Eyes and outdoors.

We had to be up this morning for optician's appointments for eye tests both the girls and me, so last night I left one of our many books about the human body on the kitchen table open to a page about the eye.  When I came downstairs K was sitting reading it, but unfortunately hadn't got as far as getting herself breakfast, so I had to chivvy her along or we'd have ended up being late.  We did return to it after the appointments though, so it worked nicely.  While at the optician we got to see a photo of the inside of the back of my eye and the optician talked us through the different parts, and told us what she was looking for and it was interesting to see a very similar photo in the book when we got home.

M at the opticians...

...and K.

We also had a look at some optical illusions on the same page, including one about perspective and one that demonstrates the eye's blind spot where the optic nerve enters the eyeball.

After we'd had a look at this K disappeared and I found her doing some more of her grammar workbook, but M wasn't particularly keen to carry on with our new routine this morning.  I pointed out that I had written my next installment though and she had a look and wrote a new bit herself.  We took it in turn to read out the parts we'd each written while I was hanging the washing out.  M's new part was quite short, but the final word she'd written 'no' instead of 'know', so I reminded her about there/their/they're and pointed out that this was another example of homophones and wrote a few sentences for her to choose the correct one out of no and know.  After this I read some more of our book and we also continued with the Kentwell guide book, reading about 'Childer', as well as 'Cooking' and 'Dairy'.

Over lunch, M asked if we could go to Rushcliffe Country Park and K was keen too.  They both really wanted to take their bikes so that they could go on the BMX track there.  Unfortunately we couldn't fit them in the car, even with one of the back seats down, and I wasn't up for attempting to attach the bike rack (I might have managed it, but possibly wouldn't have then had time to go!).  There was a bit of a discussion/stand off about whether to go to the country park anyway, or just to go for a bike ride from home.  We went for the country park option and it really was lovely (although a bit hot!) there.  One of the local school has an 'insect day' as it's known here, so it wasn't as quite as we usually find it during school time, but it's a bit place.  We'd taken various things with us including M's cricket bat and a ball, so M and I played with them for a bit, while K went into the playground and we also had a go with our kite.

K's turn.

As it was rather hot, we decided to go for a walk in the shady woody bit and do the ladybird trail.

The start of the trail.

We didn't have the identification sheets, although have done it with one in the past.  On the way we spotted various minibeasts and stopped to have a closer look, even though we haven't got a clue what they were.

Like this one!

 We finished off in the sensory garden, which seems to have more things each time we go.  We couldn't stay as long as we'd have liked here, because we had to get back for M's cricket, next time we must remember to head here first!

Listening to where a sound is coming from.

Putting the cap on the mushroom - trickier than it looks!

Pan stacking puzzle.

We just had time for M to get changed and K and I to get something to take to do while M did her cricket.  I did some crochet and she read a library book which was a play of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  After tea we had bit more of our book before bed, nearly done now!

In other news, I'm getting a bit fed up of both K & M stropping at me due to things that are not my fault!  This morning it was K because she couldn't find her t-shirt and as we had an appointment I insisted that she choose a different one to wear because we needed to leave the house.  This afternoon it was M, because she had got suncream on her carseat.  The girls had asked if they could put it on on the way to the country park to save time and I said yes, but apparently this made it my fault when things didn't go entirely to plan.  I go so fed up that we very nearly turned round and came straight home, but I'm glad we didn't.