Elevenses !!!!!!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

ah, we can only do 1000, so here's the new one, hope you find it !

Hello

What a pain about the car MAS! When do you have to give it back? I think it's a girl thing - I often scrape our wheel trims, but dh rarely does...

Hippi, hope you've recovered from your fall. It sounds like you were well looked after.

I think streaming for PE is a fantastic idea I would have loved to play sport with others of a similar ability - I'm not the most sporty of girls and I pretty well blame my secondary school for putting me off for life. If you weren't up to trying out for the teams, then the sports staff weren't at all interested in you Ritual humiliation it was. Dh was much sportier than me, so I'm hoping B will have inherited some of it!

I'm still not feeling fantastic, still coughing etc, but am better than I was. I must have been ill, not to have felt like MNing! The house is a tip, due to lack of housework, so am trying to tackle it slowly. Isn't the weather foul though?

Oh no, what a pain about the car MAS - it sounds like the sort of thing I would do (our wheeltrims are in a dreadful state) and I would be fretting about telling the garage.

Sorry to hear you are not well hotcross - hope you fell better soon. Am at 'too ill to be on MN' - you must have been very poorly!!
Met a girl at school today with your name. Made me (Your RL name, not hotcrossbunny which would have made me )

Work is still fun. My worst hour with boy is numeracy (for various reasons) but today it was cancelled due to a sponsored dance event. So I got to spend the hour cutting, laminating and re-cutting silver paper rockets. Such a taxing job!
Actually, most of the display materials are produced on the computer. And if you are a little rusty in all areas of computer work this can be a bit challenging [fret] But I am getting there and the other staff are lovely regarding helping.

My knee is still very sore. I have a hard tender purple and yellow swollen lump the size of half an apple (and as raised as a plum) on my kneecap and blue/green bruising the size of a dinnerplate surrounding it. It is still very tender to touch and every know adn then I forget my self and kneel down - ouch!!

Right, I better go and get some cleaning done, E has her lovely friend W coming for tea tonight and housework has been sorely neglected recently. Sob.

poor knee - sounds very colourful !! (but hurty) and do hope you are feeling much better hotcross... @ idea of meeting someone called hotcross !!
Took the courtesy car back yesterday afternoon and it was all ok - the man was fine -I was apologetic and very sorry - I do feel very bad about it and cross with myself for being so careless. I am generally v good at parking and the road was unusually clear too,which makes it ten times worse !!
T still has bad cold but it ok and cheery enough - went to school anyway and made a risotto ! Think I am having the beginnings of the cold though as I feel hot and sore throatish, but it might pass !
I loved sporty things at school - I was never fast at things like running but I enjoyed the competitive bit - I loved netball and adored rounders as I was v good at catching !! My almost bit of sporting glory was being a reserve in the district sports 800m
I used to play tennis (v badly) with my brother and his friends,and of course swimming. T and dh not sporty at all, my brother is very as is my dad.

hi ! this thread is almost full
Hope respective cold and knee better today you two..
Thought of you doing maths hippi when H asked me to help him with his fractions homework yesterday -was childminding -I had to tell him I was hopeless at maths and would be best not to let me try helping !! - he had a good go himself and managed to do several problems,so that was good ! S was invited next door to play,so I just had care of H and we watched Spongebob and a bit of Mission Impossible 2. With S I need to do things,like crafts or elaborate 6 yr olds games and quite frankly was pleased to have a rest as my head was aching !!
T brought risotto home from food tech. - v nice.Dh insisted on us having it as it was (ie not heated up) as he reckons it's dangerous to reheat rice ??! - so,actually it wasn't as nice as it woul;d have been HOT but T had got the texture of rice spot on and the vegetables were v good. What do you reckon about reheating rice ?

My mum reheated rice based dishes regularly throughout our childhood as dad never ate with us (he always came home from work late). Dad is still very much alive! (and still a lover of rice dishes be it reheated or otherwise) So I think it would have been fine.

Knee is fine but still colourful, swollen and sore.

Am very tired - long day at work today and it is the last time I will be able to come home at 2 on Weds and Mons. I have 40 'missing' minutes (as in I am being paid for them but we could not fit them neatly onto the timetable so they are 'floating') on my timetable which I am supposed to make up throughout the week. But as of next week I am taking them as 2 x 20 minutes on Mon and Weds and then, because at 2.20 there is no point going home, I am going to carry on with Toe by Toe as a volunteer (for now, teh SENCO is going to try to squeeze another hour's pay out of the head at some point )
It seemed the best use of my time (because even finishing at 2, by the time I have gone home it is time to go back to school almost) and it means that on my short days I can leave at 12 without feeling I need to stay behind to make up my 'missing' minutes.

