Brain Development!

Well, if i wasnt so busy writing lengthy comments here and here, maybe I would get round to blogging. (I do enjoy it, though). But maybe not much to report today? Allie is just learning so much every day. It's the walking/talking thing- its such a massive developmental step to take, being upright. He's recently been a bit obsessed with little standing figures, like the playmobil pirates and Duplo pixies. I did get out some animals when I noticed he was trying to stand things up, but he seems more interested in 2 legged standing. I'm sure it's all part of learning to walk; it can't be just a matter of coordinating your limbs, it must be something to do with brain development, too ( O Gill, you must have got me thinking again...). Well, it was only September when Jem learned to ride her bike, and I learned that in order to ride a bike a part of your brain has to develop, and this Gross Motor Development helps with other mental skills, like reading and writing (if you want to know the source of this piece of info, it's from my mum, so probably Piaget), hence, once you know how to ride a bike, you always know. Well, you don't forget how to walk, either, do you? So I guess to 'cogwheels' must be turning away at the moment. Also, crawling is supposed to be good at ballancing the different sides of the brain and has been used as a treatment for adults with dyslexia. Well, Jem and Fugs did not crawl at all, but I think they can, just preffered to shuffle.
Duplo: Fugs made some sort of flying craft (UFO) with a pixie on it and flew it around the room, with sound effects. Allie soon picked up on this, and fixed a pixie to a long brick and also flew it with sound effects! I loved this.
Talking: I am (trying to) read John Holt, How Children Learn, ATM, and it has a star on the front, and Allie won't go to sleep because he's got to point at the star and stay 'star' and look inside it for more stars, which , of course there aren't any. He's been able to say star for a few months now, in fact, it may have been his first word, but now it is clearer, and has a definate meaning. He still says Daddy, in a special way: daddeee, when he's giving me a hug, he will only say mummy in a whiny voice! He will say Baby, in the same huggy voice. Its as if people don't have individual names, well, he knows what you mean if you say it, and he will sometimes say a name if he sees a photo of someone, or if they're out of the window?? He will copy someone if they are calling out or shouting a name, just for the fun of it. I think daddee seems to mean " o, you've come back from work" or " the one I love has come back to me" as it's what the other children say. I've been trying to get them to say mummeee in a nice way, so he will learn it! I know that's a bit selfish of me, but...come on , it's not fair...! I think we expect children to say our names for the sake of our own ego. I mean, how often have you heard a teenager, or other relative trying to get a baby to say their name? Maybe it doesnt mean the same to them, as they are not so aware of people as seperate individuals. Jem, at 7, only just seems to be getting it. She says things like, "isnt it funny that you don't know what other people are thinking", like these things are just dawning on her.
Writing: Fugs has been 'writing' on the computer. It's a shame it has upper case letters on the keyboard, as he has a job recognising them. I wonder if you can put stickers on them, on something. He wants a typewriter, and I think this is a jolly good idea (apparently, 'Gill, who owns the gym' :o) has one in her house, so we could get one, too.)
Finger knitting: I tried some of this, will show results another time. I just did what Gill said in her comments and it worked. I'm sure I've never done it before, but I had this strange feeling once I'd started, I can see how you can get addicted. I think I've seen a demo at Shibden Hall, only using a strange victorian gadget called a Lucet? (I'll have to go off now and find out if this is right!).

Caption competition: please send your suggestions here! mm, I think I'll just lick this wall..? 

Hello, lovely horse 

I was just standing there, waiting for someone at the end of the lane, as it's still covered in snow, when these lovely horses came over to say hello. 

stay still! 

So here are the bootees I made yesterday- Uggy Buggy Boots- you heard it here first! Actually they're fluffier on the inside. Maybe I should try crocheting them the other way. 

