September 2014

This month held a lot of opportunities to identify various creepy crawlies; our wonderful yard has quite a variety of insects to be found, much to the girls delight. We try to identify each find and then sometimes do further learning or a craft.

Sarah has had an interest in bugs and little creatures for a couple of years and it is still going strong (she has requested a frog birthday cake); Abigail has grown less timid about them from Sarah's enthusiasm and she is just as likely to be picking them up now (though she wasn't game to try touching a stick insect like Sarah was!). The girls have spent hours this past month catching (or trying to catch) butterflies, and have caught a good many other creepy crawlies they have come across. Caleb even managed to catch a butterfly one day!

Here are some of this month's finds:

Yet to be identified, we have found a couple of these caterpillars

Common Crow butterfly - we get lots of these in our yard and the girls have spent hours trying to catch them

Grasshopper found at the back door one morning

Titan Stick Insect found at the back door the next morning

White Tussock Moth caterpillar

Caterpillar craft

Mantid Lacewing

American Soldier Fly

Lydia Lichen Moth found at the park

We've also found and identified a Silver Orb Weaver spider (and learnt what makes insects and spiders different), a Grey Root Weevil, and Large Purple Meat Ants (and learnt the different parts of insects using ant pictures). We picked up an identification guide at the Queensland Museum and also refer to a Brisbane insects website for identification; we use The Wonderland of Nature to learn a little about some of our finds, and I use Google to find crafts or printables for the girls to do. The library is also well utilised for books about different insects.

I am so thankful to God for our current home; the yard is such a blessing for our children - so much space, so much to do, and so many creatures to find and learn about in it (we have a dead tree that bees are nesting in, a water dragon up one tree, a pair of pigeons nesting up another; lots of sticks to collect and pretty leaves to find.....). Thank you God for all these good gifts!

Abigail's 5th Birthday

Well, this parenting journey of ours began 5 years ago now; Abigail has had her fifth birthday! It was a much anticipated day by her, and I was tickled pink by how excited and enthusiastic she was about everything(!) that happened that day. Getting to wear the birthday badge was much looked forward to!

We spent most of the day up at Mount Tamborine - first looking in shops along the Gallery Walk, and then spending the afternoon at the Botanic Gardens. Abigail thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the pretty things in and around the shops - even stopping to enthuse over the plants and flowers outside them (the men and other two kids stopped at a cafe while we perused the shops).

We had a kookaburra pinch some of our lunch chicken from the middle of the table - this was the highlight of the meal for the kids. We meandered about the Gardens afterwards for a while (two geocaches were found) until Abigail informed us it was time for the cake. She still hasn't figured out how to blow....

The day ended with sparklers in the backyard and a walk around in the dark by lamplight. It was a really good day and she seemed to be very happy with it.

August 2014

I'm not sure what to share from this month as our story is not just our own anymore, which I suppose brings me to the biggest event of the month - that of Jon's family coming to join us! As you know, we moved into a suitable dual living house in July in preparation for Jonathan's parents and two of his brothers to come and live with us. We are settling into what this means for our family and also adjusting to the permanence of it at this time, but very much enjoying having family so close at last and all that means.

Enjoying all the moving boxes :)

Caleb has met his grandparents!

The girls continue to enjoy tree climbing and are both getting good at it

I took some time off of going out this month to have a break and get some routines established at home; shifting was certainly a very long and tiring event, as well as a number of other things happening. Abigail has resumed reading and writing lessons, and I have started the girls keeping nature scrapbooks which we utilise for our natural learning records. Sarah continues to have a big interest in bugs, so we have been identifying the ones we find with the help of books from the library and recording them in their scrapbooks, as well as learning about insects in general. The girls spent a couple of days collecting 'pretty' leaves, they find feathers and identify which bird it is from, I tried to identify a spider we caught, etc. I am learning to capitalise on these learning opportunities - science, general knowledge, writing practice etc all in one! I am being drawn more and more to a natural learning approach for these early years of education.

Grandpa's birthday cake

Collecting pine cones

Sarah with a Gum Tree Shield Bug

Abigail with a Children's Stick Insect

Looking for creepy crawlies while Grandma rearranges the rocks around the garden

Finally tidying up the playroom toys!

