Chillin' With My Crew

There was no sleeping in for me this morning. Four fifty am my alarm rocks it out with Pink singing 'Funhouse' at top notch and if I ignore her she'll only be back in five minutes. This is the fourth week of my new get fit lifestyle change and four fifty am is rapidly becoming my new rising time. Rising early is perfect for getting to the gym or going for a run (read that as walk/ slow run - but I'm building up to it!) and I'm finding that I can even ride to the gym and be home a little after half six in plenty of time to say 'Hi Mr E!', before he leaves for work. Unfortunately if I skip out and think I'll go to the gym in the evening it rarely happens, so morning is best.

So with an exercise regime once more becoming a good part of my lifestyle, I'm feeling pretty positive about lessons starting up again this week. Healthy body, healthy mind definitely goes hand in hand for me. I'm less likely to get down, be moody and grumpy and pick fights with Mr E - he does Muay Thai so it's not like I'm even getting an equal opponent really.

I guess the only other big things happening for us are the beginning of music lessons for me again and our boys should be starting Scouts sometime soon (broke anybody? Kinda!). This year we have swimming and Scouts for both our boys and Kids Muay Thai for Kookaburra, and we hope to begin volunteering at the Sanctuary in the next few weeks. Oh and the occasional morning in the park for Tai Chi. I've been worried about over-scheduling because I also want our local homeschoolers to get together once a month for a play, craft and games with plans for an eventual co-op (maybe) and get Kookaburra and his mate together one morning a week to work on a project together.

Oh well, one day at a time and there is always the option of pulling out if something becomes too much.

Whilst our little town is busy filling out the last of their school lists I got to pick up a few needed supplies for our little homeschool. The most exciting purchases have been two age targeted tennis rackets, high vis tennis balls, hula hoops, markers, Frisbees and a little rounder cricket set. These are all to get us out of the house for our new Physical Education program. We'll be using Anne Elliot's Homeschool P.E. (...for the P.E. Challenged Mom) and The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book. If this all goes well I'll begin to incorporate Cross Fit Kids which is wonderfully completely free.

As always our boys have been carrying out their own little plans here at home. Here's a glimpse....

Apparently it's never too early on a Saturday morning to play the clarinet.

And when one begins the other must follow. So loud!!! Then they went out to a Bunnings Kids Workshop for some Dadda time and came home with cool little flags for Australia Day on Wednesday. The rest of the day was passed in their experimental ice bath (what didn't they freeze! and the mess in my chest freezer will need defrosting and cleaning :) I think two little boys will be giving me a hand) bike rides, and a chillin' arvo watching TV with Dadda taking in Charley Boorman's 'Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo by any Means'. Absolutely recommend but as always, watching with a parent is best so we can skip anything not appropriate which was very little.

Only a sampling of what they froze :D!

The State Emergency Services Lego vehicle was ready in case anybody needed rescuing. Judging by all the cars frozen at the bottom of the bath tub, they may need to improve on picking up distress cues.

Today my house is a disaster zone but I'm willing to ignore it in the name of fun and family. Hard life hey?! I'm sure I'll get to it soon and the thing is, housework will always be there but my family as they are, right now, at this moment, won't be. So I'm going to catch this precious time with all my men and take in a trip to a little out of the way beach to collect cuttlefish for Hermes and refresh our shell supplies.

And it's a beautiful day out there so I'll say see ya later and whatever you do I hope you and yours have an awesome Sunday chillin' with your crew :D!

Lucky

Kangaroo wanted to be a horse yesterday :) So we covered him
in body paint and gave him little white hoofs, a star and a patch.

Lucky to have escaped Queenslands' Flooding Disaster intact, unscathed, sheltered and protected.

Drawing constantly at the moment and developing beautifully.
Depth, perspective and technical. It has been very
interesting to watch.

Lucky that our biggest fear has been a shortage of fuel, food and supplies as our communities have become isolated due to our roads being cut by flood waters.

