Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!

Well we are doing school but not quite writing about it! But today is Special Birthday Business. Daddy and his sister share their birthday 3 years apart, but here's the little collage of our beautifuls (and a couple of us!) that I have made especially for our family card to be given to Daddy tonight!

Lighten our darkness.

This is a theme for us at the moment - fire! We have been on retreat as a family, and (longer post to come) have spent a lot of time lighting fires, and praying about various things, including reading Pentecost and praying for the Holy Spirit to fill us anew and take us forward as a family.

Today I need to hang on to that, so I am lighting a fire here and now!

Junk Food

Of the educational kind.

At least that is what it is to me. I think teachers might call it something different "Getting on Activities" but that fills me with a bit of guilt if I let it!

Anyway. In view of all the sickness, theirs and mine, I decided we need something just readily getdownable from the shelf. Especially as LittleH#2 is so keen he wants to ask me for work all the time, so if I need to get something else ready I can let him get on with something from where he left off while I get the next thing out / printed off. I am glad he has this enthusiasm, it is giving me (LittleH#1) more direction and momentum.

So I went to the education shop, and bought Spelling Rules book A for LittleH#2, and Book C for LittleH#1. Both are a tiny bit easy in some ways, but LittleH#1 brought the first two books home from school when we left, and he loved doing it. Still does. LittleH#2's book is definitely too easy in many respects but he does need easy letter and writing practice, so there are still benefits in letting him do the book for fun. It is officially a Reception book, and he is officially in Reception. Though goodness knows where his English is on the scale.

I also bought some convenience maths food. Maths Plus. Again, a book we got from school for LittleH#1 and worked through, and I disliked a number of things about it so supplemented it with other things. I have stuck with the 'other things' but for a few different reasons I still think we should probably have that book on the shelf, for use in seasons! I got Books K and 1 for LittleH#2 (again book K has started off far too easy so it is the equivalent of a fun activity book in the early pages, though it is introducing concepts we probably ought to get through albeit quick). Later on in the book the ability level bears no relation to the first pages, so I do think it is a strange scheme. LittleH#1 is on Book 2.

The first morning, even with tonsilitis, I found LittleH#2 in the dining room at 6.15am setting himself up and beginning Spelling Rules. LittleH#1 is frustrated that his brother is already about 8 or 9 units into the book. Of course they are easier and a bit shorter, but also he is more motivated. I think that as long as it doesn't get out of hand, that little bit of competition (or maybe iron sharpening iron, even at their age) is quite good.

Anyway. They are decent curriculum books but not my curriculum of choice, hence seeing them as junk food. What they will do is ensure that some of the basics go on all the while, leaving me to do more creative and meaningful activities with them when I can, with less of the guilt that creeps up on me when we do it naturally.

Bible time is good again. We have had some brilliant reading times together, and they are really getting the hang of rotating a verse each and keeping up. Their reading is wonderful.

As for 'not junk food' I have ordered the First Language Lessons (Jessie Wise, I think?) from book depository for LittleH#2, although I think we will also benefit from doing it together with LittleH#1 because I would like to work on his oral language a bit - he freezes up when asked questions verbally sometimes, like narration.

I have plans also to do the Australian Traveller book / curriculum with them (kind of Australian five in a row), I just have to pluck up the courage to order it. I had a lovely time reading just to LittleH#3 yesterday afternoon "Are We There Yet" by Alison Lester, another Australian travel book.

Other self starting things they are doing at the moment is devouring space books (again, although this time LittleH#2 is a competent reader and told me some sun facts over breakfast). They were reading them this morning before 7, and I got the facts over my porridge - about sun spots and flares. I told them they are not allowed to learn before breakfast. ;) They loved that, I am not sure whether I should encourage play rebellion but anyway. That's my humour and there we are.

Later today we will face the music at the dentist. I am sure some school will come out of that. Maybe he can teach them to brush their teeth better than I can.

Hotwheels Maths!

I mentioned the hotwheels maths and haven't come back yet to say what we did. So here it is.

I wanted to introduce the idea to LittleH#2 of collecting data, and I was inspired by the boys at play a little while ago with their hotwheels track, complaining that the same lane or car kept winning.

I set them the task (this was possibly the hardest part!) of choosing only 4 cars and we decided which lane they would go on. I wrote them all on the white board (the cars had fantastic names that the boys copied down on the sheet I prepared for them). We did a number of races, and recorded which car won each time.

I then asked them to tally the number of races each car had won, and we recorded the data that way. Next step will be to make a simple bar chart displaying the race data.

It's all quite easy for LittleH#1 but I don't have a problem with that, he can work independently without my help, he can help LittleH#2 and it is revision for him.

Little H#3 was able to join in - we had him as the race starter, and I took photos of them all. Anyway, simple or not, it was a good afternoon's activity for them all together and is one of those (maybe not quite so rare) scholastic bliss moments. A terrible video, but here's one of the races all the same!!

In sickness and in Homeschool... again!

Well we are in a health blip - nothing major but even if they were at school, Little H's #1 and 2 would be having a fair time off at the moment with a flu virus that just seems to be going on forever! No-one is spared, so with a family of 6 we having been nursing someone or other (usually more than one) for about the past 3 weeks...

School still goes on, kind of, but it has been even less formal (and less organised!) and there is beauty and blessing in that, as well as a bit of extra guilt and stress for me!

I have had a bit of an exploration of the NAPLAN standards, a year ahead, so that I can see where we are in terms of what is expected of Y3 which Little H#1 will be next year. Really the thing I am interested in is how the maths curriculum compares and I am glad to have looked at it now - not because we are going to go anywhere near NAPLAN next year ,but because I can see what gaps we have in what we are doing. I have listed those for myelf but a noteable one was logic problems. I used to love those as a child anyway and we haven't done much logic and not enough probability (which actually Little H#1 copes ok with). So I will supplement what we are doing in maths (I don't really feel the need to apologise for concentrating on number, but I will do some more of the other things to make sure we are a bit more rounded).

We did some beginner logic problems on Friday and I enjoyed doing something very different with Little H#1, and he enjoyed them too. They were free off the internet of course. :)

We also have done some money play and work recently - we definitely need to do more of that, and I think the time has come to start with pocket money and saving up and actually using money in shops.

The boys have been playing games really nicely too, and there is definitely an improvement in the patience of taking turns, accepting that they may not win, and also importantly being willing to attempt things like forfeits (or action cards, required in a lovely game we have called Bright Buttons). The Bright Buttons game is aimed at 3 year olds but even last year when I bought it, neither of the older 2 felt able to attempt any of the easy actions if they required physical movement or impersonations etc. So it's a nice game they can all play together and still get something from.

Little H#2 is very keen now and is asking for work even when ill, which is difficult because obviously it is harder for him to concentrate and he gets upset with himself for getting letters back to front or questions not quite right.

They have inspired me again with Bible time, we have had some lovely devotion times recently and Little H's #1 and 2 are reading fantastically from their Bibles. Little H#3 is also desperate for "work" but his attention span is age appropriate and it's a little hard to keep him engaged sometimes in preschooler activities. ANyway. I am trying to master setting work for 2 slightly different developmental stages (they are closer in maths than I might think) and soon I will have a better idea of how to balance all 3. There are those scholastic bliss moments (like hotweels maths last week) where they all work together, Little H#3 can join in and we all come away with something good. I will detail that lesson separately but here is a sneak preview:

Time for myself...

I have had a few comments recently where people have said I don't get any time to myself. So true! Well almost. I don't get to go out shopping and drink cappuccinos (without little people in tow) and if I am at home and some of them are asleep that is basically my 'time to myself' equivalent. Anyway. For now, a bit of sewing usually does the trick and fools me into a false sense of 'me time'. It does mean though that the housework is neglected a bit (more).

Here are some things I have just made.

This is a quilt that has taken me about 6 weeks to make. Haven't wasted much time and have wanted to get it done as quickly as possible, whilst still doing a neat job. I've learned a lot as I have done it, and it has been a healing and a spiritual project as well as producing something as a gift for someone else. The story behind it is personal so not appearing here, but basically the outside blocks, sashing, binding and buttons represent all colours of sky, cloud and stars. The centre block represents the rainbow and dove.

