Backyard Nature Study

These are some of the birds we have seen in or from our backyard. We observe the bird for a while, find a photo on the web, and the picture is drawn from a photo on the computer screen. All illustrations by Possum, using aquarelle pencils.

Butterfly Birthday - Joyeux Anniversaire Possum!

Our little Possum celebrated her 6th birthday by way of a
butterfly/fairy/princess party. We played a few games of Caterpillar, Caterpillar, Butterfly (variation on Duck, Duck, Goose), pass the parcel, pin the wings on the fairy, made a butterfly finger ring, ate caramel butterfly cake and had a tour of a butterfly house. We finished the party with a read aloud - Isabella's Secret by Jane Tanner. Even though Possum knows fairies aren't real, she has a great time imagining they are!

A Lovely Gift for A Little Artist

We love this birthday gift! These Lyra pencils (made in Germany) are soft, vivid, easy to apply, and great to hold! All of the colours are beautiful. But my favourites are the gold and silver!
When I was little I was the proud owner of a wonderful collection of around 60 Faber Castell Polychromos (also made in Germany). These were truly treasured, and the children are now using them. However, they are down to the last couple of centimetres, so these make a timely addition to our colour pencil collection.
Thankfully these are an affordable luxury, because once you have used really good pencils, you just can't go back to the supermarket brand.

Frontyard Find

One Autumn Afternoon

With the school work done, Captain constructed his very first camp fire - in our front yard! He had learnt all the tricks from his dad the day before, and was just aching to try it out for himself. The conditions were perfect - being overcast, a little drizzly, with no breezes, and safe - the platform for the fire, a freshly excavated clay clearing.
I decided to prepare a bread dough, to serve with our chicken soup. The delightful crust just shattered in our mouths. All this reading Little House on The Prairie has gone to our heads. We could smell the smoke in our hair and just imagine the prairie breezes, and truly taste delicious prairie-style cooking. Captain's scones were so golden with cream, butter and glorious free range yellowy yolks.
Another unplanned pleasure was that our next chapter for the bedtime read aloud was A Fire On The Hearth, Little House on The Prairie.
One memorable afternoon.

PS A hose was kept at hand, just in case.

Bits of Inspiration

I used to carry around bits of inspiration in my pocket, but now its easier just to blog the bits as they come to mind.

To Do

Must get a timeline and book of centuries going asap.

The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work

I just love this simple bread. A child can make it.

Here's the weblinks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html

and

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

Enjoy.
This weather is making me think hot bread.
And let the children make it!

This Is What I Like

When Captain casually takes a J.S. Bach CD off the rack at the library, to take home.

When we are shopping in a home decor shop, and Captain says, "Look mum, la plage" (the beach) pointing to the writing on a deck chair.

When Captain says, "Mum, who was that artist again, who painted on his back?" He was referring to Michelangelo. This was whilst reading the Elizabeth Enright book, When We Were Five, weeks after studying this artist in our Artistic Pursuits book.

When Captain asks, "Mum, can you please put Mozart on? It helps me go to sleep".

Treasure Island by the brilliant Robert Louis Stevenson

We're about one fifth of the way through this read aloud, and the children keep begging for more.
Some of the dark descriptions contrast sharply with the same author's mostly sunny A Child's Garden of Verses, which we read in the mornings. They beg for more of these poems, too!

We finished reading this book on Saturday 20th June.

Local Annual Showcase

A dash to the show on Saturday was like taking a child to the world's most wonderful lolly shop, then leave with but one lick!
We had one and a half hours to pack in lunch, view our contributions to the Home Learner's Display, see the Taipan tail end of the reptile show, cuddle a chick, spy the winning show cats, view the puppies from a distance, just miss out on the working dog's workout, and round it off by one revolution on the ferris wheel. All of this fully complemented by the lemonade and sausage roll lunch tumbling in our tummies.

Phew! Glad that's over for a year.

Then it was on the go again, this time for a birthday party!

We were pretty pleased, though, to view the first prize pumpkin (Farmer Boy memories) and have the chance to ride a ferris wheel, reminiscent of our Charlotte's Web read aloud last year.

