Sorry guys for neglecting my blog for so long! I really have been busy. It has taken me ages to get in to the swing of the new school year. I honestly can't say that I am even there yet but slowly, day by day, things seem to be taking shape.
I ordered my Switched On Schoolhouse from Christian books in the U.S. The postage was by far the cheapest. I really can't wait for it to arrive as I feel it will take a lot of pressure from me. My 14 year old son is doing the 'basics'. He is using Fred for maths and really enjoys it. I love the price so that is good~ For English he is using a Queens Homeschool English book which is o.k. For Science he continues with the John Tiner Paradigm curriculum which I hope to update to Biology later on this year.
Our 16 year old is teaching our two beginning schoolers, 5 and 6 year olds using "100 Easy Lessons" and Five In A Row. It is going really well, short and sweet but to the point!
We have found a wonderful course for her doing cert four in fitness combining massage. It is held at a corporate gym in the city centre and has a very good reputation. We just need to save some money! so that will probably take place around about August (God willing)
Our ten year old is on the long road to 'assesment' relating to Aspergers diagnosis. I have to wait till July to see a pediatrician! I feel so much better having come to terms with his situation. He is different but  that is not necessarily a bad thing! I was just told a story by a close friend as related by Lisa Bevere at the Influences Conference. She described her son as 'learning differently' to others. I wonder if she means 'autistic' I don't know but he sounds a lot like Ben! Anyway, they refused to put him down and continually lifted him up as 'just learning differently to other people'.........the end of the story was that he was offered a job by Microsoft in the U.S. Apparently they are one of the hardest jobs to come by and people that get in are considered very lucky indeed. So that has been a lesson to me, I need to seek God for words of encouragement for all my children, focus on the positive and not the negative. God has a plan for each of their lives doesn't he!
My latest 'diet' is back to an oldie........The Atkins! It actually started off when a lady at church was seen to be devouring a tin of tuna at the evening home group meeting coffee time. I congratulated her on ignoring the cakes and she told me she was on a new eating plan called "Body Trim". I was curious so looked it up the next day. Sounded great, the wording on the site made me want to click "BUY NOW" very quickly but I didn't have $140 to spend so instead I googled for information and found out enough to tell me that it was basically a low carb diet with one day off a week. The only low carb diet book I had on my shelf was Atkins and although he ended  up dying of heart disease I decided to give it another go!!! LOL  I am actually two weeks in to it now and am feeling great. I am eating lots and lots of fish. I actually enjoy going shopping each day for fresh fish. My favourite so far is a New Zealand fish called "Lingine" or something like that!!!! It has no bones which is great. Last week I bought some cod and nearly choked to death on all the bones........awful. I am finding that I am not hungry at all during the day and if worse comes to worse I have a pantry full of tins of tuna that I snack on! I am being so good.........I can't believe it. The scales haven't budged but I feel heaps better within myself.
I still love my dolls and am off with the fairies most of the time in my own little world of dollies!! LOL I received on today who just cracks me up. She is called "The Fat Fairy" and she has a figure just like me!!! I can't stop laughing when I pick her up. I'll try to get pics (and bore you all to death)
Above is Zach in the background, poor shy Chloe in the burgundy dress and my voluptuous "Fat Fairy" who I have named Mia.
Just a last thing. I must let you all see this wonderful blog full of homemade dolls houses. They are just amazing. Some people are so talented. http://bearcabinminiatures.blogspot.com/