Canberra ... with activity links!

I was quick to put up our snow report following our holiday, but what did we do for the rest of that week?
Here's a glimpse ...


For a few nights we stayed with my Aunty and Uncle, where the children enjoyed playing with resident terriers Snowy and Sally.  One evening we enjoyed a family dinner with my cousins.  Elijah discovered another food he likes ... caviar and smoked salmon blini (small pancakes).  This adds to his favourite foods list of bbq baby octopus and homemade sushi (Makizushi 巻寿司), a definite seafood theme which has prevailed for a couple of years.  I LOVED being in a home with central ducted heating, even if it was sometimes a little too warm ... it was ironic to be warmer in Canberra than I had been for months, the reason being that we only use the gas heater or air conditioner for a few hours a day in the middle of winter.  Frugal and enviro-conscious intentions only!


Of the outings, QUESTACON was our family favourite.  There is so much to do and see, touch, experience, learn, wonder about ... the kids had fun in Mini-Q, the 0-6 yrs play zone.  Mini-Q featured an impressive water play setup which I'd love to replicate if I had a spare sunroom.  We loved watching a very clever live science show, "Invasion from the Planet Fwah" The BOC liquid nitrogen show.  We didn't try free-fall (a vertical slide), but I did go on the earthquake simulator (it was ok) and Track Attack, a rollercoaster simulator (awesome, even if I'm biased because my Uncle built it).  Jasmine was very upset (like totally traumatised) by the pretend guilotine and the accompanying sound effect ... we saw it as we explored a sideshow exhibit, then every time she heard it operating (even from other rooms) she would shake with fear.  In the end she practically dragged me through the exit doors, but thankfully didn't mention it again once home.  How I wish we lived closer and could go to Questacon more often (though at least we've seen their traveling exhibits when they've been in town).  See what you think of Questacon online, there are lots of activities (for kids and big kids like us!) to try, at  Perception Deception and ScIslands.


We drove on the public road to a lookout inside Duntroon.  A bunch of military trainees were hauling heavy packs up the huge mountain.  I was more interested in the immediate surroundings than the view of Australia's capital city, as it gave me a glimpse of the life path I didn't commence at age 17 (of the two cadetships I applied for, I accepted the offer from BHP Information Technology, and thankfully missed out on becoming an air traffic controller with ADFA at the last stage of selection ... their wise psychs must have realised I wasn't made of tough enough stuff) ... whew!  


Cockington Green minitature village was a big hit with the kids, and we walked around for hours listening to them say, "Look at that!" as they noticed every little detail.  In the International display Elijah wanted to quiz me about every country and type of building ... I wished I was a walking encyclopedia.  If we go again I'll see if we can have a guided tour with an expert!


Our next venue was the National Dinosaur Museum, which was a bit of a fizzer.  Perhaps on it's own we would have seen it in a more exciting light.  It was kind of small, and the tired children just wanted to zoom around, buy unnecessary 'stuff' in the gift shop, and go out for icecreams.  Elijah and I preferred the Australian Museum in Sydney which we visited last year.


We saw Parliament House from various angles as we drove to other places, but will save the proper tour until the children are a bit older.  They are pretty interested in government and followed the recent election with us.  They talk about Kevin Rudd, and weave Julia Gillard into their play conversations in amusing ways (such as once, she was telling Barbie she would pass a law to allow boys to go to hairdressers ... is that a hint of discontent about MY home salon skills?)


The Australian War Memorial was the place Elijah MOST wanted to see, but we didn't get there.  Time just ran out and we decided it would best be left until next time.  Until then we can use their Kids HQ website to learn more about our history.

Snow Holiday

One big highlight of our holiday last week was a quick trip to the snow.  The children have looked at snowy travel brochures, stories, weather reports and websites for a couple of years, so this was a much anticipated experience!

We stayed at a resort in Jindabyne, and drove into the Kosciuszko National Park twice, to the snow fields at Perisher.  Despite being the end of the season, there was plenty of white stuff to play in ... just a little icy and slushy at the base of the hill.  The roads were clear and dry, not crowded, which made the trip a 20 minute breeze compared to Pete's tales of 3 hour bumpy rides using chains in a crawling stream of traffic.

