A Week in Photos...!

Everyone Loves a Parade!
Hobart's Christmas Parade, cut short by the glorious rain. Halelujah!

Play Doh!

Putting up the Tree!

Northgate Santa fun... well the face painting bits and balloons were...

Santa Photo complete with The Little Monsters

Blogger drives me crazy & I love Spring! Cliche and all...

....forgetting my account and/or password etc.


Besides all that we've had a family get together of sorts. A bbq at Benjafield park, with a cousin and two sisters with their children and a brother and his family. It was decided that it would be a birthday party for dear little niece who is not 1 yet, but as she is going to be back in Perth by the time she actually ticks over to one....





On another note, I'm taking a Mindfulness Course, designed to get me in control of my thoughts so I can better control my actions. That is coming along nicely *)

Organising, rearranging and otherwise painfully occupied

Above: The Christmas Tree we used to have (before we moved interstate)
Above: The Christmas Tree (minus the crappy lights/ornaments - think silver and blues/purples) we will be having this year!!!

Yup. It's been a bit like that. Over the weekend, I reboxed my Hopped on Phonics boxes (they are currently in storage for Raven and Monika now)! Whoo-hoo! Too bad if that is patented...

That obviously means I've got 3 children doing the Master Reader course now.

We've been doing our animal unit and learning about penguins and kangaroos today. Raven has started writing! Just simple shapes of letters, but still, fantastic!

I've also put a whole heap of the art and worksheets away into their folders, and believe me they are positively bulging. Monika now needs her own as she does a drawing here and there now (and looking so cute as she walks everywhere now, never crawls anymore.)

Things are looking positive with Andrew's health too.

It's just me really, I've got a sore mouth and had to go on anti-biotics to kill a minor infection in my BIG gaping hole. Ouchy!

So, I'm out to completely rearrange the readers to be semi-friendly and semi-keep them safe from roughness. Good readers, not boring Sally and Bob sat down...Sally and Bob sat and sat etc You know the type....

Actually Labyrinth has a reader (as previously mentioned) on proper skate board techniques etc, and Dante of course non fiction fishy business. But they also have Nemo, Kung-Fu Panda and other such stuff they seem to like.

Tonight was great though, we sat down as a family with Tea, Atlantic Salmon with hand made chippies and fresh, steamed vegetables and watched a new Anime episode that Labyrinth introduced us to called... Fruits Basket. And I'm so glad she did, it was too cute. Later we will be making stones or something like it, maybe Fimo, into the 'signs of the zodiac' for fun.

OH! I can't forget this, oh no no no!!! We picked up a great Christmas Tree from BigW - the classic goth tree (we used to have a pure whitey but this is beautiful...) - it is a perfectly black tree. We also got a few silver ornaments, but we intend to make the rest, as we do I'll blog 'em naturally. Until next time, Q.

In Recovery

Nasty tooth extraction! I have a sore mouth - no excuse not to blog really...
Yesterday we met up with a few fellow homeschoolers, who were great. We had a little get together at a bush family style cafe.
A visit today from my sister and her two littlies.
Other than that we have been doing our Animal studies unit.
We watched Spiderwick Chronicles (the kids absolutely loved it, particularly Labyrinth who is soo into that sort of thing and now has the attention span to enjoy it).
Considering a puppy for christmas, and lots of other decisions weighing in on my poor bewildered brain.
Not spent much time near my computer, unfortunately, as we've been so flat out.
Some nice people from freecycle gave us a bed :) made entirely from wood. It's beautiful.
We have brought some plants so we will be doing gardening soon as this weather settles itself down a bit. Wind - rain - wind and more wind.
Other than that wishing we had more money and looking forward to hopefully working next year...
Monika prefers to walk now, and Dante had an ear infection, looks like Raven is ill. Not to mention Raven has grown 3 cm in 6 weeks, one cm in one week! He's catching up!
That's all for now, I'll do a better job next time when my poor mouth isn't so sore and I'm not so tired.
Q.

OMG I FORGOT TO BLOG MY BABIES B'DAY!

So Sweet & Happy...

