High days and Holidays

And reeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!

Finally the summer is here and I can relax a little bit lot and enjoy spending time with my family without the stresses of work.

I am fortunate that I can take 4 whole weeks off over the summer and have holiday throughout the rest of the year because of the job I do.  I am looking forward to just being mummy and doing things for me!

I have been off for 4 days so far and we have managed lunch out with the MIL, A cinema trip, shopping, chilling and picnicing!!

You will have to wait for the rest of my adventures but hopefully they will feature some charity shopping as this has been a bit lax of late!

What's in the Bag?

A think I thought today was what on earth is in my Handbag.

As I lifted it up to go to work today it seemed infeasibly heavy considering it only has essentials  my life in it!

Well here goes the contents of a my handbag were as follows:

Purse
Staff Pass
Phone
House Keys
Lip Balm
Make up bag
Note book
5 Pens
6 Receipts
2 bills
painkillers
Ipod
Head phones
Shopping list
3 fruit chewy bars
packet of raisins (contents scattered over bag)
Nappy
hand cream
half packet extra strong mints
hand wipes
lady items!!!!
tissues
Sunglasses
A flyer from a restaurant

I am a bit worried that this is what I consider to be essentials and feel I need to sort this out! Then again am I normal and everyone carries this much crap around?

What do you carry in your bag? Do Share!!!

Where is it all going wrong?

A think I thought today was what is happening in the world?

I spend a lot of time in my job with young people and of late have been wondering what is happening to the youth of today. Ok so now I sound like an old granny but really some of the things I witness are truly shocking. Having spoken to friends and colleagues who also teach I know I am not alone in wondering this. When I started my job I thought delivering a vocational course would mean the people I came across wanted to learn, they had chosen a vocation and this course was their route to doing a job they care about and have a passion for. On reflection I think I was wrong!

Many people think that the subject I teach is an easy option; they won’t have to do much. WRONG! There is a whole load of theory alongside the practical.  Trying to explain why they have to understand the theory and what it has to do with the job they want to do is a whole other job in itself.

Then there is the issue of the “youth of today”.   Aggression, swearing, violence, rudeness, poor attitude and non attendance are all daily challenges in the classroom that teachers face.  This has recently been highlighted by stories in the press. Violence in schools doubles

Mobile phones are the bane of my life constant buzzing and vibrating disrupts every  teaching session.  I am all for embracing technology in the classroom, being able to access the internet on a phone is fantastic  -  research can be done from the classroom and you don’t lose students in the “library” but the disruption of calls and texts, facebook, pinging,  BB ing etc etc is just frustrating.

I believe this behaviour is a sad reflection of the society in which we now live.  You are not able to correct someone’s behaviour without fear of recrimination – students in classes are now more aware of their rights (which is not a bad thing) and they use this knowledge to their advantage.  There are no real consequences for their actions.  The threat of a disciplinary is not enough; they need real penalties for unacceptable behaviour.  I am all for students having rights but teachers have them too!

I hasten to add that this kind of behaviour is not from the majority of young people but it is disruptive and a lot of time is lost fire fighting or managing these people. I love my job, I love the subject I teach, I enjoy the feeling of helping someone achieve their goals and I love the end of year when all the hard work from everyone comes to fruition but when I went to college I went to learn. I didn’t dare answer back and unconditionally respected those who taught me. I just wonder what has happened to change the attitudes of people so much.  

What can be done? Answers on a postcard please!  

Thoroughly modern Millie - not me

A think I thought today was that I appear to be ageing faster than I should be.

Having reached the end of the stressful time at work, I have found myself with some spare time for me. I love nothing better than sitting with a cup of tea and a magazine for a flick through at the latest celeb gossip.  However something very strange has happened instead of aforementioned celeb mag I found myself selecting woman and home and good housekeeping!!!!

What is going on?????????

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with either of these fine publications but they conjure up a certain image in my head of a good 50's housewife getting tips on cleaning!

I know I am not a young flibbertigibbet any more and that I should have better things to do other than read about other peoples lives but we all love a bit of spying don't we! Even those who say they have no time for it secretly like to hear all about the latest footballer scandal or who is dating who!

Actually I was pleasantly surprised to find a good mix of recipes, articles, fashion, advice and fiction in both and am sure they will end up in my basket again however I may have to add a sneaky copy of OK or Heat into the  mix too (just to keep up with the youngsters!)

Anyone for tart?

A think I thought today was that it had been a while so I should get my backside into gear and write another blog.

So onto the tart!

These Lemon Tarts are the easiest thing to make and so simple it is unbelievable. Being a do everything as quickly as possible kind of person they suit me down to the ground.

You need:

3 lemons (juice and zest)
1 Lime (juice and zest)
1/2 Jar of good quality lemon curd
1 tub cream cheese
1 tin condensed milk
large pot clotted cream (or 2 small ones)
16 ready made sweet pastry cases

Mix the cheese, milk and cream together then add all other ingredients and hey presto Lemon Mousse! spoon into cases - chill and enjoy!

You can sprinkle sherbert over to serve which gives extra zing!

That my friends is all!

Blistering hell!

A think I thought today was that exercise is bad for you!

I don’t care what the so called experts say they are obviously robots not humans!

Having been out for a run jog walk with Mrs J last night my feet started to rub a little in my well worn running shoes.  The pain wasn’t too bad and certainly not enough to make me stop but by the time I got home these babies had appeared!

One on each ankle just under the bone!

OUCH!

Mr D says I need to burst them and cover them but I think this could cause a tsunami in MK which really is not an option and to be honest I am a little lot scared in case it hurts! Mrs W could only laugh at my affliction today likening them to the balloon like blister Mrs G had from running a marathon. Mrs W also suggested flying to Ethiopia and bursting them from a plane overhead to help with their water problems! (A serious issue I know but the comment was funny!)

Miss D is also finding them a great source of amusement and keeps poking them saying “mummy’s poorly feet!”  Honestly is there no sympathy in this house?

Frankly one is not amused.......they hurt!  I am not sure how I will get my feet into my work shoes on Monday or indeed how I will get them back into my runners for Monday nights session. Maybe I could contact Oasics and ask if they could custom make me some shoes to accommodate the growth????? 

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>