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.

91 today :o)

Happy Birthday Nana

Lots of love

Jo xxx

Ah t'is hump day

The hump in the middle of the week that is.
You know what I mean, all down hill now until the weekend!

Unfortunately, it is also bringing me closer and closer to the start of the new school term - boo hoo! See there is a down side to a six week holiday - you get so completely used to not going to work it's hell when it starts again!! Hell with a capital H. And a full stop at the end of the sentence for all you 6 year olds out there ;o)

Unconscious mutterings #238

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

Uneven :: Floor in the potting shed
Wonder :: Awe
Spider :: **starts screaming**
Emma :: Jane Austen's matchmaker
Swing:: Park
Orbit :: Planet
Flirt :: Fun
Donation :: Charity
Veil :: Covered
Atmosphere :: Breathable

Zimmer frames and Stannah stair lifts.

The sky is blue, the sun is shining and it's a bank holiday weekend - what more could you ask for really? Go on honestly ... is there any other better weekend possible? **begins to warm to theme** Lunch out with my husband. An afternoon pottering in the garden. A bit of DIY tomorrow and maybe a visit to B&Q. Picture frames to hang in the bedroom.

All of this was pottering happily through my head and then I realised how bloody old I sound.

Why aren't I going out clubbing tonight? Why not a weekend in Amsterdam "drinking coffee"? Why not a camping weekend in a field in Wales?

And then it occured to me - I don't care if I sound old. I'm really looking forward to an my potter-y weekend. The thought of a bit of DIY and a visit to B&Q* doesn't make me shudder. I might re plant my herb bed, it's looking bit woody. My tupperware cupboard could do with a bit of a sort. That rose outside the back door could do with tying up a bit more securely. **sighs happily** You know I might go and do some theraputic weeding.

* I might even buy myself a pair of new gardening gloves.

Threats work!

So I figured that before the Kiwi sent in the heavies I should post seeing as I've managed to drag my sorry rear end back from playing at living la vie Française. Simon was coming back to the UK on Sunday and I came along with him - it was a mixture of guilt, meterological awareness of what was to come and the "I might as well be soggy at home with a Broadband connection" thoughts that finally made me come back with him. So we spent Sunday limping up through the country, shaking off the rain drops and avoiding the puddles.

My holiday was lovely - they must be getting a little boring for you by now, these French jaunts. They all sound the same - hot, pool, eat, sun bathe, shop, eat, canoe, eat etc. It's a bit of a pattern forming isn't it? We went to a new (to me) restaurant on my birthday. It's in a tiny village called L'Abbaye-Nouvelle and it's owned/run by a Dutch couple. We sat in the garden, the mosquitos ate me alive.

The food was ok - not as good as Saturday night's dinner with Simon's brother and sister (they popped over from Charente Maritime for 2 nights). We sat out on the terrace at le Petit Relais and watched the world and his wife saunter by. At about 10.30pm, as a pre-cursor to the village fete the local village children accompanied by parents and every pooch in the neighbourhood all paraded up the road carrying lanterns - only 1 burst into flames ... all very exciting.

The main thing I've noticed since returning to the UK ... Gosh it's cold - that's come as a bit of a shock to the system ... but it allowed me to make the most of a huge bowl of noodle and dim sum soup at the Chinese cafe in the High Street at lunchtime yesterday. Caroline and I swapped gossip and passed like ships in the night ... she flies off to Texas tomorrow for 3 weeks.

So that's it I guess, back - well rested and madly scanning the Internet to find a break in Sharm el Sheikh next February - I've decided that winter sun is the answer! You been? Got a recommendation?

Hello!

Well, I've dragged myself in from the poolside to escape the intolerable heat (40 degrees + in the shade) and I have hijacked a friends Broadband connection to say hello to you all. France is as always beautiful but frankly too damn ho t for me today. Anyone got a holiday home in cool southern New Zealand I can borrow for a couple of days? Hope you are all well and remember ... there's always the Question of the Day to answer!