Here's a pic of the doors into the cellars :) Frodo's much sought after butter churn was found on a shelf inside the first door on the left.  It was a great old house with beautiful sandstone walls in parts, lots of neat little bits of character... like wood plank flooring complete with occasional views to the cellars where the boards have shrunk lol.

 Really, we didn't vanish off the face of the earth... honest!   More in just a moment!

Well now, aren’t we glad THAT’s over with. Hopefully my walking off in a huff for a week (was it only a week??? It felt looonger!!) was enough for Blogger to pull it’s head in and behave! Either way, I have outsmarted it and am typing this in a WP program.. Take that you fascist blog site you!

What has the Hobbit family been up to this past week? I’m sure you’re all dying to know (well, the maybe 20ppl that actually actively follow anyway lol) what you’ve missed. There was the usual schoolwork … we’re up to Saturn in the solar system now, and reading about Charlemagne in History Odyssey. Math is cruising right along for both boys and Frodo is REALLY picking up with his writing these days!  

Sam has ditched on Reading eggs for the last week.. But that’s ok, I’m making him ‘beginning sounds’ activities and a game to help him match up the lower case letter to it’s upper case version (he can tell that a m makes an mmm sound.. But the M throws him!) The boys got a bit of ‘technology’ in today, as they helped me laminate the activities I’m making for Sam. They were fascinated with how the machine worked, and more so that they got to put the pieces in the sleeves so I could feed them into it. 

Sam is doing exceptionally well with his handwriting and is using the solar system matching cards almost daily… he likes the pictures ;)  

We had cousin L’s 7th birthday party on the weekend.. And the kids enjoyed spending the afternoon at the park eating lots of disgusting junk food (srsly, fairy bread = white bread +butter/marg + farking 100s & 1000s /sprinkles WTF?!?!?!) A mum of one of L’s classmates came up, introduced herself, then in a ‘we’re going to do it anyway, but it’s a courtesy to ask’ let SIL know she was doing a drop & run and would be back at 3 to pick her child up. Um OK. If you have to introduce yourself to me? It’s not on to assume I’m going to babysit your child just because it’s a birthday party. Big public park, with a hugely busy street on one side and open water on site. WOW is about all I could say.  

Of course, SIL didn’t miss a beat with ‘OH when you’re in public school you go to SO many birthday parties and meet so many parents that it’s just the norm’. Um, wtf-ever. I just rolled my eyes and reminded her that I do have 2 children that did that, so do indeed understand. And that I am so friggin happy we aren’t obligated to go to 25birthday parties of kids we wouldn’t normally be hanging out with. (ok, I was slightly more polite than that… not much though)  

It just shits me that we don’t seem to be able to have a family gathering without someone bringing up in some way that my kids are missing out on something! They’re not people, get over it already. 

*deep cleansing breath*

Thankfully it was a long weekend, so I had Monday with DH home so I could get over my ire hehehe. We’ve been busy busy, so I’ll have a nice weekly wrap … whenever I get around to posting it that is!

I fear the only picture I have to offer today is one of our new additions to the ratty cage. This utterly adorable dude’s name is Sniffy.. Because Sam says he keeps sniffing in his ear every time he picks him up.  (note to self.. chicken wire not the best foreground)

I rather like this week of learning thing, because even though I may have posted about something during the week... it's rather nice to see it all lumped together.  It shows how much we REALLY do, even when we don't seem to be doing much at all. 

This has been a slightly wonky week, with Sam having the horrible coughing illness, but we managed to get a bit done.   (more on that cough later) Both boys went through a lesson of their respective levels of Math U See, they both were on lesson 17 this week.  I think Sam & I may work on skip counting by 2's for a little longer though, he still has to work it out each time.   Merry got in on the '25s', as he calls numbers/math, by stamping and stacking MUS blocks :)

Sam did a couple of pages of his handwriting workbook, he rather enjoys it, but his FAVE way to practice is still on his whiteboard.   I figure it saves a few trees as well ;)  He also plowed through a couple of episodes of Headsprout and after his next lesson gets a new book, always exciting!

