visitors

Ah it has been a very busy and international day here in our home! I really do enjoy having neighbours 'pop in' ... not something that is so typical amongst us Aussies (at least in my experience) I just like it because there's no preparation but usually theres something in the fridge to offer and the rest of the time you can catch up with their lives... No preparation means that things are likely to be a bit messy (at least in my kitchen) but opportunities can be great!

After church this morning we came home and had a quiet lunch together (nice easy yoghurt). This afternoon we had a neighbour and his two sons come to chat and have David help him write a letter (his written English is in progress since coming from Sudan). Next we had our new friend from India drop by with a question about some paperwork for her studies. She is wonderful with the children and kept them happy while I prepared dinner.

I feel wonderfully blessed as I sit here - having come to know these neighbours... Do you know, I think it was Joshua (our extremely outgoing one) who introduced himself to both neighbours... I am reminded how the Lord can use children... And me, I have to ask myself, if it were just me would I have been bold enough to call out the window and say hello to passers by or neighbours?? No, I think not. I've always been a bit shy about meeting new people (let alone calling out to them from the window... hee hee). I guess it took the males in my life to help me with that one. And today I am thanking the Lord for wonderful neighbours who we have come to know.

Brains exposed

Well here is the science project I promised to show you. We have just started reading Gifted Hands - a book about neurosurgeon Ben Carson. While I don't agree with some of the emphasis of the book, it is very encouraging and insightful into the struggle to achieve, the impact of the work of doctors into saving lives... and into the actual working of the brain - impact on life...

...which lead us to this project...

A brain hat! Usually covered by a great deal of fluid, tissue and bone - this one (can be printed out... includes instructions, etc!!) has been made to show the location of various parts


of the brain.

Would recommend the above site - though I haven't really looked too in depth at it - looks like a lot of science activities/printables... planning on making the digestion system t-shirt sometime in next month or two.... looks fun.

So incredible how God wired our brains. Did you know there are people who have had a whole hemisphere of their brain removed in surgery (due to tumours, injuries, being co-joined at birth, etc.) and the other side of the brain takes over with minimal (overall) impact?? Somehow the other hemisphere learns to do what the removed hemisphere once did...


On the flip side - teeny weeny little slips of the knife during brain surgery can also impact vision, hearing, emotions, muscle movement... you name it!

No wonder God designed it to have so much fluid, tissue and bone to protect it!

This little piggy went to school, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had...

Our Owen faced the big world of school this year. Grade 1, would you believe it? And well, he was one of those "ok, Mum, you can go now" type. Definitely no tears. In fact he spotted his desk almost straight away.... and then he spotted a box of duplo.... ah it was all going to be hunky-dory!

We are praying that this year would be a great one for Owen. His teacher tends to do things a little more traditionally (exactly what I like) and seems firm and yet friendly... and is a speech therapist - triple yay! We are hoping to work with her in encouraging Owen with speech development. She seems open to him spending a little of his week at home and is willing to talk over what he is doing at school so we can work together.

I am, however, not used to the traffic. I have had it easy with homeschooling for quite some time. We basically don't face peak hour traffic at all. Well this year is a little different. Here I was thinking that my timed trips to the school would mean a 15 min. trip in the car each way.... hah!! try 45min on a rainy day! Ugghhhh!! No idea how many cars would be lined up in the driveway... and ever so glad I bought the uniforms early. A couple of times I thought I might just slip into the uniform shop.... hah! Not a chance. Another shock to the system - queues! Ahh, that's school for ya!

Well it has been race home and get right into lessons with Josh! Must say it adds a new dimension to our day having these distinct borders of time... well it has been straight back to the books and lots of fun exploring our new topic - how the body works (first taking a look at the brain)... keep posted for our first little project...

and Owen? When I went to collect Owen from school I was told he had fallen asleep in the afternoon session. Totally exhausted - just fell asleep right on the floor! Ah, but what a welcome I got when I came to collect him!

Australia Day

Australia day saw seemed a much more patriotic one this year, at least in our neck of the woods. The local park had an array of flags around the play equipment, quite a collection of cars had flags flapping in the breeze and there was the noise of laughter, bbq's and parties nearby.

We decided to invite a neighbour to join us for a trip to Mt. Cootha. First it was off to the lookout, trying to locate various suburbs or landmarks from our vantage point.

We discovered some army clad men preparing for cannon fire on the drive back down... Heard them go off from the gardens below.

And then the gardens.... I just love the Japanese gardens, so manicured, so well planned, neat and very green (after recent rain).

After one wrong turn in the gardens with our limo. stroller (the double stroller being quite a challenge on some windy paths... had to watch we didn't end up with the fish!) we discovered a Mother duck in a quiet nook with her two downy ducklings. They were enjoying a quiet spot until our rude limo intruded... but awwhh, what a treat to spot them!

When I tucked Owen in bed and asked for his favourite song it was "duck song"... five little ducks went out one day....

