Trampolining, maths, general knowledge, friends, asthma, writing and board games

Our first visit to Flipout today. It's a new trampoline centre and it's just down the road from us. We met friends there and had lots of fun. The staff were wonderful and really enchanced the whole experience for the children ( and adults). Sam had to keep resting, as his asthma is making him so tired.

 

Owen said he was very achy afterwards

We will definitely be doing this again..hopefully when Sam is feeling 100 percent. We took him to the Docs but they were unsure how to proceed. 

Sadly, Sam had a very rough night..so did Owen because he was worried about Sam's cough. So we all woke up rather groggily today.

Despite this and the fact that  I know I wouldn't have sent either of them to school today..they decided they wanted to do some maths. It was clear they were tired but this didn't stop them working really hard.

And Some of Owens.

We put away the shopping, played UNO and did a general knowledge quiz.  I am drinking copious amounts of tea to try and keep awake. The boys waivered about jujitsu tonight but rallied last minute and got their kits on. Sam took his inhaler and I tried not to look nervous. 

The children were tired and still achy after jujitsu..Sam is still getting disturbed nights with his asthma flare up. They did free play this morning , keeping themselves happily busy together. After lunch we set off to meet friends. Both boys weren't themselves and Sam was fragile . We managed an hour or so before needing to come home and  it was nice to catch up with people.

We played the London board game...very good to help with planning and the destination cards give interesting facts about the places you stop at.

We are having Smart meters fitted today...I wonder if the engineer can attach one to my tired brain...but it's probably best he can't .

The boys decided to play a word game and Operation. I cringed inwardly when I saw they had pulled 'Don't Say It!' out of the cupboard...it's a describing game and we have only attempted it once before because it made them get all 'HULK SMASH!' When your children find explaining things hard and think you have the same mental image as them, they tend to shout the same word over and over at you in frustration. In this game you have to describe the word, are timed and other associated words off limits.

I nervously went through the rules again and set it out slightly differently. It's a number of months since the last time and they got it...yes there were lots of flappy hands and a few times the odd banned word got blurted out ( usually by me...poor impulse control much mum?) ..but wow, what a difference. We had great fun and moved up the difficulty level in the game. It's brilliant fun and a good tool to show the children how differently people think when they describe something. We talked about how Blokey and I don't always understand what they boys are referring to because we need more description sometimes. The children looked surprised and really seemed to take this on board. I can't believe the difference and skills they have gained since our last game. We had lots of belly laughs...*breathes a massive sigh of relief.*

Owen checks I have understood the instructions correctly

Sam ..bless him, his chest is so sore from coughing but he threw himself into this and soon looked more cheerful.

Afterwards we played Operation. There are plenty elements to this that help the children improve their skills . Impulse control, fine motor skills and mild peril ( it has a very loud announcement when you touch the sides). Owen has to really concentrate on his turn ..so Sam and I are instructed to sit very still and quiet.

Owen was disappointed he didn't win but he managed to do it gracefully.

After our evening meal, Blokey was roped in to play another raucous game of Don't Say It! It was quite interesting hearing some of his descriptions. Great fun was had by all .

Sam had another difficult night with his asthma , so I left a message at the hospital to try and get some advice. We are all very tired and didn't get much sleep. Despite this Owen decided he wanted to make some bread.

It was a fine beast.

I showed Owen the writing book I had purchased yesterday and he decided to have a try. He concentrated really hard. He's been saying how he wishes he could write better but I am trying not to be too keen because that would only put him off. He did really well today but finds it frustrating that writing isn't like a rust application....one attempt lasts 5 years. I explain that it really is a question of practice and he took it well.

A very tired Sam was meanwhile coughing his way through breakfast. I say I don't expect him to do anything if he's not up to it today. Sam said he wanted to play our cooperation game 'Wildcraft' so that's what we did. 

I asked if he wanted to look at the writing book and he decided to do a page. Despite having to take many breaks, draw some 'little men' and put in extra bits, he managed to finish the task.

Saturday involved getting medications in the morning and travelling to Manchester in the afternoon. We drove through the city centre, the boys enjoying all the wonderful Victorian buildings. They want us to take them back, so they can go inside the town hall and have a better look.

