It's a Pleasure to Meet You!

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Tuesday, however, was full of words!

Babies Don't Keep

This lovely poem reflects my own thoughts about my children as babies. I try to pass this on to my daughters, especially on those days when everything seems very chaotic. Our precious babies grow up VERY fast. It is so important  not only to enjoy them but to create pleasant childhood memories as well as the discipline and the hard grind of training them. The house will still be there and need cleaning in eighteen years time!!!

Babies Don’t Keep

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton


Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.


Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.


Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo


The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.


The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

MoStLy sKoOL

READING

We've been reading aloud "My Side of the Mountain". Americans may be more familiar with it as it is set in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. It was recommended as a good, adventurous type boys book, and although it is a little improbable, we are loving it!
Set in the 50's, when perhaps boys may have been left school and looking for work and so not so obvious when they ran away, it tells the (fictitious) story of Sam Gribly.It never states his actual age but he seems about fifteen. Sam runs away from his family and life in New York to the Catskill mountains where his Grandfather had once had a farm.
Sam has researched many skills to survive in the wilderness and even clothes himself, trains a falcon and endures the bitter winter in his tree home.
He meets some interesting characters, both human and animal.
For children who love to imagine and love the great outdoors, this is a fascinating book. I was initially concerned about the running away aspect but it is not a book about rebellion and the boys and I have all enjoyed it.

ANOTHER WORKSHOP

I have blogged about workshops which the teachers from Groves run periodically, before. This week we really enjoyed the day which was attended by families which home school through the Groves Distance Ed school and a few other families. I love the way Groves always has an open invitation to other folk for these days.
The Highschoolers had a session with the Careers Advisor from the school which was helpful for those who are looking to undertake school based Work Experience & Traineeships and those who are hoping to enter University.

The Upper Primary aged students did an interesting Engineering project constructing bridges. Pictured above is the suspension bridge which my younger son's group made. They did a great job and the bridge actually balanced and stayed up beautifully!

The teacher for our district, who is actually a high school English teacher, ran a session of Creative Writing. As you know, my boys struggle in the reading and writing area. We handled this well by making me the supervising mother of a group of the boys. Phew! Two boys are a handful ~ five are a headache! Actually, we had a lot of laughs. The teacher went through the four parts of a story and gave the setting. Each child had to write an introduction, then pass it around to the next student who wrote the complication, and so on the resolution and conclusion.

Oh, can you imagine what these guys came up with?

Teacher had the kids choose one end result to read out and of course the lads chose the funniest, goriest of our bunch. They were indignant that Mr B altered it a little when he read it out but it was very funny and the rest of the room really enjoyed his little prank of these boys.

CHOIR

It has been another busy week. Rainy and unseasonally cold at night.

Our home school group began practicing choir for the upcoming concert. I am amazed (as a non musical person) how these talented Mums can pull together such good items. My boys are part of a humorous choir piece called "Chiquita Banana". This is something else American readers may be more familiar with it as apparently it was an ad over there. I had never heard it before.

Stay tuned for that. I will try to record it on the big day in October.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

I head to Brisbane again on Tuesday to have my eye checked and a re-assessment done. Lord willing, all is well and the left eye will be operated on in the near future.

I am planning to meet up with a bloggy friend that day too, which is very exciting!

My head is spinning with the excitement of planning a trip for the end of the year.

God is so good to answer our prayers and give us gifts more abundant than we can ever ask or think.

Have a great weekend!

Keepers...

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Ichabod

The Glory has Departed

Lessons from the wife of Phinehas.

1 Samuel 4


19And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.


20And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.


21And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.


22And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

In the preceding verses, we read of the aged Eli, trembling for the Ark, which his sons had taken to the battle field. On hearing that the Ark had been captured by the Philistines and the Israelite army had been defeated he fell from his seat and died.

He trembled, for the Ark of the Lord, the symbol of the Lord's presence among his people, had been removed from its rightful place. The tablets of His covenant, the mercy seat, the manna. He quaked, for he knew that this was disastrous for Israel and though he grieved the death of his sons, which had been prophesied in the previous chapter, he mourned more greatly the loss of the Ark of God's Covenant.

