This must be the first day for really quite a while that I have neither heard Stephen Fry, nor seen Daniel Radcliffe on a screen nearby. Kids haven’t even done any reading of that today that I know of, although when they went out to play they both took cloaks and wands 😉
Knowing that we had to get up this morning, I attempted to go to bed reasonably early, so obviously I then lay there for an hour unable to get to sleep, and woke at 6.30 🙁 I used to do that when I was working, mornings just aren’t good for me. Despite this I’ve made it through the day and I think we’ve achieved a fair bit, though it still doesn’t look much like we are moving.
Went to fetch a van this morning and attempted to drop kids off at HE group, as Jan had kindly offered to look after them there. They weren’t having it though, and I ended up bringing them both home, which annoyed me a little as I know they would have enjoyed it once they got into it, and it was their last chance for that group for a while at least. Ah well. Stopped off at Tesco on the way back and spent a WBD token each, Small got Mr Gum in the Hound of Lamonic Bibber / Sephir the Storm Monster (Beast Quest)
while Big chose Ten Stations / Mates Dates: the Secret Story
. Small then had to be shouted at to get his nose out of it while we walked through the carpark, and read solidly for the next hour and half, basically until I dragged him away for food. He is funny when he reads – he’ll kneel on the floor with the book on the seat, or even stand in the middle of the room, it doesn’t seem to occur to him to get comfortable.
Big was a bit disappointed with her book when she’d read the first story – neither of us had translated “an episode from” as meaning that actually what she was getting was a teaser for a book, Mates, Dates: The Secret Story
, which isn’t due out until next month, and has RRP of £6.99. I don’t think that’s really in the spirit of world book day tbh, I know it’s a free book and all, but surely using it as advertising is going a little far?
Plus, that was really the only book that was slightly attractive to girly girls I would have thought, from the range listed here and it’s a bit older than she usually is interested in. All in all, a bit disappointing. Good to see a good range for boys for a change, but surely they could have been a little more even handed?
Anyway, complaints aside, the children were very happy with the idea of books, and that kept them going up until lunch, then I fielded the estate agent who had a viewing on the house, and then we got on with more sorting and packing. Very proud of both children for managing to find some things to go to charity – another good sackful between them. Small even managed to give away a couple of cuddlies – I’m a bit torn to see Maggie and the ‘Rocious beast going, especially as they came all the way from the States by special order, but I don’t know whether I can justify hanging on to them on those grounds!
Bottomed out Small’s room just about, and boxed up another 13 (small) boxes of books between three bedrooms. Tim managed to cart out three of the ridiculously large boxes of books from our bedroom this morning, but the fourth gave up the ghost, and then I found another one in Small’s room underneath several piles of stuff. Hohum. Maybe we do have a lot of books. Must have given, ooh, 10 or so to charity today as well 😳
We also found various things like twist and shout maths, and a neurosmith music maker toy, so both children have been both mathematical and musical this afternoon/ evening – I’m hopeful that Big has learnt a little about measurement too after we spent a little time looking at boxes online, and she got a tape measure out and went and measured the ones we’ve got here. See, education even happens in the midst of absolute chaos!
Big’s room doesn’t look quite as done as Small’s, but I’m hoping it will finish off quite quickly, and I’ve someone from freecycle coming for the kids’ beds tomorrow. No takers on the sofas though, which is a bit of a pain.
Tim went and excavated more of old house, having a surprisingly pleasant tip experience when it was very quiet, so the guys there unloaded his van for him. Somehow doubt that’s the kind of thing that happens twice!
And tomorrow we do it all over again.
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