just another morning here

It is very rare that this boy voluntarily picks up a pen, so it was photo-worthy to capture him writing cake ingredients on my shopping list

Think I said already that it was a fantastic cake, too!

Forgot to actually blog anything interesting yesterday, in all my excitement about new themes and tag clouds! We were at home mostly, Josiah did loads of MEP maths and some phonics workbook pages (way too easy but it got him writing so I didn’t mind) as well as violin as usual.

In the afternoon we took Robyn and Joe down to the Quay, Steve was around and wanted to try out his latest camera (:roll: no comments please) so we thought that might be a good place to go. Josiah brought bread to feed the ducks but as it turned out there were only Huge Killer Swans or Flappy Seagulls. Neither of which are particularly pleasant! I think swans are beautiful, but when they’re standing right next to me I am petrified of them (I’d forgotten quite how scared, actually ). The seagulls were so greedy they would practically swoop down on to you to grab bread from your hand! So we chucked bread at lightning speed and went to the park instead.

Steve and I were sort of having a competition to see who could come back with the best photos – I had the old camera and he had the new one. I think I won, although annoyingly this morning he had more views and comments on his pictures than I did, so now I’m blogging mine because I expect that will tip the balance

Today Josiah chose to read ‘Little Hotchpotch‘. It’s a pretty boring story in my opinion, in a sort of henny penny repetitive way, but he enjoyed it. About two thirds of the way through I realised that there was some quite nice descriptive language and metaphors in it, so when we got to the end we talked about those … and the difference between just describing something as ‘black’ or as ‘black as night’.

Had a break for violin practice (done beautifully again with no hassles, how long can it last?!) and Raven-watching, then went back to the Little Hotchpotch theme by making up our own imaginary animal – the plan was to draw it, describe it, then hopefully make a 3D model version … but that’s saved for another day as by the time we’d got that far and rounded up crafty bits from around the house Joe was wanting to play a game instead, so we had an extraordinarily long game of Trilemma/Addendum. Followed that with another episode of Raven (I’m guessing it must still be half term programming on CBBC?) before getting some food

After lunch Steve and I swapped over so I went to work, and they got lego out together – another of those things we simply haven’t had time for when he’s been at school so it was much appreciated. And children *should* have time to play lego

Girls got home from school and they all watched tv for a bit, then I came home, Steve took Anna out for her cello lesson, and the other two played with Geomags for a while before watching more tv (Blue Peter is a favourite here at the moment). The girls are currently engaged in bedroom lunacy aka putting their clean washing away before bed, while Josiah and Steve are discussing syllables …

Planning to watch the Da Vinci Code later, can’t think that I’ll enjoy the film as much as the book but you never know. We watched a couple of films last week too – R.V. which was just meant to be a bit of a laugh with the kids while we were staying in our camper, but Steve and I both enjoyed it too – we were in a slapstick humour sort of a mood, obviously – and the obligatory American mushy sentimental bit made us both cry!

Also made time to see Tsotsi in a couple of instalments last week, and I really enjoyed that film, it was brilliant cinematography and a compelling story too – definitely gets a recommendation from me and there are very few films that I actually go that far with these days!

Made pumpkin pie today That was after a very slow start for everyone (couldn’t get myself going, never mind the kids – had to wake them all up at 8am! still got Joe’s violin practice done, that amazed even me!), and doing the Sainsbury’s run. Scoured the net for recipes that matched the ingredients that I had in the cupboard, didn’t take too long to find a suitable one – I just wish I didn’t like eating it quite so much!

Currently it’s just me and Anna in the house, which is quite nice really. Steve has taken the other two to swimming lessons, don’t know where Emma & Robyn are, but we’re enjoying the peace and quiet (and pumpkin pie) while doing her homework together before her dress rehearsal this evening.

Really interesting to see the way she’s been taught to do long multiplication, breaking it all down and using a grid, then adding the grid answers together. It seems to be working for her, when she can remember her times tables at least. (lol, just checked it and there are just too many places for a dizzy blonde to make mistakes – she’s either made mistakes with the multiplication or with the subsequent adding up, I despair )

Despite nothing having changed between HE and school with her mathematical ability, she’s also just written a whole page on ‘The Most Worrying Night’ (a night in an air raid shelter) which is far and away better (and more) than she would ever have written before school. I guess part of that is an age/maturity thing anyway but another part of it is the school & Anna combination which does seem to be a Very Good one.

I spent the afternoon in school hearing readers from Josiah’s class today … despite enjoying it when I’m there, I can’t say I’ll miss it after next week.

Right, I’m off to cut out a skeleton and make some dinner.