Lardy-da!

I don't know whether or not you lived through the tidying process that recently occurred over at the Nuthouse? No? I truly do not believe that you know what you missed! I am not talking about "Spring Cleaning" oh no! I am referring in fact to a situation so full of angst that lesser women have been known to run, screaming from the the building when it was suggested ... yes readers, I am talking about that crime against education known as the teacher clear out!

Now, those of you illustrious readers who are indeed educators will know exactly what I am talking about when I say that teachers are pack-rats, hoarders and selfless collectors. And you will also know what I mean when I say that there are times in our lives when even we realise that we need to organise our resources and even get rid of a few things. You know he things I mean - the notes from your first education lecture, the picture you were given on your first teaching practice, your environmental geography end of year assignement.

Well it was just such a day last week for the redoutable Mrs Fizz. She organised resources, tidied up and was still left with a nagging, burning, problem. Lard*! A wooden T-Rex with no home, no centrally heated cave, no storage hole.

She fiddled, she re-arranged.

And finally, without instructions and only one or two helpful text messages from your truly, she finally got him put together.



So, that's lovely isn't it? Just what Mrs Fizz always wanted - a wooden T-Rex. She started searching around madly for a home for him. There's a slight problem with a T-Rex though, he's an awkward shape to store ... so the search continued.

Then, 2 days later, Mrs Fizz (yep it's her again) threw out the metaphorical gauntlet and challenged the blogging world to solve a mathematical problem. Having done so for her, I innocently questionned if there was to be a reward for this service. And barely three days later a parcel was delivered, a big, brown, paper parcel.

This was not what I meant by reward prize Fizz!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the paper. She couldn't find a home for it so she sent it to me?? I shall be taking revenge, this situation is going into my pocket for later; when she least expects it, when she has forgotten all about this I shall get her back! I shall! I have only 5 little words for you Fizzy "Be afraid, be very afraid!"

* "A T-Rex called Lard?" I hear you ask. Yes I asked too ... and apparently if you Google T-Rex without the hyphen you get a link to lard.

Unconscious mutterings #243

I say ... and you think ... ?

Crook :: Thief
Career :: Teaching
Freckles :: Nose
Scramble :: Eggs
Mistake :: Eraser
Telephone :: Mobile
Thank you :: You're welcome
Obstruction :: In the way
24/7 :: All day and all night, all week.
SciFi :: Star Wars

A wet, wintry drive home

Stuck in traffic on the A2, in the rain. What a way to finish the working week!

Still holding our breath as we haven't had the Big O phone call yet!

Proper post to come at some point :o)

Wordless Wednesday :: 48 hours late, dinner!

Facebook

It's a little addictive isn't it? Don't you think? I find that I have managed to meet up with 2 old friends who I haven't seen since university, 1 who I have seen since ... oh, probably 1990 and there's the whole immediacy of it all. There's also the fact that it is so far removed from blogging. It's not like pouring your heart, soul and bullshit out onto the screen as we so often do when we blog. There's also the fact that my blog is still anonymous, well at least to my work mates and the large majority of my friends and family ... with the odd exception of course! Not that I'm calling you odd Helen, or you Tracy! Lol! Go on, give me a poke!

In more exciting news - it's a very special day today. Fizzy is fabulously 40! So go on over to her Nuthouse and wish her a very happy birthday!

MY LIVING WILL

Last night, Simon and I were sitting in the living room and I said to him, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

So he got up, unplugged the TV, and threw out my wine, the git!

Unconscious mutterings #242

I say ... and you think ... ?

Singles :: Bar
Blaze :: Fire
Sandwich :: Bread
Outside :: Inside
Gooey :: Chocolate mousse
Industry :: Factory
Exclusive :: Rare
Warranty :: 1 year
Magical :: Mystery Tour
Heels :: Kinky Boots

It's out

The bit of contact lens that is.

I drove down the A2 to sschool winking and blinking like a pervert at all the other drivers. You can imagine them thinking "god, we've got a right one here!" I eventually arrived in the school car park, pulled down the visor mirror, peered underneath my eye lid and there it was. Thankfully by this point it had dried out a little, so one quick swipe was enough to dislodge it.

