In the night garden........a few things caught my eye......

Tansy

Basil

Blueberries

Catnip

Corn

Passion flower

Mangoes

Fennel

Worm Wood

Tansy Buttons

Orange Jasmin

Mint

Tansy leaf

Rosemary

Eggplant

a Wish

A Happy Puppy Face!

This weeks learning....Jan

Well, we have attempted to get back into the learning mojo this past week and I have certainly learned that I cannot, no matter what my good intentions be, learn alongside the boys. I have to have quiet time for my own study as I found when I suggested they read quietly while I try and do the same and write up some info.

Being interuptted every 2 seconds to hear interesting facts about dangerous fish or Barmy British horror stories does not sit well with me stilling my mind to focus on all things herby. So I am trying to fit my own studies in wherever I can!

So far this week we have managed to finish our Guardians of Ga'Hoole comprehension pack for book one and the boys are keen to get the next book so we can see what happens. We are also planning to watch the movie which is released on dvd in a week or two.

The boys have been doing their own research and reading, Zak has been reading about different fish in the ocean. Along with learning about other sea life and what is dangerous etc. He brought home some samples from his latest snorkeling trip to analyse.

Adem has been reading Horrible Histories "The Barmy British Empire" and is finding the antics of these people disgusting to say the least. Causing a lot of out cries about inhumanity and cruelty to others etc. Apart from that he has been on his computer gaming away as usual.

We have been to the beach a lot this week as it was really really HOT! So there has been lots of swimming, body bashing, snorkelling, and board riding. Actually I think we spent more time there than at home. Of course I took my own entertainment along and found my tent nice and quiet  for reading time.

For maths, Zak has been learning about fractions and decimals and Adem has been learning Simplifying ratios. Along with some games and real life everyday math, we think we covered enough to get us back on track.

Zak read a book called "The lesser of two weavils" which he then recounted verbally to me (the whole story LOL).  Adem has been doing a lot of sleeping! Even at the beach!  Teenagers!!!!!

We have not had much time for too much else. Everyone has been pretty much doing their own thing as the mood takes them. Hoping to get into some sort of routine in the next couple of weeks. Well thats it for now........here...have some fruit.....nom nom nom........

Hugs and smoochies lovelies mwah xoxoxox

Music time....

Music is very serious business you know....requiring intense concentration....

being allowed to concentrate is a big ask in our house.....

Interuptions come in all shapes and sizes.....

Oooh Oooh Oooh is it my turn yet? Oh come on...give me a turn....

Oh please Zak....I will give you kisses......

AHHHH!!!! Thats more like it! Sharing is much more fun!

Can I try your drums next? Can I? Can I? Huh?

La La La La La

Not back to school....tweaking the learning bug....

This past couple of weeks has seen me pretty much trying to cram as much gathering of information as I can towards my own study as I can before the whole "back to school term" thing invaded us once more. 

As most of my friends would know, I try to follow a more natural learning approach where ever possible, but with one child who is mostly unmotivated I improvise and "teach" as well. Last year saw me follow a more relaxed approach to see how things would pan out. Said child did not approach learning with much enthusiasm at all. So we went back to structured morning lessons, mainly just in maths and English. We did other things together, rather than in different grades. We did a unit study on the Environment. 

This year my man has put a bit of pressure on me to do "more" school work with the boys. He is pretty keen to send Adem to high school. I don't agree! If he wanted to go, sure I would send him but he does not want to go! I have little if any faith in our local high school. I do not like the attitude of some of the teachers and don't think it would really benefit him "learning wise" at all. 

So this week, I told the boys we would slip back into our "learning" NOT "school work" and that I would like them to have a good think about what they are interested in and what they would like to learn, not together but as individuals! With my own interest in herbs being rekindled on a major basis through just studying one herb this past couple of weeks, I thought maybe if they could focus on ONE subject it might be fun for them too! And I have been anal and gone back to a little list writing...the old un-relaxed me poking her nose in!

My own daily list includes...

