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Archive for February, 2008

A long time ago we used to use a web site called DAMMIT.

When Asha was born Steve told the other members of our fantastic news.

Tonight I found the link and saved his post as a JPG.

I hope you like it!

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didnt quite happen today, so I am now exhausted but:

We got to drive over the beautiful Britannia Bridge, Across the Menai

We did order a new car via motability and ford.

We did get out to see some of our new CLAS friends, and A had a wonderfull time as did we. It was lovely. Thankyou N, K and J!

I loved not being attacked by the geese, it really did sort out my fear of them.. I never realised it was possible to be in a field with them and they not attack you!

A is thoroughly loving her new dolls high chair, and has spent best part of an hour tonight feeding dolly in it! Wonderfull!

Vicki xx

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Tonight was Gwerin Y Coed We talked about St Davids Day. and painted some leeks, and Welsh Dragons. We also Found out about the anglisizing (sp?) of the daff, for the symbolism of Wales.

The emblem of Wales is the leek, arising from an occasion when a troop of Welsh were unable to distinguish each other from a troop of the English enemy dressed in similar fashion. They pulled up handfuls of coarse grass, with its white roots and green leaves, and stuffed them in their caps (in much the same way as the Plantagenets adopted the broom – plante a genet – as their badge and emblem.) The grass became stylised into a leek – the same shape and colour but bigger – and adopted as the badge of the Welsh.
An alternative emblem developed in recent years is the daffodil, which looks similar to a leek until it flowers, and was preferred by the English government as it did not have the same military and nationalistic associations as the leek.

We are working towards a couple of badges at the moment, and one of the things is trying to learn some new songs, so first things first.. we are learning the Welsh words for :

Link your hands together

Link your hands together, A circle we’ll make,

This bond of our friendship, No power can break,

Lets all sing together, In one mighty throng,

If any be weary, We’ll help them along,

If any be weary, We’ll help them along.

Daliwn ddwylo’n gilydd, Yn gylch ar y cyd,

I uno cyfeillion, Mewn hyfryd o fyd,

Gadewch i ni ganu, Yn llawen a chryf,

A sawl sydd yn blino, Rhown gymorth i chi,

A sawl sydd yn blino, Rhown gymorth i chi,

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Its Wednesday. I also couldnt get up this morning, so some of our plans had to be re-organised but I still dont know how Asha gets as much done as she did.

She “read” a book to me in bed this morning – Aesops Tales.

She then played football with Steve, and did some “make and do” she made some pom pom pets,

pom pom pets

We then went to C.L.A.S Where Asha did some “glass bottle painting” and painted with her friends.

She also played on the swings, played chase and really enjoyed herself. She had a little bump, which did upset her for a while, but she has been o.k. tonight. I think it was just the shock!

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on the internet.

Asha was doing her normal climbing over me one morning this week. I said to her “Asha, mummy isnt for climbing on” her reply

“But mummy it says you are on the internet, I checked”

Kids!

A quick web search however proved her facts wrong

link to show mummy isnt for climbing on 

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Since about last august I have been existing on no pain relief, as my current Dr’s were reluctant to prescribe. Now in theory this is in accordance with the NICE guidlines for CFS/ME but it kind of ignores all the other difficulties I have, and need pain relief for.

This has meant that for months, I have been functioning, with an increasing amount of pain, and sleepless nights.

Well yesterday i finally managed to get my pain killers and guess what today I have smiled, more than I have done so for months.. Amazing. I feel so human, I even cut my hair, and trimmed Asha’s.

Vicki xx

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For a while I have been posting snippits from other web sites. I find familytreehouse a usefull resource to return to when I want that snippit of information for another debate / quest / answer.

Anyway I am sorry to say I have another snippit, from a site on home education, which i have just found.. (ahed)

home edd site

5.) Treasury statistics show more than 1 in 6 children leave school each year unable to read, write or add up

A subject of frequent news reports and even Treasury statistics:

“Mr Cameron said statistics from the Treasury showed more than one in six children were leaving school unable to read, write or add up.”

Every Child Matters?

