Oh i wish. I coughed and coughed last night, long enough that i ended up lying away listening to Frances coming down with the same thing; got up to give her some Tixilix for dry coughs and decided to take a few spoonfuls myself. Worked a treat

Today has again had a pleasant feel to it; i’m enjoying the feeling of doing projects with Fran and Maddy on an almost equal basis, with Amelie joining in as and when. Oh, we are so much happier without the nursery run

Fran and i spent the morning on the SATs tests again – she did the level 3 English without much trouble at all (given it was a 5 page story to read and a comprehension to do, for her first ever go at such a thing she was excellent.) Maths one a bit tougher again; it’s got some slightly peculiar things in it, stuff that you really need a method with some logic attached for and she wasn’t up to it. I am probably guilty of leading her through things a good bit, if i’m honest, so i think it might be worth looking for some maths where she has to use those skills. I’ve dug out some appropriate CGP stuff from my “last day of HE discount” stack. Wasn’t so much that she couldn’t do it, more that her brain went blurgh at the thought of trying. Know that feeling only too well Other than that, she just busily finished off Heather the Violet Fairy (7 books in a week, WONDER who she takes after…..)

Kate and i gossiped while they all generally entertained themselves – ought to have done something more positive with Maddy but, tbh, she is so much more motivated generally to occupy herself that i don’t feel i need to so much. Amelie is still going through her major digital phase and has Leapstered and Cbeebied her way through the day; she and Maddy also co-operatively (in the loosest sense of the word ) played the DK Oz game.

After lunch we went back to our China project; while i quite like the idea of lapbooks, the whole thing is too fiddly for me, or for the girls’ writing size and dexerity. I did have a stack of paper folders though, so we are customising the idea and making a zig-zag book – lots of folders (the sheet of thin card slightly folded type) all stuck together with info on the front and back for as long as we can honestly be bothered. Today they did regional maps of Asia, all sat round our little table with me with them; everyone coloured in countries they could see on it that meant something to them; Fran got China, Vietnam (Miss Saigon) Russia (including “is it Europe, is it Asia? conversation) Iraq, Egypt, Mongolia (origin of Mulan baddies) and Japan while Maddy managed China, Mongolia and Egypt. Quite successful and not a bad haul of countries really. Oh yes, and India – and i made them giggle by telling them i always think it looks like a willy (or a belly as it has somewhat confusingly been renamed by Amelie – “daddy got a belly…”) with wee dropping off it! Then we did a final world map, to place China on it, coloured flags for the front page and did the SOTW colouring page of the story of Chin (little rice field boy) – while they did those we recapped on on the reading from the day before and i was impressed with their recall using the SOTW questions.

Tomorrow i think we might do rice growing in more depth and perhaps have a walk up to Sainsburys to buy some cheap different varieties for a rice picture or two.

We’ve finished off with dancing, parcels (pleasingly busy atm, thankfully, as i ordered a lot of stock!) and Puss in Boots. Am enjoying my MP curriculum a lot, it is just hitting the spot here.

Funny old day, quite productive but weird at the same time.

Max had today off, for one reason or another, but i didn’t really want to loaf about with no routine, so we ignored him and got on with normal stuff

The day started with Amelie lying in bed next to me and when i said “I feel rough” (i’ve got a laryngitis type thing with added cold) she said “R-U-F is rough.” Okaaaaaay…… She’s been playing “Word Factory” on the Leapster and i think sounding out must be sinking in. I certainly haven’t taught her anything! Why can’t my children just be predictable???!!!!??? She’s spent ages on CBeebies again with very minimal help; something must be sinking in.

Fran started the day with the 2 SATS books i got her; slightly to my surprise, she really liked the formula of them and i eventually had to drag them away. She did all the Level 2 English faultlessly and looking at it now, with the benefit of seeing how she read over the last week, i would imagine she’ll do the level 3 just fine too. She’s asked me to get more of them, which i probably will since she seemed to like them. More surprisingly, she found the maths quite hard – in fact, it wasn’t the maths itself but the unfamiliar ways it was phrased i think, she’s more used to the proper words and this was all a bit touchy feely. On the other hand, it flagged up a few things i’d like to be smoother, things that, to be brutally honest, she needs for real life. I’d like our maths to be more real life, but somehow it never quite happens. Sigh. We aren’t perfect ever, are we?

Maddy was very busily drawing a cartoon of The Hardy Tin Soldier – she did three really fab pictures, but i’ve mislaid her sketchbook at the moment, so i’ll have to photograph them later. They are fabulous though, i really loved them. She did a bit of the Leapster, which is so commandeered by Amelie now that Maddy doesn’t get a look in, which is a shame in many ways. On the other hand, we saw the next generation of Leapfrog stuff at the toyfair so maybe i could splash out on a new pad when they come out

The girls were still keen to spend some time looking at China, so while they ate lunch i printed off a few bits and bobs; feels like ages since i’ve had to do that sort of thing. It was quite funny, revisiting places like Enchanted Learning and stuff! To be honest, i didn’t quite know where to start, so i printed off a few maps and got them to colour them in while i read them a Chapter out of SOTW. Turned out to be a perfect thing as it gave us a big list of things we wanted to know more about.

Maddy’s map.

Fran’s picture – i’ve never seen her work so hard at making something look nice. She is growing up so fast

We dressed up, just for fun

Concentration.

Maddy decorated a fan with a picture of a rose. We’ve got plans for making fans later too.

Amelie joined in too and coloured in a map – she laid the colour on thick that girl, she does like to do things properly! They also playewd the matching game that was one of the first resources i ever put on to MuddlePuddle
That seemed to go down very well, they played it several times; Fran was still hoarding our orginals from our first hit on China as HEers if anyone still has the pdf on China that used to be on Woodwench, i’d love it

Several rounds of Narnia game, some Britannia stories, gym, some Dora (Josie is waiting in the wingfs to become a Doraphile but Amelie isn’t giving up the slot easily) and parcels and it’s bedtime. A successful day i think. We’ve identified the yellow valley, silk, chinese tea, the Shang Dynasty, Bronze and pictograms as things to look at from todays reading, so this project might take wings and fly

Oh and finally – Maddy’s picture from CP week. How cool?

China

(Goodness, i was organised in the old days!)

Daily Life in Ancient China – Welcome to Ancient China!

Ancient China – The British Museum

Great Wall of China