the other balloons taking off
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
More happy news...at least we think so
After many years of talking about it we are finally going on a family ski trip. We are going to Garmisch in Germany for a week in Jan and to say that sam is excited is an understatement. He is willing to skip xmas and go straight to Jan-an unheard of thing for a boy who loves presents as much as he does. We are going to go to either tamworth or milton keynes so that that he can have a few lessons before we hit the slopes because despite what he thinks he cannot ski. Having played enless hours of family ski on the wii he is convinced that he can really ski-should be interesting to see if that holds true! We have already kitted him out very reasonably thanks to H & M and TJ Maxx. We chose Germany because it should be less crowded than france and it is where I learned to ski, and it is somewhere that matt has always wanted ski. We are going to be there for his 40th so may need to sneak a bottle of champagne out on the slope.
As we are going to germany sam has decided that he needs to learn german so we have added it to our wed morning language lessons. He seems to be enjoying them and has started to drop french words into everyday conversation as well as making words sound french by putting a le or la in front of them. It is very cute.
Another piece of success-have managed to persuade sam to dress up for the halloween party we are going to. He has agreed to dress in miliary camaflage as it is not really like dressing up. He is even considering letting me put green/black greasepaint on his face like real soliders have. Matt can't decide between being a pirate and indiana jones but I have decided to go as a fairy godmother. Unbelieveably I still (sort of )fit my lovely pink worth advisor's dress (last worn 1986)and with the addition of some wings, a magic wand and a few seams let out it will be a perfect fairy godmother's outfit. It should be a fun party-will be sure and post a few pics.
As we are going to germany sam has decided that he needs to learn german so we have added it to our wed morning language lessons. He seems to be enjoying them and has started to drop french words into everyday conversation as well as making words sound french by putting a le or la in front of them. It is very cute.
Another piece of success-have managed to persuade sam to dress up for the halloween party we are going to. He has agreed to dress in miliary camaflage as it is not really like dressing up. He is even considering letting me put green/black greasepaint on his face like real soliders have. Matt can't decide between being a pirate and indiana jones but I have decided to go as a fairy godmother. Unbelieveably I still (sort of )fit my lovely pink worth advisor's dress (last worn 1986)and with the addition of some wings, a magic wand and a few seams let out it will be a perfect fairy godmother's outfit. It should be a fun party-will be sure and post a few pics.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Some good news amid the gloom..
In an effort to bring a little light to this dim and dark time I thought that I would impart a little good news. It is not anything major but just something to bring a smile rather than a frown . The first piece of good news is that after lots of false starts sam has finally mastered telling time!! We have done telling time on and off for a couple of years but in the last month it all just clicked. He now wears his watch everywhere (thank you auntie lynn!)and takes great delight at annoucing the time at various intervals.
The other piece of good news is that he can also now confidently tie his shoes! We taught him how to time them last year but it never really stuck but now he has it down pat. He got to show off his skills at the airport last week when they made him take off his shoes at security. I am all for being on the look out for potential threats but really-other than making toxic smells do most 7 year old boys pose a threat to national security... I think not.
We have been pottering along with school work and are now into the fraction zone. He seems to be enjoying fractions but all that could change next week when we cover adding adding and subtracting them. It is a good refresher course for me because fractions aren't something that I used on a daily basis, at least not in their written form.
The other piece of good news is that he can also now confidently tie his shoes! We taught him how to time them last year but it never really stuck but now he has it down pat. He got to show off his skills at the airport last week when they made him take off his shoes at security. I am all for being on the look out for potential threats but really-other than making toxic smells do most 7 year old boys pose a threat to national security... I think not.
We have been pottering along with school work and are now into the fraction zone. He seems to be enjoying fractions but all that could change next week when we cover adding adding and subtracting them. It is a good refresher course for me because fractions aren't something that I used on a daily basis, at least not in their written form.
Reunited
Last weekend I took sam on an international playdate. His very best buddy Alex and his family have moved to Ireland for a year and sam was missing him terribly, so when I saw that ryan air could fly us there for £20 roundtrip for both of us I booked the flights. Matt very graciously agreed to stay home and doggie sit and have a little daddy time. We went for just one night but managed to cram in lots of playtime and catching up. Sam was so excited to see Alex and Conall and was on a real high all day. Despite getting up at 3:30 he didn't crash until 9:30 that night. We spent our day in dublin at the zoo and a variety of playgrounds. They boys had a blast running around and playing and seeing the animals at the zoo. The weather obliged by only drizzling very slightly and being on the whole pretty okay. It was lovely to catch up with Miriam who and to see the boys and we can't wait until they come back at xmas.
Is this boy happy or what??!!
Sam was on a complete high from the moment miriam and the boys picked us up at the airport, despite having gotten up at 3:30 in the morning to make the trip. Here he is showing how happy he is to be reunited to two of his very best buddies.
