No Photos Thanks!

Laughter is the cure all for every emotional ailment :)

Not quite Wordless Wednesday!

Sails Up, Lets Go!

Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me, well soon but celebrations began on the weekend with a Girls Only trip to my Sister Sunshines. Mumma Bear and I drove down late Friday evening but whilst I was preparing to leave I took a moment to check out my little red rimmed eyes I'd been cultivating from reading way into the wee hours over the last few nights. My badly lit bathroom mirror betrayed just how tired I was. Oh bad, bad, Bad! So as we said our goodbyes to my little crew, I wondered how I was going to survive, let alone Love and Enjoy and be Good Company on my weekend away with my Girl Fam.

The miserable weather our part of the world has been having of late, followed us all the five hour drive down to the coast. Que, Sera Sera! What Will Be Will Be! If it was going to rain our Awesome Adventuring Saturday Plans away, so be it :D I'll be able to hang with my Sister Sunshine, my seventeen year old gorgeous niece Princess Sparkles and Mumma Bear , and I'm pretty sure we'd be able to while away the time pleasantly doing girls only type stuff. Oh, the joy of potential hubby unsupervised window shopping! What Glee :D So, there is always a bright side.

Eleven thirty pm we arrived and after a few hours of catching up we caught some zzzz's.

At an indecently early time we found ourselves at the dock ready to board our Tall Ship for an adventure. The weather was still doing its best be defiantly terrible. But as you can see we were all pretty happy once we were on board. The crew were a friendly and humorous bunch, right up my alley, I'm guessing sailing to an Island Paradise every day is a pretty good gig. Whilst giving directions on safety the crew indicated that anybody requiring the bathroom, and this they mimicked, could pretty much hang their backsides over the ships rail and take care of business that way. This was met with righteous laughter and guffawing. So funny, I couldn't believe they actually did that!

The sailing was lovely, relaxing and..... wind blown! We had to duck inside a few times to escape the weather. About half way over a crazy man in a speed boat went screaming in front of our ship. I thought, 'Who on earth is this Lunatic?!' . Turns out he was the Speed Boat Operator and after watching a group of people from our ship have an awesome time ripping it up out in the ocean with the Crazy Man, Sister Sunshine and I parted with our cash and hauled our backsides down into that Speed Boat. Crazy, Awesome Fun!!!!! I've been the passenger for a Rally Driver so this smacked of many similarities except the speed boat dude had less restraints, as in things he could possibly run into! Well you would have thought until we saw the mangroves hurtling their way unforgivably towards us, Crazy Man pulled us up at the last moment. Wet and looking a little mad from our adrenalin rush, Sister Sunshine and I climbed back up into the Tall Ship and described the fun to Mumma Bear and pretended we didn't laugh maniacally through out the ordeal.

As we sailed closer to Island Paradise we spotted this.....

Liquor Ship Shop

Say that over a few times quickly! How bizarre is that idea, a boat filled to the hilt with alcohol out on the waterways.

This is the view which our eager eyes feasted on as we approached the shore. Canoeing, jet skiing, four wheel driving, and sand tobogganing were a few activities for us to sample. I was so keen to jet ski, especially because I was bound to be faster than the sharks. Right?

It was really difficult to get a good picture of the Sail Ship. This is about half ten in the morning and you can feel through the photo the ominous weather.

A Cheeky little local obviously accustomed to visitors. He hopped on over to greet us and when we sat down to our buffet lunch he was so game, he even pinched food off our plates! Lucky he was so adorable.

Sand tobogganing was a must for us, even Mumma Bear was prepared to give it a try. We piled into the open trailer attached to the back of a tractor and were towed out to the other side of the island and as we drove the weather became progressively worse until by the time we reached the point of destination the weather was torrential. I figured that we were already soaked so whats a little sand? And climbed the ten meter or so high sand dunes with my Sis and rode that baby down. The wind was so strong that as we climbed, our boogie boards were nearly torn from our hands, and the sand must have blasted a layer of skin off our legs. Whilst the other girls sat daintily on their boards, Sis and I threw ourselves down head first and were rewarded with mega speed and pretty good control. I got a little extra value.... our tour guide admired my freshly acquired sand beard! Oi! How embarrassing :P I told him I'd been working on it for a few days :)

The weather was so bad that there wasn't anywhere dry for Mumma Bear to hide and unfortunately we couldn't get any pics of the sand fun either. Mumma Bear was such a good sport. She was drenched and shivering but she stilled manages to smile.

We look like drowned rats. He he :)

Being drenched isn't too flattering but I had way too much fun to care even a little.

After lunch we really needed some warming up and some shared cocktails helped provide some internal heat and a few giggles. The remainder of the afternoon was full with good music and great conversation.

