Week one- Class 6 and 4

It's lovely to be sitting in the quiet after a very busy week this past one. Since Saturday we've been so busy doing all sorts. We headed to Womadelaide again last week, and saw some fabulous bands, had lots of fun dancing and ate some lovely food. Strangely this year, we didn't see that many of our friends, normally we almost spend more time socialising than seeing bands, this year was the opposite- despite lots of our friends being there. Musically we particularly enjoyed the Allan Kelly Quartet, Imelda May, Amadou and Mariam and Hanggai. Willow found Imelda May a bit loud, but decided she(Imelda May that is) was ok, after she autographed the CD we bought and was very chatty and friendly.

School wise we started on geometric drawing and Norse myths. The geometric drawings have been very popular, as has the geometry book we've been reading. It puts the development of geometry into a very entertaining story form.

We started with some simple geometric drawing this week using a compass, pencil and ruler. Initially there was a circle, then the sixth division of the circle by circles, and finally the sixth division of a circle into hexagons.

Circles




Circles into sixths





Circles into Hexagons





For our Norse Myth block this time, we are reading two texts- The Children of Odin by Paudraic Colum again, which I love and Norse Mythology by Charles Kovacs.

The book progresses in a more chronological order of the story, and it seems to nicely complement the Paudraic book, in that they offer different details. So far this block we've been busy writing in runes and drawing the gods.

Our first craft project is almost complete too! It was just a little taste into making a toy figure - a little mouse. I've finished mine, I did a tiny orange one for Arden. Gabriel's is sewn together, but in need of details and Willow's is part was along. It was a nice taster for Willow before she starts planning her toy making project starting next week, Gabriel will be onto cross stitch instead.

Summer coming to an end

What a busy, busy time we've been having! I love this time of the year in Adelaide- there are so many wonderful things happening. We were out and about most of last week, and it's been nice to find ourselves having a quieter week this one, since we'll be doing school work again next week.

Last week, saw the Fringe parade part 2 happening. We all had lots of fun and the little people particularly attracted people's attention.



We went to three performances this year. As a family we went to see some taiko drummers and a circus act. Then Willow and Gabriel also got to see a ventriloquist. As part of our Fringe wanderings we met a lady called Ally, from Glasgow, who was selling jewellery at the Fringe. Yesterday she kindly came around and taught us to macrame jewellery, so we all have a macrame project happening now.


Gabriel's macrame bracelet


The macrame bracelet I made for Arden

Normally this time of the year, I festival outings end with a visit to Womadelaide, this year whilst we are going to Womadelaide on Saturday, the Come Out festival is happening at the end of March. Willow will be participating in the performace on Stari Most, which she is very excited about. After her performance in the opera last year, she has been looking forward to singing and performing some more.

Finally there were a few things I wanted the kids to complete before we start our school stuff next week. Gabriel has been finishing off some reading, and Willow has done well to finish her second sock. It was especially nice to see it done, as we had to unravel quite a bit of it a couple of weeks ago, after we realised that she had miscounted some stitches. She had made her sock very wide! But now they are finished and look beautiful!