slogging on

Life is just slogging on at the moment. LMB's chicken pox scabbed over pretty quickly and she went back to school admidst wails of protsts. I thought it was just that daddy had spoiled her while she was at home, but as the days went on I had to wonder if there really was a problem. I finally managed to get a couple of names out of her today and spoke to the staff, so hopefully that ill be an end to it. She's only got two more weeks there, then we're off on holiday and she's staying off to do some fun things before starting big school, so i want them to be good weeks.

LMD finally caught chicken pox - yesterday 1000's of spots suddenly appeared all over her. Literally1000's and literally all over - she's got over 100 on her face poor love! In her usual awkward way she waited pretty much the full incubation period before getting it, she couldn't have it at the same tiem as LMB! Which means Aggie has to have another week off his groovy drugs. His skin's getting quite bad at the moment:-(

I had some issues at work last week - you'd think that a law firm would manage to implement employment law - or at least not do anything so *****ing stupid that they are begging to be taken to tribunal, but no. Apparently not. I seriouly considered leaving & taking them for all the money they deserve to pay out, but in the end decided just it write it down for future reference, then ignore it. My solicitor was on leave so he couldn't sort it out - although he was steaming when he got back yesterday! And I decided that I like him, and the rest of my department, and the work, and the set up is convenient for me, so there is no need to leave at the moment. But it was pretty stressful for a few days.

My nice new lap-top lasted one full day:-( Then it died:-( I'm back on the old one now Aggie has put it back together - sticky keys and all!

Mstr A started a week of football (soccer) lessons today. After all the successes we've been having recently, and the apparent non-aspie findings of his assessments I thought we might have got over all his behavioural issues. His school report was great, and he's started playing imaginitive games with the girls - but it was not to be, He spent half the time ignoring his coach and the other half hitting the other kids:-( We've had a long talk this evening, and he's written a letter of apolog, so hopefully he'll be a bit better tomorrow, but I'm not sure:-(

Although he loves his golf lessons - and seems to be doing pretty well at them. And he's asked to do some music lessons (if I can find anything that doesn't cost an arm and a leg) so perhaps we should consolidate his solitary persuits before working on team things.

I am NOT a media whore

But me and Mstr A are apparently going to be on the radio this afternoon. I'm not too sure how this happened - I really didn't court the publicity this time! In fact, I don't really want it - I like the school, Mstr A is getting on really well there, LMB will be starting there in September. I don't want to antagonise them, or start getting into arguments with what they are doing - i think they are a very good school, and the Head teacher has worked brilliantly with us as a family to help Mstr A settle in well and to really enjoy going there!

But Radio Bristol have been trying to get hold of me all weekend! They really want to do this interview, and it is an issue that I think is important. Which is why I felt compelled to comment on the original story (now changed to include the schools rapid back-peddalling statements). There are few things that I feel are both importnat enough and that i have the knowledge to comment publically on (not publically like this blog - which has a readership of a dozen or so, but publically like on the BBC!), but this is one. It is the only time I have put a comment on the BBC website! and it would be wrong to NOT put my opinion forward when asked for it now.

Plus, there seems to be an element of sleaze entering into this story now - with the school apparently claiming that Mstr A was upset & crying when walking alone - and that other 6 year olds would be OK to walk to school, just not Mstr A. Which I had not heard from anyone before - not from the other parents, not from Mstr A and definitely not from the school. If he was upset, and they failed to tell me, surely THAT is a breach of their duty? Still, I find it extremely unlikely thta he was. He was certainly upset when I told him he was not allowed to go on his own. And today when I said that the school had decided that 6 was old enough, he immediately asked if he could go on his own from now on.

I suggested he wait 'till September when he is a junior - which was always my intention anyway! Oh well, as Radio Bristol want to speak directly to him, and I am confident that he will both be able to explain road safety and describe his route to school and how he wants to go off on his own - in fact the problem might be getting him to stop talking:-)

Going well

Everythings going pretty well for us here atm. Which means I have little to blog about;-) I mostly rant here:-)

Work is working out nicely. I am getting to grips with the different cases and things we do. There is enough work to keep me busy, but not so much that I feel overloaded with an impossible task. The level of the work is fine - it will get dull pretty quickly, but it's right for now as I find my feet. And I reckon it will probably increase as and when I am ready. The hours have panned out beautifully, and I don't think the early finishes are causing too much hassle for my colleagues.

Mstr A seems to have settled down at school. He has lots of friends, there are rarely problems when I pick him up, and he is definitely learning more and more stuff all the time:-) He even appears to have learned that he should do his work on time! There's a bit of an issue with personal space & his infringement on other people's, but we're working on it......

I haven't got a lot further in the making of this seasons re-enactment clothes - but there's still a month to go;-) hmmm, and a stone to lose if I want to fit into my new dress........

The college course is also going well. Although I still haven't done any homework, and I really do want to start doing some mock exam papers soon! But the stuff at college all makes sense, and the papers don't look too bad - when the book is open in front of me anyway!

I've had a few enquiries for courses which I've had to turn down:-( There's just not enough time to justify traipsing aff around the country. Plus I am officially no longer self employed now, so couldn't take a profit home:-(

of course, the money situation hasn't improved much. We're still seriously overspending each month:-( I don't really have much of a solution for that except try to muddle through till LMB goes to school in September, and/or I get a pay rise (yeah, to double my salary like!), Aggie gets retired (fingers crossed), a parent drops dead (all as healthy as the proverbial horse!) or we wi the lottery.

OK, I'm just going to try and muddle through till September *sigh*.

no idea how we're going to sort out the school holidays yet either. I'll worry about them when they come up.

My mother STILL has her job, despite working for the NHS in a role that was supposed to have been cut 6 months ago, so no help there:-)

My sister S is finally splitting up with her partner, so is pretty stressed out by all the legalities and procedures and general nastiness splitting up incurs. But it's a long way away, and although I feel bad for what she's going through, I can't help much, so I can't get too stressed about it personally.

Even though I am now cycling 4 miles a day, and not snacking hardly at all, what with being at work all day, I have lost a total of...............


absolutely zero!

Yep, not even 1/2 lb of wieght lost! bah! perhaps I need to start actually practising what I preach, and eating breakfast, and a proper lunch? It's such a lot of effort though! But I was hoping to a) get into my re-enact ment dress and b) to look vaguely reasonable for my sister A's wedding in june.

Oh yes, and I've finally decided to stop being a lazy mother, and stop letting LMB be a lazy baby, and have started workig on getting her dry at night. She is still wearing napies to sleep, which I'm sure she can't really need, even though they are always soaking in the morning. So I have stopped. I put her on the toilet before she goes to bed, then again when we go to bed, and leave the potty in her room. The first night she stayed dry till 6am, then wet the bed. Last night she made it through - using the potty but keeping the bed dry. Lets hope it continues:-)

Education, education, education

If my kids attended this school I would withdraw them immediately. Not only do I not wish them to learn how to kill others, I'm not keen on them attending a school where others are taught to do so!

I can't believe the DfES are apparently happy that developing children are being rountinely beaten in school, under the teachers supervision! Because that it what boxing is - regular beatings, aimed specifically at the head. It is an established medical fact that blows to the head can cause brain damage. Children's brains & skull's are still developing & so are more prone to damage.

I was hit by a boxer once as a child. He was the same age as me. I was knocked out cold. That is NOT something to teach children to do!

Boxing is criminally wrong imo. I know it's a "way out" of some of the nastiest parts of the UK. So is drug crime. It doesn't make it desirable. I would support a ban on the whole "sport" as is currently exists. I am shocked and very concerned that it is being re-introduced to schools.