More snow

Well, I waved them off happily this morning, only to find out that the school was closing at lunchtime. (I had to send a rescue party, as my car was too snowed in, anyway) In the afternoon, Jem threw a wobbler as noone would go out in the blizzard. I was cosy, crocheting mohair bootees, anyway. Later, when it was finally snowing less, we went out, but by then it was too deep to push the buggy, too deep to sledge. I left them out there for a bit, but they gave up and made some fairy tunnels instead.
They spent the rest of the day reading Beano and Dandy annuals, and Jem finished reading Mister Skip to me.
Allie walked halfway across the room and said "marble", or (barble, and marbar). He's started saying "no" and shaking his head every time I ask him anything, like, do you want a banana? No. (then eats it).

first thing this morning

nice cushion 

not-so-cosy-coupe 

I am not digging my way out of this 

snow too deep to sledge 

Who needs prozac when you've got ABBA?

Hello, happy people! Well, they didn't go to school because they wanted to play in the snow. I was very happy about that. After having them at home for two weeks (half term) I was just so sad at the thought of them going off somewhere all day, (even if it is a lovely little Montessori school with a maximum class size of 8, where they refuse to have computers in the under 6 class, no matter what OFSTED says, as long as this is what the parents want, which it is.) Anyway, For some reason I didn't end up going sledging with them; I had two teenagers willing to do that for me, and I know it's not so much fun for Allie, and we couldn't quite get it together to be ready at the same time as everyone else. So, I did the next best thing and put on ABBA Gold (he likes that) and swanned around the house smiling like Sheila from Shameless, receiving a mixed response from the growing numbers of teenagers, who had borrowed a red and white striped temporary barrier from the road to use as a snowboard. They only came in for lunch (by this time we were just about ready) and went back out to find a bigger slope (which I didn't want to take Allie to). (Blogger people: Is it worse than saying "and then we had lunch" to highlight the word "lunch" and link it to what you had for lunch?")
Well, I'm quite happy for them to go tomorrow to Montessori: I think I may have solved the problem: Fugs only goes one day, and Jem goes two. It might just work. I accidentally phoned the woman who runs the Steiner playgroup and then reallised my new plans may make it impossible to go to it. Well, there were enough toddlers Allie's age at the art and craft workshop yesterday, and I could take some more toys...
Allie's obsession with marbles has gone a step further: he had some in the bath last night (don't ask me why) and this morning he rescued them in a clear plastic bottle, which he managed to take with him nearly all day. He crammed a piece of apple into the bottle at lunchtime and several pieces of carrot in at teatime, which I just had to clean out as it was covered in lentil soup. I wasn't sure quite how far to let this carry on but he never tried to eat or 'drink' the marbles out of the bottle, and finally took it upstairs, with the lid on. I am sure this is all a really valuable learning experience, which I cannot begin to understand, but it is fun and interesting to watch. I've started to give him 'real' bowls and plates, even though they are at a shattering distance from the stone floor, because the surface of some of the melamine ones have started to disintegrate (yuck). So far there have been no breakages, although something would normally end up on the floor. But I am quite prepared for this happening and only give him ones that I don't mind about. He did about five steps today! 2 slow, and the rest really fast (to me).
Brendan is having serious second thoughts about having taken on a permanent role at HBOS, and a massive reduction in pay, for the sake of less travelling and greater stability. Hopefully he will find a suitable solution.

they've been in the snow- wellies nice and clean, now! they were very muddy before.

been sledging 

CLAS - Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society

CLAS - Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society
This is a better site for finding out about that exhibition we went to see yesterday in Halifax. It's under (Activities).

