Setting up our wormerie

Today our wormerie arrived.  Very exciting! Jasmin put it together by herself so she was very pleased.  We now have to leave it a week for the worms to get established in their new environment.

It is amazing what you can compost:

Vegetables
Vegetable Peelings (Potato Skins Take Ages to Rot Down)
Onions in moderation
Citrus Fruits
Fruit / Peel
Coffee / Tea Bags
Bread
Pizza
Rice
Pasta
Flowers (if shop bought - ensure no insecticides are present)
Cereals
Crushed Egg Shells
Cakes/ Biscuits
Sugar
Cheese
Cardboard / Paper
Pet Human Hair (this takes ages to rot down)
Hoover Contents
Baked Beans

The wormerie should not have any flies or smell.  

We are hoping our worms don't escape….

our worms

adding compost with a few worm eggs in

building the base

getting ready for their new home

everything set up ready to go.

Jasmin learnt some facts about worms including:

Worms can eat half their own weight of waste each day. They are photosensitive (don't like light) and can live up to 2 - 3 years

Body - A worm has an anterior end (head) and a Posterior end (tail) and has 5 hearts. If you look closely you will see many rings around the body called segments.

Mouth - On the tip of the head there is a flap of skin called the prostomium which stops things going into the worms' mouth. Underneath the prostomium is the mouth. A worm's mouth is big enough to grab a leaf and drag it around. Worms do not have teeth

Eyes - Worms don't have eyes. They are very sensitive to bright light. They will try to hide as soon as exposed

Movement - A worms has muscles all round their body, and others that run the length of their body. When the circular muscles tighten up, the body becomes thinner and longer this movement squeezes their front end forward the other long muscles squeeze together and help move the rear end of the body towards the front end

Breathing - Worms do not have lungs but take in oxygen through their skin and it goes straight into their bloodstream. The skin must stay wet in order for the oxygen to pass through it, but they can drown if they are in too much water.

How do they grind food? - Worms can only take small particles in their small mouths. Micro organisms soften the food before worms will eat it. Worms have a muscular gizzard. Small parts of food mixed with some grinding material such as sand, topsoil or limestone is ingested. The contractions from the muscles in the gizzard compress those particles against each other, mix it with fluid, and grind it to smaller pieces

Exploring Sheffield Town Centre with Friends

Today we caught the bus into the town centre to meet up with some of our home ed friends.  We arranged to meet in the Winter Gardens which is just an amazing space. We are so lucky to have so many areas to explore in the city centre. The children had a fab time playing hide and seek.

Inside the winter gardens

Throwing coins in the wishing well.

We then walked through the galleries and found a gem of a small garden, where the girls found different coloured glass and climbed trees.

finding gems

Oona climbing trees

Carrying on we walked down to the station, and looked at the mosaic fountain and the children watched their leaves sail to the bottom spiral.

There are some amazing water features all the way to the station. The children had a great time chasing and throwing coins in the water to make wishes. Once we had met Carol's brother we had a picnic and Carol read the children a story.

looking at a small fig

After lunch, we said our goodbyes and headed off to Ponds Forge to go swimming.  Jasmin played being a dolphin in the lazy river and swam a length of breaststroke really strongly.  She was very pleased with herself.

Back  home for a well deserved rest before Choir tonight.xxx

exploring the garden

watching for their leaves

story telling

on the way back from the station

book club cafe

Today has been fab.

This morning Jasmin and I went on a walk with Sascha our dog, Jasmin lead the way so we ended up going around in a few circles.  We made up a fairy adventure on the route, which was great fun.  Talking about weather fairies and goblins who were named after all the trees we could see. Finishing off we gave the snow fairy her crown back and in return she gave us a slice of birthday cake.  Thankfully I had some birthday cake left over from yesterday!!

Then it was gymnastics.

After lunch we decided to do a book club cafe, my ideal place!!!  Jasmin brought down her dolls and teddies.  We brought in tea and biscuits and we read some of her rainbow fairy book to her teddies.

Then we carried on with our study of world war one, all in the cafe of course…

Jasmin learnt about Prussia taking Alsace and Lorraine from France before the war started and how the alliances were formed by different countries.  This led to some amazing discussions and time just flew by.   She also did some more of her sticker book.

book club tea party

Preparing for Mikey's Birthday

Today we have been busy preparing for Jasmin's brothers 17th birthday.  I can't believe Mikey will be 17, they are all growing up so quickly.  It will be even more scary to think Sam will be 21in March….It makes me really cherish the time I now have at home with Jasmin.

Mikey doesn't like a fuss on his birthday so  instead we have prepared him a nice dinner for when he comes in from college.

