Tuesday, July 28, 2009

They are so alike!

Something in both the girls reports was almost identically worded!

(insert name here) is a very articulate child with a large vocabulary.

Beth's was follwed up with a note about her pronounciation of some words- she still uses "D" for "T" in some words (dired instead of tired) and there are a few others. And even so her speech is much clearer than a LOT of other 3yo's I have come into contact with.

They both listen well and are happy to share their experiences within a group or in a one to one situation.

Sian has been in trouble for chatting to her friends at school a few times, yet some how they always manage to get their work done as well!

Sian End of Year


Sian got enroled at Rainbows. I could NOT get her to stand still for a decent photo!

Sian was a teddy in a toy shop in her class assembly. In the top photo she's 3rd from left at the back. I heard her right at the back of the hall when she said her line :)


Sian has had a fantastic time in the FSU at KMS by all accounts! She's learnt to read (and is the first child that the head of the unit even KNOWS of to reach the turquiose level books, to move on from them requires comprehension skills as well as sounding out skills... she started with that about 3 levels ago!) She can write now- when she started she couldn't hold the pencil even. It is even starting to go in straight lines! I have her work book from this year, I'll scan in some of her work later.

I had her parent/teacher meeting a couple of weeks ago. Miss Rosborough is going to miss having Sian and the rest of her class and has told me that Sian fitted in fantastically with her peers. If anything homeschooling helped her rather than hindered and she's at the same level or ahead of her peers. Her report was written about a month before the meeting and the things that she wrote as goals were already acheived or almost acheived by then LOL

In spite of being late once (we had to go back home and change some tights) and off sick for a week, her attendance was fantastic at 96.4% from the time she started right up till the report was written. I found out in the last few days of term that Sian was nominated for a school sheild for her work in phonics & reading. She didn't make the shortlist but her head teacher put a note in her book bag letting me know that she'd been nominated
.

End of Beth's time at private nursery

Beth finished at Grovely Hall nursery and will be missed. Her group teacher was off sick the last week she was there so she couldn't say goodbye :( I've been told she'll be absolutely fine at school and I'm thinking she will do. She seems to have pretty much outgrown the nursery here and needs the challenges that school nursery will give her.

I had to laugh at some of the comments on her report from nursery. They appear to be comparing her to her two best friends, who are both a school year above her and 6-9months older than her! Unfortunately they won't be at the same school next year, but I have her bestest friends contact details and we're going to meet up after school, in the holidays and at weekends with any luck.

I need to scan in her Nursery photos still but when I have done I promise to share!

The last week included such fun as doing a sponsored Toddle.. they had to cancel due to the weather the original day. I'm not sure how they managed it the next time (I took some umbrellas with me!!) as they only had 3 members of staff pretty much the whole week. But if they hadn't done it then the kids, and the charity, would have missed out. And there was a teddy bears picnic too- I made teddy bear shaped sandwiches for that one LOL. So much fun but I wasted so much bread too!

I forsee tantrums in September when she doesn't start school until 2wks after Sian! I know that one day we've got 20minutes to get home so that her new teacher can come and do her home visit LOL. And in spite of her telling Miss Rosborough (Sian's teacher) that she's not excited about starting at KMS, she's been sleeping with and wearing her school cardigan!


Monday, July 27, 2009

Fun in the Sun!

We have a favourite park. It's the sort of place you take a picnic and stay all day. We didn't take a picnic, but we did stay all day! Broomhall Lane Rec in Sunningdale is lovely, well maintained, has clean loos, a small cafe when it's dry (their words!)

There is a fenced in play area for younger children (up to about 11) with a sandpit, and on the other side of the fence is a fantastic "fitness" facility for older kids, and adults! Think of the sorts of things you might find in a gym.. rowing machines, leg presses.. and the circus.. tight rope, trapeze.. you have that sort of thing adapted for public use.

For a small fee there are 3-4 tennis courts to be played on. A container library stops there once a week. And in spite of the fact that people take their dogs to run over the vast amount of playing field? All the muck is cleared up and put in the bins.. This weekend was the first weekend we saw anyone hadn't had the manners to clean up. Behind the park are some woods that are great for exploring, and in the middle you come to a sign post "Narnia Style" but this time it points you to the station, back to the rec and to one of the main roads!

This week we decided to splash out and get pizza for lunch instead of taking a picnic (a desicion assisted by the fact that I hadn't got any groceries in!) I grabbed some bananas and drinks to keep us going till we could get for a late lunch. Pizza Express has a fantastic childrens menu now that kept my two happy, although Beth would have been happier had the pasta option come in a cheese sauce! (She got her macaroni cheese tonight so she's a happy bunny!) Frederick doesn't warrant his own servings of much yet, he gets shares in everyone elses food still. But he charmed the waiter into his own little bowl of ice cream. It was so cute watching him grab the spoon then tip his head back to swallow the treat!

We walked back to the park after the pizza and were going to leave at 3.30, 4, 4.30.... eventually we left the park at 5 and bought the girls sausage and chips on the way home. Rick was meant to share with Beth but he'd done so much all day that he slept from the time I put him in his car seat right up until 7pm! I cooked him a veggie burger and chips at home instead LOL. Even so he was in bed by 9pm.. he seems to have decided that 9pm is a good bedtime. And 5am is a good time to come into Mama and Daddy's bed for morning snuggles and boobage!

Thursday, July 23, 2009


we fed ducks... and there are lots of ducklings now, some even smaller than these. The pigeons were a right pain the the rear though.

Rick likes to sit on his sisters chair... and cuddle milo!

Beth being cheeky.

Rick is sooo cute.... ok, I am a teensy bit biased!

At soft play having tried to climb *up* the slide!

Beth snapped this (and several other in need of lightening!) photo of Rick at soft play a couple of weeks ago.

Check out the gorgeous rainbow we saw! The phone pic came out better than the digicam pic LOL

Beth under a block?! Don't ask!

How dark? This was after the 8.50am school drop off... in the middle of JULY. 10 mins up the road and it was bright again

Please don't take me for a picnic Mama, pack sandwiches instead! Gotta say I LOVE my JJB bags from Missie at babythings she's super friendly and gets your order out almost as soon as it's hit her doorstep!