of comments about my word tree, so if any of you want me to send it to you as an attachment (it's a Word file) then shout WITH your email address and I'll be happy to oblige!
Today has been...today! A usual schooly day, but I tried to involve my smaller ones a little more today. Boo (that's Abbie's nickname) was fabulous and impressed me with what she could do and how much she was willing to put in. I've got 'write 'n' wipe' books for her and Phoebe which is great for re-use, but oh, sooo messy! By the time Beef (that's Phoebe) was finished she looked like she (and her clothing I might add) had been given an elaborate blue tattoo!!:) The girls were then fed noodles for lunch and when Phoebe put her hands in them...they too turned blue - yummy!! Not quite relishing the thought of my entire home becoming decorated with blue ink the girls duly found themselves having a lengthy midday bath. This confused Boo somewhat as she followed it up with a request for stories and prayers - bless!! Anyway my now clean girls are presently napping peacefully...aaah!
Joel (5yo) had a bit of a reluctant day today, but we plodded through slowly. Four new leaves were added to the tree!
Jacob was doing really well to begin today, but then about 10 mins from the end of his maths he lost it and those last ten minutes of work took him more than an hour! Bear in mind that this wasn't solid working because he took 'breaks' that he wasn't supposed to (that is he got down and played when I wasn't looking!). I was a tad cross. He knows the wrap - that once the work is done he gets to play - officially - and he gets rewards for working well and snacks and longer times to play, etc... but no, he'd rather 'steal' time and hence misses out on his bonuses! It's such a shame that in two whole years of schooling he hasn't grasped that there are so many perks to be had from home-school, if he'd just 'get-on' for the little while that is required of him! Ho-hum!! Bang the same old drum!!
And then in the middle of everything a lady turned up from the council to assess our rent allowance. We were expecting her tomorrow (our mistake), so I didn't have anything ready for her and Paul was out. We were in the middle of school and the house looked like a bomb-site (nothing unusual about that though!). I had to try and run around looking for bits of financial information that were buried under the piles of paper rubble that is our desk and much to no avail (we were planning on sorting it out today ready for tomorrow)! In the end I turned on the computer and accessed our Money files there, as I knew they would be reasonably up-to-date. What a life-save the PC can be sometimes!! Fortunately she was really nice and patient, but I felt she really didn't go away with any more information than she came with!! Of course the children had taken major advantage of my being occupied elsewhere and caused even more havoc than was already reigning before the lady came!!
Top all that with the fact that I feel like I might be brewing a throat infection and that Paul has been out for most of the day (he was fortunately around to help with noodles and bath episode)... I am TIRED - and it's only 4.30pm!
Oh! I forgot to add - the baby has been really restless all afternoon too. We had Spag-Bol' last night - a kiddy fav! - but we think Ellie (baby) might have some intolerance to fatty foods. If I ate mince in pregnancy I always felt REALLY sick. If I ate it when she was first born she would scream the whole of the next day. Now it still seems to affect her even at almost 6 months old, both in my milk and her own food. She also seems to get 'upset' by foods with high milk content (like fromage frais), and I think that's to do with the high fat content of f/c milk. Anyone any ideas on that one?
Oh well, what was I saying about sleeping girls?... - they're awake again!!:(
Aaah, but Paul's home...:)
Monday, May 10, 2004
Making Progress!!
I think maybe one of these days I might just manage to get through without having to nag my 7yo through his work....but when?!!
Other than that it's been a nice day;
Jacob (7yo) has gone a up a level in his swimming lessons, about which we are both pleased.
The sun has shone for the best part and we managed to clean out the guinea-pig - a job the children seem to always strangely enjoy!
