September

September is a new start.
The new start I didn't have in January because I was taking over someone else's class.
I did kind of have a new start - to begin with I emptied the classroom.
I got rid of 'her' shit.
Got my name slapped on the door.
I even mopped the floors!

See!!
But it was still someone else's.

Come September and it's properly mine.
And that means no more shitty plastic cola-cube jars full of dirty buttons. No more cardboard birthday elephants. No more handwritten bingo boards. No more wonky cardboard name cards hung on with string. No more skinny pencils that little fingers can't use properly. No more IWB that doesn't work because it's never switched on and the software hasn't updated.  
Squeaky clean, EYFS ready, 21st century MINE!

I better mop the floor again!

Am I getting ready?

So - off to France on Sunday.

Packing - vaguely started ... I mean really vaguely - there's an open suitcase on the chest of drawers and I've made a little collection of clothes that could do with a wash and a freshen up before I wonder if they might possibly go with me.  They might just go straight back into the wardrobe instead.  

There are no shoes in that pile yet ... number one they wouldn't need washing anyway and number two - I really could do with buying some new ones.  Feel like I am running out of time on that front too!

This whole indecision thing that I do is rubbish isn't it ... or is it?

Lemon baked cod

... is what we will be mainly eating tonight.  It is unfeasible that something this SIMPLE tastes sooooooo good!  Even fish-haters will find this a simple delight.  Photos to follow.

1 lb cod fillet (or another favoured white fish)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
paprika

If fish fillets are large, cut into serving sized pieces.
Mix butter and lemon juice.
In another bowl, mix flour, salt and white pepper.
Dip fish into butter mixture; coat fish with flour mixture.
Place fish in ungreased square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches.
Pour remaining butter mixture over fish; sprinkle with paprika.
Cook uncovered in 350 degree oven until fish flakes easily with fork, 25-30 minutes. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon slices if desired.

Awww

... it's a boy!

Love a new baby :o)

Karla's courgette soup

My parents had a friend called Karla.
A dear old German lady with impeccable manners and full of loving kindness who flirted uproariously with my father and swore in a bad English accent.  She had been a midwife in the East End (of London) working with the Jewish community right after the second World War - it can't have been easy but it made for a great sense of humour!

I spent many an evening eating wonderful food at her home and many a Christmas lunch time persuading her to eat "just a little more!"

This is her recipe - perfect if you have a glut of courgettes!

Ingredients

500g courgettes, thickly sliced 

1 onion, chopped

150g potatoes, peeled and cubed 

600ml chicken or stock 

25g butter 

1 clove garlic, crushed

150ml milk 

1 (scant) teaspoon curry powder

Freshly ground pepper

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic.

Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until they are soft.

Add the curry powder and stir together.

Stir in the potatoes and most of the courgettes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, milk and pepper and bring the mixture to the boil.

Reduce the heat, cover with the lid and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Puree the soup and serve hot garnished with thin slices of courgettes.

Waiting

I am (like many others I would imagine) waiting patiently impatiently for this royal baby to make an appearance.  I probably need to breathe deeply and stop this, after all, none of us know when the little one was/is due, even if Camilla has supposedly dropped the biggest hint yet. 

I made the mistake of admitting this lack of patience whilst having lunch in the staff room yesterday and was a little surprised by the barrage of comments/critiscm thrown at me from all corners of the room. 

"You don't actually take any notice of those money grabbers do you|?"
"Bloody waste of money the whole lot of them."
"*tsk* What a waste the royal family are and she's not even a real member of the royal family."
"Oh my god - are you a royalist?"

And it made me wonder ...

What about you lot?  Do you think they're a waste of money?  Are you waiting with anticipation for the birth? 

Tyler, Kylie, Charmaine, Summer - I don't like you because of your name!!

Did any of you see the 'blatant slice of judgemental snobbery' that Katie Hopkins handed out on This Morning last week?  I think my ears pricked up as she said "I think you can tell a great deal from a name.  For me there are certain names that I hear and I think urgh."

WTF??

"For me, a name is a shortcut ... of working out what class that child comes from"  
"Do I want my children to play with them?"

"There's a whole set of things that go with children like that that are quite a disruptive influence in school and that's why I don't like those sorts of children." 