This time I have quilted in the ditch, and around the stars which are officially Le Moyne stars. The design is completely my own which I am pleased with but it is a dedicated project and the design and work was done in prayer so the design is spiritually inspired rather than being anything about me being artistic! The rainbow block 'just about' works, it represents rather than looks like a rainbow, the inclusion of which was essential but problematic! The blocks are made from men's shirts, something else that limited my rainbow options. Anyway. Praying over the right time to gift the quilt to its intended owner, and excited about that.

Not so much of a story about this one! It is a waldorf inspired doll, for LittleMiss's second cousin's first birthday (got that?!) on Sunday. Started it Weds afternoon, finished it Thursday evening. so not onerous although I need to put some time back in the housework exchequer today.

How we study and some achievements!

We seem to do some subjects in blocks, rather than itty bitty subjects every day of the week. I used to be concerned about this but actually it suits the children more to learn that way, and when I add together all that we have done and are doing, it seems to balance out in the right proportions.

Currently we have been having a bit of a science and music festival. The science has included the exploration of hovercraft technology, making some models with a motor and batteries from a little kit Matthew brought LittleH#1 back from his trip to Melbourne - our week without him is another story ;).

LittleHs 1 and 2 are learning the ukelele, as well as the guitar. They already knew a few chords on the guitar, and have been having lessons with DH, as well as music sessions. Matthew came back from his conference talking about a session they had with about 300 delegates all playing the ukelele and being taught for the first time how to play some chords. With only 4 strings it is easy for someone to pick up. So we bought 2, one cheap one and one good one - and now they are playing 4 chords (LittleH#1) and 2 chords (LittleH#2). They have been introduced to Bluegrass, and we are working on a VonH version of You are my sunshine. Got a few Colin songs we think they might be able to manage too. With practice! Meanwhile I'd like to think about getting LittleH#3 some Suzuki method violin lessons to see whether he'd like that. The ukelele playing is also improving their guitar playing too. Bonus.

We have also begun teaching them the music stave and note names. Whilst this is something I can do (and I want to teach them the recorder) it has been nice for Matthew to take on music a bit with them, so that's how we are dividing the work for now.

We are thinking about how we might make a bigger hovercraft model next, and also were amazed how LittleH#3 described what he thought was happening to the air underneath the takeaway box container that was the hovercraft body. He thought that the air built up and then tried to escape and that is how the box lifted up a bit and moved around. He'd be right! :)

Other achievements recently are that LittleH#3 has begun riding his bike without trainer wheels at only 3 1/2, and LittleMissH is standing up and threatening to cruise. She is talking a lot, and communicating even more. I haven't officially designated it homeschool but they are all enjoying a mix of Auslan signs and baby sign language with her, and that officially can count as LOTE if I want it to. It will certainly get a mention in dispatches next year!

I have just discovered how to 'right' the date and time I post things on the blog. That had been annoying me for a while. :) Edited to add: ah, no I haven't. I appear to have a technical problem but I don't suppose anyone minds (hardly a great following) and I am just going to have to live with it!

Magnificent Monday...!

I like the sound of that. It's not exactly a MEME I doubt I will be able to have a Magnificent Monday every week, although perhaps I should make it my goal to try.

I had an idea for some slightly different Bible studies this week - recently we have been reading the Bible every morning together once our school day starts, but not really "studying" together.

Today I decided we would study and learn the Apostles' Creed for a while. We began with a nice clean and tidy playroom thanks to last night's clean up before bed. So we sat on the carpet together and I first read them "You are Special" by Max Lucado, which I had thought about this weekend but wasn't sure which book case it was on... one of the boys found it and had it ready to read without me even mentioning it, so that saved a hunt around! Little Miss climbed around on me while I read it, the others listened (thought LittleH#3 was in a climbing mood so wasn't quite so easy a listener!). We discussed what it meant, and we had a few nice moments discussing that and remembering LittleH#3's special scripture "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Ps 139:14 I think, from memory.

We went from there to the Apostle's Creed, LittleH#2 read it out, then I read it line by line to LittleH#3 and he repeated each one after me (Godparents please note I am keeping my promise and teaching them this prayer!!!!), then LittleH#1 also read it and we said it all together.

Then, amazingly, the older 2 demonstrated just how much of the prayer they could remember. I'd say for LittleH#1 it is about 80% with prompts to get it all right. LittleH#2 isn't far off either.

We discussed the prayer and I told them a bit about it (hadn't got to Luther's small catechism but had got it out ready in case it was needed for us to sit and explain the different aspects of the prayer). LittleH#1 asked me whether it was a prayer to defend us against the enemy. I said that it is a prayer that describes our faith, what we believe. He said that was what he meant - he thought the prayer was like the shield of faith to defend us from fiery arrows (he held his arm as if holding a shield).

Well that amazed me actually. What a good way to look at a prayer that describes what we believe. The enemy does in fact tell us lies - about many things but does try to take away from what we believe. We can equip ourselves by learning prayers such as this - the basics of our faith on which the universal Christian church is agreed. I think teaching the children this summary of our faith now will be an invaluable tool, or weapon in their armoury, later.

As I washed up, I built on my original ideas and I think we can do something good with the Apostle's Creed, Armour of God, Fruit of the Spirit etc. A little H-production perhaps. Bit like the Sunday School one last week, except maybe a bit better organised and they won't be stuck at the back where no-one can see them!!!! ;)

So the copy work for today was writing out the Creed (LittleH#1), writing out the first 2 lines and doing a drawing (LittleH#2) and we are making the full written version of LittleH#1 into a shield display.

Other than that- we have done practical maths - baking - weighing and measuring (they are good, and surprised me with the sums I asked them to do while we did it), and money maths (counting and sorting the coins in the Peter Rabbit money box).

In between times, LittleH#2 has been devouring books today, I love that he can be a bookworm at 5. He's read predominantly Christian books today, actually, so it has been a good start to our week and perhaps a bit of a rededication to the Almighty God who has called us to this work.

Bad Day...

I should at least record something about bad days! Seeing as we have them, well, every now and again.

Last Friday, apart from the park gathering, was a total disaster from beginning to end. In fact the only reason I went to the park was because I wanted to go, to meet other mums. So I made sure LittleH#3 had a small sleep after an incredibly early lunch, it ALMOST all went to plan and then we went to the park.

But the rest of the day was a blur of badness. I broke things, dropped things, can't even remember what work they did, even though actually the day started really well. Matthew was out of the house before 8, and work commenced well before 9am and I felt a great big stretch of space ahead of me. Started ahead but still fell way behind. Matthew arrived home probably exactly 12 hrs later by which time my disastrous tea (which bless the boys they ate all up!!!) was over, (but still pretty much all over the table, the floor, the kitchen...), they were all in bed by 7.30pm (miracle) and the day was over. Not to be repeated. So a bad day, it did have school in it but all I can remember was how terrible I felt, how it all went wrong, and how it put doubts in my mind about what a good idea this is.

Shame, cos I started the day re-reading a few blog entries and being really encouraged about what I'd written before (main reason for writing blog = keep record for ourselves and if anyone else reads it, well that's ok and good). So I resolve to keep more records on here and hopefully the overall picture will once again be encouraging.

Today's been a haven of scholastic and domestic bliss (I exaggerate just to smile at myself) and I will record that separately. Then I can pick and choose what I come back to and read, according to my mood!!

But for now, the main lesson I LEARNED last Friday, was "take every thought and catch it" as Colin Buchanan sings around in my head. "think about J-E-S-U-S- fix your thoughts on him"...

Socialisation...

I made some good observations last week of the boys as we got together with other children of varying ages in different social settings. (Will keep that phrase for our next review, maybe??!).

This week:

-We had a playdate with a friend where they played card games together, construction time with different sorts of lego, outside play. It was great to see, they made their own fun, kept their own rules, and showed good one-on-one socialisation skills. Actually they played as a threesome and no-one was left out, so that is even better.