My 2yo (Phoebe) hung around Daddy all day (poor Daddy), but sadly had three potty-training accidents :(
My 3yo (Abigail) showed off how much learning she is absorbing from being around school - she apparently knows several of her letters (especially A for Abbie) and is beginning to recognise her numbers too. :)
My 5yo (Joel) astounded me by reeling of about 20 sight words with no hesitation! :) We have made a 'winter' tree that we add a leaf to for each sight word he learns, so that it becomes a 'summer' tree as his reading blossoms (the leaves each have a word written on them so he can continue to see them) - it's a fabulous visual display of how much he is learning - for both of us!!
So all in all a happy day, but some how I still feel a bit flat - maybe because of the remnants of the cold (it seems to have gone quite fast) and a headache lingering around.
I've been playing with the new blog templates tonight. There's one I really like, but if I use it I loose all my past comments and I can't seem to customise it as I'd like. The HTML is a little more cryptic it appears and I can't find all the tags, so I've reverted to this one for now, but you might find things change again if I can master it!
Other than that it's been a nice day;
Jacob (7yo) has gone a up a level in his swimming lessons, about which we are both pleased.
The sun has shone for the best part and we managed to clean out the guinea-pig - a job the children seem to always strangely enjoy!
My 2yo (Phoebe) hung around Daddy all day (poor Daddy), but sadly had three potty-training accidents :(
My 3yo (Abigail) showed off how much learning she is absorbing from being around school - she apparently knows several of her letters (especially A for Abbie) and is beginning to recognise her numbers too. :)
My 5yo (Joel) astounded me by reeling of about 20 sight words with no hesitation! :) We have made a 'winter' tree that we add a leaf to for each sight word he learns, so that it becomes a 'summer' tree as his reading blossoms (the leaves each have a word written on them so he can continue to see them) - it's a fabulous visual display of how much he is learning - for both of us!!
So all in all a happy day, but some how I still feel a bit flat - maybe because of the remnants of the cold (it seems to have gone quite fast) and a headache lingering around.
I've been playing with the new blog templates tonight. There's one I really like, but if I use it I loose all my past comments and I can't seem to customise it as I'd like. The HTML is a little more cryptic it appears and I can't find all the tags, so I've reverted to this one for now, but you might find things change again if I can master it!
Friday, May 07, 2004
Colds!
Colds - don't you just hate them! I've got one and I'm feeling rough! Three out of five of the kids have too - Oh, it's a happy household - and maybe that's why Jacob was having such trouble concentrating this week?!Anyway - at least the baby is well - for now!
Not much to tell from the last couple of days, so I won't bore you - or myself... I think we're all too 'under-the-weather' to be doing much - sob, sob, sob!! Can't even motivate myself to get the washing put away, or the mountains yet to be done washed... and the desk is covered with piles of paper that need to be sorted... and the school 'stuff' needs going through too... and, and, and..., but me thinks I'm feeling too sorry for myself!! :(
Not much to tell from the last couple of days, so I won't bore you - or myself... I think we're all too 'under-the-weather' to be doing much - sob, sob, sob!! Can't even motivate myself to get the washing put away, or the mountains yet to be done washed... and the desk is covered with piles of paper that need to be sorted... and the school 'stuff' needs going through too... and, and, and..., but me thinks I'm feeling too sorry for myself!! :(
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
A Day Off for Me!!
Wa-hay! I had a day off from schooling today curtesy of a doctors appointment at 10am, so hubby took over school with lots of detailed instructions. He did a good job, although why is it that men never seem to fuss over the intricusies (?spell), like making sure my cac-handed lefty (I'm a lefty too - so that's not meant as a put down to lefties) holds his pencil correctly and tips his page to prevent him holding his hand above his paper. So when I came home and immediatly corrected this I was not welcomed by my son - "Mummy is a bossy boots!!" - He hates not being able to hold his pencil and paper the way he wants to, but I think it's important he learn correctly now to help him in the future. Handwritting is one of my bug-bears I think!!