Going for a ride
All the boys had great fun climbing on the wooden elephant in the playground, despite the many times they all slipped off due to the light drizzle.
Too cute!
Sam and I have seen elephants in zoos before but neither of us have ever seen a baby elephant. This one was so cute and was very playful. It was constantly trying to toss things up with its trunk. Miriam and I could have stayed and watched it all day.
Off for a stroll
The baby elephant was so cute-it really enjoyed throwing the sand up in the air to make a sand shower.
Mother and child
Conall was the first to spot this mother peahen and her chick. It started to drizzle while we were watching them and the chick quickly disappeared under its mother's wing.
Who are you looking at?
I wasn't sure who was watching who here. The meerkat enclosure is connected by a viewing window to the restaurant and they seemed as fascinated by watching us as we were by them. The boys were completely captivated and had to be dragged away after lunch!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
A public service message...
If only I could decide who to vote for-think I am going to write in Mr. Buffett with Hillary for vp!
Monday, September 29, 2008
All hail the new leader..
Upon picking up sam from beavers he greeted me with the news that he is now lodge leader by virtue of the fact that he is the oldest in his lodge. He is very excited to be in charge and thinks he is going to have a tough job keeping the boys in his lodge quiet. Those of you who know sam will find this hard to believe but he is actually one of the quietest boys in his pack. I am quite sure that his troop leader must be deaf, there is no other way she could survive the noise week after week! We are very proud of sam and know that he will do a good job.
This weekend sam had his friend dan to stay and I am pleased to announce that they actually slept!! They had had a busy day, going to the movies, playing lego, bike riding and dsing so they were tired by the time bed time came round. They were both up at 6 but played their dss quietly and didn't come check on me until 7 so that was okay. Sam had a blast and it was a pleasure to have dan over-both boys are planning another visit very soon.
Schoolwise sam has now finished Singapore Math 3A and with 3B we are now entering the realm of fractions and simple geometry. I think he enjoys math more than he admits to, he certainly likes the challenge of getting a problem right.
This weekend sam had his friend dan to stay and I am pleased to announce that they actually slept!! They had had a busy day, going to the movies, playing lego, bike riding and dsing so they were tired by the time bed time came round. They were both up at 6 but played their dss quietly and didn't come check on me until 7 so that was okay. Sam had a blast and it was a pleasure to have dan over-both boys are planning another visit very soon.
Schoolwise sam has now finished Singapore Math 3A and with 3B we are now entering the realm of fractions and simple geometry. I think he enjoys math more than he admits to, he certainly likes the challenge of getting a problem right.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A margaritaville state of mind
If you have looked at the blog over the last two days you will realise that we have been in Paris drinking boat drinks and singing our hearts out at Jimmy Buffett's concert at the New Morning Jazz Club. To say that we had fun is an understatement. I can't remember the last time I was able to escape reality so completely and just throw myself in the moment.
Sam stayed with Matt's parents and had a ball as well. Due to the Eurostar disruptions they kindly had him for an additional night as we had to spend the night in london prior to our train to ensure that we got there early enough to get on the 7:30 train. We were in Paris before lunch and after dropping off our bags ( and calling the monster) we went out shopping and enjoying the autumn sunshine. It was a glorious day and we not only had a yummy lunch but window shopped to our hearts content. After a bottle of champagne (thank you t & l!)and a quick nap we were recharged and ready for the concert. The doors opened at 7, the concert started at 8 and we got there at 5:30 to experience tailgating parisian style. I can honestly say that I have never had so much fun waiting in line. We talked to everyone and found a few cyber aquatances from the buffett form that I lurk on. One woman I was chatting to shares my birthday and another couple are stationed at Kaiserslatern in Germany where we were stationed when I was little. Talk about coincidences. Everyone was super friendly a very merry as most people had brought refreshments. There were beach balls going back an forth down the line and across the street and the locals took it all in their stride. The crowd was very good natured and in control but if the same thing were to happen in anyother major city the police would have been there in a heart beat giving everyone a warning.
Managed to get right up close when Jimmy and the band arrived and am kicking myself that I didn't push my way up front and ask for an autograph-next year I won't make the same mistake.
The venue held about 300-400 people but it didn't feel full. We were pretty close to the stage and had a fantastic view. The atmosphere was electric and jimmy and the band really seemed to be enjoying themselves. They played for 2.5 hours solid and could have gone on longer. The audience joined in on every song and we all knew all the words! I usually can't remember what I ate for breakfast but once I start singing a song I know all the words. Matt took a few videos on the camera and once he figures out how to upload them on to flickr I will put them on the blog and youtube-just ignore my singing-I may know all the words but I don't sound that great!! We left the concert full of life and energy but starving as our only dinner had been a few potato chips while tailgating. Did we head to some quaint parisian after hours dinner or bisto-no we headed for the golden arches. I know we shouldn't have but we were both dying for fast food.
