Skydiving Adventure

My son turned 18 a few weeks ago but due to excessive rain and wind here in Brisbane we have had to postpone the skydiving adventure. But this Saturday was an absolutely perfect day. The sun was shining and just a gentle breeze for those of us on the ground. But for my husband, son and oldest daughter it was 220km/hr rushing free fall. They jumped at 14000ft (that seems like a lot of 000's) from a tiny plane that only has enough room for you to squeeze into like sardines.

It is so not for me. My husband asked if I wanted to jump??? I'm not sure he meant it. For me it would be a matter of choose your death. Heart rate increases and you have another stroke. Heart rate increases and just goes into arrest. Should I make it through the free fall and land, the impact causes my spine to just give up and I am sitting on the beach like a jelly fish. So no, jumping out of a plane was not on my bucket list. Making my first quilt, now that's a thrill.

The pre-jump training took a whole 5 seconds. 1. hands on the front straps. They make them do that so they don't grab anything in a panic as they exit the plane. That freaked me a little. 2. lean back 3. kick your leg up backwards. Right lets go jump out of a plane. At this point I realized that my husbands insurance policies are now null in-void for the next hour or so. Now that made my heart rate rise right there.



Ashleigh has just returned from a trip around Europe and I will be watching her leap from a plane. I was more nervous for her here then being in Germany for the Oktoberfest. Oh, well maybe not.



Well the person Dan was strapped to was like one of those crazy people. He gave Dan the ride of his life flipping the parachute around and around. It was crazy!!! Husband landed first which I was very pleased about. Dan was next down and totally loved it. Only 7 months until he puts his Mission papers in. No time for a next time I say. Ashleigh was last and said it's freezing up there. Next time she will wear a jumper. NEXT TIME I said!! What next time!!! oh yes for $2500 you to can hurl yourself out of a plane at least 10 times and half of them solo!! today she email through a link to the 'next time'.

It really was so much fun to watch them but I really hope that they don't do it again. Happy 18th Dan.

Wishing Star

Tonight Lucy and I were at the clothsline when she spotted the wishing star. She made her wish of going to the beach and the park tomorrow.Her two most favorite places apart from my bed. She then told me to make my wish.
I said " I wish Lucy would use the toilet and not nappies".
"No she said, that's not a wish, you have to wish for the beach or something. That's not a real wish!"

I am desperate to get her over her toilet phobia. It seems like are real wish to me?

Soli Deo Gloria Resources ~ Map Skills Unity Study

Soli Deo Gloria Resources has a variety of unit studies available for homeschooling families. We had the opportunity to review Map Skills which is geared for the K-3 grade. It has heaps of hands on activities, games and fun ways to create maps and learn about the basics of geography.

They give you a guide to follow that is set out over 2 weeks. Of course as true homeschooling mums we like to 'tweak' these sort of things to suit ourselves.

The girls have covered this introductory subject before but it was something worth reviewing using this product and for $14.00 you can cover all you need with the little ones.

Click here for a sample.

Soli Deo Gloria Resources have a variety of Christ center learning studies available on their website if you're looking for something in that area go to the site and have skip through for yourself.

Kids Say The Cutess Thing.

I received a text lastnight from my friend who has two of the most gorgeous boys you could ever imagine. Little angler is 3 and is a real boy. Had to show off his new boy haircut to us yesterday with a look of shear pride.

Well this is how the text went!

We're all sitting around having dinner. Little angler says " a lady danced with me today at a dance-a-long". His dad says "wow that's good. Did you ask her or did she ask you to dance?" Little angler say's "no she asked me". His father says "way to go mate, that's the way!"

Silence for a few seconds.

Then Little Angler says proudly "I was wearing high heals."

Well Mum & Dad if worse comes to worse we can take these with us on the next fishing trip. Might not want to wear them in the inflatable boat perhaps.

Talking Fingers Review

This is by far the our favorite review of the year. Talking Fingers is a Read, Write & Type online program. This program is phonics based, that encourages the kids to say, read & type the words/sounds as they learn.

It really is a fantastic program. Maddie struggles with all things 'phonic' but this program seem to just break through that barrier she had, and resonated with her in such a way that she actually got the hang of the sounds as well as the typing skills.




