What we did this Christmas...

Drank...

....and drank....

until some were fit to burst

...and others drank so much over the cooking, that they nearly fell off their chair!

Chatted...

and dressed up...

...unwrapped allsorts of lovely gifts

and entertained,

found new ways of playing old games,

bounced...

and bounced some more...

..and partied

...and posed (with looks like these who wouldn't!)

...ventured outside

and spoke Furbish!

And last but not least, seasonal greetings to family in the Caribbean...hi mum, hi dad, Happy Christmas! xx

Snow, Beechams and police!

Did Santa bring you what you wanted? Hope so :o) Take a look at the view from my conservatory this morning...Oops, forgot to rotate, you'll just have to turn your head, or tip your monitor on its side, or something ;o)



My children wanted, amongst other pricey things, snow, and we got it, a few days late, but it's here! There's enough of it for me not to even think about venturing out to the sales in the car, and enough for me to wonder if the dustmen will make it up our windy hills to collect my 10+ sacks of rubbish. Darn, it's me that's got to put them out...hub has just returned from nightshift and was so tired he didn't think to put them out before he fell into bed.

I'm nursing a stinking cold (when will those 7 assorted vitamins from Holland and Barrett kick in?!), have had it since Xmas Eve. That's an evening I won't forget. I'd been taking Beechams Flu Plus through the day, hadn't exceeded the recommended amount, and after our guests had gone and the kids were tucked up in bed awaiting Santa I felt terrible. I thought maybe the prawns I'd eaten were playing havoc in my tum, so I retired to bed with the bucket, leaving poor hub to wait up until kids were definitely asleep to do the stuff that a parent has to do on Xmas Eve, no matter how tired.
An hour later I couldn't sleep it off , hadn't been sick, my hands had pins and needles, and my heart was pounding harder and faster than I could ever imagine it could. I've experienced panic attacks but this was ten times worse!
It wore off after an hour, but I had a rough night and managed to worry husband enough so that he had a rough night too! It was a job getting up with the kids at 6.30am!

During a quiet moment on Xmas Day I armed myself with the leaflet from the Beechams packet, having sussed that it can't have been the prawns, and did a websearch on its ingredients. Sure enough, one of them can cause palpitations and nausea, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure (which I did when I was on the pill and during pregnancy, it also runs in the family so I suspect maybe it still is a bit on the high side).

So here sit I, without medicine, trying to fight it off 'naturally' Thought I might get a good night's sleep last night, but no, following raised voices at 1.40am, a police van arrived noisily outside (snow meant I heard every officer's footstep and the turn of the van wheels) at 2.30am and carted off someone from down the street!

I'm hoping there's a suitably dull film on this afternoon and that the kids will remain entertained by their new pressies so that I can drift off on the sofa.

Time to stop, kids are up and preparing to go out (sans brekkie) in the snow already...
a-ha.....maybe they can lug the rubbish sacks to the road!!

Night Shift

yippeee, hub has heard that he has not only got a promotion to middle management, but that his new job will involve maybe only the odd night shift. He's put up with working 2 weeks out of 3 on night shifts since before our son Sam was born, and Sam is 12 now, he'd had enough of it years ago and has progessively found it more and more difficult to sleep when he needs to, so you can imagine how pleased we are. I'm expecting to see a happier husband when he starts his day work. Not sure how I'll study with the TV on every evening though, I'm used to being on my own and doing my own thing.

Rate your teacher

This is an interesting site. You can rate your teacher! Funny how the teacher I found least approachable 18 years ago still doesn't rate very well today!
No rating for any teachers at the school I work in...are we that dull?!

Another quiz, can you tell I am bored?!
1.What are you doing for Christmas?
entertaining in-laws

2.What do you WISH you were doing for Christmas?
lying by a pool or deep blue sea, somewhere warm, where the kids and hub would be happy playing while I read a good book with copious Malibu and pineapple

3.What should you be doing while you’re answering these questions?
clearing away dinner

4.Quote something ridiculous that your boss has said this week.
Have you changed your mind about wanting to cut down your hours Tina?