All in all it was a fab weekend and we can not wait for a return trip next year. So a huge thank you to matt's parents for having the monster and to Mr. Buffett et al for coming to paris and putting us all in a margaritaville state of mind.
Sam stayed with Matt's parents and had a ball as well. Due to the Eurostar disruptions they kindly had him for an additional night as we had to spend the night in london prior to our train to ensure that we got there early enough to get on the 7:30 train. We were in Paris before lunch and after dropping off our bags ( and calling the monster) we went out shopping and enjoying the autumn sunshine. It was a glorious day and we not only had a yummy lunch but window shopped to our hearts content. After a bottle of champagne (thank you t & l!)and a quick nap we were recharged and ready for the concert. The doors opened at 7, the concert started at 8 and we got there at 5:30 to experience tailgating parisian style. I can honestly say that I have never had so much fun waiting in line. We talked to everyone and found a few cyber aquatances from the buffett form that I lurk on. One woman I was chatting to shares my birthday and another couple are stationed at Kaiserslatern in Germany where we were stationed when I was little. Talk about coincidences. Everyone was super friendly a very merry as most people had brought refreshments. There were beach balls going back an forth down the line and across the street and the locals took it all in their stride. The crowd was very good natured and in control but if the same thing were to happen in anyother major city the police would have been there in a heart beat giving everyone a warning.
Managed to get right up close when Jimmy and the band arrived and am kicking myself that I didn't push my way up front and ask for an autograph-next year I won't make the same mistake.
The venue held about 300-400 people but it didn't feel full. We were pretty close to the stage and had a fantastic view. The atmosphere was electric and jimmy and the band really seemed to be enjoying themselves. They played for 2.5 hours solid and could have gone on longer. The audience joined in on every song and we all knew all the words! I usually can't remember what I ate for breakfast but once I start singing a song I know all the words. Matt took a few videos on the camera and once he figures out how to upload them on to flickr I will put them on the blog and youtube-just ignore my singing-I may know all the words but I don't sound that great!! We left the concert full of life and energy but starving as our only dinner had been a few potato chips while tailgating. Did we head to some quaint parisian after hours dinner or bisto-no we headed for the golden arches. I know we shouldn't have but we were both dying for fast food.
All in all it was a fab weekend and we can not wait for a return trip next year. So a huge thank you to matt's parents for having the monster and to Mr. Buffett et al for coming to paris and putting us all in a margaritaville state of mind.
the man himself
I was so close, I should have barged in and got his autograph but I was being unusually polite. Still this was closer than we expected to be.
jimmy
The big guy took time to greet the crowd before going into get ready for the show. By this stage there were probably about 200 or so of us tailgaiting on the street. Don't think that the good folk of paris were prepared for beach balls, sharks and inflatable monkeys flying around in the street.
waiting for boat drinks
I am not really grumpy honest!! Just enjoying the warm autumn sunshine and wishing that I wasn't dressed in black from head to toe.
license to chill
We had a lovely relaxed lunch sitting in the sun near the opera in paris. Here is Matt looking very chilled.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Parrotheads in Paris
Just back from an amazing weekend in Paris. Will blog in more details later complete with pics and our videos but here is a taster of what we were doing. The concert was out of this world and we are both already looking forward to next year!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I think I am going to stop listening to the news..
The first theng I do in the morning is to fire up the laptop (okay I do get out of bed first-most mornings anyway!) and put on the morning news on BBC Radio 5. It seems like each morning it gets more and more depressing with ever more worrying financial and political news. I have found that I am starting the day more worried and stressed than ever and I have decided to find a more cheerful way to start the day-if only radio margaritaville were playing at that hour of the morning. I do like to keep up with the news but there never seems to be anything good to report tenhese days, life is challenging enough with out being constantly worried about the big picture. Any suggestions for a cheerful radio station without a lot of news?
The boys throughly enjoyed themselves at the warhammer day the the NEC on Sunday. Sam managed to purchase everything on his list and he and matt have even got most of it assembled and back sprayed ready for painting. I had lots of fun out shopping with the girls, though it was very strange not having a little boy in tow. Didn't do much actual purchasing, but lots of gossiping and window shopping. We even treated ourselves to lunch at Wagamamas-it is so nice to have one on our doorstep.
This week has been quiet as we are carless. My car failed its mot last week and am unable to drive it until the problem is fixed as the mot expired just after it was tested. The parts are in now and it is going to the garage tomorrow so hopefully we will have it back by thursday. Sam has really been enjoying this website: scratch.mit.edu, it is a site to help children learn how programming works and it allows them to create their own cartoons, games etc. Sam has made several cartoons and we are now trying to figure out how to make a game. Watch this space-if he manages to will post a link.
The boys throughly enjoyed themselves at the warhammer day the the NEC on Sunday. Sam managed to purchase everything on his list and he and matt have even got most of it assembled and back sprayed ready for painting. I had lots of fun out shopping with the girls, though it was very strange not having a little boy in tow. Didn't do much actual purchasing, but lots of gossiping and window shopping. We even treated ourselves to lunch at Wagamamas-it is so nice to have one on our doorstep.
