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.