The children built snowmen.  Elijah threw snowballs for us all to dodge.
Elijah's snowman video on YouTube

Pete tirelessly dragged the toboggan up the mountain, again and again, sometimes with Jasmine onboard!
Jasmine's toboggan ride on YouTube

I haven't skied before, and I'm not sure whether I want to!  Pete thinks I'll be a natural at it but I'm scared of the sliding sensation and the momentum ... so we'll see.  The toboggan was incredibly fun!  In a year or two we might all return for a week, for the whole kit and kaboodle of ski hire and lessons.  This will thrill Jasmine, who was begging to join the snow school we saw.

Driving through the country between Canberra and Jindabyne was delightful for me (aside from the good old 'are we there yet?' chorus ... partly alleviated with new CD's and audio books from the library).  So much about the countryside really tugs at my heart and makes me reflective and dreamy.  And I loved being on an unfamiliar road and seeing new sights, like these rock formations in the middle of sheep paddocks!!

It probably doesn't look that exciting, but I find rocks and farms aesthetically appealing and inspiring.  While Pete drove, I jotted down verses of country ballads which I might sing, if I was that way inclined!

It was warm enough for us to set up camp in the carpark for the day, right near the snowplay area ... a convenient spot for dressing, snacking and resting.  After an active morning, Jasmine and I stayed in the car the second afternoon, as she was tired and had enough of being wet.  We played connect four, and she even did some school work in the car!  That wasn't my intention when I threw in a few workbooks for the trip (mostly out of guilt about our recent month off "school"), but Jasmine seemed relieved to do something familiar, and I was glad as she stopped complaining.

Meanwhile, the boys were on the mountain and Elijah became fearless on the toboggan!

On my mind ...

I finally have snippets of time to gather my thoughts, write articles and finish a few drafted posts which have been cooking for a while.  Hopefully something I write will inspire, help or amuse someone!

Some of the things I'm thinking about:

 • Collating my jumbled records and plans for our upcoming Home Ed registration interview.  I'm sorting out my ideas and paperwork on everything to do with it ... why, how, what etc.  Loving the choices and freedom I have, and enjoying getting organised, but nervous about getting it right (note to self: there is no RIGHT!)  My biggest battle is to keep it simple instead of doing mountains of unnecessary work!

•  Health, mostly mine, which is mostly fine.  I've finally seen a doctor after putting it off for ages.  I had an ECG which was clear, as expected.  There is something odd about my heart which showed up, but it's not dangerous or the cause of recent chest pain.  A personal issue was discussed, but it's not life threatening and having read about the tests, treatments and undesirable side effects, we are committing it solely to prayer.  And I'm considering doing a simplified elimination diet.  I know I'm dairy intolerant, but cutting that and other known irritants from my diet hasn't fixed everything.  On the up side, I'm glad my problems now are only physical, and also pretty minor compared to many people.

•  Stuff.  School stuff, clothing, linen, books, mending, hobbies, digital photos.  I do pretty well at keeping down the clutter, but it's a battle.  Our belongings need a bit of attention and sorting.  Now that I have time I'm industriously sifting, storing and Op Shop bagging.

•  Home, study, job and travel choices.  We're blessed to have choices at all, and sometimes wonderful possibilities, but it can be hard to decide what to do when, and how the finances will all work out.  As always, we simply need to trust in the Lord for provision and direction, and it will all work out for the best.

•  Computer time.  I've been researching a few things online and my eyes haven't coped well.  My seldom-worn glasses are more of a hindrance than a help, so I guess it's time for another eye test.  I also worry that I might spend too much time on here, and ought to be productive in other ways.  Finding a balance is tricky sometimes.  What do you do??

•  Personality types.  I read another couple of books and confirmed I am an INTJ.  Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging.  Depending on the book I may be called a Logical Visionary, Scientist, Strategist, Rational Mastermind, Perfectionist.  It all sounds pretty fancy and la-di-dah, but really they're all just words and I'm just ME.  Out of curiosity I did find an online INTJ discussion group, but as fun as it is to meet like-minded people (we're rare, just 2-3% of the population), it's not high on my list of priorities.

•  PLUS cooking for a fussy eater, sewing, home education philosophies, science topics, kids toys, book ideas, keeping warm, mindful parenting, cleaning, art projects, upcoming holidays ...

Whew!  That's enough babble from me.  It's more of a diary entry I suppose but somehow these thoughts jumped onto a blog page today.  Perhaps it'll help you get to know me better!

Birthday boy

We've been celebrating Elijah's 6th Birthday for weeks!  He had an early party with friends and family a couple of weeks ago, which was a ton of fun!  Here's the birthday boy with his cake ...