We were visiting a friend of mine and she kindly gave us a full set of Skull Duggery books..which Owen is already devouring with gusto. Having spent a lovely few hours out, we headed home in the snow. 

Sam starts his new treatment today, which I am nervous about. It snowed over night but the boys were less than impressed when they finally ventured out. It took longer to get them into warm outdoors clothes, than they spent actually in the snow...we haven't got very much sadly.

The children watched films and played Minecraft today. Blokey and I caught up on chores and later we all got together for a game of Scrabble.

Owen is tucking in to his new books with his usual enthusiasm for reading. He asks me to thank my friend for giving them to him. 

First week back 2016, mirror, static, dinosaurs, magic tricks, art and tubing madness.

It was always going to be difficult getting the children back into some sort of rhythm. Owen coped really well and we had a busy morning.

First we made up his T-Rex model 

We made a T-Rex head mould with some plaster ...he enjoyed mixing and stirring it up.

We built a Kaleioscope and tested looking through it using different lenses, beads, jewels and pictures. Owen was really pleased with his work.

Sam wasn't really feeling the love initially and read in bed for quite a while before joining us. He decided he wanted to do some Khan academy maths. Then he saw the kits I had left out and decided to make a Smilodon head mould.

Afterwards we built, his model , but had some issues getting the teeth to stay put. Sam showed me his wobbly tooth in sympathy. In the end we decided to use a bit of strategic Blu Tac to hold them in place.

Sam was unsettled last night and took some time to get to sleep, so he was tired this morning. Once the children had eaten some breakfast we looked at various ideas for things to do.

Our Plaster of Paris Dinosaur moulds were set , so we turned them out. The boys were very pleased with the results. I put them safe because they still need to cure a little longer. The children enjoyed the smooth texture and wondered if they could fool anyone into believing they were real dinosaur casts.

Owen was watching me colouring, so decided he wanted a try. He finds holding a pen difficult and tiring but worked hard and enjoyed chatting and listening to the radio. 

He particularly liked this design because he loves his new cordless headphones.

We talked about how he finds writing hard and he expressed wishes to improve this, so we discussed how he prefers to tackle this. After colouring he asked me to write two sentences out for him to practice with.

It's a huge leap for him to want to attempt this, so I felt proud he was trying. Next he looked at our science magazine and did the animal quiz. I am pleased I subscribe to Whizz Pop Bang because the boys are enjoying the activities and I think it's good value for money:

http://www.whizzpopbang.com

Sam decided to do some Khan academy

Then watched a video about 17th century London

Here..http://www.openculture.com/2013/11/fly-through-17th-century-london.html

Then we talked about centrifugal force because we read an article in Whizz Pop Bang that explained it. So we decided to get a bucket and give it a go.

Sam wasn't too sure , so I demonstrated for him by swinging the bucket of water Pete Townsend, windmill style.

When Sam tried it, he lost his nerve half way and ended up wet through...we both laughed like drains. He was brave enough to have another go and this time succeeded in keeping the water in the bucket. After covering himself in cold water, he decided to have a hot bath. 

Sam was up early and burst into the day with rapid gunfire questioning. I think Blokey was relieved he needed to go to work. I blinked and tried to focus on the multitude of questions over my muesli. They were mainly animal related and quite obscure...Sam never believes me when I say I don't know answers. I love his faith in my abilities but at 6:30 am, I am not really ready to Google.

He decided to do some work on Khan academy whilst I did a bit of training with Shadow. He then decided to do Brain Games using the Wii but got very frustrated because non of the remotes worked. After a while I managed to convince him I couldn't fix it and he very reluctantly came to look through the activity basket. We did a little bit of geography with his new atlas sticker book, but because it's new he needs time to warm up to it.

Next we decided to build a magic money box. 

He got very interested in the blue film that we peeled of the mirror. He wandered round testing its ability to hold a static charge and what it could cling to for quite some time. We then finished his box and tested out making coins and our fingers 'disappear'.

We experiments with different inserts and effects, created an under water world etc but decided to go with the sparkly insert. Sam asked me to film him doing the trick.

After that we built a periscope, which involved peeling more blue film off mirrors and static testing.

