Salt on Ice Demonstration

We started the day with violin practice. Long overdue. She hasn't done any all week. I dropped some heavy hints this morning, as she declared that she was going to practise straight after breakfast. Given that I have been requested to help, I parked the little ones in front of CBeebies and... it all changed.

"I've changed my mind! I want to watch TV!" etc.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, she did do her violin practice (I have my ways...) and she worked very hard, as it happens. I'm trying to get her to see that practice means repeating repeating repeating, getting it wrong and trying again. And again. My little perfectionist is having a hard time understanding that it's ok to make mistakes - unavoidable, in fact. She gets so frustrated when it goes wrong. None the less, she has done almost a week's worth of practice on one tune. Just the other one to cram in before the lesson tomorrow.

On a more positive note, the two times table is coming along nicely. Francesca labelled her little 'booklets' with the sums, today, for further reinforcement of the idea. I also made up a song about it. Just be glad I haven't got my recording gear out(!) If you know "Alice the Camel," you're on the right tracks.

"One little rabbit has two ears,

One little rabbit has two ears,

One little rabbit has two ears,

And another little rabbit is hiding over here.

Two little rabbits have four ears,

etc."

I'll spare you the other 11 verses but it does end with 12 little rabbits having 24 ears and some dubious rhyme about them all having to disappear. Um. Is this one of those things I really should keep quiet about?!

Moving swiftly on...

I had frozen some blocks of ice and today we tipped salt on them, then later, food colouring, to see how the salt melted the ice into ravines and crevices. I first saw the idea on Hayley's blog, and have been wanting to give it a try. I thought it was fascinating but the children lost interest when they'd tipped all the salt on. Interest rekindled when I brought the colouring but it was short lived. You know what? We've spent one too many days round this table. Thus, this afternoon, we went out. To Heighley Gate (it's a big garden centre).  We went to see the pet section and wish we could have a rabbit or a cute hamster. (Maybe when we're all potty trained, but generally NO.) Then we went to gymnastics.

I'll leave you with pictures of the salt on ice demo. It's nearly 9 o'clock. Not too early for bed, is it?!