Please think happy thoughts and get well vibes for our cat marquesa. She is in the pet hospital with a blocked gall bladder and not doing very well. We are keeping our fingers crossed that she makes a full recovery and that the blockage isn't cancerous.
The other two patients in the house are doing better. My conjunctiviitus has cleared up and sam's cold is getting better. We had a lovely snuggly day on the sofa yesterday reading and looking at books. We are reading Dr. Doolittle at the moment and he is hanging on every word. Will have to see if I can find the movie at the library and then we can see how the two compare. Despite his cold he is getting to grips with telling time. He has two watches-one of which has a normal face and the other shows the minutes past and two rather than a usual clock face. I am not sure that that is helpful really, it only seems to confuse him and I know it does me too!
We did a really great thanksgiving lap book last week which I must post photos of. He worked really hard on it and seemed to enjoy finding out all the info to go in the book. Not sure what we should do as our next one, maybe something about christmas around the world or winter holidays. We could do hannaka (sp), and kwaza (sp) as well as christmas.
He is very into drawing at the moment-he spent ages the other day doing stuff out of the Usborne how to draw trucks and tractors book. it is good but not as good as the drawn write now books. Must get one of the series to try and help him. My artistic skills are nill, despite the fact that my mother was a fantastic artist. would also like to try and find someone to help us with our origami as he loves doing it but again my skills are very limited.
We went to visit family friends today. When my father was stationed here we rented the cottage on their farm and we have been friends ever since. it was lovely to see them and we took sam over to see the cottage that we used to live in. It has changed a great deal but apart from the color of the walls, my room is just the same. Sam was very excited at seeing my old room and kept asking where my bed was and where were my old toys! Being in the house brought back so many memories. Some of the roses that my mother planted 26 years ago are still there. I like that, it makes me feel that a tangible part of her is still here. They were her pride and joy those roses. Perhaps next time I go I will ask for a cutting to see if i grow a plant from one of hers.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
mad scientists at work
The kitchen was taken over today by a young group of mad scientists. They did all sorts of strange experiments-most of them involving sugar! They even made their own sherbert dips and a funky kind of lava lamp. Okay it wasn't really a lamp, just raisins going up and down in carbonated water but it was just as much fun to watch as a lava lamp. At the end they were all exhausted and covered in red food coloring from their sugar cube experiment. And who were these mad scientists-sam and the puddles. We used lots of experiements from our Usborne experiments book and they all worked. I think the raisins in the water was the coolest. They just kept going up and down, I could have watched them all afternoon. Sam was wildly enthusiastic and seemed to loose all sense of volume control. He just doesn't have a clue that his voice is too loud-I just wish that there was someway I could help him to see this without saying 'indoor voice please" 500 times. I am afraid he gets it from me-that and the chatting too much. Thank goodness he is not in school or I am sure that he would be sent in the corner most of the time. It was as usual lovely having the girls over and I hope they enjoyed the experiments.
Our stick insects arrived safely and I think they are all okay. They are very small still so small that is difficult to see them. Their new cage is arriving tomorrow so that should help matters. Sam has named them-sam, mommy and pencil box! M wasn't very pleased to be passed over in favor of pencil box.
Have started thinking about thanksgiving and have decided that we should do a lapbook to help sam learn about the holiday. we have been reading a magic tree house book about it and he seems to be taking it all in. While the historical facts are important what I think is more important is that it is a holiday that unifies our country in a way that even the 4th of july doesn't. To the best of my knowledge everyone regardless of religion or background celebrates it and brings something special to the celebration. No two families celebrate in quite the same way. My father does not eat turkey or chicken so growing up mom never served it. Instead we always had family dish called guadaroni (a bit like a giant calzone) so that to me is thanksgiving-that and pumpkin pie. I could eat both for every meal. pumpkin pie for breakfast is very yummy. I think it is a nice idea in this busy world to have one day set a side to give thanks for the people and things that are important to us. I have so much to be thankful, especially all of my wonderful friends on both sides of the atlantic. THANK YOU.
Our stick insects arrived safely and I think they are all okay. They are very small still so small that is difficult to see them. Their new cage is arriving tomorrow so that should help matters. Sam has named them-sam, mommy and pencil box! M wasn't very pleased to be passed over in favor of pencil box.
