Tuesday 30 April 2013

At the playground

We've had such a lovely day.  

Freddie began by experimenting with his Hot Wheels colour change car, dug up from goodness knows where.  He got a bowl of hot water and cold water and moved from one to the other, sloshing water over the kitchen floor.  He very sweetly mopped it up once he'd finished.  This was all before breakfast!

I had laundry to do and the supermarket delivery to put away, so Betsy kept herself and Meg busy with a pyjama party.

Our friends came over just before lunchtime, bringing their gorgeous dog.  We ate, chatted and played, before heading out.  We walked along the tow path to the playground.  The bigger kids raced along with Noodle the labradoodle, while the two year olds ambled along at a much slower pace.  
The kids love the spinning bowl roundabout thing at the playground.  I tell them they're in a washing machine, and add the water, the washing powder, the stinky socks etc.  Much hilarity ensues! 
There is an excellent seesaw, with zipwire-style seats.  It goes up really high.
All three loved the zipwire.  Betsy is confident enough to zip down without me holding on, and she did it over and over again.
Meg was pretty tired after the walk and the playground, and she had a rare carry in the wrap on the way home (happy me).
Betsy found a little pink gift bag in the grass, and filled it with flowery treasures on the walk back.  
When we got home Freddie and I put a solar powered toy together.  I'd ordered a few last week as they were silly prices from sportsdirect.com.  We got a rollercoaster, a boat, a car (all £2) and a house (£4).  We did the rollercoaster for about 20 seconds, before the sun went behind a big cloud!


Friday 26 April 2013

Missed the mark

I took Freddie to a talk by author Christopher Lloyd.  Christopher has written some very cool wall books and he sounded really interesting.  I think I knew I was taking a risk, but hoped it would pay off.  It didn't!  Freddie was bored.  He was so bored that we left half way through.  It was a small venue and so was obvious that we were leaving, and I felt bad about that.
I bought two books. Freddie chose the natural history book, and I got the mini story of everything book.  The mini one comes with a magnifying glass so you can read the tiny writing!
Later at home the order of 50 hexbug batteries had arrived, so we had a long hexbug session.  I made a small lego maze for the little critters, adding to the fun.
One of the beans in a jar has started to sprout.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow - mum is coming to look after the kids while Rob and I go to the last football game of the season.  It will be a party as Port Vale get promoted!

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Sowing seeds

The sunny weather found us outside today.  Betsy and Meg played on the trampoline for a while.  Freddie remarked that they were quiet.  I went out to take a look, and found the reason why - Betsy had coloured Meg's face to look like Max from Max and Ruby!  She'd done an excellent job, although the photo hasn't done her justice.

 I suggested a sunflower race, and the kids liked the idea.  They each had two pots and planted two sunflower seeds in each one.  They labelled them, watered them, and I put them in the greenhouse.  I hope they don't get eaten by slugs!
They helped me plant some lettuce seeds too.  I want to grow salad at home so I can pick it for my lunch.  I planted tomato seeds that I will put into growbags when they're big enough.
I've had the runner bean in a jar activity on my ideas list for a while, and we set it up today.
On the way back from taking Freddie to martial arts, the girls and I popped to the allotment to water the blackcurrant bushes Rob planted on Sunday.  It was positively hot by then.
Inside there was the usual games on the Nexus and laptop.  Betsy made a big robot, the kids played with the Hexbugs, I made a skirt for Betsy.



Friday 19 April 2013

Cars and carousels

We went to the kids favourite soft play centre today.  We don't go very often as it's very expensive - £25 for the 3 of them plus lunch, it easily comes to £40.  But they love it there so much!

Meg adores the carousel.  I lost count but I think she went on around 20 times, on all of the different vehicles and animals.

Freddie and Betsy spent a lot of time on the bumper car track.  Thank goodness, Betsy is big enough to go on by herself now.  It meant I could drive Meg, and Betsy and Freddie could drive themselves.  Meg wanted to steer, so we crashed frequently!
There is the usual playframe, though it's bigger than most.  They played on it for ages, climbing and sliding and jumping.
Upstairs there is a play street.  Meg made me dinner in the cafe and Freddie built a tower with giant lego bricks (unfortunately knocked down by another child).
We were there for nearly 5 hours.  I was exhausted by the end of it!  So was Meg....
My day began and ended with a Nerf gun fight.  It's so much fun.  Freddie really is delighted.  Rob is going to make him a gun store.  I'm sure at some point in the past I didn't agree with toy guns.  

Thursday 18 April 2013

Some cool resources

We've had a great day.  Up and out by 9, to an excellent home ed session at Camp Mohawk. Two of my friends have organised it and it's such a fabulous resource.  

Today there was the opportunity to handle some reptiles and insects.  Freddie held an unusual stick insect, a crested gecko and a young python.  I held a tarantula!  
All the kids found new friends.  Freddie spent a couple of hours with a similar aged boy playing army.  Betsy sparked a friendship with another little girl.  Meg found an 11 year old to look after her!  It was so lovely to see all of them happy.  They played in the soft play room, the sensory room, the little playground, the field.
The weather was satisfyingly dramatic, with a sudden heavy hailstorm that scared Meg and delighted Freddie, who said it was awesome.  There were a few rumbles of thunder too.  

After the Camp Mohawk session ended, several families went to the pub.  The kids continued chatting and playing, and ate crisps.  I had a sneaky bitter shandy.

We got home to a 'sorry we missed you' card.  After a brief cup of tea we headed out again, to collect the parcel.  It was nerf guns!  I love ebay for stuff like this.
Freddie and I have had a few nerf gun wars, he is very happy.  Another cool resource landed while we were out:
And the huge cardboard box we've had for a week has been both a rocket and a gun storage  centre today.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Up and down

I took this photo of Freddie and Betsy last night, as they looked so sweet!  
The kids kept busy this morning.  Meg asked for the car mat out, and they all played together for a while.  Betsy stopped to make a necklace before we headed out to riding.
Freddie and Betsy said they wanted to stop riding lessons.  I was disproportionately upset.  I was sad that Meg would miss out, as I wouldn't drive an hour round trip for her to ride for 15 minutes.  More seriously, I felt that riding was something I had got right, that I was somehow failing if they wanted to stop.  Ugh.  I put my sunglasses on and cried in the car, then pulled myself together.  I asked them if they would like to ride without the bits they didn't enjoy - just walk the ponies.  Yes, they said.  I asked the stable owner if this would be ok.  Yes, she said. I'm relieved, but will have a think about why I've attached so much to something we do twice a month.
Home for lunch, the trampoline, Playstation games.  Betsy did some drawings in her Moshi Monster notebook, to go with the story she wrote.  She dictated the words to me, then copied my writing.
Freddie was waiting for the delivery of the excellently named Eye Brawl, one of the Skylander Giants figures.  It arrived in the afternoon, but very annoyingly the game disc must have a scratch as it's not working.  Bloody frustrating for all concerned.