Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1! My 100th Blogpost

The past 10 days I have been busy blogging about all sorts of things, and today, the final blogpost is to be a picture of myself. It also happens to be my 100th blog post this year! Yay me! And congratulations to everyone else who has participated in the blog challenge. If you've missed a day, that's ok, just pick up where you left off and remember - keep blogging! 

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2... Songs

Two favourite songs??? Well this year Room 7 has had the opportunity to present two assemblies, and for each we performed a dance. These songs are good fun, and Room 7 performed them magnificently.

1. Just Dance: Calling all the Monsters
2. Just Dance: Ghostbusters. This one we performed flash mob style! 

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3... Films.

My three favourite films... 

1. Well, I would be lying if I didn't say that the Zombie Apocalypse wasn't my favourite! We made this last year as part of our film club, it was great fun, and we learned a lot about being prepared for a disaster. 
2. I also loved Inside Out, a great way to talk and learn about our emotions. We've been learning a lot about our emotions in Room 7 and have written some great poetry about them too. 
3. The Lego Movie - awesome animation and surprisingly cool story. I couldn't get that song out of my head for days though... "everything is awesome!!!"

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4... Books

Holidays are a great time for reading. Whether it be a cold day tucked up inside, or a warm summers day lying on the grass, anytime is a good time to read a book. 

Some of my favourite books are as follows: 

1. Goodnight Mr Tom - By Michelle Magorian. Set in war times a young boy is sent from London to live with a grumpy elderly man. Together a wonderful friendship forms between unlikely characters. 
   
2. Pheobe and the night creatures - By Jenny Hessell. Jenny Hessell, a New Zealand author, is well known for her Grandma McGarvey books. Pheobe and the night creatures is a story about a young girl who is too scared to go the bathroom in the middle of the night because there is a wolf under her bed. A charming story, with a confident and courageous female protagonist. It's also been translated to te reo Māori, Ko Pipi me ngā Kīrehe o te Pō, which makes a great text for reading and teaching of te reo
   
   
   
   
   
3. The peace tree from Hiroshima - by Sandra Moore. A great story for learning and talking about the devastation of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb during WWII. Room 7 read this book earlier this year, on the 70 year anniversary of the bombing. It told a great tale of forgiveness and peace, plus we got to learn about Japanese culture, and it allowed me to share my stories from visiting Hiroshima in 2009. 

   
4. The hunger games trilogy - by Suzanne Collins. We read this in Room 10 last year, well the first one at least. Filled with lots of vocabulary it opened up for great discussion about some of the themes also. 
   

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... Foods!

Who doesn't love food? Everyone does. It's our life force, so we may as well make it tasty while we are at it. Some of my favourite foods are: 

1. Kiwifruit - the green ones only. They are tangy, and delicious, and really really good for us. 
   
2. Pasta - Originating in Italy, pasta is super versatile, you can make tonnes of different sauces, pestos, or dressings, to make a filling and healthy meal. Best of all, my husband knows how to make fresh pasta. What a treat. 
   
3. Carrots - this vegetable is cheap, versatile and tasty cooked or raw. I make a delicious Moroccan Carrot Salad too. People say that eating carrots helps you see in the dark too. I'm not so sure about that, but either way, I eat them almost every day. They also taste pretty good in a carrot cake! 
   
4. Mussels - one of my favourite types of seafood and a great source of protein. My favourite way to eat them is steamed in a tomato and herb broth.
   
5. Peanut Butter - So so delicious, and every now and then I eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. 
   

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7, 6... Places I want to go.

I'm fortunate to have already travelled to many places around the world, Holland, Japan, Paris, Berlin, London, Rarotonga, Bali, Vanuatu, Tonga, San Fransisco, but the world is a very big place, so there are still many many many places that I would love to visit. Today's blog challenge is to list only 6, so I've narrowed it down. 

1. Sri Lanka - A small island near India, which is full of culture, animals, surf, sun and yoga. We had actually planned to go here earlier this year, but due to other circumstances had to cancel our plans. Hopefully one day we still make it there. 
2. Mexico - Another country full of culture, wonderful language, sunshine, beaches and great food. 
3. New York - I've heard only amazing things from friends who have been to New York. My niece is off there this Christmas too, so I'm sure she will come back with lots of stories to tell. 
4. Scandinavia - Including: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. I really don't know a lot about these countries, which is why I really want to go and find out. Find out about the culture, history and wonderful things in that part of the world. 
5. Morocco - located in the north of Africa this would be a warm, and culture filled adventure. 
6. Holland - I know I have been here before, but for me, this is a place where I want to learn more about my own ancestry. My grandparents both moved to New Zealand in their mid 20's and my mother was born in New Zealand, but I discovered on my last visit, that my dutch family is huge, and I really want to learn more about that and connect with my heritage. 

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8, 7...

What are the seven things that I want the most you might ask? Well let me tell you. 