Yesterday was a "full head day" - the senior leadership team has been having some training and development with a clinical psychotherapist called Stephanie. It's been (and still is being) brilliant. We learnt a huge amount about personality typing (ESFP here), dealing with difficult people and conflict, coaching people and what parts we play in our team.

Yesterday was the first session we've had together since the beginning of the term and was a "where are we up to session" - you know the kind of thing, what have you learnt that has been useful & what would you like to get out of the next sessions? But as always, I come away from these sessions with a banging head after all the thinking & then I sleep like a log.

Next Tuesday comes my therapy session with her. An hour, one-to-one, when I get to talk about anything and everything. Lead me to the couch!

Yet again

I have just pulled half a contact lens out of my left eye.

I can't see the other half.

But I can feel it!

Wordless Wednesday :: View from the front

**UPDATE at 8.35am**
Oh fuck bastard shit wank joy! ... I've only gone and kicked the container containing the urine specimen I have to take to the hospital and have just spent the last 5 minutes washing my feet, the bathroom floor and the hall carpet. I find myself at the top of the down hill ski run with no sticks!

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Had a lovely weekend - dinner with the girls in the family - sis-in-law, nieces etc - on Saturday night. I was on main course patrol and other than a minor accident with the dried chili flakes* my lamb and fig tagine** with herby lemon couscous didn't turn out too badly. The lamb fell apart in your mouth, everyone came back for seconds and Lizzie ate all her vegetables!

Sunday was lazy, I got home just after 1 o'clock, Ruth came over and did some prep for a lesson observation that she was having yesterday. Simon cooked dinner ... well warmed up leftover tagine*** with rice. So I didn't have to do anything, not even load the dishwasher. And I was asleep on the sofa by 9.30.

Yesterday started well enough, new little girl in school who came in so happily and quietly we couldn't even tell she was there. J kicked off again, spent yesterday screaming**** for his grandma, kicking and pinching anyone he could get his hands on - oh boy that was fun! And then when grandma and his little sister collected him at lunchtime, he dragged the toddler out of her push chair and made her walk home whilst he was pushed! What a kid. With any luck he wont come in today **crosses fingers, legs and eyes** and peace will reign.

Off to the hospital this morning to the "lumps and bumps" clinic - it was actually called that on the doctor's computer system - to look at a little bump that is aggravated when I wear my glasses - well at least it's making me wear my contact lenses! Hate hospitals, the smell is enough to make me sick. You know how it is ... and then into school. We have to make a decision today about J ... I think we're going to put him on a shortened day. Finishing at 10.00 for a week or so. Working into a longer day a bit at a time. Either that or my ear drums will disintegrate before the end of the week.

* Well, there didn't seem to be any point in keeping that tiny bit in the bottom of the jar ... 'cept that was obviously the really hot bit!
** Yep, of course you can have the recipe.
*** Even better the day after and yes you can still have the recipe ... I've sneaked it in here.
**** No tears involved, just temper that someone had the sheer bloody cheek to not do what he wanted.

Newbies!

So our new children began to "start nursery" yesterday morning ... up until now they've only come for a visit or to join in a fun session. The oldies from last year have been back full time since Monday.

Gosh, yesterday morning was trying ...

Me - We're going to sing our good morning song.
J - I'm not!
Me - That's ok, we'll sing it anyway and you can join in if you'd like.
J - You bloody won't.

**breathes deeply**

And then there was ...

Me - Come and sit on the carpet A.
A - Can't teacher.
Me - Why not my darling?
A - My bum hurts because I need to poo.

And finally ...

J (yep the same one) - Oi teacher, if you don't let me go outside and play right now I'm telling my dad on you and you'll get a time out!

I'd have gladly taken a time out away from him!

So ... fingers crossed for Friday :o)

Wordless Wednesday :: Where I want to be!