Captions for Photos:
Top: Possum's Watercolour Paintings, Rain, and Sunrise, on display
Bottom: Captain's first poem, ever, printed out, then framed, on display

Ambleside Books - Our Growing List

To date we have...most of the AO Year 1 books. I have decided to post some pictures of the covers and inside pages of some of my favourites. I like to fish around for the most beautiful copies I can find.
So here's just a couple I've come up with. If you know of any versions of the AO recommendations which you find particularly lovely, please let me know!

This copy of Aesop's Fables (above) is (text wise) recommended by AO. It doesn't have all the AO fables, but the Don Daily illustrations still make it well worth buying. The remaining fables suggested can be printed off the AO Year 1 Yahoo Group.

A Collection of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories (Walker Books) -is a beautiful version, with different illustrators used for each of the stories, purchased recently from Dymocks.

For more advanced AO years we have purchased thus far:

Bard of Avon
Pagoo
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
The Peterkin Papers
Otto of the Silver Hand
Bulfinch's Mythology
Poor Richard
Abigail Adams
The Story of Inventions
A Wonderbook and Tanglewood Tales
Unknown to History
Madam How and Lady Why
The Door in the Wall
Five Little Peppers
The Children of the New Forest
Men of Iron
The Little White Horse
The Heroes
Thimble Summer
Swallows and Amazons
The Wheel on the School
Justin Morgan Had a Horse
The Four Story Mistake
Then There Were Five
Ralph Moody Series
Little House on the Prairie Series


more to come...

La mer bleue, le sable chaud

We're enjoying the warm long rays of l'autumne sunshine by the beach. A few hours in the afternoon to soak it all up brightens our whole day.

Enormous Earthworm

Captain found this one in the front yard today!

Chillies for Sunflowers

Possum's little friend came over today, bearing a gift... one lovely chilli plant. They really are rather pretty.
Before her little friend left, she returned the favour by way of some sunflower seedlings growing from the spilt rabbit food around Bambi's cage.

Ambleside Friend in the Flesh!!!

I have met another AO-er in the flesh!! My first one! How exciting to have met you JE!!

Anything Schooling

Someone once posted on a Yahoo group that they sometimes car-schooled. I'm adding to the list...we hammock-school as well.

Swimming, Toy Library, Sport, Circus

Had a busy busy day.

The Buster at the Beach

We had an excursion yesterday to The Buster - a shipwreck that has been recently exposed due to wild weather.
So it was Buster at the beach, ballet, then on to the new kid's choir.

J.S. Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring

Will post the Youtube link here soon, a wonderful Celtic woman's version. Thanks Jeanne for the link in the first place!

I've finally worked out how to do this!! YAY!!!

Bible Memory Verses

We are going through the 24 Family Ways by Clay and Sally Clarkson.
This is forming the basis for our devotions and Bible memory verses at the moment:
Week 1
Family Way No 1
We...
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. This is the first and greatest commandment" Matthew 22V 13-14
Family Way No 2
We read the bible and pray to God every day with an open heart.
"All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God is thoroughly equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy
Family Way No 3
We honour and obey our parents in the Lord with a respectful attitude.
"Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honour and obey your parents for this is the first commandment with a promise, that you may live long and that life may be well for you".....this all needs editing, next time I'm on the computer

The Wonder of Watercolour

We had a friend visit on Saturday, who helped us with our watercolours - 13 colour set from the Czech Republic, obtained from our local art shop.
The brilliance of colour is amazing, and with her techniques the children were well on the way to some gorgeous pictures.

Her Ideas:
Wet the paper first, if you like
Use a candle to draw on the paper, then watercolour over it
Sprinkle salt over the painting, and little dots appear, where the paint is drawn around the salt
Apply some masking tape to the paper, gently remove, and paint over - the paint bleeds into the torn edges - lovely effect
Methylated Spirits dropped onto the watercolour- need to try this as yet
Scratching into the paper with a fork or other instrument, then paint over
Dab painted areas with a scrunched up paper serviette

Autumn Treats

Pikelets
Pudding - lemon
Pies
Pancakes
Pumpkin Soup
Scones

Farmer Boy

Just finished this book, with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Read it, and you'll know why. The children adored this book. We have only read one chapter per day. It has inspired me to get the children involved with every activity in the home and outside. Almanzo's family are a great inspiration - honest hard workers,their thriftiness, teamwork, bargaining skills, orderliness, and cleanliness (of the mother's housework), promptness and boy, did they know how to cook up a feast!
Pearl of Wisdom
In the chapter Breaking the Calves, young Almanzo "knew you could never teach an animal anything if you struck it, or even shouted at it angrily. He must always be gentle, and quiet, and patient, even when they made mistakes"...