• Study time/reading
• Artistic pursuit of same (eg. painting/drawing/decorating my herbal ally journal etc)
• Garden time (even if it is just 5 min of talking to my herbs or watering)
• Crochet/knitting or cross stitch (I pick it up at least twice a day! Even if I have it in my handbag for while I am out and about.)
• Keeping my sink shiny! (This is my focus point for de-cluttering the house and its working so far although I still have several rooms to go!) My kitchen sink is shined several times a day!
• Outside play (beach/bush walk, swim  or meet ups with friends outdoors!)

Of course this is aside from my normal day to day duties as wife/mother/teacher etc. Its a ME time thing! YES the shiny sink is a ME thing! Its a focal point and I have been known to grumble when I find it UNSHINY!!!!! Don't be messing with my sink!

So anyway, in my efforts to get these boys motivated of their own accord....I came up with this list......and they seem to like it.....

THE EVERYDAY LEARNING CHALLENGE    

Everyday I will do some thing......

• "Maths" related (at least 3 lessons a week + life skill or everyday math eg. cooking/games or using math in our daily lives)

• Interesting (to ones self)
• New (learn something you don't already know!)
• Creative (eg. writing/art/craft etc)
• Outdoors (walk/swim/ride/play)
• Active (eg. exercise/dance/yoga/work out!)
• Think of a brilliant idea!
• Reading
• Personal Hygiene e.g brush your hair, have a shower, brush your teeth (Their sister added this one LOL)

Of course this is just a little challenge thrown out there to see how it pans out. After checking out this list today. Adem started ticking off half the list after he did his online math lesson (smart ass..learned something new, it was interesting, he had to read about it and he rode his scooter to the kitchen and back!) 

Zak, my little un-schooling dream child is rather excited and has chosen to study the Ocean in depth. Today he wrote a creative story about a boy who went snorkelling and found some treasure. He tells me he is going to 

• write about the ocean, 
• draw/paint lots of pictures
• learn about different fish and coral, 
• go snorkelling A LOT so he can get up close and personal with fish
• visit both the aquariums in Sydney (AGAIN)
• go swimming with sharks
• Read lots of books about the ocean

I suggested he also take the time to breathe in the ocean and learn to connect with the water world on a more spritual basis! He looked at me like I had a screw loose or something! He will get it when he spends more time in the water! LOL!

Adem of course still has no idea what he will be choosing! I have given him till next week to decide.  Today he chose to write a creative story about a boy who lost his internet and went nuts! It was quite entertaining!

I dream of the day he stops looking at learning as "school work" only then will he begin to find his own free learning path! For now, I will continue to give him a little "tweak" towards the learning bug!

Have a great day everyone!

Hugs and smoochies xoxoxox

Banana Goodness.......

Are you hungry? 

Want something sweet but full of healthy goodness too? 

Well, I have just the recipe for you!

Having an abundance of over ripe bananas the other day and no eggs for cake, I had to improvise and find some new recipes.....here are two for you to enjoy! 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 4 small ripe bananas
• 1 cup finely chopped dates
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bi-carb soda
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1 cup of water

Instructions

If your anything like me and don't have the chopped variety of anything! Pull out the food processor and lets get started. 

Get your dry ingredients ready in a mixing bowl first. Sift together flour, bicarb, cocoa powder and cinnamon.  Mash your banana's Or if you are lazy like me pulse them too and keep them aside.

Pulse the nuts and place in the mixing bowl, pulse the dates a little and pop them into a saucepan with the sugar and water. Stir over medium heat till sugar dissolves then bring to the boil. Immediately take off the heat. 

Quickly stir through the rest of your mix with a wooden spoon. It will thicken up quite quickly! Bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees and then for a further 10 minutes at 150 degrees if needed. Test with a skewer. (My oven is not the best so needed the extra 10 minutes). 

You can eat it hot, but it tasted really yummy the next day! Once cold it is easy to slice and if you prefer it hot you can toast it.

Ahem! For those of you not afraid of a bit of butter! The real kind of course, slather it on baby! Tastes even better! 

And since I did mention I had a lot of banana's handy.....

Banana Oatmeal cookies

• 3 bananas (mashed)
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 2 cups oatmeal (I used oat flakes and my food processor again! :-))
• 1/2 - 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 3/4 tablespoon of salt

Mix all ingredients together, drop tablespoons full on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. (great instructions hey? I set my oven once again at 180 degrees and it worked!)

