It’s December real-time. And I have not blogged for sooo long. I have notes, and pictures. but that’s it. So in a bid to get on top of things again for 2018 9when the regs kick off and someone might actually look at this stuff) I’m going to give a speedy review of the second half of 2017, month by month.
Vio was away for the first week on a football trip. We mostly had early nights and stories in bed! We picked Vio up and the kids were so happy to see him!
Both loving the new Wild Kratts episodes and movies, going to the skate park and nerf wars. Also into science experiments – we made slime but Alex hated the feeling of it so much he said he was going to vomit! lots of morning bed cuddles!
We had a load of mulch delivered for the front and the kids helped me spread it. They were mesmerised as the truck dumped it, and asked the driver if he was going to help us! lol
Alex
- Watching gamers on YouTube playing Roblox, and decided he wanted to play himself so I set him up on PC. He’s been playing the vehicle simulator and lumber tycoon a lot. Gotten into playing STEAM games – Feed and grow fish. He has levelled up to eat sharks now. proud of his progress! I have found some Minecraft PE cheats to try out with him. He likes when i play with him.
- Watched the Scooby Doo movie multiple times in just a few days
- Football matches and a football tournament. Alex very vocal when he gets hurt, but is strong and persistent when he plays.
- Watching Star Wars series. Alex built a double ended lightsaber – he hot glued match sticks for struts and taped them. It broke. Alex worked out how and fixed/improved it.
- Playing with mag tiles. Talked about the different triangles.
- Alex asked for a knife to make a spear so we went over some safety things and then he tried.
- Mde colourful bubble in bubbleator machine and blew outside and Alex was concerned about mess! He noticed that the bubbles weren’t always round.
- Using hot glue guns and lolly sticks to make things. Alex worked out very quickly that there were 500 sticks –> 50 x 10 bundles.
- Doing sessions most days. Challenged to do 2 & 2. He kept doing string foot then failing on weak. So he decided that he would complete on the weak foot first.
- Loves playing animal simulations.
- At breakfast one day Alex said 1/4 +1/8 = 1/3. I told him it was 3/8 and that he was close since 1/3 = 3/9.
- I showed him some wingsuit flying videos. He loved them! He wants to do off steepest cliff ever and asks what happens if you close one arm. He also reasoned that smaller bullets fly through the air faster as there is less air pushing on it.
- Alex noticed triangular numbers – 1 3 6 10 etc. I mentioned square numbers too.
- He wanted to know how fast a snail travelled, so we looked it up to be between 50 and 100 m per hour. alex compared that to his 100m times from athletics and was amused.
- He reasoned that 20 x 5 = 100 since he knew that 5 x 5 = 25, and double that is 10 x 5 = 50 and so double again.
- He’s aware of homeless people in the city, which we’ve talked about circumstances a bit and given money or food.
- We played yahtzee, I don’t think Alex much liked as it was hard to get the numbers he wanted.
- When playing nerf wars Alex offered me guns that were good shots that didn’t have much ammo, or bad shots with lots of ammo – he’s come to this conclusion himself about the guns and has been disappointed with some of the shooting abilities of the larger guns he has bought.
- Watch first episode of Blue planet but Alex talked through half of it, he knew so much already!
- I brought home some snake beans that i found at the shops. He thought they were funny and put on his display shelves. The lady at the shops thought I was so odd to buy 2 beans!
Daniel
- Tipped paint all over table! So I added to it for fun 🙂 We took a print. He made some hand print paintings too. Also used the watercolours.
- Noticed the shapes of tiles in Buni’s toilet are rectangles, but if you make them shorter they become squares.
- Commented that fizzy water is like our bi-carb/vinegar experiments – they both have gas.
- Making colourful rice for his kitchen
- Playing with mag tiles. lots,
- Making train tracks.
- Loving puzzles.
- Playing with his tools. he asked me to drill a hole for him. he used bamboo sticks to play different wooden pieces to make different noises.
- Using hot glue guns and lolly sticks to make things, also glitter and glue pics.
- Showing interest in letters.
- “Why are thumbs smallest?” lol
- We play an iPad game together called cooking fever.
- When Alex is at football Daniel either plays with siblings over other kids or I play with him. on one day we were at a park playing pirates – we were protecting our ship from evil pirates.
- He’s been quite verbal around comparisons atm – longer, shorter etc
- Loves taking the train, showing interest in the maps and we took a bus too which we hadn’t done in ages!
- Asking for McDonalds so much! I think because of Ryan. So after football training one night I took them. Despite happy meals and burgers, they were both hungry within an hour and smashed a few bananas!
Out and About
- Visited a newly re-opened park in Point Cook – pirate ship on a huge hill. They loved the huge slide down!
- Went swimming. Alex loves swimming upside down underwater. He’s experimenting with his breath, bubbles and buoyancy. Daniel is starting to swim with a noodle to assist and not me. we still play crocodiles.
- Attended a magic show. Alex was disappointed that he didn’t get picked to volunteer. Some of the other kids in audience were rude and calling out the secret to the tricks. Alex and I talked about how inappropriate their behaviour was.
- Headed to oval to play together. we play football, throw boomerangs. Daniel and I lay together looking at the clouds.
- Attended gymnastics open gym. our friends were sick so didn’t make it. Alex practised back flips. Another kid told him it was a sault, not flip. Alex is very cautious when he jumps. Daniel and I built a cubby. They also went on the swings, and floor.
- Took Alex to a lightsaber fencing session. He really enjoyed it.
- Attended an animal encounter at the library. Daniel lost interest. Alex said it was great lol. We got lots of new books to read.
- Visited Lego Discovery Centre – sooo busy! I did not enjoy the queues and thought the whole thing was very average, especially the rides. The kids enjoyed the car build and race.
- Visited a new local park. they had very low swings and kids loved how high it made them go!
- We went to Flip Out trampoline centre and the kids loved it. They saw videos for a program called ‘Little ninjas’ and asked to try it. So we’ll give it a shot as it’s something they can both do!
Socialising
- Met up with friends at Eltham Skate park. Kids scooted. Then we went to the friends house for dinner.
- Played with cousins and visited grandparents. Alex trying to show Emily how to play minecraft.Coloured in, cooked and played. Alex hides the nerf guns.
- Met up at Organ Pipes with friends. went for a walk, plus picnic and cake. the kids explored, Daniel and I saw a wallaby.
- Had a friend over for the first time. Went well. Kids played various games on iPads, also nerf guns. The friend was surprised that Alex couldn’t read or write and I think it bothered Alex a little as he declared he wanted to learn the next day. he didn’t though and went back to not caring.
- Visited a friends house for a play. Daniel had a great time, Alex struggled to play well. Not his fault – they have grown apart.
- Visited a friends house. kids had a great play and chose to swap toys for a short while.
- Neighbours come over.
- Attended homeschool group park days
- Met up with a friend who had a new kite. Alex knew why the supports were needed and was very interested in getting it together.
Activities
- Football training and games. Alex scored his first goal.
- Lego technics program – Alex enjoyed, and made a fidget spinner in addition to the project given to him.
- Gymnastics continues – Daniel doing really well. Alex is loud, but compliant. We head to the park after with friends. My kids often head towards the creek to jump and climb.
- Attended a Makerspace workshop at NGV. Using Scratch coding and artwork along with makey makey. Was fun! They were told a story from the japanese culture along with the painting, also a Picasso painting.
- Daniel tried a new music class and loved it. he found the ‘there was an old woman who swallowed a fly’ song hilarious with all the burping.
- Started little Ninjas classes which they LOVED! Well Daniel ran out upset a few times, but he says he wants to go back.
