Beach Visit - 03 October 2010

Look at all the Fishes...

For our end of Term 1 excursion, our homeschool group went along to Reef HQ. Pernella & Charlie love going there and it was Lola's first time to see all the fishes - and she loved it! I think we will need to buy an annual pass now...



'Big fish Mummy'




Old fashioned Diving Helmet




I can hear the sea in my shell










May was the month Lola's 'I Can Do' activities was going to focus on Under the Sea but I am a bit behind so March, April and May's activities all are running into one - smile... Now if I can only get her away from the Wiggles DVD's long enough to watch Nemo.

Our Week in Words (With a few photo's added)

The start of my week... My desk is there somewhere... I like to think it is organised chaos but...? Maybe some filing might be in order!


A fun activity Pernella & Charlie tried this week was soap carving. Messy but fun... The first soap they carved up had to have something to do with our study on Ancient Rome and the next soap they had a free choice of what to do.


One of our favourite excursions is to our local Lifeline store. They have a book attic and this is where we go to hunt for more books for home. I am always amazed at what books people get rid of. We always seem to come home with a great collection. Here are a few of the books we got this week and all for a few dollars.


A quiet week this week - lots of school work done, still getting use to Ace. Worked out we would need to do about 3 pages of each subject to get the 9 paces completed per term. Then we need to work in our social studies, science, poetry, art & nature & handwriting. Me thinks I need to sit down and work out a schedule.

Our nature study was up close and personal this week with a tree snake that likes to visit our back verandah quite often. Also Pernella's tadpoles have legs now but I think we might have to move them before our friendly snake has them for a snack.

Made sure we took some time out this week to just have some fun together. I brought some Áir drying clay'(4 kg's from Overflow for only $9.99) and have decided that on Monday morning before we start our book work that the kids can have some creative time first. (I got this idea from my friend Di, another home school Mum - who says it works wonders in helping the children focus for the day).

Things I've learnt this week ~
Setting my timer for 15 minutes is a great motivater in doing my housework. Taking 5 minutes, drinking a coffee and watching the rain fall from my front verendah puts every thing into perspective. That garage sales are a fantastic place to pick up cheap resources for home schooling. That somedays I need to borrow Lola's mantra of Í Can Do'...

Quote of the Day
"I need regular moments in my life like that morning walk, times of refreshment and restoration that fill up the spiritual well in my heart that is too often left dry by the spirit-draining hustle and bustle of contemporary life. If I don't take care to keep it filled, I soon find I have no spiritual refreshment to give to those God has put into my life, especially my always-thirsty children. When I let my well run dry, I am no longer able to be a source of refreshing water to them, or to others. To say it more simply, I cannot keep giving out without taking in."
Sally Clarkson

Our Excursion to the Dam

Ross River Dam


On the way to the viewing platform


The roar of the water


The open gates


Saharna on the viewing platform ~ enjoying the spray of the water


The Ross River

Our homeschool group's theme for this term is water. Quite appropriate as it is Townsville's wet season. Our first excursion was to the Ross River Dam. It was a very hot and humid morning after all the rain, but well worth the visit as the dam was at full capacity and they had to open up the gates for the overflow to go into the Ross River.

A visit to the Pineapple Packing Shed

Just recently the kids and I, along with our friends Eloise, Martin, Matthew and Amy had the opportunity to go along to Paradise Pines packing shed to watch what happens after the pineapples are picked from the field to how they end up at our grocery stores. We got a 'special tour' around the shed (I have contacts)and the children (even the adults) had a great time.

This picture is of the field bins of Pineapples. The types of pineapples they pack are smooth, rough and hybrid. Did you know that it takes up to two years for pineapples to be ready for harvesting!



One of the highlights for my two was getting to wear these 'groovy orange' safety vests.


Our 'Tour Guide'!


The bins of pineapples are taken to the conveyor belt where they were put on, sorted and packed into boxes.


Saharna and Josiah hard at work!


I will post photos of our Pineapple lapbooks soon...

A walk in the woods

Our homeschooling group got together to go for a nature walk along the river. The children took bags to collect leaves, plants and whatever else they could find. We also took along binoculars to watch the birds in their habitat. These are the outings the children love the best, hunting high and low to find new and interesting discoveries, watching spiders spin their webs, looking at cocoons hanging from leaves. When we got home out came their nature and sketch books to make personal recordings of our days events.





“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” ~ George Washington Carver

Oh to be a geologist

A recent outing to a homeschooling family's home was a huge success. The family have over three acres but the best thing ever (according to Pernella & Charlie) was the dry creek bed at the bottom of the garden. (In the wet season this is a deep flowing creek).


The children were sent down to gather a few rocks to bring back to the house to paint. After quickly painting a rock, my two went back to the creek bed to spend more time examining rocks, looking for cystals and eventually making there way back up the hill with hands and pockets full of rocks to take home.

A visit to the Library...

I took my children to the library last Thursday. Such a great place to visit for family's on a budget. Nothing quite like sitting in the middle of aisles searching through the different books to find ones to take home. In the end we chose books to help us with some subjects we are covering this term. We have books about our earth & sun, the weather, a few about artists - their life & works. Of course we chose some stories to read together & my big girl snuck in a few dinosaur books. Also much to our delight we also found out that you can hire DVD's and educational computer games. Because I was in town I met my friend there for a a latte (yep my library has a new coffee shop!) it was so nice to just be able to sit and chat & catch up with each other’s news. Yep the ultimate experience – surrounded by books & sitting on a couch sipping coffee…


Pernella & Charlie looking at all the books when we got home.


Lola not wanting to miss out also.