Sunday 27 January 2013

What we have been up to!!


I thought I would write a post on some of things that our family has been up to over the summer...

A trip to Stockton Beach...

It was a gorgeous day for a trip to the beach. The kids were thrilled! we spent much of our time in the water, jumping waves and finding live shells to watch burying themselves. Then we headed off for a walk in search of some interesting shells.



Adele made shell necklaces out of her finds.
Morpeth Common

Another stinking hot day!! So we headed off for a walk and explore around Morpeth common.


 The kids spent time feeding the ducks from the bridge over the lake. And then we headed off for our walk.



Derek played piggy back with the boys!! But Josef was the one most piggy backed!


 Josef and Avril took turns using the camera during our explorations...

Here are a couple of Josef's shots!

 Activities at Home...

 The girls made sock dolls...


We cooled off after a long hot day... (well Derek cooled off the kids)!!


 Wildlife encounters :)...

It was a hot day and Derek was hosing his car, when a butterfly decided that he needed cooling off, so he hovered over the bonnet of the car! Avril really enjoyed getting close to it.




The kids were thrilled to find a giant moth attached to Josef's t-shirt...


Thankfully it does cool naturally sometimes! And this is what we do when it rains!!


Adele has been practising her baking skills and learning to read a recipe herself!


Avril and Josef have started to play together more. I find it delightful!


Homeschool:

Adele has continued her work with warm and cool colours. Also using different strokes to create effects.

Avril started some work on the colour wheel.

 I am thrilled because Damon is loving the work he has for 2013 - Thankyou God!!! Such an answer to prayer!


On Saturday, Damon decided he wanted to get into his 180 Days Around The World! I was shocked! But very pleased!

 This week I turned 35 years old! My two girls baked and decorated a cake for me. My first candles in about 10 years! I was so excited!




Friday 18 January 2013

New Year..New Plan...

I am very excited this year as Damon joins us homeschooling for 2013. He had a great year at school, fulfilling some of the things that he felt that he needed. One of these things was to be a buddy to a Kindergartener. Thankfully a new family moved to the school when Damon returned in term 2 last year, so this meant that this little girl became his buddy for the rest of the year. Damon loved it!

Avril will also be a less casual homeschooler this year as she picks up some of her own work and joins her sister in some unit studies.

This will be our third year homeschooling. I couldn't imagine it any other way. I love that my children are at home learning and that I am part of that adventure. I love that I am at their excursions and activities, also that I can pick and choose what these experiences are. I love that when they make a new friend, we all do! Homeschooling is a really great lifestyle for us :)

I have today purchased this years books and wanted to share my plan for 2013:

Avril 5 years old (very soon 6):

Maths - Math U See Primer


Language Arts and Phonics - Learning Language Arts Through Literature (blue)


Charcter Studies/ PDHPE: A Childs' Book of Character Building
A Child's Book of Character Building

Adele 9 years old:

Maths - Math U See BETA and GAMMA


Language Arts - Learning Language Arts Through Literature (Orange Book)
Student Activity Book the Orange BookThe Sign of the BeaverThe Boxcar ChildrenBenjamin Franklin, Young Printer Wilbur and Orville Wright, Young Fliers

PDHPE/Character Studies - The Young Peacemaker

The Young Peacemaker Set

The girls together - 

Konos Volume 1 - 2 years of Unit Study for Kindergarten to year 8, Bible and Character focused. (There are three Volumes)



Pearables Home Economics for Homeschoolers - Cooking, hospitality, sewing, Home duties.

Home Economics for Homeschoolers Level 2

Damon 12 years Old:

Math U See -  Gamma and Delta


Language Arts: Language Lessons from Australian History Book 3



Konos Volume 1 Unit Studies


Around the World in 180 Days - Geography and History of the World (plus Damon is going to add some cooking adventures).
Around the World in 180 Days: Student Workbook

Character/PDHPE - Boyhood and Beyond
Boyhood and Beyond

Other Language - Rosetta Stone Greek level 1

Rosetta Stone Greek Level 1 with Audio Companion Homeschool Edition, Version 3  -

Damon will be doing a unit on careers (future),so I have purchased this book for him to read - Career Ideas For kids who like Animals and Nature. (There are other books in this series for other careers)