-We had a mass gathering in the park - a new park to us, so I gave them my groundrules before we went- where they would be allowed to go, etc. They have only met this group of children once before (a fortnight ago) and there were probably 30 or so children of different ages. As it is a group of families, there were slight variations in the attendance, so new children this week etc. All 3 of the boys fitted in - found other children to play with - discovered what their names were :o (!!) and played a long game all afternoon, climbing, running, balancing, improving on the heights they'd previously got to on the spider web. (I only had to rescue one of them (LittleH#3) once!). Each of them found children to play with, and I was most impressed by LittleH#3 doing his own thing with children of similar age, as well as joining in with the others.

-Saturday we had a visit from another homeschooling family with 5 children - and again - great play, no problems, and great social skills.

So we have had differing social experiences all in one week and what all of them have shown me is that particularly LittleH#1 is making new friends easier, is happy enough even the first time being introduced to a new group and finding children to play with within that group. He can enjoy that kind of 'mass play' (the first week they made a hideout with branches on the little climbing frame) and comes up with good ideas and can be part of a group activity without any anxiety or shyness. This is all very different from last year and shows great progress. In addition, he can interact with smaller groups (ie siblings from another family) and one-on-one with new-ish friends. He has the forethought to ask me to arrange to see people again, and has ideas about what they could play together.

I don't know whether these things are now much improved BECAUSE homeschooling is a better social environment for LittleH#1 (to use him as an example) than school (though I think it is entirely possible!). But what it does tell me is that he is in no way disadvantaged socially by being homeschooled, and that even in the year and a half he has been out of school, he is more confident and can socialise in big groups far better than ever before.

I also know from what LittleH#1 says (and what I see) from Sunday School - where he is in a class that I suppose could be compared to school if I was desperate to prove he still spends time in similar situations to the classroom - that he copes well in that environment and has a choice to be either a leader or a follower. I have talked to him about those choices, and really I mean in behaviour and contribution terms. He will tell me how the session went, where he sat, whether he contributed, and what the overall behaviour was like. Some weeks he sits at the front, some he sits at the back. Sitting at the back is not necessarily an indicator of his behaviour or contribution to the session but he will tell me how it went, and that he couldn't get a space at the front but sat at the back and sat still and listened (when others around him maybe have not - I have seen them!!!). So he's also learning when to follow others, when to set an example - and I am pleased to say that this practice seems to be good for him rather than not -but I am so glad he doesn't have to experience that setting 5 other days each week and we can experience all variety of social settings and do well in each.

LittleH#2 is still very quiet and reserved in Sunday School - doesn't say a lot, doesn't volunteer for things but somehow they know he can read and is beginning to write - I think he more than holds his own in those areas. I am not worried about the group thing - because I see him getting on with other children really well when we play - and I also see him knowing when he wants to withdraw - which I am happy with and don't want to force him to change. I am hoping gentleness and sensitivity to his needs at home will give him the confidence to improve on those group 'talking' skills when he's ready.

A few good days...!

By that I mean, we are finally getting back to normal and have had some days that feel full enough and have produced some good work (and great play!).

Highlights of this week have been sending LittleH#1 to scouts for spy night dressed up like a spy (though I do feel that a better spy costume is absolutely 100% normal clothes, I don't think that it would have felt very good... like going to school in the wrong clothes on non-uniform day - we've left all that behind now thankfully!).



The briefcase is full of interesting spy-ish type things - truth drug (Fisher Price Dr Syringe!), mobile phone, digi camera, walkie talkie, secret notes, code (we wrote the code and practised its use - I received a secret message that said "To Mummy I love you"), we made a spy ID card disguised as a credit card that flips open to photo and finger print, a newspaper... etc. Great fun. The dress ups get revitalised a bit through scouts (last year I had to make a Peter Pan costume that can double for Robin Hood). The jacket was a (probably very expensive!) David Jones jacket I chopped to size and hemmed so he could go a bit "Bond-ish" and moved the buttons across for comfort reasons. He seemed to think the jacket needed to fit!


LittleH#2 is writing AMAZINGLY. Really keen, has written a page of 'news' about the weekend, enjoying his (too easy but good practice) "Going on Eagerly" Rod and Staff book, copy writing Bible verses etc.


LittleH#1 is also getting much quicker at maths, has written a few letters to relatives, we have done a lot of Birthday and Special Day Blessing of others recently and in my book that is all good school. School of life as well as work I count as homeschool.


And LittleH#3 - well, he is really enjoying his "About 3" Rod and Staff book. Sometimes I can't stop him - the pencil control is amazing, he is pleased with the results himself, and I can see a new phase ahead of us with 3 children doing work at once! Wow! Only got to be careful I don't recreate at home what I don't believe in really, which is young children doing school before they are ready - although LittleH#3 doesn't sit at it for long and is still very 3 anyway. Have had some nice time with them all or just H's #2 and #3 together doing play dough.


We had a lovely visit from a friend yesterday, and it was great for the oldest 2 boys to have time with an older friend - L is 9, and they played Uno twice, lego, duplo and then some imagination stuff outside. LittleH#1 was beaming after, and thanked me and told me he'd had a fantastic time.


They've also done geography, some amazing world atlas drawing, inspired by a page in "Going on Eagerly", and today did a 150 piece big world jigsaw together- agreeing with each other who was doing each continent, amusing themselves with the characteristics picked out by the illustrators for each country.


I have been asked a question about water's surface tension, so am going to look for a decent bit of science to have some fun and build on that. Kind of back to our eclectic mix, instead of winging it 'naturally'. There is a season for everything and I am working back to a bit more formality and routine I think now.


Also feel its time for DH and I to do some proper praying about the medium and long term, instead of for the strength and ideas to get through each day. Need that too, but I want to re-energise the medium term goals and have a Vision as a family again.

Birthday Girl...

Little Miss August 2009 turned 1 this week!!!!! How is that possible? School has been rather "natural" recently, still included Bible study (a bit!), maths, handwriting practice, creative writing, D&T, art and craft, lots of great life lessons, and special family time tho. Currently investigating idea of more bookwork to add to what is still good.

But anyway, here's beautiful birthday girl enjoying her crafty mama's Midnight Mystery Quilt (heirloom birthday present, finished it a week before her birthday!) and Waldorf baby doll (friend helped me to make this first one, and have plans for some for the boys for Christmas dressed up as a scout, and "boys"!).

Maths again...

Successful morning eventually, after a very bumpy start: I was feeling terrible and not sure I could even get out of bed let alone manage the day, and there were multiple tears when it was time to put the lego away, and phone call from England about Mum and Dad's disastrous holiday (we seem to be doing a good line in those!!!!)... All this delayed Matthew getting to work and it wasn't looking good.

But I remembered that things always improve when the boys have work that they are keen on, and LittleHs #2 and #3 are very keen to join in with maths especially. The other day they were nagging me for work too so that is very good.

LittleH#1 and I tidied the playroom while the others watched playschool. Then we began... I got the Sparklebox number doubles jigsaws out for LittleH#1 while LittleH#2 did number writing practice. His maths is good but at the moment he can't really write the numbers very well and gets frustrated, unless he practices them first. So I write the numerals 1-9 out with highlighter, and he traces them. Then he writes his own row. He enjoys that so I'll make the most of it!

LittleH#1 did the number doubles - 1 to 10 - said that he did them all by 'trick' (ie he knows them without adding them up) rather than 'cheat' (that's where you use any method to work out the answer). Rebranding calculations and calling it 'Trick or Cheat' last year got us out of a 'can't do it' rut. We haven't been back there with maths since, thank the Lord! I did feel it was Godly inspiration at the time and it certainly did the Trick...!

I found a number facts addition table on the computer so sent LittleH#1 to colour the doubles in, and that was good practice for using a table. LittleH#2 was frustrated because his column went out by one square (I gave him one but knew it was too hard but thought he could try it while I put Little Miss August 2009 to bed for a nap she was really desperate to sleep!). But anyway, we will do that together with a ruler another time.

I then set LittleHs#1 and 2 on measuring in centimeters from the Miquon book, and that was very successful. The tags for the writing of the measurements were fairly small but LittleH#2 did a great job, and that's really thanks to my mum's advice about practising the writing of numbers before actually beginning the maths.

