Boredom, maths, hats and old buildings.

Most of the time the kids amuse themselves – I keep an eye on what they are up to and offer suggestions, facilitate interests, drag them out on outings and set up groups and visits. So far it seems to be working quite well 🙂

Yesterday morning, Small complained he was bored. He didn’t want to play with lego, he was still working off his latest computer/ tv ban (for destroying the walls in his bedroom since you ask), there was nothing interesting to read (not my child!) and so on. So I reminded him that I’d found his maths book, and that was it, he was away. He worked on it for ages, and of course, if he’s doing maths, Big can’t be left out. It’s a shame that they *have* to do these things at exactly the same time, as there is still only one of me, and they do get very demanding if I’m helping the other at precisely the same moment that they require my undivided attention. Still, somehow we made it through, they probably each worked for the best part of an hour, Big pushing herself particularly as she got to a part of her book with timed tests. She didn’t do brilliantly on the first one, with only 6 out of 10, but she somehow pulled herself together enough to try the second one, got 9 out of 10 on that one and sat on the floor and sobbed. She really does take things too much to heart at times 🙁

So that was maths, and a bit later on the TV ban was rescinded, which meant, obviously, that it was time for Harry Potter. Think it was number 5 this time, though they are beginning to blur into each other rather. It probably is time that we found the rest of the dvds from the garage.

And that wrapped up most of the day, what with playing outside, a little more tv viewing in the form of Victorian Farm and accidentally exploding toys over the bedroom and living room walls. (It was some kind of squeezy skull thing, and wouldn’t you know it would be filled with blood coloured liquid? Lovely.)

And so to today. They played outside lots of the morning and then after lunch we loaded up into the car and went to explore Ipswich. Tim showed me the way to the HE music group and the park they meet in afterwards, and I think I might make it there at some time in the future. Then we went to find Argos, to pick up a new gazebo (so that’s it, summer is now officially over 😉 ) and I spotted a The Range shop, and popped in for a quick look. Well, it was meant to be a quick look, but it turned out to be ever such a big shop!

It’s brilliant actually, huge arts and crafts dept, Tim and I picked up sun hats, and we got Small a rucksack, which he obviously wore for the rest of the afternoon, having to be told to take it off each time we got back in the car. They even had a range of children’s gardening gloves, but Big’s hands are too big for children’s gloves and too small for ladies, so we still didn’t manage to get her any 🙁 Think I will be paying further visits to that shop though.

Next part of the trip was in to Ipswich itself, to visit BHS and check the size of bridesmaid’s shoes for forthcoming wedding party. The shoes were for Big and have already been bought, but in Yorkshire, then following her resizing the other day, I thought it was really quite important that we tried some on, as sister bought size 2 on my recommendation. Turns out size 2 will be fine, though they won’t even see her through summer I expect, but size 3 were huge, so it was a worthwhile trip. And we got to look at some stunning old buildings on our wandering as well.

Quick stop off in Sainsbury’s on the way back, but didn’t actually buy the kids hats as the place was heaving. Tim will pop back in and pick up the required items now we know what they’ve got. Home and tried to book campsite for next weekend, to be disappointed as it was fully booked 🙁 Tim cheered me up with chip shop chips, although Small tried to make me sad again by crying after lights out – apparently I didn’t kiss him goodnight properly. He wasn’t able to explain precisely what I’d done wrong, so no doubt this will be a problem that recurs in the future 🙁 And now it’s my bedtime as well.

Oh, and they finished Half Blood Prince audio book tonight. Big has now read Deathly Hallows, not sure how I feel about Small listening to it, but there’s no rush as the film isn’t due out til next year. This probably means we need to find them something else to obsess about though, any suggestions?