5.Do you like Jimmy Carr? Explain your answer fully…
Who's he?!

6.What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?
worked in Woolworths as a 'Saturday girl'

7.Sofa, settee. or couch?
Sofa

8.“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton or “9 to 5” by Sheena Easton?
Like both

9.If you could have a miniature talking anyone to keep on your mantelpiece
/ in your pocket, who would it be?
Joe Pasquale, he makes me laugh.

10.What is the most delicious thing in the butchers?
minted lamb chops

11.Would you rather run a mile, jump a stile or eat a country pancake?
run a mile (thinks weight-loss!)

12.What was your most embarrassing exam result?
Maths GCSE - grade C (I got an A in the mock and didn't bother to revise for the real thing!)

13.What is the lowest price for which you would sleep with Anne
Widdicombe/John McCrirrick?
no lowest prcie, just wouldn't do it!

14.Which part of your body do you like best?
eyes when made up, otherwise pierced navel

15.And least?
thighs

16.Describe the contents of your fridge right now.
milk, vegetables, salad stuff, cous cous, pineapple juice, yoghurts, bacon and cheese

17.How old is your oldest item of underwear?
15 years old! Wedding day undies, they don't fit now but I've still got them.

18.What’s the most embarrassing song that you LOVE?
there's probably loads, but the one that comes to mind is Barry Manilow's Mandy

19.Rate your dancing from 1 to 10 (1 being lowest, 10 being highest)
nothing special....5?

20.What time did you (will you) get home from your works christmas night out
you dirty stopout?
12.45am

More about me

What time did you get up this morning?

8.50 (well, it is Xmas school hols!)

Diamonds or pearls?

diamonds

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

War of the worlds

What is your favourite TV show?

A Place in the sun

What do you usually have for breakfast?

yoghurt or a banana

Favourite cuisine?

chinese

What food do you dislike?

beetroot

What is your favourite CD at the moment?

David Gray's White Ladder

Morning or night person?

night

Favourite sandwich?

don't like sandwiches

What characteristic do you despise?

narrowmindedness

Favourite item of clothing?

jeans

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be?

mid-west USA

What colour is your bathroom?

white

Favourite brand of clothing?

Next always fit nicely

Where would you retire to?

southern Spain

What was your most memorable birthday?

my 21st, not only was it my 21st, I'd also just passed my driving test and moved into my first house

Favourite sport to watch?

football

Who do you least expect to complete this?

husband

Person you expect to complete it first?

son

Person who is least busy?

son!

When is your birthday?

25th January

What is your shoe size?

6

Pets?

died

Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?

I've just booked 10 days holidays in Spain during the Easter break :o)

What did you want to be when you were little?

teacher

What is your favourite flower?

pink carnations

What date on the calendar you are looking forward to?

Xmas day

One word to describe the person who you snaffled this from?

unfamiliar (I was just browsing blogs!)

Waheey!!

I don't believe it, I got 2 distinctions and my diploma in Classics!!

As a result I've changed my plans for next year and am going to follow up from the diploma with AA309 (Culture, Identity and Power in Rome)
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C02AA309
Yep, that's right, just one course next year :o) It's a level 3 so I gotta make a good job of it haven't I if I want a 2:1

If you've just had your results from the OU I hope you got what you wanted.

wisdom teeth

If it's not one thing it's another. Got my filing today...fine...was very brave .... until she then tells me that I need another wisdom tooth extracted (yipes). I've already had the bottom two wisdom teeth out, both required stitches and were horrific experiences, even with the second one being done under general anaesthetic. The dentist assures me that upper wisdom teeth come out much easier than lower ones....I hope she's not telling me porky-pies, 'cos I've opted for no sedation, just the numbing injection. How I hate going to the dentist, now I have to go again next month for this extraction, and then make yet another appointment for another filing. Is there a dark corner anywhere that I can hide in?