And then we meet the wife of Phinehas. Phinehas had been described as a son of Belial. He was wicked, without moral integrity, he had lain with the women at the door of the temple and abused his office of the priesthood. What the life of this woman was like we do not know, it does not sound as though she had a devoted husband, but how touching it is to read that she, like Eli, grieved more greatly the loss of the Ark and all it stood for, than for her own husband.

Pastor used this as an occasion to speak to the young women about making Godly choices in marriage.
(I wonder though, in Israel at that time, whether a young girl had any say in whom she married? Abigail comes to mind also.) It is sad that sometimes a believing woman will marry a man of unsuitable character.  Perhaps she is too caught up in the idea of love, or not wise enough to discern bad traits, before they marry. Perhaps she was not saved before her marriage. Many  women live lives to the glory of God in difficult circumstances. His grace is sufficient and we see that even in the evil times in which she lived and what ever her circumstances were, the wife of Phineas gives us a lovely picture of the virtuous woman, who dies with the name of her Lord upon her lips.

God's Word should be precious to us, as the Ark of the Covenant was to the Israelites. Herein lie the words of salvation and instruction to us. Do we value his Word as highly as we should? Do we place God above all others and glorify Him?

Good questions to keep before me this week.

Psalm 78

59 When God heard this, he waxed wroth,

and much loath'd Isr'el then:

60 So Shiloh's tent he left, the tent

which he had plac'd with men.

61 And he his strength delivered

into captivity;

He left his glory in the hand

of his proud enemy.

62 His people also he gave o'er

unto the sword's fierce rage:

So sore his wrath inflamed was

against his heritage.

63 The fire consum'd their choice young men;

their maids no marriage had;

64 And when their priests fell by the sword,

their wives no mourning made

(Scottish Metrical Version)

This section of Pslam 78 retells the events of 1 Samuel 4, which I will post on later.

When I make up my Jewels

I had the great privilege to sit and reason together with two very dear and aging saints today. Where two or three are gathered, there is the Lord in the midst of us. As we yarned, laughed and praised God for his unfailing goodness, I sensed that true and beautiful unity that the saints share when we fellowship in his name. This godly man, now in a very rigid and painful stage of Parkinson's disease rested his head  back and  tears began to run down his face. His dear wife questioned him in alarm. But they were not tears of pain, he was trying to express something.
"Malachi, jewels," he said hoarsely.
"It's a verse!" I suggested. He's trying to tell us a verse."
Sure enough! As she pressed him and looked it up, he was quoting Malachi 3.


16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.


17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.


18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Need I say that I too shed a tear '-)

Decisions, Decisions....

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Trusting God's Sovereignty

1 Samuel 3: 18
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

I was struck again by these words uttered by Eli, the high priest. Though Samuel had just told him that the Lord was going to punish, yeah, extinguish his lineage, yet the old man, knowing his own sin and yet trusting his God, recognized this revelation was from the Lord and submitted to it.

Some of us were discussing the way we are easily able to say, "It is the Lord" and give him praise and thanks when good Providences come our way. It is much more difficult to say this same thing when things look less than rosy, especially when the situation is dire.

Our God will do all things for the good of his people and for his own glory. Blessed be his name!

Around the Boree Log

by John O'Brien

Oh, stick me in the old caboose this night of wind and rain,
And let the doves of fancy loose to bill and coo again.
I want to feel the pulse of love that warmed the blood like wine;
I want to see the smile above this kind old land of mine.

So come you by your parted ways that wind the wide world through,
And make a ring around the blaze the way we used to do;
The "fountain" on the sooted crane will sing the old, old song
Of common joys in homely vein forgotten, ah, too long.

The years have turned the rusted key, and time is on the jog,
Yet spend another night with me around the boree log.

Now someone driving through the rain will happen in, I bet;
So fill the fountain up again, and leave the table set.
For this was ours with pride to say - and all the world defy -
No stranger ever turned away, no neighbour passed us by.

Bedad, he'll have to stay the night; the rain is going to pour -
So make the rattling windows tight, and close the kitchen door,
And bring the old lopsided chair, the tattered cushion, too -
We'll make the stranger happy there, the way we used to do.

The years have turned the rusted key, and time is on the jog,
Yet spend another night with me around the boree log.

He'll fill his pipe, and good and well, and all aglow within
We'll hear the news he has to tell, the yarns he has to spin;
Yarns - yes, and super-yarns, forsooth, to set the eyes agog,
And freeze the blood of trusting youth around the boree log.