PS- joined-up writing

I just remembered something else we were doing just before bed. Jem wanted to practice doing joined-up writing, which she has started to learn to do- she can do her name pretty well. I started to get her to do sentences, so i could see what needed work on, and then I broke it down to individual letters and groups of letters, like i,u, n,m, w, etc. (She was asking me to tell her what to write, so I figured she wanted some sort of exercise like this). It seemed to be confusing her a little trying to join up the letters, as she started going clockwise round the letters instead of anticlockwise, but she seemed to pick it up without getting frusrated. It made me realise how much I wasnt sure about how letters are supposed to be, as my writing isn't very joined-up really. I thought I should get some of that paper with lines on to show you where to draw the letters to, or even some worksheets? I mean, I don't want her to think she's doing it wrong, but I think she really does want to improve. And also I think it's probably a good time to make sure she doesn't get into bad habits, without being overly critical, of course.
God, this HE is brain-taxing, sometimes ;-)

Art, literacy, etc

We went to the arts and crafts group this morning. It was good to meet up with some friends. As part of the session we looked round an exhibition of art featuring lettering and calligraphy, called Living Letters. Now, mention the word calligraphy to me, and I usually start to yawn, but this exhibition had some really good work in it, and was interesting even to a non-reader, like Fugs, which I was a little bit worried about when we first went in. So, if you can interest a non-reader in letters in this way, maybe this could be a great way to start. I thought this was going to be followed up with some illuminated letters, or something lettering-related, printing, perhaps (this also would normally would make me cringe: going to an art class and finding it was actully about writing, but the pictures in the exhibition were inspiring, and made me think differently). But, for some unknown reason, this did not happen and we ended up making neoprene bug-on-a-clothes-peg, which Jem wasn't impressed with, although Fugs enjoyed it no end- and he doesn't usually seem to like the art things I take him to. Maybe it was aimed a little bit young for the group, as he was officially too young to be there. I did have to keep telling people he didn't read and write yet, though, hoping this wouldn't have as bad effect as being expected to be able to do it, IYSWIM. When asked what his favourite picture was, he surprised me by having an opinion about it and chose a photograph of a swirling sparkler trail. Jem chose an amazing layered glass frosty ice picture, which revealed layers of etched scratchy words on a closer inspection.
So this has all not helped my dilemma about trying to change their days at the Montessori. Originally the art class was on a Wednesday, when they are both at school, but Jem had wanted to stop going on a Wednesday, but unfortuntately, it is not possible to move Fugs as the nursery class is pretty much full up. Now the day of the art class has changed, so it is possible to go, but it leaves us with less days at home, plus I would have saved some money changing the number of Jem's days. I keep changing my mind what is really the best thing to do, considering all things. Just before bed she did an impromptu demo of a sort of chant with movement, and then told me that was part of a German lesson, which I thought was good, especially from a native German speaker. I mean, that is something worth doing for a bit, no? I send her partly because she was used to being at school, and partly because I didn't have the confidence at first to do it alone, and now she's started she really likes it, and partly because of having a baby, which makes it difficult for us to do some of the things we might otherwise do, and it gives me a break.
Well, they got out in the snow this morning before we left, and later on. It seemed to have melted in a lot of places, but was still thick on the ground here when another lot came down later on today. They just love the snow. They want it to snow all the time.
Anyway, still managing to keep body and soul together (just). Trying to keep a regular supply of homegrown beansprouts going, (Watch alfalfa growing day by day here!). And homemade hummous is getting more successful I just now need to coincide the sprouts, the hummous and some homemade bread on the same day and we might get a healthy lunch!

hurrah for geomags!

We got 2 more sets today- not real geomags, but they were only 2.99

Fugs: freeforming with geomags 

Jem's 2D stix 'n' balls star 

...I got quite into it for the first time- so much more fun with more pieces! Unfortunately, Allie decided it was more fun to trash the models that to stick them together.

Jem made a montessoriesque sorting game out of this snack tray I found in the cupboard- different textures, colours, shapes. All those things that under 3's are not allowed to play with but they really love to explore. 

playing with the sorter 

Here's what we did today... Jem took some photo's... 

playing with dollies... 

playing with dolly 

no, I won't pose for the camera 

cute kitty sweater cushions

Remember that angora sweater that I said I was going to make a cushion out of?