This week has been quiet as we are carless. My car failed its mot last week and am unable to drive it until the problem is fixed as the mot expired just after it was tested. The parts are in now and it is going to the garage tomorrow so hopefully we will have it back by thursday. Sam has really been enjoying this website: scratch.mit.edu, it is a site to help children learn how programming works and it allows them to create their own cartoons, games etc. Sam has made several cartoons and we are now trying to figure out how to make a game. Watch this space-if he manages to will post a link.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Summer's officially over..
as if the copious amounts of rain were not enough to tell us all that summer is over the return of all sam's activities just confirms it. This week saw the start of home ed group, art and beavers. Tennis has started back too but sam has decided to rest this term and play with matt and I rather than have formal lessons. I wasn't too disappointed as they have reverted to their 9am on a sunday morning at the outdoor court slot and I am not sure that either of us would enjoy them if the weather keeps up like it has done. We have also gotten more serious about school work-especially math. I think the break has done us both good, I am more relaxed and sam is slightly more eager to work.
Sept is going to be a busy month for us-the boys are going to the big warhammer show at the nec (while I go shopping with the girls!), Matt and I are going to paris to see jimmy in concert and sam's friend dan is coming to stay and at the beginning of Oct sam and I are popping over to Dublin for the night (as you do) to visit Miriam and the boys. The tickets were only £20 return for both of us so we figured it was too good a bargain to miss Matt is going to stay home with the dogs and enjoy some much needed daddy time.
I have a new knitting project underway as my cousin and his wife are expecting their first baby. I am so thrilled to them and know that they will make fantastic parents. I had forgotten how absorbing knitting can be, I am sure that I am going to have rsi by the time I finish the blanket. I should be able to get a lot done on the way to paris as we are going by train rather than flying.
Miko's tv watching continues, tonight she was mesmerised by the Star Wars movie sam was watching-it was part 2 clone wars I think. She obviously prefers sci-fi to crime though as she slept and snored through csi miami.
Sept is going to be a busy month for us-the boys are going to the big warhammer show at the nec (while I go shopping with the girls!), Matt and I are going to paris to see jimmy in concert and sam's friend dan is coming to stay and at the beginning of Oct sam and I are popping over to Dublin for the night (as you do) to visit Miriam and the boys. The tickets were only £20 return for both of us so we figured it was too good a bargain to miss Matt is going to stay home with the dogs and enjoy some much needed daddy time.
I have a new knitting project underway as my cousin and his wife are expecting their first baby. I am so thrilled to them and know that they will make fantastic parents. I had forgotten how absorbing knitting can be, I am sure that I am going to have rsi by the time I finish the blanket. I should be able to get a lot done on the way to paris as we are going by train rather than flying.
Miko's tv watching continues, tonight she was mesmerised by the Star Wars movie sam was watching-it was part 2 clone wars I think. She obviously prefers sci-fi to crime though as she slept and snored through csi miami.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
TV addict-but it is not who you think!
Now that we are fully paid up members of the tv brigade again you would that thought that a certain young man would be glued to the set 24/7 but strangely he isn't too bothered about watching it. He certainly has not asked to turn it on and we have not had to down tools at any point to make sure that we don't miss a particular programme. The family member that would be glued to the set is miko. She sits and watches attentively no matter what is on and will even sit staring at the set when it is off, almost as if she is waiting for it to come on! She doesn't mind what she watches, everything seems to grip and enthrall her-just thank goodness she hasn't figured out how to work the remote or I am sure that she would watch it all day! I have never seen a dog watch tv like she does, it is so funny.
We had a fantastic weekend, went down to the in laws on sat for fils bday party. Sam was delighted to get to play with his cousins and the sun actually came out so we were all able to sit and enjoy the garden. On sunday Matt and his dad went to watch England vs. South Africa at Lords while sam, matt's mom and I wandered around london. First stop was here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/UK/kensington/index.html, it is the most amazing grocery store ever (harrods food hall doesn't count as a grocery store). I have been to whole foods back home but none were as big as this. The whole top floor was a food oourt complete with sushi bar, oyster bar, Italian restaurant, gelato bar, coffee bar and so on. We had eleveness and lunch up there and both were very yummy and surprisingly good value. The other two floors were devoted to groceries of all varieties as well as several self service food counters. It was foodie heaven but at a cost-you would need a wheelbarrow full of money to do your weekly shopping there-to quote MK-it is whole paycheck!
We also did whistlestop tours of the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Sam wasn't feeling very well so our visits were quite short. He was boiling hot and just wanted to be out in the fresh air. He did manage to come away with a fluffy baryonyx to add to his collection. It is cuddled next to him as I write this, just hope the dogs don't spot it in the night!