Rock bottom

I think I've reached it, or maybe it's that S.A.D. thingy that is around at this time of year. As a consequence I have, all in the space of a week:
had a lickle chat with my Head about the demands of being a mum, worker and student, and as a result am now only working 3 days a week from January, I thought that would give me more time to do study, lesson planning and housey stuff, hence more time for kids and hub in the evenings and weekends, but.....feeling no more positive about this forthcoming change after a couple of days I...
cancelled my O.U courses for next year!! Anyone who knows me quite well will be as shocked as I was the day after I sent the cancellation email. O.U has been a big part of my life since 2001. Maybe that's the whole problem, am I 'all studied out'? Admittedly my job was never as busy as it has been in the last few months, could be that I have just reached overload all round. Even the O.U's conferencing, First Class, doesn't hold the same appeal anymore. I'd rather get an early night with a nice easy book (and I have plenty of those waiting to be read)

Anyhow, to get over the shock I have been planning what I can get up to next year:
1. Use the treadmill that has gathered dust since the summer
2. Start learning Spanish in time for 2006's summer holiday
3. The kids!! They'd love more playtime with me!
4. Ever-tolerant hub, I'm sure he'd appreciate not seeing my head stuck behind a book or in front of the PC screen.
5. Read all those juicy-can't-put-down books.

Still no exam results, although I hear some results for courses that have no exam are out. November flew by, but December is dragging! Won't make any difference to my plans though, whatever the results. If they are good, then that's a good way to end this period of study, and if they are bad, I never intended to resit them, so it will still be time to move on. Maybe I'll come back to finish my degree in 2007, maybe I won't...not sure I need it if I don't want to become a teacher!

Ending on a positive note, it's Panto season! The whole school is marching down to the Central Theatre on Friday for, not sure now, Aladdin? Can't wait, big kid when it comes to pantos, in fact, if I recall, last year it was me up and clapping while the Year 4s stared at me as if I was mad! I'm sure the Year 1s and 2s will be much more appreciatve of my fun-loving side this year :O) And 'cos they are diddly-lickle Year 1s and 2s, we get to sit near the front! Maybe I'll catch a sweetie this year....or a squirt of water!

Therapy over, off the couch and back to reality, where that book and a bubbly bath awaits.

Seasons Greetings to all Bloggers, and to those awaiting exam results....not long now, hope the news is good.

T

Tired

Been a while since I posted. I never imagined teaching, behaviour management and planning would be so mentally and emotionally tiring. Once in a while is okay, but 6-8 lessons a week.....well, anyone who teaches 5 days a week has my complete respect!
On the up-side I am now officially (as in, according to the Teacher Training Agency!) a HLTA, which means that my school will now pay me HLTA rate (may only be an extra £1.75 per hour after tax, but that's a different moan and I don't want to bore you) and backdate it to September :O) Xmas shopping here I come!
I hear the O.U. exam results date is out! Happens to be the last day of school. I'm hoping that there won't be much going on in the classroom and that someone will cover for me when I keep logging on in the ICT suite to see if the results are on my home page.
Good luck to anyone who is awaiting exam results, only another month to go!!

Yippee!! Exams are over. I can have a rest :o) I give myself a week before I get started on next year's courses, doesn't take me long to miss studying, sad moo that I am!

Links!

Yes! I've managed to figure out how to add something else to my column on the left...not by following Bloggers Help, but by having a look at the page sources of other blogger's sites :o) More links to follow.... but first, some more revision....yawn.

One down, one to go!

hurray, that's one exam out of the way, just one more to do on Wednesday afternoon. This one wasn't as bad as it could have been, none of the topics I revised in any depth came up (now isn't that just typical!), but I managed a load of waffle straight off the top of my head and even got in a few examples, so fingers crossed it's enough for a pass. If it is I'll be the proud owner of a Classics Diploma :o) If not I won't be doing a resit!