here kitty kitty 

decorating

Yay! I've been decorating. Since I was pregnant, 18 months ago, the front hall and stairs have been getting on my nerves. Ever since Unlucky Bob the builder and his disfunctional crew decided to take out the entire front door frame in order to sort out a little bit of rotten threshhold, in attempt toe distract themselves, or me, from the job in hand, which was sorting out the kitchen, it has been in a state of unfinishedness. I did get someone to come and decorate, who first put it off, as he couldn't be certain of finishing before I had the baby, not that that bothered me, I think he must have been a bit jumpy about me suddenly going into labour while he was there in the house and having to deliver the baby himself. When he finally came round, he decided that he couldn't possibly do it as he didn't have any ladders big enough, and was obviously daunted by the surface area concerned, which, actually, turns out to be deceptively not that much. O well, if you want a job doing... So, now the baby's bigger and I have a bit of energy for such things, I thought, why not, and while I was at it I decided to paint the door, which had made the hall look so much brighter. Not sure about the colours, but it was what I had already bought, and I'm sure it will be a great improvement.
I had to let Fugs have a go at painting, and he quite enjoyed it, although I found it very difficult not to get impatient and paint straight over it. I hadn't really thought this through, i mean, to let a 4 year old get involved would take some organising, like some extra tools and an extra day to do it in, as it was taking about 25 times as long to do it with him involved, and I wanted to get it over with as quickly as poassible, having a crawly baby around maked these things a bit tricky. Also, I wanted it to look nice. I have spent 18 months looking at undecorated walls an another 2 years before that looking at bloody awful floral vinyl walpaper, so I didn't want some 4 year old's paint effects, thankyou. I'm just letting off steam now, because I just let him merrily paint away, as he was having such a good time. I can always give it another coat.
I suppose all this was started off by Maeve and her dad's flat, which she has finished decorating. His dad has died now, so he'll be coming back from Ireland, no doubt. So that grandfather never accepted her as his own; when they moved back to Ireland they just pretended she didn't exist. Shame, especially when its your only grandchild. I think she's ok.
Went to see Lemony Snicket film yesterday, after ballet. Fugs had to come to have his hot chocolate during ballet, as he wanted to be with me (not daddy). We enjoyed the film and they spent quite a bit of time looking at the website afterwards, which is quite good.
Jem is reading Mister Skip at the moment, which I quite like.

waterblogged

It's great , this autonomous learning. So much more time for blogging :-) Fugs just told me his plant was waterblogged! Woops, maybe overdoing it a bit! They're having another great day playing fairies. Had geomags out on the kitchen table this morning. Must get some more so we can build an Eiffel Tower or something else amazing.
Maeve phoned me again to tell me she was doing all right again. The double futon I saw in the paper for £25 had gone by the time I had phoned her and she had texted them about it. I did have to plug the phone into the computer connection as the phone has been cut off again and I had no credits, (or I have no idea how to even get credits as I have been disempowered as far as technology is concerned, or anything that requires very much money, for that matter.) So I will have to put in a request on the Cosmic Supply Co for that, although I'm not sure how. Currently feeling rather insecure, domesticwise, however hunky dory it may seem, on the surface. But have been not very actively doing anything about it today, prefering to float about in the pleasant bubble that is me and the kids at home.