Now that most everyone is back at school we have started to get more serious about lessons again. Came across this site www.funbrain.com which has lots of good math and english games and sam is really enjoying them. The math games are great and they are helping to reinforce the math facts that he should already know but seems to forget on a regular basis! We have also started using www.livemocha.com for french-it seems good so far and while it is not aimed at children the beginner level is easy enough for him to understand. I am also trying to introduce a little creative writing which is proving a difficult task. He is great at using his imagination to make lego creations but can seem to turn it to writing. Each day I give him a doodle and ask him to make a picture out of it and then write a few sentence about the picture. He has managed to make two cars and a plane so far!! Perhaps he is destined to become an engineer or a graphic designer.
We had a fantastic weekend, went down to the in laws on sat for fils bday party. Sam was delighted to get to play with his cousins and the sun actually came out so we were all able to sit and enjoy the garden. On sunday Matt and his dad went to watch England vs. South Africa at Lords while sam, matt's mom and I wandered around london. First stop was here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/UK/kensington/index.html, it is the most amazing grocery store ever (harrods food hall doesn't count as a grocery store). I have been to whole foods back home but none were as big as this. The whole top floor was a food oourt complete with sushi bar, oyster bar, Italian restaurant, gelato bar, coffee bar and so on. We had eleveness and lunch up there and both were very yummy and surprisingly good value. The other two floors were devoted to groceries of all varieties as well as several self service food counters. It was foodie heaven but at a cost-you would need a wheelbarrow full of money to do your weekly shopping there-to quote MK-it is whole paycheck!
We also did whistlestop tours of the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Sam wasn't feeling very well so our visits were quite short. He was boiling hot and just wanted to be out in the fresh air. He did manage to come away with a fluffy baryonyx to add to his collection. It is cuddled next to him as I write this, just hope the dogs don't spot it in the night!
Now that most everyone is back at school we have started to get more serious about lessons again. Came across this site www.funbrain.com which has lots of good math and english games and sam is really enjoying them. The math games are great and they are helping to reinforce the math facts that he should already know but seems to forget on a regular basis! We have also started using www.livemocha.com for french-it seems good so far and while it is not aimed at children the beginner level is easy enough for him to understand. I am also trying to introduce a little creative writing which is proving a difficult task. He is great at using his imagination to make lego creations but can seem to turn it to writing. Each day I give him a doodle and ask him to make a picture out of it and then write a few sentence about the picture. He has managed to make two cars and a plane so far!! Perhaps he is destined to become an engineer or a graphic designer.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
All hail Dave..
was the mood in our house this afternoon-at least from the monster that is. For those not in the know Dave is a tv channel that seems to show car programmes like Top Gear and Fith Gear almost non-stop. From what I can see they intersperse them with intellectual quiz shows at the weekend. Regular readers will know that sam loves Top Gear so was over the moon today when after only two months I finally got around (not that i was procrastinating) to having an antena installed and we were finally able to get Dave. Matt is at work tonight so we had a Dave-fest complete with popcorn to make up for the fact that we didn't get to the movies this afternoon as planned due to the late arrival of the antena guy. Not having watched real tv over the past two years (programmes on BBCi player don't count) sam was unprepared for the amount of commercials-several times he asked why we couldn't just skip them and get back to the show! There is something to be said for watching programmes on line afterall!
Other than the excitement of getting the tv sorted out today and the dishwasher fixed tomorrow it has been pretty quiet since my last post. We have done a little bit of school type stuff everyday and on monday (a holiday here) sam and I gave the house a thorough clean while matt was at work. He was such a trooper and such a big help that not only did I let him choose the movie to watch (Revenge of the Sith again) but I also treated him to pizza. Just hope he doesn't expect the same treatment each time we do a deep clean!
I think the summer really is over-I looked out this morning and noticed that the leaves on our neighbor's tree are already starting to turn, not only that but the horse chestnuts are already starting to drop conkers. Not to complain or anything but we haven't really had summer so was hoping for a warm sept-guess that isn't going to happen so will have to start sorting out fall clothes. Just hope we have a mild winter without too much rain!!
Other than the excitement of getting the tv sorted out today and the dishwasher fixed tomorrow it has been pretty quiet since my last post. We have done a little bit of school type stuff everyday and on monday (a holiday here) sam and I gave the house a thorough clean while matt was at work. He was such a trooper and such a big help that not only did I let him choose the movie to watch (Revenge of the Sith again) but I also treated him to pizza. Just hope he doesn't expect the same treatment each time we do a deep clean!