Why are we allowing people like this onto our televisions?  Who is this woman to judge children??  Children?  On a name!  FFS!  Kids don't come out of the womb clutching a scrap of paper with the name that they would like.  Those names are chosen by parents and are not something to be judged on.

The other guest on the couch Anna May Mangan who stated that she was the daughter of Irish immigrants (tho' why this is something to be stated I don't know), struggled to contain her facial reactions to these words.  She then said "this is snort-worthy, Katie. I can't believe that you're such an insufferable snob."

Oh I can and more importantly a STUPID insufferable snob because this is how Ms Hopkins continued ...

Hopkins: I don’t like names after seasons of the year. I don’t like geographical location names, celebrity names. Things like Apple, things like you know Tilly Fizz or Jolly Apple, whatever they've decided to call they are crazy.

Phillip Schofield: Your child's called Poppy.

To be fair she wibbles significantly about this not being a celebrity name ... she doesn't need any help making herself look stupid!

Hopkins: (I don't like) Geographic (names). So Brooklyn or London or…

Phillip Schofield: Your child is called India.

Hopkins: Yes, but you know it is – that’s because she is – it is not related to a location that’s because India…

Phillip Schofield: India isn't a location?

Hopkins: No.

Phillip Schofield: We're talking about education?

Hopkins: India is a very, very lovely name for a very lovely child.

Other guest: I think Katie is on gas and air when she chooses those things.

I think she’s on something – it might be stronger than gas and air BUT what she shouldn't be on is our television! **Note to self** Change channel next time she is mentioned 

Lovely words make me cry

To put it into the words of a five year old,  after a couple of months of Mrs L joining, Armaan said to me 'Mummy Mrs L is really beautiful because she looks after me so much.' 

Enough for me!! #wipestear #sob

The simple things

I stole this ... I cannot for the life of me remember where it came from ... a list of simple things in life that make me happy.!

Nieces and nephews
Brown paper packages
Milkshakes - chocolate, malt
Vintage diamonds on velvet
Crocheted flowers
French summers
Toast

Banned!

A school in Essex has banned parents from its sports day because teachers (via a letter from the headteacher) claim that children get too stressed when performing in front of a large crowd.

Really?

Now, don't get me wrong - as a teacher I hate Sports Day ... it's a pain to organise, quite often if (like me) you work at an urban school it involves traipsing to another venue to allow children to run (safely) on grass and you end up either with sun-burn or (as is possible thanks to current, delightful British summer weather) foot-rot BUT it's not all about me* it's about the children!  And isn't that one of the things kids love about Sports Day? 

Mum and Dad (and perhaps nan and grandad, aunts and uncles, brothers and sister etc) get to see me run jump, carry, balance and wriggle?

So I don't win - but I know that one section of the crowd is cheering just for me!!

Isn't this a little OTT even for "political correctness gone mad" Britain??

50 signs you are getting old! Part 1

The (dreadful) Daily Mail - read religiously by the OH has published a list of 50 signs you are getting old.  If I answer yes to more than half of them I might just do some ranting!  Oh wait - that's #50!

So ... let's think about these!

1. Feeling stiff - umm, yes, unfortunately!
2. Groaning when you bend down - no, phew!

3. Saying "It wasn't like that when I was young" - no but I do say "when I started teaching" and "when I was in school"!

4. Saying "In my day" - see above.

5. Losing hair - no, thank god, I have a full head of hair; full, bouncy, wavy hair BUT (and here is my issue) graying hair!  GRAY!  Hate it!  12 yr older husband - gray?  No!  Annoyed by this - heck yes!

6. Not knowing any songs in the top ten - umm, wanders off to Google the UK top ten. I know 4/10.  I don't think that's bad!

7. Getting hairy ears, eyebrows, nose, face etc. - no, phew (again)!

8. Hating noisy pubs - I've always hated noisy pubs ... don't you? I always hated smoky pubs even when I smoked - how much better are they now??  I don't dislike conversation or music or sport broadcasts but let me decide!

9. Talking a lot about joints and ailments - not yet but *reaches down to put on shoes* oooof! Possibly soon! :o(

10. Forgetting people's names - who are you?

Unconscious mutterings #542

I haven't muttered unconsciously for a while, so here goes!