A&E: pay and display costs £1.20, or be clamped

Today was dominated by an extended visit to A&E with Allie, who had pulled his elbow (or wrist?) out of joint. It took 2 hours before he was seen. Thankfully he was asleep for most of that, but I had left the others with a friend's husband, and it was so incredibly boring in the waiting room. Maybe I could have been less bored if I hadn't read 3 copies of Take a Break magazine and tried to read the impossible subtitles on the news channel. The doctor that finally saw him wasnt very good with children and tried to see if he could grasp a torch by first shining it to and fro in front of his eyes, which didn't go down very well. For some reason most of the people I saw seemed to assume I was really stupid, even when I explained that this has happened to another of my children. I had a much better experience when I went in with Fugs. I'm glad I didnt have him with me today with his black eye! (he dropped a Casio onto himself, playing it lying down- it's only a small one- one of the originals) . Anyway, Allie was OK by bedtime- the second doctor we saw must have twisted it back in as he finally started using it again. I didn't hang around to see the doctor again, as I could tell it was improving. This is a bit of a pain as now I know he has a weakness I'll have to be really careful till he's about 4- Fugs did his twice, even though I was careful not to lift him up with one arm. So round the mulberry bush is out then. Well he's obviously not ready for walking, or he wouldn't have been putting so much weight on his arms. This happened in about 2 seconds when he had just stood up to follow the others outside.
Well the others had a great time, doing another fairy hunt in the fields. When I got back they were eating their tea in front of The Simpsons.
Meave phoned me to tell me she had painted 2 rooms and nothing had gone wrong. I then had to phone her back to tell her to wash out the rollers and brushes, and she got a bit stroppy with me because I couldn't describe exactly how to do it in under 15 seconds. Well I know I am probably getting on her nerves about it, but I'm doing my best to let her do it. I had envisaged me actually helping as I quite enjoy that kind of thing, but she does not understand this, and it's obviously more important to her to do it herself. She's been living there for almost a week now! only returning to do washing, etc.
Me? well, thanks to the go-anywhere blogputer I have been in bed since 10 o'clock, in a bid to stop getting up so late. Usually, I get on the computer and it gets late and I just cant be bothered to go upstairs or something. Also I get distracted so things take much longer. This it great, so far.
No wool to be had today, but I do have some projects waiting to be done. Sometimes I just need something new to get me inspired again.
Bought some lovely daffs to cheer myself up. Yikes! I just ate a wagon wheel and it said not suitable for vegetarians. And you know what? I dont give a ....

Stop the world I want to get on

Hurray! I've finally got my old little laptop out. Now I can blog anywhere- currently on the kitchen table, over porridge and toast. This is where I sit most of the time I'm sitting during the day. And it will actually go on your lap. The battery wont work, that's the only thing, but it's much more simple and clunky, with less on it to confuse- an earlier version of Windows. Much more my style- K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid). You can't do games on it , or graphic design. Good. Its just a fantastic blogputer!
Anyway, I'm off on a recycled wool mission, if I can get the children dressed in the next 1/2 hour.
The above message is on my blogputer wallpaper.

First steps/ letting go- all in a day's parenting

Woke up this morning (for the second time- less said about the first time the better) to the tune of here we go round the mulberry bush being sung downstairs. The children can be so sweet sometimes. They have managed to get Allie to sidestep round in a circle, (which he couldn't do last time I took him to playgroup, and the whole circle came to a standstill!), as well as walking forwards and backwards, holding someone's hands. I don't like persuading children to learn to walk as I feel they do it when they're ready. Maybe I should get them to chill out a bit on the walking bit - He's still a few months younger than Fugsy when he first walked at 19 months. Mind you he does seem to love the sense of achievement, and has had a development spurt since he's been ill- is talking more- definately says mummy and daddy very clearly, although sometimes interchangeably. He seems to learn a lot from some friends who are 3 months older - twin boys, just a step ahead in development.
Jem's friend came round this morning and they all played amazingly well for hours. They seemed to be doing a survey of all the fairies they could find in the garden. Later we went to Halifax to buy stuff for Meave to decorate her dad's flat. Managed to get paint cheap enough in Wickes and some paper lampshades in Home Bargains, where Fugs spotted a Crayola Space set and some more 'Magnetic' geomag type stuff for £2.99 for 64 pcs. So after tea I had to make a rather complicated cardboard Space shuttle fitted together with 17 fiddly tabs whilst Fugs ran in and out shouting, she's nearly made it , and was then disappointed that it didn't really fly, so we had to hang it up in the huge nursery mobile, (made of a twisted hazel and originally supporting wholesome butterflies and angels, but is now also home to a host of glow in the dark planets and other stuff).
So i have now dropped Meave off at the flat with the paint and other paraphinalia and am trying not to be worried sick about what it is going to end up looking like. I'm not so worried about her ability to do it as who might be 'helping', as when she decorated her room with some friends it was a right mess, which is all very well with your own room, but someone else's flat... She hasnt even told him- it is going to be a surprise! maybe that is what I'm worried about. I do feel a bit responsible, having helped her get the stuff. But its not as if he had made any effort to make it habitable himself, and she is supposed to have a room there. In fact he only got it on the strength of her supposedly living with him, and the letter I wrote for him. Anyway i expect I have said too much already. I was just expressing my anxiety at leaving her to get on with it. It's hard letting go, but necessary.
No wonder I'm tired.