While the older two did 'real' maths, LittleH#3 and I did some work with the laminated numeral cards I made last year. I have three coloured sets. He laid them out in order and we practised counting them with brain, mouth and finger going same speed. That still needs more work! His brain and mouth are far too quick...!!!

Finally by this time it was 11am and I decided on morning tea now that I can face food again and I grilled English muffins and we had them with peanut butter. After the weekend when LittleH#1 either shamed me or made me look good (I feel the first, but it was taken by everyone else to be the latter!) by calling a piece of cake a 'half of a quarter' I decided we need to learn 8ths. So we cut the muffins in half, grilled them and then I did mine gradually in to quarters and eighths. I have explained to the boys I don't expect them to remember it the first time (think I have mentioned eighths before anyway) but it is good to at least start to look at fractions a bit more in depth. There are some Miquon fraction pages where we have got up to in the Orange Book.

I need to make a decision about Miquon now, because LittleH#2 needs to start maths work properly, and the early pages were used up when we began homeschooling last year. I think you can get it as a download and then print the pages, but I am not sure whether that's the best way for me to get it or not. I do quite like flicking through and tearing the pages out. We'll see. The other option is Math-U-See but I am not sure whether to invest in it or not...

Anyway, as we ate our muffins I read them a chapter of Proverbs - they wanted me to read the chapter corresponding with the date. I have picked a proverb out of that for LittleH#1 to do some copywork but there wasn't a great deal suitable for that.

They've had a play outside and that takes us to lunchtime. We are back into maths at least, but somehow I need to begin to do English properly again. I have some resources intended for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory which LittleH#1 read in a few days last week so I think we may begin there...

Not bad so far for a sickday. Really hoping that I don't feel worse tomorrow because it's a big weekend ahead of us... Was supposed to be Spring cleaning this afternoon. We'll see...

Encouraging.

Just a little encouragement for me, today, when I need it.

Verse for the day on Bible Gateway just now as I have logged in is:

"I have chosen the way of truth. I have set my heart on your
laws."
Ps 119:30.

I suppose its my signature verse. Maybe a life verse. A personal one, rather than the ones we have for ourselves as a family.

Encouraging to see it today, on a day where I have really just felt like I need more from God, some sort of break through in my spiritual life; a kick start. Its a gentle encouragement and reminder to me. Maybe God is whispering to me. Not speaking loudly, or being 'obvious'. I need to sit still and hear the whisper. Good. I'll try that - less striving, more listening.

Surprise...!

Da Da.....!

Back. And almost in the saddle again too. That is the surprise. We are actually starting to find normality (only been back 3 weeks!) and have done two mornings of maths with some other things thrown in. Wow, that's good, it's only Tuesday!!!

Have photos to post of Scholastic Bliss but they are on LittleH#1's camera and I need to find the cable and work out how to get them onto the computer. Or better still, I will let him do it.

LittleH#2 is extremely keen and #3 is also showing signs of promise. We sat together yesterday and did a little maths cutting and sticking exercise. LittleH#2 did it alone and for him I really wanted the discipline of the cutting practice and following the instructions, the maths was easy. But LittleH#3 wants to do school a bit now too, so I cut his, and he did the counting with my help (counting aloud is faster than his finger, so we need some co-ordination there!) and he is bombproof now with number recognition. I know he's 3 1/2 but I still think that's good, and although I realised about 6 mths ago he knew his numbers pretty well we hadn't done anything about it, like work or anything!!!

We've made some new friends recently, and I have a few things up my sleeve for myself too - Christian fellowship with other HS mums (fantastic mix of ages of children, backgrounds, and probably homeschool styles) and also latest idea: craft circle - I want to make a Waldorf Doll for Little Miss August 2009. She's going to be 1 soon and I would like her to have it for her birthday. So far we are unspoilt for dolls (ie we have none). None, that is, because we had a tiny little plastic baby doll that was v cheap (sort of an unwanted gift) and it had a strange smell. I decided the chemicals were probably volatile and didn't want her to eat / inhale / play with those kinds of molecules...

Recently have had lots of hope that we are not alone, God is providing for us in

many ways, and we are in a new chapter. Will save that for next post, but hopefully come back to this one when I have a couple of photos to add...

H is for...Holiday!

That is, we are on one.

For many reasons it is not quite what we were expecting. But anyway, for now HouseofH has been turned upside down (probably that should be "the right way up") and we will be back at the end of June.

Its a bit AWOL-ish but busyness leading up to the trip and then family circumstances during (ie so far, and continuing) mean I haven't had time to post or really the opportunity.

So school is definitely "un" although I have made a mental note of the socialising LittleH#1 was engaging in on Sunday at a totally mad family party (at one point around 30 adults around) and I spotted the person he was talking to happily was a high up eduacation type person (retired but still scary) and I noticed how a child will talk happily and engagingly if they notice that a person is "open" to them. So it seems even high up education bods (or some of them) are happy still to converse with children and make themselves 'available'. Perhaps that means that even some educationalists still have good socialisation skills????! At least it means my children are developing theirs...

Anyway we are in another hemisphere (in more ways than one) and as always joy is mixed with sadness and I could refer to a plethora of scriptures but praying that joy will come in the morning and would appreciate other prayers likewise.

Domestic Science / Home economics?!

Well whichever of those 2 are more appropriate (can think of good reasons for either) it's not exactly Rocket Science. At least not in our house!

This morning we started back into Miquon with a little bit for everyone - even LittleH#3 did some geometry on a page requiring identification of squares and triangles and then a funny little picture of a man made out of shapes to colour in. That kept him busy for about 2 minutes and my 'village school' type idea of teaching everyone in the same room was good / interesting / still needs work but on the right track!

LittleH#1 had some multiplication pages to do, and I also tore some sequential work out for LittleH#2 as well as finding him some number handwriting pages for practice. Learningpage was the best in the end, but I also did some in orange highlighter for him to trace over. He got frustrated and was sad because his numbers don't look good on paper, and a lot came out backwards today for some reason. That hasn't happened for a while (he is left handed and has done more backwards writing than LittleH#1 did when he was starting out). I told him his head was ahead of his hand and that I know how frustrated he feels. I told him that he was really good at 'mental arithmetic' but that we need to work on 'writing maths' and am kicking myself for letting him do a year of letter writing practice as and when it was appropriate, but not having practised numbers in the same way. So a numberwriting crash course required. He's only 5, it doesn't matter, but he really wants to do maths and writing work so I need to have some 'handwriting time' organised as part of each day.

The multiplication went well for LittleH#1, and a few pennies dropped along the way. We discussed how you describe the sentences - 2 times 4, 2 lots of 4, 2 4's etc, and 4+4. In fact I am pleased that we got a lot out of a fairly simple page - that is what I like about Miquon - it isn't too prescriptive. I am also kicking myself for not buying the online version because LittleH#2 could have done that page as well, and wouldn't have had actually to write any numbers. Think I may well be downloading it later because I am trying to use the Orange Book for both of them and I randomly copy pages before I use them but I didnt do that from the start... I sound like I am in a muddle... I'm not, I'm just trying to save money on resources! For now we are sharing the book. LittleH#1 is further ahead in the book, and I left some of the early pages for LittleH#2 intentionally.

Following lunch (the strangest cheese on toast I have ever made - bacon, eggs, toast, peanut butter and honey on toast - spot the deliberate mistake - no cheese...) we had a lesson in first aid when LittleH#3 fell over and hit his head and nose on the floor. Nosebleed was quite distracting and it wasn't till I put him to bed I saw the bump. LittleH#1 was very good - brought me the frozen peas and teatowel, phone (for moral support!) and then picked up the runaway peas when the drama was over. Lots of good pea jokes and the boys are getting very good at making puns. Need to teach them some other literary devices but for now that one is keeping us very amused. Better than the joke book LittleH#1 is reading. Maybe a school project might be for him to write some of his own jokes down?

I was very pleased with LittleH#1's emergency situation response - something that is a goal for us this year actually.

