Loving the weekend!

Good Morning Company Girls! (well, it's actually almost 2pm here.......but I'm running late! Lol!)

Sorry I wasn't about yesterday, Sprog 3 and I took some time out after a hectic week and treated ourselves to lunch at the Garden Centre Cafe (her idea!), but come away in and find a seat..... the kettle's on!

Oh am I glad it's Saturday! DH is away on tour again (he's a coach driver and is having a busy year) so I feel like I've done 10 rounds with who ever is the current Boxing Champ! (I'd have said Mike Tyson, but I'm old!) I've taken the girls to all their activities that have started again - and Oohhhed and Ahhhed over their accomplishments as both Sprog 1 and 2 passed their assessments and moved up a level in their swimming class (they were both non swimmers at Easter) smiled as the Footy Coach commented on how Sprog 2 has grown up over the summer (which was nice of him as he's known her since she was 3 and an absolute whirlwind who couldn't listen or concentrate for more than a nano second!) and congratulated Sprog 1 on an excellent exam result.......achieved 3 years early!

In between I've fitted in a day at school, 3 days with the Home Ed student I'm supporting (don't think she think's I'm very supportive - I gave her some work to do! Lol!) and a lunch date with sprog 3 and DH at Pizza Hut before he went away (which I really should have posted about at the time - it was hilarious!)

Like I said in my last post - I'm shattered! - But it's only a season of my life, as I was reminded by a wise Mum of 4 I talk to on the school playground!

I love this lady, she is always (on the outside at least!) so calm and serene, and I've never heard her say a bad thing about anyone!
I first came accross her when her eldest daughter was in my class four or five years ago. She has 2 younger sons and another daughter, roughly similar ages to my 3, so we have a lot in common!
She is also one of the few parents who actually speaks to me........ I think I scare most of them - especially as some mornings I'm "the Teacher" opening their children's classroom doors!

On Friday we were commenting on how the week has seemed especially stressful now everything is back in full swing - Guides/Scouts/swimming/Music etc. In amongst all the usual parental complaints, she said something that hit me. I had a real lightbulb moment.

"It was so busy this morning and they were all getting at each other that we just had to stop and take a moment to pray that everyone would have a good calm day" she said (hope I've quoted accurately!)

Doh!!!!    Now why didn't I think of that????!!!!!  :-)

Why isn't my Faith strong enough to prod me to do such a thing?

I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm not in that place yet, so it wouldn't have occured to me to do so (and besides, I always feel "funny" asking for something for me!) but I did think, what a lovely way to bring some peace to the morning and get the day off to a better start!

How do other people get things back on an even keel?
I'm going to ponder that and let you know later! :-)
AM

Back with a vengence!

Crikey I'm shattered!

Just before the summer I was offered a job working 1:1 with a young lady being Home Educated. It's only a few hours a week and I can take sprog 3 with me, so I jumped at the chance.

But starting back this week has been a shock to the system! Lol!
I've done 2 mornings so far this week - while DH was off fortunately, so Sprog 3 got to stay home and have some much needed "Daddy time" while I was out.
This afternoon I'm at school doing an afternoons' supply work with a year 2/3 class (year 2 are 6-7 and year 3 are 7-8) - which will be another shock, even though it was "my" age group for 11 years!

Tuesday, my toddler music group started up again - and no, I wasn't prepared! I was planning on starting next week, but everyone started talking about it on facebook and after the 3rd message I thought we'd better get going!

And right now I'm writing on here instead of doing my "homework"! - I'm supposed to be making a schedule chart for work tomorrow, but I'm still thinking on that one!
I have lots of ideas, I've had a whole selection in the classroom - and at home - over the years. I just can't find half my files (we've changed computers, and I really can't be faffed to go through ALL the CD-roms and floppy discs they may be on! Although I did spend an hour last night going through my large selection of pen drives!) and I also can't decide which format will be best!

As a Teacher I used to be decisive - and had loads of resources and ideas at my finger tips due to spending my "free" time on the internet looking at other teachers websites and recycling their ideas.
I haven't done so in a LONG time - and so now, despite the fact that I KNOW I'm more than capable fo doing what I've been asked to do, I find myself feeling as if I'm severly lacking somehow!

Anyone else feel like that?

I'll see you tomorrow for Company Girl coffee - I'm sure I'll be back on form by then, you don't keep a Primary Teacher down for long! Lol!
AM

2 down, 1 left!

Good Afternoon Company Girls - and anyone else that drops in!

Sorry I'm late with the coffee, but I've only just found the lead to download my picies from the phone! Blame Sprog 1 - she says she didn't hide it, but I think she just didn't want to show off her lovely new uniform! Lol!

Anyway, it's offical, 2/3rds of my family is now back at school!
Sprog 3 is due to start Nursery at the end of September, but I think we'll be hanging on until after October half term as we still haven't mastered the bathroom! ......Sigh!
But that's a post for another day!

So, Friday morning dawned bright (and far too early for me!) and Sprog 1, who had been full of plans to be up by 6.30am and out by 7.30, almost missed it!
The look on her face when I shook her awake and said "It's gone quart-to-7!" was a picture.....she hasn't been up much before 9am all holidays!

Give her her due, she was ready far more quickly than I expected - and unfortunately for her my other half (ocassionally 'D'H for dear husband, usually just OH!) was on a rare day off and ribbed her mercilessly about her new school outfit!

Ties don't bother her - she's worn one for school since she was 5, but normally she wears a jumper. The new school has created an "unusual" (for round here anyway!) uniform of baby blue tank top and blazer. Both of which are compulsory!

I think she looks quite smart! - She hates it! :-)

Mind you, I have to say that if my Dad could see her, he'd be shaking his head and tutting about the blazer that is FAR too big across the shoulders and threatening to take it away to be fixed!

