Weekly Weigh-in

Current weight: 68kg
Goal weight: 10st
Weight lost this week: 2kg
Total weight loss:10kg

Wahoo! I'm my new lowest weight!

And i've just found out my BMI is 25.6!  Oh, so close to being healthy!!!

Quote about the Purpose of Noses

"A nose keeps bogeys warm and cosy."

by DD1 (3.5yo), after some pondering. LoL

Library Books

Just a quick update, as I've been really busy recently:  (I don't have all the authors/illustrators because I'm just using the online library system, which appears to only list titles.)

• Terrormazia*
• Pants, by Sharratt and 
• You Choose, by Sharratt and Goodhart
• Bertie and the Big Balloon
• The Island of Horror*
• Ten Little Babies,
• Atchoo! by Kelly and McQuillan
• Weather, by Clarke
• Noisy Engines!

*Admittedly, theswe two puzzle books, were for me, rather than DD1!

Dear Diary,

Lots have been going on that I really need to update with you.  On Mother's Day, we had the worst takeaway [customer service] in the world, on Monday we went to the library as usual, but I haven't noted which books we got out, I put on weight, DD1 made an HE friend, the weather has been gorgeous and I've had a busy Saturday in the garden today!

So, on Mother's Day, for a change we thought we'd try the only Italian takeaway (excluding the likes of Pizza Hut etc) in our town.  We looked at the menu, and though it seemed pricey (more than double what we would normally pay for a takeaway, DH and I decided it would be a nice change.  We ordered online, and only after we had paid, did it say "allow 90mins for delivery"!  We were hoping to feed DD1 (and 2) some of ours for dinner, but that wait seemed ridiculous, so she had beans on toast - which she probably enjoyed more anyway.  Soon, DD1 was in bed, and DD2 was asleep downstairs, but still no food.  After nearly 2 hours from whe we ordered we phoned up to ask where our food was, to be told that ours was next in line (so they hadn't even started it!) and to apologise they'd throw in a bottle of wine.  Did we want white or red?  Red.  DH nor I like white wine, so even though we decided it was too late to open the bottle that night, it would keep.  We had to wait another 45minutes (!!!) before the food arrived.  DH went to the door, took the food, but no bottle of wine.  The delivery driver said he would return with it, which to be fair, he did very promptly, but it was white.  Typical - and just sums up the customer service that they couldn't even get the colour of wine right.  By this point, it was nearly 3 hours after we first ordered, and we were well into the food, so didn't bother saying anything.  At least we now have a bottle of white for if we have visitors.  The food itself was actually lovely, though massive.  If we were ever to order from there again (which we're not going to), we'd order 1 starter and 1 main between us.  At least that way, it would be the right amount of food for a decent price.  I ordered White Bait starter (which was enough for about 4 people) and Duck breast for main.  I was given the option of chips or vegetables, I opted for veg, but ordered a side order of chips anyway.  When it arrived, the duck breast was about 6inches long, and 2 inches thick, though very tasty.  The side order of chips was humungous, and the vegetables had roasted potatoes included so I didn't need the chips anyway.  DH ordered prawns for starter and seafood spaghetti for main; the latter was definitely enough for two.  As I say, the food was very nice, but we're not going to bother ordering from there again.  I would Name and Shame, but then that takes away one part of my anonymity, if you know where I'm located.

Current weight: 71kg
Goal weight: 10st
Weight lost this week: -2kg (ie put on 2kg)
Total weight loss: 7kg

I put on 2kg this week.  Probably because of the takeaways, and visit to my grandparents, but I'm hoping it is just a normal fluctuation and I haven't put myself back that much.   Today I saw somebody who hadn't seen me in a few weeks, and with the warmer weather, I'm wearing thinner/lighter/tighter clothes.  Anyway, she commented about how much weight I've lost, around my waist and around my face, so I hope that means I haven't done too much damage to my goals.

On Monday we went to the library as usual.  I got out some books for DD1 and one for me.  (I'll update this post, when I've got them to hand.)  Then, on Tuesday, we went to a different library for Storytime and also to meet up with a fellow HEer, and her children.   She has two girls, the elder one is 5 and the younger is 1.  The elder daughter, apparently, went to preschool and didn't hate it, but didn't enjoy it that much either.  So, off she went to school like most other children, but changed overnight and hated it.  So, she was taken out of school and is now being HEed.  Anyway, DD1 and her got on like a house on fire, so I'm hoping they will become good friends, as we start to develop more friendships in the HE world. :-D

And today I have done much in the garden.  The weather is still lovely, so I wanted to make the most of it.  I cut the grass, and filled up one compost bin, and started filling the second one.  I repotted my house plant (a rubber plant, that I've had since university), I sowed the tomato seeds in the grow bags, and I sowed rows of carrots and onions in the ground.  I've never attempted to grow anything from seed before, but hopefully that if nothing has grown in a month's time, I will still be able to buy some baby-plants from the gardening shop to replace the dead-seeds and nobody will be any the wiser. Ssssssh!

