The Bay of Fires - finally!

After nearly five years of saying I want to go to the Bay of Fires. I stamped my foot and changed my vocab. "March long weekend we are going to the Bay of Fires". It is amazing what a difference a couple of words can make. Friday afternoon I loaded up the ute and the kids and we headed for the East coast behind my camping buddy Megan and her tribe. We stopped at St Helens for dinner at the little boat fish and chip cafe where I had delicious seafood chowder, so thick and yummy but oh so filling that despite my best efforts I could not fit it all in. Then maybe 15 minutes north and we were pulling into Humbug Point. Tyres bumped over the corrigated gravel road as we descended into the camp ground at Dora's Point. After a couple of rounds of the area we finally found the perfect spot for our group. Tent nestled between native trees, sheltered from the wind and view of other camp goers. B1 got straight to work setting up a jump for his bike. His one request for camp was that I bring his bike, a shovel and a load of dirt. I declined the final item but assured him that there would be plenty of it at the site. And dirt there was, the horrible sticky type that blackens your feet and drives you to have a bowl bath before bed because you know you'll never get the stains out of the sleeping bags if feet go in the way they are. Shovel in hand B1 worked tirelessly for the 3 day adventure modifying and testing his jump and even made a smaller one for his sister. I have to say they really were amazing together over the entire weekend. B1 figured how to dink B2 on his handle bars and despite my visions of doom I refrained from stopping them. They did have one stack which resulted in a grazed bottom and a bruised ego, but otherwise I think the comradeship was worth it. Poor B2 fell victim to the barbaric tentacles of the treacherous blue bottles which washed into the lagoon on a big swell. Poor little possum she saw one coming and was suddenly surrounded with nowhere to go. Fortunately, I remembered that vinegar is no longer the prescribed first aid and we set off back to camp which seemed, at the time, like a very long 10 minute drive. Boiled the kettle and rigged up double soaking baths for each arm. She quickly found relief and within an hour there were no remnants of the once swollen wounds. That was our first visit to Binnalong Bay, it was such a shame it turned out so. However, the four children worked hard collecting copeous amounts of blue bottles and containing them in a small hole. The boys became quite skilled at picking them up with twigs to avoid being stung themselves. The following morning the blue bottles had disappeared as mysteriously as they had arrived. I was in the water at 7am, unheard of for me in these cold southern oceans. However, after 3 days of dust and grime the water felt heavenly and at that early hour I felt a serenity in my solitude. After packing up camp, we all headed back to the beach for a final swim and jumping off the rocks which is a family favourite in our household. A weekend of discoveries, flaming soldier crabs, muscles collected and cooked straight off the beach, experimentations, love, laughter, campfires and pure bliss. We are keen to get back there soon. It is such a shame we can't live like that forever.

My obsession with Minecraft

I think minecraft is fun because you can create anything you want. I have created statues of my favorite minecraft you tubers and some other things.My favorite minecraft videos are from stampylongnose. My favorite minecraft food is a cake. There are 2 different modes: creative mode and survival mode. On creative mode you can get every block and you can fly. But on survival mode you can't fly and you have limited resources and you can die. There are different monsters like: creepers, skeletons, Zombies, ender man, slimes and spiders. You can go to two other different world using portals. Like the nether and the end. At the nether you can gather resources so you can get to the end. It also has its own creatures like: blazes, Zombie pigmen and garsts. At the End you Have to defeat the ender dragon! after you defeat it it will give you an egg. Then you come back to your own world and you have basically finished the game. There are also normal animals like: sheep, pigs, cows, wolfs and cats.That is why I think minecraft is fun. These are some of my creations.

Final leg of uni

My final assessment for BEd is a five week professional placement. I am in a prep/1. I have an ever so patient colleague teacher and a lovely group of children to work with. They are probably typical: a couple of talkative children, one ESL, one funny little package who can be totally frustrating, lazy and hyper, but extremely funny and really quite intelligent.  One who has a little streak but can be awesome too. I love them all, already (day 6). 

Tomorrow I take my first full day. I have to get more sleep or I am not going to make it successfully to the end. So goodnight. Signing out still a student ;)

I know it, I live it , I love it

We had a stake RS camp last weekend @ camp Banksia @ Port Sorell. Pauline and I drove up together. It was a great event which followed the pattern of a recent conference talk. I'm a Mormon. I know it, I live it, I love it.
On the way home Pauline and I collected apples from roadside trees for their horse Felix. It was quite comical and at one point we got bogged. I loved these hay bail sculptures - part of harvest celebrations.

Harmony Day

After a great game of Basketball (played by Mr J) we headed home for tuna casserole then off to the uni for Harmony Day celebrations. There were a bunch of international foo stalls. We tried crispy rice balls for desert. Me J and I liked them Miss M- not so much. Entertainment included dancers, Malaysian singers, Tassie drum circle and for the kids face painting and circus training. Miss M also rushed to the stage for the Gangnam Style kids rush. She is so cool. Soon after she fell off a handrail and smacked her head and back on the ash felt. She seems to be ok - if not a little sore. Once we got home we put on Mulan just to make sure we kept her up for a while, then Mr J helped me laminate shapes for my year 3 geometry lesson on Tuesday. All in all plenty of harmony happening at our place today :)

Running their socks off

Both B1 and B2 did themselves proud today @ their sports carnivals. B1 came 1st in the 400m after a traumatic start to the day and a late arrival. Then three well in the shot put. While B2 brought home 2 more ribbons to add to yesterday's 3rd for 200m. Today 1st in 100m and a team 3rd for relay. They are both pretty happy with themselves. And if 2 days of sitting in extreme heat and running her socks of wasn't enough B2 went off to swimming lessons and flew up and down the pool.

Blackberry Season

I made my first blackberry pie this week and it was amazing! I found a recipe on the net and then altered it a little. It called for instant tapioca ( I only have traditional which needs soaking so I substituted a packet of jelly crystals cut the sugar in half and added a teaspoon of gelatine. It worked a treat and set just nicely. Mr J loved it and went for seconds which is virtually unheard of. I may have to go pick some more.