We’ve had a great weekend (despite various ailments)

As usual I don’t have many pictures of Claudia since we barely saw her. On Saturday Simon & the children went to my niece’s birthday party. I stayed at home - in part to finish their hotpotch-cost nothing- scrap box costumes for Sunday & to attempt to feel better. They had a lovely time - Jasper with the fish & Claudia doing party stuff

Did I say they were hotpotch-cost nothing-scrap box costumes?

Of course Claudia ripped a hole in hers within about 10 minutes & Jasper’s is filthy, but fun was had

Our trip back was more successful than the journey down and, after food & scrubbing, the children slept all night! Claudia is currently on the sofa reading the Usborne Encyclopaedia of World History, I’ve read Jasper a billion books - we have no food & no clean clothes, so I guess I know what I’m doing today.

I’m feeling pretty dire - tired, sick, shaky - here’s another catch-up.

On Monday Claudia was exhausted & a little bit fragile (not too bad but a taste of things to come). She did some maths, spelling, NVR/VR, English & read through a huge pile of Horrible Histories. She spent most of the afternoon on the sofa with books, DS & some films. I managed to get most of the washing done & dried (I’m experimenting with doing it at 30oC to save energy - doesn’t get grass stains out). Forgot there wasn’t any swimming which was a pain, they really could’ve done with letting off some steam & then a good sleep.

Tuesday was horrible, C did some work in the morning but got more and more upset through the day - culminating in a breakdown about being lonely because she had no-one to play with Simon came home a bit early but she’d pretty much lost it by then & was awful all evening. I think it was mostly fatigue , she slept for 14 hours & was fine the next day.

Wednesday - we sewed in the morning (costumes), C looked at costume books & websites & designed some outfits herself Mum visited in the afternoon, I was feeling terrible by this point & C didn’t want to go to ballet so we stayed at home.

Thursday - was good Very productive morning, C wrote a story called ‘Bird Watching and eventually got through maths. I’m really, really pleased with the GP English, C likes it, there’s a good mixture of everything & it isn’t work-booky at all. I’m really impressed with how quickly she’s picked it up, we’re still doing a few FLL every now & then because C enjoys them (no writing ) but the GP is excellent. Claudie played Pharaoh most of the afternoon, she finally got up to Level 5, then ran out of money!

Si left work a bit early because we had to go to Guildford (after a delay because C had taken & lost the bath plug (accidentally)????) - MIL had the children (both loved it) & we went for this:

EDD is Christmas Eve (we’re not telling Claudia yet).

Today was crap, I felt v. ill - my ears hurt - C & J seemed to entertain themselves though (even when I fell asleep on the sofa ). We have a monstrously busy weekend, so I’m off to bed.

Yesterday - The Show (Into The Limelight (!)). It was a hideously busy & complicated day involving multiple trips to & from the theatre. Jasper had a happy time with my parents (after 5 minutes of hysteria & a bit of searching for me) who indulge his duck obsession. Show was wonderfully typical - very loud tap dancing, very cute pre-primary kids, some singing & a couple of hysterically (& unintentionally) funny Ryan-wannabes. Claudia had a fab time (& was probably less knackered than I was), she coped with the chaos & confusion really well & managed to eat, drink, go to the loo & be in the right place at the right time. No pictures though

Saturday - started with a dress rehearsal, then we had to go into town to gather last minute supplies. I dipped strawberries in chocolate & packed various lunch boxes. We went to Gwenny’s birthday barbeque in the evening which was very pleasant & gave Jasper the opportunity to get down with Dylan

Friday - Claudia slept late, I made cakes while she was still in bed. Rushed to get ready for ERAPA & ended up being early, so Claudie went to the park while I stayed in the car with (a sleeping) Jasper. They had a display of bird parts (!), which looked interesting but I don’t think Claudia took any notice - in fact I didn’t see her for the whole afternoon. Jasper is now very involved with what ever is going on, so I spent most of the time chasing after him. GB in the evening & C is now a Junior!

Thursday - shopped for upcoming birthdays & Fathers’ day. Claudia bought a Beast Quest book & had read it twice by the end of the day, she wants Trillion the Three Headed Lion next. My mum visited in the afternoon, then we went to the supermarket.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - fairly typical, verbal & non verbal reasoning, spelling, maths, English (FLL & Galore Park), Getty Dubay, read more Beatrix Potter, some poetry (Robert Frost) & lots of Horrible Histories. Finished Tony Robinson’s Kings & Queens which we really enjoyed Jasper was so exhausted after swimming on Monday that he slept for the entire night (!!!), ballet on Wednesday & we went out on Tuesday (Alison?) but I can’t remember where!

Sunday - rehearsals in the morning & after that I have no idea, will have to consult Simon.