Sunday ... that'll be more rugby then

What a great weekend it was - no really! I love watching 2 games as a spectator ... cricket and rugby. Well it doesn't get much better than this past weekend really does it? The RWC started; fortunately Wales beat Canada with the delicious Morgan Williams winning man of the match ... who eventhough he is Canadian must have Welsh ancestory with a name like Morgan Williams :o)



The New Zealand vs Italy match was pure poetry - the way the All Blacks play is incredible. Doug Howlett and Dan Carter ... superb! And then there was Sivivatu - you had to feel sorry for the poor Italians actually; if the All Blacks can't win - well then I don't know who can!

England beat India *dances happy dance* in the Natwest Series at Lord's! And the World Twenty20 series starts tomorrow! I might be a little busy.

Unconscious mutterings #240

I say ... and you think ... ?

Dork :: Socially inept
Refurbished :: Re-designed
Basket :: Case
Mousse :: Chocolate
Studio :: Film
8 ball :: Pool
Masking tape :: Decorating
Love :: Heart
Wilder :: Billy
Lindsey :: Lincolnshire

A few tears

Well, it's a dreary old day outside the window - bleugh in fact!
And after it being so lovely and warm yesterday afternoon.

Such a lovely afternoon as we finally got some children into the nursery. 5 little lovelies and their mums and dads for taster sessions. You know the kind of thing - come and have fun, sit yourself down, relax, kick back ... see how much you'll enjoy this when you get to come back! 3 of them had to be carried out crying because they wanted to stay!

Strange no-one ever needs to carry me out crying at the end of the day because I wanted to stay!

Revenge

We've just got rid (they've gone up to senior school) of a "behaviourally challenging" year group - not the whole year group of course, but a group of about 20 children within it. Do you get the idea that if I say "behaviourally challenging" it means absolutely, bloody, awful behaviour - well if you do you're right. I don't mean pranksters, jokers, wise crackers in the back corner of the room. I mean physically aggressive, mental little monsters. Children already known to Behavioural Support Services, Social Services and the criminal justice system. Children who would lie, fight, bully and do anything they could to come out on top - whoever they hurt on the way up.

We first asked for help and guidance from Behavioural Support when the group were 5 years old. Over the years we have put so much time and effort into trying to help them change ... to no avail. And in fact the "problem" group within the year group had swelled.

I'm sorry to say that I don't feel any sadness about them moving on, I won't miss them and I don't really care if we don't get them back as visitors. And I also feel no remorse for what I did yesterday. A group of them gathered at our school fence to heckle the children inside. Their taunts were offensive, racist (even though 2 of the boys were themselves Sikh) and threatening. I approached the fence and asked them to move away.

One of them came straight back at me - you can't ask us to go away, we can stand here if we like, it's the pavement. I repeated my request and added that I wanted them to go away because they were winding the children on the playground up. No!

I was rapidly working out my options when help arrived on a white charger - a passing police car saw what was happening, slowed, reversed and parked next to the boys. They didn't half move on pretty damn quick when he asked. I blew him a kiss for his help :o) Ah revenge. Do I feel guilty - fat chance!

Bah!

**stomps in and sits down at the keyboard**

I have to go to work today. I went for 2 days last week but that was my choice! Today I HAVE to go and I don't want to.

**sighs**

Unconscious mutterings #239

I say ... and you think ... ?

Scrabble :: Tiles
NyQuil :: Drug?
Roadtrip :: Travelling
Idiot :: Fool
Bandages :: Hospital
Series :: Programme
Summer :: Holiday
Prompt :: On time, punctual
September :: School
Chicken :: Licken

A 101 word weekend

Friday night, chilli con carne, large glass red wine, NCIS, bed. Saturday, always wake early, washing clothes, get car tax sorted out, blogging, pictures on bedroom wall, send birthday card to nephew number 3, get "school shoes" re-heeled and wear them to break feet in. Finish tidying the kitchen, go shopping after football crowd arrives, make Lamb and fig tagine for dinner, then settle down to watch Simon and Tony! Sunday, hopefully sleep late, do some school work, make vegetable soup - Weight Watchers, lunch for the week, clear the washing / drying mountain, tidy up spare room and finally relax.