Overload

Aaargh...two interviews this week...have I said something on application I won't be able to live up to?...am I really as good as I have told them I am?...I can't speak much French any more, what if one of them is a specialist?...don't know what lesson to teach...something on problem solving...I have no ideas...have done no supply yet this term...will I be out of practice?...got to practice answering interview questions...what year group was one of them for? HELP! Can't remember...Little Z's birthday next weekend...who is coming to party?...must chase replies to invitations...need to buy a cake...when will I get time to do that?...visitors coming next weekend...house a pigsty...no time to clean...less time to tidy...what about shopping?...Ballet wednesday...she can't miss as she has an exam coming up...extra ballet lesson Thursday to practice for exam...needs to take a CD for the music...she needs to practice at home too...she needs a hair net and some more hair grips and some hairspray...has Little Z done her homework yet?...Must remind her on Monday to ask her teacher for the other homework sheet as she only brought half of it home...what shall I do first?...so many things to do...is there time to write a post for my blog?... no!

Big Mistake...

Little Z was sitting in the living room reading her school reading book, Big J was sitting at the table finish the breakfast left over in the bowl from the morning and I was minding my own business in the kitchen. It was quiet. Actually, when I think back, it was probably too quiet.

Big J then appeared at the kitchen door with an "I'm going to have fun watching you get cross" expression on his face, showing me his hands which were covered with white stuff. Several times I asked him what it was, but all he did was smile and say "I put that all over my hands." What was it? Then the truth dawned as I looked across at where he had been sitting to see a Tipex bottle on its side in the middle of a white puddle. As I got closer, I realised the full extent of the damage: White splodges up the wall, white streaks up the glass of the patio doors, white patches on the dining room chair he'd been sitting on and a breakfast bowl (with no breakfast in) swilling with Tipex. Apart from that smell, which will probably bring me back to that moment every time I smell it in future, I really did not know where to start with clearing up the mess or how to start with discussing with him what he had done. I usually insist that the children clear up their own mess, especially where they have made it deliberately, but the Tipex had started to dry and just would not come off with normal detergent.

After much perseverance, we managed to clean it off the table and windows. The wall will have to wait until we decorate again. The bowl went in the bin. The boy spent the evening pealing the tipex off his fingers like PVA glue. Two days later, I am still finding Tipex in unusual places and am now being very careful when completing applications as I have no way off correcting mistakes.

So, at the end of it all, what have I learned? Well, I'm not sure. This morning I intercepted a 'hairspray incident'. Maybe I have learned not to let him out of my sight!

Thinking of having children? Are you sure?

Rock-a-Bye

Having always enjoyed a good sing song with my children, I was really pleased when watching Teachers TV a few evenings ago to hear that children from "musically alive" homes grow up singing and responding to music more freely than children from families where singing and music is not regularly shared. I thought it was quite common for parents to sing with and to their children and assumed it was only the children many of us like to classify as "disadvantaged" whose parents do not. But, after asking a few of my friends (not the disadvantaged ones, of course!) whether they sing with their children and make up songs as I do with Little Z and Big J, they all said they don't. I felt quite pleased with myself.

So, I guess it is no wonder then, that yesterday after singing a couple of songs with Big J (ones he knows from nursery) I started singing wind the bobbin up, he does not join in, but instead bursts loudly into, "TF TF CH, TF TF CH" (come on, use your imagination, I am doing my best phonics effort here!) "We will, we will rock you!" He has been singing a few well known Queen songs for a while now and although I think it is quite sweet, I always thought that most children must do the same and that it isn't really anything that special. Now, I am not too sure how common it is. Actually, I don't care too much either.

I now take him to Mini Maestros conveniently run by a friend of mine. It not only gives me an opportunity to spend some time with Big J and therefore not feel so guilty about putting him into day nursery all week, but has also let me see him in a different way. I expected him to be very outgoing and loud, singing and playing instruments confidently. However, he was much more reserved and hardly joined in at all the first week. I'm really glad he has a quieter and calmer side to his personality. This will certainly be useful when he starts school next September.


