Blogging Without Obligation

I found the link to this on another blog...and after seeing my blog over the past couple of weeks and some of the blogs I link to...I felt we needed this!

After coming across what seemed to be the 4000th or so post on someone's blog starting with "I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile." I decided it is time to rethink what makes a good blog and the expectations that have come to be part of it. I am thinking that no one should utter those words again . . .and with that thought I give you Blogging Without Obligation.
If you feel the same way feel free to grab the logo, make a logo or whatever you would like to do!
I release all the logos, thoughts and words mentioned here about this concept into the public domain. Take the idea and run with it. . .or walk away. It is all good.
Because you shouldn't have to look at your blog like it is a treadmill.
Because its okay to just say what you have to say. If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.
Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.
Because sometimes less is more.
Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.
Because they are probably not going to inscribe your stat, link and comment numbers on your tombstone.
Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be "bloggable".
Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won't be a chore. Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time. . .

So I have put the link in my sidebar, click it, thank Tartx and add it to your own blog!

Guilt Trip

I haven't posted since Tuesday since I do try to keep my blog light, but fluffy things haven't been happening.
Poor Darling Girl was sick and poorly at school. She is just about coming round now.
I haven't taken any time off to look after her, I have had to rely on my mum.

This blog is subtitled "Working Mum" but still the guilt trip gets you every time.

But at least my Girl is on the mend. And I got to spend Friday night, fighting a head cold with the aid of a big glass of red wine, chocolate and Doctor Who and Torchwood repeats.

Boasting!

One of the reasons I keep a blog is so that family and friends from far away can keep up with Darling Girl's progress.
So I am about to do some boasting!

Today she has:
earned merit points for her maths
been happy to practice spellings
moved up a level with her reading books
and
could identify detached, semi and terraced houses!

But she is most proud of a letter that came today. Over the summer we took part in the Library Summer Reading Challenge -The Big Wild Read! Its a national project and children have to read and rate up to 6 books all from the library. Darling Girl was keen to join in, rating her books and using the stickers to keep track. Today she was invited to the Town Hall in October, to receive a medal and a certificate. She is thrilled to bits!

Post

Look what arrived today in the post: Squeeeeeeee!

Booted

Darling Girl got to sleep at her Nanna's last night so we could get up early and do a car boot sale in the village this morning. Yawn!
We did quite well, but didn't sell as much as we'd hoped. I am really going to have to get over my ebay thing and give it a go. Either that or does anyone want a job lot of Star Trek DS9 videos?

Cyber Crop fever has hit UKS again. As usual the organisers (including my dear friend Tree) have come up with a great theme and a month's worth of classes. Some of the kits and class ideas look fabulous. On the minus side, I hope work slows down enough for me to enjoy it all. Unfortunately I have been placed in a team, led by the person who is able to wind me up the most out if everyone who posts on the entire internet (including the man who hates Freema Agyeman). So I shall not be in the chat threads, I will adopt a "holier-than thou" attitude and get all my lesson planning done so I can scrap! Which is, I suppose, the whole idea.

Finally, we have been living here a whole year this weekend. Thanks to the banks (not) and our removal men, we left our old home on the 22nd and started living here on the 23rd. We have already made some changes to this house (decorating kitchen, bathroom, Darling Girl's room, updated the front) and we are in the midst of making, organising, decorating a dining/family room overlooking the garden. We have so many plans for the rest of the house, not sure if the budget will cope. But overall we are so pleased we moved here. Its a lovely house, in a great area, which was only underlined by the number of folk we were able to say "hello" to at the boot sale.
I think we belong here.

Paperwork!

Not much to post at the moment...as I am working hard. Today I arrived at 8.15am and left at 5.30pm and still brought a day's work home to finish. And I wasn't the last to leave, there were four more behind me!

I have been: wrestling with paperwork; pupil tracking data and predicted levels; new planning regimes; new evidence gathering (taking photos is fine but dating them, adding LO and copying them enough times for them each child concerned to have a copy is all extra); new classroom management; IBPs; IEPs; dealing with A4 size bile filled letters from parents; other parents in tears; and, the peacock is back. Plus we had a very happy memo to tell us about new performance management. Plus we will be having "surprise observations" of up to 30minutes with no warning.

How long until the next holiday?

However, my beautiful Darling Girl came home from school on Thursday with an envelope. "Don't worry, its not a banged head letter!" she assured me, but I wasn't allowed to open it until I was sat down. In her own writing it was addressed to me with part of our address and contained this note:

That should keep me going!

Asploded!!!

I am going to see David Tennant!
I am going to see David Tennant!
I am going to see David Tennant!
I am going to see David Tennant!
I am going to see David Tennant!
I am going to see David Tennant!

I'm a bit excited about that!
I phoned the box office at lunchtime, sat in my car. I had an interesting chat with the girl form the box office. We have managed to get stalls tickets for both the Saturday night previews of Hamlet and Love's Labour's Lost.

I only have to wait 311 days...

Cheesy Peasy!