Of course both of these recipes were lifted from the internet, and as I jotted them down in a hurry, I forgot to save the links. So be aware that although I changed the bread one a tad, the main recipe credit belongs elsewhere! 

Much love and thanks out to whoever you are! May the blessings of Allah reign down upon you and may your lives be filled with joy! We especially LOVE the cake recipe! It went down fast! 

Hugs and smoochies lovelies xoxoxox

New life.......

Well, you have probably noticed that much of my crochet and knitting has revolved around tiny baby wear lately? I thought I better let you know who they were for before you all go jumping to conclusions! NO I am not pregnant and NO I am not about to become a granny any time soon!

I do however have two close friends expecting babies, one in about six weeks and another in winter. AND my little sister is also expecting this little one to appear some time towards to end of July............

At just 12 1/2  weeks here he/she is sucking away on his/her thumb!

Simply adorable!

Mr Yakka is very pleased with his little cousin and has decided in his ultimate 4 year old wisdom that this baby should be named Zara if its a girl and Frog if its a boy! Very nice names indeed!

Hugs and smoochies all xoox Hope your day is filled with LOVE and laughter!

Time for tea

In the midst of a chaotic whirlwind of de-cluttering, studying and learning new things this week....I have decided its time to stop for glass of lemon balm tea and a crochet show and tell! Hopefully, thats not too boring for you but its all I've got time for right now. So much to do and so little time!

First News of the Day: Gemma got into her chosen University and course! Hooray! She is pretty excited and can't wait to get started. She will be studying Fine Arts.

Somehow amongst my travels and at short sit down times this week I whipped up this little cotton bib.....

And a little dress in my favourite wool, which I STILL have a little more left of.....I had meant to dress up a baby doll to show it off but have not got the time to dig her out right now. Maybe later. For now here it is....Not to everyone's taste around here but I LOVE IT! Reminds me of Autumn leaves!

I am planning to make a couple more in some plain, boring colours too for the fussy folks! It was really easy to make and matches the little hat I made ages ago. Oh how I love the fact that small crochet projects fit in my handbag!

I am also half way through knitting a small newborn sized sweater in softer colours which I have been knitting in bed at night. Will show you when I've finished. I promised myself no matter what that I would pick up my crochet, knitting or cross stitch at least for a few minutes EVERY DAY this year. So far I am managing quite nicely. Mind you we have been in holiday mode apart from my cleaning frenzy so will see if I can still claim this next week! LOL!

Well my tea is done! Have a great day everyone! Hugs and smoochies xoxoxo

Rock Pool Baby

Sorry I have not been around much. I have been trying to gather as much information and supplies for my Herbal Ally Challenge while I actually have the time to do it. Please accept this cute baby post for now. Hopefull by next week I will be back in some sort of routine. hahahahaha! One can only dream hey? 

---------------------------------------------

Yesterday, I actually took a break and we went down to the local rock pool to soak up some VERY HOT sunshine! The main beach was a bit rough so the rock pool was the obvious choice......

As you can see it was rather full.....

Peanut found a little rock pool of her own

But where are the toys?

Hey! Whats that?

You call this a toy?

Bah! I think I shall practice my standing up skills instead! Who wants to catch me?

Hugs and smoochies all xoxoxox

Karisma is..........

Bare footin' it somewhere around here!

Has anybody seen her?







We have it on good authority that she is rather busy! We fleeting saw her splashing in puddles, taking pictures in the garden and blogging over here! Transendent Anomalies!

She is going on about Herbs again! But she is getting creative in the process!

Fun Monday - Unfinished Business

 Ari over at A prawn of Fate is hosting this week and here is the task....

Topic for 1/10/11:  From the mundane to the emotional, from paneling the basement walls to patching it up with the brother in Virginia you haven't spoken to since you voted for Carter and he didn't, unfinished business is something left undone or incomplete. It even can haunt you. What's your unfinished business?

Well technically, its Tuesday! And as I write my Fun Monday post is absolutely "unfinished business" seems I have a lot of that going for me! :-)

But I do have a good excuse...really I do.....I have been playing with my other blog. You see, I have been thinking a lot about my unfinished business and came up with quite a list. I immediately started to finish or get on with said unfinished business and got caught up in the process.

