Autumn days...

Back from Sydney and trying to settle back into some kind of routine. Not as easy as it sounds!

We got a cool cookie jar for Christmas (you lift the lid and he says "Woof, woof - I love to eat cookies!") and I have been dutifully stocking it up with biscuits. We don't have much junk in the house, and as long as everything else balances out, I don't have a problem with having them in the house (I have been quite good at avoiding them myself!).

Who stole the cookies from the cook-cookie jar?

Well, the jar started "woofing" at breakfast time! Before cereal and toast - sugar and chocolate were being consumed to break the fast. So, I used this as an opportunity to talk about healthy eating habits, nutrition and diabetes.

We looked at the healthy eating triangle

Talked about carbohydrates, protein and fat.  Looked at where all that got digested. Talked about the pancreas and insulin and the Glycaemic Index. Then had a look at Bill Nye's Nutrition video:

And then had a look at the nutrition panels on some things in our kitchen. Then the kids helped me make a healthier lunch:

Lots of technology going on! Learning how to follow instructions (a very important life skill when it comes to assembling products from Ikea!):

Persby Hat Stand from Ikea - for all the hats!!

We have also been doing some work around the house - a new handrail for the stairs. So I got the kids sanding and staining:

But apparently I am too bossy and want things done too well, because it ends in tears....

...however, we recovered from that and managed to get the handrails up in place:

We've been progressing nicely with our algebra - this week looking at slope and the gradient-intercept form of linear equations:

Find the slope of a line

Getting a feel for the slope and y-intercept of a line

And some chess practice:

Lots of other thoughts swirling through my head...another post for another day!