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May
18
2011

The initial homeschool moderator visit

We had our initial visit yesterday, with the next one scheduled for another couple of months.  Everything went pretty much as expected.  The lady was nice, and was happy with all the learning areas except for English and maths, and also wanted to see more "scientific communication".

Turning a flower blue

Tao and Ruan set up an experiment to turn a flower blue, directed by Tao, who had seen a demonstration on some science show on ABC.  They made the blue water with paint and water (as we don't have food colouring).  They then went on to do some other arty crafty thingies while they waited for the colour to be drawn up to the flower.

I had nothing to do with it.

Apr
22
2011

Work, Wannabe and other projects and a dash of unschooling

Firstly, what in the hell is with the life category?!

I've been (very slowly!) importing livejournal entries so I can replace missing photos.  Very minor regret that I didn't bother skimming through my shadowshifter livejournal before I deleted it as I probably had a few progress reports for my various projects kicking around on it, but oh well.

Mar
29
2011

Post-zoo entertainment

A reddish "mutant hibiscus" at the Perth Zoo.  Don't know what it realy is, it reminded me of a hibiscus :)We hit up the Perth Zoo today, and I finally got around to getting the zoo membership passes.  So now we can visit regularly without it costing an arm and a leg! We inadvertantly stayed there the whole day too.  Maybe it was the cart.  I've been avoiding going on the "adult and kids' prices" days because it's always packed out, on the other days it's fine and we can always get a cart.  Then the kids can hitch rides whenever they're feeling a bit tired and we don't end up walking over half the zoo before they're complaining of being tired.

The zoo visit was a zoo visit, the kids loved every minute of it, and the mother in law and I were tired out pulling them around in a cart.  One of the highlights of the trip was seeing a mutant hibiscus (I have no idea what it actually was, that's what it looked like to me) and a numbat which apparently didn't come out much.  The numbat not only came out, it quite happily traipsed around the place completely not minding our presence.

Feb
21
2011

Three decades, and some dolls

I recently hit three decades.  I spent most of the actual day finishing up the coding for the site that's going on the kiosk Sprat and I are doing for the Christmas Island Tourism Association and cleaning for the party on the following day.

Ruan requested the whiteboard so I took it down for her, and little arty girl knocked herself out drawing on it.  Tao came in to me at one point asking how to write an F.  I explained it as like an E but without the bottom line (and previously I've described the E as a backward 3 as that's how he was writing it, just straighter).  Later he very excitedly came out and asked me to come look at something he'd done for me.

I obliged.

"Happy birthday" as sounded out by my 6yo

I didn't think it was too bad an effort for sounding out "happy birthday".  That squiggle on top of it is a heart drawn by Ruan, copied from the blue one above it that I drew at her request and she coloured in.

Feb
09
2011

Good day, "bad" day

Yesterday was an awesome day.  To counter, I had a rather average day.  Compared to yesterday it was bad, but seriously in the grand scheme of things, it could have been a lot worse.

Jan
28
2011

Organisational skills? What organisational skills?

What's been happening at Wannabe Farmstead? Feels like a lot.  I was out with the dogs at the oval when it occurred to me:

  • I can sort out and adjust training "schedules" in my head fast from observing the dogs while working with them
  • I can work out learning styles and interests of the kids from observation and interaction and work out where to go and things to do that they might find interesting
  • I can work around family stuff with minimal dramas
  • I can do things for clients on time (provided they get me what I need when I say I need it by)
  • I cannot organise my own way out of a paper bag

I should probably do something about that last point.

Jan
18
2011

Painting lessons

  1. when you have autonomous big kids who can set themselves up, poke head in every so often
  2. make sure they know that the glass jar the brushes stand in is the paintbrush rinsing jar and that they shouldn't use drinking glasses
  3. ditto palettes, so they don't substitute food bowls
  4. choose non-toxic paints in case the above happens
  5. never leave toddlers unattended.  Ever.

May
20
2010

Basic literacy and numeracy sans formal lessons

[imported from livejournal and backdated]

May
05
2010

The Sound of the Universe

[imported from livejournal and backdated]

Apr
23
2010

Consolidation

[imported from livejournal and backdated]