1. HERBS....I stopped studying and have decided to get back with it.  (The past few days has seen me neglecting other unfinished business, piling up some more even, whilst I have been absorbed in my garden, my books AND even surfing the web soaking up information).
2. My Other Blog! (Remember that? The place where I was supposed to out all my feelings and personal interests, my head space so to speak.) Well I have also re-opened it, minus a few posts but keeping all things herby up and planning to post there more often. In fact I have joined in on Kristines Herbal Ally Challenge and will at least be posting about my journey over there. :-). I have changed things around a bit so please excuse the mess until I sort it out.  We all know that unfinished business will probably take me a while. I will post a link in my side bar so you can check it out.
3. The de-cluttering! (That as usual tends to end up on the back burner as, the minute I get rid of something, something else seems to jump in its space! I AM DETERMINED TO FINISH THIS BUSINESS....its driving me slowly nuts! 
4. Craft projects....woops my bad, in the process of de-cluttering and getting rid of bags and bags of wool I would not use. I found several unfinished projects lurking in the cupboard. 
5. CROSS STITCH...must find time to also finish the four kits on the go and frame the one thats finished.
6. The tiles behind the fireplace! Only been years in the waiting. Boxes still on the floor, backboard rather boring. 

This is just a fraction of my un-finished business but I  really must away and get on with my homework.  If you want to read about other peoples unfinished business....please click here! 

Hugs and smoochies all xoxox

Just Imagine......

Imagine this my friends.....your child asks you if he can use your "good" camera (you know the rather expensive one as opposed to your everyday little camera that you keep in your bag)...the one that you have been careful with since the time it got sand in it and nearly died.....the one that is still a little fragile that  you would prefer he not use today as he and his friend are clearly up to something in their usual mischievous fashion.....so you of course say NO and hope that is the end of it.

Imagine several days later, you go to use your beloved camera and you discover not only that they have used the camera but the fashion in which they used it......well...lets stop imagining shall we...... let me share the blury evidence with you my friends..........(keeping in mind these are a mere fraction of what my poor camera had recorded). Yikes.......

Bounce....

and bounce...(cringe)

Oh my poor camera!!!!!

One can only imagine how much it was being bounced around!!!!

Who is this?

Gotcha!

Oh you can run.....

But really...you can't hide!!!!

Gotcha!

The token "WHO ME??? NEVER!!! face!

Now by the time I had browsed through the gazillion blurry bouncing shots from all angles, I was ready to strangle a certain young man. I mean really! Imagine my frustration! Will this child ever learn that NO means NO! The cheek! The Audacity! Yes I admit whilst I was getting annoyed I had a silly grin on my face but wiped it off quick smart and replaced it with a token "Karisma Cranky Face" (because everyone totally takes that seriously around here!) when the child in question mosied on over to see what I was doing!

"ZAK......why did you take my camera when I clearly told you not too!"

"But I needed it mum!"

"Why did you NEED it son?"

"Because I found another cicada and I NEEDED to take its picture!" (Yes clearly, I found 3 whole shots of cicada amongst the gazillion bouncing blurry ones!)

"Look at it mum! Look at its little face! Isn't it cute?"

Hmmmmm! 

So my friends....what is a mother to do? I mean......what would you do?

Clearly the law has been broken! Clearly he should be punished!

(all sorts of revenge plotting was flying around in my head

Nah...not really but I was a tad annoyed right now)

BUT

Clearly... I don't want to curb his creativity!

Clearly...I am a pushover!

Clearly..I'm working on that!

"SON!"

"Yes mum?"

"Please don't do it again!"

AND

He hugged me, shrugged his shoulders and said (with a smirk on his cheeky face)

"Hmmm Okay"

It was at this point that he went off, starting riding his skate board up and down INSIDE the house tapping two sticks together along to the tunes of some blaring tribal music! I smiled and turned to see that the two sticks were actually part of my knitting basket which is in the process of being repaired.......Ahhhhhh!

"SON!!!!!"

May your day be stress free and your children spare you such grief! 

Hugs and smoochies all xoxox