Currently the home ec project is in the oven. We have jokingly called it Domestic Science (because they like science so I gave the kitchen some Importance in our school!). Today's 'lesson' was a mix (ha, get it?!) of both. We had to 'make' some ingredients before we could make the cake.

• Had no vegetable oil. Needed 100mls. So I 'tested' with LittleH#1 whether 100g of margarine will make 100ml of oil - it just about did. Not sure either measurement was THAT scientific but it did the job.
• Had no caster sugar. Did something I have wanted to try for a while. We put the raw sugar in the blender and made caster sugar. Apparently if you keep going you can make icing sugar. I do believe that. I think ours was a halfway house between caster and icing.

So we have learned how to be economical with what we have got, how to make oil from solid margarine, reinforcing what we know already about 'matter'. As well as how to cook.

Next stop: walk to the shops. I think we will continue with 'tables walking' as really that is the next landmark I want to get to - learning a few of our tables.

In the meantime LittleH's 1 & 2 have been teaching themselves geography with the Leapfrog globe. Reporting exciting things to me as I wash up the dishes and now they are drawing flags. LittleH#2 just showed me the Libyan one he's just drawn. They began looking at continents and discussing volcanoes / islands made from volcanoes / funny names they'd never heard of before. I must record all this 'extra' / natural learning because it makes a very interesting picture overall when I look back, as we have for the review. I really do see these extra 'learnings' as God's provision to us as a family - his provision in the form of their learning.

Registration...Moderation...

Well we have come up to our first Registration review!!!! Blog's been a bit quiet for that reason as have other things because, hey, we've been doing a bit of ' real life' (and enjoying it!) and also tidying papers (they were in pretty good order but we wanted to knock the year on the head in order!) and preparing for The Review. Thankfully it was with Sally Robbins (I don't know if she currently has anyone else working with her) and we saw her last year for the original registration so I didn't expect any surprises.

It was great (though a bit rushed in the end, having spent all last week ill when I was thinking of getting the review ready that week) going through all LittleH#1's work and remembering and summarising in report form the year's work. I'd had the bright idea of bringing the review forward so that we can get it done before we go to England in 2 weeks. (2 Weeks!!!!!!!!!).

The Report I prepared was longer than you are probably expected to do and I prefaced sitting Sally down with a cup of tea with an apology as to length and I think I said I am incapable of writing anything short. (Are you feeling that?). She was actually really pleased with the detail, it helps her with her job, because she has to write a 4 page report on us and it saves her having to tease out the information that she needs so that she can write it all. A fun job at times, I am getting the impression.

Oh it was such a wonderful meeting. LittleH#1 was there (the others were all accounted for, asleep / quietly reading etc!) and he sat through the whole meeting and played a good part in it too. She took time out from reading it every now and again to say "Oh, you went to xxxxxx did you?" and then he told her a bit about it, or found something in his folder to show her.

We were so encouraged. Matthew was there for most of the meeting too so that was brilliant and he talked a bit about some of the things he has done with the boys. She said we have had a very good first year, and lots of other complimentary things. I am not saying this to boast - actually I am really just wanting to share how encouraged we were from the meeting. Sometimes it is hard to see the wood from the trees. In the midst of a difficult day, week, or season, or just having had a baby, I have wondered whether we are doing the right thing by the children, whether we have achieved anything good and what on earth the review would look like. I have worked out some things:

We are saving more time than we realise by learning at home.

The extra distractions that teachers have in the classroom cannot be underestimated - crowd control, constraints of curriculum and protocol, timetabling, etc.

When we do a big project, like volcanoes (the only one I have blogged on so that's the best example) the work is more intense than I realise.

We work longer days than is necessary for home educating, for the above reasons. I like that. It gives us freedom to have a bad day, an 'unschool day' or just go shopping and do school out of the house like the day we played 'Phonics Detectives' at Tea Tree Plaza while I bought some essential items, whatever they were.

I had thought our school day (being, maybe unusually for homeschooling, but it works for us) say around 9 -4 or something was long because I allow for play periods, sleeps (some or all of us) and maybe taking longer to get dressed than we might otherwise, housework etc. Actually we are getting more than I thought done during that time. But I can't see that when I am in the middle of it, I see it now I have summarised and looked at what we have produced this year.

Oh they are a few random thoughts but it gives me more confidence, and maybe the difficult wading-through-treacle-learning days will be less worrying as we move ahead because I know the bigger picture is a little different. I am having the perfectionist smoothed out of me (it's a gentle refining process, largely, rather than a chip-chip one) and I can be a little more gentle perhaps with the perfectionist child(ren) that I appear to have given birth to.

I need to have some free time now (we are about to watch a film we have diligently put off till the registration thing was finished) but I will come back and post again about what I really think about registration, how my views on it have changed, and for now, (while we are in Australia and whilst it looks nothing like the draconian measures being threatened in the UK) why it feels like a good thing. In Moderation. Ha ha.

Mount St H...

We had an eruption of Mount St H finally! I am ashamed to say it was the 4th May and I haven't had a chance to announce the details yet, or share the photos. Little Miss H enjoyed the drama as much as the boys, and we have kept the model village (and the volcano) for a future eruption. I suppose that means the volcano is currently inactive, or resting, or something.

I know, what a fantastic filming that was. I'll stick to my day job.

The volcano work continues, LittleH#1 is making a volcano shaped fact book, and I will decide whether we are actually going to go the full way to making it into a lapbook display of his work, or whether to just leave it in his folder. I think possibly just the Learning Story folder this time because there is a whole section in there of stuff we have read, and things they have drawn, so I don't want to take stuff out for a lapbook and have it all over the place. He's just as happy to get his folder out and show people anyway.

In sickness and in homeschool...

The wheel really came off this week when I was ill! I lost my voice on the weekend and so have been practising 'parenting without voice' (God has a sense of humour) and schooling without teacher!! Ha ha. Actually Matthew has been around (he had to stay at home for his own health at the beginning of the week, and then I have been incredibly ill for 2 days with mastitis so he had to stay at home as much of yesterday as possible, and then all of today). Of course Matthew is the teacher too (the Biblical homeschoolers say he is Principal of our Homeschool - I do agree with that but I don't think we are as Biblical as them in other ways). Seeing as this blog is fairly new (although not widely read!) I will stay away from *Biblical* controversy for now. :)

So school has been a very natural thing recently! They made a volcano village, it finally erupted on Tuesday (separate post to come about that) and have done various other things.

Good opportunity arose yesterday when Grandma visited and had her magic reading tests in her bag. I don't really care too much for diagnostic-thingys but I can say that because so far whenever we've done one it has been really encouraging. I will say here what the results are (and what they were last August).

Little H#1 is 7 years 5mths old. Waddington Reading Comprehension Test 2: 10 yrs 6 mths, Burt Word recognition reading test: 10 years 11 months, Spelling age 10.2. (August he was Reading Comprehension: 9 yrs 7mths, Word recogntion 9yrs 11mths, Spelling age 9yrs).

Little H#2 is 5 years 2mths old. Waddington Reading Comprehension Test 2: 8yrs 4 mths, Word recognition reading test: 8 yrs 1mth. I spared him the ordeal of a spelling test because we are still beginning writing and he is keen but I don't want to push it. He enjoyed the reading tests though. (Last August his Waddington Reading Comprehension Test 1 was 6yrs 1 mth (at the age of 4 yrs 5 mths).

Very encouraging and a fine day's work for them when I was able to do absolutely nothing myself and was glad of the extra pair of hands for a few hours.

I have to say though, that being so ill (though it rarely happens) seems worse when we are homeschooling. In reality though I have more helpers at home, we don't have a school run and They. Can. Still. Learn.

I forgot to mention that yesterday morning Little H#1 had a craft project in mind (he thinks a lot and reads in his room before we know he is awake a lot of the time) and he drew a jungle picture and tore up bits of different coloured paper to make a kind of mosaic collage. It was a family affair and his brother did it too. They just did it together with a little Daddy help in the drawing stages. This morning before I had braved even calling it morning he came into our room fully dressed and announced he had finished his maths in the playroom. They have a table in there we tend to work together on now, and I haven't cleared it in a few days and put the schoolwork back on the shelf. That was a definite high to start the day.