We took O to the open evening of one of our 2 local secondary schools last night. The one furthest away from us. Nice school, there was nothing I did not like. However, not within walking distance. Parking near it was impossible and as it shares the road with a large Junior School apparently in the mornings and afternoons it is impossible to get close to either school.
So driving O there is not an option (especially as I have to get E to the Junior SChool and I am hoping to still be working at the Junior School next year) and the bus is both expensive and longwinded. It leaves very early, takes a long time, and drops the kids a good 20 minutes before school starts.
So I am convinced I want O to go to the school which is within walking distance (The one I invigilated at and which I like )
But still, huge decision to be making and the school last night seemed soooooo big! Gasp!

go with your instincts on this one hippi ! am sure you'll be making the right decision. Which does O favour ?
Think you're right about the rice -I'd've heated it up too- but never mind
You are working hard too - I am so lazy by comparison...haven';t done anything useful today except for the shopping and a bit of ironing.Will make T a cup of tea and a snack and head up to my room !

O likes the one we saw last night (woking high), but he has not seen winston churchill yet. W.C is the one I know due to invigilating, my niece has just finished there, my nephew is there, it is where I play badminton, so to me it is not a strange place. Of course O has never seen it. Open evening is tomorrow night. I am hoping he will like it too because the more I think of it the more impractical the further away one is. Gut instinct for me is W.C. Let's hope O agrees with me

E gained her second proficiency award in gymnastics today - she is delighted. I have paid for it and she will be awarded the certificates, ribbons and the badge next week
Apparently to gain level 9 all girls have to be able to do jumps on the balance beam, a 'on the spot' jump onto the vault, a forward and backward roll over the high bar and a handstand and straight leg cartwheel. E apparently did her cartwheel one-handed [gasp]

I have a killer of a headache and am fretting about my floating 40 minutes. I am supposed to take them as 'ancillary' which is the cutting, gluing, laminating etc. But I will be taking them as SN time (by doing the Toe by Toe). I don't mind but am worried the head will still expect me to do 40 minutes of cutting, gluing, crafting etc. (which I don't mind, it is very easy) I don't liek 'not doing things by the book' as it were. The SENCO agreed to me doing the SN reading but she is so busy and overworked I doubt she really took in what I was asking her. Oh well.....

Dh is workign away back in Manchester for the next 5 nights. I hate it. O is taking part in a swimathon on Saturday and dh won't see it.

Right, am off to make a cup of tea. Back later

Oh well done E !!! am in awe at gymnastics - so clever
Am sure that you can persuade O that 'your' school is best - sounds the best option all round from what you've said.
Try not to get in a tizzy about your floating minutes - I do know how you feel,I'd fret exactly the same !!
Have been chatting on b cancer forum to local-ish lady who is being treated at my hosp. by same team and might be going to meet her in a week or so,to have coffee. She has had to stop her chemotherapy because she is allergic to the drugs,which is pretty scary -not only being so allergic but also not being able to continue with that treatment.She'll be having radiotherapy and tamox. next - she sounds v nice and now I have met online friends before in RL it seems not so scary !

Am confused I definitely added a message yesterday, all about reheating rice, looking at schools etc and it's NOT HERE! Won't bother repeating myself...

Fantastic news about E's gymnastics! She is a star! I'm in about the one-handed cartwheel! I'm amazed how bendy B is, and I know she'd love love love gymnastics. She's been doing handstands and walking on her hands, it wont be long before she's doing headstands against the wall. I don't know how my dsis and I managed to spend so much time upside down

Don't worry about the floating minutes Hippi. The school will get their pound of flesh from you at some point in the future no doubt. It all evens out I'm sure.

MAS - definitely meet up with the woman! How lovely to have someone close by to talk things through with. However, don't feel you have to continue to meet if the only thing you have in common is health related!

