Because everyone was getting ready for the camp.; We were invited around to J’s for CLAS this week.
Asha enjoyed playing with the kids. I enjoyed a drink of coffee and Steve took K to the shops.. or did K take Steve, we will never know.
Evening was bed early,, and packing? Oh we will do that tomorrow.
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When I woke this morning I jumped on daddy before toddling off to see where granny was sleeping. I soon had her up and dressed..
Eventually with a bit of help from mummy I too got dressed and mummy sent me out with Granny to keep granny out of mischief.. As if!
I went to the warren swimming pool with granny today. We also went on the beach and i had a beef burger at parc glasfryn with Granny.
This evening mummy and daddy let me stay up late, though daddy regretted it as i couldnt settle for bed. I did however get to play with Ff and D which was good fun.
Mummy even let Ff come inside to play.
Tonight mummy and I looked at the shells we picked of the beach on Wednesday. I think I may make a picture with them tomorrow.
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Granny arrived this morning and we all headed up to petes eats in llanberis for lunch followed by a paddle in the lake.
After my paddle I had a bath and a couple of stories of granny and bed.
Great fun.
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Late morning for mummy, but Daddy and Asha were up and about early.
When mummy got up, she made a few phone calls and then we all got ready for our CLAS activity. This week we were once more on the beach at DINAS.. Paradise for mummy, as it was so near!
Asha had a great time, she loves playing with T, T, R and J. Asha also had a go at climbing the rocks today, I think with a few more weeks of practice the rocks will no longer be a barrier for her. This I am pleased about.
It was also great to see A and for her to share her delightfull tales of Pink Champagne and Salmon!
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O.k. Asha had a hospital appoitment, which she wasnt very keen about.. fair enough, I dont like blood tests either!
Anyway she did really well, although she didnt think she was brave because she didnt like having her blood taken.. We tried to explain that she didnt have to like it to be brave!
I have to say the childrens ward at Bangor hospital is VERY well equipped!
After a trip to the hospital we went into bangor, and bought Asha some hair things from Claires, she thought they were brilliant, I tend to agree. We had pizza for lunch, as a big treat.
Once home she soon settled for the night, after a big dinner of pasta and sausage and luckily slept through as i was exhausted.
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If I were a teddy, where would i sit?
I’d sit with my mummy, who would knit knit knit.
If I were a dolphin where would i swim?
I’d swim in the sea, my mummy and me.
If I were a princess, what would I wear?
I’d wear my makeup and brush my long curly hair.
If I were a daddy, what would I do?
I’d sit on the toilet and make lots of Poo.
Written by Asha 26th August 2008
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Asha and mummy went to Piggery Pottery this morning, near Cwm Y Glo.
Umm. The play area is currently out of use, so that was a disapoitment, but we went to llanberis for that instead.
It cost £4.50 to buy a pig to paint. Then you pay £1 to paint.
So that was £5.50 to paint a pig which I can buy 6 for £7.58 bakerross
Umm.. Will i be going again? Probably, as Asha enjoyed it.. but value for money? I dont feel it is. If the Play area had been working, and she had been offered the chance to paint a stone or do the pottery wheel I may be more positive about it, but we wernt.
The staff however on the whole were very friendly and helpfull. The cafe was clean and the coffee was o.k.
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What did we do today then?
Another section of painting by number, no 33 was painted in her picture.
She decorated a plate which was a present she got for her birthday, which she enjoyed doing. In doing it, she learnt how to draw a basic flower, which she was VERY pleased with. Her copying skills have really erupted this week.
She copied the word Mummy out beautifully, and Asha. I will try and get a photograph of her work up this week sometime.
She sat and played in the lounge at making food, and copying letters using peices of wood. As the bits of the letters.
We read a Elmer the elephant book this morning which she loved.
We watched the closing ceremony of the olympic games and talked about Greece, and why the Greek flag was flown on the last day of the games.
greek flaf
We looked at the other flags flying - Peoples republic of China,
olympic rings
olympic flag and
union jack and said the significance of them. -
Asha wanted to know why the welsh dragon wasnt there… Umm anyone care explain!
Asha danced to the music, loved the big wheels the dancers the riding on and said she prefares gymnastics to the trapeze artists.. I was rather pleased about this!
She danced like the rather beautiful chinese dancers, and enjoyed herself.
So for a day which I felt awfull in, Asha seems to have rather an educationally sound day. Just a pity mummy felt like a bag of wet potatoes all day!
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Well I guess the only thing which may be different is the fact the LEA may wonder what we are teaching Asha….
Well as the law dosnt insist on teaching, only full time education, then it wont really matter.
