Homeschool Highlights: Letter G

G'day, just a few highlights from our study of the letter G!

Glittery green playdough

Sequencing, sorting and sums with goats and geese

Games!

Gathering gardenias and geraniums

Guacamole

Glorious gorgeous garlands (and gorgeous girls!)

I've really enjoyed working our way through the alphabet like this. It has been a lot of fun and Kees has developed a firm grasp of the letters and sounds. He is now beginning reading, which is an exciting time for him. (He knows how to spell some naughty words. Uh oh.) I am pleased about his progress, but also a little bit sad - just another part of babyhood being left behind. I find parenthood is filled with a mixture of excitement about the future and nostalgia for the past. And enjoying the present, of course!

Yesterday is history

Tomorrow is a mystery

Today is a gift

That's why it's called the present!

Wishing you a lovely present! xx

Rocket Launch...

This is currently the boys' favourite game at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I think the pictures illustrate how the game is played; essentially, Grandpa launches them into the air and they fall onto the bed. It is lots of fun for spectators and participants alike.

Dad always manages to think up the funniest and most fun games and we are all in stitches. Usually we end up with tears of laughter! Some examples are:

1. The kids put their ankles in the dog leads and then we pull them and trip the kids over.

2. We set up a long plank to make a ramp going down a hill. Someone has to sit on the skateboard and ride down the ramp while the rest of us throw the big fitball at them and try to knock them off.

3.The kids sit on the swing and Dad bends over in front with his backside facing them. The kids swing and then kick Dad in the bum and he falls over.

I love to hear Dad's stories of the hilarious games he used to play with his siblings when he was a child. It actually reassures me: if Dad played crazy, dangerous games when he was young, and he turned out very sensible, then there's still hope for my boys....

Thanks Dad, for playing all these great games, even when you have a sore back. Kees and Jimmy will treasure these memories with you! xoxo

It Must Be Love, Loooove, Love

More bunting! xx

Botanic Gardens

Our local botanic gardens is such a special place. It is a perfect location to bring the children to meet friends for a play or for a bit of homeschooling activity. It's beautiful, the gardeners are friendly (albeit eccentric, including Tam), it's enclosed (!) and we usually have it all to ourselves. There's a creek, rainforest, bush, flowers, herbs, veggies, bats, insects, frogs and birds. And trees to climb. And in spring, a beautiful lush meadow!

We Just Love Danger

I was in the kitchen at Mum and Dad's the other day, when a friendly face popped up at the window.

"How did you get up there?" I peered out the window.

"Grandpa's ladder!"

I walked out to the deck for a better look. Hmmm. High.

I thought if I got Jimmy the lilly-pillies he was after, he might stay on the ground.

He had other ideas, I'm afraid.

"Here, Jim, you can have some of these lilly-pillies."

"Just let me up the ladder! Get down! I want to come up!"

Too far gone now...

Made it. "Bye bye!"

"Pirates" Unit

Arr, me hearties, with our swag o' books, we be ready as ever ...

to hoist the mainsails on our "Pirates" unit!

So watch out, ye lily-livered landlubbers, cause we be mean pirates!
Arr! Don't be gettin' in the way of our cardboard cutlasses, or ye might get a paper cut!

Well, don't ye know, pirates ain't averse to a bit o' sticker fun?

To be sure, this was a great success: Kees and I made a map of our backyard and a small cardboard X. The game was, someone would hide some treasure in the backyard, then put the X in the right place on the map. Then the other person had to use the map to find the treasure. Spatial awareness, map design, map reading, drawing, perspective and fun - I gave myself a lot of points for this activity! Arr yes, pirates got no need for modesty.

More's the pity, pirates-in-trainin' be too young for rum. But not rumballs.

Pirates love danger, and a rusty old shipwreck is just the thing for us!

And finally, t'were come time for a treasure hunt, me hearties!

We followed the clues to get to the treasure...

Found the booty!

Jimmy loved it so much, he wanted to bury his treasure so we could find it again.

Fare thee well, a-pirating we go!