Cold and wet!

Hello! As I write this this evening, it is pouring with rain and the wind is dreadful so I am glad that I am not having to walk a dog  this evening! I have however, just returned from a mad dash to Target to retrieve a bag of toys that I was stupid enough to leave behind this afternoon. Amazingly the bag was still there and even more amazingly, I had left it on an outside table under an umbrella and under some shelter!

We have had a busy week this week and it is going to continue for the next couple of days. Next week is much quieter though, at least in the day time which is good! On Monday the refugees left at lunch time; I took them to the supermarket in the morning and I think that the Mum at least began to understand that she could both buy stuff that she recognized but also that she had to watch out for the price of things. i was impressed with how much the family picked up whilst they were with us and feel hopeful that they might succeed.

After they had left, the girls and I made paper aeroplanes which was fun and then we went to the park with Jo and Zoe. It was bitterly cold though and there was a wicked wind, so we decamped after a short time and went to Starbucks! We had a lovely hour there chatting and making things with Wikki - Stix, which was great! I think I mentioned them before but this was the first time we had used the ones I had bought and they were a big hit! The girls made jewellry! Zoe was a bit too small but Naomi, especially really enjoyed it; Jo and I did too!

Yesterday, whilst Naomi was at school I took Esther and Silas to the community center to play on the toys there; Silas loved it but Esther was too old for it really; I will have to go on a Monday or Friday when she is at school too I think. In the afternoon we met up with Amy and  Elisabeth at the KidsQuest museum where our children played very nicely.

Today the girls stayed for lunch at school and in the afternoon we went back to school as I had arranged to meet with Mrs Susarla (Naomi's teacher) to ask how she was getting on. Mrs Susarla is very happy with her but says that we need to work on the middle sounds of words so that Naomi is confident in putting together simple words. She is beginning to read the sight words though and is doing lots of maths work at the minute.

After this we went to Target where the girls got to choose and then pay for something from the dollar section. They check out lady was very good with them and found a little bag for their purchases as well as giving them their change and their receipt. She was very patient and very kind!

We then went across the road to the bakery and sat in there and had a drink and the children did some colouring. It was a great way to spend a lousy afternoon! Silas was funny though; I had forgotten to take a drink for him and so bought him a carton, which he wouldn't drink from. So I put the drink in a cup with a lid on like they serve coffee in and so he could drink out of that. Well, he drowned himself and then started to shake the cup so he was covered in sticky apple juice! Great!

Silas was funny on Monday; he was sitting on a small toy box going "woo woo" and I realised that he was pretending he was driving a train! Today he saw my car keys and was saying "ees, brmm" which I thought was very clever! he can now say "arghhh" for a cat, tiger or lion which is good too!

We are all very proud of Esther as she is now out of nappies at night time! She has done really well and we have only had a tiny accident. I am so pleased for her!

Anyway, that is it for now! Will write on Sunday! Hope that this finds you all well!