Patrick Update

Patrick will be done with school on Friday afternoon. He'll be tutoring and playing cello this summer. He has an occasional job doing yardwork for some of the older folks on our street who don't get around to their heavy lifting and things any more. He receives $10 an hour, but he has only earned about $40 so far. Over the course of the year, Patrick has picked up discarded pencils from the school hallway floors, etc. and charged forgetful students a dime for each of these just before the beginning of class. He has gotten $20 for a full year's work on this. It's recycling and saving the environment, although technically it's against school rules.

Woodjums McOnion Pumpkin Update

J (aka Woodjie With Cheese) is STILL NOT TALKING. He signed "please" for a bit. Then we taught him how to sign "more." Now he has forgotten how to sign "please." He will not imitate sounds. What if he never talks? Should I do the "mommy voice" for J wherever I go? You know, the high sing-songy one that people do for their toddlers that make you sick? "OH, myyyy name is J, and I don't talk yet, do I?" (ok, barf. I don't think I could do that even if everyone suggested it.) As he ages, should I go out with a stopwatch and time how long it takes people to figure out that J doesn't talk? What if he never talks? How do you teach people to "sound out the words" when they read if they never make the sounds?

Noah's Ark Wooden Set

This Noah's Ark set was a gift when Patrick and G were little. It's been through a lot and some of the pieces were pitched after they were broken. It used to have a cover and an ark-top with windows. But it's a nice set and while it looks like the children have been overly rough with it, bear in mind that it has never seen a day of storage between children. That's about 12 straight years of play. Ready for J and S to play with now. One thing I like about it is that if you look closely, even the male and female animals are different.

Flat Stanleys in New Zealand!

My bloggy friend Chris is hosting the Stanleys with her grandchildren, Brylee and Griffin. Aren't they cute? Head over to her blog for occasional Stanley posts during their trip: www.diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com. New one up just today!

Finally.

I'm taking pictures of all kinds of things to use for a book for J. They're all supposed to have a white background, so I used a towel. This picture is one of about 89 million (give or take) that I took of G. The others include, but are not limited to: the eye-rolling dead fish look. The tongue hanging out like a dog look. The snarl. The crossed-eye look. And etcetera. What's really frustrating is there's that half-second AFTER you push the camera button, but BEFORE the camera takes the picture, during which G can contort his face all kinds of ways. Waste of batteries, about half of 'em. Goofball.

Modern Art

OK, how many cookies am I going to get paid for this?

A Trip to Uncle Earl's Mining Camp

written by Elf

typed by Elf

I learned about sandstone, limestone, and obsidian. I learned about minerals. The minerals I learned about were iron, amethyst, and even more! We went on a tractor ride, and we saw a ship and I got to kick the dust (even though my mom told me not to). I see that we are very thankful that we got our own real gems!

Going to Uncle Earl's Mining Camp

by Emperor
typed by Emperor

We learned about all kinds of rocks like granite, silver, gold. We even got our own gems. Mom took picturs of us and are gems. They're pretty. We try'd to organise them. Then we were on the tractor ready to go. We talked with frends. Then we went to the playground. Once I had to go to the bathroom. Then we play'd alittle bit more. Then we went home.

Stanleys at Home

This is what the Stanleys have done this morning.

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First thing, they checked Mrs C's blog to catch up with all the news from home.

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Then they went outside to check how much water was in the water tanks. This tank is full. yay. Can you see the pump? That is how the water gets into the house. Every time somebody turns on a tap the pump starts up and pumps the water into the pipes so that fresh clean rainwater comes out the tap..

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Next the Stanleys went into the big vegetable garden and discovered that the wallabies had somehow managed to get into the garden. The wallabies had eaten all the silverbeet and all the onions and they even had nibbled the rhubarb.Kim didn't mind though because they had eaten all the grass in the garden as well. Kim has left the gate open now so that the wallabies don't have to hop through the hole in the fence.(The hole that Jeff will fix later).

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The Stanleys then quickly checked that Kim's Kitchen garden hadn't been nibbled by the hungry wallabies. Phew no nibbling here.. that's a relief.

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The Stanleys walked halfway up the driveway and looked back at the house and saw that the New Kitten was coming for a walk as well. When the Stanleys got to the top of the driveway they stopped and had a look at the bark on a gum tree. This is a "stringy bark" you can see how some of the bark is black. that is from a bushfire 16 years ago.

The Stanleys also looked down the dirt road, they were hoping that David would be home from school soon. Not yet. David catches the school bus at the corner of the road, down the hill about 1/4 of a mile away. David walks to the bus stop every day. He leaves at 10 to 8 in the morning and will be home about 10 past 4 in the afternoon. The school day in Tasmania is from 9.00-3.00 for primary school students, that is up to grade 6. and for high school students (grade 7-10) the school day is 8.45-3.00. we call years 11 and 12 college students. Then when a student has finished college they then go onto university if they want to.
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The Stanleys will be in touch again Very soon.. love from Kim xx

Uncle Earl's Mining Camp!

