A Camping they'll go... and while the cats away...

While the big two have been at Buddy Camp and living it up, the younger three have been doing some nice quality stuff with mum and dad. Like antique/second hand shopping, lunch and play at McDonalds, doing collages, watching new movies, and making a new safe recipe of Gluten Free Choc Chip Cookies with mum. (Its a step by step recipe if your interested). The cookies are smaller but really, really yummo. Maybe a touch drier but still melt in your mouth.

Tending our little garden doesn't change. Here is Kai's Pea Plant experiment (obviously a success!)

Below our seedlings are just about ready for planting, but I'm so scared they'll die out in the cold.

Snow peas are looking like they need some stakes so they'll need to be planted ASAP.

Bananna Plant is doing well.

Our resident Picasso/Monika I mean, drawing anywhere and everywhere she possibly can. Way, way advanced. She could care less about toys, but drawing and books she can't get enough of:

Oh dear she's cute! She either bringing me books to read her all the time, or she's off making her beautiful art around the house somewhere, anywhere... She also loves to sing and dance, which is taken care of by Justine Clarke, and singing and dancing together, or singing the ones with movements like "I'm a little tea pot" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Peter Rabbit" you get the idea! Oh, and its not a case of playing in the yard with ride on trikes/play equipment (why waste the money - she never uses them anyway), she'd rather dig in the dirt with her spade.

The other's were well looked after, doing art, playing games, having a ball but missing their older siblings. I tried keeping them busier than usual. They also had a holiday from chores so they could enjoy it more. While its been lovely having the break, I miss them dearly. It's quiet without them.

Art and Words

The last week has been very busy in our little homeschool, making up for lost time. We have sadly been up against a brick wall with maths, so we are looking into options, one of which is Hooked on Math, as we have been so pleased with how Hooked on Phonics has happened. Reading is wonderful! Dante and Labyrinth are progressing through the green book, Kai ploughing through the orange and Raven has been 'reading' his new set of Dora phonics books from Scholastic. We got the three programs for $49 and he has been sooo pleased.

Below is Raven's drawings...

This is Kai's Croc.
A Raven and Kai collaborative effort.
Dante's Cheetah in hot pursuit of prey.

Labyrinth has been writing more into her art works. Below states "The cat is asleep. The cat woke up hungry!"

Here are some worksheets sourced from Enchanted.com, which are teaching all about Compound Words. It also gets them writing... Below first two are Labyrinths, Dante and Kai in order below those. There writing is coming along marvellously.

Now here's a thing. Below was an attempt on my behalf to try and get them to do working drawings, building up to doing a piece that could have been collage or 3D images etc, but they didn't get it but some beautiful work happened anyway. Below is Labyrinth's Fairy Delivery, Dante's Dinosaur and Kai's Elephant at the waterhole.

Here is some work they've done quite early in the week. I simply allowed them to do as they wished, and this is what they have produced. Raven, followed by Labyrinth, Dante and Kai.

Naturally, this isn't all they've been doing. They have also been playing music together with the musical instruments. They've done various cooking including breadmaking and meal making. We've been steadily going through the English workbooks, there is less than a fortnight left in those for them. We've looked at bats and elephants and crocodiles (also sourced from Enchanted.com). I really want to get a paying membership there, but when we can afford it. I am saving the homeschool money towards getting Hooked on Math or perhaps MathsUSee, I'm just not sure yet. Again, I'm not concerned about their slowness in Math, they aren't silly they just need another approach and I don't have a few hundred dollars to throw at a number of approaches, I wish I did.

They are better behaved, we're doing more studies, they are enjoying stuff more. Thank you 1,2,3 Magic!

As for Terrific Toddlers, I have read through it and realised it isn't an approach I want to take. My children won't be "trained", they will learn through living, delight and experiment. They are allowed autonomy, freedom to choose to like different things, to celebrate their individuality. So if anyone would like my copy, drop me a comment in the comments section and tell me how it will benefit their children I'll send it right along. Please include your email so I can get back to you.

