Just call me a domestic goddess!

It was my last day at work yesterday. It wasn't as sad an event as I thought it would be. I know I wanted to leave, but I was sure I'd feel a bit upset because I'd think about missing all the social contact, but I just kept telling everyone I'd be back as a parent helper and that made me realise there's nothing to be sad about. I can still enjoy being with everyone, just without the stress of the job!

Anyway, I had a lovely send off. Lots of gifts...




and a beautiful crown...!



And tonight we are going out for an Italian in Rochester. Should be fun, just wish I didn't have this sore throat and achey legs that make me want to retire to bed at 8pm...we don't eat til 8.30!

So, what shall I do today? Wash...iron...change beds...pack cases, yes, nearly time to fly to the sun!

I haven't been on my treadmill for a week as I didn't want to push myself and come down with any worse than a sore throat. But I am pleased to see that my size 16 jeans fall down unless I have a belt, see below!

Crisps.

Would someone perleease come round and remove the crisps from my cupboards. Hub bought 2 huge boxes of Walkers because they were 'a bargain'. I have no willpower, I am eating them even when I don't particularly like the flavours, and I am ruining the hard work I am putting into jogging!!
But hang on, it's not just crisps. There was the individual pot of trifle and the Ainsley Harriot Heaven bar earlier this evening, the Twirl yesterday for lunch plus numerous other 'snacks' that I have conveniently chosen to forget.
Definite trend going on here...fat, fat and more fat.
Perhaps I should do double the workout tomorrow, but a whole hour in one go? I don't think so!
So I'm one grumpy piggy this evening and could eat anything in sight without even realising food had passed my lips.
Ese es todo. Hasta manana....

What did I do today?

Treadmill progress is here!

Been busy today, a bit of shopping for some holiday clothes. Seem to have gained a few pounds as I couldn't do up some size 14 trousers from New Look :o\ But I did get into size 14 tops :o)

A bit of frieze removal in the study, ready for sanding when hub gets time. Photos to follow. Can't do them now as they are stored on the laptop and daughter is MSN-ing.

Tonight's job is to type up my comments on the chapters of KE312 that I have been testing over the last few weeks. Be nice to get that done and dusted so I can crack on with some Spanish. I need to get listening to some Spanish, understanding spoekn Spanish is definitely my weak point. Reading and writing no problem. I already knew that I'm not a good audio learner so must get practising.
Hasta luego!

Bother!

Can't believe I forgot to look out at the lunar eclipse last night...I was ironing and listening to a Spanish CD. How could that have become more important than something as awesome as an eclipse? I have my priorities all wrong!!
For anyone else who missed it...BBC news have a nice piccie:

Naughty naughty!

I'm just about to ruin all my hard work this week...hub has gone for a kebab and chips, but boy will it be yummy! I might regret it later when the heartburn/indigestion kicks in!

I've been playing today. Both kids went out for a few hours. Did I iron, clean or do anything constructive? No...I added a few silly bits to my blog, not very useful, but fun!

Script Marking

Well, my application has been acknowledged. Fingers crossed....

Dusted off the treadmill

Monday: 2 miles walk/jog in 24 minutes
Wednesday: 2 miles walk/jog in 22 minutes
Today: 3.2 miles walk/run in 30 minutes

Last time I remember using it regularly I found it difficult to jog for more than a minute (I was about a stone and a half heavier and it was more than a year ago!), this time I did 2 or 3 minutes walking at 5+ mph, with 1 or 2 minutes jogging at 7-8mph, and it really was no sweat, pardon the pun. I even managed to hot-foot it at 8.5 mph for a few minutes. Very pleased that I'm off to a good start.
My goal? To be able to go out jogging for an hour and to tone up my lower half.
If I manage to keep up a regular exercise routine I'll log my progress in fitness and weight in separate blog. It'd be good to be able to look back and say I have made progress towards a fitter me! Watch this space...

It's official!

Look what plopped onto my doormat this morning! I'd forgotten all about the certificate. Guess I should frame and display it somewhere. Study is currently being decorated, or rather has been emptied.....and left for weeks unloved and uncared for! Conservatory is packed full of stuff from the study, not a good sight! Now where can I put it so that it doesn't get creased or lost.....suggestions on a postcard please...

