Back to Tumbletots

I'm exhausted today. Mentally drained from seemingly constant crying and clinginess from one person or another.

So, I'll just quickly summarise what we did today, for the record.

It was playgroup, so we dropped Elizabeth off and sped onwards, to the library.

We tried to give back a book that didn't belong there (it's not ours. Whose is it?!) and we borrowed more books than is really necessary for a week's worth of reading. And we noticed that we have quite a few other books on loan whose whereabouts is questionable. I renewed those ones. How long can we get away with doing that for?!

Then we went to Nero for our elevenses and, supposedly, some 'work'.  Francesca got out her book bag and opened her English book but she declared that she didn't want to and had a nice time playing with Sebastian instead.

After collecting Elizabeth, we came home. The girls put on another story tape - "The Twits" and listened to it in its entirety, either side of lunch. Sebastian was asleep in his pushchair which was not desirable since I'd wanted him to sleep during Tumbletots later, but alas, I did not have the heart to wake him and he snored through the Twits like a good-un.

So then he woke up. And had lunch with us. And then I decided I'd like to cook quiche for later, knowing that we'd only get back from Tumbletots at teatime. So Sebastian attached himself to my ankle and howled for the whole time it took to get the quiche in the oven, after which I had promised to get the jelly worms out.

Urgh. It didn't really work and it definitely wasn't worth the effort. They barely looked like worms, more like mushed pink jelly, so I won't bother posting instructions (yet - we might try another way) but the girls enjoyed them, so here are the only pics of the day:

Finally, it was time for Tumbletots.

After the Enjoyaball crew said they'd rather the session was for children aged 5+, I lost enthusiasm for it. Elizabeth's face, as she joined in with the activities last week was a picture. She loved it! To take her along again and have to make her sit out was too disappointing. Plus, we'd be travelling to the venue for one person to participate and two to be occupied at the side. So, we decided to do Tumbletots again which Francesca used to love and Elizabeth used to aspire to. We only gave up because it was a lot of hassle to get there with a new baby and the timings were terrible for fitting round the school run. I think Francesca was too tired after school, as well, but all that has now changed...

Elizabeth totally loved her first session. To finally be allowed to climb on the equipment!! And to get her own sticker at the end!

Francesca, too, enjoyed being back and bounced out with a sort of renewed confidence.

Sebastian was quite patient about the whole thing (two sessions, back to back, meant nearly two hours of waiting for him, hence I'd wanted him to nap). He played with some of the balls and hoops, and a toy car. It was ok.

Elizabeth was difficult when she had to wait for Francesca - silly and boisterous and uncooperative. I had brought activities for her to do but it seems they were the wrong ones(!) Try harder next week.

Gah, we even had homemade biscuits! I thought I'd thought of everything.

So I came home feeling a bit frazzled and was glad when Seymour came home to do bathtime.

On the whole, I think the girls enjoyed the day but I didn't feel the same sense of satisfaction as yesterday, when we seemed to achieve so much in comparison.