 He was working on A's and D's this week, and not doing too bad at all... he is pointing out his personal best A there with a big cheeky grin.   That was on Monday...as the week has gone on, he has gotten a bit paler and has bags under his eyes now.  I'm sure I do as well, as when he wakes up panicing because he can't catch a breath from coughing... so do I!  And you can bet it takes a LOT longer for me to relax and go back to sleep than it does him!!

History wise, we read a bit about ancient Africa and checked out the Usborne internet links for those pages of our book.  The boys always like those.  They also played some Age of Mythology .. ok, so they were the Egyptians, close enough ;)  

In science, we've been learning about the solar system.  So far we've learned a bit about the Sun, Mercury & Venus.   The kids are finding it very interesting and have been poring over a couple of the books we got from the library for ages.  Frodo is making a solar system 'tab book' from Enchanted Learning as we go along.   Just today I found a free lapbook for the solar system & space here.   The site itself contains a bit of religious content (just an fyi), but the space lapbook is just awesome.  It does NOT however, come with the answers ;).  However it IS based on the Magic School Bus books, which is what we are using as a jumping point for our science.   So all the answers will be easily found in the books I'd guess.   Now just must get a toner cartridge for this uselessly empty printer of mine!   

Anway, the kids are loving the info on the planets.  And I often catch myself thinking how much it's changed since I was a kid learning about the solar system (we now have 11 planets, counting the dwarf planets!)  There's also a bit of Mythology/ancient religions thrown in there because we are learning about the God/desses that the planets are named for and WHY each planet earned the name it has.  (Venus scored that title because it was, and still is, thought to be the brightest most beautiful object in the heavens.)  

Frodo has gone through another week of language arts using Grammar once a week, Catching on to comprehension and Spelling Matters.  So far it all seems to be review for him though.  And we were pretty darn slack with our First Language Lessons last year even lol.   He has to really work at some parts of the Comprehension, not because he doesn't comprehend what he read... but because when they ask what do YOU think (or something that requires his own, personal answer) he doesn't quite know what to do!  He is getting a bit better though.  

Sam was pretty bummed that he didn't get to go to swimming lessons today, but he's just not well (I've had to break twice during writing this to tend to him while he coughed his poor little guts up)  So we played some games on this site to lessen the blow a bit ;)  Nothing like a bit of coveted computer time without big brother showing you up lol.   There was actually a bit of learning stuck in there, completely by accident, honest.  He stumbled on a game about internet safety and did very well until I came along and messed it up!  

We are lucky enough to have a medical clinic that has after hours coverage, so I called this morning and we had a doctor here by 3pm.  Yep, a doctor came to our house.  On Sunday.  AND apologized for taking so long!  *waits for those who have fainted to right themselves*   She had a good look & listen to Sams' chest, down his throat etc, and deemed that he does NOT have Pertussis (apparently crackles & wheezes in the chest are not typical with that.. and he does have those) but that it's rather just an annoying chest infection.  WOOT, we'll take a chest infection over a major communicable disease anyday thank you!  So, tomorrow morning I have to drag the boys out to take Merry to kindy and then we hit the chemist to pick up drugs. 

These cutie pies miss Sam something shocking.  Rats are very susseptible to respiratory illnesses, so he's had to keep his distance this week!  That's Itty (in profile) and Bitty (facing camera.. and really wondering if it was edible I'm sure).   They pine for him when he walks past the cage, it's really kinda sad!  So the mummy human makes up for it by giving them bits of apple.   They won't like me so much soon, because someone is smelling a bit on the nose, and I see a bath in their immediate future lol.  