The 'to do' list

Got on my treadmill yesterday (as well as walked into town from school instead of parking right by the shops). On the treadmill I walked for 3 mins, jogged for one, increasing the speed of both for 24 minutes. Managed 2 miles in 22 minutes. I intend to repeat that routine twice more this week and then gradually increase the jogging time and decrease the walking time (got this plan from a magazine). Did my post-exercise stretches but I'm rather stiff today anyway.

I've also applied to be a script marker for Key Stage 2 English, Maths or Science SATs. Not sure how successful that will be. They prefer fully qualified teachers but will consider anyone with a degree, and I have some experience of marking them in school since our pupils sit practice SATs every year, so it's worth a try. I'll have the time and I have the space, so fingers crossed that I managed to 'sell' myself enough on my application form!

Other stuff:

It's Parents evening for GCSE choices tonight. Should be interesting. Sam is drawn to all the 'hands-on' subjects like Art, Graphic Products, Resistant Materials and Food Technology (we could do with a good cook in this house, go for it son!). He also enjoys History. It isn't clear how many options they can choose, but he has to take Double Science, Maths, English and either ICT or Business Studies (he'd prefer the latter...loves using the PC but not to learn spreadsheet skills etc).

Katie is home today. She woke up with tooth and head aches. The tooth is a baby molar that was temporarily filled sometime ago. Unsurprisingly there were no free appointment times for today, so we are staying home with Calpol and soft foods til her appointment tomorrow morning. She is petrified, doesn't want it filled or pulled despite me saying it won't be painful. She is, I'm afraid, rather squeamish like her mum, and has yet to learn how to persuade herself that she is very brave, can cope can do a bit of deep breathing and imagine herself on a beautiful desert island somewhere!

Still no news on hub's job application. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing. All we can do is sit and hope.

Katie is happily sewing some kitchen towel to make a cushion (didn't inherit her sewing skills from her mother, she's doing a nice job!) so I am off to do some KE312 testing.

Have a good day Bloggers.

Changes.

hi Guys,
Betcha wondered where I got to? No? Oh well, I'm gonna tell you anyway!
I'll try and be brief.

The New Year brought a return to work/school for myself and my kids, the return of seasonal germs, yuk, and a renewed desire to escape this dreary British weather and the effects of it on my mood (all booked for ten days back at our usual haunt in Coin on the 1st April, not so long to wait now).

I'd already signed up for a mountain of Open University courses to keep me motivated (Child Development, Inclusive Education and Ways and Means of Knowing in the Early Years) and built up a 6 week head start, even got my first assignment done and dusted before January was out.
I moved another step closer to 40 in January and my youngest reached double figures. Boy did that make me feel old! So now I have a teenager and a ten year old who thinks she's a teenager and whose hormones tell her she might as well be one! My teen is ready to choose his GCSE options (gosh, I remember choosing mine, seems like only yesterday!) and my ten year old is , bless her cotton socks, as determined as ever to keep up in the top 5 of her class, and has her head stuck into her homework and has even started asking to do practice tests for the 11+. Don't know where she gets her determination and academic interest from, but how proud I felt when she brought home another perfect school report this month! She's such a hard worker. Meanwhile my teen gets by doing as little as possible but is still a pretty bright spark with an interest, like his mum, in the world and history, and has secured a level 5 in English (his weak subject) and level 6s in Maths and Science (level 4/5 is what someone of his age should be aiming for), not bad considering he is one of the youngest in his year.

I struggled on with my job through January, trying to be what I'd always wanted to be (although without the official title and pay), a good teacher, but struggling to manage a good work/home life balance, and some pretty poor behaviour from some pretty tough 6/7 year olds, and never ceasing to compare myself to experienced teachers and NQTs, darned good ones too.

Meanwhile I was struggling to hold myself together at home and cope with grumpy children, lesson planning and thoughts of how I could improve my practise in the classroom and how to make home a more relaxed, happier place were never far from my mind, especially as my head hit the pillow.

Things reached crunch time mid February, as hub also reached rock bottom, stuggling to cope with his 19th year of shift work, and no prospect of escaping from constant tiredness and lack of sleep.

I could not persuade hub to get signed off to recoup some mental strength (why are men so stubborn?!) and after a good few hours of tears, and a few mintues worth from the tough man of the house, I decided that was it. No more 'rat race', no more multi-tasking female, this family needed some TLC. After much ado it was mutually decided that if we lowered our standard of living a little, accepted that perhaps we might have to holiday less, and that if I gave up my courses I could resign from my job and throw myself into my most important (but often neglected) role of parent and hold-it-all-together-manager!