Admittedly, I've been very busy and enjoying life as much as I can, but that's no excuse! Monika was 1 on the 20th of September. She is now walking lots! She got a Little Touch Leap Pad and lots of books as her main present, a nice new skirt and butterfly top, and she and all her siblings had a wonderful day. Despite the rain and wind we had a lovely day, a play at Hungry Jacks where she was doted on by her Nan and Pop. The presents she gave her siblings were well recieved as captured by the camera above.

Below is pictures after the event. They enjoyed a community based Circus Feista at the newly built Brighton Civic Centre at Bridgewater. Not only did they get to see preformances, they got to do craft, get face painted, try out some fun "circus" type activities and feed on copious amounts of fruit kebabs, cake and other deliously healthy fare. Here they sport their puppets and their face paintings for the camera. This happened on Tuesday the 23rd of September. They were also reaquainted with their Aunty Michelle and her two children, J aged 4 and E is aged 11 months. They've come to visit from far off Perth-istan. They had a ball with them. Nan was also there to watch and help watch over the many grandchildren that were sprouting out of the nooks of everywhere.

Quasior's been busy, very, bery busy

So much to do and so little time. We've been madly getting through our reading lessons, Kai has now jumped up to the green level which is the one before Master Reader. He's just flying, he did the red level in just under 2 weeks (that is 6 months worth?). Dante is up to lesson 8 in Master Reader, Blue. Labyrinth, lesson 5 same level. Raven just loves his little Dora books! We read them everyday but today he went to sleep straight after tea so we missed out! Poor little guy - he came into the study where I was listening to Dante read and he asked for his Dora book and I told him I'd be straight out after Dante had finished - which I was, but it was too late! He'd already crashed. SO he will be first tomorrow. A part of Monika's present is LeapFrog the first book reader thingy, so I'll be adding that to the daily list of things to do as a special thing for us to do as she just loves books so much and seems so interested when I'm doing reading lessons with the other children.

Monika is still taking steps and talking quite a bit, unfortunately at her check up today (I forgot they dropped the 12 month check up in the blue book but I'm so glad I got her checked out). Turns out she's actually dropped off her growth and weight (?) and shes closer to 70%ile as opposed to 90-97%. It appears to be due to the fact she's only been interested in breast milk for the last 6 months, the last two weeks have seen an increase in what she'll eat, but it's obviously not enough. So he wondered if I would give her liquid vitamins and try and force her to eat. I can only try, but she's healthy and walking now, and her milestones are better than average so is it all panic for nothing?

Last night Labyrinth stayed at her friends house and made a pizza and puff pastry treat, they played well. So the boys had a bit of a boys night in and didn't have to do any chores for last night and today. They enjoyed a picnic tea, a new DVD - Eragon, and then did some modelling with their father and some lovely spray art which I'll add in another post later with other art.

We're back to doing animals, to the children's wishes. They are doing quite well. Learningpage.com if interested. *Free*


Well, that's it for now, there isn't any more, (lots happening for me - but for some other time), Q.

SPRING is here.... and Pocket Money!

Today was a great day! It was like having a birthday for all the kids. As previously mentioned, they are allowed an extra $10 when they finish off a level of Hooked on Phonics, and guess what, they all did (bigger 3). Raven and I finished of phonics box number 1, Dora the Explorer, and yesterday Monika took her first steps! Here is what they brought (with their normal pocket money combined). A black hawk for Kai, Monika got her Upsy Daisy, Dante Ben Ten's UpChuck and add on wild seas which is a part of a huge set he got last christmas, Labyrinth has her 'twin' Bratz Babyz dressed in brand new clothes and she also got a minature Bratz Kidz today, and Raven got his Diego Rescue truck set with howler monkey.

Also had a very positive day as I am now getting help to be a carer and I had a counselling session today *). Fingers are firmly crossed I might be able to get help in paying for my training in Kindermusik! I might be able to get an income and support our family. YAY. Lots of positive happy things today, including a happy Andrew, the newest box set of Dexter which we are both enjoying, and of course young Monika is walking. Stuff the cliche I LOVE SPRING! Sing it from the roof tops!!!!