7 Quick Takes

1. Spring has sprung!

Finally the spring holidays have arrived and we're even having decent weather! We have spent a lot of time out in the garden of course, planning patios and garden beds and just enjoying the arrival of colour once more. This is one of my favourite things about living in Canberra, and also one of my least favourite - the very distinct change in seasons!

2. Wounds are healing.

The big bloody gash on Tess's head has scarred over nicely and it is mostly hidden by her hair which is a good thing.
I'm still contributing to my physio's down payment on an apartment by going there every week. Work on back and shoulder is slow. The tailbone recover is also slow go but there is definite improvement there (after six months!)

3. Birthdays abound.

We celebrated Tess's second birthday today at the park by the lake. Good friends and grandparents made an appearance which made it an extra special day. We love that girl!! Although she doesn't always make it easy, I'm sure there must have been at least ten tantrums today. terrible twos! eh?? 
Heading to Wollongong on Saturday to catch up with the family for more birthday fun.

4. Puzzle.

Now that I finally have my study back (two big kids are sharing a room again) I've been looking at
my patiently waiting pile of puzzles and feeling the urge. Today after the party I cracked this one out, having fun with it!


5. Science at home.

We've all been enjoying my role as a science teacher at school this yea. The kids love the experiments I've been bringing home like the Surface tension experiment, the fossil making, and the crystal stars. These last two are planned for these holidays. Hopefully I'll get some hood pictures :)

6. Preschool at home.

Gabby and I have started a little preschool program at home. She's not terribly keen on it but I'm following Susan Wise Bauer's advice that given a choice most children wouldn't actually choose to sit down and learn but if you can coax them into it a little bit each day, the learning will come. Am loving her book 'The Well Trained Mind.'
 Basic alphabet and sound recognition is our first step but she's also keen to try writing. Her favourite activity is an alphabet app on the iPad, but I try and encourage more hands on stuff at this stage.

7. Orpheus gets a facelift.

This should come as no surprise; this book has had more face lifts than Joan Rivers, but I'm really happy with the way it is going at the moment. I think I may even do a 7 quick takes next week just on Orpheus so that I have in writing what I'm planning and why I like this version so much. Just in case I forget again :)

spanish lessons

For nine painstaking years I learned Spanish. Through primary, high school and then finally university I never gave up on learning the language that I loved so much. It was hard work and I still wasn't even fluent. My high school Spanish teacher, a short, beautiful, inspiring Chilean woman said to me once that if I ever wanted to be fluent in Spanish I needed a Spanish boyfriend.

So I married a Spanish speaking man. The Captain's family comes from Uruguay and the learning of Spanish in his childhood was a very important thing. Thankfully he agrees with me that the kids should learn Spanish in our home, instead of laboring over it like I did for years with textbooks and tapes (or podcasts, or whatever the crazy kids are listening to these days!!)

So since our son was born in 2008 it has been the Captain's role to speak only in Spanish to our kids. Now that baby number three has arrived and that first child is almost five, he has done a wonderful job and they have a good grounding in their comprehension of Castellana. Since my mother-in-law took over babysitting duties last year while I worked their Spanish has improved even more.

My parents-in-law recently returned from a holiday in Spain. And here a couple of books that they brought with them to continue our children's Spanish lessons. 

via

This one came with a CD Rom which we have yet to look at.  The book itself talks about the history of the Spanish language, where it originated and its development over the centuries.  The pictures are gorgeous; colourful and very child-friendly. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl Lena and her brother Lito. 

The story is quite in-depth and may be a bit over the heads of my four and two year olds. I would suggest that it is more relevant for 8-10 year olds.

via

After a visit to the Alhambra in Granada, they brought this back for the kids. Like the previous book it has great pictures and a very comprehensive history that may be a bit advanced for my littlies. But any history of Spain is going to be encouraged in this house, regardless!!

I think it's really important that my kids not only know how to speak Spanish but understand the history behind it. Although their family is not from Spain it doesn't matter. They will in time, also learn about the history of their ancestors in Uruguay.

This is a cute little book about dinosaurs that was brought for my son. It includes colouring in, vocabulary, stickers and writing activities. A big hit!! I think it is the activity book that accompanies the That's not my...series of children's book. Lots of fun.

So, although my own brain is a bit baby-adled the kids' language lessons are well in hand and for that I am very glad.

the race to finnish

This is a great article for anyone interested in the state of education in Australia, or around the world. It has a good look at the Finnish schooling system and why it is so successful. Great quote -“If you only measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect.”

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz26JhuGI57

Enjoy!