Thinking with my hands

Too busy living.

2010-01-28T09:45:00.003+13:00

I've not written because I've been enjoying the summer holidays. Hanging out with Hazel and Iris, Moab and Iris's rabbits Chickpea and Iggy Hop. It's been lovely, better get back to it as they'll be at school again in a week.

No, no! One of a kind!

2009-11-25T11:55:00.004+13:00

We had got out the door(!) and were about to walk down to the local cafe for brunch. Hazel spied the garage and suddenly wanted to scoot her scooter instead of walking. She needed to go back for scooting shoes, I was hungry, gave her the key and suggested she go and get the right shoes on and catch us up. Hazel wanted an adult to come with her to help find and put on the shoes, Sean went with her so to do. I suggested to Iris that we start walking, she was unwilling. I explained that they would catch us up, because they would be fast. Iris pointed out a rose with sunset coloured petals. We looked at the rose. Iris pointed out a soldier fly with black patches on its wings, we looked at the soldier fly. Iris asked why the leaves of our sycamore are much paler green than the leaves of the oak, I thought aloud about possible answers. Iris gazed thoughtfully at the sycamore and the oak. Iris heard movement at the house and informed me that they were coming, and we could wait for them. We waited. Hazel got her scooter and scooted off, zooming past us.

"Iris, Hazel is very fast on her scooter, that's why I wanted to start walking and said they would catch us up."

"Me wongked Hazel go firsk; me evil denius."

2009-11-03T10:03:00.000+13:00

I really miss being able to text my blog from my phone.

2009-10-23T11:53:00.002+13:00

Spring is springing, good luck to it.

One of a kind, oh yeah.

2009-09-21T23:06:00.001+12:00

Iris told Hazel and me that at the school talent show tomorrow she's going to sing a song she composed for the occasion:

One of a kind, one of a kind,

I think I'd really like to be

One of a kind, one of a kind,

I think I'd really love to be

One of a kind, one of a kind,

I think it would be nice to be

One of a kind, one of a kind ...

Hazel said "Oh, Iris! You are one of a kind; the best kind there is!"

I hope I'll be able to see it, but I was booked two weeks ago for lunch with my parents and visiting aunt and uncle from England so Mary, Orla, and Ewan will be there to cheer her on even if I come over the dutiful daughter and niece rather than the proud mother, and Hazel promised that she would be there too.

This little pig downloads old books.

2009-08-21T20:38:00.003+12:00

Soon the internet will read me to sleep with Wind In The Willows. It's such a dear.

This little pig stays home.

2009-08-21T20:08:00.003+12:00

Iris diagnosed with influenza, probably swine flu, this morning, Dr says Hazel probably has it too. This afternoon I went to sleep in the middle of a paragraph I was reading to Hazel, awoke to her telling me I was hot and when she took my temperature it was 38.5 (102ish). I'm such a joining-in kind of person.

Illiterate bookworms

2009-08-18T22:04:00.008+12:00

Hazel and Iris have had fevers this week. Iris has watched movies (of books mostly; Winnie the Pooh, Narnia and Beatrix Potter come to mind). Hazel has been listening to books online, perhaps because she enjoyed some parts of The Stars are Comforting on the Concert Programme on the way home from Ultimate last week.

Hazel has listened to all the stories on the Radio New Zealand site that we could find (a bit difficult since the actual link to the Storytime Treasure Chest is broken at the moment). She watched and listened to all the Screen Actors' Guild people reading books at Storyline Online, it was felt that Sean Astin did as good a job as I do of A Bad Case Of Stripes, and that I could learn from his use of props. She has been listening to Storynory stories since, and creating her own illustrations (perhaps she's feeling a bit better, though she's certainly feeling a bit hotter).

I've also found http://www.kiddierecords.com/ and http://www.free-books.org/children.php and a whole lot more promising things appear with Googling for things like "free audiobooks children online".

Me, I like listening to The Wind in the Willows when I'm ill, and I still have my records of it, but I haven't yet got the USB turntable so that I can take it with me on my phone to listen to when waiting for things. However, it occurs to me that I could turn the recorder on my phone on when I'm reading to the kids and I'd get audiobooks of all their favourites: audience participation and all!

2009-07-31T09:16:00.001+12:00

Got a new phone, haven't worked out how to text here from it yet. Had a nice time in Thailand.

2009-07-28T00:23:00.001+12:00

It's all very well in theory, but not being very good at talking or going to the toilet is a humbling experience. The holiday in Thailand was great.

2009-06-29T10:21:00.000+12:00

Interesting- recycle 7 is made from plants. Does it compost I wonder.

2009-06-25T08:08:00.000+12:00

We are not late.

2009-06-24T20:14:00.000+12:00

Hazel's turn to do the week's current event, she chose the death of Neda Agha-Soltani.

2009-06-24T20:04:00.000+12:00

My new dental applianthe will help no end with Tem'th lithp!

2009-06-22T17:26:00.000+12:00

Dear Tooth-Fairy, I hope you want my tooth even though I am old and it is brown and black and yellow and red. Love, Susan

2009-06-20T10:00:00.000+12:00

Sean has the car, Hazel plans to swing through the trees like Verreaux's sifaka when we go out. Think she's feeling better.

2009-06-18T08:05:00.000+12:00

Hazel hibernating with plan to be well enough to make bread at school tomorrow. Iris boinging about.

2009-06-15T18:41:00.000+12:00

Kids still floppy, Hazel cough sounding wet, she's going to Dr tomorrow. Glad I don't have a job.

2009-06-14T13:23:00.000+12:00

When O set up her pivot foot she put it where it would have been a straddle if D had moved 2nd. Not a travel or a straddle?

2009-06-11T12:19:00.000+12:00

Croup... when Iris sounds like a seal her environment needs to be made wetter.

2009-06-11T10:17:00.000+12:00

Hazel coughed all night, Iris had croup, both are coughing and limp today.

2009-06-10T13:11:00.000+12:00

Toast first. 2 eggs + 0.5C milk or cream, mix, pour into heated buttered pan, 20 sec One stir, 20 sec Serve.

2009-06-10T09:17:00.000+12:00

Expedition. I have 4 hats, 2 guidebooks and my knitting, I'll be ready after this latte.

Government cutting funding for adult community education.

2009-06-05T17:15:00.001+12:00

Dear Minister,

I believe that cutting funding to schools for adult community education is a mistake. Every school and early childhood education facility is in the business of making Life-Long Learners, not only because keeping on learning makes individuals happy, but also because Life-Long Learners are useful citizens. Life-Long Learners strive to do all the things they do better because that's what learning is, Life-Long Learners do more for their companies and communities, Life-Long Learners earn more, raise GDP and will pay more taxes.

Life-Long Learners are people who want to keep learning once they are adults. Adult community education classes are one of the places they do it. Keep funding our Life-Long Learners please.

Regards,

Susan Harper

2009-05-30T21:07:00.000+12:00

I coughed up too much precious phlegm and became choleric.