House bound

Rebekah started off with a cold last week which progressed to a cough and since whooping cough is going around at the moment we decided to have her tested for it and have quarantined her at home (till we find out one way or another) so it doesn't spread!

So, what have we been up to at home for the past few days? I've indulged her with lots of "craft":)

I know Charlotte Mason says and I'm paraphrasing here, that kids would be better off learning a 'handicraft' (something useful that they could use later in life). But, I think there's a place for some good old craft that's messy and gets glue and sparkles and paint all over you:)

So, this is a sample of what we've been doing:

"bake a frame" - picture frame made out of dough and baked in the oven:




















"clay porcupine"
























that's the baby porcupine on the left, lol,



besides other painting etc.

Also, inspired by Richele and that's something Charlotte Mason would definitely approve of (wink), we started out with "brush drawing / painting" in our nature journals and here's Rebekah's painting of a bottle brush, I need to find out it's proper name, lol:)

























and we even did our second lesson from "Drawing with children" by Mona Brooks! "woohoo" says this artistically challenged mum! Mona Brooks says everyone can draw, so I'll let you know how Rebekah, I mean, "I" go with drawing lessons later!


We're off to the doctor this morning to get the results of her swab done over the weekend.

We're back to school, yay!

If you had told me a year ago that school holidays can be busier than school days (even with home schooling) I never would have believed you! But there you go, that's been one of my biggest things I've learned this year (well, not really, but you know what I mean!)

Our school term here in NSW has officially begun this week and so Rebekah is back to school - home school that is:)

One thing I've learned about myself this year is that I love routine and I don't function well when my routine is thrown out or when there is no routine. So, the school holidays are a time of adjusting to this no routine time! I find it difficult to manage my time without a set routine. Anyone else like me?

Well, anyhow, these past school holidays as with the past couple this year have been one great big time of socialising for Rebekah and me. It's been great to catch up with her friends and their mums (who are some of my dear friends too) as some of them go to school and don't get to see Rebekah much at other times.

Oh, another big milestone was also achieved during these holidays. Rebekah had her first full day away from me ever (or at least since she was a baby but not sure if that counts):). Anyway, for the past couple of years she has been attending a "kidsfest" at one of the big churches around here. They use that day in the school holidays to record a worship cd/ dvd for the kids and combine it with fun rides, fun shows etc.
In the past as she was not officially a 'school' age kid, we were able to stay with her the whole day there. But this year we couldn't do that. Rebekah was quite tentative at first at the thought of being away from us for a whole seven hours and she kept changing her mind about it right until the week before it was on when she decided to go. I am so pleased she did because it was truly a fun day for her. I think I was more nervous about it all than she was and it got me thinking that this is what it must be like for parents dropping off their kids on the first day of school.
I mean, I woke up a couple of times during the night and kept worrying about things like, "I hope she remembers to go to the toilet" (we've had some incidents when she gets carried away and forgets:)), how will she know when to eat her "morning tea" and "lunch", I hope she remembers to put her hat on when they are outdoors etc etc:)

Well, it all went smoothly and she was fine! I was so proud of her!

Anyway, we are back to school this week and I am so glad to have my routine back! Also, I love the one on one time with Rebekah that I get during the week.
Play dates and outings are not conducive to that one on one quality time that we usually have and I miss that when it's too busy! So, I'm glad to have that and my routine back! (and Rebekah doesn't mind having to do school work either, well, not much!)