Engaging

Scarlett’s super wobbly tooth came out first thing this morning. She came to wake me, turning the lights on as she did and thrusting it under my nose for inspection. She then came back up every 15 minutes or so until I finally got up!

I sorted breakfast – for children and chickens, cleared up the kitchen and sat down with a cup of tea then supervised Davies gathering all he needed to do papier mache (mat to protect carpet, cardboard model he was going to cover, newspaper torn into strips. His tearing was a bit cack handed so I helped with that and Scarlett came to join in too and then I got him a bowl of flour and water. I was determinded to let him do it himself so just went over every so often to provide a bit of guidance rather than taking over. He did a great job, really listened and aside from making the cardboard too soggy so it started to lose it’s shape a little he did a great first attempt. He cleared up and then put it next to the radiator to dry. I think it will need at least 2 more layers before being ready to paint but it’s looking good. It’s some sort of biplane type thing from Star Wars.

Scarlett was wanting to do some more fimo so her and I sat and did that. She made a butterfly, a worm and a little Scarlett. Again I tried to let her do her own thing as much as possible and indeed several of the things she made were too thin and unsupported so have broken once baked and touched, but that must surely be a better way for her to learn for next time than me telling her. I finished making liquorice allsorts beads which I have now varnished and threaded with some other beads to make a new bracelet for myself. I think both children now want to make beads for bracelets next – I said to Davies we could do tiny Wallace and Gromit heads to make beads and he really likes that idea :).

They’d been half watching one of the Star Wars films I’d brought home while doing all their making. Then they turned the tv off and got the geomags out after tiding up their crafty stuff. Scarlett had made a fimo R2D2 so there was some sort of Star Wars game played. I got out a knitting book I’d got from work and taught myself how to do purl stitch. I then experimented with it and have worked out how to make all sorts of patterns in my wool squares :). Very pleased with myself :). The book explains how to increase and decrease stitches too which seems straightforward so there’s no stopping me now ;). Expect knitted W&G toys to be photographed soon ;).

Davies and Scarlett tidied all the geomags up and were looking a bit loose-end ish so I suggested a couple of things, none of which interested them and then came up with ‘bowls of popcorn and Kung Fu Panda dvd?’ which got two yesses, so I went off to make the popcorn and they got the dvd set up. It didn’t really hold me and I carried on knitting, Scarlett wandered off to play with her DS but Davies watched it through and then when it went on by itself for a second time because none of us turned it off we all dipped in and out of it while they both DSd and I carried on knitting.

It rained on and off all day which was a shame as I think we’d all have benefitted from a bit of outdoor time which none of us will get tomorrow either. I still felt cold all day and have been fairly intolerant and grumpy but have at least done lots of doing stuff with them inbetween. Looking forward to a bit more out and aboutyness again next week though.