Mummy and Daddy are going on a date night

Joshua announced to Owen's teacher this afternoon "Daddy and Mummy are going on a date night tonight!" Ah... yes, it is true and indeed once our seven year old knows about it you never can tell who will find out next!

We thought it would be great to get out for a quiet evening together before my beloved choofs off overseas. We had a lovely evening together just chatting about the regular stuff of life. I am looking forward to hearing of David's experiences in Czech soon - how our dear friends are and all the news of the church in Kladno. I am so glad David can have this opportunity to catch up again as it sometimes seems so very long ago. We have been praying that somehow the Lord would be able to use David in some way to encourage believers there.

David's Mum kindly looked after our tribe and they had a grand time by the sounds of things. Joshua was bursting with news about the 'picnic' they had downstairs with almonds, plums (he tells me he ate quite a number of them!), chocolate and other goodies. Owen and Rosa were sound asleep when we arrived home so I think Grandma must have had them running laps around the lounge room!

Oh, and in case you are wondering about the Pearl Tea experiment on our Czech friend.... she loved the lemon ice tea with pearls but was a bit unsure about the coconut flavoured drink (a first for her). She ended up making herself a bottle of the ice tea with pearls to take along to her English class today.

Boba Tea

Here is a wacky family treat we like to make/buy every now and then. It is called Pearl Tea (also known as Bubble Tea, Boba Tea,Tapioca Milk Pearls).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea
I was introduced to it by an Asian friend. It is quite popular in Asian circles. Basically it is a cold drink (iced tea, iced coffee, chocolate, coconut, etc.) with tapioca balls in the bottom. When you drink the tea you need a thick straw (available from Asian shops) so that you suck up the tapioca balls with your tea! It is quite an experience. I really like coconut pearl tea and so decided to make some for our Czech friend, Martina to try. I popped it in her fridge downstairs and I will let you know what she thought when she has a taste (hmmm... I guess I should warn her of the choking hazard!)

Here is how you make it for any who are game (you can buy it too at shops that sell Asian drinks - there are some other interesting ones with red beans, grass jelly, ice and coconut - if you are adventurous)

Recipe

• Tapioca balls (this time I found some that cook quickly - otherwise you have to cook for a very long time in a stack of water - packets have instructions on the back if you can read Chinese!) It is really important to cook the pearls long enough to make them soft otherwise your pearls are


• Sugar syrup - made from white and brown sugar brought to a boil together then cooled


• Iced drink of your choice. I like coconut so I use coconut milk powder (Rasaku brand from Woolies) I also add fresh coconut juice from a real coconut or from freezer section in Asian shop (comes frozen is small sealed bag). Blend up coconut powder with fresh coconut juice and cold water

Mix your iced drink, sugar syrup and tapioca balls together. Serve with a thick straw (trust me a small one will make your lips pucker!) Please note my pearl tea should have more pearls at the bottom - just that my seven year old wanted to drink it all up the rest before I remembered to take a picture!


Today Joshua was thrilled to get a parcel in the post from the Aussie Kids magazine (magazine for parents with parenting articles and a special activity page for kids. This is the second time he received a prize from them for sending in the answers to the kids activity page. Well done Josh.... ah and boy does he get excited when something comes in the post for him!

Nerada Tea Factory

Josh and I joined about 60 other homeschoolers (this is our tiny huddle) for a trip to the Nerada Tea Factory. I really enjoyed it and I think Josh did too. We learned all sorts of interesting things about how tea bags are made and packed. I really liked the huge vacuum that is used to pick up and move huge bags of tea leaves from one place to another (need one of those to pick up my heavy four year old). We also got to try some different types of tea. Joshua declared his favourite tea to be the peach ice tea (sweet of course!) He looks over my shoulder just now and asks me to let you know it can be had hot or cold!

Nerada black tea, green tea and white tea (only difference is in the processing) is grown in Australia - Cairns tableland area. They import their herbal teas from various places but mostly from Egypt(not enough farmers produce herbs for tea in Australia).

Oh Daddy we are going to miss you!

Yes, the time is drawing near to say a goodbye to Daddy before he heads overseas for about a month. Boy are we all going to miss him! David will be off to the Czech Republic next week. He will also spend some time in Central Asia visiting friends. I am sure he will enjoy catching up with our dear friends there. So much will have happened in their lives. We will be praying for you here, in Australia, Daddy - each step along the way. We will miss you so much!

Tonight we had a special goodbye dinner (before all the last min. preparation gets busy). Joshua helped me pick some ingredients and set the table.

Here is my precious family - all around me at the dinner table.








Thankyou Lord for each one. They have a special place in my heart!

Bits and Bobs

Joshua had a lovely time on Saturday playing with neighbour girl Taylor, up in our attic. Joshua begs to go up there and read or play Galaxian II (computer game from David's childhood!)