1. I want everyone in Room 7 to learn lots this year and have a great time doing it. 
2. I want to go paddleboarding everyday this summer. Every. Day. Even when the water is a bit choppy, that just adds a challenge. 
3. I want a sewing machine. Then I could make all the things that I want to make. I would start simple and make some new cushion covers, but when I get better I could even make my own clothes. 
4. I want to learn how to garden better, and look after plants. My brother is really good at it, and gave me a punga tree for my birthday... it didn't do very well, so he had to rescue it and take it back home. 
5. I want to learn te reo Māori. At the moment I speak a little, but I want to know more, and be able to have a proper conversation in Māori. 
6. I want to be successful in everything I do. It's a big challenge, but if I work hard I should be okay. 
7. What I really want, is a puppy. I love dogs, and haven't had one of my own since I was a little girl. I would love to have a puppy again, one that I can teach tricks, take for walks, and that loves belly rubs! 

Blog Challenge 10, 9, 8 ...

What are my 8 biggest fears??? Well, let me tell you....

1. Spiders. Yes, they are tiny, but some jump, others run really fast and they can jump out and surprise you at any moment. Cockroaches too. Luckily I have some very brave children in Room 7 who can take any spiders carefully outside!
2. Losing my passport. I know it's technically just a piece of paper... but without it, I would be stranded!
3. Internet fraud. I like to keep my personal details private as part of our cyber smart curriculum. The internet is a big wide place, and it's important to stick to websites that you can trust. 
4. Earthquakes. I used to live in Christchurch, but thankfully we moved just before the large earthquakes. I am forever grateful, and in awe of the damage they can do if they strike. Next term we are participating in the New Zealand Shake Out, to make sure that we all know what to do if an earthquake were to happen. 
5. Birds. Yes, birds a beautiful, and they sing lovely melodies. But when they are up close and the wings are flapping... terrifying. I think this fear started when I was about 12, my friend had a pet cockatoo and it used to corner me squawking and flapping its wings. 
6. Needles. If I ever have to have a blood test for anything the needles make me so squeamish. I still donate blood though, I just have to make sure I look the other way. Luckily they have big tv's to watch at the blood donor centre. 
7. Heights. I always forget this one. Then I get up the top of somewhere, and paralysis hits. For example, climbing trees, I'll be having great fun, then I get to the top, and can't get down. Same with the Eiffel tower in Paris. We got all the way to the top and the wind was blowing and I couldn't move. 
8. and Number 8. I am afraid of challenge. Not necessarily afraid, but trying new things always makes me anxious. I don't let that hold me back though, I like to try new things all the time, but it is still scary. 

Blog Challenge 10, 9...

Today's challenge is to write about 9 loves. 

1. I love cooking, and then eating it, but mainly the cooking and sharing kai with friends and whānau
2. I love dogs. Growing up I had a staffy called Jagger, he was the best dog ever. He lived to be 17 years old and I loved him very much. 
3. I love riding my bike around the neighbourhood. It has a wicker basket on the front where I put my groceries. I bike to the veggie shop and to the bakery and load up my basket with food for the week ahead. 
4. I love my big brother. When I got a flat tyre on my bike, he kindly fixed it for me and made it like new again. 
5. I love Room 7 tamariki. You guys are talented, funny, courageous, and full of energy. 
6. I Iove watching lightbox. Sometimes on a rainy day I can watch 4 episodes back to back. 
7. I love christmas time, it's one of the only times all year that all my whānau are together. We live all across the country so it's important to spend time together when we can. 
8. I love braiding my hair. I'm not very good at it, but I do love it. 
9. I love living in Auckland city. I grew up in a small beach town, so I love all the opportunity that Auckland offers. There is always things to see and do and a lot of different cultures. 

10 Day Blogging Challenge

This Holidays Room 7 have a 10 day blogging challenge to complete 10 blogs, one a day over the holidays. 

As part of the blogging challenge I will be completing it too. 

So here goes. Counting Down. 

Day 10: 10 SECRETS!

1. I like listening to Justin Beiber when I am driving to work.
2. I love dancing to Jump Jam, even though I don't always go the right direction or get the moves right
3. My favourite place in the world is at my whānau bach in Mahia, we go there every christmas, lay the mattresses out and have lots of great family time. (See photo below) 
4. Sometimes I wonder what all the wonderful tamariki in Room 7 will become when they are older. I believe they might be doctors, lawyers, All Blacks, business owners, teachers, sports stars, police officers, musicians, parents and even more! 
5. My least favourite time of the day is teeth brushing time, but I do it anyway, because these teeth have to last my whole life. 
6. Sometimes I dance around my living room by myself and it's really fun. 
7. I love travelling and want to go all over the world to explore new things. 
8. Sometimes I wear my black Nike's I love them because secretly they have a wedge heel inside and make me 2 inches taller... (Shhhh!!)
9. Last week after writing out the class certificates, I put them somewhere 'safe' until assembly. But then, I forgot where the 'safe' place was... I had to look everywhere, and was panicking a little bit, bet eventually I found them, and they were 'safe'!
10. Earlier this term we wrote about eating insects as part of a healthy diet, I mashed some raisins on the fly swat, then ate them pretending that I was eating real insects. It was pretty funny tricking everyone, but I did feel a little bad for keeping it a secret!

Be sure to join in the blogging fun and share every day for ten days too!  

The view from our family bach in Mahia