Ring Ring why don't you give me a call

This weeks science lesson was making tin-can telephones. They didn't work as well as I remember from when I was a kid, perhaps I'm now too used to the mobile kind, but Junior enjoyed the exercise and was quite enthusiastic about testing them out. Only problem was he also wanted to practice cutting the string with his new left-handed scissors so we had a few faulty connections!

A little bit of winter sunshine

Well after a couple of very wet and wintery weeks we have been treated to a weekend of sunshine. We made the most of it;

with a trip to the farmers market,

walking the dog in the park,

drying lots of washing while I can (I'm managing to keep up with my clothesline challenge), and

a nice morning by the river where we tried out the Perth Wheel (not quite the same as the London eye but some nice views on a sunny day), and

then lunch by the river watching the ferries come and go.

I nice way to round off a sunny weekend. Just as well we made the most of it because there is more wintery weather on the way

Yummy Stars and more Rockets

We did finally get round to making some star biscuits for our rocket themed week. We used this Donna Hay Gingerbread recipie from hop skip jump. Junior liked the rolling and cutting - just like play-doh really and of course he liked the taste test. Bub observed from the sidelines but would have loved to have got his fingers in that sticky mix.
And this weekend hubby joined in the theme and built a lego duplo rocket ship and launch pad which Junior was very pleased with.

3, 2, 1 Blast-off

Earlier in the week, just before bed as Junior and I were saying our goodnights, we got a little sidetracked, something Junior often does to avoid going to bed, and we started discussing the rockets on his new PJs. This discussion has led to a big interest in rockets so this week we have been doing lots of rocket related thing.

We put some new stary sheets on the bed to go with the PJs.

And after a quick search of Kids Craft weekly for inspiration we made cardboard roll rockets and did lots of space themed colouring which we cut out and pasted on a night sky collage.
We watched Wallace and Gromit's "A Grand Day Out" (always a favorite with Mum and Dad too) and we have been making all sorts of green space monster with some home made play-doh.
We have even attempted to make a rocket in the playroom but it isn't nearly as good as hubbys pirate ship from the other weekend.
We are also thinking of making star cookies tomorrow after a trip to the library in search of rocket themed books. After all this rocketing I think I'm a bit burnt out - perhaps we will have to move on to another theme next week.

New (Financial) Years Resolution

The 1st of July is the beginning of the New Financial (Tax) Year in Australia so I have been thinking about a few New Years Resolutions. I could include helping Bub learn to sleep-through (perhaps just setting myself up for failure here) or helping Junior finally relinquish the night time security nappy. Junior gave up daytime nappies six months ago but is not keen on giving up the night time one - I think it is a bit too cold for getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet at the moment.

However, inspired by Zooarcheologists sewing suggestions I have decided on a much more personal and outstanding task to make my New Years Resolution. It is this .... to finish the patchwork quilt I began many years ago, pre-babies when I had a life which prevented me spending much time at home where I could be doing things such as craft. Given that Junior goes to daycare a couple of days a week, so I only have Bub at home, I really have no excuse for not getting the sewing machine out and finishing it off. Preferably before I return to work or I will never get it finished.

I guess my problem is that I'm just not as gifted in the craftiness department as many of my fellow mummy bloggers and perhaps I was a bit ambitious choosing a quilt for my first patchwork project but I was enticed by the lovely fabrics and my best fiends urging that it would be very easy. My friend is an experienced quilter and obviously much more motivated as she has completed at least half a dozen full size quilts plus numerous other sewing projects in the years it has taken me to almost complete one quilt top.
So now I have shared my resolution with the blogging world I had better get the sewing machine out and get quilting ... hopefully I will be able to show you some photos of the completed quilt in the not too distant future. Wish me luck.

Everybody is doing it...

Hubby's doing it
Junior's doing it
even Bub is doing it quite a bit (if not for all that long at anyone time)

Everyone else in our house seems to be able to get enough sleep but me... sigh! On that note I think I'm off to bed - Sweet dreams.

Saturday science

Inspired by Juniors interest in our first science experiment, tonight before the bath we decided to try a sink or float experiment. Junior and I gathered a few items for around the house and discussed whether we though they would float or sink.

Then we tried them out in his bath. He was very enthusiastic about having some alternate bath toys and was able to discuss afterwards which ones sunk or floated. We might try some other "objects" another night.

Experimental procedure
Results
Discussion