7 things...

7 things I plan to do before I die:
visit Pompeii
tour west/midwest U.S.A in a motorhome
learn Spanish
learn to play the guitar
collect my BA (Hons)
own a sports car (not sure which on yet!)
buy a place in Spain with a pool

7 things I can do:
quit comfort eating (if I try hard enough!)
'get by' with my computer
swim
rememeber most of the Ancient Greek alphabet (handy!!)
Revision-avoidance techniques (got it mastered!)
parallel park!
A tutor at Canterbury Christchurch Unviersity College said we are very good at undervaluing ourselves, this proves it, I can't think of anything else!

7 things I cannot do:
sort out some columns for this blog!
speed type accurately
sing
maths
go on fast/dark/high theme parks rides without panicking
scuba dive (scarey!)
bungee jump (no way!)

7 things that attract me to another person:
sense of humour
blue eyes
kindness
being made to feel special
lips
smell (nice ones!)
height (taller than me, but not 'lanky')

7 things that I say most often:
1, 2, 3, turn and look at me (for teaching infants!)
stop shouting (to my kids!)
that's life!
we're going to be late if you don't hurry up!
groovy!
righty-ho
have you got any homework? (to my kids!)

7 celebrity crushes:
Pierce Brosnan
Vin Diesel
Guy Pearce
Kevin Costner
George Clooney
and Michael Douglas' voice

that was fun, and a good revision-avoidance technique!

(Idea borrowed from Palspost, here on blogspot).

Tomorrow is.....

E day!! 10 am to be exact. Tonight I pack my new pens, bag of sweeties and water (for clear thinking!), passport and specs, skim my notes (A209, Athens) and panic about what I haven't revised!
Tomorrow p.m I celebrate with small box of chocs hub has brought home and some revision for my next exam (19th, K204 Working with children and families).
Can't wait for half term, we'll get away in the campervan to a site with a bar, accompanied by some caravanning friends, forget all about study books before the enxt onslaught. Usually I start my my next courses really early, but I won't have a day off for the whole of November (apart from weekends) because I'm going on a Speech and Language course through work. Looking forward to that.

Creating another column....

how come everyone has nice links to websites in a column next to their blog! I can't get it to work, LOL! I've tried the instructions in Blogger Help but when I tried this... "Say you want to post a list of books you're currently reading in the sidebar of your main blog page. First you'll need to create a new blog. Log into Blogger and click "Create a new blog" link in the right column. Specify the information requested and then click on Settings to enter additional information needed there. We'll use "books.html" as the file name for this new blog." ...there's no Create New Blog link (although there is a Create A Blog link under the 'Last update' column. Heeeelp!

nothing like booking a holiday....

....to cheer you up :o)
After a miserable weekend when hub decided he'd start decorating the bathroom (leaving saws across the landing floor, which I tripped on and deeply cut two toes....eeeeeow!) while I tried to sleep and shake off a nasty cold, we decided to book next summer's holiday, seeing as flights to Malaga were 'only' £51 each (when you're a family of four you can guess why I say 'only'!)

So 31st July 2006 we fly to sunny Spain, for the 3rd time since Xmas 2004 (yes, we really do like southern Spain!) with BA (much better than Iberia!), to stay in a cottage beside a villa, with private pool and air conditioning (a complete must in August!) for 3 glorious, sun-filled, stress-free weeks (ok, so I may have to take along a little bit of Open Uni work as I'll have 2 ECAs and an exam due in Septmeber/October, but where better to study, by a pool, iced Malibu and Pineapple at arm's reach, warm sun beating down, and kids sitting in the cottage with their Playstations...I kid you not! After a few hours in the pool they'll be bored of sun, mountain-views, inflatables and water, I betcha!) Gosh, that was a long sentence! We'll be inland.....Coin, if you want to look it up, but this is typical of the scenery inland and west of Malaga:
Maybe we'll go back and see the monkeys on Gibraltar.....




