Firework window display.

I suddenly decided to do a mini-firework project which was really just lots and lots of craft, a poem and some sparklers.

We made star and lameta rockets, sequin swirly things, glitter glue pictures, and lots of gluey, sequin-ey, sparkly, pictures on black paper.

Neither of the 2 eldest are too keen on fireworks. They find them too loud. I decided to use this project as a way of getting them to understand that they are merely pretty, sparkly and exciting. They enjoyed all the sticking, especially Lucia. Elodie spent a lot of time sticking things in order; the sequins in a row, the hexagonal sequins in a pattern , the stars in the different colours etc. Dominique is developing an amusing habit of painting her fingers with glue and then picking off the dried glue with her other hand. It keeps her so quiet that I let her get on with it!

Firework display

Grandad and Elodie with their sparklers

Dominique inspecting her sparkler

The girls with their sparklers and Aunty Grace

Elodie and Lucia making firework pictures

November, Month of the Holy Souls, All Saints Day

"To be a saint is a wholly practical and realistic growth into our own truth. It is what we are meant to become, it is our deepest fulfillment, our own personal realization of what we have been potentially from birth." (Sister Wendy's Book of Saints, pg. 8)

Scotland window display.

Elodie and Lucia are so enthusiastic with their learning at the moment - it is very pleasing and encouraging. Things may change but for the moment all is well :)

They enjoyed this project - we looked at lots of Scottish images, watched some videos of Highland Games and also of Scottish dancing. Elodie learnt to sing along to a Gaelic song about porridge and Lucia learnt that the Loch Ness Monster can actually have a smiley face if you want it to. We used different media to create lots of pictures of traditional Scottish images, we made flapjacks, wore tartan kilts, and had great fun making funny looking pipe-cleaner skiers - see below.

Scottish thistles, castles, the Loch Ness monster, lochs, the Highlands, tartan and bagpipes

Locating Scotland on the map

Elodie and Lucia chose colours for their tartan and created this Scottish man (each part was cut out). A few days later I asked them to then observe their pictures and find the corresponding felt-tip colours from their desks. They then had to create tartan-looking bagpipes (using horizontal and vertical lines) with the same colours.

The girls really enjoyed this - each flag is on transparency paper and they girls were intrigued to see how it made the Union Flag when you put it all together - Lucia, out of the blue, demanded to know where the Wales flag was :)

Skiing in Scotland

The girls' pipe-cleaner and pom-pom skiers on our snowy Highland mountain

Elodie trying to spell the word 'Scotland' from memory - she did it too!

Dom pouring in the honey

Dom (of her own accord) holding the pan for Elodie while she stirs.

My gorgeous girlies putting the flapjack mixture in the dish

Scottish flapjacks - the girls and Papa (and Fendo because he stole Dominique's) devoured them over 2 days.

Yesterday we made Scottish flapjacks -yum!  The girls had gymnastics and they are both progressing well with their tumbles.  Dom and I had a lovely walk on the field with Fendo the dog while we waited for them.

Today I took the girls to a large activity centre to burn off some energy.   Elodie and Lucia took themselves to the toilet (this is a secure and safe place and I would NEVER normally allow them to do this) and laterI spotted them, walking with their arms around eachother, evidently looking for me as I had moved on with Dominique.  Dom and I shot down the huge slide (we were at the top)  and I raced after them. Lucia was upset and Elodie looking after her.  After big hugs and kisses Elodie told me "we were looking for you Mummy and Lucia was sad but I told her it was ok because we are sisters".  Elodie is such a good girl.  Later in the car on the way home, after 10 minutes of no talking at all I heard Lucia say "I love you Elodie".  Makes me proud to be their Mummy.