Starting at the end…

I think we may rename toddlers Tots and Nots – atm there are more Nots than Tots!

Good start today – we were early so able to get started on time. Gina and then Chris arrived promptly so I made speedy flashcards and then we did French (Allez! Arret! Tournez a gauche! Tournez a droite! Allez tout droit! and then added in Sautez! and Frappez!) which warmed everyone up 🙂 By the time we’d finished we had our three, Gina’s two, SB, Morag’s two, the other K and little L (who probably still counts as a tot) charging round the hall, more or less following French instructions. Then gave them a ten minute break before Latin and when we gathered again we did a bit of chatting about Hadrian’s Wall, when, why and how it was built (mostly from here) and made a sandal each using cardboard and cord 🙂 I think SB was a little put out that we didn’t do any actual Latin – will try to do better next time 😉 A snuggled up to Chris and eventually fell asleep; a nice hot water bottle for him, as heating didn’t seem to be on 😕
After snack Gina started extracting children to do piano and also put out some little blank paper books for them to make up in honour of World Book Day. K got quite into it and made a guide to fighting off girls 😆 J and J disappeared off to the stairs to do something mysterious with paper and pens – I’ve yet to find out quite what…
Gina also brought lots of books which we put on the carpet with a pile of cushions and just let the children work their way through, which actually seemed to go down rather well 😀

Stopped at Aldi on the way home to get cheap fruit and veg and also picked up a knitting kit for each child, but I obviously chose badly as the boys fought over who was to have which one 🙄 Resolved by deciding to make one be for a present and then let them choose their own wool for their own scarves. Or something. Came home and looked up casting on so I could start to teach them to knit. Easier than I’d feared 🙂 K went first but decided it was too hard and he can’t do it. Made him try for one row, by which time he was starting to get it, then the needle slipped and the whole row fell off, so I got another chance to do casting on and L had a go. She was surprisingly good at it, considering, but again got to the end of the row and then lost the lot… J picked it up very quickly, did a row with me and then a row by himself 😀 and then decided to go and play outside. I think the scarves could be a while in the making 😕

J, K and L played outside for a bit, reprising yesterday’s game of mud pies with some “instant mud” (just add water!) – which is when I went out to see and realised what I had assumed was happening in their own trugs (full of mud just now) was actually happening in a rather deep hole in the middle of the lawn 😯 Cue lots of shouting 😳 and ordering J to fill said hole in again. Mood not helped by L then getting the hose out and spraying it all around the garden, including all over J *sigh* Lots more shouting 😳 and sent L to bed – “too tired to behave!” – while J finished lawn clear-up. I think we’ll retire to bed soon.

Okay – definitely need to retire to bed, but slight hitch in plans…
Everybody tired, cold and grumpy, so suggested to J that he switch on electric blanket in our bed (luxury!) and then asked him to put kettle on (A asleep on my lap and didn’t want to disturb her until last minute) so I could make myself a hot drink to take up. Also suggested he and the others all have a drink of water and maybe bring a bottle upstairs too. A few minutes later he reappeared looking for a mug and asked what I would like, offering to make it for me, but I said not a good idea today, given everyone tired and silly – don’t want anyone to get hurt. Meanwhile I could hear K and L talking in kitchen, something about cups and water, so assumed they were getting drinks too. Then L started screaming and saying K had splashed her. It seemed a bit of an overreaction, so we went to see what was going on… J had got the (cordless) kettle down from the side and left it on L’s chair when he came to get a mug and L and K were getting themselves drinks of *hot* water 😮 when K splashed her! Apparently L had been putting cold water into the kettle (thank goodness!) and K trying to stop her when he ended up pouring it on her hand instead. Plopped A down on floor (where she screamed in outrage) and rushed L upstairs to run her hand under the cold tap…

All quiet now. J has changed A’s nappy 🙂 K kept L amused while she kept her hand under cold water and it seems now to be okay – not even a blister, thank goodness, although we’ll see for sure tomorrow. I’m almost sane again, although still haven’t had that hot drink. I’m going to make it, open a tin of chocs left from Christmas, turn off the electric blanket (not taking any chances!) and snuggle them all into bed with me. We might even read a book, if I have any voice left after all that shouting and drama on a sore throat 😉 Or we might play the Round the World game which arrived while we were out this morning 🙂

Phew!