... a freshly baked banana cake filled with cream and bananas, dusted with cocoa powder and decorated in a 2 minute frenzy while the guests were outside taking turns to launch a rocket (a pump action toy from National Geographic).  I'd forgotten to look for the birthday candle box, but Elijah didn't seem worried.

We had another cake on his actual birthday, shared with new friends (a home schooling family from Darwin who are traveling in a caravan for over a year ... we met them at our church conference on the weekend).  How exciting to have them visit our home and hear about their adventures, which are just like the dream we're working towards!  I'm sure we could've talked for a week.

Here's Elijah on his new bike yesterday ... we took it out the front and he just jumped right on and took off!  Not even a wobble.  That was a cool moment!  He wasn't expecting a bike either, which made it even sweeter.

Since Pete was home I grabbed my bike and took Elijah for a spin down to the park.  Being mid-week, we had the place to ourselves, and went silly trying out the BMX jumps.  Pete helped Jasmine adjust Elijah's old bike to her liking (attaching her pink bell and doll carrier, and putting the training wheels back on).

It's been a GREAT couple of weeks celebrating this birthday.  Now we're swinging into action for Jasmine's 5th birthday, soon to be upon us.  Jasmine was born when Elijah was 1 year and 10 days old.  She's enjoyed making his birthday special, and I'm so glad for her that her turn is now here!

While I can't believe they're already 6 and almost 5, it's so incredibly wonderful to think about their lives so far, and to snuggle in the love we share.  Sure there's conflict and stubborn standoffs and selfishness, in all of us, but above all it's just TOO amazing, such a privilege to be their Mum.

Time for living

G'day.  I've been a silent blogger for a while ... only just finding time to read blogs.  For all the blogs you write, many of which I haven't left comments for recently ... thanks for writing them, I enjoy reading them immensely!

We're finally all better (after a minor but prolonged virus), hooray!  Our holiday in Coffs Harbour was brilliant, so good that I couldn't blog about it, because I wanted to stay there forever.  The weather was perfect and so deliciously warm, and in every direction there were adventures to have and places to explore ... but I feared to write that would make me sound ungrateful for our pretty terrific home life.  Which isn't the case, I really love my home and family and lifestyle.  Thankfully after a few days back at home I regained my contentment and got stuck into LIFE again.

My problem then was winter ... it always gets to me, and I end up wishing we could move somewhere warm for just a few months each year (and perhaps one day we will).  But after a week of grumbling about being so cold it hurt, I decided to embrace it.  Life's been easier since making that choice, with the help of some long cosy jumpers, fur lined boots, a hot water bottle and plans for our first trip to the snow.

So back to LIFE.  May and June have been (and will be) busy in a good way, with lots of excursions, kids competing with me for computer time, play dates, creative projects, FBI co-op, sports, coordinating childcare for our church's state conference (next weekend) and celebrating our children's birthdays (which are later this month but that hasn't stopped us getting in early!)

What's happening with school you may ask?  I asked myself that too.  It sometimes seems like the last item on the agenda, so I've returned a routine.  I've scheduled in our outside activities and TV times which are fairly predictable, plenty of free time and even meal times (mainly because Jasi gets remarkably tired and grumpy when her blood sugar drops).  I can already see it is helping.  All term the kids have been a bit unsettled, arguing and attention seeking, but today they asked to do 'schooling' and got stuck into their work and have played more happily together too.  That's not to say we'll keep to the routine ... a sunny day will always entice us outside!  Our recent home ed. recipe has been perhaps 50% natural learning, and 50% eclectic homeschool ... shared books, unit studies, posters, craft, games, excursions, workbooks, computer, conversation, TV, music, storytelling.  Having said that I'm not as hung up about what to call our method of education.  Learning is happening and life is good!

I hope to get back into more frequent writing in July.  I like a record of what's been happening, so I don't think back and wonder where all the days went.  Also it's nice to look back on the fun we've had, changes, triumphs, adventures, decisions, challenges etc.  Writing helps me make sense of things.

Well for a short post, this has ended up pretty long!!  It's fun to be back.  I might be a bit more random in the topics I write about when I get around to it, because whilst home schooling is a HUGE and wonderful part of my life and is often the easiest thing to share, I didn't intend for it to be the only thing I write about.  There'll probably be a few out of order snapshots to catch up on too.

See you round!

Holidays and home

We had a great holiday, but also came back with a greater appreciation of home!