We enjoyed catching up with rellies later on Saturday. Rosa made the most of some new toys and got quite comfy on Matthias' little couch.

Daddy helped to make Mango smoothies this morning at breakfast, much to the delight of the boys. Owen, is making sure the viewers know exactly what this is! It isn't actually that cold in Brisbane (to wear a beanie)... I just asked Owen to wear a hat when he went outside earlier and that is the hat he chose!

The boys were having such a lovely time playing outside at morning tea break. They ate some chocolate chip cookies (thanks Mum Enderby... still a family favourite!) Owen is taking his turn to say thanks to the Lord here (not sure what he says but we all recognise the "Amen" at the end)

Joshua did some lovely art work today. We looked through our library books at some pictures of war planes. We talked about their shape and symmetry as well as what the function of some parts of the plane. Here is his finished masterpiece. Well done, Joshua (I know you were just dying to finish for the day and play outside but you stuck at it and Mama is so proud of the effort you put it - it really paid off!)

Riddle

We (Joshua, Rosa and I) have had the priviledge of seeing a new little bubs - very recently brought into the world. Our friends recently had a little girl, Rachel. She is such a sweetie and so obviously has brought a special blessing into the lives of her parents! God is awesome!

This evening we have had the youth group drop in as part of their car rally. They had to get on their bellies and crawl into the boys cubby house (see previous blog pictures), grab a clue and then solve a riddle. When the had found the answer to the riddle it was a password for our computer so they could find out where they had to go next. The riddle is quite a challenge. See if you can work it out...

I am a creation of Jehovah God,

a marvelous gift men may applaud.

But follow me and you will see

a great deal of treachery.

I can incite to evil, or to good.

I can unite or divide a brotherhood.

Without me men would be but dust,

though I'm not one to give your trust.

If you would have a happy life,

and keep away from sin and strife,

then use me well, but do beware,

I could lead you to Satan's lair.

But life to you will be a joy,

if I serve you well in your employ.

To God I am an open book,

ensuring justice for the course you took.

A mechanical wonder I am it's true,

and I mean life to all of you;

but guard me well or you may see,

yourself filled up with treachery.

Aviation project

David began reading the book of Joshua today - much to the delight of our Josh. What an amazing promise God makes to Joshua in the first chapter - to make Joshua's way prosperous, to make his enemies fail and to provide for his people, Israel (of course conditional on their following in the covenant). Joshua is reminded again not to be afraid (anyone leading the Israelits after Moses had big shoes to fill - so desperately needed the Lord's hand to be on him)...

Joshua spent some time working on his aviation Lap book. How do you like Pilot Josh??

And back again...

What an exhausting day (but a good one!) I was still in my pyjamas when Martina came up to say hello before she headed off (Martina is our Czech friend who is staying with us for a couple of months). She sure saw a flustered Mum cooking up a storm in the kitchen, covered in mess... children running wild and lunches being packed! She made some comment about me not having any plans for the day - because here I was in my jammies! Wrong! Just one disorganised Mum who hasn't made it to a fresh set of clothes yet!

We went out in the afternoon with Daddy. When we arrived home we made the dreaded discovery that Owen's hearing aides weren't there. After a thorough search through the car and house Dave made a call to the book shop he visited and yes after they searched the store, they managed to find them! So after dinner it was back to pick them up... I think Owen is going to have to have those things glued on next time!

I did enjoy, despite all the fluster of the day, some time of quiet in the car praying for my kiddliwinks. I was reminded of just how blessed I am and how each one of them adds such a different set of blessings to us. Thankyou Lord for the blessing each one brings!

sing for joy!

We have been enjoying some precious times singing songs together in the evenings as a family. I find it leaves me with such a sweet taste in my mouth at the end of the day... We take turns choosing a hymn and hey, let's be honest, we are not musicians (to say the least) but the words are so true and so precious that they linger. I love to wake up with the words still spinning around in my head.

On a more 'schooly' note - here is one of the projects Joshua has begun. We have been learning
bits and bobs about Aviation. I must say I am learning a lot too - as I really don't know much about planes at all.

That Crazy Homeschool Family

We had some fun mucking around together today. For some reason Joshua wanted to wear his funny glasses all day - kept leaving them places and went looking for them before he did his work.

So what exactly does the "average" homeschooler look like? Does he wear big goofy glasses and eat organic, homemade hommus??


And what on earth would the mother of such a child look like? Does she also wear big, goofy glasses and homemade jewlery (made from foam stars her children make her).... I guess the answer must be YES!


And is the child's father a recluse who spends his every waking hour thinking of scientific inventions... or does he romp around on the floor with his little squirts?

Perhaps I am just in a wacky mood today! I do have those crazy days (ahhh... let's be honest - I have quite a crazy streak you know - or did you?)

I actually happen to be quite relieved today that my curriculum planning has met with the aproval from the Home Ed. department and I now have the thumbs up to be doing what I have been doing all along in one form or another... homeschooling.