It was a great relief to realise that the pace of life was going to slow down, that we were going to enjoy quality time together all the time, not just when we arrived on Spanish soil!

The relief was swiftly followed by a nasty sickness and diarrohoea bug that had me up for 6 hours early last Saturday morning. If you haven't experienced sickness and diarrohoea simultaneously start praying you won't! Dare I admit I honestly wished I could have died. At one point sometime around 4am I must have fainted (first time for everything!) and awoke to (skip a line now if you have a weak stomach!) a nasty mess down my arm and across the floor instead of in the bathroom bin/down the loo! Thank heavens hub was around that weekend. Off he went to Asda's at 6am for some Immodium and rehydration salts. I was that dehydrated that I couldn't muster a millilitre of spit in my mouth with which to swallow the tablets! I spent 2 days in bed and another 2 days shuffling between the bed and the washing machine. I look back now and see the whole frightful episode as a huge turning point. I'm not particularly religious, but Someone/Something was telling me something! Things had to change and my kids were right behind me, supporting my decision ever inch of the way, looking forward to a brighter mummy!

So here I am, having handed in my notice and looking forward to being a full time mum from 30th March 2007. I've been through a whirlwind of different thoughts on my decision. Thinking perhaps I should have sought more support even if it meant begging on my knees! Ironically I was invited to a HLTA network support meeting this week. All too late, but I attended anyway. It was good, in a way, to hear how much is expected of HLTAs in other schools, to hear how others sturggled to do a good job with minimal preparation time, minimal resources and lack of respect from pupils, and sometimes shockingly from other staff too. Made me feel less of a failure in a way. It was all a bit numbing really, didn't leave any feedback on how useful the meeting was, couldn't bring myself to tell any of the organisers that I hadn't stuck it out, and came away feeling rather let down that it took Medway Council 2 years to realise that perhaps HLTAs needed to network with other HLTAs for support and that the job is every bit as tough as that of a fully qualified teacher, if not more so in some ways. Perhaps I should have stepped back down into my old TA role, but pride got in the way. Time for a fresh start.

How will I fill my time...I'll certainly miss aspects of my job and the social contact it bought, but hey, I have some good friends that I intend to call. I have already met up with 'baby group' and how good did that feel! Didn't feel like I hadn't seen them for 2 years, it was just like old times.

I'm going to look into private tutoring and am currently reading up on being a script marker for KS2 SATS and Year 7 tests. If you know anything about these feel free to share your knowledge/opinions with me!

Hub, as if by miracle, found a day shift job vacancy he could apply for within the company and had his interview on Monday. While both of us are trying not to be too hopeful, it seemed to go well and we are hoping to hear good news later today or early next week.

Having said I'd try to keep it short I'd just like to apologise for bending your ear. Let's not forget that I called this blog Tina's Therapy! It's served its purpose nicely today :O)

I have a list. A list of all the things that I want to do now that I will have the time. Some purely for enjoyment, some to keep my brain active, and some to keep my body and soul happy!
As much for a reminder to myself in the coming months in case I should feel 'lost', it looks something like this, in no particular order of importance...

hablo espanol todos dias!
Look into tutoring and script marking.
Gardening...sooo soothing for the mind!
Dust off the treadmill and get toned!
Organise my photos onto Flckr.
Try a bit of OpenLearning
Blog regularly again.
Play the organ (more tunefully)!
Continue to plan our US trip, we might make it there someday!
Pump up those tyres and get biking!
Take up Yoga.
Phone a friend!

Season's Greetings

How strange it seems, I have spent an hour on a sunbed with a good book soaking up the warm sun here in Coin, Spain.
How depressing to think that we are flying home to a cold house and unpacking. Still, we've had a lovely time, seen some lovely places, visited friends, rested, relaxed, eaten lots of yummy things and dreamt the eternal dream of owning a finca out here en el campo. One day...

Merry Christmas Bloggers!

May it be a peaceful and happy day.

The hard work pays off!

Been rather busy, so here's a summary of what I've been up to this month:

14th December: passed both my science courses with Pass 2s. That I now have a Batchelor of Science degree!! After 6 years of hard work! Yippee! Not as excited as I thought I would be and have to remind myself that it is a big achievement. Perhaps it will sink in soon.

15th December: flew to Spain in the early hours. Hello sunshine, goodbye rain!