Then stir it up and make it burn; the poker's next to you;
Come, let us poke it all in turn, the way we used to do.
There's many a memory bright and fair will tingle at a name -
But leave unstirred the embers there we cannot fan to flame.

The years have turned the rusted key, and time is on the jog;
Still, spend this fleeting night with me around the boree log.



Boree (sometimes accented on the last syllable) is the aboriginal name for the Weeping Myall - the best firewood in Australia except Gidgee.


John O'Brien AKA  JP Hartigan

San Francisco 1906

               Wordless Wednesday

What Cost?

"The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.

"(The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Friday....Phew!

Winter made one last frosty blast for a couple of nights this week. Other than that, absolutely glorious Spring weather.  Sigh....some days it is difficult to stick to the scheduled program but we are keeping on nicely after our week away.

My sister is continuing her weekly reading sessions with the boys, at least until their current book is finished. She has read a couple of books and many short, general knowledge pieces with them. She is the ideal person for reading this kind of stuff as she is widely travelled and the boys are wide eyed with fascination when she has so much first hand knowledge to share of the places and people they are reading about.

They are now reading Alan Marshall's "I Can Jump Puddles".  Are you familiar with it? I had read it a couple of years ago after reading it many years ago, perhaps in high school and marked it to read to them. This is Alan's autobiography, as a young Australian boy in the 20s/ 30s who contracts polio. It is vividly and realistically written. It has a little *bad* language. My boys are liking this book and love the stories of his life and school days which parallel their grandparents experiences. Of course, the effects of his polio, his hospitalization and the hardships he endure are quite emotional but told in a very matter of fact manner which appeals to boys. (Warning: We Googled the film and alas, the language was a little bit over the top so if you are planning to watch it at all, preview it!)

School went exceptionally well this week and I am very grateful to be able to see and read everything easily again. The boys are appreciating that as well. I was blessed to have these two young gentlemen to escort me over curbs and take my arm when a car was coming. Now, even though I can see all these pitfalls they still rushed to my aid a few times this week and alerted me to oncoming cars in the traffic. Sweet  ♥

We also undertook a few hours wall cleaning each afternoon. Yikes, I was quite alarmed with the state of the walls and general dirt during my *blind* period. I have never pretended to be a meticulous house keeper and my high maintenance and rather cluttered and aging Queenslander doesn't help much. But whoa! even I am well....aghast. My project is to do a little each day and get round our rather large house by the holidays, before the hot weather sets in.  Roll on September!


BLOOPER:  Funny story to end my week. Sorry, no pics available.
I was in the supermarket with only my purse and keys. The keys were getting in my way and so I tucked them in the only available spot, my bra :-) As you see in the pic, it is only one key on a small ring. As I went through the check out with a courteous young fellow serving me I glance down. To my alarm, and embarrassment, the single key had worked its way down and was sticking out at a very perturbing angle!   Oops.....

Simple Pleasures

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

The Highest Mountain and the Deepest Valley

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Once, at a time of extreme crisis, I confided to a minister that I must not be one of the Lord's people since I was no longer able to bear my situation. That Godly man reassured me that this is the pilgrims experience, and as I acknowledged my complete inability, God would carry me through. And, of course, He did!!!
The christian walk is a walk of faith and a journey up and down the high mountains and through the deep valleys which dot our pilgrimage to the Celestial City.
I have not written a Monday "Sabbath Thought" post for a couple of weeks. I have been in a valley. Not a steep, cliff faced and jagged valley, just a shadowy dell.   We all linger there at times. One of the most beautiful experiences of my years following the Lord has been his absolute faithfulness in carrying me and bringing me through every trial. I joy to see this outworking in the lives of the dear saints around me also.
One thing I have noticed over the years, but only after the event, is that I almost always go through a time of spiritual joy and inward peace before a trial hits. I recognize it afterwards as the way in which I am sustained through what ever the Lord brings into my life. What a gracious and merciful God we serve, who will never allow us to be tempted more than we are able to bear!

Isaiah 49

15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

I Spy with my Little Eye.....

something beginning with....... W?

Hey it's good to be back home again! (La, la, la that might work in a song! Sometimes this ol' town seems like a long lost friend.......)

