Half term
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Thread: Half term

  1. #1
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    Default Half term

    Has started here its a bit nippy though.

    But on the plus side im only working till 130 today and tomorrow and they havent turned up yet

    Hope you are all enjoying the school runs and you are not all too busy
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Half term here too. I have today and tomorrow off then working the rest of the week. Today I am doing the food shop and boring stuff then tomorrow I am off to visit my eldest who is in his final year at uni Have a good half term everyone !
    Pixie Dust

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    I'm off up to Manchester for two nights with DD to see my family. Sounds awful but it's hard work. DD is a bad traveller at the best of times and today she's full of a cold. We stay at my brother's house and I share a single bed with DD, so I won't get any sleep. I think this is the last time we'll stay with them - we'll have to stay in a hotel next time. His 6 year old was really naughty last time too, so I'm already not looking forward to it.

    Then when we get back we have 'Scary Stories and Creepy Crafts' at the library on the Wednesday and then 'Silly Scarecrows' at our local National Trust place on the Thursday. Both sound like fun events.

    Have fun everyone. x

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    Half term here too.

    I'm in my usual holiday situation of working more hours for less money (one schoolie makes for more hours, but a lot of TTO clients mean less pay.) My response to this, as ever, depends on:
    1. my mood
    and
    2. their attitude.


    At the moment, I'm feeling positive, and have booked a couple of trips, cinema visit, etc. (Might as well blow all the money I'm not making. )

    Just a couple of clouds to mar my silver lining.

    First, I lost a potential two days off because of a parental c0ckup. The schoolie's dad was supposed to have her today, which would've meant no mindees. Instead, he booked Friday off work. By the time he told me, I'd booked a lo in for Friday, assuming I'd be working that day. So I now have just the extra lo on Friday, and am working five days instead of three.

    I spent yesterday fuming (I've calmed down now) at a text message received 7.30am on a Sunday morning. This was from a different mum requesting (or was it demanding?) that I have her DS today, and suggesting I do it free-of-charge "...in compensation for him catching diorrea (sic) at your house last week..." complete with winking smiley face, adding insult to injury. She's definitely trying it on, possibly DS is pestering because he knows we're on outings this week. It took maximum resolve to resist the urge to reply with the words "you can do1"
    Last edited by bunyip; 24-10-2016 at 09:01 AM.

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    Half term last week so now back to normal.

    Had 4 quieter days which was nice and Alton Towers on Friday with the family
    Time Out.. The perfect time for thinking about what you're going to destroy next.

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    My kids are away at their Grandma's for a couple of days. This means I can keep the house slightly tidier than normal and can go for a run as soon as the last mindee leaves at 5. I have the same mindees as normal. This morning we have been to the local garden centre and have made some Indian sweets for Diwali. More Diwali plans to come for the rest of the week.

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    Half term here too , and ive taken the week off. It was nice not to be up quite so early this morning!
    Ive spent today decorating ds's room , its gong to need another coat though annoyingly. Toying with the idea of astroturf on the floor but thnk dh may take some convincing!! Then tomorrow Im taking ds up to see my parents in law in scotland for a couple of days and before we know it the monday morning alarm clock will be going off!!

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    Bunyip I hope you didn't agree to this mindee, 7.30 a.m. on a Sunday! of course we don't need a lie in or just forget about work for a day!!

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    Half term here too. Just one school child booked for 2 part days and 1 other school child for another part day and then my usual littlies... Oh and my 2 lol! I'm finding it harder as mine get older to entertain them all as I have mainly under 4s and then mine who are 8 and 11 so there's a bit of a gap in age and interest. I often find things that are more aimed at 4-8s and do those but taking in all the nature aspects with the younger ones and now having to adapt for my older ones things like using Pokemon go whilst on a national trust Halloween trail as finding a few cardboard cut outs of pumpkins in a big field doesn't quite cut it when you're 11.

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    Quote Originally Posted by samb View Post
    Half term here too. Just one school child booked for 2 part days and 1 other school child for another part day and then my usual littlies... Oh and my 2 lol! I'm finding it harder as mine get older to entertain them all as I have mainly under 4s and then mine who are 8 and 11 so there's a bit of a gap in age and interest. I often find things that are more aimed at 4-8s and do those but taking in all the nature aspects with the younger ones and now having to adapt for my older ones things like using Pokemon go whilst on a national trust Halloween trail as finding a few cardboard cut outs of pumpkins in a big field doesn't quite cut it when you're 11.
    That was a hard time for me when my 2 were similar ages to yours and I had little mindees. Now mine are a bit older they tend to do their own thing!

    I used to find geocaching a good way to involve them on walks or visits and it took us to some places we'd never visited before and are now favourites.