We discovered the Berrinba Wetlands in the last fortnight and have made a few trips there already. Jonathan has enjoyed bird spotting and expanding his bird identification record; he was able to go out very early one morning and spend a couple of hours spotting and identifying over 15 different birds there. There are a couple of playgrounds which the kids have enjoyed; and I have enjoyed a walk and a 5 km timed run around the lagoons. We feel very blessed to have such a nature spot so close to us and expect we'll be frequent visitors over this next year.

July 2014

It has been a crazy, busy month. Within an hour of putting my last post up, we were approved for the rental property we had applied for that morning, and so packing, cleaning, moving, more cleaning, unpacking, settling in etc etc has been the order of the month! Getting the old place cleaned up was quite a burden (the to do list never seemed to end) but as of the end of this month we are now completely signed off on it - no more double rent or cleaning or responsibility for it, yay! In the midst of it all we had a run of sickness and I can only thank God for His grace on those days after being up through the nights cleaning vomit that I could function and get work done still. Thankfully things should all settle down now and we can relax a bit. Jon's family arrive in 10 days and we are greatly looking forward to this.

I am loving our new home. The yard is amazing - very large and lots of trees. The children have not used the trampoline since we moved in three weeks ago - there is too much else to do. Abigail has taken to a small mango tree and has gotten good at climbing. With some persistence, Sarah has now worked out how to climb it too. Caleb would like to be able to. I have cleared a couple of the vege garden beds and Sarah had a pet curl grub for a few days - her fascination for bugs has not diminished. Some bees have started to nest in a tree near our back deck (Caleb has managed to get two bee stings so far); lots of butterflies and sounds of birds. It is a little Aussie-style bush paradise.

The house itself has large rooms. It has been quite cold as we don't get a lot of sun on our half due to all the trees in the back yard, but we do have a fire place and that has been a wonderful novelty. There is a grove of pine trees not far from our house where we go and collect pinecones (they have become Jon's favourite way to start a fire as they burn very nicely), and the girls collect sticks from around our yard. We bought a load of firewood not long after we moved in, and our neighbours across the road gave us some wood they were going to dump. It is very pleasant to spend the evening sitting in front of the fire. Having a bath tub has been another wonderful addition to our lives - the girls spend ages in it given the chance. We bought a very large extendable table last weekend (Jon got it from down the Coast) and he spent a large part of this weekend getting a protective cover sorted out and made for it.

I got distracted this week by the arrival of a Sonlight catalogue I ordered months ago as I then did a lot of looking into their curriculum, but have eventually decided to stick with my own plans that I have already sketched out for homeschooling; planning to get back into the basics with Abigail again now that the dust has settled. I have also spent a bit of time keeping up to date with the 2014 Reebok Crossfit Games lately - I got onto watching old Games videos on YouTube during my first trimester when I was confined to bed so much. Jonathan bought me a ChromeCast thingy so now we can play YouTube through the tv screen - I can now do work on the computer while the children watch Beatrix Potter episodes! (They've been on a big BP craze these last weeks - naughty Tom Kitten and Peter Rabbit have been particular favourites, along with silly Jemima Puddleduck. I have been reading the books over and over).

So a very busy month has come to a close, and this next month holds some big changes as Dad and Mum Sheehy, Nick and Philip come to join us. A new chapter of our lives awaits!


(I apologise for the lack of photographs; we have barely taken any this month)

June 2014

Here we are at the end of another month - half the year has gone!

I have been out and about a lot on my own this month, which has felt a little irresponsible! I got to go see Mom's Night Out with a couple of other mum's from church; it was full of laughs. I've started going to a 6am Bootcamp thrice a week with a friend at Underwood Park; very cold, but I have been enjoying it. My walking group (and 'associates') did Miss Muddy, a 5km obstacle course, together. I really enjoyed it, though I was freezing cold by the end from the mud and wet and very cold wind. I went to a Thermomix demo one evening with some of Jon's workmates; yummy food, but not convinced I need a $2,000 appliance to make it.

It has also been a busy month viewing rental properties. It has been challenging finding a place to meet the requirements we have with some of Jon's family coming to live with us, but we put in an application on a property today that seems just right. We continue to pray God's will in all this and wait to see what will happen this time.
**Update: we got the place this (same) afternoon. Moving in less than two weeks!

The girls spent ages harassing a friend's chickens on a recent play date

Caleb loves to draw. And to graffiti the walls....