We went to look round the Junior School yesterday, which was very interesting. I think B will be happy there, and there shouldn't be a problem getting a place as we're quite close. Mentioned it to mum, and got the usual lecture about making sure it was truly fantastic academically. Well, a) we're not going to choose a complete academic disaster zone and b) I'm mostly interested in whether I think b will fit in and enjoy being there. I hated school, even though it was the highest achieving in the area - didn't mean there weren't bullies though

Must go and sort the washing. Back later

Hi hotcross - I had that same problem yesterday, did end up repeating myself though...
Yes, E is forever doing handstands against the wall - I have the scuffmarks to prove it as she forgets to take her shoes off first!
Glad to hear nearby Junior School looks good.
MAS, definately meet up with that woman, how lovely

Have just come home froma very stressful day at school. Boy misbehaved badly in literacy (one of the other TA's ended up telling me he was distracting her charge )and numeracy was a nightmare as he just cannot remember numbers from one second to the next. Odd because if I tell him the word 'book' and ask him 30 seconds later he remembers. But if I ask him to drite a number 2 and within 30 seconds point to the number and ask him to tell me what it is he does not remember. Aaaaarrrrrgggggh..... [sob]

Just grabbing a quick lunch, then I need to run around Sainsbury before collecting the urchins. And tonight is WC open eve

Hope you are both ok and enjoying the sunshine!

Sorry you've had a tough day Hippi. When I helped in school I used to hate it when the teacher told off a child in one of my groups, but had to remember that children will act up for adults who are not the main class teacher. Try not to let the boy see his behaviour is getting to you - he's probably cross at having to be in school and frustrated at his slow progress and is taking it out on you. I'm sure you're doing absolutely marvellously One-to-one can be tremendously rewarding, but also very intense and frustrating...

Am loving the sun Only thing is it shows up just how dirty my windows are

am glad junior school looks promising hotcross
and very sorry to hear of your stressful day hippi - try not to let it get you down - agree with what hotcross says..you're doing brilliantly with him by all accounts, but there are bound to be some bad days.
I will meet that woman I think,she does sound nice and have hooked up with her on fb too...I am a little wary of surrounding myself with bc things ie. spending time on the forums, but mostly I go on there and offer bits of advice to new folk (in return for the good advice given to me in the past few months !)- plus there are a few people I have been 'chatting' to who have similar diagnoses to me,so it's quite nice to have that link. This lady is a bit younger than me and has had an aggressive tumour which had spread to her lymph nodes,hence the chemo.(or not now she is so allergic)
Have been out to buy new acrylic and water colour ink and some watercolour paper -the inks are about £4.75 a bottle so I restrained myself and only bought two.

hope the open day is good hippi and that O loves the school

can I run something by you guys ?
my agent is organising a get together in London in November to just get her illustrators together- part social thing and partly to talk about work, the agency etc etc...sounds a nice idea - am in several minds though as mainly it'll cost me a bit to get up and back by train and money is to be watched carefully (though I could put it down as an expense for tax purposes !) and although I've met my agent obviously,I shan't know anyone else there- I'm just thinking that they'll be very into it all,whereas I might feel a bit out of it...am I being silly ?

It does sound like a nice idea, and is there a possibility it could lead to further work? Or does all work come via the agent only?
If the former then I would urge you to go. If the latter then I would stay home. I am no good in social situations where I know no-one especially if I am way out of my comfort zone (such as travelling to London)

Was a bit cross with the other TA I must admit. But she has been in the job forever adn is very stern with children and adults alike. She did have a point, boy was distracting her charge, but her charge was also distracting boy. They are pals and a pair of mischief makers. She did tell me she had told off her charge so at least she was not laying the blame squarely at boy. I did feel bad though - can't help but take it a bit personally.
Am more concerned about the complete lack of number recognition. Any wise suggestions? Please? [begs]

Am sure open evening will be great. We are going to walk there as I want to point out to O just how close it is (20 minute brisk walk maximum). Will also make a big deal of showing him I know my way around so he feels 'less lost' if that makes sense.
I just hope O loves it as I do not want to turn the whole secondary school thing into a battle where I want him to go to A and he wants to go to B.

Will fill you both in tomorrow if not tonight.

the TA sounds a bit scary - it must be very difficult though if both are playing up...try not to take it all too personally.
Have no clue about helping with number recognition - perhaps he has the number equivalent of dyslexia ?
I think that if I do go to this thing then my agent would be pleased - but work only comes if there is a job which I'm suitable for and I get picked by a client - so,no,it wouldn't lead to work but might make me feel more a part of things.
I suppose too I get the chance to say what kind of work I'd like to do, but I think she knows that !

