Home Education Day: Fruit and Veg



I know that many of you are interested in what we have been doing during our one flexi-school day at home each week. It's going really well and Natty and Mummy are enjoying quality time to enjoy learning together.


I thought you might like to see what we got up to last week...



The topic being covered at school was Healthy Eating and Fruit and Vegetables so I planned a series of activities that covered science, reading, writing, literacy, numeracy and life skills using this topic as an umbrella.

1) We took a shopping bag and went around the kitchen collecting as many fruits and vegetables as we could, including fresh, tinned and dried varieties. We said the names of each aloud. Natty loved putting them in the bag and heaving it around, shouting 'ooooh, heavy'.

2) I spread 2 bath towels down on the floor and labelled one fruit, the other vegetables. Natty and I said each word, then I spent a while shouting out the words while she jumped to the appropriate towel, pointing to the right word. I made a huge fuss of her for being able to read the words 'fruit' and 'vegetables'. What a proud girl :)

3) We took the fruit and veg out of Natty's shopping bag one at a time. This time I encouraged her to remember the names of each item. She needed help with a few and we used Makaton to back this up. We talked about the colour of each item too, again using Makaton as reinforcement where necessary.

4) I encouraged Natty to decide if each item was a fruit or a vegetable and sort them.  There were multiples of some. This was a challenging task, so I helped by saying that fruit are 'sweet and juicy' and that we generally 'cook vegetables'. I added a fruit bowl to the fruit towel and a saucepan to the vegetables one as a visual prompt of this.

5) We moved on to our numeracy task, using our home starter kit of Numicon. This is an invaluable sensory, visual system that uses colours and shapes to represent each number. Natty found 1 tomato, 2onions, 3 carrots, 4 grapes and 5 potatoes and so on. We set them out on the floor in order and then Natty matched the numeral and the Numicon shape to each number set.

6) After a little break and a healthy snack of one of the bananas and some grapes, Natty and I went back to the kitchen to prepare a homemade vegetable soup. We took all the vegetables from the first activities. Natty washed her hands and put on her chef's set. I went to Spotify to find some vegetable themed songs to play (there were scores of them!) and off we went. I was very nervous about Natty using a serrated knife to chop, but she did very well with guidance although my heart was in my mouth the whole time. You know your child and what they are capable of. Always supervise such activities closely.
Natty then poured in the liquid and stirred while dancing.

The amusing moment Natty remembered she'd taken off her apron earlier!

7) We tidied up and had some lunch and then began our writing practice. We wrote 'a' 's' 'p' and 't' in plates filled with oats and dried beans, then on each other's backs, in the air, on the floor. We wrote the letters on paper (Natty finds a rubber pencil grip helpful for pencil control) using the Ruth Miskin ideas for formation ('a' round the apple and down the leaf...), firstly tracing over dots and then freehand.

8) Time for a quick burst of literacy practice. We went through the flashcards in Natty's current book (one from the Oxford Reading Tree series), then matched the cards to the 'same' words in the text. We then read the book and talked about the story.

9) And we still had time for a swim before going back to school to collect Mia :)

Mummy was shattered and in bed by 9pm!



Thank You Mummy's Little Monkey

It doesn't take much to bring a tear to my eye, but this week it was the turn of Mummy's Little Monkey to do so... for the lovliest of reasons.

Jacqui is an accomplished blogger and writer, an old hand at this game, and I was utterly astonished when she pinpointed our little Downs Side Up family as worthy if a gift. Yes, a random gift, just for being us.

The parcel arrived with a DVD for DaddyDSU and I, one for the girls, Lush goodies galore, and a pretty Luna bracelet for our little ambassador.

Read Jacqui's post here Spread a Smile (downs side up)

I think this is such a lovely idea, and really did bring me a lot of joy at a time when I was spending too many hours 'downssideupping'. I might just pass the love on in the future and carry on this tradition with a gift of my own.

Thank you from us all Jacqui. 
(Bob says he assumes the pink bath bombs are for him ;) )



Make Your Keyboard Child-friendly

All children learn to form lower case letters first. 

Children with Down's Syndrome might need to use programmes such as Clicker to assist them in the early stages of writing. They can't hope to equate the capital letters shown on a keyboard with the symbols they are learning to form themselves. 

Enter an inexpensive set of lowercase keyboard stickers. We bought ours from Amazon at around £5, but many SEN sites also sell them.