They ended the day with a Daddy and boys' adventure out to Waterfall Gully after Little H#2's and 3's sleep, and #1's 'reading in cubby' time. I was finally able to stand and cooked the tea and just enjoyed the baby for a bit.

That's how sickness and homeschool have looked in our house recently. Writing it down is good, it helps me to see the light that what we are doing is ok, and works even when it isn't Working.

The Volcano is still growing.

The project continues.

We got some volcano books from the library last week, one turned out to be not suitable for the boys although educating for me.

We haven't done any more written work but today while I went with Little Miss to the dr, Matthew and the boys made a model village in which to place the volcano (he'd been threatening to do this craft with them before but I just wanted to erupt the volcano and be done with it). They all worked really nicely on it together, including cutting, drawing, paddlepop sticks (gradually I begin to use Australianisms), matchsticks, glue gun and food processor packaging. They are really pleased with their result. Rightly so I think.

They decided that their model was of an Icelandic village. We asked them how they thought we might show it was in Iceland. Little H's 1&2 thought we should have a flag on the model. We have a world map with all of the flags of the world around the edge in the Playroom, so they ran in there and came back describing the flag. They set to making a flag each, and Little H#1's went on the bridge. We have had a number of uses for that map and it is at child height. They freely go and study it, and talk about it with each other. Oh I love homeschooling when I hear those comversations! Already they have a better understanding and knowledge of the world map than I do. Somehow I managed to get an A at A Level Geography without having ever needed to know much about the globe. I suppose its all about syllabus but we can't get away with that sort of ignorance, it'll give learning at home a bad name. I am getting better now we are all learning together.

Here are the pictures:

Little H's 1 & 2 have been predicting where the lava will flow, which houses and buildings will be reached first. We all discussed why people live near volcanoes. I also explained to them what makes a natural phenomenon a natural 'disaster'. We will investigate settlements near volcanoes next, I think.

I'm getting the hang of putting in the pictures. Never know, if I can get it right (and of course if it works!) we may even be able to upload the film of the eruption. There's no day and time. It'll be a surprise.

Our Unschooling Accent

I think we have a little of an 'unschooling accent' in our learning together at H Corner. I read a blog recently where someone had had an 'unschooling week' and decided they would do it once in a while. I realised that we tend to be that way on Fridays. However probably due to recent circumstances - like various illnesses in the house - we have been learning with a stronger unschooling accent than usual recently.

I think like most accents we have picked it up and it has grown a bit stronger as we have gone on. I am not prepared to ditch a learning plan for the year completely, and still want to plan ahead and have topics we will cover (my accent hasn't yet developed to using words like "unit studies" - I am quite happy with "topics" for now...!).

I will also have a maths scheme that I am basing our maths on (haven't dropped the 's' yet either - and don't plan to). I am changing tack on English (ok I might be calling that Language Arts now) and am going over to First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise.

I don't mind stopping to admire the view or to take a little detour on the way though. Or just take a breather because we can.

I don't really see the point for our particular gaggle of learners if we are not doing things this way. We have an amazing opportunity and privilege to learn this way and it is beneficial not only to LittleH#1 but for the other three, and Matthew and me as well.

I was going to declare Fridays Natural Learning days, or Unschool Days, or whatever. Fridays will perhaps be a dying breed in this house although currently they are my "Life of Riley" days because Matthew is at home on Fridays (for now) so there is a 'whole family' opportunity - which rarely involves the 'ordinary' learning that we do on other days.

I may still do that, call Fridays something special, but recently the Natural Learning (sounds better than "Unschooling") has spilled out into other days too and we have had some great opportunities for conversation and, well, natural learning!

We joined a new library last Wednesday and on the way LittleH#1 began a conversation about law and politics. He checked with me who was in charge of the Police, we discussed who makes the laws that the Police enforce, the Government, Parliament, elections, MPs... and then he pointed out some MP signs on the way to the Library. I quite often don't drive with music on when we are in the car because we are talking about something like that.

We picked up a number of books - the children's non-fiction was fantastic. Volcanoes and weather were the main ones. We still need to do some more on our weather topic - the science club we had joined for that turned out in the end to be a bit disappointing but we were interested enough to want to keep on and will do more ourselves. They have pored over those books, LittleH#2 is cutting his reading teeth on them and wow, he's coming on so well. There were some other stories we came home with, and all in all - a successful trip and I am not sure if we will wait the planned 2 weeks to return.

So we haven't exactly been "Reading, wRiting and aRithmeticking" but nevertheless, good progress and good learning this last week.

I suppose the word that sums it all up is Eclectic.

Wombat's Worldwide Walkabout.

I had a little idea a few weeks ago, that has turned into a bigger project. (Don't they always?). So I have started another blog, under an alter ego (Diggory Wombat). http://wombatswalkabout.blogspot.com/
Wombat's Worldwide Walkabout.

The idea is that our Wombat handpuppet is posted to various friends, and friends of friends. They take him on a little outing, take photos and update the blog. They send us a postcard from Diggory and then post him to the next person. Complete with passport. Eventually he will arrive home with a rather black carbon footprint I should imagine.

For various reasons the blogs remain unlinked, so I am just linking to that one from this, and not vice versa.

As for the volcanoes we are still going on those but a bit slower than planned due to illnesses. Kind of on the back burner, but smouldering no less.

Hubbard's Cupboard...

H does not stand for Hubbard. Honestly.

Last night LittleH#2 had a raging temperature and put himself to bed at 6pm. 2 lots of meds later it was lower and he had a full night's sleep. Combined with that and scouts (for Matthew aka 'Bandicoot' and our Joey LittleH#1), the hoped-for trip across the road to Foodland didn't happen. Temperature high again this morning, doctors' appt fixed for later. Cool calm and collected I have explained to LittleH that he has a high temp because sore throats always do that, let's see if your throat is red... bingo.

Anyway, so the temp has been and gone and come back again - paracetamol not touching it (think Australians prefer to use the word 'fever' but I find that a little melodramatic, but yes, it is actually a fever) but ibuprofen on TOP of paracetamol not too bad.

School in the midst of this is not quite as planned, but actually LittleH#1 has done a fantastic bit of writing for me from a volcanic writing prompt thingy I found somewhere on the internet and had planned for doing with a few other activities today we now haven't done. Still, we are making up a nice little volcanic portfolio. This piece of writing is a landmark (particularly as it is brilliant after initial extreme reluctance once he realised I meant write not type).

Anyway. No shopping. No babysitter for shopping or delivery driver able to bring supplies. Doctors appointment at teatime. When I got there the cupboard was bare... or so I thought.

Lunch: found English muffins and the boys had ham and cheddar, I had ham and brie. We had rocket on the side or inside, or both, depending on the individual requirements. Most had inside, one had inside then took it out and didn't actually want it, I had both...

Tea: Whilst 3 asleep and 1 working, I have made pea, potato and ham soup. Not only that but thanks to the Flylady kitchen we thought we ought to wake up to this morning, I realised I had time and space to make something to go with the soup. (Besides the home made bread...). So I am rooting around in the cupboard wondering whether there's any plain flour for the egg free fairy cake recipe that I have decided to use in experimental fashion to make syrup sponge pudding (Tate & Lyle syrup, no less) and I find a White Wings lemon cheesecake promising 15 mins preparation time shoved right to the back, waiting for suitable occasion.

Not exactly a bare cupboard, hey?! Even Matthew made a muffin to take to work this morning so he hasn't had to buy lunch.

You can actually sometimes eat very well on a 'bare cupboard'.

Oh I forgot to mention that while I was in the doldrums this morning about having no fresh fruit and veg to give them - I remembered frozen raspberries and made my own concoction of raspberry milkshake - not rocket science is it - rasps, as much as I could break off the solid block - milk, much as I dared, and spoon of honey after initial taste revealed that they probably wouldn't be as keen once they'd tasted it unless some sort of sugar went in.

