Blog
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My Daybook: March 2nd, 2015
Outside my window… It’s afternoon and summer storm clouds are gathering, hoping it doesn’t mean an incoming lightning storm. We have swimming lessons today and we already missed last week, as when we arrived for lessons they were calling all the children out of the pool due to lightning I am thankful… that we live in the age of modern technology. Although Anna Maria will be far away for the next three months we can still keep in constant contact via skype and emails. I often ponder on the courageousness of our early Australian ancestors as they set sail from England and Ireland on a journey half way around the…
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Ireland, Scotland, England & Wales: Anseo A Thagann Sí
Three short days and our precious Anna Maria(21) boards a plane and heads off on an adventure of a life time. She lands in Dublin and then begins her travels throughout Ireland; then later on Scotland, England and Wales. Three months living and working in Ireland and the UK will be a wonderful experience and we will be following her travels vicariously through photos, email and skype. Anna Maria has researched well and has an itinerary complete with a list of sights to see and adventures to experience. If any of my readers from Ireland and the UK have ‘must see’ recommendations to add to the list, we’d love to hear…
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This Week in Learning: February 27th, 2015
Despite my best intentions it’s been three weeks since I’ve recorded any of our learning notes. The length of time and my patchy notes mean that the following is only a partial of all we’ve learnt. My logistical issue of finding time to work with the older children was solved by PC’s suggestion of focusing on the teens 2 days a week, where the glitch now lies is my self-discipline of sticking to the plan. Two weeks in the last three saw interruptions and both times these fell on the Wednesdays. I had a choice; let the lessons go for the day or try to fit the plans into the…
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When Drop Down Menus Won’t Work
The humour of me giving blogger technical tips hasn’t escaped me, however I’d like to share a few tips I’ve recently re-learnt. My technical knowledge is random, I’m quite technically challenged in some basic areas and yet lately I’ve been reading and discerning html code and am going to chat on the topic. I’m still shaking my head in bemusement. A few months ago I was determined to install drop down menus here on my blog. After reading several blogspot tutorials and hyperventilating over how difficult it seemed, talk of searching within my html code and installing code tends to have that effect, I found this tutorial by Ro Little (thank you…
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The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall of China
When Jillian Lin asked me if I would like to review a copy of her new book The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall of China, I was intrigued by the subject matter, and highly honoured as is the first time I’ve been approached by an author to review her book. (Though I have been asked previously on behalf of two authors.) A fascinating picture book that introduces children to the first Chinese emperor, whilst easily understood, the book is packed with information. We learn how the seven kingdoms became one, of the unity Emperor Qin Shihuang bought to China through the use of one coinage and one writing system, of…
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Celebrating an Ordination to the Diaconate
Earlier this month found us in Our Cathedral City celebrating the Ordination of a dear friend to the Diaconate Six years of study and discernment, and finally Deacon S__ was ready to be ordained a Deacon Oh this thrilling moment when the deacon (or priest) lies prostrate before Our Lord, always gives me goosebumps Laying of hands Robing ceremony, first the stole and then the chasuble Assisting at his first Mass as a Deacon Hopefully next year we’ll be celebrating Deacon’s Ordination to the Priesthood *Previously I shared a Priest’s Ordination
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See Me Homeschool: A Pictorial Record
Joining in the See Me Homeschool Blog Hop, a photo record of a day in our week, the beginning of a week, a rainy day. Pics only, no words!
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Our Learning Spaces – Aussie NBTS
Wrapping up this year’s Aussie NBTS Blog Hop by taking you on a tour of our Learning Spaces. Our home is a ‘house still under construction’, we are slowly melding ‘two houses’ together, some rooms are still awaiting their floorboards, the finishing touches are far from done and decorating is not my forte. However we’ve built our home ourselves and filled it with lots of love. We gather in our learning room to use the blackboard for various language arts instructions, and the younger children sit at the the desk for some of their lessons. The smaller table on the right is used by our littlest ones. The cupboards house the children’s…
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Which Noah’s Ark Book?
We are blessed to own three copies of Noah’s Ark, which I have purchased on the recommendations of friends. All excellent selections, though if I had to name my personal favourite it would be Jerry Pinkney’s. Though I highly recommend all three titles. Noah’s Ark – Peter Spier I absolutely love Spier’s illustrations and writing in The Book of Jonah, so was keen to add his Noah’s Ark to our collection. The scenes are incredibly detailed on double spread pages. I admit to being disappointed when I discovered it has no text as I’m not a fan of wordless books. However as I study the book more I’m seeing the beauty. Highly recommend. Noah’s…