Be warned... you need a steady hand to complete the lowercasification task!

Interview with Downs Side Up on Heart Radio


If you'd like to hear Hayley from Downs Side Up, here she is talking about Down's Syndrome, extra chromosomes and life with her daughter, UK clothing model with Down's Syndrome, Natty Goleniowski. Natty is 5 and changing the face of disability. She is a real ambassador and role model for children with disabilities everywhere.

Britmums SEN blog round-up The Highs and the Whys?

If you're after a little reading matter this month, you could do worse than browse these inspirational disability and SEN blogs that I have gathered together for September.

Read The Highs and The Whys here

It's been an emotional rollercoaster of a month, with a new academic year for many with it's new beginnings and aspirations, the unparalleled Paralympics and what it meant for us all, a blog about the value of photography for children and Natty saying 'I love you' for the first time. I've found another wonderful blog by a young man who has Down's Syndrome too.
Our hearts have soared, buoyed along by these tales.

On the other hand it has been a months of dark stories in the media. Children locked in 'seclusion rooms', public discrimination of those with diabilities, the 'R' word, the continuation of the Down's Syndrome testing and 92% termination rate debate which rages on, this month fuelled by the Daily Mail and even The Archers' plot line and online poll, institutions in the States so large they are called 'warehouses', then just the general exhaustion felt by parents at times, and how we all worry about the new SEN reform bill.

I thus decided to call this month's collection of the blogs The Highs and the Whys?

I hope you enjoy them. Please don't forget to send and other blogs you are enjoying my way. Stick them under

A Mosquito in the Room

Tonight I thought I would write to you about the amazing Home Ed day Natty and I had today. You know, the inspiring, heartwarming post with lots of photos of Natty counting carrots and cooking soup and sorting fruit from veg. The one where I tell you she learnt to swim without arm bands for the very first time and I sobbed and signed 'proud' in the pool...
It would have been a nice post and I might just treat you to that one tomorrow.

But sometimes, other events take over, and sweep you up and draw you in and demand all your emotions. You pop on Twitter and an hour later you are sitting crying into your keyboard and despairing of the world, feeling futile and insignificant, powerless to change the tide of ignorance, prejudice and hatred that our children face.
Tonight is one of those nights.

My colourful chromosome cake made for World Down's Syndrome Day.
Turns out it'll take more than a cake to change the world!

Truth be known this feeling of despair, or rather uselessness and insignificance, has been coming on for a while.
I've tried to ignore the new 'harmless' early blood test that screens for Down's Syndrome, (harmless, unless you happen to have Down's Syndrome and be the baby that has been positively screened I guess.)  It's all over the papers at the moment. I can't hear myself think for Down's testing stories and many wonderful bloggers have eloquently written their replies. Some Daily Mailer said it would enable us to 'eradicate' Down's Syndrome completely. Sadly, I think our blogging replies are like spitting in the wind on this one.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am pro-choice, who am to judge others and their choices from my comfortable life with my supportive husband by my side. I tried to tell myself that parents just want to be informed, so they are prepared with this test. But more and more I have looked at the 92% termination rate of babies with Down's Syndrome and realised that this doesn't represent the natural percentage of parents that would choose to terminate if given unbiased advice and proper support. Surely that would be nearer 50% (hazarding a rough guess).
Something more sinister is afoot. It's called Eugenics (one of Hitler's little penchants).  We have to face the fact that many medics are urging parents to terminate their baby, clouding the decision with fear and tales of worst case scenarios. Perhaps the doctors are ignorant themselves, or maybe they have targets and budgets to adhere to, who knows. But how often are these worried parents offered a chance to meet a familiy with a child with Down's syndrome, to see the reality of Down's Syndrome today?

You see, Down's Syndrome isn't like Spina Bifida or other conditions that we can prevent or hope to  cure. It is simply the addition of an extra chromosome, number 21. It happens at conception and that, my friend, is that. It will always happen, throughout cast, creed and social strata, whatever the age of the mother or father. It is not genetic. I repeat, there is no cure or prevention. Only termination on detection, or a chance to live a full and complete life. Black. And white.

I have heard from Mums who, having made the decision to continue with the pregnancy after a diagnosis of Down's Syndrome, are being constantly asked if they are sure at every scan appointment. Others who continue are faced with family who think that the baby, once it is known it has an 'extra something', becomes suddenly disposible, and put pressure on them to terminate. Others talk of the limbo they are left in after the amnio test and before the results, many wish they had never had the tesing in the first place.

