Monster & Teeny

Monday Magical Mondays today, the group we’ve started going to. Although it was only our second week there we already feel part of the group and the children seem to have slipped really well into the existing children there and the ongoing games they play, while I feel very at home chatting to the other parents. It’s about a 20 minute drive for us and of course if we didn’t have a car I imagine it would be something we’d consider too far away but actually I like driving, the children enjoy listening to music or something like the Horrible Histories cds we have several of and as our general car usage during the week has dropped right off it is fine to have that one journey a week to get somewhere so worthwhile.

 This week they spent some time painting their airdrying clay models from last week and Teeny did some general painting, making a lovely picture with yellow graduating to orange graduating to red before she got bored of it and covered it with brown . There was a science experiment involving getting a peeled hard boiled egg to go inside a milk bottle by burning something inside then popping the egg on top which stole the oxygen from the fire making it pull the egg in. There was a lengthy time spent trying to get something to stay lit for long enough with the adults trying ever more desperate measures but finally someone cracked the perfect technique and the children all came in and had a go at putting the egg on top and cheering when it got sucked into the bottle.

Then they peeled and chopped fruit, added it to milk or juice and put it in a blender to make fruit smoothies and shakes, which was a very popular (and delicious, and healthy!) activity enjoyed by all. Coincidentally Teeny had mastered peeling and ending a carrot by herself that very morning at home so that all tied in nicely. We’d been chatting about things that needed peeling too so it was nice to see some of the examples Monster and Teeny had thought of there ready to be peeled for the drinks.

Finally we did some colour your own jigsaws from those blank pre cut ones where you make the picture. Predictably Monster did a Wallace one but I coloured each jigsaw piece a different colour and then coloured over the whole thing with black crayon before scraping off ‘Nic’ with something sharp to show a rainbow underneath - we used to make firework pictures like that at school every year around this time and it always delighted me then, so it was nice to delight Monster and Teeny with it too. Of course they were slightly less amazed than I would have been back then by virtue of already having seen the pre-made version of that in the little boards complete with a scraper tool I’ve had from Baker Ross over the years!

On the way home we stopped at several shoe shops and supermarkets en route to try and get Monster some new black shoes for Badgers. I really like the fact my children don’t need to have ’school’ shoes and celebrate this by encouraging them to choose the brightest shoes they can when we are shoe shopping, but of course once their shoe size goes into ’school age’ territory the choice becomes limited to black, black or black anyway! Found a cheap pair (cos he only wears them for an hour a week!) and came home for a short while before taking Monster back out again to Badgers.

Tuesday The morning was odd as I had a job interview at midday so I was sort of hanging around all morning waiting for it to be time to start getting ready for it but not wanting to get too engrossed in anything else. In the end I headed off early and walked round the shops local to the libarary for a while rather than sit at home waiting any longer. Very strange to be marching round the shops dressed in clip-cloppy heeled shoes and full make up when I am normally moseying round them with two children in tow wearing jeans and carrying a bright rainbow bag. I even got some comment from a random stranger and that hasn’t happened for years!

The interview went well although I found out the following day that I had not been successful I was offered the ‘consolation prize’ of casual work with them instead on an adhoc basis which in some ways may suit me better and was of course salve to my wounded pride. Ady had taken the children to Lucy’s for lunch and only left a few minutes before I returned but that was still enough to put Monster in a bit of a sulk. We stayed for chatting and playing though and all was well again by the time we left.

Wednesday Up early to pack and head off to Merry’s via a garden centre or two on the way for A to keep up appearances that he does indeed work for a living aswell as chauffeuring me and the children round the country visiting our friends .

We arrived at Merry’s in time for lunch, Chris and Helen and Beans were already there so it was lovely to see them again so soon after they were down our way last week. The children all instantly got lost in the throng and plenty of very creative role playing and imaginative games took place all afternoon with at least two wedding ceremonies played out in the garden (which as Monster was the only boy in with 7 girls I imagine he starred in both of ). Helen, Merry and I fimo‘d to our heart’s content making a wide array of little people all of which somehow seemed to sum us up. Later Merry and I took that to the next logical stage and spent some time making representations of real people we know!

Thursday I think it rained pretty much all day so the children were contained inside but managed very well with geomags, Barbie and princess films and yet more fimo. A really nice couple of days there with the children all getting on well and all of us enjoying sampling the various fab product sold by Merry.

Friday We left Merry’s fairly early to get home for lunchtime. A quiet afternoon and evening with me popping out to get my car MOT’d at a local garage. Much to my relief and surprise it passed (where’s that woohoo smiley?).

Saturday In the morning Lucy and I met up with my Mum at the local NCT nearly new sale. I have been to the last Spring and Autumn ones of these for a couple of years and bitterly regretted not going when Monster and Teeny were babies as it would have saved loads of money back then too. As always I got a far bigger haul of clothes for Teeny than Monster, which she excitedly spent about an hour trying on and modelling.

A went over to my parents to help cut their hedge and brought Dad back here afterwards. I made our Christmas cake which everyone took a turn of stirring and making a wish. It cooked for hours and hours and is now ready in it’s tupperware container for regular injections of alcohol between now and being iced for Christmas. It looks and smells lovely, very Christmassy.

Sunday We picked my Mum up to bring her along to our local car boot sale but found it not running this week for some unexplained reason. So we went back to my parents for lunch instead. In the afternoon A and I left the children with my parents while we walked down into town to the local hospital where there was a protest at potential cuts, downsizing or even closure of it with 1000s of people turning out to hold hands all around the hospital.

As the children were about to go to bed we flicked onto a TV programme about wolves which sparked off a chat about food chains. Monster quickly got the idea of it and was able to give me several examples of food chains including a prehistoric one with dinosaurs and an African one too.