Well, we’ve done more Milly Molly Mandy school today, covering a bit of history although I’m not sure what else you’d say it covered. Some of that entrepeneurial stuff Joyce was talking about I think (it’s the chapter where MMM finds a penny for those in the know). Big is desperate to learn to knit and on several levels I’m not looking forward to that bit – we did try it once before, but we’ll give it a go tomorrow. There’s also some reading in it, and we did some sticking.
Lifted an idea for maths Montessori style from Alison’s blog . I hasten to add that I don’t present the materials in the given way, but I’m not against that, just not up to it myself. So today our maths presentation consisted of Big watching in fascination as I massacred an ex-malties packet (no Nestle in this house thank you, especially when Lidl malties are 76p instead! 😉 ) and then scrawled numbers on various size pieces of cards, and then started asking her what numbers I was making. I stuck to the teens this time, as I wasn’t sure how firm she was on them, and the answer is not very. But a few sessions with the cards and I think we’ll be getting somewhere.
Didn’t get around to fitting Jolly Phonics in today – must try harder.
On the downside, and come on, there’s generally a downside, Small was a little swine all day – I found two more books he’s torn pages out of 🙁 and I kept having to remove him from the windowsill or the back of the sofa. Once I only just caught him as he was descending head first, but it only stopped him for a minute. Big was thrilled with the school that we did do, but seemed to think that it meant I should spend all day laying on activities for her, and that wasn’t the plan at all. She had turned the tv off this morning before I even made it downstairs (and I made it down by 8.40) so I was impressed by that, but also exhausted. Still she did help me with the washing as well, and with a bit of tidying.
Complete melt down in the afternoon though, when we were planning a stroll round to the post office and she didn’t want to put her raincoat on. Ended up with her in her bedroom screaming while I left with Small for a very peaceful, but slow, walk round to the PO. Impressed with him though, as he walked all the way there, and very nearly all the way back (it’s 1/4 mile there according to the post office locator thingy). Got back to discover that Big had fallen asleep waiting for us – so perhaps exhaustion was a mitigating factor for her behaviour.
Even got Small to bed by 8, so have had very pleasant evening mooching around and watching TV. About to crack on with an hour or so’s work before bed at a reasonable time, hopefully. Very tempted to crack a bottle of wine and watch the mad chap and his swingometer though 😉
Oh and forgot – I’m a wonderful Mummy. I found the MMM book I’d bought off Ebay when Jan told me about the lesson packs we were getting. Big was thrilled – and even better, it’s exactly the same edition as the one that Jan has and read to them yesterday.
And I did the forms for one of my phone calls, so I’m feeling a little better about that too.
Comments
8 responses to “From the sublime to the ridiculous”
On the whole a very positive day then Jax. I have so many ideas in my head but when you are so tired they don’t somehow come off and actually get done. Feeling a bit low on the non-speech side again at the moment.
sounds like a good day to me Jax – I have been remembering MMM very fondly reading all the references to her on blogs recently – must see if I can find a copy somewhere…I did have the complete works book as a child but doubt if it’s still around now.
You can get the Best of MMM at The Red House right now. They also have the Just So stories too… says the girl who just placed an order….
Nic: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=366582204
in general: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?bx=off&sts=t&ds=30&bi=0&kn=Milly+Molly+Mandy&sortby=3
must check out those Lidl Malties! – Joy keeps commenting about Nestle- we were discussing the whole fair trade thing tonight; Meg was doing an essay on Nike (for college) – sounds terrible. I suddenly felt need to point out the tea and other fair trade prods we have! good that it’s them telling me, though, as they sure wouldn’t listen if it was me!
Nike is the one I find hard to be ethical about. I broke some bones in my foot, and Nike trainers were the only thing I could bear to wear for months – and I’ve never found anything else nearly as comfortable. Every time I buy a new pair, I go through the litany -no Nestle, Fair trade Tea, Coffee and Chocolate, no McDonalds, no Burger King, avoid ASDA if I can – surely I can have this aberation. But not sure really that it makes up for it 🙁
Wow thanks Jonathan – those are cheap!
Merry – I have the latest Red House catalogue waiting to be opened and perused with a cup of tea – at some point in the next year or so 🙂 and the Book People one, oh and the one from before the latest one with all the Christmas stuff too….