I am assisting in a co-op class this semester - Oceans and Continents. The lead teacher is a new friend of mine who does a fabulous job homeschooling her children. She was one of my first homeschooling friends in this area, and I'm grateful to her for her friendship. She helped me get involved in this co-op, and then I found out I was her assistant. God was really working over several months - very cool.

This week at co-op we are talking about Australia. I asked her if I could share one of my FAVORITE stories of all time with the class. If you have never read this book, you should get it from the library and share it with your children. If you're studying Australia - great! If you're not, then great! It's just a good story and teaches about animals of Australia and the digeridoo, a folk instrument. It also offers a great moral.

The Singing Snake has been a part of my library since I taught elementary school. Every group of children I've ever read it to has enjoyed the story.

This is what Good Reads says about the story:

Old Man has become tired of the noisy animals that surround him day and night. So he holds a singing contest to force them to improve their voices. As a prize, Old Man will create a musical instrument in honor of the animal with the best singing voice. Snake realizes that his raspy voice will never win, but by swallowing Lark he fools everyone into thinking that he has her sweet voice. In the end though, it is clever Lark who outwits devious Snake. This retelling of an Australian folktale offers amusing explanations for the origin of the didgeridoo, why snakes hiss, and the phrase "a snake in the grass."

I hope you enjoy the book as much as we have!

Blogger Te

mplates

Tristan from Our Busy Homeschool tagged me with a fun blog activity (Thanks Tristan!). There are 8 questions for me to answer, and then I will tag 5 people to answer 8 questions I think up. Here I go!

What is one food or meal you love to eat that your family does not enjoy, so you don’t make it often? Chinese food! No one in my family enjoys it... in fact, my husband once sat a different table than me when I ate it in the airport because he can't stand the smell. Weird, huh?
Tell me one thing you swore you would never do when you were a parent, but since having children of your own you have actually done. I said I would always have a clean car and never ever let my children have snacks in the car. Think again!
What character issue is God working on in your life right now? Trust.
What is your favorite household chore? How about your least favorite chore? My favorite chore is dusting and vacuuming. I actually like to see things get clean. My least favorite is cleaning out closets and organizing drawers.
As a homeschool mom, what is one area you feel you do well in, and one area you struggle with? I think I do very well coming up with creative and fun activities for my children. I really struggle with follow-up - and sticking to a regular schedule.
Would you rather eat health food or exercise regularly? I would really rather exercise, but sadly, as I approach 40, I think both are necessary for me to feel good and keep the weight off.
What is one thing you love about your husband, and one thing that drives you bonkers? I love my husband because he supports me unconditionally. He is always my number one cheerleader and puts up with a lot of my quirks. It does drive me crazy that he won't try Chinese food (see #1 - ha!) and that he keeps a very rigid schedule and gets pretty flustered if you disturb it.
When your kids all leave the nest what is one job you would like to try in all your free time? I wouldn't mind expanding my piano teaching business or even going back to teaching elementary school music. Even though I homeschool my own children, I loved teaching music in the public schools.

My eight questions for those I’m tagging, with my own answers in parenthesis, are:

If you could have a whole day just to yourself, what would you do? (I would go the pool and lay around and read my book - maybe get a pedicure and massage, too!)
What is one "guilty pleasure" you have? (I love to watch The Young and The Restless and Mad Men - they are both fairly mindless television shows, but they are soooo good!)
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? (I wish I was a more patient person with my children. I'm working on it, but it's very difficult for me.)
What is your favorite music? (Even though I was a music major in college and LOVE classical music, I have to say that I like John Mayer and some other contemporary artists just as well!)
Who do you admire most in this world? (I admire my mother - she is a caring person who give so much of herself for others... and I happen to think she was a great mom, too.)
What is your favorite subject to teach in homeschool? (I love history because of all the great literature it involves.)
When is the last time you cried? (I cried last Thursday as we welcomed friends home from China with their newly adopted little boy.)
Who is the last person you hugged? (my son - I was gone this morning and he gave me a huge hug when I came home!)

Now I get to tag five other people and give them a list of eight questions to answer.

Jessica, at Teachable Moments

Melissa, at The Joys of Home Educating

Bethany, at Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom

Amy, at The Mantooth Family Story

Jessica, at Homeschooling in Heels

Blogger Templates

Learning About Australia with The Singing Snake

Tag, You're It! I Want to Know...

Search Homegrown Learners