I am praising and thanking God that my operation has been so successful. Cataract ops are rarely a failure but it is the Lord who gives the surgeon skill. Thank you for all your messages of encouragement and your prayers.
We had a great week in Brisbane, with the occasional drama and getting lost in the RAT RACE, but arrived home safely in the early hours this morning. How precious our place looks. Ahem...down side is I can see a LOT of cleaning that needs doing :-(

I am really looking forward to seeing my parents, children and grandchildren.
God's mercies endure for ever!

Bye, bye

A quick hello and goodbye!

I just have not had time to read at your blogs in the last day or two.
Busy, busy, busy, getting in order to go to Brisbane tonight. We managed two good weeks of school but no housework so we put in a big day today getting things in order. Thanks to my wonderful daughter for her help. Well, honestly she did most of the work.
All being well my eye operation will be first thing on Monday. We are planning to be home again by the end of the week.
Have a great weekend everyone! Be seeing you!

GS 1....gets the all clear!

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Little Boys

Posted By Jamie V Marino on June 28, 2010
at Ladies Against Feminism


Little Boys-How I Adore Them

Sticky fingers dirty faces
always running competitive races
Cars and tractors, blocks and boats
adventurous feats and mud-stained coats
Riding bikes and trikes down bumpy roads
in search of bugs and frogs and toads
Guns and swords and broken britches
bloodied knees and endearing kisses
Rough and tough yet caring and loving

exploring and conquering, exhausted cuddling
Wanting to marry their mommy one day
idolizing daddy in so
many ways.
Little boys, who can resist
a weed bouquet in a chubby fist?

John Williamson True Blue

Australians will be so familiar with "True Blue" that it needs no introduction,

but have a listen anyway and soak up just being an Aussie.

Versions of "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" were being posted on a forum I belong to and ooops.... I couldn't help myself....I went into a bit of a patriotic Australiana lesson!

Anyway, I thought I would post this little ripper after my posts on the great Aussie poets. Enjoy!

and 'ave a good weekend !

In Defence of the Bush

by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson

So you're back from up the country, Mister Lawson, where you went,
And you're cursing all the business in a bitter discontent;
Well, we grieve to disappoint you, and it makes us sad to hear
That it wasn't cool and shady -- and there wasn't plenty beer,
And the loony bullock snorted when you first came into view;
Well, you know it's not so often that he sees a swell like you;

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson

And the roads were hot and dusty, and the plains were burnt and brown,
And no doubt you're better suited drinking lemon-squash in town.

Yet, perchance, if you should journey down the very track you went
In a month or two at furthest you would wonder what it meant,
Where the sunbaked earth was gasping like a creature in its pain
You would find the grasses waving like a field of summer grain,
And the miles of thirsty gutters blocked with sand and choked with mud,
You would find them mighty rivers with a turbid, sweeping flood;
For the rain and drought and sunshine make no changes in the street,
In the sullen line of buildings and the ceaseless tramp of feet;
But the bush hath moods and changes, as the seasons rise and fall,
And the men who know the bush-land -- they are loyal through it all.

But you found the bush was dismal and a land of no delight,
Did you chance to hear a chorus in the shearers' huts at night?
Did they "rise up, William Riley" by the camp-fire's cheery blaze?
Did they rise him as we rose him in the good old droving days?
And the women of the homesteads and the men you chanced to meet --
Were their faces sour and saddened like the "faces in the street",
And the "shy selector children" -- were they better now or worse
Than the little city urchins who would greet you with a curse?
Is not such a life much better than the squalid street and square
Where the fallen women flaunt it in the fierce electric glare,
Where the sempstress plies her sewing till her eyes are sore and red
In a filthy, dirty attic toiling on for daily bread?
Did you hear no sweeter voices in the music of the bush
Than the roar of trams and 'buses, and the war-whoop of "the push"?
Did the magpies rouse your slumbers with their carol sweet and strange?
Did you hear the silver chiming of the bell-birds on the range?
But, perchance, the wild birds' music by your senses was despised,
For you say you'll stay in townships till the bush is civilised.
Would you make it a tea-garden and on Sundays have a band
Where the "blokes" might take their "donahs", with a "public" close at hand?
You had better stick to Sydney and make merry with the "push",
For the bush will never suit you, and you'll never suit the bush.

by Pro Hart

Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson were  the "duelling poets" in these poems (Up the Country and In Defence of the Bush) pitting the Australian Bush against the City Life! I have always enjoyed the works of both poets and love this little spar between them. It is amazing that two of our greatest poets wrote at around the same time and give us an wonderful glimpse into our country at this time. These poems were published in 1892.

