Mother's Day activities

In the lead up to Mother's Day we got together with 2 other homeschooling families and did some activities.

We started the day with 2 lovely stories about Mum's.

Other activities done in small groups were making cookies from scratch and then decorating and wrapping them up as a gift. 

The children also made beautiful flowers out of crepe and pipe cleaners, post it note holders out of coloured paddle pops and some gorgeous cards. 

We love these days where we can celebrate, learn and create together with other families. 

Easter Fun With Friends !

We are very blessed to have some good family friends to share this home school journey with. On special occasions we like to get together and do some activities as a group. Learning together is so much FUN!

We had various activities set up and the children were split into two groups, one for the over 5 and one for the under 5's and we end up with quite even numbers.

Decorating and creating an Easter card or two for family and friends

Creating a bunny out of paper plates and other craft materials which we would then assemble together to make an Easter bunny basket to fill with our Easter chocolates that we made by Melting Chocolate and pouring it into Easter moulds.

We finished the afternoon by sharing a lovely afternoon tea out on the deck and run off some energy in the backyards with our friends. 

A lovely way to celebrate this special Easter season that is coming up !!!

Valentines Day Activities with friends

Our good friend and school teacher opened up her house on Valentines Day for a few home school families to do activities together.

First a story on warm fuzzies was read and the children all discussed the story and brain stormed and shared 'warm fuzzy ' ideas.

Then the children were broken into small groups and rotated between activities:

• Writing warm fuzzies for each other

• Weaving colored card to make heart shape baskets to put the warm fuzzies in

• Reading and following a recipe to

bake a double layered chocolate heart cake 

• Melting chocolate into Valentine themed shapes 

We then shared a yummy lunch and delivered our warm fuzzies to our friends baskets and read them.

A beautiful day celebrating Valentines Day with friends oxox

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up , just as in fact you are doing 
1 Thessalonians 5 vs 11

Camping by the beach

We have found one of our new favourite spots to camp. Some would say it isn't camping because its a caravan park with full bathroom facilities, BBQ's, sinks and playground. It is Fingal, NSW.

We love it mainly because it is right on the beautiful beach with no roads to cross.

In the first half of the year we went twice, once for a weekend and another time for 4 days midweek.

We spent the majority of our time swimming in the surf, enjoying the last bit of warmth from the sea before winter. The days were gorgeous, the nights a little fresh.
Some highlights:

• Body boarding with the kids in the surf
• Walking on the beach at night with the kids, crab spotting with our torches and listening to the roar of the waves. The kids loved this.
• Eating a very tasty, fresh seafood feast and drinking a very nice bottle of wine.
• Relaxing on our camping chairs while Mum (Meme) took the kids for a walk to spend a couple of dollars at the local store and play at a very cool park only about a km away
• Walking to the headland where the lighthouse is....the scenery was just beautiful
• Late night chats with the adults while the kids are snugly asleep in the tent

J(ds 9) was stung quite badly by some sort of jelly fish which we are still not quite sure what type it was and in hindsight going by his reaction we should have taken him to the DR's or hospital to have it checked. A couple of months later he still has the scar's around his wrist of where it wrapped itself around him. HE was quite the HERO for a couple of weeks, ensuring everyone he came across knew what he had endured! He even used it for show and tell at his Public Speaking Class at his distance ed school!

We really enjoyed our first couple of beach camping trips and I'm sure these are the first of many summers camping by the beach....

ready for a swim at the beach





Breakfast time!



Little C(dd2) has taken nicely to the whole camping thing



My baby girls first day of "classes"

This term we have organised 'lessons in the park' with other homeschoolers.
A few of us had been looking for a toddler dance program for a while when we came across  dance along .

C(dd 2) had a ball! She was following directions to stretch, shake her belly with bells on, reach for the sky, stomp in a circle amongst many other fun moves. She interacted well with the teacher and smiled her way through the class.

C was delighted with her sticker when the class finished and sat down next to the teacher keeping her company while she packed up her things.

She proceeded to her second and last class for the day, Spanish lessons ( i forgot to take a photo but I will!)
She sat on the mat, quite happy to be like the big kids and was ready to learn.
She came back counting to 4 and saying 'bread' in spanish.

We all had such a lovely day catching up with the other families and C was quite happy to be included in all the action.

