Welcome 2011 and the year of the Rabbit!

At the beginning of the Chinese New Year, how fitting it is that we have recently become the adoptive family of two pet bunnies!  Thankfully they are both female, so we don't have to worry about contributing to Australia's rabbit population.  Although I am sure the kids would be delighted to see the result of breeding rabbits!  (I think we will stick to our plan of increasing the native amphibian population instead).  Rabbits have a pretty easy life really, eating, sleeping, eating, cuddles, eating, playing, eating, sleeping....  they do a pretty good job of keeping the grass under control.  If it wasn't for their love of digging and all the little rabbit nuggets they leave laying around, they would be great to let loose to do a little regular lawn mowing.

A lot of other things have happened since I last posted on this blog...

- Christmas passed without too much stress (just the way we like it!)

- B turned 5....

- L learned to use a camera...

- R continued to avoid cameras as much as he could (Is that a boy thing?) and spent a lot of time being a bookworm.  I can't seem to keep up with the supply of literature!

 

We are now heading into the 2011 school year and we have preliminary approval for B's homeschooling.  The kids were all looking forward to getting started on some activities that we have had planned, so we have already begun.  I love that one of the many benefits of homeschooling is for them to be able to learn when they are eager students!  B loves Maths and wants to do it for most of the day!

R decided to progress from regular Gymnastics to specialise in Trampolining this year (Thank goodness we purchased a large trampoline before Christmas!), and now that B has taken a break from Gymnastics, she is eagerly awaiting for her contemporary dance classes to begin at the start of the public school term.

I get the feeling that this year is going to be a busy one!

THE MINI OFFICE

When I first came across an example of the 'Mini Office' I thought that it was a great idea!  At times we have three kids sharing the dining table which can be distracting.  While R & B are doing their workbooks and worksheets, L likes to draw (she calls this her 'homeschooling').  They like to share their opinions about each other's schoolwork, which is sometimes helpful but more often than not unwelcome!!

I wanted to make a Mini Office that was going to survive a fair amount of wear and tear.  I imagined that after being used for a few months and occasionally altered, they would start to become dog eared and tatty.  I headed off to Officeworks in search of something similar but more sturdy than the regular Manila folder and found a plastic version that would do the job.  (It would have been nice to have a colour option, but alas they only came in boring old cream)

If all went well and these last quite a while, we didn't want to find that at a later date they were not large enough to suit our needs.  Keeping this in mind we joined three of them so that we would have 4 sections to use. After gluing them together we set about printing out and decorating/personalising various items to be attached.  While working on each layout and thinking about the pretty decorative bulldog clips that I had shown great restraint in keeping out of my Officeworks basket, I realised that if I left one section blank with a bulldog clip attached, it would provide a great place to clip any loose papers that needed to be close at hand or easily referred to.  Several sheets could be left attached and swapped around depending on what we were studying at the time.

Now that they are completed and in use, the kids are always eager to set them up!  They treat them with a air of importance and have a new respect for each other's space.  R treats his as if it is 'top secret' and will not allow his little sisters to peer inside!  (I have been permitted to reveal it's contents here on the condition that they never look at the photo!)  They are also strangely more tolerant of any annoying sounds that may be coming from the other side of someone else's mini office. It has been suggested that they be used at meals times, which could come in quite handy! Hmm.. 'The Mini Dining Room'?

BOTANICAL GARDENS

Ever since we knew that Great Grandpa was coming over for another visit from the mainland, we planned to spend a day out at the Royal Botanical Gardens. It's a place that we love to enjoy as often as we can. The kids can run around barefoot on the open expanse of freshly mown green grass, roll themselves downhill until they are too giddy to stand and explore every nook and cranny of the gardens, while adults can sprawl out lazily and watch the world go by....

Unfortunately the day began with ominous grey clouds hanging over the area. We had hoped that they would clear and provide us with blue sky and sunshine, but as we came within 1km of the gardens, it started to drizzle.

We had all looked forward to the day so much, that we ignored the rain and headed into the grounds. We passed groups of people heading back to their cars, but as we entered the gates and rounded the corner we could not believe our eyes - standing in all it's glory was a grand old Carousel!! The kids were instantly drawn to it and squealed with delight when then realised that they would be able to take a ride! As we climbed on board it continued to rain, but by the time we had finished whizzing around, we were delighted to see that the rain had finally cleared and the sunshine was starting to seep through the clouds.