(from left to right...adorable monkey,
a fascinated- 'I want one' Sam, an ever-so
slightly-unsure-of-those-
hairy-things-that-want-to-grab-
your-bags Katie, and a glad-the-kids-
aren't-moaning-for-once Hub)


It'd be nice to take a trip back to Benalmadena... above photo taken December 2005....who'd have thought the sky could be so blue in December...... certainly beats last year's 'summer'(!) holiday in Scotland:

Back to reality (yes, it's rained here today!).... I'd forgotten how mishievious 5/6 year olds can be. The class today was the class from hell! Was pleased to hear from the teacher and TA afterwards that nothing I'd have done would have made alot of difference to their learning! If they don't wanna learn, there's not alot you can do if you've already tried to make it fun and pace-y! (Any ideas feel free to correct me here!).Part of the problem is that there is a high proportion of children who cannot access the Curriculum....some haven't even achieved well in the Foundation Stage Profile and hence don't have the foggiest what is going on in maths and literacy (one cannot even show me three fingers, let alone count to three), a couple have difficulty with speech....but here there's a glimmer of hope...in November school is sending me on a 4 day Speech and Language course, looking forward to that....when I was in my late teens, mum secretly hoped that I'd be a Speech Therapist (or a horiculturalist! Why?...she told me today that her reasoning behind that one was because she liked the look of Hadlow College in Kent!!)....it (Speech Therapy, not horiculture!) came a close second to teaching in my 'what I want to do when I leave school' thought processes.



Since it's waaay past my bedtime and I have managed successfully to avoid any exam revision it's time to bid you all g'night. Sleep tight...

Yipppeeee!

I passed T183!
I thought it might be a close shave as I did rush the ECA a bit, and it was a bit simple in terms of design (I'll never make a web designer!), but I got a healthy 70%! If I've done this right, you'll find it here
What a nice way to end the week. Yesterday I was almost ready to hand in my notice having discovered that lesson planning and revision just don't mix. I thought, I can have this job which I, for the most part, love, or I can study and get that degree...but I can't see how I am going to do both....unless I can lock myself away somewhere quiet at the end of the day with a plate of goodies and some Malibu! Not sure I want to be a 'real' teacher....I want some 'me' time and family time when I'm at home. It seems to me that they deserve huge payrises and earn every minute of those long school holidays. Teachers out there, you are appreciated and you do darned good jobs, just a shame you don't get the recognition for it. Off my high horse now....back to housework (minimal!!), planning (too much, it's my weekend!), and kids' homework (they definitely don't get enough, LOL!)
Have a good weekend...

Survived!

I survived my first week as a HLTA! I have a stinking headache, but now that the weekend's here I feel like I've achieved something. Today was maths (yuck! Not my 'thing') and ICT, which I loved, it was fun! Funny how you forget that kids need to learn the basics like which side of the mouse to click to select, and how to click and drag simulatenously! And these little ones (Year 1 and 2) really needed help with their fine motor skills, that's for sure! We compared dressing a real fluffy teddy bear with a bear online.

All I need to do now is plan next week's lessons, get some revision done, deal with kids' homework (and have they got lots with their new teachers, that's a shock to the system!), clean house and find some time to just sit! Should be a doddle ;o)

