Lovely Weekend

We’ve had a really nice weekend – i am sure part of the reason was writing up our educational report and realizing just how much we do with the kids – it really made us pat ourselves on the back. Turns out i think, that being reported was actually a blessing in disquise!

Anyway – yesterday we went skating in the morning – its test week next week and Pud should get through Grade 3 – thats pretty fab really – it means doing glides, forwards chains, inside edges (don’t ask me!) and a couple of other things. After that its Grade 4 which will take quite a while i think – Pud likes to go FAST and she is going to have to work hard for a while to get the control for the next level of moves. Still its been a fabulous boost for her to get some “pretty stuff” under her belt. She is so excited about the gala and is working really hard for it. This is kind of the beginning of it becoming a harder slog for us all – she is still very keen and we now have to go out early for lessons in the week (its also getting more expensive! :O) Still at least being HE means we can tail on to the end of the early sessions when everyone else is at school. Moo is keen too (oh no!) and is almost ready to start the grade lessons – we are just waiting till Auntie Kate is doing Grade 1 again – then Moo will probably get 12 weeks straight through with her which will be a comfortable start for her and hopefully she will cope okay when she can’t be taught by her every week. In fact, its kind of terrifying to think that both of them started at 2 1/2 so if Scruff wants to skate as well (and Auntie Kate is her godmother so i think its fairly likely!) then its not all that long till she will start!!!! *shrieks for bank balance!* She is 18 months old now… where did THAT time go?????????

Anyway, after that we spent yesterday afternoon doing bible sticker books and talking about Egypt, princesses, how to make a basket that floats etc etc. We also had a really interesting conversation that was sparked by a reference to an “Indian building” – Pud wanted one to copy so i found an Indian temple on the net (isn’t the net fab????) – but it turned out that wasn’t what she wanted at all – she was talking about American Indians. Now i have been trying really hard to say Native Americans, but i think i must have slipped up! This prompted a chat about WHY the term indians is used – so we spent a bit of time looking at the world map and tracing the routes of ships to India, then about how people realized the world was round and how they attempted to go round the world to India and the spice countries, but bumped into America which they didn’t know was there. Pretty big concepts really… (hope i got it right! lol!)

This weekends big craze has been lego towers (Don’t ask me!) Daddy has been in charge and we have had some ceiling scrapers!

Its been amazingly addictive apparently (I’m staying out of it!)

Pud has also spent a lot of time using a base ten set and Zoombinis has fascinated them both for a lot of the weekend – i love watching them learn – Pud has changed so much recently – she adores working out puzzles and will suddenly actually try to work things out – and Moo is the perfect foil for her because she can just “see” the answer – she sits next to Pud and watches and then starts to help – and Pud lets her – its lovely to see them working together.

Today, Moo and i went out together – first to a second hand bookshop (don’t ask what i spent!) and they gave her a lovely thomas ladybird book. That made her day and she has read it all afternoon. I adore this bookshop, its upstairs room is full to the brim of kids books, its like an attic from heaven!

Then we went out to our local garden centre, Notcutts. Its was full of beautiful Xmassy stuff and Moo was just so happy – she touched, talked, wondered – lovely, really lovely. We looked at all the rabbits and fish, plants etc and on the way home we saw the most BEAUTIFUL double rainbow. It was so bright, just magical. (Have you noticed that double rainbows have one set of colours inverted? I never had – extraordinary!)

We had a lovely afternoon together – it felt really special. She goes back to nursery tomorrow of course, so it was extra nice to have some time just with her. I do like her going to nursery, i like the structure it gives our day and week and the sight of her coming out happy and lively, but i do miss her too… sigh… can’t have it all ways i guess :~/