August Activities

 This August we did a few winter-y activities.  

Crayon resist water colour art.

These are our crayon resist water colour winter scenes.

Mine - pine tree through window
Arrow - snowflakes falling on snowman
Cedar - rainbow snowflakes

Butterfly - Merida in the snowy woods
Blossom - sparkly white snow flakes on a hill
Crystal - snow covered pine tree with Anna and Olaf

Food is always fun.  

Snowman cup popcorn

Marshmallow snowmen

And a cute little chocolate banana penguin!

The girlies eating their penguins

We each made an igloo from mini marshmallows.  We set Eskimo babies by our igloos and  talked about how the people who live in the arctic north like to be called Inuit rather than Eskimo.

These are our paper snowflakes...well they proved quite hard to make as there was a distinct lack of instructions online on how to actually do them.  I eventually found a website...in Chinese!

The boys got into the puzzle groove this month.  

Cedar is really enjoying his lessons.  Yay.

It is true.  I found another dead bird.  If it is safe enough to stop I always try to remove them from the road as the hawks end up as roadkill too, trying to get a meal.  

A beautiful Pukeko

 My pretty butterfly!

~Lorna

Holidays in July

I haven't often taken the school holidays off, as we have such a relaxed term time anyway.  But these holidays we took the 2 weeks off.  It reminded me why I don't like to do that actually, but anyway that is another story!

Crystal attended a Math Fun Day run at our local library.  She really enjoyed it!  Isn't that super!  

Here she is getting her certificate of participation

We decided to take the children back to the ice rink to try out the ice slide...at night.

Cedar and Butterfly

Crystal

Blossom

Cedar and Arrow

 On one particular day the girls decided the princesses wanted to go swimming.  I have a small problem with naked Barbie dolls in my house, so Butterfly had the genius idea to make swimming costumes...out of balloons!  So clever, is my girl! 

The girls taking a dip in the big yellow pool!

And hanging out pool side together.

 The girls inspired by the movie Brave, and Eagle inspired by the book series The Rangers Apprentice have all been doing archery.

Eagle with his new Apache bow and the quiver he made.

Butterfly

Blossom

Crystal

Being too little to shoot the big bows didn't deter Arrow!

This is one way to occupy a boy on a wintery day!  Mop the floor and give him a towel to scoot around on.  Good co-ordination activity!

~Lorna

Ice Skating!

The Outdoor Ice Rink is in our city again this winter.  Our home educating group booked a session which we went along to.  

This time was the little boys first time ice skating.  They managed fairly well.  We had the use of Bobby-The-Seal aids which was a HUGE help!

Cedar riding Bobby-The-Seal.
Eagle and his friend behind. 

Arrow riding Bobby-The-Seal

Arrow helps to push Cedar, meeting up with Cousin E.

Brothers and Cousins.

Crystal takes a turn at pushing her brother.

Cedar will tell you he loves his big brother!  He goes WAY faster than Mummy!

The girls were all independent on their skates this year. 

Crystal

Crystal

Blossom

Blossom skating with her friend

Butterfly on left and Blossom racing down the ice

Butterfly

Butterfly and her friend

Friends

And me, not holding on to Bobby-The-Seal!  Actually I can ice skate okay.

~Lorna

June

A few happenings in June other than history and floods.

Butterfly really enjoys decorating cakes

We welcomed Cupcake to our furry animal collection.  Lilac, our other guinea pig, was lonely after her mother passed away.  Now she has a little friend.

No snow?  Plenty of pumpkins around!!

Butterfly made this lovely tealight lantern from a mason jar and tissue paper.
Instructions.

A winter evening treat!
Home made hot chocolate, marshmallows and candy cane stirrers.

A beautiful sunset.
(Photo by Butterfly)

 ~Lorna