Hide and Seek

Grampy and Nanny have been down to the big smoke! They arrived to find me covered in dirt after doing some gardening... oops... had to jump in the shower before I could even give a decent hug!

Later in the evening we joined them in their house which they rent out, munched some pizza and the children thoroughly enjoyed playing hide-and-seek with Grampy and Nanny...

So nice not to have to mind things getting knocked over or messed up - simply no furniture or the like in the way at all... just a bare house (until next tennants)

Thanks Grampy and Nanny - they really enjoyed themselves!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my David.

Here is my bunch having a simple lunch with us before joining with rellies in the evening.

You are loved!

lolly tree

After returning from an adventurous, fun and hair-raising (hair raising is Joshua's latest phrase....) time at Holiday Kids Club, Josh had a craft to show...

A lolly tree! Now, could anyone think of a craft more suitable to my boy? Absolutely not. Craft... not really his thing... lollies however....


When he returned he had an instant following. Josh described himself as the pied piper - Rosa and Owen spotted the lollies almost before they spotted Josh!

Joshua very kindly volunteered to hand out the lollies - and was met with very agreeable siblings (ok, ok, I had some too:) ... begging for more while their cheeks bulged and mouths droolled sweetness. ... "please, Josh, I'll trade you my bottle of water!"


... so if anyone out there is ever helping with a Kid's Club and thinking of craft ideas... this was a real hit! I must say the tree lost its leaves very quickly... not quite an evergreen...

smokey

I don't want to bore you with the trivial, but perhaps you have some advice...

My vacuum cleaner died yesterday... we had hoped it might pull through but no, the smoke started up again when hubby tried it this morning... we had to fan away the ghastly smell...
It was a cheap(ish) Volta canister type... must say say it lasted 9-ish years so I guess it did ok...

... anyway we are needing to get a new vacuum cleaner. Any comments? Anything to avoid?

We need something that will:

• Carry three children who like to take rides on its back:)
• Suck up a mountain of gunk (but leave lego, small toys and children behind)
• Last forever (well... you know... a bit longer than the el cheapos...)
• Not make me crippled and hunch backed before the normal aging process...
• not send me too far across town to replace the paper bags, or have me disappointed as they are no longer available...

So if you have any recommendations/comments/insights... or freebies ... please add a comment!

'Before' photos (well almost... forgot to take them before the posts went in...)

Post natal depression or post traumatic stress or post whatever... my hubby has almost had it all... fixing this fence. These posts (no, not the one I am typing) have driven him to it! He really is not keen on the handy man type tasks - but this fence needed fixing. It was beginning to rot underneath and was on the lean. I ripped out the old fence/gate and David replaced the posts. Here they are... hefty things.... We cut off the rotting wood at the bottom of the fences, repainted, screwed the palings in (we found the nails had come loose over time) and made some other minor adjustments (major ones really for us, as we are very much amatures) We spent a couple of days coating and re coating them, deciding...re deciding, attaching... realising our mistakes,

re-aligning... you get the idea...

It is all still in progress so will keep you updated. We ended up moving the fence further back than it was originally to make room for some space for a few veggies. We also potted the plants which had survived the prickly berry bush infestation, dug up a mountain of weeds, put down plastic and new soil, built up with railway sleepers around the edge.

This morning Josh and I were able to add a few seedlings...

A peek of things to come:

I personally enjoy it - at least seeing the progress... There is something about being outdoors, enjoying God's world, working hard physically and having the little ones clambering around nearbye bouncing together on the tramp or playing "tea" in the cubby house... a renewed reminder of the blessings that surround me...

More photos to come...

Tomato/kalamata Penne

Here's a family favourite recipe that I use often. I like it because:

• I often have the ingredients for it in my cupboard (and is inexpensive if you don't use the whole bottle of kalamatas :)
• It is vegetarian - not that we are - just that you don't even have to remember to thaw out meat from the freezer!
• It is healthy and goes well with extra steamed veggies
• It is one of hubby's favourites, and the kids like it too (I serve the kalamatas only to those who can handle the delicious taste!)
• It is very quick to make

So... here it is..

Ingredients:

• Penne pasta


• Tomato cooking sauce/puree (I use tall bottles from Aldi)


• fresh garlic


• Fresh basil (to taste)


• olive oil


• freshly cracked black pepper


• salt


• mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese your family likes) to top pasta


• handfull of pitted kalamata olives

Method:

Cook pasta with a little oil and salt added to keep from sticking together.

Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil into frying pan. Slice garlic into thin rounds. Add garlic and a couple torn basil leaves to oil in pan. The idea is to infuse the oil with the flavour from the garlic and basil but not to let them actually sizzle. Keep the heat low and swirl around in pan to disperse flavour in the oil. Do this for 2/3 min. Remove from heat. Add tomato puree, salt, freshly crushed black pepper and kalamata olives. You can also add more chopped basil if you have any. Simmer for 10 min.

Serve tomato mixture onto pasta. Add shaved cheese and a smidgen of cracked pepper and wa-lah!