Lots and lots

Sorry about the lack of posts recently – this is due to an excess of other bits of life. The trouble is I can’t remember many of them now! Mum and Dad came to visit for the weekend, despite ailments that would have kept lesser (grand)parents at home. Much Junior Monopoly was played, a bit of chess, stories were read and a very nice time was had by all – helped by generous friends who put them up for the weekend. Oh, and despite the previously mentioned ailments they helped with some gardening, DIY and decluttering – hurrah! I ought to plug a site run by a colleague of mine, that I used to buy part of Dad’s birthday present – if you or someone you know are into models and/or ships it might be for you.

They left some science books and some history books for the children, which are excellent. K and L look at the pictures and J soaks it up as per usual. We were reading one about light and energy, and there’s a bit about sun light powering life on Earth, and how the Sun makes its light. This led to a discussion of how you go from a solid through to a plasma, E=mc^2 a bit (I spared him the equation itself), how the experimental fusion reactor uses magnetic fields to stop itself from burning up (J’s geomags inspired him to say how they’d need to be careful with their bank cards and computers and so on), and fission versus fusion. I was just going to go on to how fission reactors work and he gave me chapter and verse – I was so impressed and also glad that all his reading and chats with us is actually building his knowledge rather than just passing time.

The children have really been getting into Parade, which Katy recently bought for them. The bits I’ve seen have left me cold, but they are most amused by it. We also finally got round to watching Curse of the Were Rabbit, and I must be a curmudgeon or something because I found the Cracking Contraptions extras better than the main film because they were more true to the spirit of the earlier films (“The Edam is Stranded” – classic).

The local HomeEd group had a dance get-together, which seemed to go well from the pictures I’ve seen. Elinor’s birthday party went ahead despite power cuts and with the aid of directions from far and wide (thanks Barbara and Kirsty 🙂 ) and our lot enjoyed it although they displayed uneven behaviour 🙄 . L is now a year older – definitely not a baby or even a toddler any more. It’s freaky how she’s growing up, doing more things for herself but still definitely her. Katy made some little birthday cakes in ice cream cones (photo on Flickr) which went down well and I was glad that one was saved for me as it was fab!

Unfortunately, the title also refers to the amount of comment spam this site now receives from the parasitic vandals who send such things. I’ll now have to install Spam Karma on this site too. Ho hum.