West London chat into Winter

[sfxmum]

hello folks chat away

Gak. Have just discovered that there is going to be a class monkey for DD in nursery this year. Requiring both a diary entry and photographs...

I really hate these things. They think we sit around all day doing bugger all. I would like to know the educational value of these pests. And photographs! How are you supposed to do photographs!?

Luckily our school holds parents beneath contempt and we are not required to do such things. Phew!

parents get super competitive with the diary, mostly obviously devised by parents choc full of 'exciting' activities for the stuffed animal - bless

to be fair all DS needed to do was draw a picture in a book of Jennifer, no photos or activities here (unless you count being in a swimming locker as "going swimming"?!)

Have always escaped until now. Nursery didn't do it when DS was there, and school doesn't do it (or World Book Day dress-up, or make us send in costumes for plays... bliss...) so I've always assumed we'd never have to do it.

Do these people not realise that it takes me a good fortnight to get round to buying new ink cartridges for the printer (although that has led me to discover that ours has gone on for a good three months of perfectly fine printing after the "you are about to run out of ink and are DOOMED unless you replace your cartridges RIGHT NOW" message. It is getting a little ropey quality-wise now, though). Actual printing of photos at 48 hours notice? Hmm...

Our printer has been moaning about "Toner Low (17%)" for ages. Is that bad? Things are turning out a pale shade of grey these days.

Am reading too many poorly written documents at the moment. It's so bad that you'd think cleaning toilets is a good and viable alternative.

Does anyone grow garlic chives? They are amazing - grows about 3cm in two days after harvesting! Monsters.

Contemplating make sausage rolls this afternoon for kids' tea and tomorrow's packed lunches. Is that healthy? (The lunch, not the contemplation.)

Grow and making. Reading badly written things is bad for you.

Take your toner cartridge out and give it a bit of a shake (from side to side). That generally gets you a bit of extra time from a laser printer.

our printing quality is quite poor at the best of times and the photos all come out with some weird tin or other.

lorcopper so long as they are not Greggs sausage roles don't think your MN membership will be rescinded

had frustrating half hr waiting for bus, serves me right for not walking into town, it would have taken me just as long, still building community spirit by bitching about it with a bunch of strangers neighbours at bus stop

tint

We had annoying class monkey thing and we took it swimming and for a picnic in Kew (middle class monkey obviously ). Had a real job trying to take a photo of the darned thing in Pools without being arrested (no cameras allowed). Got very impressive pic of it at the picnic though, wearing shades and with its own drink and sarnies

Am thinking of signing up for a Fetac Level 6 course in Childhood development & Psychology (to fill in the gap on my CV) and getting ridiculously excited about it.

SFX/Tilly how are your studies going?

Thinks: "must shake toner cartridge when I get home..."

Dusty studies going ok, doing a 'Mental Health perspectives/ practice' thing and hopefully adding 'working with young people families and children' in February
they are work intensive but I think worth it and interesting

and they overlap from February to June

Toner-cartridge-shaking is also on my list of things to do!

Sausage rolls out of oven - posh ones, proper sausages in the middle with tomatoey parmesan bready crust. Crust works well with hot dogs, so hopefully works for posh waitrose sausages too. Will know in 5 minutes when kids are let loose upon them.

I hate homework. Especially the ones that says "look through newspaper/magazine and cut out X or Y or Z and glue them."

"I can't find X!"
"Y is stuck on glue stick and I can't get it off!"
"I've just cut Z but it's DISAPPEARED!!!"
"It's too small!"
"It's too big!"

AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!

Have to confess I do the cutting after the second one. Harrumph.

Copper I hate homework too - it much gets harder as they get older

SFX that sounds really interesting

Am trying to book myself onto some training for ppl who work with Travellers as most of our clients are Travellers and am getting excited about that too :)

Can't wait to do Fetac thingy - would like to do post grad certificate but am feeling time poor and cash poor, so will do the Fetac 6, which I think is A Level ish (does anyone know?).

Copper sounds delish mmmmmm

Have been through all our official paperwork with DS, adoption certificates from both countries etc he seemed reassured that no-one could "steal" him. I think he suspects that his friend didn't want to leave though that hasn't been mentioned at all, silly really as I suppose it an obvious conclusion to draw.

and can you beleive in teh swimming pool changing room, mother of three boys moaning about them and old biddy she's talking with says "oh boys are a nightmare, girls so much easier" Am pissed off on so many levels:

1 - how can she say that in fornt of this womans boys and DS (presuambly she thinks any child is deaf)
2 - really object to the idea that girl are "easy" - quiet/submissive/compliant and that is somehow deemed to be a good thing
3 - that childrne of one gender are all teh same
4 - that these boys behaviour (not that bad IMHO) was somehow unrelated to the womans ratehr ineffectual approach to them.
5 - that I didn't say loudly to DS - ignore the silly ladies I think boys are lovely.

Kew - yes I hear that about boys and girls all the time. They say it right in front of the children, boys and girls. I feel honour-bound to defend my boys: "Oh no, they are fine. They get on very well." Cue enormous fight. Usually. But it is so bloody stupid. So so so stupid on so so so many levels it leaves you speechless and agog and aghast and depressed.

But it is time to teach the children how NOT to jump into conclusion based on a pathetically small sample size. It is just not scientific. Bloody stupid idiots.

That's better. Now to breakfast.

DD spent last night throwing up enthusiastically . I am hoping it's the same thing minisfx had, as she's managed four mini fromage frais this morning without apparent ill-effects (am allowing one per episode of Dora). But tricky to manage around work -- actually today may be fine as I have to dial into virtual presentation of a meeting in Derby I opted out of going to in person, and so far only have a link to watch the slides and not to listen to the audio or subject everyone else to Dora, Boots and co. But tomorrow will be more difficult.

KewC lots of love and continued reassurance I know you know how long it takes for such feelings to be processed

and regarding boys a few mums at the school refer to the smug mothers of girls, well for many of the reasons you pointed out I agree with you, I don't want dd to be a stereotype, boys and girls do have their differences but it is not good or bad, it is disheartening and a source of many continued issues between genders imo

professor I do hope it is a one time deal, headphones and treat for child might help with conference call

dolphin the SEU funded a few programmes for people working with Travellers, I read a few god things about the Sussex Traveller. Women's Health Project.Friends Families and Travellers (2005) and Parry,G wrote on the subject I think attached to Sheffield uni

aunt and sister visiting for the day, house still a tip because I choose jog over housework

also regarding public misbehaviour parents often feel to self conscious to deal effectively with challenges a sort of performance anxiety

you would have thought we would be past such nonsense by now

Oh my giddy aunt, the old "boys are so difficult" thing eh? WHY do people persist with coming out with this nonsense. I seem to hear this sort of comment at least once a day, it is very odd indeed!

Am starting to potty train ds today which will presumably be a nightmare "because he is a boy"

Not achieving today, oh dear, can the winter apathy be arriving already when it is barely autumn?!?!

Hope everyone is ok, Professor, hope your day is vomit-free!

westwing - DS1 wasn't really difficult with potty-training, not compared to all the horror stories one hears about how difficult boys are! DS2 practically trained himself. So, from a sample size of two (out of goodness knows how many boys) I conclude that boys are easy to potty-train. There.

Hope everyone is well and vomit-free.