Some easter FUN

With Easter coming up we raved the craft and bargain shops for some Easter craft to do at home with friends. We had some days at our place with friends to share the fun with and we had some Easter craft fun at our friends places too. Here are some of the things we got up to.

• We found these beautiful cases to wrap around eggs. We pricked the egg at both ends and blew the egg out and rinsed them. Then put the egg in the casing and put it on a spoon. Dip the egg into boiling water for 3 seconds and watch the casing wrap the egg. The result is really pretty.

• The children decorated small plain noodle boxes with paint, stickers and collage bits n pieces. They filled the boxes with coloured feathers, little chicks, a couple of chocolate eggs and their decorated egg. (above)

• We also found some foam chicken cut outs and enjoyed collaging these with various colourful bits including googly eyes.

• Using icing pens and sprinkles we decorated some egg shaped biscuits.

• Painting and decorating eggs(with the inside blown out) then popping them in a piece of decorated egg carton is another easy but fun craft we did this week.

• Colouring in Easter eggs and bunnies and making an Easter wreath by gluing them onto a cut out paper plate

• Painting egg carton pieces yellow and sticking one on top of the other, decorating them and turning them into chickens and popping a couple small eggs inside. These are really cute.

• Of course the Easter chocolate. We simply melted chocolate an poured it into Easter moulds to make Easter shaped chocolate.

• Easter Cake Decorating Workshop with our home school group

• We always include the true meaning of Easter story in this lead up week and do some related colouring in/activity sheets

Lots of fun simple ideas to do with the family at Easter! Here are some photos....

John 3vs 16: for God so loved the world that he gave his only son for whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life

Simple, fun and yummy

The girls were looking for something to do and as usual something to eat.

DD(7) purchased a book at lifeline bookfest yesterday and was browsing through it when she found the 'recipe' , not that it needs a recipe but it prompted us nevertheless to make fruit kebabs.

Even dd(nearly 2) joined in....cutting the fruit,

assembling the fruit on the stick

And then eating them....yummy!!!

Galatians 5 vs 22

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control and against such things there is no law

Gingerbread Boxes!

Last year we made a gingerbread house(from scratch), it was fiddly and a lot of work but after all the sweat and yes there where tears it was well worth it, we were so proud of our creation, so much so we where hesitant to eat it.
Heres a pic : ) .... I wasnt a blogger then.

2010 Gingerbread House

This year as we where looking through Christmas Recipes, we came across gingerbread boxes and we liked that idea for something different(and secretly a bit easier).

Although still fiddly as assembling these creations are, it was once again fun and memorable.What child wouldn't love melted chocolate and a whole heap of lollies to be creative with?

They look very "home made" but I'm sure they will taste wonderful as we used the same recipe as last year and it was delicious! J(8) sampled a few biscuits this morning made from remaining dough and assures me the dough is spot on.

We also ticked off some learning outcomes, as homeschoolers we are always looking for the learning in everything we do. Maths was definitely required, although it seems we somewhat failed in that department as
some of the sides did not match up!

Even our little toddler C(22 months) got in on the action, although she did more eating than creating.

My dancing Queen

My daughter (7) has been dancing since the beginning of the year.
Dance has done amazing things for her confidence and co-ordination amongst many other things.

Last week she performed in her dance schools end of year concert.
I now know what it's like to be a 'dance Mum'. The rehearsals, the photo shoots, the preparing all the bits and pieces, the hair and make up!!!

I am now a 'pro' at this dance Mum thing (thankful I had a friend in the same predicament for support) and quite confident next year will be a breeze. I must also mention my sister, the children's wonderful Aunt(Tata) and godmother helped in the preparations and just general moral support.

Included in her audience was her grandma, her brother, her auntie and uncle and of course Mummy and Daddy.

When it came her turn-Beginner Jazz performing Conga the years started welling up. To see her beautiful smiling face, she didn't even have to dance to make me proud. I already was.
She danced her little heart out and those little wandering eyes looking out for Mummy and Daddy were just adorable.
Tissues were required by the end.

Daddy presented her with a rose on the final night when she also received her very first trophy, which now has a proud spot in her room.

I am happy(I think) to say she now has the performing bug and can't wait to do it all again in 2012 and is asking to do more dance styles!!!

Job 21 vs 11

They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance