Lace and Leather, Reading Nook... and Our Avarian Friends...

Here is a picture from Kai of a cut out drawing of a man:

Below is a Liger Zero fro Dante, part of Zoids:
Below is Labyrinth's Garden (or our garden she's drawn):
Leather and Lace... The final version of Monika's Brag Book, complete with Leather Whip-Stitching, ribbons and Lace:

You know, most of the time I'd say it's not easy living with bipolar in the house, but today Andrew did amazing things and set up the children's reading corner (which they are soooo happy about) and he completely rearranged the layout of the loungeroom where it resides:

Oh, and these are not posed. As soon as it was set up they were in there (and as I was cooking tea wasn't aware they were in there), and basically once I heard what they were up to I grabbed the camera to catch a very special moment! Even Monika was there wanting to join in! Yes, the boys spikes, Raven says he wants one but when the clippers comes out he runs away! I am so pleased... Dante had the most beautiful long hair (I will drag out a picture to share) and I may be able to convince Raven to have long hair too...) Below is how the TV stand,media centre and new paludarium will be set up!
Below is our little Swan family we often see with 5 cygnets that the children get so excited to see and so disappointed if they are not there.

We were busy rearranging today so we didn't get any study done much... but we did do the good thing by freecycling 3 bags of various sizes of baby clothes that Monika no longer or will never wear we swapped it for three new aloe vera plants. We then brought some more from Big W - Another Jasmine plant and as you can see above the TV a huge drooping fern. Also two new cushions for our little reading corner. While the fire blazed tonight though, I did enjoy listening Labyrinth read Eastmans Are you my mother? Dante read nearly all Dr Suess (not really by him just using Cat etc) Oh say, can you say Dinosaur and Kai read several pages of Cat in the Hat which he read so smoothly, Andrew and I just sat back and were amazed! Also I read a Thomas the Tank Engine math book with little trains that actually move around the numbers in the book. It was a little rushed towards the end as it was after 9 pm at this stage and everyone was tired.

And a huge thank you to my mother for donating that rag rug in the reading nook for the children!

Home schooling really is the best, and the children are growing up so fast! Hoping all is well, Q.

Widdle Black Ducks... awww

Swan's feeding their cynets off Bridgewater Bridge, not far from home. Photo curtesy of Andrew, who went to great lengths to get these photos for me. But oh so worth it, I'm sure you would agree! We've been watching this family with five cygnets for some time now, I do hope they survive the winter, they are just so small and cuties

These are the drawings of the swans the children did today. First is Labyrinth's Swans styled in Mem Foxes Time for Bed, it says "Time for bed, little swan, little swan, the stars are out and on the loose."
Dante's picture is below, with swans and sharks, and a man fishing near a boat.

Above is Kai's most excellent swan picture, which has a diplurodon in it too. Perhaps a little anachronistic, but very cute!
That's all for now, tommorrow I'll be posting about our amazing sea monkeys! Q.