So in the end, our Big Day of Saturday Fun was a little different to what we had hoped but I more than survived, I Loved and Enjoyed and I think just maybe I was Good Company after all.

And best of all My Sister Sunshine, Mumma Bear and I got to spend a really special time growing closer together.

A Wonderful Birthday Gift!

History Bits...

This week we visited

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt

with Story of the World Volume 1
Chapter 12

We read from our Story of the World Living History Book and discovered how Egypt invaded Nubia.

For craft my boys made Nubian Sock Monkeys

Egyptian Jewelery - Golden Arm Bands

In accordance with both Charlotte Mason and Classical style learning, Kookaburra narrates his passages and I jot them down for him. When he's older, about ten Kookaburra will begin to copy work them. We encourage Kangaroo to participate and often he'll fill in little gaps in Kookaburra's narration.


For the second part of the Chapter, my Boys listened wide eyed as the Egyptian Kingdom became weak and in turn, were invaded by the Hykos.


The SOTW Activity Book had a Hyksos Jewelry page to colour in. They coloured, cut and then pasted these onto cardboard, turning the picture into something playable and wearable.




Much to the pleasure of Kangaroo who proudly wore them into town and just beamed at all and sundry till they noticed and inquired about his adornments. He was in his element :D

For our extra reading we read Temple Cat by Andrew Clements, this choice is for Kangaroo and for Kookaburra we'll be reading Pharaoh: The Boy who Conquered the Nile By Jackie French. I absolutely recommend Jackie French's history books. Interesting for both myself and the boys and mostly historically accurate.

There is one more activity we didn't have time to make but the end product looks great fun to play with so hopefully we'll get to it next week.

Till then Happy Time Trekking!

So in Love with....

Charlotte Bronte's

'Jane Eyre'

He rose, and with a stride reached me.

"My bride is here," he said, again drawing me to him, "because my equal is here, and my likeness. Jane, will you marry me?"

Still I did not answer, and still I writhed from his grasp: for I was still incredulous.

"Do you doubt me, Jane?"

"Entirely."

"You have no faith in me?"

"Not a whit."

"Am I liar in your eyes?" he asked passionately. "Little sceptic, you shall be convinced. ........ You - you strange, you almost unearthly thing! - I love as my own flesh. You - poor and obscure, and small and plain as you are - I entreat to accept me as husband."

"What, me!" I ejaculated, beginning in his earnestness - and especially in his incivility - to credit his sincerity: "me who have not a friend in the world but you - if you are my friend: not a shilling but what you have given me?"

"You, Jane, I must have you for my own - entirely my own. Will you be mine? Say yes, quickly."

"Mr Rochester, let me look at your face: turn to the moonlight."

"Why?"

"Because I want to read your countenance - turn!"

"There! you will find it scarcely more legible than a crumpled, scratched page. Read on: only make haste, for I suffer."

His face was very much agitated and very much flushed, and there were strong workings in the features, and strange gleams in the eyes.

"Oh, Jane, you torture me!" he exclaimed. "With that searching and yet faithful and generous look , you torture me!"

"How can I do that? If you are true, and your offer real, my only feelings to you must be gratitude and devotion - they cannot torture."

"Gratitude!" he ejaculated; and wildly - "Jane, accept me quickly. Say Edward - give me my name - Edward - I will marry you."

"Are you in earnest? Do you truly love me? Do you sincerely wish me to be your wife?"

"I do; and if an oath is necessary to satisfy you, I swear it."

"Then, sir, I will marry you."

"Edward - my little wife!"

"Dear Edward!"

"Come to me - come to me entirely now," said he; and added, in his deepest tone, speaking in my ear as his cheek was laid on mine, "Make my happiness - I will make yours."

"God pardon me!" he subjoined ere long; "and man meddle not with me: I have her, and will hold her."

I have read and reread, and reread this passage. The realisation of love reciprocated as Mr Rochester draws Jane out to reveal her love for him, how it makes my heart flutter , pulse quicken, my cheeks flush and oh yes, smile that small smile that will play itself out on your face. The same secretive smile which bids others in the presence of you and your Book to wonder what it is that you've discovered between it's covers.

I've flipped through the pages ahead and I know that tragedy and trial awaits , Mr Rochester and Jane, but also Joy. It so difficult to put 'Jane Eyre' down and go about my day and do what I should.

Rarely before have I been inclined to read romance, even from classic sources, but This! This is so beautiful and I'm so, so very much in love with,

'Jane Eyre'.

Boys to Men.....

His Parents Son

Grandson Beloved by Nana

My Beautiful Soulmate

Husband

and Father

His Ways Leave an Imprint Forever on Our Childrens' Hearts

His Ways Can Become Theirs

Wise

Knowledgeable

Strong

Soother of Sorrows

Partner in Humor and Mischief

Boundless Patience



Its No Small Task Being a Father to Boys

He Guides Them Gently to Become Men

I Have Sure Knowledge in His Leadership

And His Love

All kinds of Fun...