Art 'n' stuff

Well this morning seems a long time ago now, but a friend of Fugs came round to play- his mum just dropped him off and they played! This is a first for him. I gave up on him having friends round as it always seemed to end in some little boy trashing the house and not interested in playing with Fugs at all. But this is the first time he's had a friend independantly of me, met through the Montessori nursery. And they get on really well. Shame he's going to school in September, o well.
So then we went to Bradford to the home-learner's art workshop, which I was a bit disappoined with, really. I mean the woman who does them is a bit annoying and spends far too much time talking about why it's important to not touch the exhibits (even though they are all in glass cases) and there's not enough time to actually do any art. I can see the logic of trying to engage them in the exhibition and gain inspiration from it. But this bit was, quite frankly, boring to me, let alone them. By the time we got in the workshop room Fugs had had enough and was itching to go to the park. But we managed to do some decorated Buddha's footprints, which was no more interesting for having spent an hour learning about Buddha. In fact I am convinced that this actually took away from the experience. It is a bit too much like 'school learning' for my liking and I may knock this one on the head, although it was loveley to see Isabelle, who organised it, again and her boys, and to meet Tech and her gang. I think I go more to meet people and to go to see an exhibition, and not so much for the workshop, although the last one was much more hands on, and although it was quite stressful for me, it was very interesting doing stuff we hadn't done at home.
I think I have a different approach to doing art and creative stuff with the children. We do quite a lot of it and although it is quite often linked to a theme, or seasonal event, I try not to harp on about it too much in intellectual terms. After all, art is not really an intellectual activity, I think. Well I don't think it should be, anyway I can't stand conceptual art or anything that is trying to be clever and you have to think about too much. Instead I try to allow them to understand what it is about by getting a feel for it through the colours an forms etc. Of course I also try to facilitate creative expression through drawing and painting, too, without a given theme or subject. I don't require representational drawings, or, i fact any sort of finished result, as this is not the point of it; its the process. I try not to do stuff for the sake of having 'something to show for it', although, if we do have something to put up that is nice, but I'm quite happy to make stuff myself if I require a certain decoration for a particular event, so they are not under pressure to perform. The EEC inspector could not seem to be able to fathom why on earth I had stuck things into my scrapbook that I had done myself; I was simply recording 'we did this... leaf printing, whatever, ate pumpkin soup- no, I didn't make her write out the recipe'- that's not the point- the point is we made it and ate it and it was a celebration and sometimes you can't document these things. ...
"And where were the results of this scientic experiment recorded (a kindergarten teacher was once asked by an inspector, on watching frosty leaves melting). The only possible reply was given: "in their souls".

Hello

Just thought I'd better drop in and say hello, although I'm tired from a busy day; not long sat down and it's already past midnight. Well I've got my feet up now and I've downed a beer, and I feel I deseve it. However, trying to define what exactly I've been doing all day may be tricky (and probably boring: changed yet another nappy, did some more washing etc, etc), so I won't go into all the details. Well, today's activity was obviously making Valentine's Day cards (or V.D. cards, as Jem wrote in hers! I just had to try hard not to laugh too much, because I wouldn't have known where to begin to explain...) and Valentine woven paper heart baskets. Urm, the instructions on this site are the simplest, and like what we did. So, that was it, apart from a trip to LIDL (which I keep being corrected on the pronunciation; aparently there's a German shopping game that tells you how to say Leedle, or is it Liedl?). Anyway, I was pleased I managed to get so many useful household items for Maeve's new flat, well its her dad's flat, but he's gone back to Ireland to visit family and she's taken it over, and it needed taking over as it was virtually uninhabitable. I got, among other things, a kettle and a rather nice lamp! She was a bit annoyed with me earlier because I was trying to offer to help her buy floor paint so I decided to butt out, even though she ended up not finding anything suitable. What can you do cheaply with a chipboard floor? I expect any paint would be better that what it is loike ATM. (that typo as in wadda yer loike?) Sorry, utter digression going on as usual. Better go to bed.

