The memories!!!

A think I thought today was all about memories that music can evoke!

This is not an original thought for me (or for anyone I guess) and I am not going to ramble on as I already have another post about this planned! BUT I had to share these gems with you.

Thanks to Chris and crew on radio 2 this morning I was reminded of this song from my youth

A classic I believe and I wholeheartedly sang along!!

This led me to remembering another 80's classic and the embarrassment of getting up in front of the whole school and performing it with Mrs T! Scarf and all ...............  hope it makes you smile too!

3 things!

1. Spending the day with my beautiful Miss D
2. Having an afternoon nap
3. Finishing the book I have been reading 

The thing at the bottom of the garden!

A think I thought today was I wonder what the thing at the bottom of my garden is?  

Every night we let our dog  Tobi out for a last “busy” before bed and every night he goes straight to the top corner of the garden, behind the wooden gazebo, sniffing,  snorting and barking.

He freaks me out! What is out there?  In the daytime I have ventured up there to take a look and there is nothing to be seen.  I have entertained squirmed at the thought of rats, freaked out over foxes, worried about hedgehogs and wondered about cats.

Maybe it is just a strange shadow that sends him mad ...................I for one hope so but until the mysterious creature reveals itself that is exactly what it shall remain .............a mystery!

Making it all worthwhile

A think I thought today (and everyday!) is how much I love my daughter!

She is the one that makes all the shit in my life worthwhile (and Mr D obviously!) Today had been the crappiest of crap days and I had driven home mainly having a phone rant at Mr D about how crap it was. I have a right mard on about it all and cannot go into the crap I have had to deal with or I may get sacked!!!!!!.

However I arrived at the childminders to find Miss D covered in Chocolate cake proudly proclaiming "I delicious mummy" how could I disagree after all she is! A glimmer of a smile maybe appeared.  All the way home she was delightful,  chatting, naming colours, singing songs, talking about bathing Nora (her dolly) and letting mummy brush her hair (a major issue in this house!) By the time I tucked her into her bed and she had smothered my face in kisses, the crap of the day had paled into significance.

For someone so small, Miss D is pretty amazing!

(loved up mummy moment over!)

3 things!

1. Getting my observation over and done with
2. Finding a lovely new eye shadow in the perfect colour I have been looking for for ages 
3. Being able to share the news that I am going to be an auntie again! 

I've been done!

A think I thought today was that I HATE observations!

In my job we have to be observed at least once in each academic year and as soon as we are given notice all hell breaks loose! We are given a week when we can observed in any session we teach.  Panic sets in  - you start to analyse the students, the room, the subjects and on and on.........

I am mostly cool calm and collected at work but in this situation become a headless chicken! I do the same job 3 times, I read and change my session plans at least 5 times and twiddle with activities over and over again.

Last night, after a lovely weekend,  I was up til the wee hours of the morning stressing about everything.  I  couldn't sleep as my mind was whirring with what ifs and what have I forgotten?  This morning was a panic to get to work to print off power points, check and double check the work and finally go to teach!

Lesson one, nothing, lesson two nothing, lesson three, still nothing! Everytime you enter the staffroom the question is "have you been done yet?" Lunchtime was spent bemoaning the waste of resources for the additional paperwork printed off just in case.  Off to lesson 4, the person in the class before me is late out, half my students are missing and yep you guessed it the observer arrives! Except in this case I get 2!! the Head of Department and the Head of Quality assurance! Holy Mackerel! My mouth is dry, I need the toilet and I cannot string a sentence together how will I survive the next hour?

Well I did survive (as usual) and nothing major went wrong except for some inexplicable reason I thought that it would be a good idea not to use the computers in the computer room  - DOH!

Suddenly a calm  has descended over me - it is over - I am free for another year!

Now I just have to wait and see what grade I get but really I don't care - I did my best and the students learnt - what more can they ask for???????

What's all tat?

Another week of rummaging and some lovely finds. 

First up a lovely cut glass tray in an unusual diamond shape £3.00

Then this lovely square floral cake plate a steal at 75p 

Next up a lovely hand painted teacup saucer and side plate £2.50

A pink butter dish £6.00 

and this old fashioned sewing box  for £15.00 it is in need of some TLC but lovely none the less! I have big plans for restoring this but Mr D may need to assist! 

