We started the week with a visit to Werribee Zoo as we haven’t been for an age! Alex was pleased that we got around the whole zoo. The kids really enjoyed the bus safari (after we eventually made it on, what a busy day!) and this was probably the first time that Daniel has really engaged with it and not just wanted milk! Daniel loves giraffes, Alex loves all animals and is often fascinated by the facts that the driver relays to the crowd. I love that there is some repetition but mostly I hear new things abut the animals on every trip 🙂 Alex takes most of these details in and tells Vio at home later, he also tells me about the Wild Kratts episodes with the creatures we see and gives me more info. The kids played in Ranger Kids – Alex mostly as a vet and Daniel with the helicopter. At the end we had an ice cream and played hide and seek in the park.
When we got home, the kids started drawing. Alex drew a reticulated python. But this time he drew the head himself along with sensory pits in the face and coloured it in much more realistically. We also called my Mum as Alex had been asking to speak to her and she has a week off of work so time wise it worked out well.
On the drive to the zoo today, Alex heard some music that he recognised as being from the movie ‘Open Season’, so that evening he watched Open Season 3 (after karate and dinner).
The next day they made Christmas cards for my Mum. Alex said he couldn’t write anything, so i wrote something down and he copied it. I was surprised that he did this, and did it so well. He has not written much at all and has done very little in the way of practice handwriting, school style (back in his kinder days when i was trying to be a ‘good mum’ and get him ahead). So we sent them at the post office immediately and headed to a new homeschool group meetup/ coop.
Alex had heaps of fun playing with his friends at the park, and they explored the lake’s edge a little, watching the birds. All the families brought some recycling materials to allow the kids to build some robots. Alex got involved and built himself a… snake! We walked around the lake, played on the gym equipment and came home.
Alex thought we’d be at Science Club as the park was at the same venue. When I explained we wouldn’t be attending anymore, he got quite upset and angry with me. I found out why (surprised me to know he enjoyed the experiments over seeing the other kids) and so we decided to ensure we do science experiments at home, every week. I didn’t tell him why we’d stopped going.
I’ve noticed Alex getting his clothes and getting himself dressed recently. He’d always asked me to do it, I’d hardly noticed the transition. But it feels good that it wasn’t forced and full of stress!
We tried something new this week – a parkour workshop. Alex really liked it and wants to do more. We had 6 sushi to share for afterwards, and after telling Alex he could not have 4 of them (lol) he suggested we have 2 each. I said he could have 3 as Daniel would probably not eat much. Nice to compromise, though the maths was not as pleasant 😉 Alex found some older boys that were keen to wrestle and rough house with. i spoke to the mother about my recent experiences and anxieties over the situation. it was great to have her input.