Why is it also that my 7 year old just cannot seem to concentrate on the task in hand - even with good incentives. Today he took almost 2 hours to complete what have taken him less than 1 hour (20 minutes for five sums and it wasn't that he couldn't do the maths because with Daddy watching over him he could do 10 in about a minute!) ... too much daydreaming. Aaah well...
Why is it also that my 7 year old just cannot seem to concentrate on the task in hand - even with good incentives. Today he took almost 2 hours to complete what have taken him less than 1 hour (20 minutes for five sums and it wasn't that he couldn't do the maths because with Daddy watching over him he could do 10 in about a minute!) ... too much daydreaming. Aaah well...
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
A Few Minutes Peace!!
Well today I yet again have a bunch of VERY tired children, especially the boys, who yesterday spent the day at Oulten Park watching the British Superbike Championships - birthday treat!! Myself and the girls (and my Mum) went to Stapely Water Gardens to look at the flowers and the fish - very relaxing, at least if it weren't for the mile long queues of traffic at every turn!! Jacob has also managed to break a cold and so school today was just a little (tum-te-dee) slow. Joel was fortunate enough for it to not be a school day for him (he goes to a playgroupy type thing on a Tuesday with his sisters and my friend), so at least I only had to chivvy along one child.
Elisheva seems to be over the worst of her cold now and has slept most of the day - seems like she's catching up on lost sleep (from so much coughing - bless her), but she's just woken up (or been woken probably) - so much for a moments peace!!
Well, half hour later, baby fed, tea in the oven, girls amusing baby, boys amusing each other ...!
I haven't mentioned Friday....So...
On Friday evening we had Paul's 'End of Year Bash' for college - a dressy affair and I had no dress to wear, so off I went to the charity shops and picked myself up a lovely black dress for £5!! But I - strangely for me (for reason's which will become apparent) couldn't resist the alluring bookshelves. I managed to spend an additional £12 on books - all for the children - but I picked up some bargains including: the most fabulous hard-back edition of 'Cider with Rosie' with original photograhs taken by the author and some beautiful paintings (probably worth all of the £12 in itself :) ), Jungle Book and the Just So Stories & The Second Jungle Book, three of the Enid Blyton Mysteries in a 'bumper book', The Animals of Farthing Wood, Harry the Dirty Dog (which I remember reading in school!), Floss, I could go on...and on..., but suffice to say - I was chuffed!! To get such 'classics' at 50p a piece, or less, pleases me greatly! I also managed to add to my ever growing 'Ladybird' library (I like the readers, but the 'Ladybird Classics' is my main collection item) because these seem to be written at just the write level for my son's interest and concentration levels at the moment. And then I hit upon this book called "The Little Giant" about Isambard Brunel (born in our home town of Portsmouth and a place the children know well), published by Anglia Young Books - it's great! Both a reader AND a history book and just right for year 3! I've sent for a catalogue of their books - and am hopeful!
It's so strange to find myself scouring the bookshelves of charity shops for my children - something I never planned to do really. For myself I don't really enjoy reading, but I am hoping to re-discover the joy of books (something well and truelly knocked out of me by boring school reading schemes!), by reading them with and to my children. I also need to seriously work on my fluency of reading, because I find myself making silly errors when I read to the boys. Being FORCED to read for the sake of my children is proving to be a mutually educating experience!
Another joy of home-schooling discovered. Another pleasure in life being re-discovered!! Praise God. Perhaps when I'm set to reading more I might find it easier and more pleasurable to read my Bible too!
Elisheva seems to be over the worst of her cold now and has slept most of the day - seems like she's catching up on lost sleep (from so much coughing - bless her), but she's just woken up (or been woken probably) - so much for a moments peace!!
Well, half hour later, baby fed, tea in the oven, girls amusing baby, boys amusing each other ...!
I haven't mentioned Friday....So...
