Kez's Achievements in 2012

What about me? How did I go in 2012?

Quite well, thanks for asking!

I continued with my Defendo training, graded up to orange belt and attended a weapon's defence course and a Jujitsu seminar. I lost about 7kg over the year and am down to my ideal weight. I still need to tone more but baby steps.

I FINISHED WRITING MY BOOK! I think that was my biggest achievement for the year! I kept meeting with my wonderful writer's group who keep me going.

I also did several online writing courses, and attended the RWA conference at the Gold Coast where I learnt heaps and had a great time. I served on the RWA Committee.

I started Italian lessons and will continue those this year.

So yeah, it's been a pretty good year :)

2012 homeschooling highlights in pictures

I usually do this in December, but one thing led to another and - hey, how did it get to be the end of January?

So now my thoughts are turning to the new school year. I seem to have been answering a lot of queries from people lately interested in homeschooling for the new year. One of these days, our freedom may even become 'normal'. (Nope, can't see that happening!)

Now a look back at some of the highlights of 2012.

January

• Trip to Timbertown to learn about Australian history (HSIE)
• Lots of water activities - fishing, swimming, skiing (PDHPE)

February

 

• The first of many Nerf wars with other homeschoolers (PDHPE)
• Art exhibitions (Creative Arts)
• A homeschool excursion to an historic homestead  (HSIE)
• Homeschool swimming carnival  (PDHPE)
• Plus activities started back - cubs, drama, archery and martial arts

March

 

• AFL Footy training started back (PDHPE)
• Circus workshop with homeschoolers (PDHPE)
• Clean Up Australia Day with Cubs (HSIE)
• Science kits (Science & Technology)
• Trip to the Powerhouse Museum (Science & Technology)
• Billy-carting with the Cubs (PDHPE)

April

• ANZAC Day March (HSIE)
• Attended a performance of Bell Shakespeare's Macbeth (English, Creative Arts)
• Started a new circus class (PDHPE)
• Read George and the Big Bang (Science & Technology)
• Scale models in Minecraft (Maths)
• Games with flags and countries (HSIE)

May

• Field archery (PDHPE)
• Learning about water quality at homeschool Waterwatch day (Science & Technology)
• Braille, morse code and semaphore at cub camp (Science & Technology)
• Learning about Ancient Rome (HSIE)
• Aboriginal folk stories (HSIE)
• Using Murderous Maths Awesome Arithmetricks as a Maths spine (Maths)

June

• Stage Combat workshop (Creative Arts)
• Went to Sydney Observatory to watch the transit of Venus (Science & Technology)
• Trip to rockpools and photography (Science & Technology, Creative Arts)
• Science experiments at Cubs (Science & Technology)
• Map and compass work (Maths)
• Attended a performance of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Creative Arts, English)
• Went to a photography exhibition (Creative Arts)
• Did a Rocks historical walking tour to learn more about Australian history (HSIE)
• Read Tom Appleby, Convict Boy (HSIE)

July

• Dolphin watching and photography (Creative Arts, HSIE, Science & Technology)
• Martial arts camp (PDHPE)
• Games of Scrabble (English)
• Maths games (Maths)
• Trip to historical Maitland Gaol (HSIE)
• Watched a performance of Blabbermouth (Creative Arts, English)
• Made a thaumotrope (Science & Technology)
• Created posters and sold popcorn and fairy floss at a stall (Maths, English)

August

• Visit to Seaworld and Currumbin Wildlife sanctuary (HSIE, Science & Technology)
• High Ropes course (PDHPE)
• Walkley photography exhibition and Archibald Prize exhibition (Creative Arts)
• Hands-on Science section at Newcastle Museum (Science & Technology)

September

• Region cuboree with medieval theme (HSIE)
• Cooking (Maths, English)
• Discovered the DragonBox maths app to teach algebra (Maths)
• Robert Krampf Science videos (Science & Technology)

October

• Italian class (LOTE)
• Circuit boards (Science & Technology) 
• Homeschool excursion to local Morpeth Museum (HSIE)
• Murrurrundi Frontier Day trip (HSIE)
• Peter Pan rehearsals and performance (Creative Arts)
• Baby chickens at cubs (Science & Technology)
•  

November

• Peter Pan performances (Creative Arts)
• Bee-keeping display at cubs (Science & Technology, HSIE)
• Cooking (Maths)
• Reading Daughter of the Regiment (HSIE)

And that was just the start :) We had a focus on Australian history, plus Peter Pan rehearsals and performance were a big part of the year. Throughout the year, he took part in weekly classes - cubs, martial arts, drama and archery.

Looking forward to 2013 - I wonder what it will bring?

Welcome to 2013

*testing* *testing*

Is anyone still out there?

Sorry for disappearing - I didn't realise it had been a month since I posted. Ooops. Blame Facebook - I post photos on there and forget to put them on my blog.

So what's been happening? Did you all have a good Xmas and New Year?

We had a great couple of weeks up at Stuarts Pt - lovely weather so lots of the following:

Eagle-eyed friends may actually realise that yes, that is me on the ski biscuit! My words for the year are leap / risk / take a chance. It was meant to relate to my writing, but I've decided to relate it to the rest of my life as well!

Speaking of writing - while up at Stuarts Pt, I finished editing my novel so that it actually hung together properly, with decent pacing, emotion etc. And just in time, as last Sunday I got an email telling me that I had made it through to the 2nd round of the Emerald writing competition! Much squeeing and OMG!ing ensued! What that meant was that I had 5 days to send off the full manuscript for the next round of judging - 3 copies printed and posted. The top 3 will go in front of an editor from St Martins Press, so its a pretty big deal to get through.

I spent 3 intense days polishing and repolishing my manuscript until I was sick of the sight of it. When I couldn't bear to look at it a moment longer, I figured it was time to send it in. So it's gone, and I need to put it out of my mind for a few months. In the meantime, I've asked a writer friend who I trust to give me an honest opinion, to have a look at it and tell me if it's ready for submission. And now onto book 2.

We really haven't been anywhere much or done anything much since we got back. My thoughts are now turning to the new school year and getting back into routine.