Learning this week

We have had a really good week. Monday and Thursday were stay at home days so just did the usual subjects. Wednesday we went to a friend's place as she was holding a soap party. Yes, soap, not Tupperware but soap. It was so interesting. The lady explained how it was all made and we tried them all and were given samples. I also bought a few as they have the most divine smell and I can tell they were made with complete love and passion. Hopefully we are going to organise a day where she will show the children how it is all made and let them create some of their own.

We are back to our usual Tuesday afternoon history days with another family. We studied Queen Elizabeth I, listening first to the story of her life on CD, having a discussion and then doing map work pertaining to the area of the world relevant to the topic. Usually we do some sort of art, craft or cooking to do with that part of history but as this was our first day back there was too much for both the kids and the adults to catch up on. Next week is Shakespeare, I think, and we have a little surprise for the other family - have been working on it for a while. Hope it comes off :)

Friday came and the two middle boys decided they would go to work with T as he is setting up a new warehouse to display all of our products. I was going to pick them up after a couple of hours but they stayed longer because they were having too much fun - cleaning racking, moving grates? Oh well, I'm happy having them work if they're having fun! N (13) has gone back over there today (Saturday) to help T again. I think it's wonderful. We have been talking about managing N's academic and work life, hoping to encourage him to do quite a few hours work a week in the next couple of years as at this point we can't see him doing upper education but if he's keen now to work, we're very happy to provide him the opportunity.

D (17) has been hardly here between quick shifts at work (therefore staying at his dad's as he lives closer) to gym to army cadets to social life. I saw him briefly yesterday afternoon to drive him to cadets but before that it was for five minutes on Wednesday morning (oh, just remembered, James Bond Wednesday night as well). He will be home tonight though after going to the movies with friends and then tomorrow the whole family is going to see Breath of Spring, a play put on by the Maitland Repertory Society. I have bought a season pass to four plays this year, one of them a Shakespeare play. So, nice family day tomorrow.

With trampolining, cadets, D's working a lot more now school holidays have finished and T training two guys and setting up the warehouse, we have had a busy week. Throw in some DVDs - Backyard Science, All Creatures Great and Small, Magic School Bus (thanks, KB) and our James Bond Wednesday night family night (Thunderball this week) and we have had lots of learning, laughing and fun.

Love Karen