The sun shone again today which after 3 solid days of rain was a welcome return. I quite like rain but not when it sets it for long enough to start googling for blueprints for arks!
First thing (well as first thing as we get round these parts ;)) I found out some theories behind the possible answers to Davies’ question about making a hole through the middle of the earth. I love how my general knowledge improves daily by helping them find out answers to things – it’s one of my favourite things about working at the library too. I get way more pleasure out of answering ‘I don’t know but what an interesting question. Let’s find out together’ than from just knowing already.
Elizabeth, M and T arrived to play with fairly poor timing just as the washing machine spun to a halt. I was keen to get the wash out to dry as it was including swimsuits we’ll be needing to pack for the weekend so I left them to it for 20 minutes or so while I pegged out washing, made some pastry and shoved some cakes in the oven. This worked out just fine as Scarlett and M went out to play with the chickens, while Davies, T and Elizabeth explored the Animation Station which I’d told Elizabeth about and she was keen to see in action. So Davies did a fine job of explaining how it all worked, showing them what he’d done on it so far and then getting out some plasticine and helping T make a film.
Elizabeth was really impressed with both the machine and Davies’ coaching skills and previous efforts so we got to talking about Davies and his animation passion and I pulled up his blog and showed them some of his other work over the years. We all enjoyed watching some of the stuff on Davies’ youtube account, particularly the making of outtakes film which had a 6 year old Davies and 4 year old Scarlett looking all tiny and cute on it :).
I made some lunch and the kids gradually all drifted away to play leaving Elizabeth and I to chat. There was some friction when Davies tried to stop the others from being too forceful with the chickens (he was right, but sometimes doesn’t quite have the authority to pull it off) but it was smoothed over and Scarlett and T played together while Davies and M built a traintrack with the brio spanning four rooms which was quite impressive :).
They left at about 330pm and all three of us were relieved to not have anything to go back out for this evening. I think the kids feel like I do about all the evening activities really – enjoy the opportunity, are glad they do them and get lots out of them while actually there but the thought of them, particularly this time of year in the cold and dark is wearing. Something reminded us all the other day of Nim’s Island although none of us could remember what it was so I suggested we put that on and we watched it, and all the dvd extras too. I do love that film :).
Earlier Scarlett asked why plaster of paris is called plaster of paris and speculated that it must be something to do with Paris in France. A bit of googling showed her to be right and she’s added the word gypsum to her vocabulary too :).
Dinner for the children, much snuggling with Scarlett who has been very cuddly today and I made a rainbow bracelet, at his request, for Davies. I tried and failed twice to get my head round a heart pattern, despite it being classed as ‘easy’ on a website.
We read at bedtime, which as usual for his books has the most beautiful illustrations. Scarlett has taken it to bed to look at more and Davies wants to spend more time looking at it too. I think he’s planning on some artwork inspired by him, I feel quite tempted to have a go myself :). We also looked at although I’m not at all sure why I ordered that in now, it must have popped up as recommened somewhere linked to something else we’ve read.
I cooked dinner – homemade quiche, jacket potatoes and sweetcorn and I made some jam tarts with the leftover pastry scraps and that was today.