If you want to experience dressing a teddy online I can recommend this one

Day from hell

Good job I do this job for love not the money! Three days in and already I'm thinking "when's it half term?!!"
It's great fun working with 3 different teachers you know....not only do you have to get to know how they work and where they keep everything, I've also discovered they all expect different levels of competence from me!
Teacher 1, Monday morning "I've done the Numeracy and Literacy plan for you this week, just so as to ease you in, all you need to do is deliver it, and I'll make sure I tell you the Learning Objective for next week's lesson before the end of the week so you can plan it in advance" (thank you very much, that'll do nicely!)
Teacher 2, Tuesday morning "here's your literacy plan for tomorrow. I haven't done the ICT plan for tomorrow yet." Get my mitts on the ICT plan Weds 8.30 a.m. No time to plan for it since have to deliver that Literacy lesson first! (Your flexible friend, that's me)
Teacher 3, Tuesday morning "ICT plan is in that folder, there's a few bits that still need planning, for maths can you plan some games so the children can practice ordering".....right....need to have this done for Friday.....today is nearly over....tomorrow is my day off (supposedly soley for OU study!)... I have no ICT resources at home, have found bu**er all on the Internet, but luckily have a few maths games ideas up my sleeve, if only I can get to the photocopier before the class arrives on Friday! ( Has anyone nabbed a website by the name of lastminute.com? Yes, ah well, would have suited me down to the ground.)

On top of which had to desert my post to accompany son to Casualty with a concussion this afternoon. They let him come home (surprise, surprise) and I should take him back if he is drowsy or sick, or acting strangely. Funny how he fell asleep in Casualty between seeing Triage and the doctor and could hardly string together a coherent sentence or give meaningful answers to the doctor's questions, yet he was fine to go home!! From the minute we got home he has slept (apart from for a lickle tiddle) and he still slurs odd meaningless sentences. I sense a long restless night ahead.

Am I waffling, sure I am! Do you detect any sarcasm, sure ya do! How else is a woman to stay sane? :o) Told you this Blog would end up being a nice bit of therapy for me...all I need now is a couch to lie down on....
Night all

Pampered

Spent a lovely 2 hours in the hairdressers and have been transformed, with glossy, tri-colour, dead-straight (why can't I get my hair that straight?!) hair. Almost asked for a manicure to complete the pampering, but with being back to work tomorrow and most probably shifting furniture, stationary etc between classrooms I decided not to waste my pennies!

So this is it, last day of the school hols for me. Where have they gone?! Exactly one month ago I was lying by a pool at a friend's villa in Costa Del Sol. One day a villa like that will be ours :o) We did view a few, but need a bit more dosh if we want a pool or some outdoor space. Anyone interested in buying a very nice, year 02 motorhome?! Piccies on ebay

Exhausted!

Thank goodness the school hols are nearly over. My two horrors have forgotten how to be nice to each other and are climbing the walls with boredom. Do they want to go shopping/to the park/to see nan/get any old toys out of the loft(getting desperate!)/paint/go to the library....nah...they'd rather moan and fight!

Thus total revision achieved today.....zilch...not even a paragraph!

Don't know where you are reading from, but here it's been 95 degrees in the shade, too hot to sunbathe, too hot to do anything really.

Tomorrow will be better, lucky nanny has the horrors for three hours while I relax in the hairdressers with coffees and glossy magazines....can't wait! :o)

Procrastination....

....I reckon I have mastered the art of procrastination. I've spent a whole 3 days thinking about which O.U courses to take next year. Initally I was going to have an easy year with just U210 startig this October, but seeing as I tend to thrive on a workoverload I've gone the whole hog and enrolled for my third year of 120 points. So, I'll be doing E124 (Supporting Children's Learning in the early years), E230 (Langauge, Mathematics and science in the early years curriculum) and U210 (English Language, past present and future). The E courses should be ok. I've done observations etc before when I did an NVQ 2 in Early Years Care and Education, and the course content is very applicable to my job, some of it will be second nature (I hope!).

So, now that that's settled I shall have to find something else to keep me away from revision! I've done as much ebaying as I can afford already :o) .....hmmm....my treadmill looks a tad dusty....far too hot...ironing...nah....daughter calls from the sandpit, now that sounds more like it!

Yes!

Hey, it worked, cool!!
Next time I type, it'll be something more interesting, I promise!

Testing, testing!

Just checking I can do this!
Here goes......