I think the summer really is over-I looked out this morning and noticed that the leaves on our neighbor's tree are already starting to turn, not only that but the horse chestnuts are already starting to drop conkers. Not to complain or anything but we haven't really had summer so was hoping for a warm sept-guess that isn't going to happen so will have to start sorting out fall clothes. Just hope we have a mild winter without too much rain!!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Andrew Cope and Lara
Another week another author! This monday went to Loughborough library to listen to a talk by Andrew Cope, the author of the Spy Dog series. He was amazing with the children and held their attention from the moment he opened his mouth. He brought with him his dog Lara who was the inspiration for the Spy Dog series and she was without a doubt the best behaved dog I have ever seen. She allowed the children to pet her and laid down quietly throughout the whole talk. He had never even thought about writing a book until getting Lara and it was seeing her silly behavor while watching a James Bond film that set his imagination going. If only our dogs would inspire me like that! ActualIy I could see Rogue and Miko as a doggie bonnie and clyde or Indiana Bones and his sidekick.
Sam really enjoyed the talk and was awed to meet Andrew and at the end and to chat to him about our dogs.
Sam really enjoyed the talk and was awed to meet Andrew and at the end and to chat to him about our dogs.
Listening intently
I was very impressed at how attentive the children were and how respectful they were of Lara and not touching her. All of the children had really good questions for Andrew and some of them knew the books so well that it was scary! Lara was amazingly well behaved, neither of our dogs would have been nearly so calm and quiet.
Meeting Andrew Cope
At the end of the talk Andrew signed book for the children. Sam was excited to speak to him and was even more thrilled when Andrew asked if he had dogs. Sam then regaled him with stories of Miko and Rogue and how they were so much naughtier than Lara.
Newest members of our zoo
Went out one morning this week to discover these guys making short work of the nastursums, they were everywhere. I don't think I have ever seen so many catepillars in one spot before. Sam put one in his bug barn and is observing it, it has now gone into a cocoon and we are waiting to see if it is a butterfly or moth.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A taste of what we saw today..
We spent the afternoon in nottingham watching this show. It was so funny that I nearly wet myself laughing. The artemis fowl books are perfect for boys (and mums!)-www.artemisfowl.co.uk.
sam and eoin colfer
Today I took Sam and his friend Dan to see Eoin Colfer's one man show 'Faeries, Fiends and Flatulence' based on his Artemis Fowl books. If truth be told, I am not sure who was more excited, the boys or I. Sam and I have listened to all the Artemis Fowl books and I have just read the latest one in the series. They are fantastic books and work on lots of levels so that sam and I can both enjoy them. The show was hilarious, I spent the whole hour and a half laughing-I think some of it may have gone over the boys' heads as it was about the behavor of little boys-some of the observations he made could have been about sam! After the show we waited in line to get our books signed and eoin colfer very kindly posed for this pic. All in all it was a fantastic day out and sam regaled Matt with all of the stories over the dinner table.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Lots of Wii-ing but not a lot of work
We seemed to have slipped into summer vacation mode without really meaning to, this last week there has been far more playing on the wii than schoolwork going on. We have had friends over to play almost everyother day and without exception the wii was the favored play thing. The bad part is sam now thinks that he can both ski and drive based on his vast experience of playing skiing and driving games!! He has the same style for both-extreme speed and crashing where ever possible, all I can say is that if this is a taste of what is to come then Matt can teach him to drive!!!
It has been lovely seeing friends and sam and I are both more relaxed and when we have sat down to do work he has been more enthusiastic. We have sidelined our current read aloud (A little princess) in favor of the latest Artemis Fowl book-Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox. It is a fantastic story and we both really love the series. In fact we like is so much that on thursday we are going to nottingham to see the author Eoin Colfer do his stand-up routine called 'Fairies, Fiends and Flatulence', Sam is hoping for lots of flatulence!! He is also hoping to get his copy of the book signed-he is building up quite a collection of signed books and seems to enjoy meeting authors.
Apart from wii-ing and the odd bit of schoolwork all sam's attention is focused on Sept 14 as he and matt are going here-http://uk.games-workshop.com/gamesday/2008-preview/1/ and boy is he excited. A whole NEC full of warhammer and warhammer related products-he will be in 7th heaven. I have decided to stay at home so that the doggies don't have to be in the garage all day and the pups and are planning a quiet day of walking and relaxing.
It has been lovely seeing friends and sam and I are both more relaxed and when we have sat down to do work he has been more enthusiastic. We have sidelined our current read aloud (A little princess) in favor of the latest Artemis Fowl book-Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox. It is a fantastic story and we both really love the series. In fact we like is so much that on thursday we are going to nottingham to see the author Eoin Colfer do his stand-up routine called 'Fairies, Fiends and Flatulence', Sam is hoping for lots of flatulence!! He is also hoping to get his copy of the book signed-he is building up quite a collection of signed books and seems to enjoy meeting authors.