I was booking Joyce for this afternoon, I knew I needed a good talking to and was going to watch a podcast in the kitchen while I made tea for later. Didn't really need her though - if I already know I need a good talking to, then I can pretty much pull my socks up without a great deal of difficulty.

I am sure that those bags of groceries I fantasise arriving mysteriously on the doorstep on a day which might otherwise look like this one, could in theory arrive some day. God knows today I didn't need it (or much else), and we seem to be managing pretty well under our own steam after all.

I will repent of my doldrums, and we will definitely praise God for his provision tonight when we eat our tea...

Volcanoes...

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano 2010

Today we started a topic on volcanoes! The opportunity is too good to miss and we have so much available at the moment from which to learn and use.

So we started the day by watching this BBC Animated Guide to Volcanoes. I explained each slide to the boys and their understanding and interest was so encouraging.

After that they sat down to read with me a sheet of information I found on the internet and pasted into Word to make a 'worksheet'. They love it when we make worksheets up for them ourselves, particularly science ones. This was read aloud by LittleH#1 and me, and LittleH#2 did a fantastic job of reading a paragraph too. His reading is really coming on.

The worksheet had a colour labelled diagram, and I also found on the same site a colouring sheet of the same diagram so they coloured it in exactly the same as the first picture, getting all the colours exactly right. Of course during the colouring there was talking about the subject, the terminology, they pointed out interesting features to each other and to me as they worked. LittleH#3 also had a colouring sheet and did a lovely colourful job of his too. He is also keeping within the lines with the colours more, but chose to do the lava green, so his was still very '3' !!

I read through the Psalms this morning before we began our day - I was sure there were volcano references in the Psalms but instead of cheating with Google I decided to sit and read a 'real' Bible to find a good reference. Psalm 18 was just the job! I loved this description of a volcano (and more) and thought it was perfect to read to the boys, although I started at the beginning of the Psalm and we discussed the context:

7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

Psalm 18:7-15

We read it a few times and we all enjoyed the imagery. I need to do more research on this Psalm, and we will look at it again. I have earmarked for myself the comparison with the Roman god, Vulcan, after whom volcanoes are named - the boys have learned the origin of the name today. The worksheet explained the name for them.

I explained to the boys about the plates on the earth's crust - we looked at a diagram of that on the BBC slideshow. I told them that the plates fitted together a bit like a jigsaw, and they understood it well. This really helped them to understand why the volcanoes erupt, and of course we will also get to earthquakes - not least because in the last 2 years we have had 2 earthquakes - one in Norwich in 2008 and the other last Friday here in Adelaide. Unfortunately for homeschool, but fortunately for the family, the boys slept through both!!

I also found them a map of the world showing the different plates, and they coloured one in each. I told them about the 'ring of fire'. We looked at satellite images of the ash cloud, and tracked its path. Good opportunity to remind them about satellite use for the images too. :)

This afternoon, LittleH#1, under my supervision (but very little help) made the plaster of paris volcano that he had for a late birthday present last month. What fantastic timing and perfect for this week.

Here are some photos of the 'making':

Above: The mould was really good, it even came with 2 elastic bands and a groove for them to fit in to hold it securely, and right, LittleH#1 poured in the water and had a good go at mixing it. I finished off the job and we poured it in to set.

Tomorrow he will paint it, the day after that it will be erupting...

Below: Proud boy did well!

After that, I set him reading to himself an article I found on the Guardian UK website Floods and rotten eggs... It was great. Kept him ensconsed for a nice independent reading time. The best part of it was when he came to find me and told me about what he had read, in his own words, without any prompting. It was a good account, his reading comprehension was excellent, and it was an article for a broadsheet newspaper (rather than a rag with a reading age of 8 or 9! :)

At teatime they all (including, sweet boy, LittleH#3!) explained to Daddy what they remembered from the day (which we had also discussed over lunch) and their new facts about volcanoes. We were both very impressed with their understanding and interest.

For bedtime, instead of a story, they sat on the sofa with Daddy in their PJs looking through his Iceland trip photo album, talking about the landscape, the volcanoes and other features, and then some 'hands on' feeling of the solid 'froth' (not lava, or pumice, apparently!) he brought back with him.

Voilla. Did today more than I expected but plan to start lapbook tomorrow with Little H#s 1 & 2 and some painting of Mount? What shall we call it? Mount H, I suppose. Or Mount St H!!!!

What we are doing with our days 'off'

This is our Easter break. It is more than that. I am wanting to make sure we do have a real break from school work because we really haven't had one since we began homeschooling last year - around this time or just before.

The boys are keen to get back into work. I don't really want to do that because I need the break even if they don't [think they do]. Actually I do think they need it as well.

So we are pottering, seeing friends and family, shopping for this and that, including today at the charity shop looking for second hand books, and also the second hand book dealer next door.

They are learning all the time. They have questions about everything. I am so glad they have questions about everything. I can categorise some of the conversations we have had recently into the following headings:

Understanding of continuing sin, repentance and forgiveness - Little H#1's comments and observations in that regard were extremely profound.
Pride
Media Studies / Advertising
Economics
Motor Mechanics
Film making / animation
Difference in climactic conditions, decomposition etc

I am sure that many many children are learning these things all of the time, and not all of them are homeschooled. The difference for me, though, is that I am thinking differently than I otherwise would. The proverbial 'teachable moments' are never lost. I have the privilege of a window on their thoughts. the opportunity to help them develop those thoughts and learn something more. We come back to these conversations later, they add bits, and I am just amazed by the way that children learn. More than that though I am amazed by what I am learning as a parent who is now prepared to listen to the endless questions, build on them, marvel at their learning methods and be prepared to admit what I don't know (but I know a search engine who does...)

Some holiday. Ha ha. A change is as good as a holiday... (my mum always says!)

Before I was a Mother I didn't know that...

How does one complete that sentence? My list of practical tasks I could have before not even have thought of, definitely not aspired to be able to do, let alone do on a daily basis is endless. I wont ruin this blog entry by sharing those here, because I want to share the thought that I finally came down on as I sat at the table for my allotted 2 mins of porridge eating time before getting dressed, cleaning the kitchen, starting the washing machine and
those basic tasks essential before the baby wakes up...

So here is my Before I was a Mother:

Before I was a Mother I didn't know that I could be myself, explore who God created me to be and having finally found it, realise that is who I am - therefore, finding my independence, rejecting expectations of who I should be and slowly realising that I have never truly been ME before now. Not that I couldn't be without children, just that for me that is when it has occurred. Not only finding out who ME is, actually discovering that other people would love or like that person, respect her, and not least of those people myself.

I no longer have to create a 'front' hiding ME from others, I have enough confidence to allow anyone I meet to know who I really am and because I now like this person (ME) too, others' opinions, like/dislike, respect or otherwise affects me very little. I have learned to accept and truly say "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps 139:14).

So its only taken 34 years and around 7 years of motherhood to get to this point, but without the opportunity to carry out full time this God-ordained. lifelong work that is raising His future generation of workers and ambassadors for Christ, I would not have had the opportunity to take stock of what He wants for me, and I would still be on the conveyorbelt of professional ambition, always feeling inadquate and not as good as the person sitting next to me who got the promotion before me, and being underpaid for what I did, persecuted for my faith and trying to make (for me) two incompatible jigsaw pieces fit together.

Standing Firm

We have been rudely awakened to the fact that there are certain things in our life at the moment that honour God but that put us in the enemy's firing line for attack. We are not as prepared as we should be. Sometimes I wonder whether we will ever learn to be ready and prepared for these moments, which quite definitely exist and are not the result of an overactive imagination.

I sent an SOS message to a forum friend I saw online when I was panicking because we were under direct spiritual attack (in the form of an extremely critical and attacking telephone call) and desperately needed someone else to pray. That one prayer from that one person... was extremely powerful and most definitely answered. That person was also God's provision for me - she perfectly understood the need and prayed exactly right without me having said a great deal. I couldn't have messaged just anyone with that need, so was blessed by the timing.