After a lovely walk through the Rivelin Valley with the dog this morning, we came back and started to make a cake.

Mikey wanted a 4 layered victoria sponge, I think we just about made it, in-between Jasmin eating some of the mixture of course!!

Next was the meat and potatoe pie he wanted for his tea.

all ready to go in the oven!

 

Jasmin then made a decoupage penguin for his present. (I hope the glue dries in time)

We just need Mikey to come home now, so we can try and cut the cake and hope it stays together. Happy Birthday Mikey xxx

our creative weekend.

Mikey had bought me a crochet voucher for Christmas for our local knitting/crochet shop, so on Saturday whilst Jasmin went skating I went down and had a fab 3 hours trying to get better at crocheting.  It was a lovely way to start the weekend.

Jasmin was also very happy as her feet had grown so she got new boots, skates and ballet shoes, not bad for one day!! (I am glad that job fell to her daddy).

Jasmin then had dance and went to her grandmas.

This morning for church, Jasmin practised all the songs she had learnt at Choir, really paying attention to the words in the hymn book.  This is helping with her reading so much.

Then after church we went to our local knitting shop, they do knit and natter every other Sunday.  Jasmin was the only child there, but the ladies were so lovely with her.  She was even given lemonade and a biscuit.  Perfect!!!

She learnt how to chain stitch, move her hook around and start double chain stitch. The time flew by and we can't wait to go again.

Adele, who ran the Saturday course, wants Jasmin to carry on practising and bring in her work next time.  

In between time Jasmin practised drawing her flowers.xx

Jasmin's first attempt at double crochet, she wants to carry on and make it into a mat.

Practising drawing flowers.

a lovely few daysxx

We have had a lovely few days, not too busy so keeping to our new years resolution!!

Josh took Jasmin to see Moshi Monsters on Saturday morning, which was very sweet of him as he really didn't want to watch the movie; it made me realise how quickly Jasmin is growing up, going to the cinema with her big brother. They had a great time, I took them in and made sure they were happy in their seats and waited in starbucks next to the screen entrance for them (which was very lucky as I could see them as soon as they came out).

On Sunday morning, we went swimming and had lots of fun, practising surface dives and retrieving rings from the bottom of the pool. We also went to church which was lovely. Jasmin enjoyed singing with the girls in the choir.

Monday, Jasmin and I had a home day, after walking the dog we did craft, baking and reading eggs.  She then went to Jazz and had her first rehearsal for the church pantomime which was great fun.  Jasmin is going to be a viking.

Tuesday, we went skating in the morning and then went to play at friends before K-Motion. A perfect day for Jasmin.

On Wednesday morning Jasmin went to her nanny's whilst I took Sascha on a long walk through the Rivelin Valley, which was lovely.  We came home and did some more reading practise.

Today was the first gymnastics session back after the holidays, it was lovely seeing everybody and watching the children catch up with each other.  We then went on to Heeley City Farm for lunch with Carol, Olive and Oona before the rain came once more.  Back at Carol's after hot chocolate, the girls showed Jasmin how to make a bouncy ball which was brilliant.  Followed by a play, perfect.xxx

Jasmin and Olive adding the crystals 

Carol helping the girls add water to the crystals

Waiting two minutes for the crystals and water to work.

Waiting for the bouncy ball to set.

Making sure the bouncy ball had set

It worked.xxx

One Olive made earlier!!!

liquid soap making and painting.

We have had a lovely day today getting slowly back into the swing of  things.
I made a meat and potatoe pie for the boys tea and Jasmin did a drawing on canvas whilst I was busy, and started to use her acrylic paints.

After lunch we decided to make some liquid soap, something I haven't done for ages, it was great fun and hardly takes any time at all. It made me realise I must get back into my home making again.  (I can see lots of visits to my amazing craft and home maker queen Bek coming up)!!

Liquid Soap (adult supervision needed for this)

Jasmin grated the soap first, then added boiling water and stirred until all the grated soap had melted, she mixed in the honey and olive oil, blended until smooth and then choose which essential oil she wanted to use, add a few drops. We chose lemon and orange.  The house smells lovely.  We made 3 bottles of liquid soap for hardly any cost.  Once cooled, put on lids and shake.

Ingredients:  bar of soap (unscented), 500mls of boiling water, tablespoon of olive oil and honey

blender, and a jug or funnel for pouring the soap into the bottles.

grating soap, remembering it is not cheese!!!

mixing the soap with the boiling water

careful not to splash

blend until smooth

keep bottle lids off until cool

finished liquid soap, just waiting for it to cool.xx