Corrected figures:
Every Child Matters?
Each week: 450,000 children are bullied in school
Each year: more than 360,000 children injured in schools
Each year: at least 16 children commit suicide as a result of school bullying
Each year: an estimated 1 million children truant
Each year: more than 1 in 6 children leave school unable to read, write or add up
Every Child Matters?
Home Education
because EACH child matters, individually!

Well my mum for a while has been saying ” If every child matters, so does my Granddaughter.. so I am having a day annual leave”

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I have been wondering what Asha acheives during a quiet day at home, so today.. I am going to list what she has done in one of her slouch days at home..

8 am.. up and playing imaginary games with Daddy.

9 am sitting at home drinking tea with mummy and daddy at kitchen table, having poured her own milk and tea into a cup.

10 am we were in pwhelli, and she was helping Daddy doing the shopping..  and finding her own buscuits so she could put three packets in the basket!

12.30 Exhausted sits on sofa. Eatting lunch.

1 pm Asks if she could have some cbeebies on. We said yes, as she hasnt had them on since the middle of last week.

1.30 Asks if she can help daddy to peal carrots using a potatoe peeler . daddy lets her, and is pleasanty surprised with the effect!.. thats carrots pealed.

3 pm, comes and helps me, and we read meg and mog book in her play room.

4 pm. goes out side to play with neighbours children. Plays on bikes, football and with the younger children as well.  When they go in she comes and does some face painting.

5.oo has roast dinner.

5.45 Goes back out for a little while, to play on her own gets very wet and wind blown.  Playing at fixing her bike which isnt really broken.

6.15  Comes in for a deep bath and hair wash, with toys.

7.oclock. has three stories read to her : I dont like it – ruth brown, Alfies Feet – Shirley Hughes, After the storm – Nick butterworth. Then goes up to bed, where daddy reads some Uncle Remus tales.

7.30 Asleep.

Not bad for a lazy day at home is it!

(oh and some stage we got a dance show in there as well, but I cant remeber where it fell in to the day now.. but she did do her small dance show!)

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The spectacular colours of coral reef fishes represent a ‘language’ that has been around for at least 50 million years – to which humans have lost the key.

Colour in fish is most probably a highly developed form of communication, some of which we can interpret, but much of which remains cryptic says Professor David Bellwood of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20082102-16929.html

Now I know something seem obvious, and I can cope with Sign Language… Semiphore,

Elephant communication is fantastic – if anyone has chance to read “SILENT THUNDER: In the Presence of Elephants” By Katy Payne. Did you know that elephants communicate with sounds that are below the range of human hearing? Similar to whales, they can speak over long distance with each other using infrasound.

But what other forms of communication are there out there.. Are we really that smart the human race? I think not.

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A small remote community in Snowdonia is a step closer to getting mains electricity for the first time.The Snowdonia National Park has granted planning permission for a five-mile (8km), 95-pole supply to Abergeirw near Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7250488.stm

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O.k. not quite the normal content for Familytreehouse, but as someone posted this on to a forum I regully use, I thought I would share it some more with the world.

Yep, breast milk contains stem cells

 The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human breast milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years scientists will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions as far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

But what Dr Mark Cregan is excited about right now is the promise that his discovery could be the start of many more exciting revelations about the potency of breast milk.

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20081102-16879.html

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Do ladybirds have teeth, and if not why not?

Why can we see the moon in the day time?

Why does it go dark at night?

How do bees make honey out of nectar and spit?

Why do some people need more sleep than others?

Why do people shout?

Why do peopls spit?

Why are flames sometimes blue?

Why do we get fog?

Why does the small hand on a clock never move when I am watching it mummy?

I am sure Steve will add to this list, but these are some of Asha’s questions for this week. If anyone fancies trying to answer them for me, all help appreciated!

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In the winter they do a free entry with a ticket (availible in all sorts of free leaflets you pick up in wales)

Anyway we had arranged to meet a few people there, but because the weather looked rough. it ended up being just us and one other “family”.

Well we had a lovely time. The children played poo sticks, looked at flowers, watched fish’s swimming.. and eating A’s badge.. (it fell in the stream whilst she was watching the fish off the bridge)

The climbed climbing frames, swung down firemans poles, made flags from leaves and sticks, and even played “whats the time Mr Wolf”

Asha slept all the way home.

