honest scrap award

I have been tagged for an Honest Scrap Award by Debi at Go Explore Nature.  It’s always fun to learn a bit about the person behind blogs, so here goes
I have to share 10 honest things you wouldn’t know about me from reading my blog or following me on Twitter.  I then tag 7 other bloggers to do the same.
   

1. I went all the way to Norway to meet (and later marry) a boy from Darwin, Australia.  That’s us in the picture when we first met in Oslo.
2. Before I did my teaching diploma I worked as a geophysicist doing seismic data acquisition and processing.
3. As a teenager I used to swim competitively and swam around 10 km a day.
4. My favourite holiday was a scuba diving trip to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef.  The island can only be reached by boat and there is no resort, you must camp.  If you get the chance to go there, don’t think twice.
5. I failed my driving test twice because I was so nervous.  I still prefer it if someone else drives.
6. I studied law for a year at university before deciding that career wasn’t for me.
7. I’m 32.
8. I hate having people breathe in my face.  Not a big problem in day to day life, I know, but still …
9. I enjoy reading Agatha Christie mysteries.  If I need to chill out this is what I will reach for, I have a whole shelf full.
10. I’m currently a little obsessed with playing Mah-jong Solitaire (it came on my husband’s iPhone, B likes it too we just play at different difficulty levels)

And who will I tag … I’m not so keen on tagging so how about, if you read this blog you share one honest thing about yourself in the comments (and a link to your blog if you have one).  My apologies to the award founder and people who play properly. 
Also, here’s your chance to ask any other questions about me

millipedes and centipedes

Millipedes and centipedes are something we’ve been seeing a lot of lately.  My son has even been carefully collecting the millipedes for a closer look.  He is fascinated with the way that they curl up to protect themselves.  And, of course, after being told that centipedes bite he is terrified and fascinated at the same time.
Here are some interesting facts about millipedes and centipedes from lifeunseen.com

• centipedes and millipedes are not insects.  The most obvious difference from insects is the number of legs.  All insects have 3 pairs, centipedes and millipedes can have dozens or even hundreds of pairs.
• centipedes are predators and will prey on almost invertebrate
• millipedes are scavengers and mainly survive on rotting vegetation or animal matter

If you go to the lifeunseen website there are pictures of different types of centipedes and millipedes.  Sorry I don’t have a photo but the tiny size of millipedes is beyond the powers of my camera.
Do you children collect and observe insects?  Which insects are their favourites?

a handful of valentine’s day ideas

Like Halloween, Valentine’s Day is not very big in Australia, but I plan to do a few activities with my boys because marking Valentine’s day gives an opportunity to talk about love and friendship.  Here are the activities that have caught my eye

• create a kid’s family tree, like this one described at Caro & Co.  You could add family, or all the people who love your child.  And, of course, to make it valentine-y you can make the tags on the tree heart-shaped.
• TeachKidsArt has a negative space resist Valentine’s card with made using watercolour paints
• lavender and limes shows you how to sew Valentine’s conversation hearts.  I’d love to make one of these for my boys and I think that B could try sewing a little felt pillow too.
• create Valentine’s paper dolls, a knight or a princess, like that artist woman.  That artist woman also has this wonderful Valentine’s collage – a great chance to use lots of different painting techniques and to practise cutting out hearts.
• think of the important people in your child’s life and talk to your child about why they love these people.  Then, make a list, write everyone a note to tell them or create a garland of hearts with the names of the people and why you love them.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your children?

miniature zen garden

Since the first time I saw one of those miniature zen gardens for your desktop at the shops, I have thought that it would be great to make one.  But it seemed that although I could get rocks, sand and a suitable container it was hard to find something attractive to use for a rake (a fork being practical but not attractive).  Then, I saw the minature zen garden at the Magic Onions … simple and brilliant.  So I got out the glue gun (you can see that I haven’t had much hot gluing experience) …
 
B helped.  We searched for zen gardens on Flickr so that he knew what we were making and had some ideas for arranging the rocks and raking patterns in the sand.  He played around for a while, mounding up the sand and putting a single rock on top or placing rocks artistically throughout the garden, but I think his favourite part of the activity was seeing the magic sticking power of a hot glue gun!
Now to put a little bridge over a pond in the garden… hmmm.

rainbow cake

For a long time my son has been asking to make a rainbow cake.  I’ve been putting him off because I didn’t know how to go about it.  Then I found a recipe and instructions for colourburst cupcakes at Our Best Bites.
Doesn’t it look fabulous?  My son was determined that it would be a cake, not cupcakes.  And once it was done, he couldn’t wait for it to be iced and we had to cut it open and look straightaway. 
It is so easy, just make a sponge cake (Our Best Bites uses a cake mix but you don’t need to) and divide up the mix – colour each part separately and layer them in the cake pan. 
I think this would make a wonderful birthday cake, if you covered it with a thick icing – then, Surprise! when you cut it open