How exciting MAS! My grown up head says you should definitely go - great networking opportunity etc etc - but I know if it were me, I'd dread the very idea of it, and think of a good excuse not to go

Hope the school visit goes really well and that O loves the school Hippi! Try not to let the other TA bother you - there always seems to be one over-officious member of staff! About the number recognition...if he's not improving at all, then could you maybe have a word with the Maths Coordinator? They might have some useful tips/ideas.

B has words to say at the Harvest festival tomorrow and I'm ridiculously nervous for her. This is the first time she'll perform infront of parents...I have a very funny feeling that her lovely loud reading voice will desert her when she needs it I really hope she enjoys it though.

Oh WOW, oh wow oh wow. That is my summary of the Winston Churchill School open evenign.
It was brilliant. We have literally just got back.
The head's speech was warm and truthful, the school was heaving with current pupils and buzzing with their excitement. The pupils were doing the science experiments (as opposed to the teachers at teh other school) and busy setting fire to the science lab ceiling in their entusiasm. There were pupils acting in the drama block, jamming in the music block, and just generally milling about. I spoke to a few of them and apparently the head had just announced that anyone who fancied coming along tonight was more then welcome to do so. As a result the place was heaving Whereas at Woking High it was prefects by invitation only. It was almost as if they had hand selected their good / presentable pupils only.
There was a vibe about the place, a sense of fun. Whereas Woking High certainly gave a very polished performance but it was more 'sterile' and whilst the pupils were perfectly pleasant they were a bit 'bland'. They spoke highly about their school but the spark was not apparent (at least not to me)
I came away knowing 100% certain it is the school where I want O to go. Luckily he loved it too
Right, they have had their drink and biscuit, am going to put them to bed now.

brilliant hippi !!!!! that sounds exactly like T's school open evening - yay - am so pleased that it was a success and that O loves it too - result
Good luck to B tomorrow for Harvest Festival

YAY! It sounds fab Hippi and great that O is enthusiastic too

Right, off to bed. Night night.

Thank you both I can not tell you how pleased I am that the logical choice (nearest, most convenient) is also the 'most right'
If we had preferred Woking High we would have had a terrible dilemma on our hands...

Good luck to B for Harvest Festival. It is O's Harvest Festival tomorrow too. He has a lead role in one of the Y6 acts so hopefully I will be able to watch. Have had to tell E I won't be able to come to hers this year - shame because she is reciting a poem and has some lines to say. OH well..

Right, am off to bed, night night...

Hello hello Hope you've both had lovely weekends.

MAS - have you decided about the work thing?

I'm needing your help! We've been invited to a friend's drink and bbq on Saturday to celebrate the birth of their first baby and their wedding They're having a very small ceremony in the morning, then we're all invited to their house from 2:30 onwards. What on earth do I wear??? I've scoured the shops, and haven't come up with anything. It's all 60s fluorescent stuff or party party clothes. Also I'm on a very tight budget... Any ideas? I've been trying on clothes this morning and I wondered if I could wear a light green knee-length moleskin skirt, a deep green wrap cardi and black suede high-heel boots, or would that be too posh? I wore it to a christening recently, but we went to an hotel for lunch after...

that outfit sounds very nice and autumnally suitable- I love green and I love wrap cardis - you'll look lovely I'm sure of that. Purply necklace/beads would look nice (I say this as my best friend gave me a gorgeous green glass brooch for my bday to put on my purple velvet coat -so purple and green are good together !!)
I think I probably will go to the agents thing -I'll check on train fares etc, but on balance it would make me look keen and available and interested,which must be a good thing..my agent might think I can't be bothered otherwise.
Weekend was fine, bit of a nothing one really - horrid weather yesterday. Hope you are all fine and dandy
How were Harvest Festivals btw ?

Oh yes, I like the sound of purple (and it gives me a chance to buy something new, without spending a lot IYSWIM?) Actually, mum gave me a purply patterned pashmina thing for my birthday, so I can wear that outside. Thank you!

Harvest was lovely, but difficult to hear or see B read in a good loud voice, but the kiddies in the audience were all wailing/chatting/screeching. I don't know why the parents don't either sit them on the floor at the front so they can see their siblings or sit near the back and take them out if they're noisy We were sitting about 5 rows back and I only got the odd glimpse of B's head The school need to sort out seating arrangements IMO.

Think you're right to go to the agent thing. It's always good to show your face I think!

grrr about little/noisy kids at concerts etc - used to make me very cross !!
Purply pashmina sounds just the thing..Accessorize always has nice bits & not too expensive- I think it's true what they say about accessories lifting an outfit !!