Leap Day Start

Gabriel and Arden and I started off our formal home ed year this past week.  We're starting the year with a nature block, doing a few things at home and getting out and about.

Sprouting linseeds.

Off to King's Park for a walk- view of the Swan River.

Another view of the river.

Tree top walk.

Underneath the tree top walk.

Arden, Irving and I have been reading Aboriginal myths to start the year off.  I've been taking advantage of the wonderful Sacred-Texts site and reading the myths from here.

Later in the week we made a bullroarer and did a bit of tidying up on our balcony garden with a view to planting herbs and anything else that takes our fancy. 

Making the bullroarer.

Bullroarer is finished!

We finished the week with a bit of journalling, and Gabriel did a bit of studying of biodynamics via youtube.

I've not done much sewing recently, but I am feeling pleased that I've learnt how to take pants and skirts in.  Have done two items of clothing so far, and feeling ready to fix all my ill-fitting clothes. 

Willow is teaching Arden violin this year, and Gabriel and myself are continuing to learn guitar.  Irving has decided that he's also learning harmonica, and joins in whenever Arden does an online lesson.  We've started to have a once a week family music jam, in the hope that everyone will start playing music together, in a relaxed pleasurable sort of way.  We're also having a once a week dancing night and once a week reading night; we're reviewing rockabilly with Gabriel and Arden, and reading Antony and Cleopatra.

Outings

We're currently on holidays- we decided that we like having a longer break during winter, so we've taken four weeks this time.  Turns out it is very useful, when we've ended up with so many events on!

We all went to see Spare Parts puppet theatre perform "The Little Prince", which is one of our favourite books around here.  The  puppet show was nicely done we thought, but we thought it was a little sad, how the kids couldn't just run with the imagination in it, and had to box it into reality.  The whole "that's not real" type of thing. 

We also had a homeschool excursion to Wilkinson's homestead in Gosnells, and took a walk along the Canning River.  The Homestead outing covered a good range of topics, fruit picking, making do and olden days school.  The kids all liked getting old fashioned names.  It was a very wet day, and we were lucky that it stopped raining before the end, so that we could pick some lemons and oranges to bring home.

Willow and Gabriel both performed in their Circus' schools latest show- Clowns vs Ninjas.  It was quite entertaining, and Willow certainly enjoyed the Ninja role.  She likes lego Ninjago, so the Ninja theme appealed to her very much.

Arden was excited to go for his first try at iceskating.  The rink was rather small and quite busy, but with the little people session it was still fairly good for space.

Arden and I have been on a few bird watching nature walks- around King's park, near the River and at Herdsman Lake. 

Observing ripples in a giant puddle.

Down at Herdman Lake.

Botany 2nd time around, plus more

Gabriel and I have come to the end of another block- Botany is done, and I've got ancient Greece planned starting next week.  So here are some pictures.

Drawing in Queen's Garden

Fungi in King's Park

Painting a gum tree, colour mixing on paper

Fungus diagram

Drawings from nature

We had a lot of fun doing the botany- lots of outings and interesting activities, so Gabriel was a bit sorry when I said we're onto ancient Greece next week.  Over the last month, we've spent a bit of time exploring different areas quite local to us, but probably King's Park and Heirisson Island we're our favourite outings.  King's Park was great because all the Spring time flowers are in bloom, and Heirisson Island is quiet and secluded despite sort of being in the middle of the city- plus we got to pat and feed the Kangaroos, as well as see the giant flock of Pelicans that live there.

Willow is coming towards the end of  her physics block and will be moving onto world geography.  Her experiments have been working nicely and she's been doing the more complex one's with the help of her dad (Damien).  Currently she's working through mechanics, with a week of electricity to finish on next.

Gabriel's form from last week

Willow's geometry- she's been working on surds.

Finally for craft, Gabriel has been busy knitting his socks, which are coming along nicely.  Willow has been improving her crocheting skills, doing lots of mini-projects before she starts to crochet herself some slippers.

Gabriel's socks