HAPPY CAMPING - not quite

day we left for camp

lunch on the first day

Jordan introducing a song at their concert that evening

this morning

We ended up leaving camp early due to sickness!!

I think by the 2nd evening which is when we left about 1/3 of the kids were sick (1/2 of which had left and 1/2 were hanging out for the volcano's on the beach).  Jordan fell asleep in the afternoon saying he wanted to go to the volcano's but by the time he woke up with a temperature and after his breathing got very short and wheezy it was definitely NO volcano's for him.  I am very thankful that Paul was there to give him some acupressure and a huge thank you to Angie who came and gave Jordan a Homeopathy treatment using her Kinesiology expertise.  Within a couple of minutes Jordan was breathing a lot easier and we started packing up to come home.

I am happy to say that he is feeling a lot better today and well on the mend.

Some of the fun enjoyed on the 1st day included:-

swimming

playing in the playground 

(the best playground and sandpit I have seen in a long while)

playing down the beach

making Torren into a sandcastle

playing soccer

riding scooters

yummy dinner

singing and dancing in the concert

Camp

 Exciting days ahead,
 we're off to Bribie Island for Jordan's first school camp.
It promises to be lots of fun with heaps of activities and games
and no doubt little sleep!!

I hope you all have a great week
and I will be back in a couple of days armed with lots of photo's

Science

Its been all about Science around here lately.

The Grade 7's have been teaching the Grade 1's different experiments all term on a rotational basis so they got to learn every experiment.  Last week they had a Science Fair to show all the other grades and mum's & dad's just what they have been up to and how much fun they had with it all.

larva bliss !!

and then on Monday Jordan presented his Science Project to the class.  All the children chose their own question and I must say the questions they came up with were amazing!!

Jordan's question - How do germs help to keep the body healthy?

His presentation was fantastic and the questions the children asked were amazing - they all did a fantastic job and I was so proud of my little boy.

Trees of Maleny

 

The Lillypillies put on a play for the parents on their last day of term.

The tree behind them in their classroom was made last term during art classes and changes with each season.

The Trees of Maleny

The play was very special because all the children wrote their own lines.

A happy and a sad thing about the forest and its habitat 

when the woodcutters came to cut down the trees.

Jordan was a Gubbi Gubbi (aboriginal) and his lines for the play were:-

Happy - Me and my buddies, the Gubbi Gubbi need Bunya trees for the festival.  We need Bunya nuts to survive.  They live on Bunya Trees.

Sad - I have lost my food like my animal friends.  We need to move away from my habitat.

 At the end of the play each child gave their parents a tree to plant which was donated by Karen from the local nursery.  Karen has been coming to the school to teach the children all about the local trees.

 I love how Jordan now points out trees to me when we go on walks and tells me if the seeds or berries on them are edible.  He knows way more then me about them - I have some catching up to do!

MORNING CIRCLE CELEBRATION

 

Today's Morning Circle was a special celebration of Babba's birthday anniversary.

I feel very blessed to have my child attend this beautiful school and to be a part of the school community where love, friendship, fun, joy acceptance, creativity and integrity all form the foundations that this school is based upon.

To honour Babba and his teachings with a loving meditation to ourselves, loved ones, the community and the world is a very special moment that I was pleased to be a part of and especially to be sharing it with my beautiful little boy.

May your week be filled with love, joy, acceptance and integrity.

1st day of Term 2 and what a day it was.....

Starting the day off with Morning Circle Jordan was chosen to light the candle for Grade 1 (Lillypillies) and what an honour that was for him.  He has practiced and practiced to make this day a reality (although the teachers do help the little ones) and he did a great job - knew exactly how to light the match all by himself.  It was a very special moment that I was so proud to witness.

The end of his school day was no lesser feat - he came home on the bus.  After the 1st bus trip last term he really didn't want to go on it again (one of the little girls scared him by telling him that sometimes you get left behind) and with all the changes happening at that time I decided not to push it.  So for the last couple of weeks last term we were preparing for the big day and today was the day.   Prabah was on board to lend an encouraging hand and sitting in the 2nd seat from the front he was a smiling little boy at the other end.  Good job Jordan, we are so proud of you and all your achievements, great and small.

End of Term 1

 The clouds on the way to school this morning (we were actually above them).  It was actually quite amazing, on one side there were all these amazing clouds of which I was only able to photograph a small part of and then on the other side it was all misty.  I loved the contrast and wish I could have photographed it all in one photo.

 End of term 1 - I cannot believe Jordan has been going to this beautiful little school for 3 months.  My how time really has flown and I am glad to say that when I go and pick him up I see a little boy who is one of the kids now, rather than being the "new" kid who was sometimes sad and sometimes happy.   The past couple of days have seen a very sandy and wet boy getting into the car - they have been building rivers from the sandpit down the rocks and oh my what a team effort this has been.  Its lovely to see all the children working together to bring about the end result - this is one of the reasons we chose for Jordan to go to school as he just did not get this being an only child as well as being home schooled.

Although I cannot put up photo's of the children in the sandpit making the river, I leave you with  a peak into his classroom (taken while the children were in drama and meditation) and wonderful area's surrounding his classroom.  We love the school with its peaceful and nurturing environments it encourages and although we have had some challenges with settling in, if Jordan is going to attend a school we are sure this is the right choice of school for us and Jordan.