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

Hook :: line and sinker
Ringer :: for love
Hoodwinked :: cheat
Football :: David Beckham
Out of the way :: I'm coming through
Skull :: and crossbones
Enough :: already!
Scholarship :: money
Ruin :: Mother's Ruin - gin!
Lawyer :: solicitor

If you want to mutter unconsciously (or consciously) click here!

Meeting old 'friends'

So ... as you may / may not know - in January I started a new job.

I didn't particularly want a new job, I loved the school and wider community I was working with-in but OFSTED had made a rotten judgement* about the school I was at even though they said the phase that I was leading was GOOD.

*sigh*

Anyway ... my current job came up, I applied and (as I said to Simon) "fuck me I've only gone and got the job!!"

And away I walked.
Thirteen years in one school is a long, long time.
You know everyone!
Children, parents, grandparents and in 2 cases ... babies of previous pupils.

And a great headteacher - who was bullied dreadfully by the LEA ... well, yesterday she became my mate AND I love that.
Haven't seen her since December but I fell into friendship at lunchtime and I know it will last!

Yesterday was a GOOD day!

Our dinner tonight - Chilli Con Carne from scratch!

Ingredients

2 onions,

2 large Portobello mushrooms,

2 fat cloves of garlic crushed,
splodge of vegetable oil

1 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes and 1 can water,

1 tablespoon tomato puree,

500g good minced beef,

2-4 heaped teaspoons dried chilli flakes,

1 tsp cumin seeds,

1 tsp ground cumin,

1 tsp dried thyme,

1 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón),

1/2 bottle full-bodied red wine,

1 cans of red kidney beans,

1 bunch of fresh coriander (stalks & all) chopped,

a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce,

Suzy salt and Percy pepper (having an Ainsley moment)

What to do ...
- Finely chop the onion, slice the Portobello mushrooms and crush the garlic. 
- Gently fry in oil (with sprinkle of salt) for about 15 mins, until soft. Add the mince, turn the heat up to medium, and cook until the meat is browned.
- Then simply stir in the rest of the ingredients, incl. the chopped coriander stalks, reserving the leaves until later.
- Bring to the boil and then  simmer for 1 and a half hours, stirring regularly and adjusting the heat if necessary.
- Check and adjust seasoning with both Suzy salt and Percy pepper!! *
- Add the chopped coriander leaves, stir and serve with white rice and/or bread.

* To be fair ... I also bring out the chilli and red pepper jam at this point - that's another recipe for another day!

Obsessive me!

I have been busy building the school website.  It's become an obsession.  It's the kind of obsession I love.  The stay awake 'til 2am changing / adding pages obsession.  I have turned the KS2 School Council into obsessives too!  They are stopping me in the corridors.  Throwing ideas at me across the lunch-hall.  Coming to my room when they should be in registration.

We've had 3000+ hits!

I don't think it's all me preening!

BUT ... it might be ;o)

http://www.byron.medway.sch.uk 

Flaming June

To be honest I find myself let down by supposedly 'flaming June' - it's normally my favourite month.  Long warm evenings with the balcony doors pushed wide open, air redolent with the scent of BBQ, crispy bowls of cooling salad and a long glass of something cold to sip on - ah June!

But no ...

Instead here I am thinking if I put the slow cooker on now we can have a stew and mash tonight and where's my dressing gown??

F-F-Friday

So glad to see you Friday ... it's been a long week!

Colleagues have moaned about writing reports on a computer ... preferring instead to write them by hand?!? WTF?!? It's 2013!!  I don't write anything by hand if I can help it these days.
The last straw was being shouted at by one of the witches of Eastwick - the temptation to pull my fish back and smash her in the gob was strong ... which is why I now finding myself at home sipping gin!

Happy Friday evening all.

Hello BLOG!
And hello blogosphere :o)

I was kind of thinking I might try to post a little bit.  The odd recipe, some photos, a bit of a blether / gossip.

I think that I stopped posting when the 'colleague from hell' suddenly found my blog ... but. that colleague from hell is no longer a colleague!  We'll see - watch this space