    I've just spent the last few days at a dance festival with DD ... back to work today and my brain is not functioning as a childminder! It's full of costumes and make up! Luckily I left the playroom 'ready to go' so all ready for the children and just one more to arrive and then we're heading to the woods for some fresh air! Leaving DD still in bed! DS is somewhere ...

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    My DD came back from her Grandma's house with a nasty cough, slightly high temp and being sick. She often gets a nasty cough and temp when she is run down so I pretty much knew her being sick wasn't a tummy bug, but closed today anyway. We are watching DVDs and are going to make mug cakes later. Disappointed I have let families down today as DD is perfectly fine today, but nice to have a bit of family time.

    Hope everyone else's weeks are going ok.

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    So funny.... Been doing Halloween crafts and adding them to my lean to which is also my entrance/ under cover play area. We have masses hanging around from bats, spiders and cobwebs to witches, Frankenstein and pumpkins, a sensory tray with Halloween pasta on the floor and felt shapes that were stuck on the floor (I have outdoor carpet which is like a giant felt board). Plus our outings this week have been to national trust places to do Halloween trails. It's inset day on Monday and I sent out a note before half term saying we would have Halloween themed half term which would finish as a big day of messy Halloween sensory activities and baking with a spooky disco on Mondays inset day.

    Mum just collected and whilst standing in the lean to asks "are you dong anything with the kids for Halloween?" Erm?!

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    We haven't touched Halloween. The weather has been so lovely we have spent the last 4 days out walking in the woods. We have made plastic bottle bug hotels with all the natural material we gathered on our walks. Just 2 mindees tomorrow and they requested a walk by the river and a play in the woods again. Well I'm not complaining !!! X

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    Quote Originally Posted by SYLVIA View Post
    We haven't touched Halloween. The weather has been so lovely we have spent the last 4 days out walking in the woods. We have made plastic bottle bug hotels with all the natural material we gathered on our walks. Just 2 mindees tomorrow and they requested a walk by the river and a play in the woods again. Well I'm not complaining !!! X
    I haven't done anything for Halloween either! Done a bit of Autumn leaf craft but mainly we've been out too.
    I have 7yr old mindee on her own this afternoon, so I suspect we may end up doing something Halloween!

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    This is first year I've done it as a theme and it was due to 4 different children asking - so following their interests. Personally I don't like Halloween. However considering the amount of "stuff" around this parent I was just surprised she asked me?!

    Usually I do fire safety/ bonfire night/ Diwali as the half term theme.

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    I like aspects of Halloween - the fun stuff with the little ones. Obviously the older kids can ruin it sometimes and the commercial side is silly, but little kids do usually love all the arts and craft/sensory play with a Halloween theme.

    We started a few things yesterday as DD wasn't well so we didn't feel like going out. As I don't have any little mindees this year I enjoyed coming up with activities for older kids - word games, alliteration activities etc. I also couldn't resist doing some sensory tubs and we're making Halloween gloop in a little while. Even though she is nearly eight she still loves mixing and pouring and inventing potions. Me too!

    We also still change our book area to Halloween stories and I now love the challenge of finding chapter books with a Halloween theme. For the past three years we have read one of the 'Worst Witch' books in October amongst others.

    We went to our National Trust place this morning for some half term activities and instead of a Halloween theme they had a scarecrow hunt and pumpkin/autumn themed activities, which was great for those families who don't like Halloween.

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    Not a big fan of Hallowean either.
    As a child we used to bob for apples in a more harvest type celebration but the American witches and ghouls has slowly arrived here in my lifetime and I have never embraced the anti Christian aspect. Most people I know just see it as a bit of fun, but locally we annually have elderly folk scared witless as the whole trick thing is embraced and lots of littlies out on there own or with big brothers and sisters demanding ....so I am Mrs Miserable and put a saltbox sign up.

    I do like the look of carved pumpkins with candles though.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FloraDora View Post
    Not a big fan of Hallowean either.
    As a child we used to bob for apples in a more harvest type celebration but the American witches and ghouls has slowly arrived here in my lifetime and I have never embraced the anti Christian aspect. Most people I know just see it as a bit of fun, but locally we annually have elderly folk scared witless as the whole trick thing is embraced and lots of littlies out on there own or with big brothers and sisters demanding ....so I am Mrs Miserable and put a saltbox sign up.

    I do like the look of carved pumpkins with candles though.
    I do a few Halloween type crafts, sensory trays, some stories like Room on the Broom, pumpkin carving, etc. Definitely no trick or treating for my kids. I'm not sure exactly why I'm so anti trick or treating but I definitely don't want my kids having a load of sweets. I'm not sure my kids even know what trick or treating is!

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