Saturday - went to the park, had an ice-cream by the river, fed the ducks. Did some shopping (bought C a new dictionary), then had a barbeque at my parents’ which was lovely. Watched lots of TV, Claudia loved The Supersizers Go (Victorian).

Generally - Playmobil is very popular atm, as is the DS Plenty of historical recreations - Aztec Temple in Lego - etc.

Jasper is so eccentric Words now are duck, quackquack, dog, fish, ark (a retch/shriek which is impossible to replicate) for frog (or any green reptile - alligator, lizard etc), moooo for cow, dada, aaaaahhht for cat. He has a special screwed up nose smile reserved for owls, Dylan, Alison & my mum. Loves books, music & dancing, pouring & sorting. He so brave & friendly & just perfect

< -------------------------------------------> is just the beginning of how tired I am. I went to bed when the kids did last night - hence the failure to ‘blog June’. Anyhoo yesterday …

Work (maths, English, spelling, GD, lots more Beatrix Potter, some FLL), went to the park with A etc and had an awkward moment with the window cleaner. Claudia read a book about grammar in bed.

Today - Jasper had a new rash. Claudia spent the morning ‘decorating’ the kitchen with string creations. Went to ERAPA (via Lidl - J ate a huge bowl of Nougart Pillows (they are fortified *roll*)) got there very early so sat in the car with J while he napped & C went to the park with a bunch of other HE kids. They had people from MindLabs today and …. umm … well … it was free. Got home & chucked kids in bath, Claudia did some maths & now they’re in the garden.

I’ve repopulated my Amazon wish list.

See that was easy.

Jasper had another bad night - not sure why, he has a temperature which comes & goes & is really clingy etc - may just be teeth but he isn’t right & I hate it when they’re ill.

Wednesday is Hair Day which is usually hellish but today it was less than a 3 on the awfulness scale (bonus). Claudia was in a cooperative mood which was just wonderful. She read in bed this morning & got up refreshed rather than evil

Whizzed through Junior English (writing’s getting faster!), spelling, Getty-Dubay & Maths, then Claudia read a pile of Beatrix Potter while I made lunch, hung washing out (sun!) etc. Jasper poured water from one receptacle to another.

Managed to get Jasper to take a nap & while he was asleep C & I did half an hour of First Language Lessons then played Sims on the computer until it was time for ballet.

At some point I lay in bed with Jasper & listened to the Archers.

I went to bed when Simon got home - the children are now asleep & I’m going to drink hot chocolate & count minutes until Jasper wakes up. There’s trainset & farm everywhere.

I need to get Claudia a decent dictionary.

Jasper didn’t sleep well, I didn’t sleep at all, weather was horrid & washing wasn’t drying.

They watched Star Wars (how sick am I of bloody Star Wars). Claudia drew space stations & made the Jedi Temple out of Lego, then recreated Jabba’s lair with Playmobil. She played Pokemon & Jasper moped around being hot & miserable.

Claudie did some more Junior English, a Verbal Reasoning & NVR paper (she loves these, there was a new type of question today that she understood straight away, she’s far quicker than me with NVR), more maths, then we read a few of Beatrix Potter stories & did some spelling.

She’s curled up on the sofa reading Spy Dog now, and Jasper is finally asleep. I don’t feel like doing anything.

I’ve only just dragged everyone out of bed. Jasper had a terrible night (teeth ) & our genius neighbour (25 going on 14) thinks banging on the wall helps ill babies sleep - the man has issues. Claudia has been playing Pokemon for about three hours & Jasper’s watching his perennial favourite, Barbie & the Nutcracker.

(later )

So, we’ve eaten cakes & I’ve made dauphinoise & cooked a humungous salmon for dinner, done more washing & managed to find most of the swimming stuff. Claudie & I planted some annuals to try & fill in gaps in the garden.

Read to Jasper (lots) and he’s mainly played with the Aquadraw & little animals today. He had a 2 hour nap with is unusual, he’s been grumpy & subdued.

Claudia did maths (numbers to 1000 totally straight foward, I’m trying to encourage her to speed up), Getty-Dubay (finally started cursive), spelling (ditched Explode the Code, it just seems like busy work to me), read limericks & some Dick King-Smith and we started Junior English from Galore Park, did exercise 1.1 which was a comprhension exercise & some dictionary work - lots of writing (for C anyway). Seems good so far.

They’re both swimming now, I really hope Jasper sleeps tonight.

I’m intending to do some Flickring - I like these ones, a year apart on Simon’s birthday (Bath & Newgale).

I’ve decided to blog the whole-of-June. Starting today.

I’m at home (doing washing & trying to conquer the chaos, I don’t do well in chaos). Simon & the children are here for Open Farm Sunday. More later

There was pond dipping, chooks, sheep & lambs, llamas, horses and rabbits; unfortunately no ducks.