Apart from wii-ing and the odd bit of schoolwork all sam's attention is focused on Sept 14 as he and matt are going here-http://uk.games-workshop.com/gamesday/2008-preview/1/ and boy is he excited. A whole NEC full of warhammer and warhammer related products-he will be in 7th heaven. I have decided to stay at home so that the doggies don't have to be in the garage all day and the pups and are planning a quiet day of walking and relaxing.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Our nocturnal visitor
This may look like a bundle of twigs but it is actually a hedgehog! Rogue discovered it sunday night on his last trip out before bed and I don't think he was very impressed! I quickly got him inside and called for Matt, who then got sam who was in bed but not asleep (big surprise there) and we all trooped out to have another look at our visitor. Matt put on gloves and put the little guy in the flower bed. Sam was hoping that he would be around the next morning but he had wandered off back to his home. Hopefully he will be back.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Help, I've disapeared from the blogring..
If anyone out there on the muddlepuddle blog ring knows who is in charge and how to contact them could they please let me know! I know that I don't blog as often as I should but I would still like to be on the blogring!
Monday, August 04, 2008
Good enough to eat..
at least that is what a rogue mosquito thought of sam. He developed an allergic reaction to the bite and his left leg swelled to twice its size. We managed to see the dr the same day it got bad and he was given antibiotics and told to keep of his leg. So friday instead of going to nottingham castle with art group we spent the day at home-sam on the sofa watching dvds and me ironing. We also managed a top gear style geography lesson. Sam has decided to find out where cars come from so we spent a nice hour tracking things down on line. Did you know that the Dacia comes from Romania and that the Roman name for Romania is Dacia? History and geography all from cars, home ed doesn't get much better.
Sam's leg was much better by sat morning so we set out for a sightseeing day in lincoln. It is a beautiful city and we had great fun exploring the castle and steep hill.
Sunday we went down to see Nan, Matt's grandmother. Matt and I hadn't seen her since xmas, though sam saw her last month. It was lovely to see her and we all enjoyed lunch at a garden center so posh that it didn't seem to sell plants, unless you wanted giant acers at £4000!! We all enjoyed the day, sam and nan especially, they seem to delight in each other's company. When asked what his favorite part of the day was he replied "seeing nan", which is not something you expect from a 7 year old.
Sam's leg was much better by sat morning so we set out for a sightseeing day in lincoln. It is a beautiful city and we had great fun exploring the castle and steep hill.
Sunday we went down to see Nan, Matt's grandmother. Matt and I hadn't seen her since xmas, though sam saw her last month. It was lovely to see her and we all enjoyed lunch at a garden center so posh that it didn't seem to sell plants, unless you wanted giant acers at £4000!! We all enjoyed the day, sam and nan especially, they seem to delight in each other's company. When asked what his favorite part of the day was he replied "seeing nan", which is not something you expect from a 7 year old.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Creating lego at nan's
Today we went down to Matt's grandmother's to take her out for lunch. After a nice lunch at a very posh garden center (they were so posh they didn't seem to sell plants!!) we back to her house for a spot of lego building.
Sam and Nan
Sam and his latest lego creation with Nan. Not sure she is too happy that it is a spider!!
Lincoln cathedral from the castle
A view of the cathedral from the castle, M took this pic and it really captures the beauty of lincoln. Apparently the cathedral was used in the movie of the Da Vinci code. We had a nice day out and managed to avoid the showers.
Hanging out at Lincoln Castle
We spent yesterday at lincoln, visiting the castle and browsing on steep hill. This is sam on the ramparts.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Trainspotters!
The boys are all excited, B and J about being on the train and Sam about having just had an ice cream!
Who needs a ball to play catch?
Today we met up with Auntie J and cousins B and J at Ferry Meadows. The boys decided it was much more fun to play catch with sam's hat than with with ball. It was lovely to be back in peterborough, we do miss it so.
Cool fun on a hot day
We met up with Sarah and the girls last week at Burghley's garden of surprises. Sam and the girls had lots of fun in the water and sarah and I had a chance to catch up.
rub a dub dub two men in a tub
At this point they were becalmed in the middle of the lake. The wind had dropped and they had lots of trouble moving. They didn't seem to mind and had lots of fun. It was very swallows and amazon.
Chilling on the lake
Here they are with sam supposed to be in charge of the sail and sam next door in charge of the tiller.
Ready to set sail
On saturday S and his friend Sam went sailing with beavers. They had a blast but spent most of the time either in the reeds or in the middle of the lake.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
The cheeky boys
We met up with A and C today at belton house, where the boys had a glorious time in the adventure playground. It was lovely to see them and catch up with M on all her news.
The cousins
sam and his cousins B & J at Duxford. If the weather had been nicer you would have been able to see that they were wearing matching shirts courtesy of nana and grandad. By all accounts it was a very chilly evening but it didn't rain so everyone was happy.
A cool plane
A Dakota DC3 as taken by sam at Duxford this weekend. He had a ball and enjoyed the music and enjoyed playing with his cousins.
A unique prewash setting
Rogue is such a helpful guy, he really likes to get involved with the housework!
Guess who has a new bike?