Have started thinking about thanksgiving and have decided that we should do a lapbook to help sam learn about the holiday. we have been reading a magic tree house book about it and he seems to be taking it all in. While the historical facts are important what I think is more important is that it is a holiday that unifies our country in a way that even the 4th of july doesn't. To the best of my knowledge everyone regardless of religion or background celebrates it and brings something special to the celebration. No two families celebrate in quite the same way. My father does not eat turkey or chicken so growing up mom never served it. Instead we always had family dish called guadaroni (a bit like a giant calzone) so that to me is thanksgiving-that and pumpkin pie. I could eat both for every meal. pumpkin pie for breakfast is very yummy. I think it is a nice idea in this busy world to have one day set a side to give thanks for the people and things that are important to us. I have so much to be thankful, especially all of my wonderful friends on both sides of the atlantic. THANK YOU.
Monday, November 14, 2005
New arrivals
With any luck (touches wood very quickly and crosses fingers) we should have 4 new arrivals this week. No I am not having quadruplet-one car and three stick insects will be joining the family. The stick insects were posted today so should be here on wednesday and all being well we pick up the car on saturday. I am not sure which sam is more excited about. He is very pleased that he will be able to pick up and handle the stick insects but says that he can't name them until he seems them-which is fair enough. The cage we ordered for them should also be here this week. Until it arrives they will have to live in a large sweet tub. We have to go in search of privet for them as well. Time to get the tree/shrub book out to see what it looks like. I wouldn't know it if it bit me.
A busy few days. We have started doing the kitchen again so spent all of sunday sanding, cleaning and getting the walls ready and ripping out the old laminate floor. We have hung 2/3 of the lining paper and will try and finish it off in the week. Sam wan't that keen on helping when he realised we weren't painting quite yet. He spent most of sunday making wonderful mechano creations and crashing them into lincoln log houses. I think he should get a job in demolition, he would be a natural.
Some interesting questions this weekend about heaven and angels. First he asked if heaven exsisted and I explained that lots of people believed it did but that no one could prove its exsistence. He pondered that for a while and then asked if I did. I explained that I did because it makes me feel not so sad about my mom's death. I said that if there is no heaven then when she died she was gone for ever but if there is a heaven then she is probably looking down on us and watching over us. He thought a bit more and said that he liked grandma looking down on him, which made me go all misty eyed-not a good thing when you are going round a round about. A little while later he asked about the order of angels and who was in charge and who was at the bottom. I don't know where this came from, I don't remember discussing angels with him. I did the best I couild and suggested that we had best look it up because I couldn't remember much except seraphim, cherubs and archangels.
Lots of math today-he seems to be warming to the subject. He is getting good at adding and subtracting and has even started doing it in his head. With any luck he will be able to balance my check book for me by the time he is 5!
We are more or less carless this week as the jeep shouldn't be driven any more than absolutely necessary. That should give us a chance to get lots done and start thinking about all the xmas things we need to do. He is keen to make gingerbread cookies for the xmas tree. I suspect this is because he wants to eat them.
A busy few days. We have started doing the kitchen again so spent all of sunday sanding, cleaning and getting the walls ready and ripping out the old laminate floor. We have hung 2/3 of the lining paper and will try and finish it off in the week. Sam wan't that keen on helping when he realised we weren't painting quite yet. He spent most of sunday making wonderful mechano creations and crashing them into lincoln log houses. I think he should get a job in demolition, he would be a natural.
Some interesting questions this weekend about heaven and angels. First he asked if heaven exsisted and I explained that lots of people believed it did but that no one could prove its exsistence. He pondered that for a while and then asked if I did. I explained that I did because it makes me feel not so sad about my mom's death. I said that if there is no heaven then when she died she was gone for ever but if there is a heaven then she is probably looking down on us and watching over us. He thought a bit more and said that he liked grandma looking down on him, which made me go all misty eyed-not a good thing when you are going round a round about. A little while later he asked about the order of angels and who was in charge and who was at the bottom. I don't know where this came from, I don't remember discussing angels with him. I did the best I couild and suggested that we had best look it up because I couldn't remember much except seraphim, cherubs and archangels.
Lots of math today-he seems to be warming to the subject. He is getting good at adding and subtracting and has even started doing it in his head. With any luck he will be able to balance my check book for me by the time he is 5!
We are more or less carless this week as the jeep shouldn't be driven any more than absolutely necessary. That should give us a chance to get lots done and start thinking about all the xmas things we need to do. He is keen to make gingerbread cookies for the xmas tree. I suspect this is because he wants to eat them.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Where does the time go?
I can't believe that it has been almost a week since a I blogged. We have been busy but not overly busy. I guess I have spent my evenings doing my course or exciting things like the ironing.
