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.

Happy 4th Birthday!!

Another year has passed us by, with the silly season making the final month of 2009 zoom by in the blink of an eye. As usual, Christmas is celebrated and then Boxing Day is spent pulling down tinsel and trinkets to make way for Celebrations of another kind.

This year the Birthday girl turned 4! It's always so hard to grasp the reality of just how quickly our precious children grow. One moment B was laying in my arms, a sweet quiet baby who never really spent much time fussing. Her good sleeping habits continue, with her being the only of the three to happily stay snuggled up in bed until later than necessary. When coming into our room early, she prefers to snuggle in between us rather than jumping around all over the place as her siblings prefer to do!

This year for B's birthday, her Nanny had stayed over and we shared pancakes for breakfast, then later headed out for a country drive and picnic. The weather was glorious, so after some ball play in the park it was not surprising that we later found ourselves at a waterhole having a swim in the fresh clear water. After we had all exhausted ourselves (and lured B back to the car with the promise of her Birthday cake waiting at home) she ended the day in a bathtub overflowing with bubbles!

We all had a memorable time, a day the kids are wanting to repeat as soon as they can! It certainly was one which we will all happily recall for the years to come!

Mt Wellington Snow Day!

Winter seemed to whizz past faster than expected and as we watched the clouds dump snow on the caps of Mt Hartz from our balcony, we realised that the warmer weather was approaching before we had a chance to enjoy it. So after a generous dusting of snow was delivered, we grabbed some lunch and headed up to the smaller Mt Wellington for some fun! This was L's first visit to the snow and although R and B had both seen snow when they were younger, this was the first time that they were old enough to appreciate it. L was not sure what to do at first and planted her feet firmly into one spot refusing to move! R and B quickly learned the art of making snow men, throwing snowballs and making snow angels with squeals of delight and rosy cheeks! It was a fantastic day and one that we will remember fondly. It's easy to take for granted the places that we can visit on a day out - beaches, mountain peaks, lakes, rivers and waterfalls are all on our doorstep and there to be enjoyed...

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!

A few new additions to the family!

From the very moment that we set off toward home with our new hermit crabs, we could see that they were going to be interesting characters. First there were little scratching sounds coming from inside the box, then a curious eye stalk peered out through one of the air holes! (I don't know which of us were more surprised to be suddenly 'eye to eye')

We arrived home to some very excited kids who were not quite sure what to expect, but eager all the same. Once we had the terrarium set up ready to go with pools of fresh and salt water for them to clean and soak in, we took them out and studied each other for a while before letting them explore their new surroundings.

We gave the naming duties to each of the kids - B decided on 'Mawdy' (first thing that popped into her head!), R chose 'holey' (because it liked to dig holes!) and as L could obviously not communicate her ideas to us, the final crab remained un-named for several days before being declared 'Jane' ('Jane/John Doe'!).
During the first few days of adjustment, the crabs were shy. Gradually Mawdy seemed to be the bravest, climbing halfway out of his shell to have a good look at what was going on. Jane was the most timid, she would shoot under her shell at lightning speed when anyone dared to look too closely at her! They have now become accustomed to cruising around on the dining table during lunch time so that we can interact with them (and where they are safe from being accidentally trod on by careless little feet!). Sometimes we have put them on the floor for a few moments while cleaning the terrarium, but have been surprised by how quickly they can shuffle away and hide!! We have found ourselves on hands and knees looking under the furniture for their hiding place!
Mawdy did not take long to decide that his new terrarium would be all the more enjoyable if he were to have a new shell too. Unlike Jane's pretty shell, the one he chose is very plain, but much more roomier that the last.

The cutest moment that we have had so far, was to hear them talking to each other. At first I did not realise that they were capable of vocalisation, but on studying them, had learned that they make what is described as a 'chirping' or 'whirring' sound. While relaxing in the lounge one evening we got to hear it for ourselves!! They communicated to each other for a few moments and appeared to be like a group of happy kids all having a lovely time climbing onto the log and enjoying the pool!! From what I have read, vocalising is infrequent so we are happy to have witnessed it and satisfied that they are indeed happy in their new home!

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!