After inspecting the steam engine that powered the ride and having a quick lesson on how it all worked, we wandered idly around the conservatory, sub antarctic plant house, vegetable gardens, cactus house and Japanese gardens.

It's amazing how hours can pass so quickly while having such a lovely time with family.... it's something so simple, yet provides so many happy memories....

EASTER 2010

Easter is always a fun time to do craft and to deliver hampers of easter treats to friends, family and neighbours. We started with easter bunny paper baskets then moved on to homemade chocolates, hot cross buns and dyed eggs. Needless to say we all enjoyed the activities and created some happy family memories!

Fun with Solar Power

R has always been intrigued by anything electrical, so when he received a solar powered 'Connetrix' kit for Christmas, he could not wait to start constructing the three designs that were shown on the box. On the first day the 'Rocket' was constructed, then over the next couple of days the 'Space Module' appeared, followed by the 'Satellite'. He enjoyed watching them come to life and had soon begun to make his own construction designs which he would proudly demonstrate.

Weights and Measures

When it comes to mathematics, learning about measurement is one of R and B's favourites. They love anything that is 'hands on' and after feeling the weight of various household items, loved to weigh them to find out how accurate their estimations were.

Music Time

There is nothing like expending that excess energy by turning up the music, grabbing an instrument and taking to the 'stage'.... The 'Music Time' CD is a favourite here and with our bag of percussion instruments and rhythm ribbons, we rarely get through the entire compilation before we are all exhausted and ready for a break!

Grass Heads

R and B both enjoyed growing their 'Grass Heads' and posing for some photos to put on the front. They are both looking forward to giving them a haircut!

Little Artists

R and B love to express themselves artistically in many ways. This week we decided to use some animal stencils with some sponge brushes! (R's work on left - B's work on right)

A Colourful Display

Science experiments seem to have become the highlight of our week. We are having so much fun with them that R and B eagerly ask what we will be doing next! Thankfully we came across the book '501 Science Experiments'. There are experiments in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Geology/Geography, Physics & Weather which should keep up going for a very long time! They certainly create some in-depth discussions around the dinner table and seem to naturally point us in the direction of our next experiment.

Exploring Hartz Mountains

It was lovely to have the kid's Great Grandpa came over from the mainland to visit for a week, so we were itching to take him out into the wilderness and explore some of Tasmania's National Parks. Hartz Mountains National Park was our destination. A part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, it is located in Tasmania's south-west and dotted with small glacial lakes. We chose a walk to one of these lakes - Lake Osborne.

The 45 minute uphill walk was expected to be slightly demanding for the kids, but they were keen to come along and explore their surrounds. It was a delight to see R looking for fungi and studying the vegetation. B strolled along beside Grandpa, following his lead as he paused to smell a flower or feel the texture of leaves or bark. L was delighted to ride in the 3 wheeler pram as D navigated it around tree roots and bumped it over rocks. The kids were also glad to have their Nan along for the walk, so dashed back and forth between us all. Along the way, we stopped to read plaques that taught us about the young rainforest of myrtles, sassafras and pandani and 'Devils Marbles' - large boulders dumped onto the plateau by glaciers.

When we arrived at the lake, we were amazed at how crystal clear the water was. We could see clearly to the rock lined bottom and almost immediately sampled the cool fresh water. While we ate our picnic lunch, we perched ourselves on large rocks among the King Billy pines and took in the amazing beauty of our country.

Feeling refreshed we headed back down the track. Not long into the return walk, B complained of sore legs, so L snuggled into the sling while B enjoyed the pram ride. R was happy to walk back and amazed us with his boundless energy! A great day was had by all. So much so, that we have made a commitment to making our treks into the wilderness a regular occurence. Watch this space for more of our Tasmanian adventures!

Our Little Black Friends

 What do you think
Is under the ground
Where the ants all go
With the food they've found?

Do they have a tiny
Set of stairs
That leads to a room
With tables and chairs?

And do they remember
To wipe their feet
Before they sit down
To the table to eat?