He tested the finished periscope by looking behind him, looking round corners and over things. Finally he took the pieces apart and pretended he was a Chameleon...using the periscope as eyes on the side of his head. We talked about why some creatures have eyes in different places to us.

Sam asked if I could write a sentence with 'G's' and 'q's' because he struggles to remember how to shape the letters. 

Owen isn't up yet, I suspect late night reading by torch light is the reason..he's read the whole set of Diary of a Wimpy Kid over Christmas and is now engrossed in the latest David Walliams book. Since Sam is occupied I stick the kettle on for a cuppa...it's only 9:15am and I feel like I have done a full day already!

On rising Owen decided to do more colouring , whilst eating his boiled egg. I complimented him on his colour choices and we listened to his favourite radio station 'Planet Rock' and I talked about the various songs and artists to him. We listened out for the bass line in some of the songs..'Dad used to play bass in a band didn't he? ' and we sang along to Peter Gabriel and Twister Sister whilst we worked.

After colouring he practiced his writing and I showed him how starting the letters in certain places, help form them more easily. His poor bendy fingers make gripping uncomfortable and we haven't found the perfect aid to help him yet. We laughed as he made up phrases to copy.

We learnt about reindeers and he completed the maze problem, mentally adding up the numbers to find the correct path...he can do this quicker than my tired old brain now.

'I am not very good at word searches' he tells me, whilst finding all the answers faster than I can blink or register them.

Finally we looked at our sticker atlas and he decided to find famous landmarks and some animals to place on the right locations. ' look Mum!' He giggles ' I put the Trifle Tower in Paris' ...he whispers 'I know it's not trifle really' and giggles again.

Next he finds the correct location for the Love Birds to live and we talk about them.

We also watched this (Blokey really enjoyed it too) :

http://www.channel5.com/shows/how-star-wars-changed-the-world/episodes/how-star-wars-changed-the-world

Owen started the day with a spot of colouring again.

It's chucking it down with rain yet again today and there's no hope of getting the boys out in this. So whilst Owen and I worked together, Sam played tennis on the Wii.

I showed Owen an Armish recipe for cinnamon 'flop bread' and he was eager to do it. Sam decided to stay on the Wii playing baseball whilst we did this.

The recipe was pretty easy and we talked about how USA recipes differ from ours and converted the oven temperature

It's a thick batter and we loved the cinnamon aroma.

Whilst I tidied the kitchen , Owen went to play with Sam.

Once the cinnamon bread was done , we took a break and tried it out. We liked it but decided it tasted a bit to soda like for us and may adapt the recipe a bit if we try again. 

We then had fun doing Wii fit and our excercises before eating a late lunch.

Blokey is on his rota day off and as the rain had paused we decided to visit the ski centre for a tubing session.

Sam isn't sleeping well because his asthma is still playing up..but he did cheer up doing this..even if he needed to rest ( unheard of!) .

He will be making a visit to the Docs next week if he doesn't pick up over the weekend.

After our exercise and fun, we admired a rainbow and the heavens opened again just as we were heading for the car..*phew*. We stopped off for some lunch before heading over to visit Blokeys parents.

The next day we headed off to visit some artwork at the local gallery. My friend is exhibiting there and we admired her work and had a good look round at the still life exhibition.

We all had our favourite pieces but the Peacock was mine.

We took a look at the old court room and the cells too.

They are pulling serious 'court faces'

We looked at some of the sentences children were given. Two poor youngsters were listed as having stolen 6 nails and were whipped. 

'Harsh!' Sam and Owen chimed in unison.

He's still not great bless him and needed a little rest.

Peering into the cells....it was grim in there...

Today the boys chilled out, Sam is coughing so much with his asthma that it's making him feel sick. He's not eaten much all week, so we will pop him to the doctors tomorrow if I can get him in. Blokey and I did lots of jobs around the house and played some games with them later. Sadly we had to miss swimming because we all agreed Sam would be heart broken if Owen and Dad went without him. He loves his swimming so much.

I have also been liaising with Sam's Consultant regarding his ADHD because the CCG have agreed to fund his treatment plan. That's a huge weight off our minds and with a few tweaks here and there we can get everything set up now.