17th December: spent a few hours at Tivoli World in Benalmadena where I was persuaded to at least be brave enough to go on the log flume. I survived...a little drenched and heart apounding, vowing never to experience such a steep drop again! Kids loved it. My favourite was the traditional bumpercars, but unlike in safety conscious England you could drive in any direction and bump as many times as you liked! Temperatures reached 24 degrees today, bliss.

18th December: eat as much Chinese as you like at the Wok, Fuengirola. Yum!

19th December: lazy day. Hoping to sit on a sun lounger with a good book and ponder what to study next year, having decided I can't stop at a BSc, my mind is too active and it needs educational input to be healthy.

Party

Hub's Xmas party was fab. 3 course meal was yummy, had a good boogie and only drank enough to loosen up and not feel ill the next morning!

Ah yes, forgot to say, I went and bought another black dress! This one was perfect, decent straps, waist and just below the knee. Felt wonderful in it, unlike the other dresses!

Like the hair? New Year brings new colour, out with the bleach, in with something closer to my natural colour. The tinsel? Well, why not, no one said what we were to do with it when it was put on the table!

No exam results yet . I have probably refreshed my student home page in excess of 50 times over the past 5 days. Good job I'm back to work tomorrow, it's driving me potty! I had two days off last week as Sam was under the weather with a virus that caused the lymph node in his neck to swell up to a little bigger than cherry tomato size. He thought it was a tumour, you should have seen the relief on his face when the doctor explained what it was!

Weather....not impressed with these high winds and rain....we fly to Malaga on Friday and I'm hoping for minimal turbulence! Sam and Katie are hoping for no terrorism. Scarey what they pick up on, Katie in particular. I try to prevent her from seeing the news as she has a vivid imagination, but still she hears what goes on.

Claim to fame?

I am going to be on Radio Kent tomorrow morning at about 7.30am. It won't be wonderful though, just a load of old waffle that came off the top of my head. The Head asked for a teacher, myself (in my capacity as a parent not an HLTA) and some other parents to speak to Radio Kent about our school's Outstanding OFSTED report.
I had to state my name (shame, I would have preferred to remain anonymous knowing that I wouldn't really know what to say once prestented with the microphone!), and talk about my daughter and how she is 'thriving' (wish I'd thought to use that word!) at our school and what the school getting an outstanding OFSTED report meant to me as a parent.
Can't wait to hear what I came up with because I can't think for the life of me what I said (other than who I am and who my daughter is, LOL!). I'll probably cringe!

More shopping!

Never content!
Went back to the shops today and returned dress 1 (didn't like the neckline) and dress 2 (again, didn't like the neckline, made me look like a chunk!).
Came home with one more dress to think about. I like this one as much as I like dress 3, although I do think I look less slim in this new dress than in dress 3, possibly because if the white band around the middle?
Anyway, here's dress 4! See what you think...bow in various positions, and dress without the bow! And Kat, I tried to smile but I do hate getting party clothes (stressful!), I'd much rather stick with my jeans!

I'm torn between dress 4 with no bow at all, and dress 3. Hub likes both too. Not sure about the shoes now! I like them from the back and side view but they look too small on my wide feet when you look at them from in front!
If it's dress 4 I shall have to take back the red necklace too because it doesn't sit well with the halter neck.Me.... picky? You're probably right! My perfectionism doesn't just show up in my assignments! ;o)
Cast you final votes please folks 'cos I shall have to take one of them back this week!

Tomorrow I'm going to list on ebay some past party clothes that now drown me/fall down!

I had forgotten how much I must have lost in inches since last Xmas but pulling out the clothes that I wore the last 2 Xmases has reminded me just how much slimmer I must be! I have a beautiful black silky strapless dress:

it's a size 16, but I couldn't wear it now...I have room for probably 6 pairs of thick socks around the bustline and I can take the dress off by pulling it all the way down without undoing the zip! How immensely satisfying!






And look at this photo I found...it's me fossil hunting on Charmouth beach 3 years ago. Just look at that butt and those thunder thighs!! What a horrendous sight! I must have been about 12 stone 9 then...and to think I went up to 13 stone 9 by last Xmas! I wonder if I'll make it to 10 stone 9 next year? That's the lightest I've been post-babies, back in 1994.

That's enough therapy, both blogging therapy and shopping therapy! I have some Italian course testing to do!