Holiday Happenings

We had a very bustly and very busy holiday this time, but on the whole it was filled with a lot of fun. 

Arden and Irving and I started the break with a walk down to Queen's Gardens, where we discovered that my favourite Oak tree was gone.  We wondered, if perhaps it had split, and needed to be removed.  All the same I was a bit sad, was one of the reasons I liked going there.

Arden and I also did a bit of wood carving.  I finally finished off this spoon (I started it when Willow and I did a green wood carving workshop.)

Arden and I made him a wand for playing Harry Potter games- from a section of palm (though he's now imagining something a bit more solid.)

There was quite a bit of lego building happening; with Arden making this ship.  Plus Titanic has been in our minds still; since our copy of the book "A Night to Remember" arrived.  I just finished it, and found the book much more fascinating then the film.  Especially the details in the preface about a book written in 1898 with an almost identical event.

This is one of Gabriel's geometrical drawing finished just before the holidays.

We had quite a few workshops on this time, largely due to the Kickstart Festival and Innovation month.  Willow and Gabriel both got to an interesting array of sessions.  Willow made a terrarium, went to a film making session, and a special effects make up session (with Gabriel).  Gabriel also did a screen printing workshop; he seems keen to try more printmaking.

This is some of Gabriel's stage make up.

Willow also did a workshop on Opera with WA Opera, and Gabriel, Willow and I attended the latest opera; "The Riders".

Whilst Willow and Gabriel were off at a workshop, Arden, Irving and I head for coffee at the Treasury Buildings and met a very lovely dog.  Plus Arden made a tower of coffee cups.

Gabriel and Arden attended the innovation month workshops;  using arduino technology to make a UV sensor, and a moisture sensor.  Arden particularly was interested in using the Arduino, and Gabriel was enjoying doing some coding.

Willow, Gabriel and Arden all head to see "Bambert's book of Lost Stories" at the Heath Ledger Theatre.  Willow in particular commented that it was the best puppet show that they had seen, and that it was beautifully presented and quite poignant.

We also headed out to see a few films and caught up with friends.  In particular Arden made stout pie for a friend who came for lunch, and we watched "Topsy Turvy" with Willow and Gabriel (continuing with our Gilbert and Sullivan theme.)

Autumn Festivals

We are back into holidays already here; though I think after the holidays I might be in need of a break!  There are loads of interesting things happening and Willow and Gabriel are off to a few workshops again for the kickstart festival.  Simultaneously there is an Innovation festival, which also has some activities for kids, and Gabriel and Arden attended a moisture sensor workshop yesterday using Arduino technology.

Arden and I took this week, to step into a nature/cooking block starting with seasonality and looking at the cycle of the moon and the sun.  We had an interesting few days examining the progress of the new moon, and looking at the similarity of rising/setting times for the sun and moon over the days near the new moon.  We will continue with some of this when we get back into school work after the break.

We are reading "Little House in the Big Woods" for this block for him.  With the older two, I read "Wind in the Willows" which is also a lovely nature based book, with a very different lean, but I had never read the Little House series, despite being a huge fan of the TV show as a child, so it seemed this time through grade 3 it might be the thing to read.  So far Arden is loving it, and Irving is very taken by the illustrations, which is also quite helpful, so he's also sitting and listening whilst I read.  I think though we might be finished it quite quickly and be looking for "Little House in the Prairie" very soon, given how much it is being enjoyed.

I'm hoping to do some cheese-making with Arden for this block, and have to get myself a kit, so I really need to spend a bit of time doing some research into this.  I've been keen to try some cheese-making for awhile, and I imagine everyone here will be interested.  Arden has totally taken to cooking with very little input from my direction, so I know he'll be enthused (I'm seeing this as being one of the biggest benefits of a multi-aged family- the desire to be grown up!)  Anyhow here's a picture of his chopped potato for chips this week-  I'm amazed by his detail;I'm an appalling veggie chopper!

 

Gabriel has been continuing on his geometry block, and will be onto a block of biology next term.  Looking at skeletal structures in humans and animals I think ( we need to sit down together and plan the block still.)  We were hoping for him to attend one of the teenager zoo workshops at the same time, but finances are still tight here, so I'm hoping to book for next holidays instead.

We finally sat down and had Willow's overview for the last little while.  I really prefer having a focused chat regularly, obviously we chat about other stuff during the week, but to have a time when it's just Damien, Willow and I ensures that I'm focused and not getting distracted by the needs of the littler people here.  Anyhow she's feeling satisfied with her progress on her mythological related essays, but was having some difficulty with resources for one of them, so we had a chat about that and how she could create solutions to what appeared to be a lack of references.

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2025

Some of our cheese making.

https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2016/04/cheese.html

https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2016/05/seasons-food-fun-and-technology.html

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.