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Good Things These Holidays

We’ve been enjoying a couple of weeks at home after the fun and shenanigans of Magic Beach. As much as we love our time away with family, we are also home bodies, and there is nothing better than staying home for days on end, just relaxing. We ventured out on Saturday to watch an Asian Cup match, which was lots of fun, but that has been it.
Usually at this time of year, the weather is so hot, and we are on fire watch. This year however, the weather has been cooler, and the rain means that we aren’t quite so worried about fires. The kids have been spending their mornings outside building cubbies, and riding bikes. When it is warmer in the middle of the day, they come back inside for some quieter play. 
There has been lots of drawing and craft. Lots of cooking too. I thought I would share some of the good things that we have been enjoying these holidays during our quieter indoor moments.
Meg has been reading the Deltora Quest series and is loving it. She is also drawing pictures of the characters. Hannah has been reading my old Trixie Belden series – do you remember them? I used to love them when I was her age. Both girls spend an hour or two reading each day.

Our family loves audio books. These were some of the audio books that I gave to the kids this year. How To Train Your Dragon is Meg’s favourite, while Toby love The Guffalo. Ramona The Pest is also hillarious for adults and children, and is read by Stockard Channing (who plays Rizzo in Grease, and Mrs Bartlett in The West Wing). She does fantastic voices.

Hannah was given the My Place series for Christmas by my parents. It is not often that we find a television series that the whole family enjoys, but this is one! I remember reading the book as a child and loving it. The series follows a house in southern Sydney from modern times to before white settlement, and tells the story of the changes through the eyes of the children who live there. The website that goes with the series is also fabulous. We have one episode left to watch, and I think we will knock that one over this afternoon.

My sister and brother inlaw gave us Quirkle for Christmas. I love it because it is a game that the whole family can play (Toby needs a little help) and is equally interesting for adults and children. The idea is to make a row of 6 which match either in colour or symbol, but there are a few tricks as well.

What good things have you been enjoying these holidays? Please share so we all know of some more good things.

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Previous Post: « Keeping It Simple | Taming Kids Toys: Part Two
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Comments

  1. Jo@Countrylifeexperiment says

    February 17, 2015 at 10:29 am

    The labels definitely help – particularly when they are little and can't read yet.

    Reply
  2. Emma Steendam says

    February 16, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    Love it! Next time I'm in Melbourne I think I will definitely swinging into the Swedish yellow blue shed to get me one. Love the pictures to help too, think I'll have to do this for Eleanor – her OCD neat freak Daddy will love it!

    Reply
  3. Rosehips and Rhubarb says

    January 18, 2015 at 12:54 am

    I loved the Trixie Belden books when I was a kid. The paperbacks cost 95c and I got $1 pocket money each week, so I had 5c left over for mixed lollies. Later the books went up to $1.25 but I think I got more pocket money by then. Did you know that there were lots of different authors, not just the two stated, and they were written over about 30 years, I think.

    Reply
  4. Elisha Ross says

    January 17, 2015 at 4:45 am

    That Ikea storage unit is 'The Bomb'! I store all the different bits and bobs in the canvas boxes too. Its amazing how much duplo fits into one. I love your labelling idea. That will definitely help to get the kids to pack up. I think I've nailed the sorting part when I was told by my 2 year old that a certain toy didn't go in a particular box. It goes in the cars one Mum! Getting there. You are so lucky to have all that space as their playroom…

    Reply
  5. Maxabella says

    January 17, 2015 at 3:22 am

    I loved Trixie Beldon! I'm on the lookout for second-hand books in the series for Arabella. She struggles to get into books (SO not like her mum and dad!) and I'm hoping a series like Trixie will get her going. Enjoy the rest of the hols, Jo. x

    Reply
  6. Jo@Countrylifeexperiment says

    January 16, 2015 at 3:51 am

    Will have to check it out – thanks!

    Reply
  7. Jo@Countrylifeexperiment says

    January 16, 2015 at 3:51 am

    I would really recommend starting out the way you mean to continue. Get the right containers etc from the beginning will save a lot of time and stress in the long run!

    Reply
  8. Jan says

    January 16, 2015 at 2:02 am

    Have you seen Mad about Science? Lots of things here, my grandchildren have all loved things my sister and I have bought. A range of prices and ages covered. Prompt service too.

    http://www.madaboutscience.com.au/store/

    Reply
  9. Jan says

    January 16, 2015 at 2:00 am

    Nadia Wheatley, the author of My Place attends the church I used to go to before I ripped a ligament on pelvis and made both walking and climbing on and off buses very difficult. She is active in the local community, especially preservation of bush corridors . That Quirkle looks interesting. I thought I was up with games, but i don't know that one at all. Can you imagine five grandchildren playing Monopoly together? Ages from 9-15 and all tired from Christmas activities. Noise and more noise.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Jo

I'm a city girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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A lovely, easy Christmas with family, good food, a A lovely, easy Christmas with family, good food, a few presents, an afternoon swim and dinner on the veranda as the sun set. Time to stop and be thankful for the many blessings of the year. I hope you had a lovely Christmas too!
We have been mulling over how to fix up the drivew We have been mulling over how to fix up the driveway and lead up to our house for a while. Currently it’s just a dumping ground for old bits of metal and a big pile of mulch, but C would like to create a turning area and put in a garden. First up though, there’s a huge old stump that needs to go. What better excuse is there to have a fire on Sunday afternoon? C and the kids jumped on the quad bike and trailer, and hauled back a big pile of sticks and logs to help the stump burn. Once the fire was going, marshmallows were found and roasted. No better way to spend time together.
Team work makes the dream work. We were asked rec Team work makes the dream work. 
We were asked recently whether we “make” our kids work on the farm. The answer is of course not. Having said that, all three love to help out whenever they can. They all work hard because they want to; because they take pride in working hard and contributing in a meaningful way to our family life; because they love living on our farm and don’t remember life before we moved here. Whether it be planting trees or doing sheep work or feeding animals, they all want to be involved. As a parent, nothing is better than watching them grow in skill and confidence as they work along side you. We’re so glad that we get to spend time with our three, working together.
We’ve had an unexpected addition to the family ☘️🐑. She is a lot easier to look after than the other family members but she does try to escape her yard and head butt people. Poddy lambs are super cute but they tend to think they are a human. Clover the lamb is sure that Meg is her mum. Can’t think why… 🤔🤣
The perfect way to end a long winter weekend: toge The perfect way to end a long winter weekend: together, cooking damper around the remains of the bonfire.
It’s been a tough few weeks on the farm. We got It’s been a tough few weeks on the farm. We got through shearing without a hitch (thankfully 🙏) but we’ve had a run of the flu followed by Covid run through the family since then. The kids and I have tested positive (this is my second time getting it 🦠) though so far C has managed to avoid it. There has been a lot of lying on the couch feeling pretty ordinary. Han had to reschedule her driving test for a 4th time due to Covid, which is disappointing for her because she wants her freedom and for us because it would be so much more convenient if she could drive herself places. Just to add in to the mix, our hot water system has chosen now as a good time to die so we’re on cold showers until we’re all out of iso. This is not meant to be a whinging post but sometimes life just sucks a bit and it’s good to be real. Fortunately, the sight of the fire going with a stack of wood next to it cheers us up. Things will improve soon. Onwards we go…

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Hi, I’m Jo

City girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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