So that's what I've been up to lately.  I am planning on writing a post entitled "How the Hell can I call myself a Christian?" but it's another thing that I haven't got around to.  Tomorrow the weather is still meant to be high so we're planning to go to the beach for the day with the children.  Studland beach in Dorset is a sandy, accessible naturist beach.  But it is a fair few hours drive away, so it does depend on how much sleep we get tonight and how early we wake tomorrow.  Otherwise, we'll still be at home, and hopefully will be as productive as we have been today.

Speak again soon,
LBP

Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, in the UK.  It is usually the last Sunday in March; I don't know why it has changed to April this year, unless it is somehow also linked to Easter?  Mr. Internet probably knows somewhere. 

Today I had a lay-in, and DH took DD1 and DD2 downstairs nice and early, so I could sleep.  Then, just before 10am, DD1 ran in shouting "Happy Mother's Day" and DH brought me a large cooked breakfast in bed, and a glass of orange juice and I had a card from my two DDs with a lovely picture of the moon drawn by DD1.  (Why there's a picture of the moon in my card, I don't know, but shhh, don't tell her that.)

And because I want to grow my own, I used today as an excuse for DH to buy me lots of gardening stuff.  So off we went and bought a watering can, compost, plant feed, name tags, tomato grow bags, strawberry plant in a hanging basket, a bucket and a water power thingy for the patio (which is really a new toy for DH and cost more than all my stuff put together).  Typically, as we were loading the car up it started to rain. 

Since coming back home the rain has come and gone. I have managed to cut back the holly bush (I wanted to remove it totally, but DH thinks it looks good.  It's just a bit too prickally for my liking), hang up the strawberry basket, and tidy the garden by putting the leafy things from next-door's palm-type tree into the compost.  Not much, as I was hoping to sow some seeds too today, and cut the grass, but the weather has changed.

As it is Mum's day today, yesterday we went to visit my grandparents.  My dad came down to visit them, with his wife and my sister, and we went across for just the day as we don't live too far away.  Overall we had a nice time.  Ate far too much (I may have mentioned this before, but my grandmother is a feeder), and brought loads home too, which we have been eating today.  My family are not known for their tact, though, and the first thing that my grandad, my dad and my grandmother (all separately) said to me was how blothcy, red and spotty my face looks.  Thanks(!)  Yesterday morning I got up early-ish, had a shower.  Chose clothes to help show slim I'm looking now.  Used mousse in my hair to keep the curls, as nobody knew I had had my hair cut, let alone seen it.  I even applied some make up, which I very rarely do, so that I could look my best.  And they all comment on the state of my acne. :-(  After my mum's comments a few weeks ago, I've even been using specific cleanser and a night lotion to help.  Obviously they're not working are they.  DH is still convinced that my face isn't that bad, but it made me feel so rubbish.  I ended up asking directly about my weightloss and my new hairstyle.  My grandad asked if my hair had grown - nope, I've only had 6-8inches cut off a fortnight ago.  My Nan and my sister both said they liked my hair, though. 

Anyway, before I upset myself again I should stop there.  That was yesterday, and today is Mother's day.  I wonder if I could even fit a bath in later on? :-)

Oh, and my nan bought me a dress and a swimming costume in a size 14, because the dresses she bought for me before didn't fit.  The swimming cossie fits lovely - I'll look forward to wearing that on holiday in the summer - and DH said I look really slim in it.  And the dress, looks and fits really good, but really it is slightly to big, as I can easily pinch in a good inch from either side!

Book Review: How Children Learn by John Holt

How Children Learn, by John Holt.

I've just finished reading this book and it is excellent.  I read the revised edition, and one thing that makes it particularly good is that Holt has commented on the first edition.  Not just where he agrees, and provides further examples, but also where he disagrees with what he wrote first time (whereas you can imagine some writers deleting any 'wrong' bits, so you remain unaware that they are fallible).

How Children Learn is the sequel to How Children Fail (which I haven't read yet, but plan to sometime), and looks primarily at toddlers and preschoolers – interesting for me because DD1 is 3.5yo.  And, like Maths for Mums and Dads (which I've reviewed before), this book also looks at the thought processes that children go through, so whilst they may not have the conventionally correct answer or terminology, actually the 'wrong' answer that they have arrived at is through a process of good thinking and logic.

The thrust of this book is that children do not have to be forced or coerced into learning, but do so naturally, thoroughly and properly (ie they are unlikely to forget  it) if they are leading the way and are interested in the subject matter.  Even if the child looks as if they are being scatty and all over the place, in fact they are making connections and learning about a variety of topics that are all interrelated rather than taking a subject out of context and not fully understanding what is happening.  Whilst John Holt is an advocate for home education, I think this book is equally useful for parents of preschoolers and nursery/primary teachers.

Quote about Brain Training

Some will say, “But I we can make children smarter, why not do it?” Why not indeed? But almost all bad ideas start life as good ones, and I fear it will not be long before this seemingly good idea will turn into one of the worst... We have already been trained to believe that knowledge, skill, and wisdom are the products of schooling... Soon we will be told that intelligence is the product of intelligence training... Indeed, compulsory intelligence training – by certified trainers, of course – may only be a step or two down the line.

Chapter: Learning & Love, from How Children Learn, by John Holt.
 
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training anyone???