A Big Day of Home Learning was planned. My plan of attack was well thought out and all I had to do was wait for the right time. But my big plans often become the victim of the day. So instead of achieving all the book kind of learning, we had visits from our Cool Cousins and had a day Full of Imaginative Play - extremely valuable.

King Kangaroo

Mermaid Princess Calamity

Spidey Danger Mouse and Butterfly Princess Cupcake

all played so beautifully, Until.... Disaster Struck!!!! As with all Kiddilies, there will be some misunderstandings. Princess Calamity and Kookaburra had the most gigantic Palm Leaves and were ushering in the Arrival of King Kangaroo when they must have whacked (accidentally, I'm declaring for the defendant :) the said tiny King. In a moment of Red Mist Haze, our little King lost his Marbles and struck at his heralds as if combatants for the crown and unfortunately Kookaburra came off a little worse for it.

Kookaburra groaned for quite some time after the said incident. But then, all was quite for a while until he emerged wearing the above self-applied first aid! Needless to say, I was a good combination of sympathy and laughter to this sorry sight.

During all this time, what was Brother Bear doing with himself? Well, he did have to install some glass at a local business but when that was done, here he sat, at our kitchen table, 'Gettin' him some learnin'.

Okay, so it can be said not a lot was achieved for my boys today except a whole lot of fun, laughter and tears, but I did Ed-U-Ma-Cate Brother Bear on a little Geography.


Confession
* All did not go well after King Kangaroo administered his blow to Kookaburra. A suitable Judgement and Talking to was handed down by this here, Queen of the Natives and there were many tears and protestations of innocence to be heard from Kangaroo's bedroom. Once the bedlam had subsided and admission of guilt extracted, the tiny terror was released. You'd think he'd be happy, but instead Kangaroo was in a fury about the hundred different inflicted tortures by everybody, he dredged up a multitude of mortal hurts which all fell onto my uncompassionate ears. Finally, he burnt that energy up and started to calm down by thwacking a large stick on a rock. I was absent from the scene but Kookaburra passed on the tale. Kookaburra warned Kangaroo not to do the aforementioned activity for fear the stick may break from the force applied and bounce back and hit the strike-ee in the head, this was met by growls and grumpiness from Kangaroo, who in the next moment really did have exactly that happen!!!! Chances of it! Poor Kangaroo, he was most upset :( But why the Confession? Because as Kookaburra was telling me this sorry story I couldn't stop killing myself laughing! Oops, Guilty as Charged. Bad Mumma ;)

Pride Point
* I made it through the day intact and so did the kiddo's :D
* We crafted, and I baked and even got some sheets changed and washed :)

So what do you think? Am I a bad Mumma for laughing at poor Kangaroo's plight or am I mercilyless not alone and would have been joined by other Bad Mummy's in my fit of Hysterics ;)

A Long Awaited Treat...

has finally arrived. Naturally, we waited till the eleventh hour to part with our voucher for the kiddies to go horse riding. Only yesterday, Brother Bear and I called with baited breath the Horse Riding School regarding a suitable time and fortunately here we are on Sunday, the ride completed and loved!!!!!

Kookaburra was dubious but excited, apprehensive and a dash of nervous.

Princess Calamity on the other hand was Kookaburra's polar opposite. Brimming with excitement, her little face glowed with the coming of the horses.

Two hours of moseying along in the saddle, trotting through Australia's beautiful bush listening to her soundtrack of Galah's and Cockatoo's, pretty Nice way to spend a Sunday morning :D

I'm going to mark this one up for the future, as an excellent confidence building exercise and next time Kangaroo will be coming too.

*btw - every now and again or perhaps more often than not, I'm going to post a Confession and a Pride Point at the end of a Post. Why? Confessions are to keep me real and human and usually humorous, the Pride Point helps me feel like I accomplished something whether it be trivial or grand. So here goes:

Confession:
* I loved horse riding today. Kookaburra had someone else to ask his gazillion questions of and therefor gave my poor little cabbage ears a chance to rest.
* I refuse to enter our playroom/ storage room because it's a freaking tragedy and if I close the door I can be oblivious to it's existence :)
* And I let my kiddo's run around the backyard freezing wet because I ran their bath too hot.
* One more, I can't wait for Kangaroo to hit the sack because if he bellows"MMUUUUMMM!!" once more, we may end up one less child here at Irini :P

Pride Point:
* Floors cleaned and washed.
* Herme's bird cage completely scrubbed and sanitised all ready for him to flutter and poop his little heart out in. Just got to put everything back where it belongs and I'm ready to start the new week.
* Had a great time with my son's today.

Hmm... well, that looks kinda balanced :D