Some music I've been enjoying this month:

A podcast I enjoyed from Inspired To Action here and a blog post from I Take Joy here.

And two new recipes I've liked: Low-Carb Peanut Butter Muffins and Cheeseburger Cauliflower Mince (delicious and very filling with Bread in a Mug on the side).

My scan is coming up next month, as well as my first appointment at the hospital. And who knows, we might be moving house!

Missing In Action (A little bit of a catch up)

My poor blog has been neglected these past couple of months (bet you didn't even notice!) due to my not being well, but here I am again at long last almost back to 'normal'. I have been very blessed to have had the girls behave very well in this time; they have played many many hours building things out of Mega Blocks while I have been sick in bed, and even now they still spend a good part of the day playing with their blocks. Caleb has been a little difficult, so I'm waiting to see if his last four molars will come through soon...

First hair cut

Caleb is a bundle of all sorts. We night weaned him straight after Easter - within a week he was sleeping through the night and his bed is now in with the girls. He likes to be doing things / helping (which can be a pain and a delight). In April, I found him dunking the mop in the loo to mop the floor. When Jon roasts his coffee, he need only mention coffee to Caleb before he's off to the cupboard hauling out the roasting equipment and beans! It is very endearing to watch him working hard to carry the exhaust system outside. He is beginning to talk a little - 'mummy', 'me' and 'nah' the most common words. When Jon leaves for work he asks who wants a hug and the girls come running saying 'me me me!'; it was very cute when Caleb first came running saying it too. 'Nah' sometimes means yes, so that can be a bit tricky to work out....

Sarah with her duck

I have enjoyed observing Sarah these last months. I had worried that Abigail would always overshadow and dominate her but it has been really enjoyable to see Sarah becoming her own identity. I remember the big change when she went from a 2 year old to a 3 year old (from baby to child), and again as she heads towards being 4 I see it happening again. Her and Abigail are still best buddies and spend most of their day together, but Sarah will now happily go and do what she wants on her own (whereas before if Abigail didn't want to do it, Sarah wouldn't do it). She surprised me recently when I was reviewing phonics with Abigail by piping up with the correct sounds before Abigail did!

Abigail's reading lessons fell by the way these past couple of months so we're slowly getting back into it. Lots of mega block building and dressing of toys has been done instead :) She's a good little helper (it is the girls job each day to unload the dishwasher and to bring the dirty laundry downstairs for me).

Flowers from hubby and candle from Alisi; children gifts from God

Abigail and Sarah eating their 'Jesus bread' - what they call hotdog buns based on some pictures in their Bibles :)

We made it up to Bundaberg over Easter to see my Grandma, and my aunt and cousins. I was able to go to Sydney for a day in May to visit Jachin and Alisi and meet little Zachary. Jon had a work trip down just south of Sydney the weekend before that. And this Queen's birthday weekend past we visited Grandma Sheehy on the Saturday, Grandma Randall on the Sunday, and on the Monday we met up with a workmate of Jon's and her husband in a park for a BBQ lunch together. And we've played lots of games of Catan together :)

March 2014

It was my birthday early in the month and, like last year, we went camping for it. We camped four nights up at Forest Glen and had a lovely time. The plan had been to explore the Montville/Maleny area but we ended up staying on our campsite and simply relaxing and having fun together. It rained half the time, but we still had great fun.

The rest of the month has been full of catching up with friends and family, more decluttering and simplifying around the house, and lots of playing with my kids. I am learning to give them more of my full attention and to spend a good amount of the day doing stuff with them rather than getting stuff done. I've enjoyed it and so have they. Abigail even told me she loved me (first time for her to do that spontaneously). We continue to do dinner at a park each week, as well as lunch with Jon at work once a week.

Jon's workload has settled after that busy period. He is now working in one department only and is able to make headway on various projects he has had shelved. Jon has expanded his coffee making hobby to include roasting his own beans with good success using a popcorn maker. I have organised and decluttered our container cupboard to make room for all his coffee equipment.

I think we will end up with dreaded guinea pigs one day. Such a pity that rabbits are illegal to have as pets in QLD!

Jon's first batch of home roasted coffee beans

The girls with their 'thunder buckets'

In case you wondered what a thunder bucket was....

Abigail with her 'haystack' (from The Banks of Plum Creek)