Sleepover

There are many things we do as parents that after we have done them we look back and say "Thank Goodness that's all over." Birthday Parties, for example. Having 10 of your child's friends running around your house, is something you just have to put up with once a year (per child! - glad I stopped at 2!) It is always difficult when you have other children in your house. They never have the same house rules at home that you do and they do things you wouldn't let your own children do, not because they are naughty or disrespectful, but just because everyone has different routines at home.

Little Z has been asking for weeks if Little A could come for a sleepover. Little Z has never had a sleepover before, but having just turned 9 is at that age where she feels more grown up and wants to start having her friends to stay the night. They asked so many times that I finally gave in and so yesterday I picked up Little Z & Little A from school and after watching Little Z take part in the school's last cross country race of the season we all went back to our house for dinner.

I was surprised by how calm and sensible they were. I expected to have to keep nagging them to pick their things up and not make such a mess or to stop teasing Big J (something Little Z tends to like doing when she has friends around), but they were very well behaved and Little Z was much calmer than she usually is. We watched Doctor Who on DVD during which the girls sat together quietly snuggled up on the sofa. They had their hot chocolate and then went to bed. Again, I expected to have to go in there several times to tell them to go to sleep and not to make so much noise as they were keeping Big J awake. I didn't. They talked for 5 minutes, then it was quiet. Within 15 minutes, they were asleep. It is never that easy when it's just Little Z and Big J to put to bed. Maybe we should have friends to stay more often!

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!

Strut Your Stuff for Charity

At the end of last week, a friend of mine invited me to a charity shop fashion show she had organised at her church in aid of Naomi House. Anyone who knows me knows that I hardly ever go out socially and usually stay at home with the family. However, I thought it sounded like fun and decided to go. Little Z said she would like to model something on the catwalk, so we went shopping. I was very impressed with what I managed to buy:



The first outfit she wore was a French Designer Dress (actually, I don't know if it was designer, but it makes it sound better!) It cost £1.49.

The pink trousers were originally from H&M and the top originally from Next. I bought them for £99p and £1.99. So the whole lot came to less than £5.

Little Z enjoyed herself on the catwalk, she got her feet massaged by another of our friends who is a qualified reflexologist and she also managed to win £5 for being voted "Most Fashionable"!

We all had fun and most importantly my friend raised a lot of money for charity!

Le Meme Chose (The 'Meme' thing!)...

I sat down to look at my blog this morning after a busy week of supply teaching, personal statement writing, application completing, interview question prep, interview lesson planning, interview, dealing with little Z's nose bleeds (not, I hasten to add, caused by Big J) and a few mundane things. It's not unusual to have no comments on my blog, so It was nice to find that my reliable Big Bruv and my 'neglected by me but not forgotten' blog friend, Kerenza, had both left comments without me realising as I have not had chance to check my emails either this week!

I thought it was about time I visited Kerenza's blog and while looking through her recent posts found she had created herself a "Meme". Having no idea what this was, I decided to do a bit of finding out. On my search I found the daily meme which, if you also do not know what I am talking about (please, someone say you have never heard of it), gives a clear explanation of what a meme is. So, I thought I would have a go myself at Kerenza's Meme. It was harder than I thought, but here goes...



1. Dr Who - usually catch the repeats as well.

2. Torchwood - watching back episodes. Can't wait for new series.

3. Hotel Babylon - same as above.

4. Grey's Anatomy - Haven't seen this recently, but really would like to make time for it.

5. Teacher's TV Primary Zone- lets you into other peoples classroom to see how they teach. I love seeing expert teachers doing things I do - it makes me feel really good about my teaching.

6. Extras - Back episodes again (the wonders of technology!)Ricky Gervais really makes me laugh in a "How does he get away with it" sort of way.





1. How to talk so Kids will Listen, and Listen so kids will talk by Faber & Mazlish. (predictably my no.1)

2. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Not a week goes by when I don't share this with children in the classroom or read it at home with my own children.

