Running

When we started to run, we ran round the oval but then it rained and rained and rained and it got flooded. We decided to run round the bush tracks instead.

We tried to guess if the distance around the oval was longer than around the tracks. We guessed the tracks were longer.We asked Daddy if he could bring the measuring wheel home from school.  We pushed it round the tracks and it turned out that it was almost 600m. Then we pushed it round the oval. It was just under 500m. We guessed right.

One day Mum said, "Why don't we run round the lake while the big girls have their piano lessons?" So we ran round and at dinner that night, we tried to guess how long the distance was around the lake. We all thought it was much shorter than the distance around the tracks.

Daddy came home with the wheel and next time we went to the lake, we pushed it round the lake and it turned out that nobody was right. It was 573m which wasn't much shorter than the tracks. We must have thought it was shorter because it was flatter and easier to run round.

After measuring, I ran 9 laps around the lake.I like the tracks best

Birthdays and Bowling

It was Callum's birthday and Imogen made pancakes with honey, lemon juice and sugar for breakfast. Yum!

Then we did our jobs. Sophie and I hurried so that we would have time to make Callum a birthday present.

When it was time for presents, I gave him the wristband that Sophie and I had been sewing for him. It is grey and black with beads on it. Then Sophie gave him a knotted bracelet. Callum likes wristbands. Mum and Dad gave him a huge TV. Mum was going to buy a small TV but Callum added some more money so he could get a bigger one. Charlotte gave him socks and Imogen gave him two recharging cords. Then Mum and Callum gave us chocolate and stickers as unbirthday presents. We don't usually get unbirthday presents. I was surprised!

Mum said it was time to get our swimmers on. We go swimming every Saturday morning. After my swim lesson we went home and had a quick lunch.

We then set out to go bowling. Sophie and I were allowed to go in Callum's car. Wen we got there we had to find the right sized shoes. I liked bowling even though I never threw the ball right. It didn't matter. I still knocked the pins down. Every time I threw the ball, it crashed onto the floor. I am surprised the floor survived. Dad, Sophie and Mum were great. Mum won the first game, then came Sophie, then me and Dad was last. On the next game, Dad came first, Sophie was next and Mum and me nearly tied. Mum got only one pont more then me.

On the way home Dad gave us some potato chips. When we did get home we had nachos for dinner. That is Callum's favourite dinner. Afterwards we watched "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs".

After the movie, we had birthday cake. Mum gave Callum a huge bunch of twenty balloons because he turned twenty.

Then I went to bed.

Bushwalks and Echidnas

It was Sunday. Mum said we were off for a bush walk down the Boxvale track so we all went and

got out our running clothes. Then we found our water bottles and we were off on an adventure.

The van drew up outside the Boxvale track. We all climbed out and started down the track. I asked Mum if there were snakes. Mum said that she didn't think so but to look out for them anyway. I was scared that a snake might jump out at me. I kept feeling scared till Dad said, "Look over there!" It was an echidna. When I looked at it, it had hidden its head in the ground but we took great photos of its bottom.

We walked on and on till we reached a tunnel which trams once went in. It was dark inside. We took photos in it but when I took a photo of Imogen she had a glow on her head like a halo so I gave up takeing pictures. I made jokes about Imogen being an angel.

Then we arrived at the look-out at the end of the track and I found out that we only had the walk back to do. But before we set off again we had morning tea at the look-out.

On the way back I scratched my hand on a bramble. It stung. When we got to the van we were all tired.

Strega Nona

Strega Nona is is a lady in lots of stories. She treats warts, cures headaches, and makes love potions. She lives in a town in Calabria.

Big Anthony is a boy who works for her. He keeps getting into trouble. He decided he would use Strega Nona's magic pasta pot. But he got it wrong and flooded the town with pasta. He dressed up as a girl to learn magic from Strega Nona. He borrowed Strega Nona's magic ring to make himself handsome. But then he couldn't get it off. He also flooded the town with bubble bath.

Strega Nona spends lots of time fixing Big Anthony's mistakes. But in one story, Big Anthony he only pretended to have been forgetful. Strega Nona couldn't use her magic at Christmas, and Big Anthony ruined her party. But actually he was planning his own party for Strega Nona.

My favourite Strega Nona book is Strega Nona the first book about Strega Nona. We have seven books about Strega Nona and Big Anthony.

Homemade Christmas Cards

Mum couldn't find any nice Christmas cards. So she said we should make our own Christmas cards.

