As I have already written Monday was a big houseclean day.  Living in the tropics always brings extra housework – the cobwebs and the dust.  It was very disheartening to see the dust (yes, thick enough to autograph) on the piano by Monday night.    Oh well, it can wait till next dusting day! 

Tuesday I was pretty focused on planning for the Ladies Friendship night that evening that I was involved in.  The kids kept themselves busy though I did exercise and phonics with Daniel. Tuesday was a tough day for Daniel – he really did very little other than these two activities with me.   Consequently, Boot Camp, as you can read about in a previous post.

Wednesday I kept Daniel close.  We not only did the exercise and phonics but we also read a few other books and worked on a science project.  Have you ever “glued” sugar cubes together to create an igloo?  We ran out of sugar cubes so his project is on hold for the moment.

Thursday is our very busy day.  8.00am I take Jessica into town for her to be involved with Mainly Music, an outreach programme targeting preschoolers and their mums.  I came home and fell asleep while Daniel played with his pirate ship.  Daniel and I then went into town, picked Jess up and dropped her off at her piano lesson, while she was there we did our town errands, we picked Jess up and did our grocery shopping.  An hour at home to tidy up before the two families arrived for Keepers.  I started the girls on their big quilt project.  They were very excited and very grateful for the time I spent in preparing their kits and teaching them.  We have a wide range of skills so we are taking it slow and keeping together as a group.  Most of them have a little “homework” to sew before next class.

I just loved teaching the girls this.  When I left school I wanted to be a Home Ec. Teacher (teaching cooking/sewing etc)  Never got the training but I did manage to teach these things in the small church school connected to our church at the time.  (Along with grooming and deportment)  I am glad for the discipline though of the coming class as life always seems to get in the way of most of my creative projects these days.  Over the weekend I want to do a bit more on my quilt so that I am a step ahead of the girls.  What fun!

The boys all worked on a Father’s Day present and therefore I am sworn to secrecy so I can’t tell you what they worked on!  But they had a “banging” good time!

Friday (today) we went into the library and spent a couple of hours with an illustrator, Ken Searle.  His artwork was very inspiring and he gave me plenty of ideas of expanding on the technology we use in creating books.  I was also inspired with nature journaling – but more of that in another post coming.

During this whole week the kids have been pruning the sandalwood trees – an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.  They have been very diligent even though some days have been fairly hot for them.

This evening, after a quick dinner of pizza in front of Drive thru History DVD, we went outside for a small campfire and roasted marshmallows.  The kids had worked hard and ingeniously at getting plenty of firewood during the afternoon.  We didn’t spent long down there but it was a nice thing to do as a family.  WE will definitely do it again sometime.  Sitting around a fire, with a cuppa tea and marshmallow stick is certainly a memory making activity.

Saturday will bring more pruning (for the girls) and Josh is going to help Pete with some spraying weeds.  Daniel will be my helper inside the house and we will go through his phonics flash cards as well.  I then need to work on some office work before I prepare some food to take to a party in the afternoon.  Nomi is staying on for a sleepover.  She is very excited and has been anxiously waiting to pack her bags for a couple of days.  The night will end with a huge bonfire, burning all the palm fronds from their garden pruning.

We are looking forward to this family style party.

As I look back over their diaries for this week, the kids have worked on their academics as well.  They have been diligent with their discipline studies, Josh has worked on his Science and Jess has been reading, at every possibility, Rachel’s Tears which she told us about around the campfire tonight.  To walk the talk was the catch phrase she gleaned from the book.  It is a good motto to have.