3. Belonging by Jeannie Baker. She has done a range of lovely picture books for older readers. Really good for class discussions on a range of environmental issues. Really worth a look.

4. Pete My Story by Pete Bennett. Somehow I expected this book to be better than it is. Interesting reading about his childhood though.

5. How to Create and Develop a Thinking Classroom by Mike Fleetham

6. Waiting patiently for the new Harry Potter to be released. I shall confine myself to the cupboard under the stairs then read & read until I have finished!




1. Julie Andrews

2. Emma Thompson

3. Catherine Zeta-Jones

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

5. Juliet Stevenson

6. Catherine Tate - Foul mouthed and not at all glamorous, but she makes me laugh out loud and I need that sometimes.



1. David Tenant

2. Alan Rickman (yes, I know how old he is, buut he has the certain something)

3. Orlando Bloom

4. Johnny Depp (sexier as he gets older)

5. Colin Firth

6. Val Kilmer (Forever!)





1. Love Actually

2. Nanny McPhee

3. All the Harry Potter Films

4. Truly Madly Deeply

5. Sliding Doors

6. All the Aardman Animations Films - Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run etc.




1. Talk to my husband!

2. Go Canoeing

3. Learn to play the Guitar (I started, but didn't get far)

4. Learn Polish (Am learning slowly, but would like to have more time to do it)

5. Go to the gym (finances allowing)

6. Tidy the house (of course it's at the bottom - it's less fun than the others)




1. Peanut KitKat Chunky

2. Cadbury's Chocolate Buttons

3. Millionnaire's Caramel Slice

4. Thorntons champagne Truffles

5. Nesquik Chocolate Milkshake (Makes lovely smooth hot choc too!)

6. Thornton's Cranberry, Orange & nuts chocolate bar.

Friends Reunited

Today was the last day of the holidays for Big J. He goes back to day nursery tomorrow after 6 days off (including the weekend). So, with a great sigh of relief, I can now put the prozac back into the cupboard until the next time I have him at home for more than 2 days!

Bless him, I am actually doing him an injustice. Although he is very lively which makes him difficult to keep occupied on rainy days he is well behaved when I take him anywhere and is very good at getting on with other children.

On Friday I got back in touch with a friend I have not seen for almost two years. Her eldest daughter is the same age as Little Z and her son is the same age as Big J (we met when we were expecting the boys)and she also has another daughter in between. As a teacher, I have the unusual trait of disliking other people's children! Well, I don't actually dislike them, I just don't like them in my house!These are about the only children I will allow to come to my house as they are well behaved and their mum makes sure they treat my house with respect.

We arranged to meet up today at their house and were all quite excited. Little Z and Little N had been best friends at pre-school until they both went to different infant schools and they moved house. We all had busy lives and although we didn't mean to lose contact we just did.

I am so glad we got back in touch again. We had a lovely day today and although K and I spent hours (in between sorting out various squabbles) chatting, I feel like we still have loads of catching up to do. The boys played together really well. The last time they saw each other they were only about a year old and didn't really acknowledge each other. Little Z and Little N loved seeing each other again and now Little F (this is going to get confusing!) is older she was able to join in with the older girls too.

It was so nice to see them again and this time we will definitely try harder to stay in touch.

Here comes the bride...

Two of my friends have got married in the past month or so and it has made me think about when I got married. I was only 20 at the time and many people warned that we were too young and it wouldn't last. The postie and I will celebrate 12 years' of marriage this year, but, you never know, maybe it won't last !?

My friend, Ali, got married on Saturday at Christ Church in Bournemouth. After several days of heavy rain, I wondered if she was going to have rain on her special day, but for the important parts of the day it did stay dry. From start to finish it was a really lovely day. Ali looked very happy, as did her new husband, Stu. I spent a lot of the day asking little Z to stop touching Ali's dress. At one point Ali thought her veil was caught on something and turned to find my little one holding it. Little Z and I thoroughly enjoyed the day and after this and Sarah's lovely wedding a few weeks ago, I am waiting to see which of my friends will be next down the aisle...