We're Back!

After nearly 6 weeks without Internet (and 4 weeks without a phone) we're finally back connected to the world (for those of you who don't know -- they 'accidentally' cut off our phone service and living here where we do it takes the phone company a LOOOooooooong time to get phone service). Obviously we made it back to Alice, though you might have wondered with the long, long silence! The flight back was reasonably good considering that as we were unloading the luggage and kids at the departure area in Denver (on the way to LA and Sydney), Delenn threw up all over Mom-- in the hair, down my shirt, on my pants, etc. She was sick a bit more in the airport, but then was really good on the flights back to Australia. (And yes, Mom DID wash her hair in the sink and change clothes before checking the luggage in. I just wonder what TSA thought when they opened the bag with the vomit-covered clothes. Heh, heh, heh... revenge for the airport headaches we've had to endure!!)

Since we returned, Logan officially started Kindergarten. He has really taken off with his reading. He has gained a lot of fluidity (he reads one 16-page reader every day plus other stuff when it strikes his fancy). He reads to Delenn now (the Scooby Doo phonics books) -- it's very cute. He is currently working (almost done with) a bat lapbook and Mom has made arrangements with the park rangers at the Desert Park for a special session with the Ranger to visit the Ghost Bats there (and hopefully to see them being fed). As for the homeschool life, most every day we do reading, spelling, math, music and usually something else history/science/project related... and as always we read the kids lots and lots of books. Logan is currently listening to and enthralled with a fantasy chapter book series called the Secrets of Droon about a magic land under someone's basement stairs. As with many homeschooling families, "school" is integrated into fun-filled days of cubby-house building, trampoline jumping, ring swinging, cooking, arts-and-crafts, nature walks, treasure hunts and on and on!! Because we have to fit Elora's naps in each day has a slightly different rhythm to it. Mondays we have Kindermusik (see the pics and explanation below), Tuesdays we still go to Kindergym (Mom has been doing the training to be a gymnastics instructor), Wednesdays we often go out somewhere -- the playground, Emily Gap and today we went to the Desert Park, for example. Thursdays are usually low-key in the morning and Logan's Kindermusik class is in the afternoon. He asks EVERY day if it's "big kids' Kindermusik" today, so I guess he must enjoy it (or at least having a good play with his mates!). That said, he's been practicing some rhythms and playing the notes A and D on various instruments and has come a long way already. I've also noticed his singing voice is getting better and better (matching pitch with me -- especially when we sing our math songs--more about that in a second.) Fridays don't seem to have any particular program -- often we try to catch up with friends in the morning.

Now on to Delenn and Elora for a moment. Delenn really loves school time -- and fights tooth and nail for more time with Mommy -- playing doll house, drawing, doing stickers, play dough, etc. She's doing a lapbook on Curious George at the moment. The math curriculum we have (called Right Start Math) is very hands on and fun -- and she absolutely insists on doing math with Mom and Logan. She'll come running down the hall shouting, "I want to do math," regardless of what she happened to have been doing. I might add that she does really well with it, though she only works with the abacus up to about 5 beads. She can point and count to up to about 7 or 8 items without counting them twice or making mistakes. (Remember she's not yet 3.) She and Logan are also constantly trying to get Mom or Dad to play a board game called Adventures in Neopia (which has 6 games within the game). When Delenn is furiously mad at Mom or Dad for some reason she declares, "I won't play with you EVER again!" -- practically the worst insult she can imagine and come out with! Oh--and Delenn is now working hard on potty training. She's done well so far. We're trying to work with Delenn on making her speech clearer -- especially the "L" sound, "C" sound, and consonant blends. She says things like Dewenn, Aurora (Elora), tat (cat), frash (grass), tore (store), ream (cream), awhen (again), bobbin (bottom) and tuhtti (cookie).

Just before we came home (July 24th) we saw evidence of Elora's first tooth popping through (5 1/2 months). A month later (Aug. 26, 6 1/2 months) her second tooth started making its entry into the world. Abouth August 20th, Elora started getting up on her knees into the crawling position. At times she was very frustrated that she could do anything more than that. She'd rock back and forth and eventually start to cry. A few weeks later (Sept. 6th, 7 months), Elora got herself up onto her knees (praying position) using a box and the next day (Sept. 7th) we saw her go from a lying position to a sitting position just like a pro. She did it over and over again after that. A few days ago (Sept. 13) we noted that Elora was really moving forward in the semi-combat position. Just this week she has put the finishing touches on her crawling -- meaning that she can now use her arms and legs together to propel herself forward for a foot or so before -- CRASH -- she belly flops onto the ground again. Still, she manages to crawl after Mom slowly but surely (covering up to 10 feet in a few minutes). Elora has amazed us with her finger dexterity as well -- she's good at picking up cheerios, small rocks and leaves and anything else found around (um.... watch out for the game pieces in the board game mentioned above!!). And the last comment about Elora is that she makes it quite clear when she is all done eating using the sign for "all done."

Anyway it's good to be "back" in touch, we're going camping and fossicking (primarily for garnets) outbush for a couple days this weekend so don't expect to hear much from us. We did manage to post a few pictures earlier today.