Interesting song fact:
Did you know that the Grandfather Clock got its name from the song "Grandfather's Clock"? If you are as sad as me and want to know the words to that song (unless you are even sadder and can remember them all!) you can find them here. (Which is also where I found out that interesting fact) There are more verses than I remember, must have day dreamed a lot in music!

Too quick to judge?

Okay, I thought it was only fair, having spoken to Little Z's teacher after school today about something which was bothering Little Z, that I should now update my blog to say that actually I found her very friendly and helpful. Maybe she was having an off day the last time I spoke to her (although I have noticed the "attitude" on more than one occasion). My previous remarks were not unjustified, but I must speak as I find, and today I found her to be very pleasant.

Teachers on teachers...

Do teachers always think they can teacher better than their own children's teachers?

What about non-teacher parents? Do they also think they could do a better job?

Lots of the children in Little Z's year have parents who are teachers. Many are experienced teachers who have been in the profession for a long time. So, what do we think of Little Z's teacher?

Well, to be fair, I cannot pretend to have polled them all, but many of us feel that although we have no complaints about her actual teaching, her manner is abrupt and she is not at all approachable. I don't like the way she talks to the children or the adults, which worries me, as Little Z needs a teacher who she can give a hug to when she feels a bit insecure. This teacher is about as huggable as a lamp post!

Harsh? yes, I suppose so, but I have not told you the name of the school or the teacher's name.

It would be interesting to consider this again at the end of the year to see whether my opinion has changed. Let's call it a formative assessment!

Will I share the results of this assessment with her? No, but I will have a few questions when I get to speak to her at "Meet the Teacher" evening.

I know teaching ability is obviously important and the fact that she is doing loads of good stuff with the kids and has a fresh & modern approach, as opposed to some of the older, set-in-their-ways teachers Little Z has had previously, is a really positive thing, but personality is so important and being able to respond to children's social needs as well as their academic ones is crucial. Oh dear, I feel like I am writing my personal statement all over again!

When is parents' evening? Get the Prozac ready!

A week in the life of....

Do I have too much time on my hands?

Mon 3 Sept
Took Little Z to INTECH, the Science Centre, for the last day of her summer holiday. INTECH was a lot of fun for both Little Z & I and highly recommended. Science has never been my strong point and having forgotten a lot of what I learnt at school but still being expected to teach it to children, it was really good to be able to have the opportunity to experiment with all the interactive exhibits.

Tue 4 Sept
Little Z started Junior school. On the same site as her infant school, but nevertheless a different school and still slightly daunting for her. She got on well and her new teacher seems very pleasant. I am pleased to hear the class do not come in on monday morning to sit down and write in their weekend diary, but do thinking skills exercises and that the teacher regularly does "brain gym" type exercises with them.

Most of my close friends know what I did on Tuesday and have advised me strongly against doing this again. (Nothing sordid, just don't want to upset anyone by posting about the details.) I decided I have enough friends and so does my son!

Wed 5 Sept
Took Big J to Southsea's Blue Reef Aquarium. Big J walked for over 3 miles to and from the Aquarium to where we parked, which is not bad at all for a 3 year old. During the walk as Big J showed my how to crawl along the promenade like a wolf, I understood how he is going through a pair of trainers every 3 weeks. The aquarium was good, but quite a lot of money for the amount of time it took to get around. Big J liked the sharks best of all and has not stopped talking about sharks ever since. I confirmed what I already knew, which was that Portsmouth is a rip off tourist city. Each time I have been there, I have been intentionally short changed or overcharged by someone in the tourist trade. Next time I will go to Bournemouth instead where the tourist traders are more honest.

Thu 6 Sept
Went to a friends for lunch. That sounds like she made me lunch. In fact, I went to her house and made lunch for both of us while she did some DIY work which she should have been doing while we had been chatting for over an hour on the phone earlier.

Visited some friends in the evening and the weather was so lovely we sat in the garden. They have a lovely garden. Big J liked it so much he watered the flowers, which we only found out when he emerged from the other end of the garden pulling up his pants and saying "I've done a wee!" I am so proud.

Fri 7 Sept
Went to another friends with some exercise equipment she wanted to borrow. Didn't intend to stop for lunch, but did. Didn't have to make the lunch myself.

Seany went on his holiday. Well, at least it should keep my mum out of the pub!