While "The Banjo" portrays quite a romantic view of pioneering Australia,(Waltzing Matilda, The Man from Snowy River) Henry was more of a realist (The Drover's Wife, Andy's Gone with Cattle) and wrote his poetry just as he saw things.

The painting "In Defence of the Bush" is by Pro Hart from the anthology I have of Banjo's poems illustrated by Pro! (Yep, first name terms. They are all my good friends :-)

Up the Country

by Henry Lawson

I am back from up the country -- very sorry that I went --

Henry Lawson

Seeking for the Southern poets' land whereon to pitch my tent;
I have lost a lot of idols, which were broken on the track --
Burnt a lot of fancy verses, and I'm glad that I am back.
Further out may be the pleasant scenes of which our poets boast,
But I think the country's rather more inviting round the coast --
Anyway, I'll stay at present at a boarding-house in town
Drinking beer and lemon-squashes, taking baths and cooling down.

Sunny plains! Great Scot! -- those burning wastes of barren soil and sand
With their everlasting fences stretching out across the land!
Desolation where the crow is! Desert! where the eagle flies,
Paddocks where the luny bullock starts and stares with reddened eyes;
Where, in clouds of dust enveloped, roasted bullock-drivers creep
Slowly past the sun-dried shepherd dragged behind his crawling sheep.
Stunted "peak" of granite gleaming, glaring! like a molten mass
Turned, from some infernal furnace, on a plain devoid of grass.

Miles and miles of thirsty gutters -- strings of muddy waterholes
In the place of "shining rivers" (walled by cliffs and forest boles).
"Range!" of ridgs, gullies, ridges, barren! where the madden'd flies --
Fiercer than the plagues of Egypt -- swarm about your blighted eyes!
Bush! where there is no horizon! where the buried bushman sees
Nothing. Nothing! but the maddening sameness of the stunted trees!
Lonely hut where drought's eternal -- suffocating atmosphere --
Where the God forgottcn hatter dreams of city-life and beer.

Treacherous tracks that trap the stranger, endless roads that gleam and glare,
Dark and evil-looking gullies -- hiding secrets here and there!
Dull, dumb flats and stony "rises," where the bullocks sweat and bake,
And the sinister "gohanna," and the lizard, and the snake.
Land of day and night -- no morning freshness, and no afternoon,
For the great, white sun in rising brings with him the heat of noon.
Dismal country for the exile, when the shades begin to fall
From the sad, heart-breaking sunset, to the new-chum, worst of all.

Dreary land in rainy weather, with the endless clouds that drift
O'er the bushman like a blanket that the Lord will never lift --
Dismal land when it is raining -- growl of floods and oh! the "woosh"
Of the rain and wind together on the dark bed of the bush --
Ghastly fires in lonely humpies where the granite rocks are pil'd
On the rain-swept wildernesses that are wildest of the wild.

Land where gaunt and haggard women live alone and work like men,
Till their husbands, gone a-droving, will return to them again --
Homes of men! if homes had ever such a God-forgotten place,
Where the wild selector's children fly before a stranger's face.
Home of tragedy applauded by the dingoes' dismal yell,
Heaven of the shanty-keeper -- fitting fiend for such a hell --
And the wallaroos and wombats, and, of course, the "curlew's call" --
And the lone sundowner tramping ever onward thro' it all!

I am back from up the country -- up the country where I went
Seeking for the Southern poets' land whereon to pitch my tent;
I have left a lot of broken idols out along the track,
Burnt a lot of fancy verses -- and I'm glad that I am back --
I believe the Southern poet's dream will not be realised
Till the plains are irrigated and the land is humanised.
I intend to stay at present -- as I said before -- in town
Drinking beer and lemon-squashes -- taking baths and cooling down.

Dueling Poets

WORDLESS    WEDNESDAY

Fun with Phonics!

Most home schoolers have their preferred Phonics programs for teaching their children to read.

I used Sam Blumenfeld's Alpha Phonics with my two older girls. One was a great reader from day one and powered on brilliantly. One struggled from day one and only really began to read independently in late primary school. Alpha Phonics is now out of print. I recommend it for learning to read and regret that I didn't use for my boys who I think would have done better with the low key approach. I do not think it is the best curriculum so far as teaching good spelling, though. Spelling and rules are just not emphasised and you need to implement it yourself.

