just another morning here

Three things I need to keep me going tonight!

We’ve had a good day so I’m blogging quickly, then off to nurse my sore throat and make some wedding tiaras. Steve worked my day at the office today (phew!), although still not sure who got the easier day, but I was pleased to be at home anyway.

Morning started with loads of tidying up/sorting out/gaming … followed by Joe’s violin lesson at 10am. Violin is a moveable feast, thankfully Mr Featherstone is flexible as we’ve moved lessons for one reason and another over the past five weeks now!

Despite not wanting to go and throwing a wobbly about it beforehand, Joe pulled himself together, changed his attitude, and did really well in his lesson, so he got to choose cookies in Sainsbury’s for elevenses While he and I were at violin, the girls sat in the van – I’d filled their bookbags with activity stuff of one kind or another and asked them to do whatever they wanted, my only request was that they had something to show for their time.

When I got back to the van I was really pleased; they were sitting together doing a sticker flag atlas thing but they’d also spent most of their time writing and illustrating a poem together. Nothing earth-shatteringly amazing in terms of poetry, but they’d had the idea together and carried it through, and obviously made loads of effort, all of which is relatively unusual, so I was thrilled. The handwriting (Anna was the scribe) wasn’t bad, and spellings were pretty good all round. And they were pleased with themselves; they’re now going to write more poems this week apparently!

Went to Sainsbury’s and stocked up for the week, then came home for lunch, more sorting out, music practise for the girls, etc.

The afternoon was completely taken up with swimming and hanging around waiting, but again, it was productive. I did some work with Anna on percentages/fractions, and rotational symmetry, just from one of her workbooks. Abbie did a bit of addition practise which was fairly simple and easy. Joe and I read some Flying Boot books together, and we generally had a nice relaxed time as well as the swimming lessons – chatted to their teacher for a bit as well, and she is pleased with all of their progress, so that was good.

Got home at 7pm to find Mollie and Ruby from our close trick-or-treating, Ruby looked absolutely gorgeous dressed as a pumpkin with matching orange & green stripy socks, irresistable. Chatted to them and their mum for a while, which was nice too, haven’t seen Emma properly for ages.

Baked potatoes and various bits for dinner, kids are just in bed (Monday is such a late night!) and I’m trying to make a list of stuff to do this week – house exchange (this weekend coming) is a great idea but it does mean you have to go away and leave a tidy house, which feels like a bit of a pressure. Still, I’m glad in a strange sadistic sort of a way, as otherwise we’d never tidy it up properly! Feeling fairly naff still, sore throat is a killer, but never mind. Must fit some Animal Crossing into my evening too, as Halloween is a special occasion there I think!

Think everyone had a good day today … started off with some van ed (ie workbooks in the van) while we had a quick meeting at work.

Abbie finished her Monster Maths book this morning (age 7 – 8 one), so she was pleased about that … she did get Anna to do the writing for her though, the cheeky monkey. Anna did half a page on bar charts and then avoided the other half of the page which was on fractions/percentages. Josiah came into the office and played on Education City where he was happily completing Y2 maths and english activities at an average of 70% success, not bad, I thought. He can’t do all the calculation side of things but most other things he can manage. He then went on to the Y4 electronics activities, and was happily completing circuits (that electronics kit obviously has taught him something!) 100% successfully!

This was all before going into town for Nanny McPhee. That was enjoyable enough – completely predictable yet still watchable ‘Mary Poppins meets The Sound of Music, in the style of A Series of Unfortunate Events’, and there you have it. Colin Firth does do a good line in pathetic ‘can’t look after myself’ male characters, doesn’t he? Still, it was an entertaining way to spend a morning, and it was free

I went back to work afterwards; Steve took the kids home for lunch and then swimming lessons/pumpkin carving at Crealy this afternoon. I got bored so went and bought a Tassimo machine for the office (in the hope that offering customers a coffee will make them sit in the office long enough for us to sell them a car, beware of car salespeople bearing coffee ) and we faffed around moving the office furniture around a bit to fit it in.

Later in the afternoon I went over to Steve’s parents’ house and finished off the sewing with Steve’s mum. Emma (Steve’s sister) and Robyn (our 6 month old niece) are staying at the moment too so plenty of Auntie duty for me today, which I do love – Robyn is gorgeous but I get to hand her back for the yucky feeding/changing parts I’m babysitting for her tomorrow night as well

This evening I went out to a governors’ meeting before Steve and the kids were even home. [note to Ruth & Roger - I left the ear stuff outside the door this morning as arranged, one of the kids took it in again at lunchtime despite me having told Steve why it was there sorry - will drop it round tomorrow] . Have finally managed to extricate myself from governor status – I’m staying until Christmas so the December meeting will be my last one – after four years it’s about time really!

Got Joe to do his violin practise, then couldn’t drag the others away from CS Word Detective, which is happily educational, so I didn’t bother trying. Observed them doing it for a while, must find a way to disable level one so that it actually *stretches* them, though!

The girls eventually emerged and got dressed, did music practice, and then they all disappeared again into some elaborate Romans & Dogs game, which also included band practices where they sing ‘Here’s a pin and here’s a pingle’ (from Bagpuss) in a round – whatever!!

Veggies arrived so then we popped to the shops before going to Puddlers, armed with cat-related Draw Write Now books and plenty of drawing resources. Louise took the children up to her house to see her cats, and there were some cat collage and cat plasticine creations going on. A quiet group today, but it was nice

Have come home for soup & bread before Friday Fish for the girls, a bit more violin practise for Joe, not sure what Steve & I are up to tonight … probably not a lot!

I’m pleased at the moment. We’re managing to get through music practice every day (and usually twice a day for Joe, who can only manage 5 minutes at a time). Music lessons generally are encouraging too, the kids are all enjoying them and progressing. I feel as though the Narnia thing is going well too, the children begged me to read another chapter yesterday. This morning we’ve sat and done some maths and english together which has all been pain-free for once.

Josiah did a page from his book on lines of symmetry – I don’t think he’s met this before but we got some mirrors out and he cottoned on really quickly, and was able to show me where each line of symmetry should go on each shape. He then read a Flying Boot book really confidently, time to get the next box of those out I think.

Abbie’s been practising handwriting, and general multiplication. I love watching her do this, I really haven’t taught her anything and yet she splits numbers up and deals with them in an easy, comfortable way. Having said that, she’s still sitting here and has slightly lost concentration now, it’s becoming hard work!

Anna did a grammar workbook page on nouns, basic, but we haven’t really done much grammar at all so far, and somehow she was in the mood for taking it in this morning, so I think it went in. Her maths page was on area, which Steve has done with her before, so she was happy with that, and then some multiplication practise too.

Kids are now watching schools’ programmes on BBC2 and I *must* go and clean bathrooms. This afternoon we have mooted the idea of some baking, or perhaps a science kit, or something crafty … we’ll see.