On Friday evening we had Paul's 'End of Year Bash' for college - a dressy affair and I had no dress to wear, so off I went to the charity shops and picked myself up a lovely black dress for £5!! But I - strangely for me (for reason's which will become apparent) couldn't resist the alluring bookshelves. I managed to spend an additional £12 on books - all for the children - but I picked up some bargains including: the most fabulous hard-back edition of 'Cider with Rosie' with original photograhs taken by the author and some beautiful paintings (probably worth all of the £12 in itself :) ), Jungle Book and the Just So Stories & The Second Jungle Book, three of the Enid Blyton Mysteries in a 'bumper book', The Animals of Farthing Wood, Harry the Dirty Dog (which I remember reading in school!), Floss, I could go on...and on..., but suffice to say - I was chuffed!! To get such 'classics' at 50p a piece, or less, pleases me greatly! I also managed to add to my ever growing 'Ladybird' library (I like the readers, but the 'Ladybird Classics' is my main collection item) because these seem to be written at just the write level for my son's interest and concentration levels at the moment. And then I hit upon this book called "The Little Giant" about Isambard Brunel (born in our home town of Portsmouth and a place the children know well), published by Anglia Young Books - it's great! Both a reader AND a history book and just right for year 3! I've sent for a catalogue of their books - and am hopeful!
It's so strange to find myself scouring the bookshelves of charity shops for my children - something I never planned to do really. For myself I don't really enjoy reading, but I am hoping to re-discover the joy of books (something well and truelly knocked out of me by boring school reading schemes!), by reading them with and to my children. I also need to seriously work on my fluency of reading, because I find myself making silly errors when I read to the boys. Being FORCED to read for the sake of my children is proving to be a mutually educating experience!
Another joy of home-schooling discovered. Another pleasure in life being re-discovered!! Praise God. Perhaps when I'm set to reading more I might find it easier and more pleasurable to read my Bible too!
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Sunny Days!
Oh I love the sunshine and weekends and birthdays and all the preparations and... It's been a busy but enjoyable day, save for baby being a bit poorly and restless (well otherwise things might be too perfect!!)
Tommorrow is Jacob (my eldest's) 7th birthday - WOW! Where did those 7 years go? And I was reminising whilst wrapping pressies that this time those 7 years ago I was in full swing of my 23 hour labour - and that at the end I thought little of it. Maybe I should follow Sarah's example and post up my birth stories on the web as all five of my children have been born at home and they're good stories! Anyway...So probably no post tommorrow, but Monday the 'Dads and lads' are off to Oulten Park to watch the British Superbikes Championship (not really my thing :( ) as Jake's treat/party and My Mum and I are taking the girls for a hopefully peaceful walk around Stapely Water gardens and to see the fish!!
I'm still working on the pics, but it's a server problem apparently that should be fixed in a few days, so maybe I'll be able to post some nice fishy pics up - or if Paul takes the camera they'll be motorbike pics!!
By the way Merry - and others- the blog design I downloaded was from blogskins, but I just don't know how to transfer it to my blog, or for that matter how to back up this design before I fiddle any more!
Speak Monday.
Tommorrow is Jacob (my eldest's) 7th birthday - WOW! Where did those 7 years go? And I was reminising whilst wrapping pressies that this time those 7 years ago I was in full swing of my 23 hour labour - and that at the end I thought little of it. Maybe I should follow Sarah's example and post up my birth stories on the web as all five of my children have been born at home and they're good stories! Anyway...So probably no post tommorrow, but Monday the 'Dads and lads' are off to Oulten Park to watch the British Superbikes Championship (not really my thing :( ) as Jake's treat/party and My Mum and I are taking the girls for a hopefully peaceful walk around Stapely Water gardens and to see the fish!!
I'm still working on the pics, but it's a server problem apparently that should be fixed in a few days, so maybe I'll be able to post some nice fishy pics up - or if Paul takes the camera they'll be motorbike pics!!
By the way Merry - and others- the blog design I downloaded was from blogskins, but I just don't know how to transfer it to my blog, or for that matter how to back up this design before I fiddle any more!
Speak Monday.
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