Nature Journalling

We've started doing some nature journalling on alternate Friday mornings. On the other Friday we go for a big walk/get the heart pumping and enjoy the scenery down by the lake.

Today it was nature journalling with friends. I must say with boys, the water and little fish that can be caught with a net are the big attraction. Nature journalling itself kind of fell by the wayside a little... but what focus they had on the little critters, the water and all the fascination beneath... we observed hundreds of tiny little fish, darting to and fro, swamp hens ducking their heads below the surface and even a turtle surfacing it's skinny head.

Here's a book I have found helpful:

Trying to keep a focus on the insects/fish/plants rather than the overwhelmingness (if indeed that is a word) of the many adventures to be had, is always our challenge... but as I think about it I am pleased, not that we didn't get so much achieved as we had planned... but just that there is still a fascination for all God's creation - a "whoa... did you see that?" "why is the duck doing that?" and "look at all the sea weed... it's stringy and goey..." etc. etc...

... now, if only we could get all that onto paper!

Valentines

Valentines is a significant day for us for a few reasons. David and I had our engagement party on Valentines Day 11 years ago - would you believe?? Now there's for feeling like an oldie! At the close of our engagement party, held in Mum living room, David's brother Peter announced that he and Jennifer were to be married. Double special finish to our special day.

And of course, though I am sure the origin of Valentines Day is not so significant to us, the cause - to remember our love to eachother, is...

Here's a few things we did.

Joshua baked some chocolate chip cookies which we made into paddle-pop cookies. Yes, he followed the recipe and prepared the dough from start to finish! We soaked the paddle-pop sticks in water (so they wouldn't burn in the oven)

and just stuck them in our regular choc-chip dough.

Then baked them

Wrapped them

... and of course a few were munched

before we celebrated the evening together with Peter and Jennifer, Matthias and Mum. After putting the little ones to bed we watched a nice romantic film together.

Happy Valentines Day Mum! XOX

A taste of the Bahamas

A parcel arrived yesterday from the Bahamas. It actually managed to get past customs (just). It had been opened but fortunately nothing was removed...

Here is the lovely recipe book (yum, yum) and some guava shells. Looks great Linda - can't wait to try the recipes and have taste of these yummy guavas. Thanks!

Pets

We recently agreed to look after a dog for some friends. Joshua has been delighted. Bonnie, a small, terrier (9yrs or so) has come to stay for a few months. It has been the focus of every spare minute of late - "Mummy, I think Bonnie is a bit scared" or "Mummy, Bonnie is really hot, her tongue is hanging out!" "Mum I think Bonnie..."

Well today the focus changed. When I arrived home it was "Mum, I have another pet". Well here it is:

playdough carrots as requested

Here are the playdough carrots I made for party bags, as inspired by little sister (and photo requested). I used icing bags (bought a stack on a roll from cake decorating shop) filled them with orange playdough and tied together with bits of green fabric (trying to skimp on having to visit the shops to buy green ribbon;).

The icing bags could also be filled with other things such as sweets (though I tend to dread too many of these, myself...) popcorn, mixed fruit and nuts (check for allergies) or even some gel or bath lotion for a girly party or perhaps marbles (if you could shorten bag or get these cheap...)

Let me know if you think of any other inexpensive, creative fillings as I bought extra for Owen's birthday party... ;)

Happy Birthday Rosa

Rosa - such a blessing to have a little two year old! We just love you. Two years ago it was a lovely surprise to have a little girl. Joshua and Owen love you, too! They were so pleased to be able to introduce you to family and friends.

In fact, Joshua decided that it would be nice to pick you some flowers on you birthday. He raced outside and found some beautiful sweet smelling ones and then he asked for two candles...

We have enjoyed seeing you grow - learning to walk, and now run with a cute little two year old wobble... We love your little girly giggles (quite a fascination to a house of boys!) We love your little dances and prances and the way your head swings from side to side when you enjoy music. We love the way you sit with Owen when Mummy puts on a song and express your joy at singing with Owen there beside you. Not sure if you realise it now, but Owen just loves to turn and glance back at you to see if you are having as much fun as he is! He loves your company and a little coy little grin breaks over his face when he sees you enjoying it. I also just love the way you're whole body lights up when someone arrives - whether Grandma or Aparna or Grampy or Nanny.... We just love to see you delighted in the company of others.

You have learned quite a number of songs and nursery rhymes and can fill in the blanks on quite a collection. I especially love the way you request "Jesus luff me" and smile away when it is sung to you. You have quite a good memory for words and like to correct me with the words if I deliberately change them.

Oh, and you love a "cuppa tea!" and can say "de-lie-ful (delightful)!" and "bew-de-ful!"

You have been enjoying puzzles (today you exhausted our puzzle collection and then asked for more and more ...). You also love to sit in your highchair and do "dawing" - keeps you fixated for quite a while and is a nice treat to keep you busy while Mummy prepares dinner. You love to hold my hand from time to time and like to hear the "Rosa lullaby" over and over and over...

Although you are somewhat timid with new faces and found chocolate skin a bit hard to understand at first... you are now ready to stick out your hand and shake the hand of precious ones who fellowship with us at church.

And now as you sleep, exhasted from a fun day with precious ones, I pray for you, Rosa. I pray that the Lord would use you, help us to train you, bring that sweetness of yours to sweeten the lives of others, that you may be a beautiful ornament to His name!

Some shots from your day...

Grandma reading Peter Rabbit to the little bunnies...

Carrot - topped cakes for the bunnies (of course)

Friends and family...

Basket of rabbit ears for bunnikins...

Humour to lighten our way

My husband has always enjoyed a very wide range of music styles - from monastic psalms to boppy praise songs, to what we call 'Saturday morning' music - music that gets us moving, to instrumental and even music from Tajikistan. One of the songs on our Tajik CD has a song that really sounds to our ears like a song about a bicycle.... Joshua just loves singing his own imaginary words to replace the Tajik ones he can't understand. It just makes me smile...

I decided to put the 'bicycle' song on just for Josh on the way to Owen's school - telling him that the next song was especially for him. He just grinned - a really big Josh grin when he heard the song... ah ... then he was bopping up and down, making up his own words as we drove along... just made me smile all the way to the school!

... and

Today Rosa found a "Dee Vee Bee" as she called it (DVD) and made me smile...

I think the Lord gave children a sense of humour to help us deal with all the potty accidents (the ones that don't make it to the potty, I mean) and the general monotony of motherhood.

What are some things that made you smile this week?

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!