After a seven year gap I chose to start the boys with LEM Phonics which is an Australianized version of Spalding. Many homeschooler here are using this course very successfully and producing good spellers as well as good readers. With my experience of one child with problems learning to read, I should have been a little more discerning. I suppose I was trying to cover the areas I thought I had missed and had not yet distinguished the boys particular problem areas.

LEM is great for children who can memorize all of the phonic sounds of each letter in quick succession and keep them memorized! Children who have no problems with the alphabet and learning the names as well as the sounds for each letter. As I said, the course is being used very successfully by many here and is highly regarded, similar to Spalding in America.

Within months (I began my boys on formal phonics together) we had fallen way behind the suggested plan for the introduction of the sounds and after about eighteen months I reverted to my own plan of attack. I utilized the flash cards from LEM but concentrated on the first sound for consonants and the short sounds for vowels.

. I feel that I was too ready to attribute the delays to ~ being boys, being premmies, mum being unwell, etc etc etc. All of which are legitimate reasons why a child might not be learning at the usual pace. I definitely DO NOT think that we should plonk all the the children in age appropriate classes and whip ourselves if they do not meet the standard. However, I found that most of my homeschooling friends dismissed my concerns out of hand. Socially my guys seemed very normal.

Early observations: Neither of my boys were able to memorize songs, poems, scriptures. Neither could say the alphabet, count past ten, name the days of the week, months etc by end of year one. Often, particularly the older, struggled to remember the names of things and people. He was the better at Maths at this early stage though. Though they could usually recall the actual sound we were working on they did not seem to be able to build up a memory bank of sounds and the letters which made them.

They displayed the classic symptoms of dyslexia in the reversal of letters such as b and d, p and q, r and n, We actually investigated dyslexia a little at about year 3/ 4 level but were turned off the professional route by the emphasis on psychological counselling, group therapy and ADHD connections.

Some Phonic Activities: The activities which we concentrate on are designed for children with APD (Auditory Processing Delay) and so quite specific. However, if you have younger children and just want to add to what you are doing, or an older child who is struggling, they may help regardless of the actual area they need help with.

# Daily memorization exercises eg days of the week, months,

# Memory zaps. Short. sharp bursts required. eg Name 5 colours, 5 boys names, 5 basketball teams. This is designed to improve recall. Make it quick and fun.

# MemoryGames. Start with only about 10 pairs and build up. Any pairs will do but ordinary playing cards are a good place to start. (We have built up a collection and expanded this game to phonic blends and sight words and also similar looking words) As they improve you make more pairs to find and more difficult to differentiate. eg they, them, then, big, beg, bag.

# LOTS of word building. Start with simple short vowel words. This can be as simple as lists but my boys respond well to Upwords which can be modified for many simple activities.

# Following instructions. Many children, especially boys :-) struggle to follow a series of instructions. We regularly do an exercise where they must listen and follow the instruction. eg.

1. Write your first name in the top left hand corner.

2, Write you surname in the middle at the bottom.

3. Draw a blue line across the centre of the page.

4. Draw a large green circle in the middle of the page.

5. Draw a red cross above the circle.

You get the idea. We usually have 10 instructions. I read each line once and then once again clearly but they are not allowed to question or change. They must listen.

# Sounds not names. Most children know the alphabet from an early age (TV?) and have no problem then learning the sounds which each letter and combination make. However, for students who struggle with sound recognition this can be very confusing. When we finally went to a Speech Pathologist and she diagnosed APD one of her first recommendations was to only use sounds and not use letter names, which we did for some months with great improvement. This also gave the boys less things to take in, recall and reproduce. We also dispensed with spelling at this time ..

CHAINING

P-U-P

P-O-P

M-O-P

(Sorry about the poor colours)

In the chaining exercise above, only sounds are given. Each coloured block represents a sound. The letters are not mentioned, nor does it need one colour for one sound. So, first I say "pup". Then I have the child repeat pup, then slowly sound it, p-u-p. Now show me it with blocks. In this case each p must be the same colour as it is the same sound. Then I say, "Now change that to pop." Have the child say the letters distinctly. He must change the block which represents the change in sound. Then, change it to mop. This can go indefinitely ~ mob, cob, cub....... As their abilities increase then it can also be done with blends eg. cab, scab, scam, scamp........

