…said the Sing Song of Old Man Kangaroo. Fran has been listening to Just So Stories from Audible, so she knew this one and joined in with gusto. We’ve done stories early today, at the end of a pleasantly educational day; i started reading this just to Fran as the other two refused to listen, but they drifted over and were enthralled by the end. No one took me up on my offer of animal-ed at the end, but perhaps i’ll try again tomorrow.
We started the day by getting back to “normals” – it has been about 6 weeks since we did pretty much anything. Fran was a bit rusty on her maths, but it came back, Maddy had come on in leaps and bounds. Fran’s numbers had gone backwards but she agreed to a practise page to help with them. She did another area page but that was enough for her. Maddy wrote all her words from her flowers on to hearts in a little book i have made her. Her recall was pretty much perfect on those and she read really well from a P&J book too – 2a i think. Amelie played Pooh Bear Preschool and Reader Rabbit – and still is. Then Maddy requested the Jolly Phonics videos (without prompting in any way!) so i went and dug them out of the ebay box and she has been glued to them. Aside from Cbeebies, i really can’t get them to watch tv at all atm, it is quite disconcerting!
Managed to get through lunch without dairy for Amelie; this is rather more difficult than i imagined! Have to say though, she is much happier already. She is having goats milk for breakfast and as little other dairy as i can manage without reading up properly. She is also getting lots more sleep and being max-ed out on attention so i can’t say what is making the most difference, but it is definitely helping. I always knew that more milk made Maddy more introverted, but it was a tough thing to call with her, so maybe it would be no surprise if it didn’t suit Amelie.
Then i let them loose in their room with pink heart and purple flower stickers for the walls; they had a lot of fun with those. I managed to let my control-freakery lapse and not worry about how it actually looked! 😆
This afternoon i got them to do their “chores” which i have to say is proving remarkably easy and actually makes a big difference to how the house feels. Then Fran and Maddy vacuumed the two downstairs rooms between them and we got out Magic Maize.
(More recently you can buy it here:- Playmais Dragon Box
I bought a tiny amount of this with my xmas elc order, didn’t pick up more in town when i saw it at the weekend and really wish i had now. We had the opitec version once before and they ignored it – but today they had a ball and were very creative for them!
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Here are a few more photos of yesterday too (but mixed in with todays i’m afraid as i am trying to sort out a set of arts and crafts) – i’m determined to be more organised with photos this year as doing my ed report has been a pain. I’ll have to go through and rename some of these. I shan’t bore you with a picture by picture version of the day!
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Did take some that i loved of them today though.
and also
Can’t you just hear it? “Am i bothered?”
Must go and try and wake up Josie now though. She had a bad night last night and is resisting day time naps like a pro. I keep telling her i expect her to have them for another 2 years yet, but she isn’t listening…
I am desperately trying to stop Anna from learning the ‘face? bovvered?’ thing, or seeing it on telly, as I just *know* she would do it constantly! Steve’s sister tried to teach it to her at Christmas, just to annoy me, but thankfully Anna didn’t take too much notice!
I refuse to spell it wrong, even for the effect. And yes, i think it is definitely wise, though it might be scarier from Abbie!
Debbie, i have that book in my pile of things to ebay – it completely uninspired me, but thank you.
however, the BR tip on the maize is excellent – off to look. (frugal frugal frugal…)
Hmmm.. what do baker ross call it – i can’t find it?
I think i am a bit of a colour junkie. If a book doesn’t show me how to do something in bright and cheerful numbered pictures, i lose interest!!!!
Off to hunt for noodles!
Dunno what you’re talking about as I have no TV. But do I look bovvered. Sorry.
Anyway, regarding your quest to instill more Art into your life this year Colemans have a teeny tiny markdown on some craft things (not very impressive though) and This book comes highly recommended to improve artistic skills. Hope that hyperlinked :S
Magic maize – BakerRoss do their own version – same price as ELC but three times as much.
Um…. something else I was going to say but its gone. OK I’m off to ebay now – hurry uuuuuuuuup!!
the THIS on that didn’t show clearly so here it is again
THIS
Can’t miss it now
Ooh, I love that book, and so did our friend who did art with Big for a bit. Keep hoping that some day I’ll have time to actually work through some of it with her.
really??? OOh I thought it was quite useful… oh well. What do I know.
Magic wet ‘n’ stick noodles or something. It’s in their “real” catalogue – cat number E973
Hi Merry,
On the dairy front, I can recommend rice milk for breakfasts/drinking and yofu (soya yogurt) – there’s a large tub and also a pack of four “for kids” Junior Yofu. And Halloumi (sheep’s cheese) is to die for 🙂
Hope that helps.
Ooh, we’re Magic Maize fans here too, so I must check out Baker Ross if they’re cheaper.
They are!
HI Merry ,
pleased you’ve found us again 🙂 and love your pics
Dawniy x
rice milk yum. why is she going dairy free? missed that. go to asda for cheapest rice milk which happens to be organic too, so bonus.
eczema, asthma, general hideous behaviour 😉
well, i know general hideous behaviour daily –
i must need to go dairy free again.
roflol.
oh, i’m not supposed to laugh at own joke am I!
I hope it does help. We’ve done dairy free thrice now. It has always made big difference. Bird is still sick after ice cream, but she manages milk plain okay now. Behaviour is still an issue with Tiger though after lots of dairy.
Asthma is the scary one, eh.