Aaliya and Owen have a lovely high school girl come and entertain them for a couple of hours a week so I can run around and get stuff done. She comes from Japan and often does origami with the kids. They love it.
We were at a family dinner one night and Owen was showing his origami skills to his Nanna and Grandad and Aunts and Uncles. Owen made something (usually random folds and then calls it a dog or something). Aaliya proclaimed she was doing origami too. We asked her what she was making..... She scrunched up the paper and shouted:
Origami Ball!
so funny and so cute at the same time :)
I did write an earlier entry about choosing education for kids and how we were considering many options.
Towards the end of 2007 Owen starting asking me if he could go to school. I can't really remember what prompted him to do so. But he was insistent. I kept telling him that we would see after Christmas, and that he must understand that it meant he would have to stay at the school by himself and that mummy couldn't stay with him. He said that was ok, but I wondered if actually put in that situation, how he would go.
Well, at the beginning of this year, Owen was offered a place in a local
Montessori preschool for two days a week, cycle 1, for ages 3-6. I was apprehensive about how he would go on the first day, but he was great. He seemed a little nervous but went inside with the teacher just fine. It was like he trusted that I wouldn't leave him with bad people so he let go and went for it. I was so proud and relived that he had such a great start, but a little teary also, my little boy was going to school.
Owen loves school. Stu and I got to go for an open afternoon at Easter time when the children also had an Easter Parade. The children were given the opportunity to show their parents their favourite school activities. Stu and I really enjoyed seeing Owen in this environment. Owen seems to really enjoy the freedom to choose which activities he would like to do, but also works well with the guideline provided by the montessori style of education. At the open afternoon, Aaliya had the opportunity to have a go at some of the activities too (photos included).
Owen really enjoys show and tell. He tells us that when he starts his show and tell, he says "montessori friends". So far this year he has taken pictures and paintings that we have made at home, books, and photos. One day he took a photo of Remi (our french friend) and taught the class a couple of french words. The teachers were very impressed. Last week he took helicopter seeds (seeds from a tree that when you throw them up, the spin down to the ground like a helicopter) and he took enough to give all the children one to take home.
Lately the teachers have been commenting on Owen's ability to complete some challenging tasks. They have been impressed at his ability to
concentrate for a length of time and how he is pleased with himself when he completes the activity. They have a digital camera that the children can use to take a photo of their completed work, and Owen enjoys this too.
I'm very proud of my little man and I'm glad we have found a style of education that really seems to suit him. I'm glad that it is education, and not child care (see rant below though) and that Owen is getting a lot out of it.
teeny tiny rant - the fees for the school aren't cheap. We do not have a problem with this. However we have to cover the entire cost as the school does not qualify under childcare (and therefore no CCB) nor does it sit under education so it recieves no funding there either. It's a real shame. However, we are grateful that it is available and will cop it sweet financially because it is an experience we want Owen to have.
After some inspiration from a friend (same friend who made me the mei tai - she's a talented sewer), I made this kids carrier for Aaliya.
Here is a sling that a friend made for me. It is a mei tai and I LOVE it!!!
I can wear bubs on the front or back, here in this photo he is in a high back carry. He is 8-9weeks old in this photo! Great for getting things done :)
My friend made it for me using these instructions. I will attempt one myself one day.....
Scandi Mei Tai DIY
For Aaliya's 2nd birthday, instead of buying something, we thought we would make something....
I found this cabinet on kerbside collection and picked it up for free. We turned it into a cute little kitchen for Aaliya and Owen to play with. The paint were sample pots that I bought ages ago with the view to paint our bedroom, but it never got off the ground, so it was good to use up that paint. All the doors and hinges were off the original cabinet. The stove was made from a bit of wood that was in the door originally, and the hotplates and stove knobs were from reverse garbage. The tap over the sink was a piece of metal from a baby bouncer that we left in the garage and was destroyed by a possum. The door knobs were from reverse garbage, as were the two little decorative hearts and the piece of perspecks that was in the oven bit. The only thing that I bought new was the metal bowl that is the sink.
Anyway, she loves it. We did buy the little wooden tea set (you can see the cannisters from the set on the bench) to compliment the kitchen. The tea set cost $55 whereas the kitchen probably cost us $12-15 all up! Stu and I are impressed with ourselves :) See below for the before and after shots.
Some pics of my baby boy at 1 month old....
This is the first photo of Saxon. It was taken just after he was born while I was still in the birth pool.
Saxon was born at home (planned homebirth). We had a midwife attend. He was born in the birth pool at 4.22am on the 6th March. The birth pool was in our kitchen, and Stu has set it up so there was candles along the kitchen benches. It was a lovely place to give birth. Active labour was 4 1/2 hours long, though I'd been having contraction on and off the day before.
Saxon was 6lb 14oz (3.13 kg) and 53.5cm long at birth.
Just before Saxon was born, I sent mum upstairs to see if Owen wanted to watch the baby being born, but he wanted to stay in bed!
So I let it all get awat from me but now I'm back.....
It's been 10 months since my last post.....
Our family has changed a little. Stu is balder, Kara is looking older, Owen is 3 1/2, Aaliya will turn two in two months and we welcomed Saxon into our family (I'll give all the details in a separate post).
So, I'm back to continue documenting our family journey.
Aaliya is very much into climbing up on things now that she is mobile. The weather has been lovely lately and we have been spending a lot of time in the back yard. Aaliya loves to climb up on this chair when we are in the yard :)
Aaliya is walking before she has any teeth! Though I don't think that the teeth are too far away. This is the best picture I could get of her bumpy gums.
I forget sometimes that the kids watch what we do and remember it! Owen found my mascara and tried to put it on. This was the result :)
One day, Owen had his guitar and was asking for a "boit seat" which frustrated me to no-end as I has no ideas what he was on about. I soon learnt in the car that "boit seat" meant seat belt but he kept saying it when he has his guitar.
I finally worked out that what he wanted was a guitar strap- a seat belt for his guitar!
anyway, I got some elastic from my sewing stuff, taped to the one end and tied it around the neck and he was happy :)
Aaliya quite enjoys books. She lies with Stu and Owen as they read their bedtime story. She like turning pages and pointing at pictures.
The photos below she is looking at a touch and feel book and in some pics she is feeling the textured pics.
She's so clever :)