So I know at least one blogger who's going to make assertions about my mental health being questionable for this... but we have put up our holiday tree!   The day before Thanksgiving I just couldnt' resist any more... that will give me 30 days of enjoyment (insanity?) before the big day arrives.  

I have a huge soft spot in my heart for my christmas tree ... it was a lifelong tradition of my mama's.  The family made a trip to the tree farm and spent ages picking the perfect tree, then step dad spent an absurd amount of time putting the lights on just so, then mama did garlands and bows before we were turned loose to hang our special ornaments on the tree.   It was always great... we often strung popcorn too, eating as much as we strung of course lol.

These days, I'm not quite so traditional ;)  But I still love my tree.  Our tree is rather unusual in that it's black.  I saw it last year and HAD to have it... and then ended up having my family emergency and was in the US the entire holiday season and never saw the tree lol.  Ah well, there were more important things to tend to!   This year I'm making up for lost time.. 

Frodo and Sam were very excited about the whole thing, as kids always are.   We have jewel toned decorations, including things like snowflakes and cut 'crystals' that the boys love.  And up high, there is a butterfly for Susan... who was my oldest sons love, and died in the accident they were in this time last year.  She had a huge love of butterfly's and had been decorating their tree at home full of them.  I saw them at the shop and had to hold back tears as I gave them to hubby to put in the trolley.  I never met her, but she was a beautiful girl and I really wanted to do something to remember her.

 We used to have a star on top of our tree, then a santa for a few years... this year I found a Faery tree topper and just fell in love with her.  She's adorable, and nigh impossible to get a decent photo of it appears *grumble*  So here is a slightly blurry one, which is the best I can do!  

 

And last but not least.. one very cozy rat!  This is 'Bitty' (his litter mate is, of course, Itty), FINALLY testing out the very comfy pocket hammock we got for the boys.  He seemed pretty comfy in there, but being summer here, he won't be getting much use out of it for several months yet.  Pardon the extraneous ratty 'raisin' or two in the pic, SOMEONE was being lazy about using the litter box that day apparently LOL.  

Our house has had a rather sad couple of days.   As some of you know, we are keepers of pet rats... or we are owned by rats..not sure some days ;)   Our boys are quite spoiled, we have built them a rat condo and they get fresh fruit & veggies and all manner of healthy good food.  They get toted around on shoulders all day long by Sam (who almost invariably is sporting a rodent on his person if we are home lol) and incredibly rat play grounds get built for their enjoyment.   Some people like cats, some dogs... we love rats.  

Our boys (the furry ones) are Nibbles, Latte, Mocha, Peaches, and Cream.  We lost Tickles to a respiratory infection several months back.  Well apparently it was a common issue and is able to hang around for some time as Friday night hubby & I noticed a commotion in the cage, and when we went to check,  Mocha was still & not breathing.  It was fairly obvious he had just passed away.   He was an adorable rat, with a wonderfully playful & loving personality.   His holy grail was popcorn and grapes... oh my did he love some grapes.    We found an appropriate container for him so Sam could help bury him the next day.

Well the next morning when the kids woke, we called them into our room to let them know what had happened (as Sams' first stop in the morning is the condo to say good morning and check water containers... he's a VERY good rat keeper).  Sam rushed out to check the cage and found Peaches was dead as well.   Oh no.   We had noticed he was rather subdued the night before but wrote it off to stress over the death of a cagemate.   So a double funeral it was.  They were buried just as the full moon rose  in the sky, which the boys thought was rather special.

The three remaining boys (Nibbles.. the old guy, Latte, and the youngest Cream) were very subdued, and I would swear depressed! the next day.   Lots of attention and treats seems to have pulled them out of their funk  a bit.  And Sam is surprisingly doing very well... I guess he understands the rat life span is only 2ish years at the best of times.  But that's ok.. he will be barraged with little furry friends many many years from now when they meet him at the Rainbow Bridge.

Here is a piccy of the boys playing with Latte & Mocha  when they were just a few months old :)