Happy Birthday to You.........

13th November, 2012

There is nothing like getting together with family and what better reason than to celebrate being blessed with surviving another year of life.

Still recovering from a knee operation, we all gathered around in the lounge for the traditional spitting on the cake, sorry, blowing out of fire.

Taking the photo's, I got the normal shots.

But being patient is a virtue.........(and maybe good timing)

Gotcha.... Love you Dad.

The Times They Are A Changin

12th November, 2012

Well I feel like the last stand should be playing quietly in the background as I write this.My homeschooling days are numbered. That's right. My cherubs are going to be attending the local schools next year.

It started with Miss E wanting to know if she could go to the school now that we had moved. I took her for a look at the school and her eyes lit up, so many kids to play with. Back home she said maybe she would stay at home. It went back and forth between wanting to go and wanting to stay at home. I finally said enough and sent in the enrollment papers.

I have nothing against the schooling system and I would rather she try out primary school than wait to get to highschool age and then want to try it out. Who knows maybe she will come back home at some stage.

Then I decided that Miss Z needs to go to school to help prepare her a bit more for what she wants to do in 2014. We are trying to get her into a local TAFE, but that is still being worked on. It also has a bit to do with money. After doing some research into it I am not 100% sure that Centrelink are going to accept homeschooling when Miss Z turns 16. Some home educators have said they havn't had a problem, but others say they have been cut off dry. Each Centrelink office seem to be a law unto themselves, so I guess I am taking the wimps way out. However Centrelink and money put aside, I think it would be the best thing to help prepare her for the following year.

Master J has also decided that he wants to be a historian. This will require a bit more english study than I feel I can give. I have also stated that if my children wanted to go to university and do more academic type studies they would be better in the school system. So while he is on a bent to do more study we took him in to have a chat at the local highschool. His enrollment papers have also been handed in.

So we only have 4 weeks left of school work and then its summer holidays. Then it will be time to relax and enjoy the last of our freedom routine.
We have been homeschooling for 4 years. Catching a bus and having things ready for the day by a set time is something we are going to have to adjust to.

Anyway all good books come to an end, so I shall enjoy this last chapter before we commence our new story.