How to occupy a small person

*CAUTION - MANY (many) PHOTOS AHEAD*

So here's a run down of what we've been up to so far. Everything got postponed when Alex became ill in the first week of the holidays, so it's all a little delayed.

MONDAY

We had huge amounts of fun making shrinkles key rings and badges.

We used small sheets of white and pink shrinkles, some permanent markers, some stamps chosen by the small person, some Stazon ink and some key rings and brooch backs.

After I stamped what was requested and trimmed them to size (also not forgetting to punch a hole for the keyring ones), Alexandra sat and coloured each one in really carefully with the markers.

Once the mini masterpieces are ready you place them on a baking tray in the oven at about 175C, then watch as the curl and shrivel and eventually fall back flat but much smaller. Whilst they're still soft, you use something to make sure they are completely flat (in this case a stamping block).

Once they're cool they can have the brooch backs and keyrings added. We wrapped up all the ones Alex had made as gifts in tissue paper ready to give out to everyone.

After, we paid a visit to Grandma's for lunch so that Alex could deliver the mini gifts she'd made.

In the afternoon we made Rocky Road. Alex picked this out of one of my cook books. I had no objection, but I do wish I checked the ingredients first. This is expensive to make!

See. Just look at all of those ingredients (and I must admit, I cut down alot by reducing the quantities of some things and skipping out a couple of things all together!) but don't my lovely new birthday scales look lovely and shiny? :)

And the best bit.....?

TUESDAY

Alex spent part of the morning decorating a pottery puppy that she had given her for her last birthday but we hadn't got around to making yet.

Whilst she painted her puppy I made her a bucket full of number bean bags. We thought it would be a good idea to practice her numbers ready for school. She's already very good. There's something about number 7 that throws her though!

So Alex played with those later in the day and you could see an improvement in her number skills even by the end of the day.

Alex made us tea which she was very good at. We had lettuce ships sailing past a jacket potato rock/island. This recipe is from Mummy and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel.

I pre cooked the chicken and laid all of the ingredients out for her to use at the table. So this (not including the large box of baby wipes)

turned into this

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was spa day. Once I got all of the kitchen chores out of the way, I bathed the small person, wrapped her hair in a towel, dressed her in vest, pants and dressing gown and led her downstairs to "The Spa" (also known as the living room).

This was the day that I also ended up being admitted to hospital which scuppered my plans for the next day. I'd looked on the internet for free/cheap things we could go and do that were along the bus route (being a non driver and all that). The art gallery in town was going to be making "magical faces" on Thursday, so we were going to go to that :(

SATURDAY

Finally released from hospital on Friday evening, but still too weak to be of much use to anyone, Mr Bogert also had his boat race on the Saturday, so the small person spent a whole day at Nanny's house and it sounded like she had heaps of fun, so that's good.

SUNDAY

I still wasn't very good, but we had visitors and I did manage a small walk down the road to the play area at the pub. So Alex got to play outdoors in the sun with her little friend. Play dates are always a good way to pass the time.

MONDAY

Still not back up to full mummy standards, Nanny made a visit and brought a large empty box with her. So Monday was "many incarnations of the box" day. It was a house, a boat with 3 steering wheels, a car, a train, the TV, a table and a comfy snuggle place (filled with a million and one cushions).

We also paid another visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house because some relatives from Coalville came for tea.

TUESDAY

Feeling a little more myself, we went around to Grandma's house again where we built a balsa wood car from a kit. Alex painted it with Grandpa whilst I went to buy hospital bag things with my mother in law.

She did a really good job painting the car. Very impressed with my little artist!

WEDNESDAY

There was a craft event on at The Lunt Roman Fort, which just so happens to be in our village (for a village we have an awful lot!) so we took a very slow walk down there. Slow because I'm still not up to scratch. It meant we were only an hour away from closing time by the time we got there.

We did however have fun. Alex dressed up as a Roman and tried helmets on, but found the curly wig far more fun, then we went to try the quiz they have running through the summer for kids. We only got it part finished, but we had lots of fun wandering around. Alex ran around the gyrus exploring the echos. (sorry about the middle 2 pics. I forgot to change the ISO. I know, I really should know better, I've already heard it all from Mr Bogert.)

I'll be taking her back at the end of next week when they're exploring roman coins, so we'll finsih the quiz then. Who knows, if we get there early enough, Alex might actually be able to run around a bit more!

We still have plenty more to do this holiday and hopefully they'll be nothing else to get in the way!