Friday, May 23, 2008

Crafting with Fred Wizard

Completely forgot to blog about this group session run by Mr. Fred Wizard. Actually, his real name Fred White and he makes inspiring things out of paper, card and junk. He does workshops at some of the Fenland museums which I think we may pop along to in the summer.

He showed our group of very mixed ages some of the things that can be made from bits and pieces that are often just thrown out. 3D cardboard masks of weird and wonderful faces or dragons were very popular, so he showed us how to make 3D masks out of paper just by folding, tearing or cutting in various places. Most of the children (and adults) had a go at this. Others were taken with his beautiful drawings, which he called doodles (although they were very impressive and professional looking doodles) of country scenes. Starting with a simple drawing of a tree and then adding other trees, fields etc. Then you make the picture smaller using a photocopier and continue to add to the drawing, then make it smaller over and over until you've finished with a very interesting piece of art.

Very inspirational.

Photobucket
Ben's masks.
Photobucket
Katie's tree

dog

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Not very structured at the mo, but still lots happening.

It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry.

We don't seem to be very good at the structured work at the mo., lots of other things have cropped up to keep us from our desks and we've been learning lots along the way.

There's been plenty of socialising, with friends coming over, etc. on Monday, plus Katie went to Guides in the evening. They seem a nice bunch of kids and she's settling in well and making some new friends. We decided on a very impromptu visit to the grandparents' home on Monday evening, rushing back home while Katie was at Guides to pack overnight bags, feed the cat, check the rabbit, water all the veg and indoor plants and generally shut up the house in half an hour flat before picking her up at 7.30 p.m.! P had been in London and had decided to stay at his parents home overnight as they were away - we thought it would be a nice surprise for us to turn up, unannounced.

A surprise for us during the day - 8 ducklings belonging to one of our favourite ducks, wandering around the duck enclosure being very carefully watched by mum.

Tuesday we had a really lovely day tracking down Holywell Ponds in Peterborough. Full of history this "park land" has an eerie monks' cave with dipping pool, stream and several ponds all of which which are quite hidden and unknown to many locals. The children had a fabulous time wandering through the stream, watching for fish and enjoying the antics of a cute and fluffy young moorhen. We picked our way through the nettles among the trees and over rickety bridges between the ponds. While we were there we met a man who is single handedly tidying up the area. He was full of information on the history of the place; how the monks used the dipping pool and fresh water stream for medicinal purposes and the ponds for fishing.

We dragged P away from work for a pizza picnic lunch at Ferry Meadows (a much loved and often visited park in Peterborough) choosing our favourite quiet spot which the children named "rabbit creek" a couple of years ago. We sat by the water watching a heron dipping in and out trying to catch it's own lunch, and the many rabbits on the bank. After lunch we walked along the jetty to look for tadpoles, and then Katie and Ben did some tree climbing. After dropping P back at work (poor love), we headed back to the park for a bit of geese and duck watching while enjoying a much needed ice cream and cuppa. We headed home via the Spalding Bulb Museum. Came across this by chance as it's next to a garden centre and tack shop. We were after joddy boots for Katie but got sidetracked! Although small, the museum is full of information on the history of the Fens and bulb growing in the area. A lot of thought has been put into the displays which help to make it interesting for children.

On Wednesday mornings Katie has a 1/2 hour riding lesson at a local school. She's really enjoying it, but boy do they make her think, and work, hard. Although Katie's been riding for 3 years now, the instructor suggested she went right back to basics which she was happy about. We've realised that although all the schools she's been to before have been good in their own ways, this is probably the first place where she's actually receiving some structured tuition. This week she was able to keep good control of her horse during walk, stop, walk and trot. Doesn't sound too hard I know, but usually schooled horses know exactly how the lessons work and don't need much controlling! This school doesn't seem to have any routine in their lessons at all, and so it's up to the rider to tell the horse what to do - something Katie has always wanted to learn. She also going to start 2 1/2 hour stable management classes on Saturdays and hopes to go along to a Beach Ride day very soon (although that'll empty my pocket somewhat).

