2008 in Retrospect - Driving Holiday

Well, this entry was supposed to be the first in the series entitled "2008 in Retrospect", but I goofed. Oh well.

This year we haven't been able to affort to go on homeschool camps or even to go on our usual driving holidays, so the last time we went away was back in January 2008. We went to Pt Pirie, Jamestown, Canowie Belt, Apilla and Apilla Springs, Whyalla and Whyalla Norrie, Pt Augusta, Moonta Bay and Moonta, Wallaroo, Pt Vincent and Edithburg.

Our preferred choice of accommodation is cabins in caravan parks, but as it was school holidays, and Christmas to boot, we ran into problems finding vacancies along the way, so for Moonta Bay and Pt Vincent we were forced to upgrade to the significantly more expensive option of holiday homes.

Along the way we picked up our friend Ya-Ya, who was able to enjoy a free holiday with us for part of our journey as we visited various beaches and homeschoolers, too.

Our trip started ominously as we left very late, then had a minor collission less than an hour from home (from which the culprit sped away !!!), then we made a navigational error and ended up more than half an hour in the opposite direction, then we became temporarily misplaced trying to get back to where we should have been up to, and then once we were on our way properly a tyre on our trailer shredded! So in 42+ degree heat, on a sandy siding, with millions of flies, my poor husband tried to change the tyre - fortunately a passing local stopped to give a bit of a hand.

The rest of the trip was reasonably uneventful, except for when I walked full force into an air conditioning unit sticking out of the side wall of one of our cabins - I've never been so close to fainting as all went black and my legs began to give way beneath me! Fortunately my husband, who never breaks into a run, must have decided that the squawk he heard come from me sounded sufficiently serious enough that he managed to dash and catch me before I hit the ground. I had a lovely nap in the cabin after that ...

But really, overall it was a great trip ... um, except for when David gashed his foot open on a razor fish (not really a fish at all, but a huge shell).

I do miss our little driving holidays.


Photo #1: playing chess with Daddy in one of the hotels at Jamestown

Photo #2: fun with old tyres while waiting for a new tyre to be fitted in Pt Pirie

Photo #3: wading in the rock pools after dinner at Moonta Bay

Photo $4: climbing the cliffs with homeschool friends at Apilla Springs

2008 in Retrospect - Visit from Flat Logan

Flat Logan arrived via a local homeschool friend, after having travelled from Massachusetts in the USA. Flat Logan is like Flat Stanley, expect the boy that drew this one is called Logan, so he named his flat traveller Logan, too.

He belongs to the Scholfield family: http://alessonincompromise.blogspot.com/ (see their entry for October 27, 2008).

We've been so busy with Advent and Christmas, as well as preparations for our eldest son's first Holy Communion, that we initially neglected Flat Logan, but we've now shown him a little of our side of the world (in the photo he is with the boys in the Amazon Lily House at the Botanical Gardens - they are waiting for the tiny fish to nibble their hands)

Soon we will send him on his way, travelling round the world, either to friends in Singapore or England.

2008 in Retrospect - David's 1st Holy Communion

It seems to have taken me forever to prepare our eldest, as I wanted him to truly understand the significance of the event, to receive our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist, but finally, at 10yo I felt that he was ready.

I won't go into the mortifying experience (for me) of his interview with the Priest prior to being given approval to receive his first Holy Communion (his brain went to mush and I couldn't find a crack in the floor big enough to fall into ... sigh).

However, at the Mass on Christmas Eve, looking resplendent in freshly polished shoes, hired shirt, tie and pants, he received our Lord in the Eucharist.

I think the Priest must have quickly worked out that he needed to keep a close eye on my mischievous boy as, at the end of Mass, he beckoned to my boy to join him at the sanctuary steps in order to process from the Church with him. I had drilled David on all that he had to do during the Mass and reception of our Lord, but this totally threw us both - fortunately he obeyed, albeit with wide-eyed trepidation!

2008 in Retrospect - Williamstown Carols

It's kind of funny; I have neglected to teach my children any carols, and yet they have managed to pick it up quite well, and have managed as well as others whilst busking carols, and again at our township's Christmas parade and carols evening.

Different groups entertained the crowd by mounting the back of a semi-trailer tray-top which was set up as a stage on the local park, but from time to time they called for children in the audience to come up on stage to join in - my two youngest didn't need much encouragement and were up there each time.

2008 in Retrospect - Homeschool Theatre Group carolling

This year our boys have been involved with the Rat and Cat Homeschool Theatre Group in the Adelaide Hills (about an hour's drive from us).

Each year the group puts on a public performance and to raise funds to put it on they decided to go busking as carollers during the Stirling Street Market.

2008 in Retrospect - Joseph Hackett's 1st Holy Communion

23 November was a momentous day in the life of young Joseph as he received our Lord in the blessed Eucharistic Sacrament for the first time.

It was astonishing to see how truly devout this young lad was during the Mass leading up to that very special moment - it seemed as though the rest of the world no longer existed for him, as his eyes seemed to gaze unwaveringly at the altar and the preparation of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

Truly moving.

2008 in Retrospect - Homeschool Bush Dance

This year we managed to get to the annual Bush Dance which was hosted by the Adelaide Hills homeschoolers on 15 November.

It was an absolutely wonderful evening - nearly everyone came dressed in colonial costume or bush/stock attire, the hall was bedecked with gunny sacks, corrugated iron, gum branches, and all sorts of bush paraphernalia. The band was comprised of many homeschooled musicians who all acquited themselves admirably. The dance callers kept the dancers from devolving into total chaos, and all the dancers wore huge smiles.

My brother, who lives in the area, managed to join us on the night - the funniest thing was that what he wore was that which he wears as a matter of course, but he fit in to the theme of the night brilliantly!

We are soooo looking forward to next year!