I don't know why sometimes our own prayers are 'not enough' but sometimes that is the case. (When I say 'our', or 'we' I am referring to the House of H, by the way, not generalising for everyone). Sometimes I want to ask for prayer on a subject not necessarily (ie most of the time not) a spiritual attack, but I am unable to get in touch with anyone or just do feel it is not something God wants me to ask others to pray about, because our own prayers will be 'enough' and He wants us to go straight to Him rather than asking for others' to help us pray about it. Some discernment needed in that area, but last night was a definite attack and we were not big enough by ourselves. It was a strong specific spirit that came against us through someone else. Not one we feel we need to 'cast out' or do anything like that, but it is one we recognise from the specific pattern, the people it uses, and just need help standing firm against.

That makes me sound like a total spiritual looney, but I am not, we don't rebuke spirits of this and that, and have read enough to believe that there is something in our discernment of this one that is right, and we will leave it well alone.

I do think that it is possible for us to recognise areas where we are usually attacked - the things that satan goes for. There are 2 or 3 that spring to mind for me for us, and it is not a coincidence when these things happen. We also notice that there are certain areas in which we have ministry (with a small 'm') and because they encroach on enemy ground in differing degrees - we can usually expect attack when we are ministering in those directions.

So last night did not come as a surprise, but I also think that we had not properly protected ourselves by 'standing firm' in the proper way. When we don't keep up our spiritual disciplines of praying, reading the Bible, worshipping God to the extent we should, or when we start getting back on track and doing those things we can find ourselves exposed.

This scripture comes to mind:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

It is Biblical to expect that satan will be prowling and looking for our weak points. When we work on those weak points I think he tests us and tempts us back to old habits. If we are trying to seek unity in an area, he will tempt us with conflict. It's not rocket science and sometimes it is so obvious and not clever. Sometimes he is cleverer. Maybe it depends how 'mature' we are in that particular area. I think we can have different levels of maturity within our own walk. New things God is showing us, refining, wanting us to work on. Other things we have worked on for longer, achieved some success - the attacks on these I find are more sophisticated, not easily detectable at first, more like the enemy sneaking in through the side door as opposed to us leaving the front door open for him to wander in and be easily spotted.

There are a few things recently that have been changing for us, particularly since Easter, that I have noticed satan tempting me to go back to old habits, tempting me to do exactly what I have resolved not to do. Other areas where I feel I can see we have made headway into a plan God has for us, and the aspect of that plan that I notice we have victory over the doubts and criticisms in our own mind and stemming from others, has morphed into an attack specifically on another aspect of it.

I am realising that because there are patterns and similarities for us, both in terms of the areas attacked, the effect the enemy is trying to achieve, and what our response to it must be (and also the ministry that has prompted the attack) that journalling is one way that we can keep track and possibly be cleverer both in our anticipation and response. I also realise that we need to protect ourself more by getting into new and better family Bible and prayer habits. Also personal ones.

I realise that as Christians we can use different terminology for what may be the same experiences. Perhaps it doesn't matter, its like different church families having different theology but the effect can sometimes be the same. Not in all circumstances, but some. However we can't escape the fact as Christians that satan hates unity, hates life, hates all things that lead to God. Our response must be to take that seriously. Not by rebuking everything in sight but by fellowshipping with other Christians, staying accountable, and serving God where he puts us. By seeking God in all things and praying for wisdom and discernment in times of trial.

Not all hardship is from satan. Sometimes it is. That can include physical illness as well as family conflicts etc. That is why we need to be discerning and wise. Where there are particular things that we do which provoke spiritual attack as we have found I think it is helpful to identify those areas and those times, and pray about how we can protect ourselves and prepare for it.

There is a difference between standing firm and fighting. We are called to stand firm in our spiritual armour, not go out looking for a battle.

Holiday Club Phonics: Taking the 'I' out of 'Me'

Ha ha. So, my new fitness / headspace / soon-to-fail morning routine now involves a 15 minute brisk walk by myself with LittleH#4 in the pushchair while Matthew makes the breakfast. I will keep it up as long as I can for the headspace (and have realised I don't need to feel guilty for a 15 minute escape from the house at the start of the day, because I don't get to escape for the rest of it, do I?!). Although I am sad to say that after a quick search on the net I discover in terms of fitness, 15 mins a day isn't going to get me anywhere fast.

The irony of the walk, today, is perfect. I like Joyce Meyer's phonics - she was talking to me as I walked about taking the 'I' out of 'Me'. I don't think LEM's 2 sounds for 'e' include that sound, but my 'Me' still does I am afraid! I have long realised God is teaching me about the death of self. A slow painful death, isn't it? Some days I do ok, but of course on the day I start with a brisk walk and teaching on the subject, I spend the rest of the day feeling inconvenienced, tired, stressy and not at all selfless!

The best part of today's lesson was realising I can link to Bible Gateway's verse of the day on the side bar of the blog. What's the verse for today? Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ........" I can't read those words without singing the whole passage thanks to Colin Buchanan, so perhaps I will hum it as I walk tomorrow after I have listened to Part 2 of the Joyce Meyer phonics talk.

The Homeschool Cupboards...

Here are the pictures. I am really pleased with them, and the boys were a little impressed this morning too. LittleH#1 even found something in one of his books that he thought he'd lost - a little press out Mercury for a solar system he hasn't finished making yet... he thought he'd lost the planet but now we can complete the model. As an aside, we made a fantastic Space lapbook a few weeks ago - my idea of a nice neat little 'putting a topic to bed' kind of thing. However, our attention span for the Solar System seems to rival infinity itself. I am not fighting it too hard. I am learning more and more from it myself!

The cupboards - before, during and after:







Slight matter of white drawers to the left also needing to be weeded and, brainwave - labelled, but apart from that a 100% improvement. You will just have to imagine the insides of the cupboards - neat shelves, equipment sorted by category - maths supplies, phonics and word cards, duplo letter and number tiles, craft materials...

It's the truth, but Matthew took the final photos and unfortunately didn't think to photograph the perfectly sorted cupboad insides. Never mind! I already said it wasn't a perfectly serene and inspiring homeschooling blog, and I am not going to close up on beautiful objects strategically and artistically placed on shelves. I think they always look wonderful but you would have to know what you were doing first. I will leave that to the experts.

Spring Cleaning. In Autumn.

At least I think it's Autumn, I haven't got used to the order of seasons here yet. I can't help myself calling it spring cleaning. Anyway, what it means is that I am reorgansing the school shelves. With a view to planning the rest of the year.

It is a year since we began educating at home and I am still struggling with terminology - do I want to call it homeschooling, home educating, school work, book work...?

So for the sake of argument (and secure in the knowledge we moved away from the idea of 'school at home' even before we moved out of the school) I find it easier for now to use the 'school' based words and education creeps in every now and again.

One would hope education crept in every now and again, I suppose.

So as well as struggling with terminology, I am also struggling with organisation and am re-organising the shelves and cupboards again to make the most of the space I have, and also to home the supplies and materials that have multiplied over the course of the year. Also to make room for the fair bit of work we have produced, before it goes to the Pool Room. Currently the Pool Room is just a drawer in the bottom of a chest of drawers we brought from England but we need a more organised and bigger Pool Room now that the number of children, learners and beautiful pieces of work worthy of the Pool Room have increased.

One thing that this blog is not going to be, is a place to come and draw serene inspiration for perfect schoolness. But it might give someone else like me confidence, ideas, and satisfaction that their house (and school shelves) isn't as bad as they once might have thought.

I have taken a 'before' photo. I will take a 'during' and sometime later this week, even an 'after' photo might appear.

We are currently on 'holiday' from school after not taking many breaks at all this year. We kept up some sort of school the entire year to allow for getting LittleH#1 back where I want him to be (post school - grrrrrr), and to allow for the time we would lose when LittleH#4 was born. I am amazed that we have done so well, all things considered, so before I burn out and it all falls over, I am having a break to reorganise and plan ahead for our next year.

Currently my school year runs to March, it seems. I will plan ahead to December so we can realign ourselves a bit. We might even get a summer break!

I told the children we are on 'holiday' from school. LittleH#2 asked if we can do work tomorrow. So it looks like I am running a Holiday Club as well.