Today, Thursday, we headed to Kings Cliffe, just outside Peterborough, for a Katie to take part in a group art session. While Katie was busy drawing, I took Ben and his friend to the Nene Valley Railway at Wansford. Nothing much was going on there, but we were able to look at some of the huge steam trains in the sidings and spotted "Thomas" ready for the Bank Holiday Weekend. Wandered along by the water's edge and then the boys had a good run around after a bit of an icy snack (yep, another ice cream). They also played for about an hour in the playground, so a pretty easy morning for me. Back at Kings Cliffe, we met up with the group and had a picnic in one of the most beautiful and relaxing settings you can imagine. Katie and Ben, and several others, enjoyed a dip in the stream and then a short walk to see the three horses that belong to the lady who runs the art sessions - Katie was obviously in her element.

Sad news this morning, 7 of the 8 ducklings didn't survive the night. Can't tell what happened, although it was a cold night so that may have been the cause. The remaining little one seems full of life; let's hope it survives.

In between all this, Ben has been doing lots of DT and science with his Hot Wheel track and cars and Katie has been making photo stories using some of her model horses and riders. Also, making the most of the sun shine (mixed with a nippy Easterly wind at times I should add), the children have helped plant some cabbages and French beans plus loads of French Marigolds. An area has been set aside for the last veg to go in our patch, corn on the cob. Just need to get lots of pots for our pepper plants and numerous chillis and then we can sit back and wait for the goodies to grow!
Photobucket

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Just heard the cuckoo + nature competition

must be summer time then!

Here's some garden shots:

Photobucket
Katie bought these violas from the supermarket some time ago. They were cheap because they'd come to the end of their best, but with sun and water, they're looking a treat.
Photobucket
Veggies are all doing well. Garlic at the front, 2 1/2 rows of onions, leeks and butterbeans.
Photobucket
Baby blackbird no 1. We saw another this afternoon.
Photobucket
The photo doesn't do the colour of this Gerbera justice - it's a fabulous pink.
Photobucket
Ducks are back! These two were ducklings last year! Very tame, they came into the kitchen soon after this shot.
Photobucket
One of the many Rapeseed fields dotted around the countryside near us.

As this is a sort of nature themed post, I thought I'd mention a campaign and competition I stumbled across in the Country Living Magazine. They are running a campaign to "bring back the school nature table" and are asking schools and families to get out and about, encourage children to enjoy nature and either establish a nature table at school or do a nature project at home. All the details are in the link above, and entries need to be in by 1st September, 2008.

Photobucket

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Stunning tulips and other things

Weather is so absolutely fantastic, so we've spent lots of time enjoying it. Please, please, please let it last. I know this time last year we were having brilliant weather too, and it all changed on Friday 9th - which was our moving day!

Last Friday (2nd) we had an HE session at the local Dominos Pizza. The fast-food owner was great with the children and must have been exhausted after the hour and a half non-stop talking and working! He started by chatting about the franchise, health and safety and then how the equipment is used and employees work etc. He then showed the children how to make a pizza and let each child in turn make their own from shaping and "slapping" the dough to covering it with tomato sauce, using the cheese distributor and then picking the topings. The children loved watching the pizza enter and exit (after 8 minutes) the extremely hot oven and of course they were able to take their creation home to munch for lunch.

After our pizza munching, sitting in the sun, we did a few chores around town and then headed home via three churches with flower displays for the "2008 Tulip Trails in South Holland". The first church, in Weston, was beautifully decorated, not just with flowers, but all their kneeling pads were hand-sewn and were a sea of colour. Our second was at Moulton, a village with the tallest windmill in the UK. Although open to the public, it seemed to be closed for our visit, but definitely a place to re-visit later in the year. The church at Moulton had some lovely plants for sale which was right up Katie's street. All their flower displays were of the theme of "Country Living". Our final church was in Fleet. A small baptist church with equally delightful flower arrangements (and more plants for sale). We would love to have travelled around to see more, but time was getting on and I was exhausted! Very sad news when we reached home - our neighbour had not pulled through his very recent cancer operation. Missing him dearly.

