Busy day

What a difference it makes to me not to be working in the morning. It means I do so much more with Tamsin and we have a much better day.

So, this morning we were up around 8.30am, more tears about the lack of mummymilk, but came downstairs for breakfast and, a la Flylady, did my morning routine (empty dishwasher, have breakfast etc) and cleaned my sink. Which led to cleaning the kitchen worktops, the cooker hob, the oven door, the back door, some of the tiles on the wall, and the back doorstep. Whew! During which Tamsin watched Piglet's Big Movie or whatever it was on BBC1. And Isabelle was happy to copy me cleaning the oven door, which was very sweet to watch!

Since when, we have done beads on Scoubidous, wrapping presents, Tamsin writing labels and putting them on the tree and opening them (!), first chapter of A Year at Maple Hill Farm and Berenstain Bears book of Science and Nature, hence covering months, seasons, snow and the New Year; quite a bit of tidying up, and various other doll-related games. We've also done a new Sound of the Week lesson - the first for a couple of months - covering the 'st' sound and she had great fun cutting out all the words and pictures and sticking them up. Later I hope to get her to practice writing the s and t letters as her letter formation method is not good atm! She's also done a lovely fuzzy felt picture and told me the story, and in turn I did one too.

Tamsin got a doctor's outfit and medical kit for Christmas, so she's spent a fair bit of time since then (and before, but less well-equipped!) pretending to make people better - we keep having to be 'ill' and she gives us pills and injections and takes our blood pressure. She also frequently tends to her dolls and animals. She was a little confused at first as to how she could be a doctor when she was a girl (where on earth did she get that from??!! Not me, certainly.) but we put her straight and now she is happy as Dr Goldie.

It all feels so much better than a normal weekday when I work several mornings and feel too tired and groggy in the afternoons to do much with her.