Enjoyment

At the moment I am really enjoying myself! I am in a lovely school with super kids for 2 whole weeks. I know all their names and we are having a ball. Today we had Peruvian visitors and I did a Spanish lesson. At the end of it the kids could converse with them. So authentic! I have a lovely teacher in the other class to help with planning and a fab T.A. too. Who could ask for more? It's assignments like this that make the rotten ones fade from my memory!

Also, the prospect of two full weeks' wages is wonderful! Having worked just one day in April I was losing the will to live. Now things are on the up. If I make a good impression in this school there might be more work there. I hope so!

I had a bit of a shock though. One of the teachers is a former pupil of mine! Boy do I feel ancient!

What is it about parents?

What is it about parents being blind to their children's faults? Why do they believe every word that their children tell them? How come they are always the victims as far as their parents are concerned?

Today I was teaching a toe rag who gives as good as he gets. He goes out to dad with a sob story about being bullied. Utter rubbish! He had his dad hook, line and sinker. I met him yesterday and sussed him out as a lying toe rag with a persecution complex! I soon informed his dad of how he retaliated or went on to instigate bullying on others. As soon as I met dad I realised from where he had learnt his talent. What a big ignorant thug he was. He had no respect for any of the female teachers he spoke to, including the head! Like father, like son!

You know you're a catholic when.....

Oh dear! Catholic guilt has spoiled my day! I realise that being a supply teacher has a touch of the vampires about it! I hang around waiting for people to be sick so I can work in their place! I am delighted to hear that the class teacher I am in for this week is off till half term! However, good old catholic guilt slips in to the equation and I feel bad at her expense! I should be used to it by now! I suppose I should look a t it a different way. I am minding her class for her and giving continuity until she returns fit and well but I can't help the guilt. It is inbred in us catholics and we can't shake it off no matter what!

We feel the urge to genuflect on our way to our theatre seat and we have to confess our sins as we can't hold them in! Someone said on May 4th Star Wars style:" May the 4th be with you" and I had to reply: "and also with you" like the sign of peace!

Must go and say the rosary before bed!

Beautiful UK

I have not blogged in ages! Maybe because there were only 7 days in April that I could have worked and I did only one day! Just when I started to panic I got a call for the rest of the week in Y4, so watch this space!

In the meantime I have been away with friends walking in Wales! How beautiful is the UK! We so do not need to go abroad! Angelsey is a particular favourite of mine! The coastal walks are stunning! It is especially good going with a big group of friends! You cannot get fed up of people when you can chat with dozens each day! One guy who goes, bless him, will chat with you for a while and later in the day you catch up to him again and he tries to continue the conversation you were having a few hours ago! How does he remember? He is the one who helped our evening sing-a-long keep going by telling truly awful jokes! He has a memory for things that really should be long forgotten! He often says to me that he never expected to still be single at his age and I am too diplomatic to say that I am not in the least surprised that that is the case!

We had quite a mixed bunch of people on our weekend away! One person that I find quite boring myself turned out to be a superstar and I like it when people surprise me in a good way. One friend was particularly inebriated and pronounced that he loved us all and if he died that night he would die a happy man! Following this he smashed a glass and tipped a packet of crisps on the floor!

The funniest thing during the weekend was a DVD of a group of men queueing for the toilet, holding on like Michael Jackson does and dancing Riverdance. It may be on you tube. It was absolutely hilarious! Much laughter took place over the weekend and although I didn't sleep well I had a great time. Today I prayed that the phone would not ring to do supply! Luckily it didn't and I had a good rest! I am glad I did as now I am working for the rest of the week! Hopefully I will have some blogworthy stories to tell by Friday!

Catch you soon!

Curses! Why did I mention the sunshine?

Typical! Just when I shaved my legs, painted my toe nails and got out the summer clothes, sandals and handbag the heavens explode with a rainstorm, the temperature drops and the wind starts whistling! It must be my fault putting the kybosh on the summer sunshine! I am one of those people who takes a brolly but it doesn't rain and vice versa! It has brightened up a bit now but I bet the heating will be back on later!

I seem to have noticed my sons are growing up really quickly during this holiday. They are fighting less and Ciaran is less clingy and inclined to cry. They are not driving me mad and I can honestly say that I too am having some peace as they get on with each other or do their own thing in a mither-free way. I can actually read a chapter of a book without hearing Ciaran shout "mum!"

Also I am not having the usual trouble getting Ciaran to go to bed when it's still daylight! He is so worn out at the end of an action-packed day he is asking to go to bed and sleeping until about 8 a.m. (unheard of!) With all this peace and tranquility you would think I would be motivated to get stuck into the ironing pile generated from the holiday - maybe tomorrow!

Sunny Holidays!

I literally can't remember the last time sunshine and the school holidays coincided! It's brilliant! The kids are easier to entertain in fine weather which means I get more of  break too! It's also great not having any planning to do! Supply really is fab! After our short break to Center Parcs I am looking forward to some days out next week We will hammer our National Trust card as well as our Martin Mere card this week. Really well worth the money for those! We always have somewhere to go! Obviously my long-suffering hubby will be at work but the boys and I will picnic ourselves to death this week if the weather holds. Hopefully starting with Formby and the squirrels tomorrow!

School Holidays

For many teachers the holidays are the main reason why they teach! We seem to stumble from one holiday to the next in a frenzy. I can't believe it's six weeks since the last one! This is a strange holiday, however, our first ever spring break to not include Easter. Then we have a succession of bank holidays leaving us with only 7 days of April that we are actually in school for. That would thrill me ordinarily but being on supply means no holiday pay! Yikes! That means I have time on my hands but a tighter budget than ever! I am challenging myself to survive it in one piece. I suppose I stocked up on a full week last week to help me out a bit but still it will be tight!

Look out for me in the park a lot, using my Martin Mere and National Trust cards and generally being frugal! I will become quite good at frugality I think and get very obsessive. I might splash out on a trip to Alton Towers but only if I can get discounted entry tickets. I am already brilliant at mending clothes etc. and fortunately Ciaran is not on a growth spurt and Liam seems to be slowing down too!

I plan to have a hassle free fortnight in which everyone gets on with each other and we don't overspend! However, the best laid plans.........