What are we going to do next term? Well I dont really know to be honest, but Steve and I both hope to do the OU course, in Welsh.. so we are going to all be learning Welsh.. GCSE in 9 months anyone?
I plan on continuing to get her out and about as much as we can between now and the end of October, before the winter arrives. We plan on doing more reading, and baking in the winter, and a bit more crafts. Asha is also going to be having her first formal swimming and gymnastic lessons.
She is going to be returning to Gwerin, and continue to meet her C.L.A.S friends.
We will probably renewed our attendance at the library, and sorted out the house a bit more. I want us to have been to Piggerly Pottery, Sea Zoo on Anglsey, and Henblas Park on Anglesey by October half term. I would also like to find a climbing wall for her to have a go on.
I think that will do between now and Christmas. As we have a few festivals which will need there own stories as well.
From November onwards I hope to be sending out christmas cards as well. Ummm
Vicki xx
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This morning I woke mummy up with a kiss, then went to see Granny. It was 6.45 what else does she expect?
Granny and I ate breakfast, and then i watched some olympics and played in the lounge. At around 9.30 mummy came down stairs and helped me get ready for a day on the beach at Dinas with Granny.
Mummy dropped us off, andup camp just under the shadow of the iron age hill fort.
Dinas Dinlle Iron Age hillfort has been built on an isolated hill of glacial drift near the village of Llandwrog and has been eroded considerably by the sea. Originally, the fort was surrounded by two earthen ramparts with a deep ditch between. Where the defences survive, they are of impressive size, with an overall height of 6 meters. The interior of the fort contained circular buildings and other structures towards the eastern side. The site has not been fully excavated, but sherds of Roman pottery have been discovered in the past, suggesting occupation or reoccupation in the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD. A large mound in the north-east corner may be a Bronze Age barrow. This description is based on: Frances Lynch, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Gwynedd, 2nd edn, (London: HMSO, 2001), pp. 74-75.
http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/small/item/GTJ25095/
I played in the sand dunes, and did cooking on the beach for my “big up to the sky suzie” I also enjoyed a teacake with granny and mummy bought me a new bucket and spade.
Although it was windy, with a windbreak up and long trousers it was good fun today.
After a day on the beach, granny went home and I went to bed early again. I love all this great time we get to have outside in the summer.
Now if anyone knows anything about a wreck on the beach… please let me know!
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The GCSE system is supposed to educate people. And sometimes it does: facts and skills and methods and systems can all be picked up in the course of preparation for the exams. There are still plenty of good teachers and bright students. But if a desire for education gets in the way of the procedure - the “assessment objectives” that Francis Gilbert identified last week in his article about A-levels – then education loses. Like the all-important procedures that define call-centre operations, the means becomes the end. The purpose of a GCSE is the GCSE itself, and anything truly learned is a happy accident.
Which is good news for call centre managers, as a generation of youngsters learns that sticking blindly, rigidly to a syllabus or a procedure is the way to success and contentment. WB Yeats said that education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire. From many students today, proudly clutching their A* grades in English literature, the only response will be: “Yeats? Nah, we haven’t done him.”
(Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/22/schools.gcses)
“Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire”. yeats
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granny met us in Bangor and then we headed off to Penrhyn Castle for the fun day.Asha was quite tired, but she managed to make a wonderfull sand bottle.
Needs : chalks, small funnel, plastic bottle small, salt, and a container.
Put a little bit of salt (about a table spoon) in the bottom of a plastic tray.
Use chalks to colour in salt.
Pour salt into bottle.
repeat above with different colours.
Use some old plastercine to plug bottle top.
After enjoying herself doing this, she then watched the punch and judy Mr bimbamboozle show which she loved.
We came home shortly after as Asha was exhausted. She sat with granny, had a bath, ate her tea and then went to bed.
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Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,
Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed.
Cytgan
Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwl
Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i’r hen iaith barhau.
Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd,
Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn i’m golwg sydd hardd;
Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si
Ei nentydd, afonydd i mi.
Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwald tan ei droed,
Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ac erioed,
Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad,
Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad
And in English?
The land of my fathers is dear unto me,
Old land where the minstrels are honoured and free:
Its warring defenders, so gallant and brave,
For freedom their life’s blood they gave
O land of the mountains, the bard’s paradise,
Whose precipice, valleys lone as the skies,
Green murmuring forest, far echoing flood
Fire the fancy and quicken the blood
For tho’ the fierce foeman has ravaged your realm,
The old speech of Wales he cannot o’erwhelm,
Our passionate poets to silence command
Or banish the harp from your strand.
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The Irish Mail train ploughed into six runaway trucks at Llanddulas.