His 'Fierce Face' cracks me up!
After watching Little House On The Prairie today,
our boys played Indians happily up a tree for an hour or so.

Lucky and Thankful that my family and friends are safe.

Embracing the theme enthusiastically :)

Lucky that as we are able to, I know we'll give what we can to help rebuild our community and our state. Financial or a hand in the work of cleaning up.

Lucky that our boys were pint size witnesses to our community at work providing for those who momentarily cannot. They see our hardworking Emergency Services as important and are in awe and inspired by them. They respect the work they do.

Lucky that life for us has gone on relatively as normal. So sad and heartbroken that this isn't so for everyone affected by the flooding.

Please pray for our lucky country. That we will rebuild and be strengthened. That those who have lost will find comfort and will not despair.

Thankyou to ecoMILF for the links :)

Rockets with The Fantastic Mr E

You'll need:

:) bicarb soda

:) white vinegar

:) sticky tape

:) a tube like the berocca tubes we used with a snap on lid is great or try an empty milk bottle


Instructions:

:) Place about a teaspoon of bicarb soda into the clean, dry lid of the container you're using.

:) Loosely place sticky tape over the contents and secure at the back of the lid, this is so the contents can slowly mix with the vinegar giving you time to place the tube upside down securely and get some distance between the rocket and yourself.

:) Half fill the tube with white vinegar.

:) Secure the lid to the tube and place on the ground upside down allowing the vinegar to slowly react with the bicarb soda.

:) Take another sweet shot of Dada showing Kangaroo.

:) And... well... remember to move fast to get some room between you and the rocket and be prepared to experiment with the mixture ratio and definitely wear glasses for eye protection because these rockets really got some height.

:) Try various other containers and mess with the bicarb soda and vinegar ratio until you get


an awesome explosion like this!!!!!

:) Make sure all pets are well back and feeling pretty cool about the proceedings!

The Fantastic Mr E introduced these simple rockets to our boys over his holidays and the kids had a great time hanging with their Dadda and talkin' up the boy stuff. We didn't get heavy into the science side of things because our boys understand that a reaction is occurring when the two substances come together and most importantly, we are showing them that science can be very fun!

The Summer Solstice Ball

On Summer Solstice evening, the prospect of a Ball was whispered among the Faeries. They knew the children would leave out their most special of treasures to adorn the Faerie folks dresses and coats. The Faeries especially love anything that glitters and sparkles under the moons pale light.

The children carefully laid out their gifts and arranged them precisely, talking excitedly about the faerie folk and their special night.

An evening escapade to traverse the pier had been planned by the childrens' parents. When it came time to leave, the little boys cast wondering looks back at their offerings placed under the largest trees in the garden. They desperately hoped that their little guests would be pleased by what they would find.

Hand in hand they walked with Mother and Father over the beach and began the long way out along the pier over the darkened ocean.

It seemed that many others were out celebrating this night. Summer Solstice and a Lunar Eclipse is a special time to behold. Out on the beach men, women and children wove and spun and played with fire, celebrating the event in their own way. They were even bravely jumping a flaming skipping rope. The flames mesmerised the onlookers drawing gasps of awe and admiration.

Father gently drew his little sons on, holding their small hands in his, he led them further along the pier.

Mother is warmed by the sight and hurries to catch her little crew. She is embraced tightly by one of her beautiful small sons.

The little family lingers a while on the pier. The wind whips round them but fails to disturb the peacefulness that is upon this night. Fervent wishes are silently cast to the stars. If only they could climb the path the moon has cast upon the water and tread that silver staircase leading to heaven.

All too soon it's time to leave. The children remember that they must be abed before the midnight hour, the time of the Faeries Summer Solstice Ball. They know all too well how shy the little folk are and although they have tried, they have never seen one in the flesh. But they have seen their evidence apparent each morning as the flowers and butterflies are painted afresh, adorned in the most beautiful colours created by God himself.