Sam on his new red bike, he looks so grown up. He hasn't made it out of the close yet but now the weather is getting nicer we will take it up to watermead.
Good enough to eat!
The cake sam and I made for our 4th of July party. It was very yummy and we had great difficulty in keeping the dogs away from the strawberries.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The boy is back..
after spending the weekend at his grandparents. He had a blast and we had an very quiet house. They picked him up friday afternoon and brought him back this afternoon. He was able to see his great grandmother as well as his aunt & uncle and cousins. They all went to an outdoor concert and airshow on saturday night and sam took about 100 pics! I will post a few of the good ones. By all accounts he had fun didn't miss us at all. It was very strange not having him in the house, though the dogs didn't seem to notice he was gone!! A huge thank you to matt's parents for having sam and allowing us to have a little grown up time. We spent it wisely, sleeping late, going out for lunch and just generally pottering. We have spent a lovely afternoon with matt's parents and sam-we went out to lunch to celebrate our anniversary (thank you!!) and then came home for a Wii tournament. Both Nana and grandad managed to hold their own against sam in tennis, baseball and bowling. We tried in vain to get wii fit but it is sold out everywhere, we are on a few on line waiting lists so I guess we will get one eventually.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Home ed just isn't working..
for rogue-well you didn't think I meant sam did you? He is as happy as larry at home and has declared that he wants to be home educated for college too! Me thinks not! Anyway, try as we might we can't seem to help rogue with his dog aggression issues so we have turned to Rachaael at www.aknak9.com for help. She is a local dog trainer, breeder and dog behavorist. She breeds American Innuits and they are just beautiful. Her alpha female Cheyanne has been helping rogue with getting to know other dogs. Our first session last week was a bit tense and we were glad that rogue had a muzzle on but by the end of the session they had reached a from of entent cordiale. After one to one time rogue and miko and the three of us joined the agility class. Both dogs did really well considering it was their first time, though we humans had a few problems with going around the course! Sam took miko on the last lap and she was definately in charge-poor guy practically flew round thecoanturse-but he loved it. We are going to train with Rachael once a week and hopefully this will help rogue with his issues. We just want him to be happy and he seems very frustrated that he doesn't know how to play with anyone but miko.
Schooling for the monster is going well-we are now on to long division and the 8 times tables. We have started a month long experiment involving corn and beans which he is excited about. We are going to carry on working over the summer but at a much more relaxed pace to allow us to visit with schooled friends and go on days out.
He is very excited at the moment as he is going to spend the weekend with his grandparents this weekend and they are taking him to a concert and airshow at duxford. He will get to see his cousins at the concert and he can't wait to talk star wars with benjamin. Matt and are going out for a belated anniversary lunch on sat which will be nice. I will really miss my little guy but I know that he is going to have lots of fun.
Schooling for the monster is going well-we are now on to long division and the 8 times tables. We have started a month long experiment involving corn and beans which he is excited about. We are going to carry on working over the summer but at a much more relaxed pace to allow us to visit with schooled friends and go on days out.
He is very excited at the moment as he is going to spend the weekend with his grandparents this weekend and they are taking him to a concert and airshow at duxford. He will get to see his cousins at the concert and he can't wait to talk star wars with benjamin. Matt and are going out for a belated anniversary lunch on sat which will be nice. I will really miss my little guy but I know that he is going to have lots of fun.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A click through to help fluffy critters..
The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
It takes less than a minute (about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
It takes less than a minute (about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Friday, July 04, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Brilliant Barcelona
We have recently returned from a fab vacation in Barcelona and would gladly go back again tomorrow. Everything was perfect, the weather, the food, the hotel, the sights and the shopping. There was so much to see and do that I don't think we saw half of it. We all agreed that is was much better than Paris, especially sam who was treated like a king whereever we went. Some of the highlights were:
the beach, the science museum, the gaudi park, tapas, seeing the new indiana jones movie, shopping and the museums. If anyone is looking for a european city holiday destination then it gets thumbs up from all members of our family.
the beach, the science museum, the gaudi park, tapas, seeing the new indiana jones movie, shopping and the museums. If anyone is looking for a european city holiday destination then it gets thumbs up from all members of our family.
Down by the boardwalk..
One of the highlights of the trip was spending the evenings strolling down by the water. Here is M looking very dashing.
sandman
Barcelona is right on the water and we spent a glorious day at the beach as it was a short walk from our hotel. We bought sam the requiste bucket and spade and he matt had a ball building sandcastles and jumping waves. He asked me to bury hin in the sand and this was the result. I felt very sorry for the chambermaid who cleaned our room as even days after the beach trip sam was still trailing sam around the room.
Not lost really!!
Actually, barcelona was really easy to find our way around and we walked almost everywhere. We did brave the underground and it was very easy to use and very safe.
Gaudi boy
Sam was really taken with all the Gaudi architecture and especially loved the Gaudi park. Here he is with his new friend geckster in front of the gecko statue.
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