10 Random things about me

I haven't been tagged but I got this idea from a friend's blog so here we go:

1. I was born at home as the town clock struck midnight on June 3. The midwife in attendance gave my parents the option of choosing whether my birthdate was June 3 or 4. My father decided on June 4 because he said it was the anniversary of D-day (during WWII). My father's history was a little amiss as D-day was June 6, 1944 not June 4 but I don't think the midwife knew any different so June 4 it was.

2. I was once an alien but I now have dual British and Australian citizenship.

3. I don't like the feel of polar fleece and velvet so I never buy anything made from it. Perhaps this idea is genetic. Lloyd hates the feel of a wooden ruler so only uses plastic ones and Matt refuses ever to touch hessian.

4. One of my favourite meals is a well done steak with pepper sauce and coffee creams are my favourite chocolate. I don't like mushrooms (except hidden in a casserole) and licorice.

5. I used to own and ride horses when I was a teenager. I have scars all down my right arm and back from when I had a nasty fall off a horse and went through a barbed wire fence.

6. I don't like creative writing but I really like doing problems in maths that involve simultaneous equations. I also love science.

7. I like reading about history but especially about the Russian Revolution. I've only read a few books about it but would really like the time to read more.

8. I need to find time to sit in the sun more.

9. I hide things like special scissors, tweezers and small screwdrivers from my family so that I know where to find them when I need them.

10. I'm not artistic but I like to make cards and have crocheted a bed blanket for each of my children though Mike's is to be finished this winter (DV).

The Daily Grind

Today is the first day back at school after the Easter holidays and it felt like a bit of a grind. Some of that was because of the work Matt was doing and not enjoying. This morning I started reading the book of Daniel. I always think of Daniel when I think of the daily grind. The book is full of exciting things - being cast into a furnace and coming out alive, interpreting dreams and visions and being cast into a lion's den for a night. But then I remember that, although the book can be read in a fairly short space of time, the events of the book happened over quite a long period of time. Hubby worked out once that Daniel was young at the start of the events but was around 79 at the time of being cast into the lion's den. So what was Daniel doing inbetween all the excitement? I guess he was being faithful, day by day, in a foreign land. There would have been the daily grind there too. So we'll keep plugging away.

Yesterday Anika and Lloyd were at the doctor for their pre-winter flu immunisations. They weren't seeing their regular doctor, just one who happened to work at the same practice. This doctor discovered that we were homeschoolers and gave us the look. You know, the look that makes us wonder if we have two heads. After answering the usual questions (the practice was pretty empty yesterday) he then gave us one we get only occasionally. "You make the decision for them to homeschool when they are too young to make that decision. How will they feel about that when they are old enough to make up their mind about things." I suggested he ask Anika and Lloyd. Anika's response was, "I enjoyed being homeschooled. I really liked it." Lloyd's response was, "I know a lot of day school children who want to homeschool."

When people say "Shouldn't you let them choose to go to day school if they want?" I ask them, "Would you let your day school children choose to homeschool?" From Lloyd's response I guess a lot would find themselves with children asking to homeschool.

Invaders (part two)

I'm glad to report that the last invaders, after a very gallant battle, finally gave up. A combination of pest control and back up ant baits did a very fine job.

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Our second invader battle started many years ago and this is the chronology:

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Around March, 2005: Matt and I were in the family room one night after Mike was in bed and the rest of the family were out at fencing. We heard a strange noise on the roof so we poked our heads and the torch out of one of the windows, which didn't have a fly screen at that stage. We saw the face of a possum peering into the torch light over the roof's edge. Cute, we thought, until we realised it was living in our cathedral ceiling (in the empty box area) and chewing it to pieces:

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Finally, in November, 2006 (it's a long story), Hubby puts a possum box into our Jacaranda tree but Possum decides there's no place like home and remains in the ceiling (after all, there's free ukulele entertainment every day).

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December, 2006: The roof is resealed and one night the repairers seal off the entrance with a fibreglass mesh gutter guard with lots of blocking of the hole underneath. Possum can be seen the next morning poking it's sleepy head outside of the possum box. Over time Possum chews through the gutter guard but cannot get through the other material. We thought it was the end of the fight but not so.

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November, 2008: Possum finally manages to chew through the defences and gets back in! More chewing of roof.

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April, 2009: Our roof leaks are repaired and one night stainless steel mesh is put over the gutters once Possum is out for the night. I think we might have won this time, but if you see a Possum around our place with an oxy-acetyline torch let us know won't you.

Mr Potato Head and Body

I was getting the veges ready for dinner tonight and this fellow popped out of the potato basket. I couldn't resist giving him a few extras:






It's holiday time, Hooray! No school, no send ins and lots of chocolate.

Are they serious?

Like most I sometimes shake my head at the decisions of well-meaning advisory committees. In an age where we are continually crowding the curriculum of our children's education this story explains how toddlers should have career counselling:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/797522/toddlers-should-get-career-counselling

Honestly! How many two year olds do you know who have their careers mapped out? Hubby says when he was younger he wanted to be a millionaire but the job was never offered. Can you imagine the advertisement in the career pages?:

"Wanted, millionaire, all on the job training provided along with a Rolls Royce, chauffeur and lots of money. No experience necessary. Apply to.."

Our governments (state and federal) seem to be intent on crowding the curriculum with so many subject areas that our children suffer in basic areas such as reading and maths. Mike is pre-compulsory schooling age, so thankfully I can concentrate on teaching reading and other things can take a back seat. To me, reading is so foundational to other learning that I have no problems with this. C. S. Lewis had this to say about crowding the curriculum:

"In those days a boy on the classical side officially did almost nothing but classics. I think this was wise; the greatest service we can do to education to-day is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life."*

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*C. S. Lewis Surprised by Joy Harper Collins 1998 pg 87

Discoveries

A couple of weeks ago I went to the local office shop for one thing and came back with four. I guess you could say I was impulse buying but I was very pleased with the trip. Three of these things I have been wanting for some time, but just couldn't find them anywhere except on the internet for a huge price. I went after seeing an ad for the heavy duty hole punch. After spending years only being able to punch a few sheets of paper at a time it was great to find one that does 40 in one hit. Not only that, but it has this nifty plastic thingy that ensures you always line up the paper in exactly the same place so all your documents sit in the 2 ring binder in exactly the same place. Great for OCD sufferers (at least 2 in the Q family).

I spotted a metre ruler at the same time (US readers might think of a yard stick). I've been so annoyed with the stick together paper metre measures we've had to use in the past. Now I have a wooden metre ruler that's there anytime we need it for those maths measurement units. I also figured I'd check out the staplers too while I thought of it. A long arm stapler is just the ticket when the kids and others want to do up booklets and have them stapled so the pages don't fall out everywhere. It's a pain trying to somehow fold the pages to get the stapler in the middle, especially as it's impossible to fold the pages without leaving a fold mark somewhere.

And while I was there I remembered the black cardboard I needed for Matt's "stained glass window" he was to do for his Medieval unit. I walked out a little poorer but very happy. And here's Matt's attempt at his window:

We've also had another discovery. Just as Lloyd's braces are close to coming off the orthodontist has discovered that Anika needs them too. Anika will be just getting hers off when it will be time for Matt to get his....my brother-in-law calls this "orthodontic tax".

My tummy pain specialist has also made a discovery this week. After yet another round of tests it seems I have a sliding hiatus hernia. Not sure if he'll revise his diagnosis of SOD based on this. I'll have to wait 3 weeks to see whether it's a different diagnosis or just another thing to add to the problems of my insides. Hmm....I think I'll be naughty and go and have some chocolate.