Once home, the little boys are tucked up warmly, snug and safe in their beds. Dreams of faerie folk, moonlight and dancing play in their heads as they drift off to sleep.

As morning light dawns the children hurry outside to see if the Faerie Folk accepted their little gifts.

As hoped, things have been moved and show signs of use. New to the tiny scene is a shell containing the remains of a midnight bonfire. Cold ashes blacken the once clean shell.

One boy admires the bright blue flowers left as a thank you message from, he thinks, the King of the Faerie folk. Golden faerie dust glistens in the morning sunlight revealing where the little folk passed their merry time.

The other little lad discovers the tiny chair he left, lying askew and the iron work table laid with new items. His goblet also holds a gift of little blue flowers.

Satisfied with what they have seen, the children excitedly chatter and eagerly plan their next opportunity for a near encounter with the faerie folk.

My Mud Pie Kitchen Rules :D

I was in search of inspiration Friday night when I stumbled across the idea of a Mud Pie Kitchen. Brilliant! I thought back to my own childhood days hidden round the side of our house, scrapping together piles of dirt and fashioning them into all sorts of beautiful creations. My brothers and I often organised lavish weddings in the backyard and would adorn our festive mud cakes and biscuits with beautiful flowers and make heaping piles of 'salad' for our imaginary guests. Then my brother and I would marry and then we'd toss flower petals into the air to draw the nuptials to an end.

Saturday morning I shared my plan with Kookaburra and showed him the article. I read it aloud and he drank in the images. He was buzzed and so excited at the prospect of looking for his own pots, pans and utensils for making his own Mud Pie Kitchen a reality. We roped Kangaroo in and he caught the excitement bug lickety split real quick and we headed out to the op shops. Kookaburra is so cool. He knew exactly which op shop to visit and had described in detail the copious amount of needed items awaiting us there.

A great play like this had to be shared and we invited the Cool Cousin Crew to our Mud Cook Off. They rocked up mid-morning Sunday as the sky loomed darkly above threatening to split and wash away the potential fun.

Undaunted by the prospect of rain the kids all went out to the old barbecue and began.

We couldn't serve a banquet without cutlery and my attempts to have them wear shoes was quickly lost in translation. Wha.... What shoes?!

The rain has been ridiculous. The kids are standing in an old, cracked pond and it has rained so much it is no longer draining away to the complete joy of my crew. 'Can we really play in it?!', incredulously they ask.

And yet again here comes the rain :D

Kids play is their work. I sure wish it was mine :)

Kookaburra found jumping in puddles to be awesome fun except for when the mud splashed him in his eyes. Not so great.

Super, Scrumptious, Green Salad waiting to be served.

'No! It can't stop raining!', he yells crazily to the sky. 'Mum! I'll just pray for more. Please God, this is so much fun, may we please have more rain?!'.

Little mother very busy in her kitchen.

She looks aghast at her grubby, muddy sister and quietly says, 'You can't come into my kitchen. You're all dirty!'. Yep, I thought that was pretty funny too :D.

As the barbecue area flooded the scope of play increased.

Gradually the Mud Pie Kitchen Play began winding down, so to prolong the entertainment I injected some fun into it by providing a liberal serving of beans, lentils, chickpeas and whatever other dried stuff I had in the craft cupboard. The colours, variety and texture reignited the fun and the kiddo's continued on playing for quite awhile longer. Due to the wet clothes they're wearing, I'm not going to admit for how long they were out there. I'm guilty of erring on the side of delaying the inevitable when great fun is to be had.

As it was well after lunch I had the kiddo's do a tidy up. We weren't precious about it but nothing was to be left out in the yard and their concoctions were encouraged to be left as they are for the next time. In the next few days we'll check on the different brews to see if any of those beans and chickpea additions have sprouted.

Hot showers, soaped and scrubbed, hair washed and to the table for hot chips, followed by a Christmas movie. A Super way to spend yet another very wet Sunday.