The Archers are bravely covering the story of a couple who's baby has been diagnosed with Down's Syndrome on their Radio 4 show. Even they are honing in on the discussion about abortion, and even asked their listeners to vote in a poll online about what the couple should do. This seems insensitive to many, my brother for one was appalled, but I guess it is getting the realities out on the open, offering them up for discussion rather than brushing them under the carpet.

I look at our beautiful daughter; an amazing sister, friend, comedian, teacher, reader, writer, artist, model, swimmer, ballerina, connoisseur of chocolate cake, waiting room entertainer and ambassador for those with additional needs, and I wonder what other people think they are afraid of when they envisage the abstract concept of the unborn, unknown child with Down's Syndrome. I guess it's an amalgum of all the most worrying, frightening bits they have ever witnessed on every individual they have ever met, all rolled into one. A non-existent caricature of Down's Syndrome if you will.

Well you all know how hard I work to dispel those particular myths and to support families who want to know more. The blog, the modelling, the articles, the exposure, the radio interviews, the TV, perhaps a documentary. Right now I'm clocking up about 10 hours a day at my pc and I feel we are having some positive effect, I know we are helping many at least. But, as it turns out, it's nowhere near enough, a mere drop in the ocean.

So, that's the background, the nagging fear that the world is trying to rid itself of something that it doesn't know or understand, the very thing that it actually needs a little more of; people that are honest and true and live in the moment and genuinely care for others.

Than come the stories of what life is like for many children with disabilities around the world.
3 recent stories that make me realise that my work at Downs Side Up is not merely a drop in the ocean, but the little drop is trying to hold back the mother of all tsunamis. A tsunami of fear, hatred and prejudice. My heart sinks and I feel utterly useless. My drop and the ripples it has made, will they be obliterted by the wall of water?

Firstly we hear  of little Rimsha, young Christian girl with Down's Synrome in Pakistan, framed for burning the Koran, arrested and held without support or guidance. Finally after much campaigning by worldwide disability groups and people of all faiths, she was released on bail, to be faced by angry mobs. She and her family are now scared for their lives and in hiding. We did our bit, we feel sick at the thought of her treatment, we internalise the pain and soldier on.

Then I read of institutions in America, so large they call them 'warehouses'. Cold, cruel places where children with disabilities are taken and parents are discouraged from taking their children home again. I stare at the screen. What century are we in? I have to remind myself.

Then, in a seperate article I read of 'seclusion rooms' being routinely used in US schools. For seclusion room read solitary confinement cell. Children have come to their deaths in these places, left alone and afraid for hours with no access to a toilet. One little boy with Autism recently hung himself. Other children as young as 4 are left deeply traumatised by the inhumane experience. Parents are being told the children are in 'time out'. When they find out the truth they are removing their children and home educating in their droves. This cannot be right. This cannot be real.

I scratch beneath the surface and find an expert who testifies in legal cases where the same thing has happened in the UK. Oh yes, right on our doorsteps. No deaths yet, that's a matter of time, but children left to strip themselves naked and eat their own faeces in a stinking cell. They are manhandled into the cells in the first place and once it becomes a routine, the behaviour worsens. Seclusion rooms simply do not manage behaviour effectively. They are not lawful.

---------------------

A new morning. 
I didn't sleep well last night. My brain didn't switch off and I mulled over what on earth I could do to change, help, highlight. Great contacts have been made and I've read a lot of legal case notes and news articles. I'm feeling part of a powerful team suddenly. My head is above water buoyed along by their drive and enthuiasm too.

I switch on my pc. Then comes the 4th story, someone plopped it on my Twitter feed.
A man with Down's Syndrome in Margate given a DNR (Do Not Resucitate) on his medical notes without consultation with his family or carers. Reason given "Down's Syndrome, PEG fed, learning disability".  Now I am quite literally shaking with anger.  Read Mencap's article here.

Medical science has come so far, so many angels work within the NHS, an istitution for which I am eternally grateful when I see what happens in coutries without such a safety net. But yet the few who fail us make such deep imprints on society. They scar the collective consciousness of us all. And unless we all do something, shout louder and expose the wrongs, we are condoning and allowing it to carry on. We are saying it is OK to treat those with disabilities this way.