My favourite find of the week and a bit on the pricey side but I couldn't resist as I just loved it so much this retro pattern tea cup,  saucer and side plate £8.00. My MIL insists this is a bargain! 

Not quite a second hand buy but a bargain none the less was this lovely cake stand and box of sweeties that Mrs B kindly purchased as a Gift for me at the bargain price of 79p!!!! 

As the sweeties were in individual wrappers the box can be recycled too! 

Pop on over to me and my shadow to see what other Magpies have been buying this week! And PLEASE if you like what you see follow my blog for all the latest news! 

Magpie Monday

Button Envy

A think I thought today was that I have button envy!

I have a button box full of lovely buttons but they are all thrown in together and there is no order! This is not good for my OCD!!!! 

I would love to get them organised but it is finding the time to do this.  While reading my latest book “The secret lives of dresses” by Erin McKean, I read this paragraph drooling

“ Mimi’s button box was completely extravagant.  It was the Taj Mahal, the Buckingham Palace, the Smithsonian Institute of button boxes.  It wasn’t really a button box at all, but a huge steel rolling tool chest from Sears, with a dozen drawers.  Each Drawer was partitioned  with teeny plastic dividers, gone yellow with age, and in each corral was a set of buttons, no fewer than six of the same colour and design.  The bottom two drawers were for the rogues and the strays – the light ones in the uppermost drawer, and the dark ones in the very bottom...........The Drawers were labelled........The top drawer the smallest labelled RHINESTONE, the next one down METALLIC and the one below that WOOD.  Then the drawers were in ROYGBIV order”

I want one of those!!!!!! 

3 things!

1 - Cheese and crackers!

2 - Miss D saying I love you

3 - Making a successful interactive Power point quiz for my students

What a Burka!

While out for a run this evening with Mrs J we witnessed a sight I never thought I would see!

A woman in a full Burka going for a run in flip flops!

Yes I am being serious! Flip Flops and a Burka - skirts hitched and running!

I will leave you to visualise while I stop laughing (again)

3 things!

A think I thought today was that everyday if I can I am going to find 3 things in the day that have been good or funny and blog them! I have seen this on another blog (sorry if it was yours I cannot remember who's it was but if you let me know I will link!) so my idea is not original.  But I like the thought of finding the positives in each day.  I will in future keep them short!

1 - Miss D sticking her tongue out at her Daddy and finding it really funny! I know we won't find this funny when she is older but while she doesn't know any better.......

2 - All of the cakes I made for work disappearing abating my fears they were a disaster

3 - Getting some me time and going for a run

That is all for now

What's all tat?

So I have been scouring the charity shops again this week and bagged a few more pre loved gems

First up a lovely little tea set - 4 cups,saucers and side plates all for only £3

I went for a peruse in my local shop mid week and spied a punchbowl for £3.50 and 5 mini trifle dishes for £1. foolishly I walked away but went back on Friday deciding that if they were still there I would get them.  Not only were they still there but the bowl had been reduced to £2.50 and a 6th glass had been found!!! 

£3.50 later and they were all mine! 

This post is part of Magpie Monday over on Me and My Shadow pop over and take a look

http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.com/

HELP!

A think I thought today is that I need some help!

I am managing to blog quite regularly.  I can post pictures and videos etc but cannot workout how to put the linkie things from other sites on.  I have tried copying and pasting the text under the picture but that is all I get (see the bottom of silent sunday) or I can copy and paste the picture and add a link (a la Charity Shopping and Magpie Monday) But ow do I get the picture to work as a link??????

Any help greatly appreciated please!!!!!!

Silent Sunday

<a href="http://www.mochabeaniemummy.com/silent-sunday/" ><img src="http://www.mochabeaniemummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Silent-Sunday-Badge-SMALL-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Silent Sunday" /></a>

Feeling Guilty?

A think I thought today was when does mother’s guilt set in?

Is it the day you get pregnant, the day your child is born or sometime after this?

Personally for me every day is a guilt fest! The list of things I feel guilty for is endless but includes, working, using ready meals, not doing the housework as often as I should, being too tired to stay up past 10pm, Spending too much money, not spending enough time with my family  and so the list goes on.