She took some pictures from a Tomie de Paola book and scanned them. Then she printed them off. They were small enough to fit 9 on a page.

Then Sophie and Charlotte cut the pictures out and they cut out backing card. I put glue on the pictures, and Imogen stuck the pictures on the card and punched holes in them.

Charlotte and Mum went on Picnik and made some messages for the backs of the hanging cards. Imogen and I stuck those on too.

Then Imogen and me tied curling ribbon through the holes in the cards to make loops. Imogen curled the end and we were finished.

We made 54 Christmas cards.

Felicity's Wedding

I like weddings. My sister got married last week. It was a lot of work. We had to order the dresses, which was a great trouble. Imogen and Charlotte's dresses fitted, thought the seller asked, 'Are you sure that the ladies are that short?'

Then we were ordering Sophie and my dresses but we couldn't find the right size. Someone recommended a strappy dress, but we did not like it. We finally found the closest size we could. When the dresses arrived, they fitted, but my dress was a little loose around the top. It had a sash with a clip on bow. My dress was ivory with a pink sash. Sophie's dress was ivory with a purple sash.

We made little bundles of candle. We all had our own jobs. Charlotte cut out circles of tulle. Sophie put the candles in the tulle and tied them up with ribbon. Imogen cut the ribbon into pieces, and I was fetcher. It was hard. I had to find the right sized elastic bands.

While we were making the bundles, Mum brought out the sugared almonds and jelly beans. Imogen packaged the sugared almonds into little plastic bags and Sophie and me packaged the jelly beans.

We also made brownies. But I wasn't able to make them, because I had a cold. The other girls made four kinds of brownies. My favourite kinds was the double chocolate brownies.

Imogen made the wedding cakes. They were little cupcakes with white icing, white fondant flowers and little silver balls. they were absolutely lovely.

We tried to find some shoes for the wedding. We needed gold ballet flats. We looked right through all the shops, but couldn't find any. We had to drive up to a much bigger town, and still couldn't find any shoes. In the end we found some very sequiny shoes with bows. They were silver.

On the day of the wedding, the bridesmaids arrived early in the morning. They took ages just sitting there curling their hair. Mum had time to get Sophie and me dressed, put her make up on, and get the big girls dressed all while they were doing one head of hair.

We headed out the door while they were curling the last person's hair. None of them were dressed, though the groomsmen were. Then we reached the church. We waited and waited and waited but the bridesmaids and bride didn't come. They arrived fashionably late.

The wedding started. Sophie and me started walking up the aisle very slowly. Then we sat in the front pew for the whole mass. I could see everything. Imogen helped with the music as well as being a bridesmaid. She had to keep running up and down the aisle.

After the wedding everyone threw roses petals at the bride and groom. Then the photographers took lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of photos. Imogen carries the sugared almond and jelly beans round, handing them out.

We went down to the park for lunch before the reception. We brought a picnic. I played with my friend. Then the photographer had to take more photos.

After that, it was time for the reception. the photographer took more photos. Then we had a huge afternoon tea. There were lots of speeches. Dad's speak was the best. Then it was time for the cake. It was scrumptious.

Then we gave Felicity and Graham their presents. I gave them a spatula and a spoon that had pig faces. They were so cute.

I like weddings and I like being a flowergirl. But I don't like all the preparations.

Singing Trees

This week we have been going to a homeschooling camp. Everyone is sleeping in a tent, except us. We're sleeping at home, and driving to camp every day. All the children are acting in plays. we younger kids are performing 'The Princess and the Pea' musical. The older children are doing 'A Comedy of Errors' by William Shakespeare.

We were sent our scripts at the beginning of last week. Imogen and Charlotte highlighted their parts in their play so that they could find their speeches. Then Sophie came running to me with some paper in her hand and she said that we had parts in 'The Princess and the Pea' play. I was a singing tree, and Sophie was a page boy. We highlighted our parts too. I got my own script the night before the camp.

At camp in the afternoon, we were going to practice 'The Princess and the Pea'. We read out the parts, and everyone was too soft. Then we were divided up into groups to practice. The trees and the princesses went outside to work together.

It was very funny to see the princesses practising. They were trying to curtsy but some people got the wrong the leg, some didn't know where to put their legs at all, but no one fell over. We singing tree were very good.

Tomorrow night we're going to perform 'The Princess and the Pea'. I'm a little worried that I'll forget what to do, but I think it will be fun anyway!