I was so hoping we would simply ride the crest of the paralympic wave. Clearly not.

I've just had a message from a dear friend. "If you ever feel too small to make a difference, remember what it is like to spend a night in a room with a mosquito."

There you have it. If you hear an annoying buzz, it'll be me :)

Review of Something Special Toys by Golden Bear

I have never done a product review before.
It's not that I've never been asked, I've refused quite a few.  You see, I really want Downs Side Up to remain a haven for those seeking information about Down's Syndrome and I don't want them to stumble on the site and be hit by irrelevant reviews as the first thing they see.
However, I have always said that I am not opposed to doing a review of a product that was relevant to my readers, one that I would actually go out and part with good money for, one that would stimulate and educate my girls. I was waiting for the right product to come along.

Well such an offer arrived and I jumped at the chance to trial and review none other that the much anticipated... long awaited... desperately needed... new range of...

SOMETHING SPECIAL PRODUCTS by GOLDEN BEAR.
Yes, that's right, you heard me correctly, MR TUMBLE TOYS are hitting our shops right about now!


Now I'm sure you all know who Mr Tumble is and have sat through hours of Someting Special, but for those that hail from Jupiter, Mr T is not someone from the 80s hit show The A Team, but instead a zany character on the CBBC TV hit children's show Something Special. Together with his alter ego Justin they find things that are in Mr Tumble's yellow spotty bag, using a combination of speech and Makaton, the invaluable sign language used by many parents of children with speech delay, and increasingly children without any language issues.  To read more about our experiences of using Makaton as a family, click here.

The package arrived (sadly not delivered by the effervescent Mr T himself) and I eagerly opened it.
We had been given 3 products to try, although there are more in the range. I decided to show Natty one product at a time, making her shut her eyes before I put them in her hand to enhance the surprise. She is, after all Mr Tumble's biggest fan.

So who are these products aimed at? I'd say all pre-schoolers, any child who loves Something Special and many children who have additional needs and who use Makaton as a means of communication.


First came the Pick n Match Pairs Game (Retailing at around £4)

Getting to know the cards














A set of 36 flashcards that make up 18 different pairs. Each card features an icon or a character from the show as well as a small picture of Justin acting the Makaton with the word clearly written below. 
The cards are of comparable quality to other flashcards in our cupboard and are small enough and sturdy enough for little hands to hold. The images are clear and visually stimulating and Natty was familiar with all of them. 
I would have found the word and sign repeated on the reverse of the card useful, so that I could see and sign whilst holding the card up to Natty to identify.

Pairs, memory game and snap
Everyone loves sets of matching cards for there are so many things you can do with them. So a set with your Makaton super hero on them will be a must for most families. 
We played Find the Matching Pairs with the cards face up, Find Matching Pairs Memory Game with the cards face down and Snap. I also spread a selection of cards on the floor and asked Natty to find and stand on one. And finally I gave her one card (eg boots) and told her to scuttle off around the house to find the item. The possibilities are enless...

Mia signing 'flower' to Natty, who said 'poo, it stinks!'


The second Toy was Mr Tumble's Phone (price tbc). 

'Hello. Yes, I'll put him on the line.'

Children can listen to 1 of 3 of their favourite characters on the phone by inserting a disc with a picture of the character into the phone. (Spare 2 disks can be stored in the back of the phone when not in use). When you press the chucky button at the bottom the characters say familiar phrases which children will love to copy or respond to. 
Natty whispered 'I'm fine', when Mr Tumble asked how she was.

Again the product is small and chucky enough for little fingers or to pop in your handbag for trips out. The volume is quiet enough to put to your ear without being deafening or alarming (or annoying) and the button is easy to locate and press. Other phones on the market do more, but sometimes simplicity is the key as children will quickly learnt to press and get an immediate response from their favourite characters. 
I think in time the stickers on the phone and character discs might peel off (depending on how dextrous and inquisitive your child is).


Finally, I gave Natty the Mr Tumble Activity Toy  (around £17). 

