It's a bit of a waffley post.

It's almost the end of the year.

And I cannot WAIT.

I love this time of year. No, actually I do. I know I know, I do moan about the dark mornings and the dark nights and the rain etc.

I rarely moan about the cold. I like the cold. I am going to moan for a sentence or two about work. Or more about the temperature at work. They've had a total overhaul of the heating system and the electrics. People who read this need to know, it's like GOING INTO A BLAST FURNACE EVERYDAY. It's like going to the centre of a volcano everyday. It's like going to the Sahara everyday. It's like going to the middle of a scotch bonnet bird's eye chilli. It's like going to the surface of the sun itself.
It is NOT my age, so please do NOT ask am I entering my periwinkle phase!!
I think the School finance manager may drop down dead on the spot when she gets the heating bill- that's if she's not died already from being flash roasted at a billion degrees centigrade in her office.
It is November.
I'm going to work in a thin short sleeved t shirt and bare legs. It's TOO FRIGGING HOT. I cannot BEAR it. I'm falling asleep.
I feel like I'm hibernating in a nice warm bear cave. The children are sick, dropping like flies. If I wake up with a raging cough tomorrow I won't be surprised. The germ soup in the atmosphere is almost palpable. In Y3 French today we learnt 'Je tousse' - I have a cough, 'J'ai le fievre' - I have flu and alsorts of others at their request that we can add to our conversations! J'ai mal a la tete! J'ai mal a le ventre ( think that one is spelled wrong n maybe should be feminine - but it means I have tummy ache!)

I'm rambling now but OMG I LOVE my Y3 class. I teach them RE, they adored Papa Panov, ( I will break their little hearts next week with The Little Matchgirl ), Music - glorious at it, PHSE- we are all going to be responsible citizens in touch with our feelings and French. We are not going to be in touch with the French. French is the fourth subject. Though should they WANT to get in touch with the French, they will do so with ease.

They are FANTASTIQUE at it. So quick, such eagerness. I can go off track ( like today's doctors surgery role play ) and back to the scheme very easily.
We played colours bingo. They only learnt colours for the first time last week. They ALL know, confidently, TWELVE colours.

I think they are just brilliant! I think they like me too! They behave for a start!

But although I moan about the unrelenting heat at work, I love the sound of Nativity rehearsals going on. It's the Christmas Fair at the end of the week and each class make crafts to sell. I've already broken out the glitter. I bloody love the stuff! I will mostly be helping make chocolate lollipops on Friday. Fingers crossed they work out please! ( Edible glitter has been bought!)

My piece de resistance this week was the Fully Interactive Optical illusion display outside our classroom. So eager were the children to get 'hands on' before it was finished, I had a private joke with myself and spoke the words out loud 'Move along please, nothing to see here!'

Cracking myself up again!! I tried to get some photos - was difficult to get child free ones! - It really is better in real life!

Just hope that one day Harry will be able to play with all this sort of equipment. Count your blessings today people.
Rachel xx

A LEVEL RESULTS DAY

I have been waiting for this day like a child ( and myself ) waits for Christmas Eve. The tension has been unbearable. I have crippled myself with the 'what iffing'.

Everyone has said she'll be fine, not to worry. I've had an incessant, deep down, gnawing negative feeling twisting and churning in my stomach.

At 5am this morning I woke, after yet another night of nightmares, whereby I play out all sorts of situations.

At 7am, she asks me, where is my leaving school certificate? - I need it to collect my results. This sodding certificate has been on the table for weeks. She's been asked to move it. More than twenty times! So I now write this post in my bedroom, which looks like a bomb has gone off it in. I have ransacked EVERYWHERE. Incredibly I find it, in a pile of her stuff that she brought upstairs and for some reason PUT IN MY ROOM?? I shouted at her that I didn't need this stress. She shouted back neither did she. I bit my tongue. No, she didn't. Poor lamb.

At 7.15am she sets off for school.

At 8am - I get a text. it simply says B C C
At 8am - I text back WELL DONE XXX
At 8.01am I text back well, how many points is it??? I think why don't I look it up myself?

At 8.02am - she texts to say she thinks she's only got enough for her second choice.

At 8.03 am she rings. I answer, She is crying. I start crying. " MUM I GOT IN I GOT IN I GOT IN"

She got in to her first choice of Uni. She knows, she's checked on the  online tracker thingy. Her phone signal goes.

I ring her Dad who is at work.  He's so pleased. I text her to ask a million questions. She replies - stop texting you are blocking my phone!!!

About twenty minutes ago, she landed home, I hugged her - then demanded her log in details so I could see for myself! The UCAS page takes FOREVER to load.



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The Current Status of your application is

Congratulations! Your place at X University to study History has been confirmed.
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HOORAY!! I feel like cartwheeling round the room. Then I remember that
a) I am fat and forty one
b) no sodding room due to piles of daughter stuff, pre uni romm clear out and now opened drawers and ransacked cupboards due to certificate searching, which, by the way was NOT required!
So, the hideous waiting is over. All the hard work she put in paid off. Yet, I am still crying!

In one month's time, my darling, precious, first born will leave home.

But I am so OVER THE MOON about it. What a fantastic achievement for her. She asked for pancakes for breakfast. I said she can have anything she wants!! I am so proud.

I do have a half written post - for tomorrow - but I needed to post this one today! So so chuffed to little bits!

Love Rachel.x

Vintage or just old?

 Moi? have to admit - am getting old!

This post was inspired a bit by a conversation I saw on Twitter.
 Where the subject of Children's paintings were being discussed. As in how many do you keep?! 

( I actually have kept EVERYTHING from my babies bar for a few clothes etc - it's frugal loft insulation!)

Now I used to keep them ALL! I couldn't bear to throw them away.  ( the loft was becoming too much of a fire hazard!) But the reality is it does gets ridiculous!

I worked in a Nursery. I used to snigger at the crest fallen face of the poor harassed mama having to collect her child clutching ANOTHER 16 wet paintings of the same thing!!  But I too have been that poor harassed mama!

Pre Nursery, pre little Brother my daughter loved to paint. So we had tons of the stuff, fancy pants painting sets etc. Which in turn churned out hundreds of masterpieces.

 So I kept one or two beloved pieces - and now they are almost grown it's wonderful to discover them again. But in a corner of my house I have some 16 year old art work that belongs to my daughter! I think probably  the cobwebs are 16 years old too. ( Please don't judge me!!! )
 This whole wall was plastered in them but a few special ones remain.

I am glad they do, as now as she approaches the great milestone of 18 and then off to Uni. ( Please let her get her grades! ) they make me pause a while, remembering her little toddler voice, giggles and squeals as she squidged the paint between her little chubby fingers. She had pigtails in that day - you know the ones where its a few wisps of hair really, but they made her look very cute.
( Man I'm getting choked up!)

What art work did you keep and why? If you email them in I shall create a rogues gallery! Who has the oldest - ahem - most vintage artwork?  Please comment and let me know
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