THE ALL PURPOSE BOARD

Many of our regular activities are based around phonics sounds and blends. The wonderfully obliging teachers from the Learning Support Unit at Groves (who we are registered with) helped me to bring all of these simple games into an easier format by making up some game boards. Now,you can easily do this, but I was blessed to have it done for me. We can still use our photocopied sheets with a dice but often use this board. When Rae comes, she adds to our collection of cards for the middle and always makes the spinning for the numbers etc at lot of fun.

Phonic sounds/ blends.

Words

We have amassed a large collection of word, phonic blends, vowels, consonants, sight words, rhyming words, look alikes and so on. We use them in many ways but many of them go onto these cards and become part of this game. Rae will add to this collection each week as she comes across a word or combination which is tricking some one up. When they land and have to turn up a card, we vary what they have to do. Sometimes, just read it or say its sound. Then, make a word or sentence from it. Make a rhyming word and so on....

UP WORDS

I have found Scrabble but particularly the Upwords boards, very useful for all sorts of word and letter play. Sometimes if things are hard for children it just helps to be able to hold and move the pieces. The SP encourages them to "photograph" words that they come across regularly that trick them up. Similarly, forming them on a board such as this helps to memorize and visualize the word.

We try to incorporate some of these specialized Phonic activities into our regular daily school routine.

Once again I would say, do not stress or panic if your child does not seem to be learning at the rate you think is appropriate. However, do not wait too long to have it investigated. There may be some quite simple ways to help. My guys' progress is slow and steady but it is progress and I am very thankful to have the advise and support I have in teaching them. Lord willing, they will master this tricky thing we call reading and conquer all their goals!

Thanks to Amy for asking about some of things we actually do. We have a folder full of games and activities which I am happy to photocopy and pass along to anyone who may like to use them.

Queenslander #3

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Our God Shall Surely Come!

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

There are some passages of scripture which are so majestic

 all one can do is to read and wonder... Selah

Psalm 50

1 The mighty God, the Lord,

hath spoken, and did call

The earth, from rising of the sun,

to where he hath his fall.

2 From out of Sion hill,

which of excellency

And beauty the perfection is,

God shined gloriously.

3 Our God shall surely come,

keep silence shall not he:

Before him fire shall waste, great storms

shall round about him be.

4 Unto the heavens clear

he from above shall call,

And to the earth likewise, that he

may judge his people all.

5 Together let my saints

unto me gather'd be,

Those that by sacrifice have made

a covenant with me.

6 And then the heavens shall

his righteousness declare:

Because the Lord himself is he

by whom men judged are.

(Scottish Metrical Version)

News Flash!

My surgery is scheduled for Monday, 26 July!

If everything goes smoothly at the pre-op appointments this Thursday it will be all systems GO for the operation!
I am really over this whole blindness thing ~ and very thankful for the reasonably quick progress in getting the operation done.

Please pray that all would go smoothly. The failure rate with these operations is very small. Lord willing, in a few weeks it will all be a distant bad memory. Thanks you so much for your support and prayers over this matter.

I am travelling to Brisbane, with my sister as eyes, on Wednesday and we will come back on Thursday. If we can organize it my hubby and the boys will drive down with me when I have the eye done and spend a few days in Brisbane. I will need to have the eye reviewed one week post op. so may not come home in between. We have not worked out the details yet, but my two lads are very excited to get a trip to Brisbane, especially as they will get to visit their friends whom they are missing a LOT, and because it is during school time :-(

Give Me a Smile ☺

I don't want to brag or make anybody jealous, but I can still fit
into the earrings I wore in high school.

(From an old school friend's Face Book status :-)



Okay, it has been a while since I made custard like mum used to, but my boys were confused when they heard their dad say of an underpowered car, " It wouldn't pull the skin off a custard" !

You all remember home made boiled custard with the skin on, right?

The woman who played Marsha Brady was recently featured on TV and my older son was incredulous that she was 50years old. She looked 20 or more years younger. The boys were discussing this a little and realized I might be able to hear them. Then in a loud stage whisper I heard  "Yeah, but Mum only looks like she's in her 20s: Sweeet☻