What is it? Mr Tumble! Here's a kiss x

She was delighted and squealed 'oooh, Mr Tumble!' and planted a large kiss on his cheek. I'll say straight away that this will be the toy that everyone wants for Christmas or birthday this year and it will be the one that sells out. So buy it well ahead of December. You have been warned.
The toy is soft, colourful and appealing to look at (although slightly slimmer and younger that his on screen counterpart. Sorry Justin ;) ) When you squeeze his hand gently he says a selection of phrases clearly and audibly. His nose lights up (perfect for taking to bed), there is a rattle in his hand to stimulate the senses,  and children can unvelcro his shoes and coat. The toy has quickly become a companion for Natty and her big sister, who thinks it's hilarious to make up conversations with him 'Do you like my waistcoat?' 'Yes, Mr Tumble, it's spot on!' 
This doll will have universal appeal to girls and boys, is the perfect size for a snuggle and easy to use even if you have manual difficulties.

I understand that there is a tea set and a spotty bag in the range too.  I might just be tempted to put those in Santa's stockings. So, the range comprises toys at different price ranges and to suit different children. I'm sure there is something for everyone in there.


And here's where I found Natty later on... hiding under her bed talking on the phone!
(We were given these toys to review but received no payment in addition. I have been honest in my appraisal of the products. They will be widely available in supermarkets, online and all good toyshops very soon.)




Mummy and Daddy Love You Both More than Words Can Say

Mummy and Daddy Downs Side Up
Just a couple of weeks ago Natty spontaneously said "I Love You" for the first time. Those three words that mean so much.

She'd signed it, repeated it back to us, shown us with hugs and squeezes, even said "Mummy, Daddy, you happy me", but this was a new high for us.

Mia continues to tell us daily with words, poems, drawings and letters.


Here are some words I wrote for the girls at the beginning of the school year, on Natty's fisrt day, exactly a year ago. We gave it to them in an envelope with a gift of flowers. This was written before I began blogging.









Mummy and Daddy are so very proud of you both for so many different reasons...


Mia Bella, you were born beautiful and smart, dark and strong, with a wise knowing face that midwives said 'showed you had been here before'. You instinctively and impulsively knew what you wanted out of life from day 1, and communicated it to everyone around you. 

7 years on, you are not only clever, musical, artistic, feisty and unafraid to stand out and be different, but you are the most caring and thoughtful and hilarious friend, clasmate and family member anyone could wish for.
Believe me, you will get there, wherever 'there' is.

Natalia, you have overcome obstacles that few can comprehend. You fought for your life in those first weeks in intensive care. You learnt to breastfeed after 3 months, against all odds. You survived heart surgery. You have learnt to walk and talk and smile and sing and paint and cook and ride horses amd make friends. Most of all you have changed opinions and melted stereotypes wherever you go. Today you confidently stride into mainstream school, making a mockery of all who doubted you ever would. This is the beginning of a new and long journey, but it is an exciting one.


We love you both more than words can say xxxx



Emeli Sande/ Professor Green - Read all About it

A painting, commissioned for Downs Side Up by a friend:
Open the Door of Darkness and Shine a Bright Light on the Shadows of Fear


Sometimes a song hits you squarely between the eyes, stops you in your tracks and resonates so loudly it's deafening.
This morning, after I had dropped the girls at school, this lovely ballad by Professor Green/Emeli Sande came on the radio. I've heard it many times before of course, enjoying without listening, probably doing several other things at the same time. 
Today I was alone, and I had nothing else to do but listen.The words seem to have been written for those of us that are trying to change the world's attitudes, whether it be towards race, sex, religion or, in my case, disability.
There are days where it's hard and I want to give up. The late nights, the trolls, the brick walls, the emotional energy invested, time and money spent, writer's block.Then there are the people who just don't 'get it' and think I am trying to be a slightly less bossomy, older version of Jordan, those who think we are cashing in on our daughter, those who are afraid by our public presence, afraid it will change the comfy way things have ticked along for too long a time.
But the overwhelming evidence is that we are opening doors, the bright light is flooding the shadows. Families of children and babies with Down's Syndrome are writing to us in the dozens, saying that an article here or a blog there, a photo in this magazine or catalogue has changed things for them.
So don't bite your tongue. We are all different, and there is no need to be ashamed. Join me. Sing, shout and let them read all about it. Teach them our song. Our children are worth the effort.
Thank you Prof G and Emelix

