Something unexpected

(Readers of delicate disposition may wish to exercise judgement before proceeding...).

So, what do you think this is?







It began when I was cleaning out my filing cabinet. I found a plastic bag marked "biohazard". How odd, I thought to myself. What on earth could be in here?






Ewww! Ewan's umbilical stump!


Although isn't it just a fascinating....thing...

Isabelle assisted by digging out a little hole in Ewan's pot.





And the mummified stump was reunited with the rest of its - stuff. Placenta remains I guess, although I hope they are long gone.





Ah, that's better!

Orla art

Orla is a prolific artist, aided recently by new paint pens for Christmas, and a ready supply of paper due to our big post-Christmas declutter.

Here they all are enjoying the new supplies. Orla is working on one of her more detailed works.


However, sometimes quantity seems to be the focus. Nevertheless, there's a lot of brainwork going on in the background.

For this one, Orla said:
"For you Mummy!"
I made the classic mistake of presuming what was in the picture.
"Oh, two people".
"No, it's not two people. It's me [points to the one with hair] and a statue!"

Of course.




Seconds later:
"The babies are out at the beach with their Mummy and Daddy. They are in one tent, which is this tent [the green outline]".



Followed closely by:

"The babies in a castle with their Mummy and Daddy".



"Splashes out of the blue water going up and down".



And then, intriguingly:

"You can think about what the green things are that are shooting out of the water. [Pause]. They are fishes. The babies are here caughting (sic) them! There's me, there's C [friend], there's M [friend - all while pointing to blank parts of the page]. We're caughting them and putting them in a fish bag".



And finally:

"Me inside a green bubble".



Orla was particularly pleased to find some little square pieces of paper in the sea of white A4.

So what's going on here? We could think about the brainwork behind the pictures in terms of schema theory. From a very young age, Orla has been an encloser, which developed further into the related enveloping. The subjects of the first three pictures are all enclosed (in a tent, a castle, and a non-specific boundary). The fish are inside a fish bag. And Orla is pictured in her imagination inside a green bubble. There's possible trajectory elements too, with the fishes leaping out of the water, and splashes of blue.

Putting on more of a socio-cultural lens, Orla draws what is relevant to her. Families, including babies. Friends. Fishing expeditions. Holiday time - children out with Mummy and Daddy.

I quite liked the final "green bubble" picture. A real work of the imagination!

Christmas

Despite best intentions, I never really got around to Christmas-related blogging this year.

What I do have is the traditional Christmas cake shot:



Seemed to come out OK this year. Only red cherries, as I went to the "other" supermarket on baking weekend, and they only had the one colour.

Harry Potter

You stand in verdant beauty

Last weekend was Christmas tree time!

Aidan and Brendon had bought one on the Saturday. We soaked it overnight.



Then they brought it into the house....



...for decoration while our Christmas cds played.




Ta da!




Christmas books were re-discovered.



And then it was off to Kirks to stand in line for....



Father Christmas! Who as soon as we made it to the front of the line, left to take a short break.



But he returned! Looking, er, slightly different and no longer requiring glasses, but I don't think any of the children noticed.



Requests were made.



Although this isn't a great photo, I love the look on Orla's face!



Then the big kids and I selected some new Christmas decorations while Brendon took the small ones for a romp in the park. We checked out the Christmas windows on the way back.



And we joined the others for a quick play in the sun before heading home.



Last week of school!

Fish

The children's new fishing rods were christened on Saturday. And they had success! Isabelle caught one (which escaped off the wharf back to the water). Aidan caught two, with one returned to the ocean and one making it home.



Naturally it was far smaller than the one Isabelle had caught.



Small though it was, it was cooked on the barbie (it's wrapped in tinfoil).



And it was enjoyed by all who had a taste!

The promise of Christmas...

...the stirring of the Christmas cake.

Roman Day

Following the children's interest in things Roman, we decided to have a Roman Day. We chose to celebrate the holiday of ludi plebeii, as it was conveniently located on our calendar.

The day began with "Roman baths". Our version was not as complicated an affair as the Romans would have experienced. First, we had the scented hot bath, followed by a cold plunge (quick cold shower), followed again by the scented bath. No photos...

Next, a trip to the massage room.




Then the kitchen slaves got to work preparing the feast. Here is a whole fish waiting to be cooked....



...while the children of the household waited in the shade of tents.




Roman maiden (with tunic and bulla).



Roman boy.




I had nothing like a stolla, so wore my summer dressing gown. Brendon spent part of the day resplendent in a toga made out of our sheets. No photos.....!

The first part of the feast was eaten outside. Pickled fish, mussels, flat bread, greek olives, goats cheese and Italian cheese.



The main course was served indoors - chicken, cold ham, fish, lentil and carrot soup, bread, cucumber with honey.




And cheap Italian red!



The whole fish looked less appealing now....




Reclining after the meal.




A bit of dessert - mint tea with honey, honey and date cake (no sugar), one orange to share between the family.




Then on to the games! We had gladiator contests.



(Including a junior division).



We had chariot races...




...which could be hazardous!



This was followed by some music and dancing.

We weren't 100% authentic, but it didn't really matter. It was fun researching what we would do - and what we might do next time!

Zac

Zac Power is a big hit in our household. Aidan is the main consumer of all things Zac, but Isabelle enjoys the books as well.

Mostly I like the books - they get kids reading which is generally A Good Thing. Then I don't like the books, as I notice typos or repeated words in the obviously hurriedly published paperbacks that are cashing in on the wave of popularity. Then I like them again when Aidan brings them to me saying "Look Mum! A spelling mistake in my Zac Power book!".

And role modeling obviously works:





And once you're in spy mode - you see evidence everywhere.....