Get a grip

Must try and update this more regularly. Been a bit of hectic few days, though, as DH disappeared to Holland on Monday, doing the flower auctions and such, so I've had two nights without him here. Weekend was chaotic too, with friends for dinner Saturday, fireworks and a Chinese meal out on Sunday...

We went to a little home ed gathering on Monday and it was great to put faces to names - all these people I've been reading about and talking to on various lists (SYHEC, MP etc), and suddenly, they have faces and kids and my three loved it. Barbara, Sarah, Sal, Kirsty, Jax... my terrible memory deserts me a this point. There was playdough and bricks and a table with paper aeroplanes and whirly gigs to colour. D decided she was oldest and felt quite grown up in the car on the way home. "It's nice meeting those other children and helping them do stuff, isn't it Mommy?"

It was good to meet Jax's Big and Small. After reading Jax's blog I was convinced that D and Big had been cut from the same bolt of cloth. Nice to know I'm not the only one banging my head against the nearest wall when faced with a total alien being masquerading as my daughter.

We had a really good day today too, so that's two days in a row. Spent the morning doing a workbook, some KS1 computer games and then she and T sat at the table and shredded half a ream of white paper, two rolls of sticky tape and some card. They had so much fun. D made a 3D paper playground, all on her own. I was stunned. She'd cut out strips of paper and made a slide that stood up off the base, a set of swings and a see-saw. It was 50% sellotape, but as far as imagination, construction, etc etc I was over the moon. :)

This afternoon was spent tidying up, the girls had a quick nap then we went to meet Grant & Grace at the soft play centre in town. Little scruffier than Brewsters, but at least you can sit and talk whilst the kids all run around within view. We left there at the very late hour of 7pm and got home in time to meet Grandma who had come to "help me put the girls to bed". DH's mum always does this when he goes over night somewhere. It's very sweet, but sometimes I want to ask her what she's doing the three or four nights each week that I put them to bed on my own.

However, she had been to Meadowhell (saved me a trip!) and, on request, bought the Jolly Phonics books. I've heard lots about these books, and as they were 3 for 2, decided to get all 7. Well, Grandma did. T brought me the first one, watched me do the S-shape and then copied me whilst going ssssssnake. Then - she looked around the page, looked studious for a moment and proceeded to point out three s's in the text! Proud momma or what? Child genius - shame she's not on the same planet as the rest of us.

Classic T-ism. Take T out of car tonight and she looks up into the sky and goes "ooh, mommy, stars!"

"I know," I said. "Pretty aren't they? Which planet are you from then?"

T studies the sky for a moment.

"That one," she says definitely, pointing to the North Star. Thought I might drop her with laughing...