Cook Out

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We've been so busy....

I apologise for being totally absent from this blog! We've been very busy with house guests, family visiting from NZ and a new little cousin in the house. We have been schooling all along with that but I have definitely been flying by the seat of my pants and need to sit down and focus my efforts on paper before the year is out.
This term....

•  we're doing Chemistry with a bit of Geology and Nuclear Physics thrown into the mix. 
•  our shared novel is Andy Griffiths 13 Storey Tree House.
•  we're biking for exercise.
•  we're making the most of the milder warm weather by getting out to Lesmurdie falls among other places.
• we're tinkering with obselete electrical appliance.
• we're making models with parts from electrical appliances
• we're learning about Dinosaurs thanks to Woolworths.
• we met up with a bunch of other home-schoolers at Stirk Park.  
• we're growing crystals.
• we're taking photos for a stop motion movie.

I still have a bunch of posts to write from last term... hopefully I'll get you caught up soon. :-)

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Marshmallows

This is the night when we first had Toasted Marshmallows.

That's me touching my Marshmallow. It went in lots of fire and it got burnt. It tasted like a toasted Marshmallow. The other night I got smoke in my eyes when we were doing toasted Marshmallows.  ~ Tama

 This is the second night we had Toasted Marshmallows. This night I lit the fire. I lit the fire with a candle because the candle was more safe to use than the lighter because the flame was further away from my hand than it would be with a lighter.  ~ Will

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Potion Table and Cubby Corner

The Potion table and Cubby corner is an area that is literally under construction.  We have set up the potion table and it is a very popular spot for experimenting. It has a water source, bowls, jugs, bottles and various kitchen utensils. We plan to add some more stuff along the way and Will would also like a mortar and pestle. 

There is also a fire pit which Les and the kids have used a couple of times to cook marshmallows. Hopefully we can also do some sausages and damper before the fire ban takes effect over the summer.

Now that the weather is warming up we need to do some planning on what will happen with those pallets. Some will be tied to the fence and then we can add some hardware to make some water races and such. 

I also want to add some rope and a tarpaulin so they can set up some shelter- although this area is under our mulberry tree which will provide some good cover. This will give them the opportunity to work with attachments, pulley type set-ups and such- and just give them more control over their space to set it up and use it as they want. Hopefully it won't disturb the Bandicoots too much as they also burrow in this area.

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Shaving Foam

This is the activity I tried to finish my first day of homeschool with. In reality Will and Tama demanded that homeschool continue 'officially' for another hour and three quarters that day- more, more, more!

This was just something fun, and tactile with a little fine motor stuff (writing in the foam) thrown in.

We tend to do a lot more of this active/physical stuff when Tama is home. And more solid academic and bookwork type stuff when he is at kindy and not around to interrupt. I have zero interest in him doing the academic stuff this year or next- he's four, he just needs to play and play and play. 

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Why we love Homeschool Reason #1

On Wednesday we went to buy a Ukulele as Merenia will be starting lessons soon.

We went at 9am.

Which we so wouldn't have been able to do if she was at school.

We came home and she jumped on the net and started surfing ukulele websites and looking for instructions, chord charts and sheet music.

Which we so wouldn't have been able to do if she was at school.

She spent the whole day practicing and teaching herself. (and much of Thursday and Friday as well.)

Which we so wouldn't have been able to do if she was at school.

I've been covering Kieran's books ready for school tomorrow this year we decided to use Calvin and Hobbes Cartoons...

Thank-you Mr Watterson!
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