It has been three weeks since my last confession. Threw one helluva Hallowe'en party for my children and 11 of their closest friends and their parents. It was wicked in both senses of the word. Cost a fortune though...all those little things add up. But we haven't thrown a party on any scale since the kids' birthdays last spring.
Had my auntie here for two weeks. She's 68, looks 50 and acts 30. We had a ball together. She was great with the kids and so helpful around the house it made me want her to stay forever. Really. I never thought I'd say that.
Anyway, we took her to Paris for a long weekend. Thank goodness DH had booked us on the train and Eurostar so we didn't get caught up in the strikes and problems at the airport. We saw NO disturbance whatsoever, and we even found ourselves outside the parliament buildings by accident on the Saturday on our way to the Eiffel Tower, which the kids adored. Sons bought Eiffel Tower key chains for their friends and little models for themselves. Soooooo cute. No souvenirs for me. Didn't have time to shop, and none of the shops we did go by had any merchandise within my price range. The Champs Elysee was as disappointing as I remember it (were/they? plural?)
Clocks have gone back. I really must go to bed. I am not sure how I will cope going to back to work tomorrow after this lovely holiday and DH is going to Spain on Tuesday for a few days for work.
Must go. Snore snore.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Friday, 8 October 2010
Candle burning at both ends
I'm not quite sure how I got through the week. I am so tired I can barely think. I have been up until midnight every night planning and marking for the next day. There's no reprieve on my system of marking. I am hoping it will pay off in future, but I am not sure how yet.
I am back to school in 15 minutes to chaperone the seniors' disco. There are only four of us and sixty kids, half of whom are not from our school. Pete is going to wear "what's left of his police uniform", that is, what he can still fit into. I am seriously tempted to bring a hip flask into the dance! How retro. Must go decide on my outfit...
I am back to school in 15 minutes to chaperone the seniors' disco. There are only four of us and sixty kids, half of whom are not from our school. Pete is going to wear "what's left of his police uniform", that is, what he can still fit into. I am seriously tempted to bring a hip flask into the dance! How retro. Must go decide on my outfit...
Monday, 4 October 2010
Falling with style
To quote the inestimable Buzz Lightyear, I fell with style today in the school cafeteria in front of all the Year 7's. I received a 6.5 (I am assuming out of a skater's 7) for my slippage on a smushed grape. Pride was bruised more than I was hurt, but we'll see if the back pain that set in soon afterwards was transient or more menacing. I managed to gather myself together after a few minutes. The rest of the day I was bombarded with inquiries from staff and pupils as to my health. So sweet. I was, of course, suspicious, that the administrators were concerned about being sued. I could never do that to my school!
Otherwise all my lessons went quite well. Behaviour was good, and it was not sympathy good behaviour because my tough lessons were all in the morning.
Had a mound of cover work to mark again this evening, but it should even out now. I really like my system of marking because I will never again be faced with a stack of books with three or four weeks' work to mark for the next day. Uhhh, except for last year's Year 9 folders. Oh dear. When am I supposed to get to them. I will have to start doing a few a day until half term...
Life is school. School is life. The DS's are wound right up in it. I just wish I could have had a hug from one of them after my fall like I am able to give to them if they have a fall because we are in the same establishment. They were both in lessons at the time, unfortunately.
It is late. I must sign off. I haven't been getting enough sleep for weeks now, and because I stayed up till 1 am on Saturday night, all the catching up I did on Saturday morning was pointless.
Otherwise all my lessons went quite well. Behaviour was good, and it was not sympathy good behaviour because my tough lessons were all in the morning.
Had a mound of cover work to mark again this evening, but it should even out now. I really like my system of marking because I will never again be faced with a stack of books with three or four weeks' work to mark for the next day. Uhhh, except for last year's Year 9 folders. Oh dear. When am I supposed to get to them. I will have to start doing a few a day until half term...
Life is school. School is life. The DS's are wound right up in it. I just wish I could have had a hug from one of them after my fall like I am able to give to them if they have a fall because we are in the same establishment. They were both in lessons at the time, unfortunately.
It is late. I must sign off. I haven't been getting enough sleep for weeks now, and because I stayed up till 1 am on Saturday night, all the catching up I did on Saturday morning was pointless.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Not enough hours in the day
So I have planned tomorrow's lessons and marked all of the work for the pupils I will see tomorrow. But I am not sure how I am going to set up and break down 5 different experiments, photocopy, AND organise things for my PGCE student before school starts. At lunch I am tutoring pupils struggling with series and parallel circuit problems (which is most of Year 11).
Perhaps I can ask MDO to take care of my form in the morning at assembly to give me a few more minutes.
And after school, I have to run my film club - watching the Wizard of Oz on the big screen in the theatre, which is fabulous.
Just hope DSs' stomachs behave themselves because I don't think I could cope with any more cover work to mark and then to make up for with their lack of understanding...at least I can say that I am AfL-ing well as I can see from marking all their work after each lesson where I need to fix their understanding. Even my top pupil tanked on a bunch of stuff.
Ahhhh, we'll see how I survive tomorrow...
Concert last night was super. Came home on a real high. Sold out audience. Had to turn a few people away lest the church violate the fire code. Had to wash the tea duty dishes during the interval...that was not planned.
Perhaps I can ask MDO to take care of my form in the morning at assembly to give me a few more minutes.