Thirty three people died on August 20, 1868, when the Irish Mail train ploughed into six runaway trucks at Llanddulas, near Abergele.
Most of the bodies were so badly burned they could not be identified.
The victims were buried in a mass grave at St Michael’s Church, Abergele, where the service will be held on August 24.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7571806.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abergele_rail_disaster
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Yes, it was cold, yes it did rain, yes we are insane…BUT we all really had a good time today!
6 home edd families, 20 plus kids, sea, sand beach toys and food… We all had coats and chairs, Windbreaks were up, and the kids were really happy.
Holes were dug, costumes worn, sand eaten, and few if any tears… other than when leaving!
Wonderfull.
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Steve woke me in a panic, as he had forgotten we needed to catch the post office van this morning. We made it although I dont know how focused I was on the very short drive there.
Anyway, we then headed off to Bangor, and by the time I left the post office van car park, I was awake and ready for the August rain drive. Its a beautifull drive through some of the most beautifull scenery in north wales (if you go via snowdonia) or its a stop start nightmare, if you follow the main roads around. Guess what i did.. Yep, I was in the stop start .. Untill brain cell kicked in, and off onto the back roads we went,,, Yes. It may be wet, windy, dull and horrid out. But even then Wales can look fantastic.
50 mins later, and the rain had eased off enough for us to get Asha’s play mate for the day, and we headed home and to Parc Glasfryn. Asha and L had a lovely afternoon on the soft play area. Then the two of them played in Asha’s play room - which she had spent time tidying for the occasion 
I even managed a bath whilst the two of them were playing. My first uniterrupted bath for I really dont know how long!
Four o’clock and its back out into the madness, to return L to his parents, and the tourists, then to Tescos - well for S anyway, A and I sat in the car.
Home at last we explored another incredibably fast tea.. I really didnt realise how much freedom gluten and wheat gives you.. Chicken nuggets, peas and bread for tea!
I am seriously narked now, as I realise we spent about 40 mins a day extra careing for Asha than most parents do,.. as we have to home make EVERY meal normally!
Vicki xx
Popularity: 29% [?]
The BIG listing has started.
Items include,
And over the next few weeks will include many, many more items, from our big chuck out.. We need to find our home! From Home schooling, to schooling books, from religion to philosophy, from arts and crafts to waste disposal.. Dont be surpsied if it dosnt come up in our listings.. Then there are clothes, “junk “and houshold items, to be got rid off!
The reason? We want our home back!
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All it has done today is rain, rain, rain. However first thing this morning we headed off to Glasfryn Park for the French Market from Normandy.
We brought some lovely cheese, some “friendship bread” know by most people as Baguettes, and some bread. We also bought assorted other bits and pieces and something rather special for Grandad for Christmas.
Asha loved it. For lunch we enjoyed a selection of the cheeses and sausages with the friendship bread, and then we sort of all potted around infront of the Olympics for the rest of the day.
We had planned on Asha doing some of her Wild Square today, but I am sorry its not THAT important!
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After a small lie in, we trapsed down to pwhelli, as the post office Van had forgoten to arrive on time last wednesday. After some food, in our normal cafe in Pwhelli we then did a back road drive to Caernarfon, then approaching Caernarfon there was a queue of traffic so we diverted again, and arrived in Bangor for a trip to the Pier. Followed by a visit to friends.
Bangor Pier was re-opened in 1988. Almost 100 years after it was first built.
pdf done on history of Bangor Pier here.
Asha enjoyed herself, playing on the Pier and doing forwards rolls and handstands allong the length of the Pier. She was greatly amused at having a wee wee and watching the water underneath her feet whilst she did it!
There was loads of kids crabbing along the lenght of the pier and they were all catching things, and there was some lovely sailing boats sailing past.
The view of the Menai was clear and beautifull, and it was lovely.
After our trip, we left Asha with L, F and J who Asha loves, and had a great time with whilst we dealt once more with the DWP.
Vicki xx
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After a rather late start we went to Stone Science today on Anglesey. On the way we picked up two of the home edders, it seems daft us all driving, and headed into the show ground crowds. luckily we seem to have missed most of them.
We had a lovely day, looking around the museum, which whilst not hugh was very hands on, and impressive. The children even did rubbings from some of the stones, which was lovely to see!
Some of the older children drew diagrams of the different dinosaurs, and I am sure we will return in the next few weeks to follow up on what we learnt.
After seeing all the bits and peices,, we then played in the gardens, on the swings, picnic’d and watched the rabbits and hens.
The children played around the hut, and the shop was full of interesting books and items.
Wonderful day out. Tired Asha.
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