You've got the words to change a nationbut you're biting your tongueYou've spent a life time stuck in silenceafraid you'll say something wrongIf no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?So come, on come onCome on, come on
You've got a heart as loud as lionsSo why let your voice be tamed?Baby we're a little differentthere's no need to be ashamedYou've got the light to fight the shadowsso stop hiding it awayCome on, Come on
I wanna sing, I wanna shoutI wanna scream till the words dry outso put it in all of the papers,i'm not afraidthey can read all about itread all about it 
At night we're waking up the neighbourswhile we sing away the bluesmaking sure that we remember yeahcause we all matter tooif the truth has been forbiddenthen we're breaking all the rulesso come on, come oncome on, come on,
lets get the tv and the radioto play our tune againits 'bout time we got some airplay of our version of eventsthere's no need to be afraidi will sing with you my friendCome on, come on
Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful peopleso when did we all get so fearful?Now we're finally finding our voicesso take a chance, come help me sing thisYeah we're all wonderful, wonderful peopleso when did we all get so fearful?and now we're finally finding our voicesso take a chance, come help me sing this


Copied from MetroLyrics.com 

The New School/ Home Ed Term

We've been dropped on the shore of a new term, today our first day back, having ridden the crest of a wave all through the summer holidays.  

It was our best summer ever, the girls were super company, got on well for the most part, and the house was filled with visiting family end to end. I think we only watched Mary Poppins about 87 times too, which wasn't too bad going ;) Read about our summer experience here : Looking Back, Looking Forward

Now we are ready to plough on, full of enthusiasm and determination to be better organised, get up earlier, work harder and happier, fit in more play and leisure time and ditch the stress. (ahem, that is not unrealistic is it?)

Natty has moved up into year 1 alongside her peers. New classroom, new teacher, new (slightly higher) loos. The few teething troubles of last year have hopefully been ironed out. The new class format is more table-based and formal, in a warm, colourful welcoming way. Gone is the role play corner and boxes of dressing up. This could go one of two ways, but I'll wager that Natty will thrive and soar with less distraction, freedom, (chaos even) and will don the more grown up hat of a year 1... we'll see. Maybe it was the exciting air that made it seem OK for Natty to push her classmates. I hope that this behaviour will also dissappear. We haven't seen it over the summer.

Also new for this academic school year is that I will be teaching Natty from home for one day a week. This wouldn't be for everyone, but I felt it was right for us.  I didn't want to Home Ed entirely, as Natty thrives in the school environment, a popular and communicative pupil. She has learnt so much from the daily routine of school and I cannot begin to compete with their resources, and quite frankly, I'm not sure my sanity would stand up to 24/7 education. But this particular balance feels right. Our amazingly supportive Head is behind us, understanding fully my reasons and thinking.

Essentially on our one 'playing schools at home' day, I will stir a mixture of what is going on currently at school with what is coming up in the following week. I will add a generous measure of life skills and a sprinkling of sporty fun.

Why can't you do all this in the evenings and at weekends? I hear you cry. Well, when the girls are at home I treat them equally. We play and bake and read together, but it's impossible to tell one to go away while I quietly work with the other. This way I can have undisturbed learning time with Natty without Mia feeling pushed out of the equation, or, as is more likely, feeling she wants to be the teacher.

Our Wednesdays will be fluid and subject to change, but tomorrow's plan looks like this:

Drop Mia at school

Do a short shopping trip, using a magnetic shopping list. Ask Natty to pint out the right shop then  encourage her to ask for the items such as apples and bread, help bag them up and pay.

Go home for a good 2 hours formal learning comprising:
Reading current school book - reinforce with key words and flashcards. Make sensory words, using sand glued onto card.
visit www.oxfordprimary.co.uk website for additional, alternative activities for the same book.

Finish summer scrapbook by sticking in photos, leaflets from places visited, adding drawings and labelling.

Begin our Days of the Week project, incorporating Makaton, pictures of what we do on different days, using our velcro calendar and wearing the appropriate socks and pants for that day! Make colourful shapes with each day of the week and blu tac onto kitchen window!

Then we will do some life skills in the afternoon.
Having collected eggs and looked after the chickens, I plan to make cookies tomorrow (constipation-busting ones of course). I have printed images of all the ingredients and we will do a matching game with them, then find the ingredients in the kitchen. When we've made the cookies we will glue the cards into our book and Natty can write 'and' between each one. Her first recipe card!

Then we'll get Mia, come home, run round the garden, plan tea, do homework, bla bla bla.
Don't expect to see me on Twitter on a Wednesday evening. I will most probably be tucked up in bed at a reasonable hour for once.