Day sleeps

We are in the middle of moving RIGHT NOW and it's all going really great!! YAY! So with so much going on I wanted to share with you one of my favourite parts of the day.
Each day sleep that Sapphire has (which isn't every day now..... sad face!!) She has a fluffy companion - Cobweb!!! What a wonderful cat he is!!!!

 

 

It makes me smile ever so much to peak on these two and see them like this! So I thought I'd show you all and make you smile too!!!
Smiles The Torrents'

Wonderful World Wednesday - Striped Ladybird

While eating our lunch the other day the girls spotted this Ladybug! Of all the insects around Sapphire is NOT scared of ladybugs! Ants..NO WAY, don't get near me, spiders, even the humble slater and worm she will not touch!!
So with a friendly ladybug to look out Esther and Sapphire were very happy.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

We have found out it is a Striped Ladybird (Micraspis frenata) and it eats grasses and weeds and lays its eggs there too. Check out THIS information if you'd like to find out more!
How Wonderful Wednesdays are!
Smiles The Torrents'

Penguin cupcakes {Arctic and Antartica Unit study}

As you know I LOVE a theme so when you have such a great unit study like the Arctic and Antartic you have LOADS to play with! So for a Tea Party Thursday treat we made some yummo Penguin Cupcakes we saw HERE.

 

Sophia is the queen of creating in the kitchen so with some icing, Oreo's, apricots and silver balls our rookery of penguins were ready to eat!!

 

 

How cute do they look?? They tasted super great too!!
Smiles The Torrents'

Penguin Height chart {Arctic and Antartica Unit sudy}

During our last unit study on all things cold I came across a cool idea to make life size penguins so the children could "measure" up against them! We looked at some books for a guide and found THIS picture too and got to work drawing some life like penguins! Sophia and Esther helped me paint them and this was the final result!!

 

 Emperor, King, Gentoo, Chipstrap, African and Fairy

Sapphire loved seeing how "BIG" she was compared to the penguins, Esther found out that she is about the same size as a King Penguin and Hannah, Sophia and Zeke are all taller than an Emperor, though they wouldn't like to actually be standing in a group of them cause they really are pretty big!!

Hannah set to work making up some labels for each one including weight, height and lifespan.
It was a great exercise for our Antarctica study!!
Smiles The Torrents'

The beginning of another term

We kicked started our last term for the year.... can you believe it!!?? WOW term 4!! There has been much going on with our home up for sale and open homes and viewings and holidays and 3 birthdays in there too!

 

 

 

 So it felt really good that the little girls and I had some special learning time before everyone else was up!! We did some flash cards, magic 100 words - the Golden words Esther is learning and even a spot of nature study! I have these cool maths cards that we also had some fun with.

 

 

 

 

Of course the older children did eventually get moving so they were doing their spelling, English, Maths and bible verses. After lunch Esther and Sophia had some media time, they are currently watching The Sleeping Beauty Ballet on You tube. Other than a few "moments" during the day it was a pretty great start to the last term of the year!
Hope your school time is going well,
Smiles The Torrents'

Wonderful World Wednesday - Jelly Fungus

It's been awhile since sharing some Wonderful World Wednesday with you so we're here to show you one of our favourite finds over the Autumn...... JELLY FUNGUS!!

 

 

While walking around Holly Bank (Tasmania) we found these wonderful, bright Jelly Fungus. I came across THIS so I'm fairly certain that this is what it is! How fabulous is that colour!! You can even see the different stages of growth, from the tiny little "bud" to the longer stalk, flattened, fan looking top! God is soooo creative, I LOVE IT!
Smiles The Torrents'

Penguin Art fun for kids {Arctic and Antarctica Unit study}

Here is another fun activity suitable for ALL ages to go along nicely with our Arctic and Antarctica study. I found this idea HERE. 

 

 

 

 Hannah isn't a big fan of painting... but she LOVES to paint backgrounds!!

 

 All the penguins pieces ready to assemble.

 

 Sapphire's finished Penguin

 Esther's finished Penguin

 Hannah's Finished Penguin Mother and baby.

 Sophia made two, her fav is the Mother and baby one

From my youngest at 2 1/2 to my oldest at 14 everyone had a wonderful time creating their backgrounds, making their penguins and designing their scene!! It was sooo great to see them all come to life!

Smiles The Torrents'

Polar Bear cupcakes (Arctic and Antartica unit study)

With a wonderful theme of SNOW and Ice and all that goes with that we had HEAPS of fun coming up with treats for Tea Party Thursday.
Here is one of those ideas..... The cute Polar Bear and Walrus cupcakes!!!!

 

 (inspiration HERE & HERE)

Sophia loves cooking with me on Thursdays, especially when she gets to be arty with our treats!

Hannah is a fan of chocolate cupcakes and Zeke vanilla so we made a perfect mix of both to keep everyone happy! Let me tell you they were totally delicious!! LOVED every bite!
Smiles The Torrents'

Arctic and Antarctica Unit study

 We have been doing HEAPS this term on SNOW! With such a wonderful theme I opened it up to studying and looking at the Arctic and Antarctica. So with the older ones doing projects and research on places with the most snow fall and the like I had a little set up for the younger girls to play with.

 

 

Sapphire has LOVED this!! She is learning what animals live where and all about the North and South Pole. Esther and Sapphire have had HEAPS of play time with the animals which I have enjoyed greatly, watching their imagination come to life!

The simple Arctic scene was made with a cardboard box, cut in the appropriate glacier shapes, then painted white! Easy!! (idea HERE for background and HERE for trees)
Smiles The Torrents'