Portmeirion was built by Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925 to 1973 to demonstrate that development of a naturally beautiful site need not result in its defilement. He wanted to practice what he preached as a conservationist and capmaigner for the protection of the environment.

http://www.portmeirion-village.com/content.php?nID=6;lID=1 Accessed 22nd Feb 2008

<rant warning>
I was however rather annoyed when we called into one of there shops in Porthmadog, and was told.. ” the free period has ended we dont do the tickets anymore, and a letter from us saying you called in would do you no good” Luckily the friend had called into Tescos.. so we can go again next weeK.. I may well deliver some leaflets to them, and highlight that actually some of the free tickets are valid untill the 14th March.. not the 1st! </end rant>

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http://www.woodcraft.org.uk/

We take Asha every week, and she loves it. Though she is normally exhausted by the time we get there.

Anyway this week, was particully special as its the first week we have been in daylight, and actually seen Rachub in the daylight. It looks so pretty!

One of the Group Leaders had also brought some coffee, which we particully enjoyed as it was a damp wet night. Thanks P.

Asha loves it. She looks forwards to seeing the other children, especially M’ s lad. And her friends from Tregarth.

It has been decided for some badgework to be done, and so we are going to start by helping the elfins and woodchips to make a poncho each to keep there badges on.

We all enjoyed Tai Chi tonight as well. It felt good to be teaching it again.

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Asha wanted to paint her face yesterday. Here is the result. She really enjoyed herself. She came to me pretending to be a monster, roaring and stuff. She has also said that she wants to be the teacher. We have both told her that we are all teachers and students. She told us she wasn’t a teacher, but wouldn’t or couldn’t explain why she wasn’t.

I painted my face too

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My mum taught me how to crochet was I was little. It is long forgotten though. Today I thought I’d have another go at it. I eventually got a chain going, I just needed to find out how to do another row.

This website helped. I found the illustration to be easy to follow and it was all on one screen

When I finally make something, I’ll post the pic up here.

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I just remebered saying to someone yesterday that the OU is now doing free resources for people returning to study etc… So I thought I would do a little post on resources for Study!

OU Free link

I have always found Mind Maps a usefull tool for revision or keeping planning under some kind of structure..- something I love about the automonous approache to education

I dont use a free version I have Inspiration, which is a fantastic peice of software, but Tony Buzan books on mind mapping are a great place to start!  His Brain child book also makes an curious read

The other thing I do loads when faced with verbal exercises – eg oral exams, is to use a tape recorder and play it back.. read a block of a book out, and listen to it.. That way you can tell if you can hear your own mistakes.   I used to find role play really boring, so I would try to be the newsreporter instead!

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We have been doing it for a couple at weeks at clas now. I really am starting to get my head around the idea, and even managed to start to feel progress has been made.

I plan to do some more work on this, so I can use it in other groups.. But time will tell.

Asha loves clas. Yesterday she was very pleased she could have the pop corn. Especially today when she found the remains of it in her bag… Yummy! – Thanks Annie!

I have today done some croquet – (sp?) and cut some jeans up into small shapes such as hearts, bears and fish. I am going to start getting an applique box together, so as we develop with Asha we can always glue / sew or stitch for those lazy afternoons!….

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For a week or so now I havent blogged, I basically gave us as no one reads it anyway.. do they?

Anyway today someone approached me from CLAS to say it was family tree house they found the CLAS site, and that the blog was interesting… So this has spurred me on to keep on blogging.

Now two other people have added me to there Facebook accounts… the problem? I cant access mine!

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It was a friends birthday, and we went to Tokyo Joes at Spital, Wirral.

The food was fair, enough for a normal person for the standard price.. But if you wanted more you had to pay..

Service was not as good as I expect, but then my expectations are said to be unreasonable.

But the taste of the food was excellent, and the Little one enjoyed it as well.

Out of 10… 8… but bigger portions for big eaters are required.. but this was lunch time, so may be night times are different? I dont know!

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