Pond study

We've been looking at our pond. Lucky we have one.
While we don't have a lot of pond life like other country's and the season change is not as great...it does not ice over. We still have been noticing changes.
Today we watched bbc dragonfly. Then art activity of vivid on milk bottle...cut out and yahoo a colorful dragonfly. I've been pointing out symmetry to dd and she does not see it yet...oh well.
Dd has also been painting with water colours our pond...and will attempt the dragonfly too. Dd has told me she does not like the water colours as they are too difficult to use.

The very hungry caterpillar

With oak meadow we have been working on writing up our own book from a book we have been reading...this is an on going project for the whole term. So I wanted one project that would be finished in one day.
I was running playcentre today so I just morphed the whole thing into a project for dd...and everyone loved it.
Once home dd wrote the story over the dry paintings.
Yahoo

Big day for our family

We started early to get to Auckland for the appointment for Dave to get out his staples. First time we've seen under the bandages. Kids were worried about Dave getting sucked back into the system but we reassured them that it was all ok.
We ducked off to the museum. Kids loved the birds, moa, elephant, tree hut, old clothes and of course the volcano house!
Quick visit and back to pick up Dave.
Then to winter gardens for lunch. Loved exploring.
Then off to the westpac rescue helicopter.
Wow
I've got heaps of video but can't upload them on this app.
Kids had a wonderful de-brief. Meet the man who winched Dave up and the pilot. Great people!

Painting the pond

We've been trying to watch the pond over the changes of the season.
A wet painting of our pond.
We hoped to see dragonflies but the rain has not let them out.

Math by hand

http://www.mathbyhand.com/

We love oak meadow. Math is going well. Maybe it's just my fear which is making me look for supplement material.
But I have to say that jolly phonics is really cool...we use both oak meadow a jolly and they work well.

Mum look what I've got

Mr DS has a habit of holding something behind his back and then you guess what it is...I was not prepared for a large slug especially since he was just in the house courtyard. We admired it for a while then I encouraged him to put it out in the garden.

We tried to see the sola eclipse but a cloud covered the sun just at that time. We still had fun with our homeschool friends.

We started making sun masks and might finish that today.

Both kids have been playing Daddy...very cute. They have built a hospital out of blocks...including large chimney. They have helicopter landing on the roof (how Dave got to the hospital). They have toy ambulances...and fire trucks. Motorways and Dave's old work building.
We've read Estrleta a few times and talked as well as visited the park next to the hospital. We hope I visit the winter gardens again soon.

Dave has had his final operation so maybe home on the weekend.

Dave home for weekend

So far it's been three weeks of testing time!
The last week. I was really sick. Tummy sick. My dad had to stay the night.
Was just coming right and then dd was sick. And still her tummy is not right 4 days later.
So on top of our stress and travel up and down the country to the hospital and back....we are soooooooo tired.

So this weekend having Dave at home has been lovely.
I love my flowers. Dave managed to get them delivered just before arriving.

For the three weeks Dave has been away things have been tipped on their ear constantly. Phones going. Plans have changed. Every day!
Amazing.

This weekend. We've visited family. And had a small rest.
The kids are coming back to centre.

So play dough today.
Shinning cuckoo rescue
Nana time
Nanama and granddad time
Hatching our next chick... Bit sad out of eight only 1. Dd is very keen to hold it but I'm being very carful as I don't want it damaged.

Dave goes back tonight for his operation tomorrow.
Then we can start our life again.
I was ultra planed with our oak meadow and everything was to finish the same time as the other schools.
Now I think we'll do some revision for the rest of the term and start a fresh next year with the final semester of grade 1.
But that would be planning ;-)

Weekend with daddy but still in hospital

Dave was able to break out to spend the weekend with us.
Everyone is very very tired. We tried to get as much time in as possible.

We spent a lot of time looking at daddy and his leg. Dd watched everything our doctor friend did. Dave had pictures and ct scans of his knee.
Dd and DS

And now I have a tummy bug