A Taste of the Good 'Ol Days

Lani and Wade are always thinking of ways to earn a bit of money and the idea of a Lemonade Stand has been circulating for at least the last six months.

Enough with the procrastinating... it was time to finally squeeze this enterprise into FRUITion.


Wade set the ball rolling by designing, building and painting the stand and by organising Dad to deliver the lemons and source a huge umbrella for shade. Mum was enlisted to help with the costing and marketing procedures and also to replenish stock supplies. Lani saw the opportunity for some real money making and so enthusiastically assigned herself as equal partner.

The children have spent their waking hours manning the stand and very successfully I might add, considering our street is not a busy one. The people in our neighbourhood, and many of whom we have never met, have all come out to support their business. Families, council workers, pay tv installers and more have all been rewarded with delicious cups of refreshing Lemonade, perfectly compensating for the Summer heat.

It has been a real joy to see the looks on the children's faces when customers have responded so warmly to the idea of the stand and also given them much praise for the taste of the Lemonade itself and the service they have delivered.

This little Lemonade Stand has provided the children with varied opportunities to develop their academic and social skills, though what has fulfilled me the most is how the creation of something so simple and fun, has left such a positive impression on all those involved and displayed something in which I believe we are all longing to have in our daily lives... a real sense of community spirit.

I think Lani summed it up well... "Having this stand has gotten people together mum, and we have met people we probably would never have met if we didn't do it". Such insight.

At this point, we must give thanks to all our customers and also special thanks to Granma and Grandad for their exceptional word of mouth advertising :D

A Case of Accidental Environmental Education

Down the back of our property we have a beautiful little creek. Most of the time it is fairly shallow. However, after a splash of rain it is fast flowing, deep in parts and a lot of fun.

Last month the children decided to spend a lazy, Sunday afternoon exploring the creek and all its creatures. To their amazement, amongst the reeds, they discovered a huge population of tiny fish, namely.. guppies. Without hesitation, this brought upon a mission to catch and collect as many of the little cuties as possible for closer observation.

Out came the Tupperware!! Wade was quick to collect and after a joint effort of retrieving close to 100?? - claims Wade :) we watched and took note of their size, colour, speed and agility, but mostly just watched and enjoyed. I'm not sure who suggested it, but at some stage our new friends were freed from the plastic restraints of the Tupperware and presented to our small pond in the garden. It was a momentous event!!

Why did we not return them to their natural habitat of the creek?? Not entirely sure, but after researching guppies on the internet we learnt that guppies are not native to Australia and are actually a threat to the environment. Some sites even suggested that if you come across them to "destroy them immediately, kill them, kill them all". A little gruesome I know..

It turns out that guppies were introduced to Australia for reasons similar to that of the dreaded Cane Toad. They were meant to take control of mosquito populations but unfortunately the little buggars were not all that keen and due to the fact that they reproduce very young, their numbers get out of hand in our natural waterways and compete for food and space with our native species.

So, while I am not advocating a mass Guppie Genocide, I am quite proud that our providing a new "contained" home for them has successfully contributed to protecting and maintaining our local creek. And, it all began with three kids exploring and having fun in nature.

Now, for those concerned.. all guppies are flourishing and doing well. In fact, if the pond does become a little crowded in time, I am sure our loveable, "friendly", plump Goldfish inside will be delighted to welcome a handful or two of them to their tank. ;D

And So It Begins..

I have been enjoying reading many blogs over the last year and have been dreaming of creating my own for some time.

2008 slipped by in the wink of an eye, with the highlight of the year being a blissful freebirth to baby number 4 in June. Needless to say, the last six months have been very, very.... full.

We are a free learning family, living on the Gold Coast in sunny Queensland, Australia. We are passionate about many things and aim to live life with enthusiasm and gratitude for all that the world has to offer us.

I am looking forward to sharing our story with you.

With Love & Peace
Angel