Saturday we headed to the Tulip Festival and Carnival at Spalding. We arrived early in order to get a parking space. The number of coaches was amazing! Packed a picnic and enjoyed sitting by the river before watching the floats and bands in the carnival. Most of the floats were decorated with tulip petals and two in particular were really well thought out - one of a variety of large model animals and the other of model horses pulling a stage coach with the "King" and "Queen" inside - all covered in petals. We also looked round the gardens to see the array of tulips and wander through the new childrens section and Zen garden, admire the tiny, tiny ducklings in the ponds and browse more plant stalls!
Photobucket
Festival Tulip which Ben thought looked like "Eggbert", the character he loves.
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Bronze jumping fish at the Festival Gardens
Photobucket
Love these tulips with the jagged edges - butterfly adds to the charm!
Photobucket
New Zen garden.

Sunday, P, Katie and I rose from our slumbers at 4.30 to take part in International Dawn Chorus Day. It was a warmish dawn so we were able to sit out in our PJs and dressing gowns and enjoy hearing the birds gradually wake up. We could have done this in our beds of course, as from Monday onwards we've been having the bedroom window open and therefore have been woken by the noisy little feathered friends each morning! Not much else happened Sunday, as I recall, but we did have our first BBQ of the season - yum.
Photobucket
Walking amongst the tulips

Monday we visited a local tulip field before heading off to P's parents for a BBQ to celebrate mine and b-i-l's birthdays. Got a pair of ever so comfy house shoes as one of my pressies. Been after a pair since Christmas. They are so pretty, comfortable and, just different. Made by Fly Flot from felt with rubber sole so they can be worn outside but I don't want to spoil them! Also got a nice Amazon voucher which I can't wait to spend and a large slab of orange chocolate from Liberty's!
Photobucket

Tuesday we did some work. Katie and Ben have started their rock collections and checked out this game all about rocks and where they come from. They also started an experiment to see how much water certain rocks (like lava), or chalk, can hold. Last week Katie explained how the Earth's plates move with the help of (several) custard creams! We went out for a drive and stopped off at a nearby village to nose around the grave yard to witness signs of weathering on the stone work. Came across two delightful horses which kept us busy for a while! In maths, we are looking more closely at fractions as Katie clams up whenever fractions reared their heads and Ben is pretty new to it all anyway. Found BBC Skillswise quite helpful, although perhaps a little too basic for Katie, but it has some good worksheets.
Photobucket
"Let me just explain again, with another one!"

Wednesday was my birthday. As pointed out by my sister, the last one in the 30s (not that it bothers me too much). We headed to London for the day which hot and sticky but we had a fun day with plenty of ice creams. Our main events were visiting the Royal Mews and the House Hold Cavalry museums, although disappointingly we only saw four horse rumps in total from these two places (although we saw whole horse in the parks - mounted police!). A Toy Solidier Centre was recommended to us so we stopped off to admire the many displays of toy battles - Nepoleon, World Wars I and II, American Revolution, Civil War to name a tiny few. All the detailed figures are for sale - they have a website which is very handy as Ben's decided he'd like to collect them all!
Photobucket
Hug a tree in Green Park!
Photobucket
Photobucket
Pelicans in St. James' Park

Today, Thursday, Katie was supposed to go for her first art group session but we had to take Allie to the vet. He seemed unhappy from the end of last week but we couldn't work out what was wrong. I initially thought his teeth needed sorting out (again), but during the weekend we realised he'd hurt one of his front legs and he kept lifting his paw. By Monday he was limping and it seemed to have got worse by the end of the day. Tuesday I rang the vet and they said they had no appointments or emergency space available. Wednesday we were out so I felt we couldn't wait any longer to get him seen to. This morning we could tell he was really in pain. The vet's given him some antipiotics and reckons he'd been in a fight. Although I couldn't feel anything, he said his leg, at the elbow, was hot and swollen and he had a high temperature. Allie, being Allie, has got quite used to me pandering to his every whim. He's been sleeping most of the day (which is quite usual), but hasn't been eating or going to the toilet, so I've had to lift him and take him to his food, or put him outside, to try and ease his discomfort of walking. You can probably tell I'm a bit softie when it comes to cats, and animals in general.

Ben's been into drawing plans for his home of the future. He's often talked about being a builder and building his own home. I need to find something along these lines to develop this I think.
Photobucket

Photobucket