We went to Uncle Earl's Mining Camp, where we learned a little bit about rocks and sluice mining! So happens a special school for (mostly) autistic children from a nearby district also was scheduled for the tour at the same time. We all had a blast. This is the same place we went to the pumpkin patch in the fall. Did you know that there have not been ANY dinosaur bones found in Missouri? But that we have galena in some parts of the state, which is used to make batteries. The boys also got to see real Indian arrowheads made from obsidian. Here's where we went: http://www.carolynscountrycousins.com

Prospectin'

We went out to do some sluice mining. We were given little pans with a screen attached and a bag of "rough." Each bag has some gems in it (not valuable, obviously). We'd pour a little sand into the container, shake it into the running water, and collect our treasures.

Looking Over Treasures

Then we went back to the main building, where we borrowed magnifying glasses and received a sheet about the rocks commonly found in our "rough."

Tractor Ride

Watch Me Sign "More"

Since we've greatly simplified our language, I can see a difference in J's ability to understand what we're talking about. Sure, I sound like a badly-cast Indian from a 1950's Western, but no matter.

Elf Helps Out

J at the Park

You can see him "talk" at the end of the video. He makes noise at you, and you are expected to speak back. Sometimes he will talk for a few minutes with you if you're animated enough. I think that's why the video stopped because D is a bit camera-shy.

J is Unhappy.

J is unhappy, I think because we took an empty pop bottle away. He has a large collection of these. He is attached to them. Usually they have to be Diet Pepsi bottles, but he has been known to carry water bottles as well. He just doesn't get as enamoured of those. I *tried* to turn his obsession with these bottles into some sort of educational experience by washing some and filling them with rice. But they get shaken and loved so much that the rice DOES eventually become powder like flour. Does anyone else know of another child who has an attachment to Diet Pepsi bottles but not stuffed animals or blankets?

Feeling a Little Undernourished.

Do you like my new couch? Do you wonder why my arms get sore like I'm carrying a bowling ball around all day? Do ya?

Shocking Photographs

These are not for the faint of heart. This is how I really live. I'm sorry to say it, but there it is.

We're spending today cleaning the house instead of homeschooling. I am even having the boys clean out the papers under their beds! We've filled an entire grocery-size bag. Two children colouring one sheet each day really adds up! That, and they also bring home papers from church and store little notes everywhere. Then they never look at it again! I keep imagining that mice would love it if they ever found that mountain of sheets.

I'm trying to organize Elf and Emperor's toys and books a bit better. I'm negotiating trades for old board books, wooden blocks, and the surviving pieces of our wooden Noah's Ark set. I took the boys to Wal-Mart (I hate that place!) so that they could spend the allowance they've been accruing on Legos. The Lego company gets over 90 percent of their allowance over the course of a year. However, at 50 cents a week (and they tithe on that AND give to missions), it isn't much.

I think all three of us "won" with our trades. I gave them both a full sheet of homeschool stars for the baby toys. They pay two sheets each if they want to pick an old Gameboy game I've previously traded for cash from Patrick. I gave him $40 for 10 games, which is more than he'd have gotten at Game Stop and the like, but $4 per game is a good value for me, as well.
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Oh, and do you like my attempt at a pancake man? I've been working and working on these since we read Little House in the Big Woods together. I think I've finally got it down! Now about half the time, it turns out well. D took one of the little drippings for the man's belly button.

"Before" Photos

I forgot to include the shocking "before" photographs! I know, you wondered what I was talking about!

J at the Park

Dandelions don't taste so great. It takes me several tries to learn this. Maybe next time I go out, I won't eat so many. The seeds are hard to get off my tongue. Bleh.

Homesick

When we were out the other day, the Stanleys spotted a place that started to make them feel a little homesick – it was the American Hotel! So we decided it might be time for the Stanleys to head home again, even though we will miss them terribly when they are gone!

We have promised the Stanleys that we will let you know when they are on their way home... it will be in the next couple of days, once they have packed their envelope!

Wrong Way!

Whilst visiting us here in Australia the Stanleys have often been a little concerned that the traffic is driving down the left side of the road! We have had to explain to them that here this is the correct side of the road to drive on, even though when they are at home they drive on the right hand side!

ANZAC Day With the Stanleys

Hi Elf and Emperor!

Well, the Stanley’s have now lived through a dose of the flu, as well as a mild case of the Chicken Pox! (We all had the flu, and Annie had the Chicken Pox – despite being immunised!!)

Over the last week or so the Stanleys have been busy resting, although they did have a couple of special outings. April 25th in Australia is Anzac Day. Here is a brief explanation of what Anzac Day is, and why it is important to Australians: Australians recognise 25 April as an occasion of national commemoration. Commemorative services are held at dawn – the time of the original landing at Gallipoli – across the nation. Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women meet and join in marches through the major cities and many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are held at war memorials around the country. It is a day when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war. So on Anzac Day, the Stanleys visited our local war memorial, where they saw the wreath that Jack’s class at school had made, as well as the many other flowers and wreaths that had been left by other people. They also got to have a good look at the memorial whilst we explained to them what Anzac Day was all about.

http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.asp

They were really pleased to have been in Australia to help commemorate such as important day!

Love,

Jack and Annie

I Could Use One of These in My Kitchen.

Kim writes: Here are some photos of an Echidna. It is getting a bit colder here now that we are in the middle of autumn (Fall) and the Stanleys haven't been able to see an echidna in the wild. That is because Echidnas hibernate during winter. These photos show an echidna eating ants in my backyard.

More info: http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/bhan-5357k5?open