Grocery math

Spontaneous math lesson: looking through junk mail, Danny starts picking out numbers, so i asked him to cut out three thinks he would buy. Glued them and wrote down price, added manipulatives (shells) and got him to count the shells for how much money we need to go shopping.
I try to incorporate basic math concepts in every day situations, to make it as 'real life' as possible at this stage. With preschool only 2 months away, I'm getting more formal with the abc and 123 stuff, and hoping that school will not steal the incredible curiosity and creativity in this little homegrown kiddo.

Change is the only stable thing....

The past 2 years has seen our family make a few big moves and trips - from Adelaide to Townsville, then a transfer to Mackay, and now we're on the move again, back to Adelaide.
A lot of thought and prayer went into this decision, but i'm sure we're doing the right thing, everything is falling into place like it does when we trust a Higher Power to guide our actions.
Many reasons for the move, Mackay could never have been a long term place, not with the center of gravity being in Adelaide. So when a job offer came up a year earlier, we had to decide. Chasing butterflies around the country is great, making new freinds, enriching life experiences, but at some point, there comes a need to settle. To be near people who love the children 100%, who will be there if something happens, who really care... I had to leave that to truly appreciate it.
We leave Mackay on 22nd Jan, via Sydney for the big Baha'i conference, and back to Adelaide to look for a house... :)

Fishy birthday...

Here's some pics from a big day out to the Great Barrier Reef, 90mins drive from where we live. The great barrier reef is one of the 7 wonders of the world (according to tourist guides...), the Whitsundays is a section of the reef composed of 94 islands, a number of which are inhabited and set up for big time tourism. We did a one day cruise of three islands - Hook, Daydream and Whitehaven beach. This was a treat for my 30th birthday - and what a treat!!!

Coral covered beach. The coral pieces are broken off by some type of fish and washed ashore.

Whitehaven beach - pure quartz, white, fine, cold sand. Among top 10 beach in the world. (fishing for visitors here...)

More pics on facebook, blogger is such a pain to work with...