The highlight of the last few days was the bonfire party on saturday night. F & her husband have a party every year and this year they were kind enough to invite us. Her husband went fire work mad-the displaly was amazing. sam was awestruck. there were about 7 children there and he was the youngest by a good couple of years. He fit right in though and was running around playing sardines and giggling his head off. finally about 11pm he announced he was ready to leave. Up to that point he refused to leave-amazingly even at that late hour we were the first to go. I wish I could say that he slept in the next morning but he was up, bright eyed and bushy tailed by 6.
this week we are having has a science flavor to it as we are going to spend wednesday doing lots of experiments. He is very excited needless to say and will expect to start them as soon as he gets up. Call me a killjoy but doing science experiments at 6am in my jammies and before my morning does of caffine is not my idea of fun. we are also going to start wrapping the mummy, weather permitting. we work on the mummy outside as I refuse to have it in the house. it doesn't smell that bad but there is a distinct odor.
we are also going to be car shopping as the jeep is not very well. our very trust mechanic advised that it was time to put it out to pasture as lots of things are going into failure mode. we are all going to miss the jeep, it has been a good car and taken us on lots of fun adventures. must stop naming cars, then perhaps I won't get so maudlin when the time comes to get rid of them.
The highlight of the last few days was the bonfire party on saturday night. F & her husband have a party every year and this year they were kind enough to invite us. Her husband went fire work mad-the displaly was amazing. sam was awestruck. there were about 7 children there and he was the youngest by a good couple of years. He fit right in though and was running around playing sardines and giggling his head off. finally about 11pm he announced he was ready to leave. Up to that point he refused to leave-amazingly even at that late hour we were the first to go. I wish I could say that he slept in the next morning but he was up, bright eyed and bushy tailed by 6.
this week we are having has a science flavor to it as we are going to spend wednesday doing lots of experiments. He is very excited needless to say and will expect to start them as soon as he gets up. Call me a killjoy but doing science experiments at 6am in my jammies and before my morning does of caffine is not my idea of fun. we are also going to start wrapping the mummy, weather permitting. we work on the mummy outside as I refuse to have it in the house. it doesn't smell that bad but there is a distinct odor.
we are also going to be car shopping as the jeep is not very well. our very trust mechanic advised that it was time to put it out to pasture as lots of things are going into failure mode. we are all going to miss the jeep, it has been a good car and taken us on lots of fun adventures. must stop naming cars, then perhaps I won't get so maudlin when the time comes to get rid of them.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
It's here !!!!
I am so excited, my course material has finally arrived. Opening the box was like christmas, even sam was excited. He was thrilled with the fossil samples and started naming them at once. Being the eager student that I am I have already read the first chapter and worked out the answers to the first two questions on the end of course assesment. Hermione and I are soul sisters!!
A fairly quiet day other than that. We did our normals in the morning and then met up with Merry & K and their children at activity world. Sam did so much running around that he was dripping in sweat by the time they stopped for their snack. It was nice getting to chat to Merry & K.
Yesterday was a bit of a non starter as far as schooling goes. We had to go to the smart dealer in cambridge to get the spare key sorted out. we had friends coming in the afternoon so we didn't go into the city itself. F&P came by in the afternoon and the boys spent the entire time crashing hot wheels cars. why do boys always have to crash and destroy things? I am sure that girls play much more gently. I don't remember my barbies having crashes or threatening to destroy each other.
Monday was wonderful. We met up with my old school friend Melanie and her children at Verulumum (saint albans). The museum is fantastic and there are a fair few ruins to roam around. Despite all the cool exhibits I think sam probably enjoyed the play ground best! Melanie and I had a good chance to catch up. It is amazing how much we still have in common even after all these years. We are going to try and meet up again before xmas, hopefully we will be able to.
Not much on the cards tomorrow-must check our chicken mummy. I think it should be ready to bandage up next week. Will post photos of its progress provided it is not too gruesome.
A fairly quiet day other than that. We did our normals in the morning and then met up with Merry & K and their children at activity world. Sam did so much running around that he was dripping in sweat by the time they stopped for their snack. It was nice getting to chat to Merry & K.
Yesterday was a bit of a non starter as far as schooling goes. We had to go to the smart dealer in cambridge to get the spare key sorted out. we had friends coming in the afternoon so we didn't go into the city itself. F&P came by in the afternoon and the boys spent the entire time crashing hot wheels cars. why do boys always have to crash and destroy things? I am sure that girls play much more gently. I don't remember my barbies having crashes or threatening to destroy each other.
Monday was wonderful. We met up with my old school friend Melanie and her children at Verulumum (saint albans). The museum is fantastic and there are a fair few ruins to roam around. Despite all the cool exhibits I think sam probably enjoyed the play ground best! Melanie and I had a good chance to catch up. It is amazing how much we still have in common even after all these years. We are going to try and meet up again before xmas, hopefully we will be able to.
Not much on the cards tomorrow-must check our chicken mummy. I think it should be ready to bandage up next week. Will post photos of its progress provided it is not too gruesome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