But he's not, sadly, so she'll just have to grow into it!

Never one to miss an opportunity, here's all 3 sprogs, after 2 and 3 butted into the photo session!

And here's Sprogs 1 and 2 together so you can compare with last years picture!

So, here's to Sprog 3's departure to school in a few weeks. Although I must say I have mixed feelinga about that, I'm leaning towards Home Educating, but OH isn't keen and it would severly limit my ability to go back to work to buffer our coffers.

Ho hum, no one ever said parenting was easy did they?!

Have a good week everyone, see you next Friday!

One Down, Two to go!

Sprog 2 went off to school this morning, happy as Larry and excited about what she'll get to do.

She's gone into year 1 this year, and personally I think she's in for a bit of culture shock as she discovers that things are far more formal ....... and there are no toys! (Well there are, but they don't come out just yet! lol!)

Will she survive? Heck yes, Sprog 2 bounces back from just about everything, it's not in her nature to be down for long (she's a bit like me in that respect.......probably why we often rub each other up the wrong way!)
Will her Teacher survive?

Hmmmm. I still haven't decided about that! :-)

Sprog 2's teacher this year is a Lady I know very well and have an enormous amount of respect for. She's practically superhuman as far as I can see!
We go waaayyyyyyyy back (too many years to tell you about!) because we started as newly qualified teachers together, 1 Headteacher and several OFSTED inspections ago!

I've worked with her through many trials and tribulations and she's seen me through a wedding (when she and a fellow teacher hijacked my class and sent me home a day early to get ready for the ceremony!) and the birth of my 3 girls, the death of my Father and my difficult decision to give up my post and take up Supply work.

.........And how do I repay this friendship?

I've sent her Sprog 2! :-)

........Ooops! :-)

Outside the classroom

AM


Updated to add photos, Saturday 4th September!

Last year Sprog 2 came home covered in goodness knows what! This year she looked like this...........

Crikey! Smarter than she left home! Lol!

AM

Back to School - the Past!

Good afternoon Company Girls, "come away in and find a pew" as my friend's Aunty used to say!

We're getting ready for back to school here - along with most other people on the planet! - my 5yr old starts next Thursday and my 13yr old moves to her new school on Friday, so I thought I'd share a couple of last years back to school photos so you can compare them next week! Lol!

Last September my 5yr old started fulltime in the Reception class at the school I used to teach at. Although she'd been in the Nursery class for 5 terms (she started early!) she was still really excited!

Here she was BEFORE she spent the day doing whatever it is energetic 5 year olds get up to! 

Take note please of the neat cardigan and the carefully tied tie (we'd been practicing all summer!) and the huge cheerful grin!

Here's Big Sis too, all cool and calm in the year before's uniform that still fit! (I only had to buy shoes and 3 new shirts all year for her! Whooo Hooo!) She was going into her last year at her middle school and was confident that she'd do as well as she had always done! (In actual fact she did even better and won the trophy at the end of the year for "best girl" .... not that I like to brag or anything!" Lol!)

Now, here's my 5yr old at the END of her first day!

About the only thing that's still the same is her big grin! She'd managed to get paint and someone elses yogurt down herself, and goodness only knows what happened to her hair!

                                     

But she'd enjoyed herself, and continued to most of the year (we had a few hiccups along the way!) ....... all the adults around though were frequently heard to say "She's NOT like her sister is she?" ...... As Sprog 1 was such a quiet bookworm, this whirlwind was a shock to the system!

I really feel for her Teacher this coming year. Fortunately we've known each other for almost 20years as we both started as new Teachers at the school on the same day! Lol!

We have similar expectations and standards that we expect from the children, so I'm confident that Sprog 2 will do well - although I'm expecting tears and tantrums as she learns that Mrs S expects her class to work! :-)

Next week I'll let you know how this years photos turned out!

Have a good week everyone!

AM

Christmas!

.... Yes I know, we haven't had that most sacred of days "August Bank Holiday" yet. That day that consisted of being crammed in the car in the pouring rain and a 5 mile queue all in the interests of "having a good day out" when I was small!

But I'm a (currently non-practicing) Teacher ok, so humour me! :-)

Back in the day when I DID have my own classroom, August was my time to plan and discover. To trawl though my collection.... my extensive collection thanks to my Mum (a former youth worker) and my Aunt (a former Reception teacher) ..... of craft books and ideas. To route around in the crisp enticing catalogues that came with the summer issues of "Junior Education" and "Infant Projects", coming with thigs to do with shiny blue paper and glitter in a miriad of shades!

Now I sit at the computer working my way steadily through a new cartridge of ink and ream of paper, creating a 'Christmas planner' courtesy of Organized Christmas :-)
I first came across this about 4 years ago, and found the 6 week 'Christmas Countdown' helped get me to Christmas a little less frazzled.
Last year I tried to graduate to the BIG 18 week plan, the 'Holiday Grand Plan'.
I did really well....... I managed the planning stage, the delegating, organising stage. Errmmmmmm, then it got to the "doing", and actions gradually pettered out!

This year I'm starting afresh, and I'm determined I'll keep going until at least my birthday in October.

.......Anyone want to take a bet on how far I get?!
AM

Gremlins......

I've no idea what I've done, but I lost the colour on my blog so I've had to faff about and learn what some of the other buttons on the posting screen actually do!

I still have an annoying little square that appears evert so often telling me that "this image has been deleted or removed" from when I tried to add the "Company Girls" button. Does anyone else have these hassles ........ or is it just me?! :-)

One or two of the many (too many probably!) Blogs I've been reading recently have been running some Blog "how to" articles.
I think the time has come to "read up" on how to sort this out!

Then maybe I can join in a little more confidently with some of the fabulous weekly "parties" that people host!
AM