Frost Giants

This morning Springy was working on spellings (with pre-fixes and suffixes) and also she had a story by Reg Down on the lifecycle of salmon. Lots of play inbetween and then this afternoon we had a restful story time with Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. In all a satisfying day but the weather has most certainly changed. There is a definite feel of autumn about. The tractors have started ploughing up the fields; their chugging down the roads is comforting and yet a reminder that the evenings are drawing in and that the freedom of summer light is fast disappearing. The leaves on the cherry tree out the front look drooped and are about halfway to being fully tinged. The Michaelmas daisies are opening and in the sky there are grey to lavender clouds and a line of red to the west. It's apple season and the swallows were not about today. The sun has definitely passed from the brightness of Leo into the hands of the maiden.

http://www.tiptoes-lightly.net/storage/stories/the-salmon%27s-tale.pdf

23rd August 2011:  

Young Embroider's Guild was great. They did wet felting and then used pre-felts to sew on to the main piece. Springy did a sheep scene. Some of the ideas were so creative - the 2 pieces turned into handbags, the vase of flowers, flowers, poppy field, the autumn pears, the fish...

 18th August 2011:  

Springy just conducted an experiment. She cut a plastic drinks bottle up (with Daddy's help) and placed chicken grit in the funnel (which was the top half of bottle). Her hypothesis was that if she placed dirty, muddy water in the filter, the grit would either help filter the water or not filter the water

I love it when she comes up with spontaneous things. I did have to ask her not to drink it though (ick).

 

August 2011 so far...

Today we went blackberry picking, got some local apples and plums and then had a birthday lunch. Washing is out, hens are out, piggies are out and the 2 'baby piggy' hamsters are fast asleep and so is C.

The baby piggy hamsters are in fact just hamsters.  We're hamster sitting at the moment.

This morning I woke up to breakfast in bed (our little hen eggs scrambled and toast) and a hanging basket of flowers outside. C also got me a Motorhead t-shirt for my birthday. You're never too old to rock n' roll.

On Wednesday we went to our local outdoor museum. Springy and her friend had a great time doing skip rope jumps, playing jacks and talking through tin can telephones.  They also had a great time with soapwort and a bucket of water. I'm hoping to grow some. I also found out that the ground elder that I haven't poisoned (my garden is organic) is edible. I just thought it was animal fodder but the Romans used to have it as salad. If only a Roman legion would march through I could get them to eat it all.

July 2011

We went to Chatsworth House, Chester Zoo, the Legoland in the Trafford Centre and generally had a really good week holiday visiting family.  Chester Zoo was amazing as usual.  They have so many habitats.  Our favourite was probably the new African Painted Dogs enclosure.  The dogs are beautiful in terms of their colouring and the way they stand.  It was an excellent trip to coincide with Class 4 Man and Animal.  I must admit to not really getting the way this is presented in Waldorf schools.  However, as zoology it is interesting and Springy was able to see a wide variety of the wonderful creatures that inhabit our planet.

Legoland mini was fun.  We went three times on the laser ride and Springy had a good time in the play section, climbing nets and sliding.  Chatsworth House was also very interesting.  The house had an outstanding collection of native crystals such as Blue Johnstone and there were two very large crystals - amethyst and rock crystal.  We enjoyed the garden there too, especially the maze and the rock garden (and the weeping tree fountain).

The last few weeks

June has been amazing so far.  We were not blessed with brilliant weather but our visitors were wonderful.  Springy's grandparents (my parents) came to stay nearby.  The first weekend Springy was on Cub Camp so C and I had a weekend to ourselves and my parents were able to settle into the holiday apartment they were staying at.  We invited them around for a homemade meal of carrot and coriander soup with oat bread.

On the Sunday my brother, his partner and their 6-month old son (my nephew) arrived at the apartment and Springy was collected from Cub Camp.  She stayed a number of nights over the past few weeks with her extended family and had a great time playing with her new cousin.  She chose clothes for him in the morning and helped to fetch things.

We also went to Portsmouth with my family.  We visited HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Museum.  We went up the Spinnaker Tower and also did a harbour boat tour.