Other news:

Monika is standing up for longer periods and is walking with assistance, but not quite willing to take the plunge yet.

Raven is speaking! He still can't tell colours yet (I so hope his albinoism hasn't made him colour blind).

Kai is frustrated about having to pitch in with chores still and thinks I'm a bully because I ask him to do some things!

Dante is happy and content for the most part.

Labyrinth is struggling still, but far happier and quite willing to work and progress in her learning.

Andrew's bipolar seems to be improving somewhat. He's less depressed but a bit manic.

My chest infection/asthma is slowly coming under control. I am starting to feel somewhat normal again.

My dad is back from hospital, but still very sick. Can't see him because I might send him back to hospital with complications from my illness. My mum is OK doing her usual which is drive me nuts with ringing me up and demanding my time when I'm trying to do lessons and off load vast quantities of food on us. Not that I mind it just can be a bit much when she rings 5 times in one day, I know she cares, but geez!

That's all for now, tomorrow is payday so I probably won't be a bloggin' tomorrow - unless Monika starts walking that is! Q.

Just Quickly...

We are just about finished rearranging and resorting, and still doing our lessons.
Today they did their lessons, reading, writing and improv music, played on Raven's new instruments (and theirs), which was great. They seemed to really enjoy themselves, and it was all about getting familiar with the different sounds and how the instruments could actually be used...
Also, they enjoyed some time on the computers, mostly checking out YouTube, but since thats what they like doing... erg.
Raven played Monika's software, BoohBah. He likes going to the Nick Jnr website and playing mostly Dora/Diego type stuff. Of course I read to them, I do everyday - tonight was Elmo and Wilbur. Kai loves Elmer, and now does Raven.
They also really enjoyed playing with the wooden train table set.
We had a simple but rather happy and fulfilling day today. Music should fill the air everyday, it brings such happiness to the children :) Q.

Queens Birthday... Whatever! We do our own thing...

Maths - Fractions and Addition:

Dante and Labyrinth are plodding along and

getting it, but Kai is soaring for his age!

Here we have the first day of our bug unit (inspired by The Bee Movie.) Not because it was particularly good or anything, more opposite really, correcting those pesky untruths they loaded onto the children such as Bees 2 legs and 2 arms when we know that insects have 6 legs, and other wonderful, factual tales. Actually, my mother insisted they take her copy as it was so educational... umm well enough said. Below Kai's says, "The bees live in hives with honey, their babies hatch from eggs."

Raven's done a lovely picture, tis a shame this bloody scanner doesn't pick up yellow very well. Below is the poem about bees. Further below is Labyrinth's Bee Poem and picture. "Bees Buzz, Flowers Grow, Honey is made and its Yum, Yum, Yum!"

Above is Dante's. His states, "The bees make honey from flowers, and fly around looking for flowers."

We also looked at Haiku poetry today, and we discussed how it relates to a moment in nature, and tries to capture a feeling. I read these:

The breeze brought it--

a moment of moonlight

to the hidden fern.

-Foster Jewell

After I step

through the moonbeam--

I do it again

--George Swede

The fog has settled

around us. A faint redness

where the maple was.

--Claire Pratt

and two from children

Soap bubbles!

My face is flying

too!

-Masahiro Suzuki, Japan, Gr. 4

Mr. Ant,

do you mind if I set you

on my leaf boat?

-Norimasa Oikawa, Japan, Gr.1

The fog poem particularly caught their imaginations, as we could see the fog outside, thick and cold. So we rewrote it together to suit our own environment:

The fog has settled

around us. A faint greeness

where the trees are.

We also played guitar and did some singing. I read to them - Mem Foxes Possum Magic, A lift the Flap Thomas Adventure and Steve Parish's Mother Duck's Family.

They played really well in the cold stillness of the afternoon, and hugged each other before disappearing to sleep. Monika is in the process of cutting her newest tooth, and suffers for it. We made pizza tonight (dough and all) and the children made individual ones, faces etc.