Now we're on to Little House On The Prairie. A lovely Aunty and Uncle gave this entire set to us for our family's birthdays. We can't thank them enough.

Narration Jar

We are a little tired of narrating every reading from AO Year 1.
So, it has been suggested to try the Narration Jar.
We pick a slip of paper after every reading from the Narration Jar, and narrate using the suggestion on the paper.
We're all set to go.
Printed, laminated and cut up, all we need to do is read, narrate, read, narrate, read, narrate!

Narration Jar Ideas (not mine)

Draw a picture from your reading.

Tell me everything you can remember about the reading.

Tell me the story back in your own words.

Answer questions Mama asks about the reading.

Ask Mama questions about the reading.

Let your animals or dolls act out the story.

Narrate to Mama.

Write down five sentences about what you read.

Play dice narration game - not quite sure what this game is, yet.

Think about another story or even that reminds you of what you just read about. Tell Mama about it.

Write down three sentences about what you read.

If you were giving a test on this reading, what are three questions you would ask?

Skip the narration today.

Model something out of play-dough while you tell me the story.

Write a letter about the story. Pretend you are one of the characters.

Draw and label a map based on the reading.

Copy two important or interesting quotations from the reading.

Draw a portrait and write a short description of a person or character
in the reading.

Write two important facts or events from the reading.

Tell me how someone in the reading behaved.

Find and define two new or important words from the reading.

Mama narrates today!

Wish List

Home Education Wishlist:
French Learnables CD set from Chariot Press
Weighted Keyboard - a Cassio Privia PX100
Music Lessons - piano
Order Apologia Elementary books
Colour Laser Printer
Tales from Shakespeare Studyguide from Homeschool Favourites
Poetry Primer from Homeschool Favourites
A Child's Garden of Verses ISBN 0877016089 - (looks wonderful with numerous illustrations by noted artists)
Things I Wish I'd Know by Diana Waring
Bach's Goldberg Variations by Anna Harwell Celenza

Personal:
miessence Hand Cream
Insulation
Dryer
Finish Flannel Quilt
Eat du pain in France

Excavations

They started here on the 17th February. We've put up with mud mud mud for nearly 3 months! The entire front yard is mucky. Since the excavations we have had rain rain rain.

Milly-Mollly-Mandy series

We managed to pick up the last three books to the series. We now have four.
Captain promptly read the last three and has rated them eight out of ten.

Home to Mother

by Doris Pilkington Garimara, 2006
Read by Rachel Maza, 1 1/4 hours
Published by Universtiy of Queensland Press, 2006
Possum found this recording particularly interesting and requested it to be played time and time again.

Red Bellied Black Snake

Possum spotted and heard the juvenile at our front step on Sunday. It then disappeared under the house. It was spotted again sunning itself on the north side of the house. I've just read from Australia's Most Dangerous (by Australian Geographic) that these snakes give birth to about 12 live young in autumn (and other times of the year), but no recorded deaths have been made due to their bite - phew!

Steve Irwin's DVD's have made our children particularly fond of snakes, and they can't comprehend the danger one can bring.They think of them as beautiful! I could never think of them as beautiful!

We have just read a great story from the book The Best of Henry Lawson For Young Australians, called The Drover's Wife. She spent a sleepless night beside her kitchen table, whilst the two boys and two girls - mere babies sleep on top. Thankfully by morning they spot the snake, and their dog Alligator manages to crush the five foot long serpent on the head. A great read which all the children loved.

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling

Captain started reading this book yesterday. He's really enjoying it!

This book was completed today (27 May 2009).

"What do you have to say about it Captain?"

"The first thing I want to say about it is that I would like to read some more (of his work). And I am glad it was a long book because I enjoyed it so much. I give it a ten out of ten."

Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling