Winter Works

We had a lovely long holiday break in the middle of the year following on from the success of previous years since Irving's birth.  Last year we took 4 weeks, but this year we took 6 again, given that we found that, that amount of time seemed to benefit us all the most in terms of feeling refreshed for the second half of the year.

We started the official holiday break with a visit to Winterland in the Cultural Centre and a session of iceskating.  Damien took the older kids along, andI hung out with Irving  and some friends.  Everyone was pleased with a surprise visit from channel 9,meaning they got to be on TV and bonus skating time!

Arden has been doing quite a bit of nature study this year, and we've spent quite a bit of time bird watching in our local area.  Swan River is one of our favourite places for a walk, and Arden has been enjoying watching out for water birds.

Each week for the last four years we've been doing a home education session of basketball.  Currently we head out to a session at Leederville, and over the years it has become our ritual to stop off for a coffee on the way home.  Recently one of the lovely staff at La Veen, made Gabriel a special hot chocolate.

During the holidays I booked Willow, Gabriel and Arden into a session of pottery at the Fremantle Arts Centre.  It was our first time there, and unfortunately for Arden and I, it absolutely poured the day we went.  Other than that everyone enjoyed it and found it quite beautiful.  We are yet to pick up the finished works.


Fremantle Arts Centre.

Irving turned two in the holidays and we celebrated with a rose petal and poppy seed cake.

Willow and I went to a green wood working class and learnt to split a log and make a spoon from scratch.  These are our finished pieces.  Willow refers to hers as a caveman spoon.

This is my second spoon in progress, I haven't quite totally finished it, as I need to pick up some sandpaper for the finishing touches.

Some of Arden's form drawing in action.

Arden making geometric shapes from his JUMP maths.

Willow making kitty pancakes.

Arden's first attempt at crocheting.  Learning to make a chain.

Irving having a go too!  :D

Arden crocheting in action.

First projects completed dishcloths by Arden and myself.

Next crochet piece, a pentagon.

Mine in progress.

The start of an afghan that I'm knitting ( this has been a bit delayed by a need to concentrate on the pattern and Irving being a bit too busy).

 Purple cords for Irving.

Resources

I've been attempting to get back up to date with my resources for the year, given that Damien spent some time out of work earlier this year.  It seems finally we're catching up with some of the things that we've been needing.

Gabriel is now working on an English block, and has just finished reading "To Kill a Mockingbird".

Willow is working on Geography and is currently reading "20,000 Leauges under the Sea".

I like to keep abreast with everyone's reading, so we can discuss books as we go, but have not been doing so well at it this year due to my littler people, but I seem to be finally catching up a bit, having just finished "Fahrenheit 451" and being half way through "To Kill a Mockingbird".  We're also watching some movies to match the eras people have been studying; Gone With the Wind, and The Great Escape having been recent viewings.  Everyone enjoyed the Great Escape so much that we've bought a copy of the book, though we haven't watched it as yet.

Arden has just finished a block of reading the Jataka Tales, which he loved.  We were busy doing drawings as of the style of the book.

http://sacred-texts.com/bud/jt/index.htm

I also got some new resources for science- "Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry" and "Illustrated Guide to Home Forensics".  Will be interesting to see how they go for our science this year.  We've also been thinking of getting a kit to make our own essential oils.  I've also picked up a copy of Musicophilia and Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks for Willow's science, as well as "The Science Delusion" by Rupert Sheldrake.

-

2025

The Great Escape was an amazing read, and the story was really much more impressive than the film.

Film and Books

We received a few books in the post today, from some recently placed orders. Willow is about to read "Farenheit 451" as part of her history and English work on Human Rights.  Gabriel is studying revolutions, and will be reading "Gone with the Wind".

We also received our next couple of books for "Life of Fred"; the pre-algeabra books on physics and economics.  This time I ordered them from Adnil press, which I think worked out much better for postage than previously.

Willow finished up her work on WW1 leading into WW2 recently, and since Gabriel's coming block will be focusing on that too, we recently watched the film "Joyeux Noel".  It was enjoyed by Willow and Gabriel, and to me is such a lovely film in that it shows the humanity of everyone involved in the war.

Pirated Away

Time around here seems to be taken up with Pirates of Penzance activities.  If it isn't constantly being played around here, so that Damien and Willow can practise their singing then people seem to be off to rehearsals.  Even Gabriel who was just helping out backstage initially, now has some minor acting parts!

Over the holidays we took it fairly easy; caught up with some friends and stuck to activities near home.  Damien was looking for work, and only recently found a new job, so we were sticking with free activities as much as possible.  Fortunately the kickstart festival was on, so Willow and Gabriel went to some things for that.  Willow did a bike repair class with Dismantle, which she came back inspired from, then there was a crochet session, and Willow and Gabriel both went to a flower crown workshop.  Arden and Gabriel, Irving and I went to a poppy making workshop at the Art Gallery for Anzac day.

Irving has been getting into playing by himself and with Arden, which is making life easier for everyone! :) He's loving the trainset.

Gabriel just finished a block on geometry, particularly focusing on polyhedrons.  Now he's onto learning about the weather, and is reading "Journey to the Centre of the Earth".  He's also been avidly reading HG Wells this year.

We all headed to the activities for ANZAC day round Perth this year, particularly focusing on the music, so that we could dance.  Willow was lucky enough to get her hair styled for free into a gibson roll.

Gabriel has been working on his pattern for a stuffed Zebra, this is experimental pattern no 1, being made out of an old pair of pyjamas.

Arden working at Life of Fred!

And our latest form drawing- working on stars with Arden.  My five pointed star.

Arden's first attempts- progressing from the form on the top left, across to a full star.

 

Willow's beautiful knitting- a vintage beret!

And working on her sewing- her first machine project, a pillowcase.

Button details!

A new Waldorf painting book.  Love it so far, has some great ideas for colour painting.

Finally nearly finished Gabriel's reciting!  We've been working on this for a year, he is very close to having "The Coming of Arthur" mastered.

Willow has been busy focusing on her history with a musical leaning this year, and is gradually get through her work.  We watched "Joyeux Noel" recently as part of this.  All of her history work is being arranged so that she can add to her musical knowledge, whilst still meeting the national curriculum requirements.  It is working out to be very interesting for us both, to learn about history from this slightly different perspective.

Pirates of Penzance

Hallo everyone!

 Wow, long time no see, huh? I keep meaning to post on here but forget... I've been too busy with Spinj's Space and Spinj's LEGO Blog.

 Well, I suppose mum told you all that I'm in a production of The Pirates of Penzance? *Looks through posts* Yup, she did. Well then, I suppose I'll give you an update on it! :D

 Rehearsals are lots of fun at the moment. We finished learning the songs about a month and a half ago - maybe with the exception of some of the principles and one of the chorus members, as they keep forgetting the words to songs - and we're now doing blocking. For those who don't know, blocking is where the director shows us where he wants us to stand, occasionally how we're supposed to react to stuff, etc.
 Dad and I went to a rehearsal yesterday, and at the end of it found out that the whole show had been completely blocked! Now we just need to run through the whole thing a few more times so that it runs smoothly.

 I also made up a hashtag for the show, but it's not official... yet. It's #PerthPirates2015, and I used it on G+ and Facebook. :P
 Here are some photos from the blocking:

 1. Rehearsing a scene from Act I

2. Rehearsing the beginning scene from Act II

 We're having loads of fun, it's so amazing to be in a production again. X3

 The show starts in... three weeks, I think. We're doing nine shows - the last time I was in something big we only did four. It's going to be tiring, but I reckon I'll survive! That said, we're doing three rehearsals a week at the moment... :P

 If you guys want to have regular updates on how it's going, sail over to the Gilbert and Sullivan FB page! :D The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA | Facebook
 There's also and event page with details about the show, so feel free to check it out!

 See y'all later!
 Willow (AKA Spinj The Ninja)

Finale

Term one is over again, and has disappeared very quickly as usual.  We seem to have a much more relaxed rhythm this year, which is lovely, three days of school work at home, one out, and one day off.  Willow is following her own timetable this time, and getting herself to most of her out of home activities.  She's had a busy term, and is enjoying rehearsing for her latest performance with Gilbert and Sullivan; this time they're doing "Pirates of Penzance".  She has been finding herself a little too busy, with her school work, music practise and circus teaching, and we have been trying to find a nice balance so that she has time for her own interests.  Currently she's madly knitting half her friends fingerless gloves!

Willow working on making herself a pillowcase.

Gabriel is now working through his second block of the term: geometry, unusually we started with geography this time.  Looking at the poles and North and South America.  Currently he's working on making a stuffed toy zebra and planning the pattern for it.  He's also decided that he wants to learn the unicycle at circus, and so has been focusing on that as his main skill.  He also passed his first jujutsu belt grading recently, so that was a bit of an exciting moment for him, and he's already planning for his next grading.  (Willow meanwhile is hoping to delay grading her next belt for as long as possible!  She likes being better than what her belt suggests.)

Gabriel's map of Antarctica

Sketching a Zebra

Arden and I worked together on lots of interesting symmetrical pictures for our first block for the year.  Some were painted, and some were using filed pieces of wax crayons that were then melted; we also did some work on his printing and cursive during this time.

Mix of symmetry works done during our form drawing block

I have been busy doing some more craft, and am gradually getting through some projects, as some things start to get easier to do again, now that Irving is getting bigger.  I'm onto my third pair of tap shorts, and have finally made Irving a Christmas stocking, and done a little bit of work on Arden's (which was fraying around the edge.)

The lining!

I found this book in David Jones for only $10.  Was a great surprise :)

We have just finished reading "The King of Island's Son" by Padraic Colum, and have really enjoyed it.  We started it when Gabriel was doing grade 2 but for some reason never finished it. so it was nice to come to the end.  We've now moved on to the "Celtic Wonder Tales" for story time, and Arden's main lesson story is Aesop's fables, whilst Gabriel is reading 1421 and Willow is reading HMS. Ulyssees.  As a family we are reading "The Princess and the Goblin" by George Macdonald- he and Padraic Colum are two of our favourite authors around here.

We had a fabulous time going to many events during Fringe and Festival time- there were a few bonus surprise outings (Arden got free tickets to a show, and we made a last minute booking into a yo-yo class), as well as planned in advance outings to see the Swing Revue.  Damien took Willow and Gabriel off to see Madama Butterfly, and we also attended some baroque orchestras and an education session on Baroque music(which was fabulous and lots of fun).  Last but not least, I must mention the giants, as they were certainly a high point of the festival.  We were very spoiled with them spending quite a bit of time in our park across the road!

The giants asleep.

-

2025

I just read 1421 again last year with Irving,  I wasn't sure that he'd be that interested in it, but because he loves sailing, he found it very interesting.

https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2024/12/closing-on-another-year.html

We're considering reading Gavin Menzies follow up book, 1434, later this year.