And after school, I have to run my film club - watching the Wizard of Oz on the big screen in the theatre, which is fabulous.
Just hope DSs' stomachs behave themselves because I don't think I could cope with any more cover work to mark and then to make up for with their lack of understanding...at least I can say that I am AfL-ing well as I can see from marking all their work after each lesson where I need to fix their understanding. Even my top pupil tanked on a bunch of stuff.
Ahhhh, we'll see how I survive tomorrow...
Concert last night was super. Came home on a real high. Sold out audience. Had to turn a few people away lest the church violate the fire code. Had to wash the tea duty dishes during the interval...that was not planned.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Weight Watcher
Low carb diet is working, by the way. I am down to 174 lbs. That's 12 quid off where I was in August. Not bad for a month's efforts. My trousers fit again. I will have 6 more pairsI have never worn if I can get down to 169 lbs.
Mass in Blue
Just returned from a very long Friday night rehearsal for our concert tomorrow night. We are doing Will Todd's Mass in Blue at St John's Church in Carrington. I just LOVE the music. I wish we could do more jazz.
Strange week. DS2 vomitted on Tuesday morning so I had to take the day off work. We tried to send him back 48 hours later (school policy for after the last puke), but he vomitted all over the cafeteria, so he was sent home and DH and I have had to do a ballet of work swapping. At least he can work from home! If I am not in that classroom, someone else is being inconvenienced by having to cover my lessons, and copious amounts of mediocre written work are produced. I will have to bring in some bikkies for my colleagues next week to thank them...that is, if I am in next week. I am coming down with something. Sore throat, headache, funny tummy, but not too bad. Hope it at least holds off until Sunday because I need to be on my game for tomorrow night. I have missed about three concerts in my seven years with EOES due to last minute illness. I do NOT want to miss this one.
I have not found a babysitter so that DH can come to the concert. Is this always my job? Even when he is the one who wants to go out second...there is a race to the family calendar to check who has written their commitment down first.
Year 7 Parents' Evening next week. Should be fun. Only two more weeks before half term and my father's sister visits for two weeks. We are taking her and the boys to Paris. Hope we don't lose her there like we did in Rome. I don't think the French police are as sympatico or accommodating as the Italian Police were when she got lost and had no idea where she was staying.
Been re-reading my Ph.D. thesis on the Erechtheion. Need to because a Dartmouth professor will be calling me next week to advise some of his students on their independent study projects that will be testing the theory that the Erechtheion was not a temple but a sanctuary. Wonder what Greek words they will be relying on for this. Also re-reading it because I am going to be interviewed for a TV pilot programme. I have forgotten so much! There are so many little tiny details that I used to know off by heart, as well as all the context around them. My Athenian history is dreadful...I'd forgotten about all my arguments for the date fo the temple and the Reign of the Thirty Tyrants. I have to look up words I once knew the meaning for (e.g., "irredentist"), not to mention the architectural terminology is rusty.
Anyway, I must catch some sleep. The DS's will soon be up and I am behind on my sleep. I mistakenly drank caffinated tea at 9pm at the rehearsal tea break.
Busy weekend ahead of swimming, birthday party, concert, etc. And that's just Saturday.
Strange week. DS2 vomitted on Tuesday morning so I had to take the day off work. We tried to send him back 48 hours later (school policy for after the last puke), but he vomitted all over the cafeteria, so he was sent home and DH and I have had to do a ballet of work swapping. At least he can work from home! If I am not in that classroom, someone else is being inconvenienced by having to cover my lessons, and copious amounts of mediocre written work are produced. I will have to bring in some bikkies for my colleagues next week to thank them...that is, if I am in next week. I am coming down with something. Sore throat, headache, funny tummy, but not too bad. Hope it at least holds off until Sunday because I need to be on my game for tomorrow night. I have missed about three concerts in my seven years with EOES due to last minute illness. I do NOT want to miss this one.
I have not found a babysitter so that DH can come to the concert. Is this always my job? Even when he is the one who wants to go out second...there is a race to the family calendar to check who has written their commitment down first.
Year 7 Parents' Evening next week. Should be fun. Only two more weeks before half term and my father's sister visits for two weeks. We are taking her and the boys to Paris. Hope we don't lose her there like we did in Rome. I don't think the French police are as sympatico or accommodating as the Italian Police were when she got lost and had no idea where she was staying.
Been re-reading my Ph.D. thesis on the Erechtheion. Need to because a Dartmouth professor will be calling me next week to advise some of his students on their independent study projects that will be testing the theory that the Erechtheion was not a temple but a sanctuary. Wonder what Greek words they will be relying on for this. Also re-reading it because I am going to be interviewed for a TV pilot programme. I have forgotten so much! There are so many little tiny details that I used to know off by heart, as well as all the context around them. My Athenian history is dreadful...I'd forgotten about all my arguments for the date fo the temple and the Reign of the Thirty Tyrants. I have to look up words I once knew the meaning for (e.g., "irredentist"), not to mention the architectural terminology is rusty.
Anyway, I must catch some sleep. The DS's will soon be up and I am behind on my sleep. I mistakenly drank caffinated tea at 9pm at the rehearsal tea break.
Busy weekend ahead of swimming, birthday party, concert, etc. And that's just Saturday.
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