Is it compulsory as a mother to not feel you are good enough at anything and that everything you do is not quite right? Time is of the essence and my life is now run like a military camp. We have times to do this and times to do that and if we are not on time well.............................  however, Mr D has commented that my timings are a little unusual. For example to get to work on time I have to leave the house at 07.12 exactly! Not 07.10 or 07.15. 

A recent article by Fiona Phillips in the Mirror also picked up on this theme following a study “Doing better for families”  by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which claims that working mums are harming their children’s development.  I plead guilty to being a good mum!  

Do working mums need more guilt piled onto us? Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to give up work when they have children and not all working mums want to be stay at home mums. 

I would love to be a stay at home mum and have massive admiration for those of my friends and others who do this.  Motherhood is the most rewarding job I have ever done but I could not do it full time.  Does it make me a bad mum to admit that I enjoy working, I like being Kara not just mum, and I enjoy the break away from Miss D?  I know that Miss D is happy and secure with her childminder and probably experiencing far more than she would at home with me but actually this doesn’t stop me feeling guilty and not being sure that I am doing the right thing. Am I being selfish and putting my needs before those of Miss D or does my choice make me a better mummy when I am at home?   After all a happy mum has happy children!

Every decision I have made since being pregnant has been with the best intentions and I guess I have to live with that. 

I know I am not the only mum who feels like this which helps but it doesn’t stop you constantly questioning yourself.

Creep

A think I thought today was about the laughter and tears Mrs W and I had over the song Creep.

The original song is by Radiohead and is in my humble opinion fantastic.

Now this event took place after Mrs W and I had been to a body shop party at the home of Mrs L.  Mrs W had a sniff of the wine bottle and was slightly tipsy.  I was Des and stone cold sober and returning Mrs W safely to her home! We like to have a sing song  howl, Mrs W and I so I put on the CD,  however I was having a phase in my life mental breakdown and the music of choice in my car this fine evening was none other the fine vocal group G4!

WHO? I hear you cry.

Well just in case you have forgotten they were a four piece vocal group who came runners up on X Factor in 2004!

So the CD is playing and the first song is none other than Creep! this version creased Mrs W up and I nearly crashed the car laughing! I am sure it won't be as funny to the rest of you as it was to us that night but when the song was played on the radio this morning it made me giggle and I thought I would share the story with you.
                                       
maybe you would like a listen ?

I don't want to do current affairs but................

A think I thought today was that there is something very wrong in people worldwide celebrating the death of one man.

I know this is controversial and I am not in any way condoning what Osama Bin Laden masterminded. The loss of so many innocent lives was, and still is, truly a tragic and catastrophic series of events. But I cannot join in with people celebrating the death of this evil dictator.

People directly affected by the actions of this man may feel joyful that he has finally got "what he deserves" but it is not a national celebration.

A friend, Mrs M has this as her Status on Facebook and having seen it I think it says it all

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"

Martin Luther King Jr

I am sure there will be repercussions worldwide for the death of the Taliban leader and I for one hope that not more innocent lives are lost along the way.

Charity Shopping!

Those of you who know me will know I love to shop so the fact that this post is about shopping will come as no surprise.  However it is a different kind of shopping I have been doing this week - Charity shopping!

I love Vintage wares and invited Mrs W who shares this passion to a vintage Fayre I had seen advertised. We left our wonderful hubbies babysitting and went rummaging!

I was delighted to come across lots of "Granny Bags" as I call them and picked up this burgundy beauty for a bargain price of £6 

On our way we spotted a little charity shop and called in there after where I spied a set of 6 cut glass fruit bowls for £3 - perfect for nibbles

We then travelled home via Mrs W's local haunts where  I picked up a lovely silver oval tea tray for £3.50 and a gorgeous floral teacup, saucer and side plate for £1

 I also was delighted to find another granny bag this time in black with a lovely offset clasp for an absolute steal of £1.50!!!!

I will definitely be charity shopping again and can't wait to get some more preloved bargains!

http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.com/

This post is part of Magpie Monday over on Me and My Shadow pop on over and have a look