As some of you know, Hub likes to cook, and he is rather good at it! Most weekends he likes to experimEnt on Darling Girl and I. Sorry that should read he likes to try out new recipes!

Guess what Hub made for tea tonight? Cheesy Peas!
Actually it was really called minted pea and feta salad much tastier than it suggests and nothing at all like the Fast Show. Although I did laugh when he suggested it and had to take a photograph of the dish.

So if you would like to make your own Cheesy Peas:
You will need:
2 tbsp of olive oil;
2 tbsp of lemon olive oil;
3 spring onions;
100g feta cheese;
250g frozen peas;
a few mint leaves.

Method:

Cook peas in boiling water.
Meanwhile chop spring onions.
Crumble the feta.
Mix the oils and add chopped mint leaves.
Add onion and feta and mix.
Season as required.
Drain peas and add.
Mix and serve.


Its cheesy and its peasy!! And its very nice with lamb!

Produced at a crop

Just to prove I was productive at yesterday's crop. No pic of my CJ entry, but here are the LOs:

Knickerbocker Glory

About our trip to the ice cream parlour. Uses, almost exclusively K and Co "DollsHouse"

Meetings With Remarkable Owls.

The title was inspired by "Meetings with remarkable trees!" When we met the barn owl in the school holidays. The hambly overlay was from a kit, so it is lucky we met an owl so it could be used!

Reflections

Special big "thank you" to Scrappykaren for the GSD file. I am still struggling with welded words for my robo and she sent this one to me. Thanks Hun! Very simple LO with bazzill bling and DCWV flowers and some shinies. This is one of my favourite pics from our holiday, and is currently my PC wallpaper. So I just printed it it big!

Chorley Crop

It seems a long time since I was last at Chorley Crop - and it was only July. Plus I think I have seen everyone since my last crop. Nonetheless a productive and laughter-filled day.
I have been inspired. I loved Tree's mini book; Ickleviking's colourful pattern apaper LOs; Pol's CJ entry (how will I follow that?); Cara's cards; Helen's massive wedding album project; Wez's colour choices; Chris' spotty letters (such a simple idea, wish I'd thought of it!); Sue's bright and colourful LOs; and Scrappykaren's eyeletting and general hole bashing.

Thanks girls!

I completed a CJ entry for the Shakespeare CJ, fully completed 1 LO and am working on two more now, that just needed finishing touches.

But more than all that inspiration was I got to laugh until I cried!

More than annoyed

...when I saw this on the news.
I have defended Gordon Brown when discussing politics, and to see him welcome this mad evil woman into Number 10 really angered me.
Maybe it was spin, it deflated a big Tory news story, but as a socialist I feel utterly ashamed and let down. And I know from talking to colleagues I am not the only one.
I feel dispirited, let down by Gordon Brown, hurt, ashamed and more than a little annoyed.

Still working hard

We are all busy busy busy in our house.

With the planning deadline being tomorrow afternoon, I think I have just about got my head around the new Literacy framework. It is so long since I had to do some really intensive thinking and planning and it has taken me almost a week. I hope my brain is in better condition next week.

I love how Hub is so enthusiastic in his work that he comes home with samples. A blue face! Or brown stained arms (that's silver nitrate for you) and his jeans are spattered with acid burns.

And Darling Girl is loving school. One of the breakfast club staff nearly had me in tears yesterday when she praised my girl to the skies. Plus the merit points are rolling in! But best of all today she got to sit on the "Top Learner's Cushion" all day! And, apparently, it is very comfortable!

9/11

No one will ever forget where they where when they heard or how they cried.

A conversation

I was reminded today of the after-school conversations I have with Darling Girl.


Me: Did you have a lovely day?
DG: Yes!
Me: What did you do?
DG: All sorts of things.
Me: What did you like best?
DG: Everything. It was all brilliant.


However, today she decided that she wanted to race down the hill pretending to be a flying horse. At least she let me hold her hoof crossing the road.


As for me, I have been doing battle with the new literacy strategy, developments in phonics teaching and a new planning proforma. None of which I enjoyed.

But I did complete this LO last night!

Get your skates on!
Darling Girl's 5th birthday and learning to rollerskate with Auntie M, hence all the elephants. I had been saving my BG elephant paper jsut for a LO of the two of them together. The stamps are "3 bugs in a rug" and stamped beautifully. Thanks to Sue for helping me with the title!

Speke Hall

This afternoon we took advantage of the Heritage Day to visit Speke Hall. It was packed, so we didn't bother with the hall, no fun when you can't see what you would like and just enjoyed the grounds.

Darling Girl made the most of running around. She now feels the need to pose when photographed, so I made the most of this non-posed picture below. I try to get her when she isn't looking, but then she sees the camera from the corner of her eye; puts on a fake smile and crosses her legs and arranges her arms. I am deleting more photos than ever!

Retail Therapy

After a bit of retail therapy, you really do feel better!

These kits were ordered a few weeks ago, but both came this week. I feel better and inspired which is good news all round. I now only need to stay awake!