Valentine hearts

spring cleaning, long noodles

Well we manged to survive another day, mostly in PJ's, although it was me, mainly, that was suffering the lurgy today- just tired and lack of appetite. We sorted out all my wool, which they all found thouroghly enjoyable. The cat had made a nest under my desk so I had to wash some of the mending pile! (some of this hastily sorted out with a pair of scissors- must get round to the rest). Also threw out a bin and a half of old calalogues, etc, so its beginning to get a bit tidier in the corners in here.
By tea time I was slumped in a chair with no motivation to cook, but managed to gather enough enthusiasm to make a rather tasty stir-fry with long noodles, and even managed to eat it, which actually made me feel a bit better, although my stomach didn't think so. (A similar thing happened yesterday with the pancakes, which I didnt think anyone would eat, but they did). Allie wouldn't go to sleep all day again, but then still would go to bed at 8 0'clock or 9 0'clock, so I gave up and he finally got put to bed at about 10.30, by daddy. I would have waited till he seemed more tired, but he was getting a bit hassley.
I tried to do some more origami but got a bit week and feeble (before tea- breastfeeding on an empty stomach: not good). Managed a few things last night and they are showing an interest so I will continue tomorrow. Jem did some more letters on her sampler. We found out that automated letters from the library are made of special paper that copies if you write on it.

Chinese New Year

Happy New Year

Fu - Chinese word for 'luck'

Fu - Chinese word for 'luck'
Well I don't think the writing in the book we used looked very much like this! O well.

Great Website about Chinese stuff

China the Beautiful - Chinese Art and Literature

The dragon Fugs made on Friday. He was wandering round with a bag of toilet rolls asking what he could make from them- we just needed an egg box, some staples and paint. I made holes in the cardboard tubes with my new leather puncher so that it was easier for him to sew them together.

We had another sicky day today; fortunately I was ok, as by the afternoon Fugs finally succombed and fell asleep on a chair. I moved him to the sofa with Jem, who has been chirpier and seems to be recovering now. She managed a bit of cross stitch and peg board. Also Maeve returned from college full of flu and they were all asleep at around 4! Fugs started to be sick at bed time. The washing machine is on again.

2 sicky babies

Painting: wet-on-wet; chinese writing

This morning they had a lot more energy and wanted to do stuff so we made some Chinese new year banners/scrolls. Jem started with copying some Chinese writing with black paint and a brush, while I tried, in vain, to get Allie off to sleep by walking round the block. "What block? block of what?" "a block of wood- we're walking round a block of wood, so get your coat on" " where's the block of wood?" "outside". I did explain to Fugs later that we were walking round a block of houses. Anyway, Jem wanted to add some colour to the banners so we decided to paint the background and add black lettering. So we managed to get some Waldorf in there with wet-on-wet painting: use thick lining paper, brush it all over with water and thick brush and add one colour at a time- yellow first, then red or blue. If using ready-mix paint water it down so it runs into water, but is still bright. Watch the magic shapes appear.
Jem did her own lettering- Fugs expired before this point! The walk must have tired him out. I'd quite like him to have a go, though, if he wants to, it's quite fun and you dont have to do 'real' chinese writing.
We stapled painted cardboard tubes to some of them to look like scrolls, and threaded red wool through the tube to hang up.

painting session

good luck 

happy chinese new year