Locked Up!

Today was the local police station Open Day. We went down this morning and got the customary tattoo on the hand and began wandering up to look at the police bike and patrol car, when a policewoman approached us. I thought she was going to take us on the tour but she wanted us to be in a photo for the local paper. So Will, Tom and I headed into the lock up cells and had our pictures taken. Very cool, although Will said he didn't want to be locked up again:)

It was a good tour having a look around and seeing what the cop shop looks like. Will had a great time and liked the fire truck that was there too. When the local paper comes out, I will post the link. 

I took the boys to a friends house and Will did not stop playing with the blue cattle and boxer pups, well almost all the time as he found numerous leaf spiders in the garden! He loved playing with them as our dog chases a ball once and that is the end of the game!

Tadpoles

Will, Tom and I went for a walk this morning along the walking track which runs alongside the local creek. Due to all the recent rain, the water was clear and we could see all the tadpoles swimming around. You could also hear the frogs in the reeds. We talked about how tadpoles became frogs and what happens at various stages of the life cycle.

We continued the walk albeit slowly as Will stopped to find leaf spiders, walk in the undergrowth, swing on the swings, chase away the 'naughty' mynas, watch the magpies look for worms and look for the grass parrots that are always around - except they weren't today. We could hear more frogs as we walked along and I thought that we could do a life cycle when we got home.

So, using toilet rolls and crepe paper, Will painted the rolls green and stuck the paper as the tail. I drew the metamorph and Will stuck the crepe paper on, and then we made the frogs using green paper. I will pop the pictures up soon. Pretty cool stuff. He knows that life cycle of the butterfly and loves reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

Tonight, just before bed, he got his binoculars (handmade with toilet rolls) and went outside to look for bats:)

At home with Will

Will is our 5 year boy full of 5 year old energy, spark, enthusiasm and needs. He also has a speech delay which has impacted his language development. What does that mean? It means that in terms of conventional schooling he is a round peg, trying to fit into a square hole. Does it fit? For us, the answer is no. I am a primary trained school teacher who has seen firsthand the lack of funding for children like Will, lack of time spent with children like Will by the teachers and the mis-diagnosis that frequently appears, that of a 'behaviour' child.

The reality is that there isn't enough time in the day for an average child to get through the curriculum, let alone those that need extra attention. We won't be setting up Will for failure, but rather measure his success in developing a love of learning in his way and time. 

What about Will? Will loves spiders, snakes, diggers, loaders, bobcats, our cats, reading, using the iphone, surfing YouTube for relevant videos, being outside in the glorious sunshine digging out our garden thereby creating his construction site and wearing as little amount of clothes around the house in the middle of winter as possible.  He loves his cousins, his friends and his little brother. 

He is our light, some one who makes us laugh throughout the day, sure he makes us frustrated as well, but the 

love is indescribable.