I Think You’re Bonkers

Tired, sticky, aching - will blog later. Maybe.

I suspect the kids have been doing something vaguely educational but I’m not sure……

Because they’re NOT HERE! It’s odd, very quiet and tidy but I’ve enjoyed it while missing them like mad. I’ve got some stuff done, not written as much as I’d like and spent lots of time with some friends drinking tea, eating chocolate and discussing life without having to referee or be sorting drinks and snacks every 10 minutes. There are other friends who I would have liked to see but it didn’t happen. Maybe next time. This is the first time Mimi has stayed away from home for any length of time and she had to phone me on the first night to say goodnight and giggle down the phone. Then on the second night she called to tell me that she and Granny made a chocolate cake and aren’t saving me any! Dino has been "doing stuff with Grandad" apparently. Probably involves being in the garage or gardening. They’re having fun.

I’m going to join them tomorrow. Will all be home on Weds.  

here come the drums here come the drums……

We like Rogue Traders….. There’s a youtube embedded on the right, turn up the volume and press Play! 

When and how did my 7 yr old get to be a size 4 in shoes?

Umm, I seem to have signed up for an OU course starting in October. The confirmation came in the post today.

Yikes!

Well, it seems to make sense that I do some learning while the kids learn and it’s about time I poked my brain into gear again.  

Back in the wet summer we collected some swan feathers with the intention of making quill pens. As seen below Dino loves writing with proper nib and pot of ink and his writing is careful and neat when he does.

So today he found the feathers and asked me to cut them.  Now I cut a quill in my teens and used it for months but couldn’t remember how to do it anymore. A quick google and I found this! Fabby site, brilliant instructions and we now have 2 quills in use. A bit blobby and I need to work on ink flow, but they work and Dino is suitably impressed.

Oh and got some New Stock for the site in today. Lovely stuff.  Aromatherapy playdough. I’ve had it before, years ago.

I love this stuff so much! It’s squeezable, squidgable and just wonderful.

The base is grapeseed oil, beeswax and cocoa butter and that produces the most silky smooth dough that leaves your hands feeling soft and gorgeous. Add to that different blends of essential oils and you have the most heavenly dough.

It was originally developed to help kids that were being counselled after being abused and even raped. It helped calm them enough to cope and talk. The use then expanded to include adults in therapy and has since been used in hospitals for people regaining use of their hands. It is particularly good for arthritis.

Anyway, I tracked them down and got a wholesale deal so I’m stocking it!

We finally sat down to work on some actual *education* I know, they’re learning all the time, I am too, but sometimes we need to sit and work on something specific. I’ve been thinking about Dino’s writing and someone suggested he try a more cursive script. A trawl through my bookmarks later and I found This and This. I pinched them both off a blog somewhere about a year ago! So I printed off some sheets and sat them both down. Proper pen and pot of ink seems to produce the best from Dino so that’s what he got to use today.

In other news - Dino lost another tooth  (they’re going very slowly!) and I let him loose with the camera again.

Found some workbooks in tesco - kids love them!

Also got an illustrated dictionary. Must look at that with the kids. Playdough still in use every day, very glad I found the recipe.

Mimi has gone all montessori on me and has been making letters from hama beads - we’ve made M,P,V and A so far and apparently I have to make more after she’s done her jigsaw puzzle. That could take some time. 

Had to do an emergency defrosty of the freezer yesterday as it was icing up and the baskets were stuck. All done and clean now.