           Evelyn A. Wade

One cloudy day we headed out with buckets, spoons and a container to collect some ants and soil for our new ant habitat. The kids bubbled with excitement as we walked along the banks of the Huon River looking for a nest of ants. A couple of times we had stumbled upon a promising hole, only to quickly back away when we discovered that the tenants were in fact the ferocious looking Inchman! The clouds had become ominous and the search was beginning to look fruitless, when R announced that he had found what we were looking for - the smaller and much friendlier Black ant. Collecting these little insects was not to be an easy task, it was sometimes a case of putting one into the container and two escaping! We needed at least 20 of them to re-home successfully, so we continued persistently until the clouds became even more menacing and rain started to fall! D decided to dash to the shelter of the car with one child in his arms and two little sets of legs running closely behind. With collection half completed and determination to see happy little faces peering into the ant habitat later in the day, I tried to ignore the fat droplets landing on my back until I was happy that we had all that was required.

After arriving home, D headed off to work while the kids and I layered soil in the base of the habitat and then ran a connecting tube into the container of ants. We watched and waited..... and waited..... and waited some more..... The kids were surprisingly patient. One little ant would travel up the tube, stop at the entrance and then scurry back to the container before doing it all over again. Eventually he decided that he would be brave enough to venture into the unknown, but around 5 hours later, only one other had joined him. The only other way that had been suggested, was to place them in the freezer and check them at 1 minute intervals until they were all 'sleeping' and then tip them into the centre hole quickly before they woke up again!! Although the idea was quite amusing, I pictured ants escaping all over the place and decided to improvise. We opened the bung hole on the little container and as one ran through, others were prevented from escaping. The lone ant was caught as it ran quickly across the table, before being dropped into a little hole at the top of the habitat designed to allow for topping up water supplies. This method worked well and before long we were watching them explore their new home.

Observing them has been entertaining and almost therapeutic. Similar to watching fish swim around in a tank! More interesting than fish though, watching them move dirt around and talk to each other shows that these little creatures have quite a lot going on in that tiny little brain!!

A Proud Moment

R has been gradually working through various sets of 'Magic Words'. The first 100 'Magic Words' make up approximately half of those used to read and write. He has surprised us with his enthusiasm and persistence to learn each set and is always eager to get his hands on the next set! When he had learned those first 100 words, we were proud to presented him with a Certificate to show his achievement!

A Little Bit of Science

It was with much enthusiasm that we grew a 'Magic Tree'. For those who have not seen a Magic Tree before, it is made of blotting paper that absorbs a saline solution which then causes crystals to form. The process takes about 10 hours to complete. The final result is a miniture tree covered with a foliage of lovely delicate salt crystals!

The Road Trip

Over breakfast one day our conversation led to the decision that we would take a road trip and explore a little of the Northern part of our state. We had never before ventured off for more than a day trip as a family of five, so this would be our first real family holiday!

2 weeks later we set off towards Launceston for a stay at Cosy Cabins in Hadspen. Some of the places that our adventure led us to were the model village of 'Old Hobart Town', Ashgrove Cheese factory, Anvers Chocolate Factory, Seahorse World, Platypus House and Cataract Gorge. Of course there were a few parks visited along the way, so that the kids could burn off some of their excess energy!!

http://s4.photobucket.com/user/buboo/slideshow/Launceston%202009

After 3 days away, we returned home exhausted and in need of another holiday!! Maybe next time we could relax by a pool sipping cocktails!!

2009 - The Beginning of Homeschooling

2009 marked the beginning of homeschooling for our family. After several years of research and a trial run late during the previous year, we worked out a formula that we could begin with. For the moment we are happy to let the learning be largely led by the kid's latest interests. We expect that schooling will be something that continually changes for us as the kids abilities, focus and enthusiasm for certain subjects grow.

One subject in particular never seems to be far from their thoughts - Insects (anything creepy-crawly really!!). If it is small enough to fit into the magnifying container and stands still long enough, then it is fair game. Even tiny critters that try to make a run for it but are not quick enough, will end up as the latest family pet for a day! Over time, it seems that the content of the container becomes more and more creepy... we seem to have an influx of scorpians recently!