The sandpit is to the right of the playground contained by big rocks on the other side. All this being just outside their classroom

Rainy day play area

activity area & reading corner

So much of their day involves music and singing (see the guitar up against the wall at the front of the class)

The mat area at the front of the classroom is where most of the group activities and group teachings happen.  They really only go to the tables when they need to write or draw.

I love this tree, the children have made it all in their art classes

(it grows weekly)

 The school bell - no electronic school bells here, one of the children gets to ring the school bell manually - start of school, lunch time and home time.   I just love it.

So Tired but what an awesome Day

We are finally settling into a regular routine here and it feels great.  There have been some emotional ups & downs and Jordan has lost it a couple of times but when you consider the huge changes recently, I think he is coping really well.  Maybe a couple of earlier nights and being mindfull of bedtime rather than watching Harry Potter (Yes we finally agreed to let him watch the 1st movie) would have made for a easier ride on all of us but I think they would have happened regardless!

Mummy and Jordan made the glasses then Jordan drew the scar on his forehead

Today was my 2nd day helping out in Jordan's classroom and I have to say I am loving it.  I got to see the children learning their new sound for the day and acting out a book they had been reading in class  the pastcouple of weeks with them all wearing their hand-made masks to suit the role they were acting - just beautiful.  After lunch I was actively involved with helping out with the maths activities (I was especially keen to have maths as part of my volunteering day due to it being one of my weaker areas so maybe I will learn something!!! just kidding but you never know).  Funnily enough whilst talking to another mum, she said she volunteered for helping in maths too for the same reason........

 

Heading back into town after school it started pouring - nothing new at the moment but oh what fun we had.  Jordan had his umbrella today and started playing out in the rain.  He found the areas where the rain was pouring off the roof the hardest and fastest and there he was to be found with umbrella up, giggling to his hearts content. Oh and there were puddles to be played in, the deepest he could find jumping in them all the way back to the car.  There is nothing better than jumping in puddles right!

What does one cook for dinner when all you really want is for somebody else to do the cooking and Hubby wont be home for another couple of hours, yummy Vegetarian Sausage Rolls - why I still call them Sausage Rolls is anyone's guess but they are quick and easy and the perfect meal to prepare for a tired mama.

Recipe
"Borgs Organic Puff Pastry" Sheets (Healthy and quick alternative when I don't feel like making my own)
Selection of vegetables steamed or boiled (Tonight I used Pumpkin, Potato, Brocolli, Zuchinni and Carrot)

Mash or blend vegetables
Add seasonings (I added Tamari Sauce & Chilli Sauce)

Cut pastry Sheet into 4 squares
Place on lined Baking Tray
Place a line of filling in middle of pastry square
Fold up 2 edges to the middle and pinch together
Cook in oven until Golden Brown

Serve with Salad

And finally, a game of Monster Snap for family time to complete a "perfect" day

The chopstick in the background - makes a perfect wand for Harry Potter games

Don't forget to leave a comment for 
Cindy's Childrens Relaxation CD.  

Giveaway closes tomorrow evening at 6.00pm.

All About Us

Today it was Jordan's turn to bring home the "Special" book that they have made at school.  A very short questionnaire was sent home last week which was then compiled into a book with each child drawing a picture of their family and what they love doing at home.  The children then get to bring the book home in a special bag for a turn so that we can get to know them all better.  I absolutely love this idea.

 

 

Tomorrow is very exciting as I get to spend the day helping out in Jordan's classroom which I am really looking forward to.

I also have a very exciting giveaway happening here tomorrow!

Taking the Bus

Today was the day!  The day "I" had been dreading!

The last part of the drive to Jordan's school is down a one laned road for the most part so in order to limit the traffic the school provides a school bus for the children.  Yesterday Jordan had his first trip on the bus from school into Maleny with me following up the rear and jumped off the bus saying "That was great - but I don't want to do it again".....  Reason behind this turns out to be the little girl whom sat next him told him that the bus is great but sometimes you don't have time to get off and it keeps going.  Well that was enough for Jordan to decide he didn't want to take the bus again.  After explaining that it was probably because their mum or dad weren't there to pick them up and the bus driver won't leave a child there on its own, Jordan has decided he will go on the bus again but the earlier one so he can ride with his friend.

First Day of School

Last week Jordan started school.  He was so excited, he was going to go to school  every day during  the week.  While he was excited,  I was going through an emotional tug-of-war.  It is such an momentus moment for him and yet I feel so divided.  I guess this is how most mothers feel when their child starts school and I feel very grateful to have had an extra year with him and  the opportunity to homeschool last year, we both learn't so much from that experience so although I know it is right for Jordan to go to school this year, I am going to miss him.  He is going to a beautiful little school where morning circles, mediitation, yoga, music  & swimming in the creek are all part of the daily or weekly routine .  His teachers are amazing &  just love him so I just need to allow myself the space to let go and enjoy this time.  My little boy is growing up and is ready for this school.

So far, he is enjoying school and has made a special friend which was very important to him and considering he has gone into a class as the new boy because most of the children have been in the class together since kindy he is settling in very well.