The trip north was fairly short, but you wouldn't think so for all the "are we there yet?" comments.  'Happy Hallidays' holiday park is a couple of km from the beach, but the surf was too cold to swim in anyway.  It's totally set up to be paradise for kids (under 8s for sure, though the teenagers we saw were also having a great time with badminton, footballs etc and on the jumping pillow).  The Kidz Nook play room was a big hit!  We sometimes pay to go to smaller play centres.  The tropically warm (solar heated) pool has a beach-like wading pool, fountains and a channel under a bridge.  Mr 5 played tennis with Pete for ages while Miss 4 enjoyed the outdoor adventure playground a few steps away ... flying fox, giant jumping pillow, monkey bars etc.  There was also mini-golf which we didn't get around to, and a 'train' ride (tractor and trailer) around the site for thrill seekers.  Lots of fun right there for the taking! 

Our cabin was pretty comfortable.  We would've stayed for longer but they were booked out.  On Saturday we packed up and moved to Port Macquarie, and set about finding somewhere to stay.  We unfortunately forgot our plans to stay in a nice resort, and ended up in a dodgy cabin in our haste to resettle.  Dust, ants, dead bugs on the floor ... I'm sad to admit I'm a germ snob, and it was torture, I felt sick about being there!  The kids didn't notice, except for picking up on my phobia, and thankfully the pool was clean.  We went to the beach for a dinner picnic with a group of local friends and my brother.  Early the next morning we walked out on the break wall, on which all the rocks are individually painted.  We're now trying to design our own family rock!  Some men were paddling kayaks against the strong current through the heads, and one kept overbalancing.  Glad it wasn't me in the water ... I'm sure there'd be sharks in there just waiting for breakfast!  They made it around to the next headland before we turned back.  

We cruised around to some coastal lookouts and boardwalks, and spotted a distant whale, before heading back into town for church.  The Revival Fellowship in Port is quite small, with only a dozen or so regulars, but a carload from Coffs Harbour and one from the Central Coast, plus our little tribe, boosted their numbers nicely!  We saw a slideshow of photos from Vanuatu and our friend told us about the miracles he's seen over there in the past five years (during several trips a year to outreach) when they've prayed for people in villages, the hospital and jail.  Things like blindness healed (both a baby and an old lady), a brain damaged child restored almost back to normal, a man and lady suddenly walking after years of lameness due to back injuries, and many others.  There were baptisms, people receiving the Holy Spirit and lives changed.  I went to outreaches in Vanuatu in 2002, and to Papua New Guinea in 2001, and it brought back memories of such happy, friendly people.

After lunch we started the trip home.  It was a long trip, as we had to stop for hours because Pete was sick.  He thinks he had food poisoning, and was better by late afternoon.  The kids played in parks while he laid on a rug in the shade.  Finally then, home!  

After a holiday I always feel like my place is a luxury resort (despite the inevitable unpacking and washing).  Yesterday was recovery day.  Pete had a roster day, so he did all the washing, good man, while I did the grocery shopping and spent hours at the gardening, hardware and auto stores.  The kids were content to be home and play.  

Today I plan to work like a cyclone ... vacuum, bathroom, wash floors, more washing, kitchen, dusting.  Then I can get stuck back into my projects, and pot the plants I bought yesterday. 

P.S. One day I'll get around to posting photos, but for now you're stuck with verbose descriptions, sorry!

Why 'Island'?

Many of the stories I have written (none finished or published yet) have been inspired by island dreams and ideas, or set on an island.  It's one of my 'heart words'.

Some of my favourite holidays have been on Islands ...

*  Stradbroke Island (Queensland), the stunning scene of many family holidays in my Aunty and Uncle's beach shack (the shack grew up with us, and is now their lovely home).

*  Tasmania, visited with Dad and my brothers when I was 17.  I loved the tall trees which lined scenic drives, bush walks and magical views from mountain tops.  

*  Skiathos (Greece) where I had a free holiday for a week after chaperoning a student to his family home.  What a treat!

*  Vanuatu, where we met lots of friendly locals, travelled with local church friends and I went snorkelling for the first time.

*  Papua New Guinea, one big island, where we went outreaching in Mt Hagen in the highlands.  People were so generous, friendly and eager to meet us.  I saw people carrying machetes everywhere, including children.  The potholes in back roads were as big as our minibus. 

Playing the word association game for ISLAND - isolation, escape, peace, nature, pristine, perfect, palm trees, coconuts, shipwreck, castaway, holiday, beach, treehouse ...