Falling behind in blogging again, it really won’t do!
End of the month Thursday, so it was Forest School. I thought I’d got up in ample time to get us ready to go, but I had, as usual, underestimated the time required to talk Small into leaving the house. He is incredibly activity resistant atm, or at least, very resistant to leaving the house for an activity. Once we get there it’s usually OK.
As it was for Forest School. We were a couple of minutes late, and greeted with great relief as apparently the idea of the fire without me wasn’t good 😉 Off into the woods and a couple of hours of smoking myself later, it was declared to have been a good session. Big also did smelly potions and was v helpful with sharing things round – we did pancakes on the fire, and I learnt loads about using a large frying pan on open flames. Puts a fire out remarkably rapidly when you put a large pan across the top.
Small drew with charcoal on a tree, then chased bugs with a bug viewer (the child who professes to be scared of spiders desperately tried to catch one to put in his bug viewer so he could identify it with his Usborne Spotter Bugs and Insects
). I think one or both of them also tried out the trail laid around the area though I don’t think they blindfolded up for it.
I was, as usual, slightly surprised by the lack of supervision some ppl give their children near fires, but that’s by the by. No one got hurt, although Big did end up with a face full of smoke which wasn’t very pleasant for her.
Quick picnic lunch afterwards, Roz the stand in ranger came and ate with us which was pleasant. Then she dashed off to Clacton air show and we came home so that I could have a cup of tea before we headed out for afternoon swimming with Small’s friend P.
Pleasant session in the pool – I’m amazed and very proud of the progress Big has made. She has a creditable crawl, especially when she remembers to lift her left arm out of the water, breaststroke is nearly there, she’s just struggling slightly with breathing out while under water (if she hasn’t breathed out, then she doesn’t have time to breath in as well as she lifts her head, and her timing goes to pot). I can easily see her being moved up a group in a week or two though, which is just going to be the crowning glory for her friend C, who still hasn’t achieved a front stroke to get across the pool so hasn’t been moved out of beginners 🙁
Small has absolutely no fear of the water any more, I’m pondering a crash course of lessons for him as I don’t think he’s going to learn too well from the weekly half hour session beyond the lack of fear thing. Although the lack of fear has been a very useful achievement 🙂
Wish I couldn’t remember Thursday evening, but I can all too well 🙁 Was leaning over the table and reached one way and something went crunch in the middle of my back. Ow. Had to call Tim to help me out of the kitchen as I couldn’t walk unaided, and he got me to the reclining chair where I spent the rest of the evening feeling sorry for myself. Not a good end to what otherwise was a very pleasant day.
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