Oh this weekend! Queensland is treating us well. No more winter blues. Over the last few weekends we've been hitting the beach after the boys finish soccer on Saturday mornings. It's been a dream. All day at the beach, the boys play happily and with a packed picnic we don't have to move. Otis loves playing in the sand. Literally for hours. Caspar is busy in the water and has recently learnt how to catch a wave with his body board. Besides body boards the only toys we take are buckets and spades. Most recently Otis has started sitting in... Read more →
I am having some major anxieties about the boys going back to school next week. My anxieties are not about the actual schooling but about getting there on time. I'm giving myself some grace. I am in a new city I am not at all certain with. It's a new route and it's a fair drive. I love the rhythm that comes with being at home. Sleep when you are tired. Wake when you are ready. Not it's bedtime because we have school in the morning. School doesn't really fit rhythm, it requires a schedule. At 7.30am we need to... Read more →
A week or so before Christmas we visited Ikea. For the first time - ever. While being overwhelmed in so many ways I loved looking at all of their items which would be useful for a Montessori home. Obviously at a good price point. I haven't tried all of these items, but here are some of my suggestions and ideas for a Montessori home for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. FURNITURE Kallax Shelving Unit - Placed horizontally would work for infant/young toddler shelves. Poäng Children's Armchair - We need one of these! A perfect place for a young child to sit... Read more →
This morning I literally searched online for 'rainy day activities for kids'. I didn't find anything even remotely interesting. It may be summer but it's also the wet season. Above Otis puts labels on body parts. As he labelled each body part I gave him some new information about that particular part. This is Otis' body traced, cut out and freely drawn on by him. A great activity for body awareness which children of this age seem to love. Perhaps the beach? My goodness, this might be one of my new favourite places. Thank you to good friends with good... Read more →
Looking for the very last chocolates in the advent calender. They are either on the swing or... on the water slide (or at the swimming pool). You have to love an Australian summer Christmas. Our favourite Christmas reading. From our family to yours - we wish you a very Merry Christmas. Read more →
How are you? We are ok, struggling at times. This whole homeschooling thing has it's challenges. We have toured and Caspar has spent some time at their new school. It's a lovely place, a Montessori school right on the river. Children can attend up to 15 years, which I think is equal to grade 9 or 10. Observing the older classrooms has made me feel really excited for the future, to know that a Montessori schooling doesn't have to finish at the primary level. It's really opened my eyes. I know many people consider Montessori for younger children or even... Read more →
Living in Brisbane our lifestyle has totally changed. Although the warm weather is everywhere in Australia right now, never before have my children spent so much time outdoors. Practically all day, everyday. Dirty feet - every night. The boys have been using the Nature Play Passport which has given us a few new ideas. The boys love chocolate and I knew I could come up with a healthy chocolate snack. They don't look so pretty but they taste fantastic and only took a couple of minutes to make. Today we walked to our local library to find a beautiful organic... Read more →
Yay! We made it to Brisbane. We are far from feeling settled (Caspar is feeling very unsettled) however we are comfortable and loving everything Brisbane has to offer. Even the scorching weather - no complaints here. Queenslanders are the most down to earth - laid back and all round chatty people. We have been made to feel so very welcome. A big part of our life right now is finding our rhythm and most importantly enjoying the same things we did in Canberra, enjoying the familiar. On moving in day the house was full of boxes and strangers (removalists!). A... Read more →