Bound for Botany Bay

I love it when I get to wear a mob cap and a full length dress, apron and shawl to school...

(hehe I made Katrina's hat last night... but ran out of fabric so it was a tad small..hehe).

Today was not just 'wear something really random day..', our Year 3 & 4 classes had Colonial Day. Some guys(Colin & Ralph actually) came and performed for us and talked to us about our country's history. They incorporated heaps of song & after lunch we had a good old Bush Dance! This was my third Colonial Day so I pretty much the whole script...
But I learnt a few new things

- America was an Independent Country 5 years before Australia was even claimed 'for England' & settled. (boy our country is young)
- Australia received their last convicts from England in 1848. That was not very long ago! That's crazy!
- The guy who found the largest ever gold nugget (um it's not called a nugget when it's as tall as a man...um it was something like a matrix...hmm) in the gold rush used his millions to travel Australia in a caravan taking photographs. That's a pretty cool choice!
- Our history is insane! 750ish soldiers, settlers and convicts hop in boats and travel for 8 months to a place some guys visited 17 years before hand with the plan of setting up a new colony. It's crazy that they pulled it off. Seriously! there were so many unknowns!

I loved seeing my kids in colonial costumes. Oh they were so cute!
I loved singing the good old Aussie songs Home Among the Gum-trees (it is a million times better with 75 kids doing fun actions), Bound for Botany Bay & I Am Australian (as daggy as they are...) I am so blessed to live in this country! (I think I am getting more patriotic the older I get)
But the absolute high-light of Colonial Day was dancing with my kids! It was an absolute crack up. Somehow I ended up with at least 2 'partners' for each dance...which made for some interesting 'link your right arms and spin' moments. A little boy in my class has cerebral palsy & finds it difficult to participate in extended periods of exercise... but he couldn't stop grinning as we heel and toe polka-ed across the floor. These are the moments I live for. Such a fun day!

Oh one last picture just cos it's cute...

After work I had coffee at Gloria Jeans with 3 of my most amazing friends. Katriny and I both had Tim Tam Chillers (with caramel & sprinkles on top). Good times.