Homegrown Scrapbooks July

Cocoa Daisy August

But then I have just really splashed out!

I have had a phonecall from the manager of the caravan park we had the misfortune to stay in on holiday. He claims he has never had a complaint like ours before (oh really?). He claims to have taken on board that the caravan need no smoking signs, although patrons are reminded when checking in (no they aren't!). And also that he cannot market them as "non-smoking" if they cannot guarantee that a smoker hasn't abused this.

He also said that our other complaints were "unusual" (bad food and inadequate changing facilities at the pool) and implied that we were not his ususal clientale. Does that mean I'm a snob? Or was it a back-handed compliment?

Whatever it was, I don't care! He has offered us a nice big partial refund - and I have already spent it. My lovely fuji is a bit big to keep in my handbag, and my little ricoh is old and battered. I have spent some time since our holiday pricing up compact digital cameras. But then splashed out on today's special on QVC: an ultra slimline 8mega pixel pentax camera.

I love retail therapy!

I miss my...

...crocs!
Its been two days without crocs, and my feet are killing me!
Since I didn't think bright blue or fuschia pink were appropriate colours for work I have remained professional and returned to my trusty footgloves, which I once thought were comfortable. At least they do not look like multi coloured holey clogs.

I gave up. I was limping again last night and tonight. And this afternoon, once the children had gone home I resorted to bare feet!
This cannot go on. I'll have to take them tomorrow, if only to change into after the children have gone home.

I think I'll have to get a pair in a more professional colour!

Manic

Just feel like it has been a manic day!

Back to the classroom proper for me. My first full, teaching day since breaking my foot at the end of April. It was so strange, I was so worried that I had forgotten how to do it. But I got through a day and it just feels like juggling. A few little bloopers (like no projector for the smartboard and blinds installed so that the children cannot use the outside door) made for a stressful start to the day. Not to mention the peacock on the school field.
Its funny, I can cope with 30 children doing a variety of tasks, but I do have problems with 4 sheets of paper and a laptop. And it is the latter that is more likely to send me to pieces.
My working day ended with a real full-on, intensive staff meeting. I wish OFSTED would just hurry up and get here. Then I rushed off for foot rehab. Just what I needed after my first full day: an hour's circuit training for my foot!
I admit. I came home and collapsed. Darling Girl and I snuggled up together and vegged out watching Doctor Who.

As for Darling Girl. It was funny trying to get her up this morning. Uusally it's: "Are you ready to get up?" "Yes!" and she bounces out of bed. Today I had "No thank you!" for the first time ever! Its a pity it was her first breakfast club. But she was bouncy enough leaving the house and was the first at Breakfast Club, to be surrounded by staff all eager for someone to feed and play with. Later on Darling Girl pronounced that the club had been " Brilliant!" This is a good job because she will be going three times a week from now on!

Day One, Year One

Back to school.
Darling Girl was thriled to be back to school. She found it hard to sleep last night and was up bright and early this morning!

She is already home and reports having had a great day and meeting up with all her friends; writing her numbers, and a sentence; and, a kiss from James!

Not lost...

All may not be lost...
Breaking news on the David Tennant front is that Doctor Who 2009 is not going to happen. Probably because the lead actor has been offered the stage role of his life at the RSC. But there will be three "specials" instead.
So the speculation and rumour mill continues. Will he regenerate in 2008, or after the specials broadcast in 2009? Or even keep going until 2010?
We can but hope.

And yes although I am campaigning for Richard Coyle, I really would prefer David to stay.

2010, is it that far off? In work today we developed our strategic plan up to Sept 2010, remembering that it wasn't that long ago that we did the one up to Sept 2007.

I have that nervous/excited feeling about work. I am really looking forward to meeting the class. I have some input on the long-term strategy via the eco-school programme and whilst enjoying the idea of making a real environmental impact, the responsibility is a bit scary.

However, bigger things to concentrate on tomorrow. Darling Girl is back to school. Tomorrow id Day One, Year One!

Silly but creative.

Here area few sample pages from a silly mini-book I made. The design of the book was from seeing a book that Pol made after a Hebe Ambler class. It is like an accordian book, but using pattern papers to keep the accordian flowing, and then the back to back pieces are fixed together and covers added.

I am not sure if mine is as sturdy as Pol's book, but I do know mine is a bit sillier!

I used "3 bugs in a rug" papers and a few star embellishments.

So, the theme?

We took one of our little Doctor Who dolls on holiday with us. Every time we visited a location we took his photo at the spot. Unfortunately, some of the photos were really blurred andsome have hands in them. This is mainly due to the fact that we felt a bit embarrassed taking photos of a toy and we rushed them a bit.

So here they are, printed out 6x4, and put together with the name of the location, a relevant quote and a screencap of the original scene.

I said it was silly!

Time of year

It must be that time of year.

After all those months with my foot in need of rest and the school holidays, why is it that I suddenly feel the need to scrap everything? Maybe its because tomorrow (although I have already done 3 days) is my first official day back at work.

So here are some scrapbook entries I have completed over the weekend.