The key element for Maddie was that there was no timer. No count down clock that she had to race against. It just waited for her to say the word or wiggle her fingers around without feeling the pressure of a clock ticking in a corner ready to explode if she couldn't do it in their time frame. Maddie is not competitive at all so programs with that element added lose her every time. Having said that, the certificates that you can print out at the end of each level did appeal to her. She has them proudly displayed in our lounge room. A homeschool kid has got to do what she has to because it's hard to get a certificate from mum. Just doesn't have the same appeal? Anyway she was pretty chuffed at getting one when she made it to the end of each level.

Also it's not a 'busy' screen. If your child has trouble concentrating then this is a program for them. While the animation is very inviting it doesn't have things going on all over the place. The 'virus' that is one of the main characters is a pleasant little green blob and the instructions are given by 2 little 'hands'. We are not a gaming family. We don't own a wii or PlayStation or PSP, so as far as animation is concerned it's perfect for us. I look at my fingers when I type (two finger typist) but this has them looking at the screen where they should and not at their fingers.




click here for a a free demo of the first 8 lessons. I know 8 lessons free to try before you buy. Read here if you want to know more about the company and how they began, or watch the video below and see how it not only can benefit those who like us who are trying to master English as our first language, but how this program can help ESL students as well.



How to purchase this for yourself.

This product is affordable. All subscriptions are valid for 5 years which as you can see from the price list below that is amazing value for the home user.

Read, Write & Type Product Price

Read, Write & Type - Online Edition - 1 user $35.00
Read, Write & Type - Online Edition - 2 users $55.00
Read, Write & Type - Online Edition - 3 users $70.00
Read, Write & Type - Online Edition - 4 users $85.00
Read, Write & Type - Online Edition - 5 users $100.00

Home CD Products

Product Price

Read, Write & Type - CD Home Edition $79.00
Read, Write & Type - CD International Edition(2 program CDs only) $39.00

Talking Fingers HOT NEWS FLASH!!
Want to save 20% off your next order?

Join their mailing list and answer a couple of questions to receive a 20% discount on your order. Your information will NOT be sold to outside parties. We will use it only to send you product updates and an occasional newsletter about our work.

Hop on over to the website to order and see the other programs they have available for you. Like us I'm sure you won't be disappointed with the program.

disclaimer~ I received a complimentary subscription to Talking Fingers and this is my honest opinion about this product.

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud

It has been raining non stop here in Brisbane. 201mm fell in just 24 hours in our suburb. We've been on the tight water restrictions for a long while , so strict at one point they had patrols roaming the street to make sure no one was using the water incorrectly. We have an over zealous State Government, but that is a whole other subject?



Needless to say my children see failing rain as an immediate cue to race outside and find the biggest possible mud puddle. Today it was the veggie garden. Fortunate we haven't planted anything in it as yet.



I expected the kids to wake up this morning at least half a metre taller due to the compost rich soil that they 'swam' in. My bathroom was totally trashed by the time they made their way up the stairs , through the back door and made mud prints all the way to the bathroom. Lucy still had it in her ears last night.




This is our favorite park before and after the flooding. Next stop is Wivenhoe Dam as they've opened the flood gates and that is always a fantastic sight.

STOP THE PRESS !!!

I have a craft room, homeschooling resource room or just what ever I like room. Can you believe it. Grown-up Lucy you must rush down and see under our house. It's so tidy it echo's!! Caitlin , married to soldier and still had to live with us until they got a Defense Force House HAS MOVED OUT!! Oh wait let me shed a tear, ok that's done. We have room down stairs and I have (had) a spare room for me!!! I've moved in already just in case, Dan 18 year old son, saw it empty and attempted to move his massive drum kit out of his room into what may have seemed like a spare room.


Actually Caitlin has only moved all her earthly belongings over to their two storey, three bedroom, three bathroom, brand spanking new townhouse, five minutes from our home, because James is away on Operation Hamil and won't be back for a few more weeks. Romantic I know. I just keep seeing the scene in Shrek where he carries Fiona across the threshold wiping out half the door way leaving her with a sore head. Ah I'm not very romantic. They want to move in together so she is bunking down in the homeschool room for now on a fold out bed (hard going because they spent thousands on a sleeping on clouds mattress) She dare not complain because James is spending 5 weeks on the ground, eating ration packs missing his new wife while running around playing enemy with a bunch of sweaty men. Hence the fact she isn't complaining about the foldout bed.

I love to see that all the work you put into raising them and preparing them for life pay's off as they launch out of the nest and spreed their wings and fly into the next exciting stage of their life.