Parents Evening and Jean (by sarah)

Parents evening - I was dreading it as Jean is being a bit of a moo at home at the moment - dismantling things, being distracted when you ask her to do something, having tantrums over getting reading for school loosing her cardigans and jumpers and things. But we get ther and at 7 yrs old Jean is 9 and 1/2 yrs in maths and spelling and the teacher said this was as high as the assement went., level 2 in litracy though the teacher thinks she isn't even trying there and I have to say having read her dinosuar piece I agree! It was the opening scene of The Land Before TIme :/ Level 2 is still above were she should be for her age. She is being helpful and socially interacting well and has a reading age of 11 and 1/2. Only thing is she chats too much in class and her and her friend keep finding loop holes in the schools work ethic - meaning they have technically completed the assingment but not really achieved what they are capable of - this is so they have more time for chatting!

She also helpfully reminds teachers when they have forgotten something or like last year corrects their grammer :/ Out of the three R's she is official better at all but maths than me, at home she is showing a rather machanical bent at the moment - which I assume is the reason for her starting to dismantle things. She has just finished Laura Ipsum which is a sort of computing introduction done in the form of an Alice In Wonderland adventure - one of the guys who came over for Chicken UK gave it too her as a presant - she is sad there isn't another one.

She is really progressing with Jujitsu and starting to really look forward to it! She is now a Yellow-White Stripe belt and at the weekend she learnt how to defend herself from thugs with pool cues - this training was done by the guy who trains the police - at her grading the other week he said she has a Tiger inside her but that she is still a bit shy at letting the Tiger out. Jean says 'I do not have a Tiger in me I have Tigress' this is from Kung Fu Panda!

She is also doing running club at the school and, choir and Beavers - the clubs at the school are mostly free which is a bonus. We couldn't afford the music lessons which made me a bit sad but at the same time I think she is doing a lot of stuff and I restricted the number of lunch time clubs she applied for as I believe she should have free time to play with other kids as that is really really important.

I am amazed at her 🙂

Bath Time (by sarah)

The fun of bath time:

squeel, giggle, splash, splash, giggle, giggle, ouch Mary don't bite, giggle splash, splash, 'Mummy? Daddy? Will I be in trouble if there is water on the bathroom floor?'

'yes'

long drawn out moan of dispair....

A moment of relative silence then -

'Mary's been very naughty and gotten water on the bathroom floor'

How fast they learn.

The grey slime I had to scrape out of the bath after they had finished shows me that they've both had adventures today - Mary still screams the house down when she is initially put in the bath and yet will instantly step into any paddling pool or puddle she sees :/

Protected: Friends at Tea (by sarah)

Red, White and Blue (by sarah)

The photo above is Jean celebrating an Olympic gold. But I realised that with the Olympic fever that has hit the house that there are quiet a lot of Red, White and Blue photos so sort of thought I would collect them together 🙂

First there was the question of bunting! Then there was the question of Jean!

And of course CAKE!

Ju Jutsu Jean (by sarah)

This a poem I have written for my little girl Jean who is so enthusiastic she wants to take part on the next Olympics even though she will only be 10 then!

Her current plan is to work hard at Ju Jutsu which she has been doing for just over a year and to then cross train to Judo as there do not seem to be many martial arts in the Olympics.

She has just spent the morning watching the Judo and is now watching the swimming. She came up with a lot of the rhymes in this poem so it is really a joint effort.

Ju Jutsu Jean

Ju Jutsu Jean was ever so keen
To travel to London to impress the Queen
So she practiced and practiced and practiced some more
Till her muscles ached and her bottom was sore

She tried and tried
Till her mum cried
Not with sorrow but a bursting pride!

Ju Jutsu Jean the string bean
Was tall enough to be on a basket ball team
But she was kind and never mean
She washed her ghi
And made herself clean
Braiding her hair into a plated pair
And took the train to get her there

At the palace gates the guards said no
They informed Jean she would have to go
Ju Jutsu Jean turned said SO!
And with hands on hips did some back flips
And gave the guards some tips
On fighting a keen string bean called Jean

After a while
With the guards in a pile
Jean remembered her letter written in the style Roy-al
The guards groaned and opened the door
And Jean was amazed at the marble floor

In she went to see the Queen
Ju Jutsu Jean represented her team
And was awarded a medal with gleam

And so Ju Jutsu Jean the keen string bean
Beamed at the Queen
Showing off her gleam

Then she headed home once more
Were her mum had put bunting round the door
And smiled knowing there was a party in store
With food and singing and fun galore!