Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Holidays

As many of you know, I am on school holidays at the moment. Thought I would share with you all what I have been up to. It is really fascinating.

Absolutely bugger all.

OK, that's not entirely true, but it is pretty close. Here is what I have been doing with my time:

TV
It was so cold here last week that I spent most of it under a doona watching TV (sad but true). Who knew That 70's Show was on in the mornings on weekdays now? I also watched a lot of Dr Phil and Oprah, and Ready Steady Cook. I like any cooking show but it is no Iron Chef.

Scrapbooking
I have however had a chance to catch up on some scrapbooking. I would have done more but it is too cold! This week so far has been much better. Check out the pages I have done recently here.

Movies
Have seen a couple of movies (one of them today). Here are my short reviews:

Batman Begins: Really good! Didn't think I would like it much, but really enjoyed the story. Like the fact that Batman is just a normal guy (OK a very rich normal guy, but no super powers, just cool gadgets). Christian Bale is HOT!

Madagascar: Was really looking forward to this but was a bit disappointed. So many funny actors did the voices, but the script was just missing something. It didn't have the adult humour that Shrek had (there were a few funny movie references though). The penguins were cool!

Housework
Another thing about the holidays is I get time to do more housework than usual (so we don't have to do it on the weekend and so Matt gets some time off from having to help out!). I also cook dinners that I normally don't have time to cook (e.g. lamb roast - Matt was pretty happy about that one!). Mum is coming over for dinner tomorrow night but not sure what I am going to make yet. Might even use the ice-cream maker!

Computer Stuff
I have also been spending a lot of time on the computer. Checking the website for comments (yes, I do still do that! You'd think I would learn!), reading Jules & Dan's blogs and some of the others I have been into lately including WaiterRant and The Family Man. I have also been looking at all the places I want to go to when Matt and I go down to Tassie for Christmas this year.

Partying (Too) Hard
It was Denise's birthday on Saturday night. I had a fantastic time but drank a whole bottle of wine by myself. Enough said I think.

Did I say that this was fascinating? I guess sarcasm is not conveyed as easily over a blog. Sorry. You could always leave a comment to complain. I would welcome it even - any comment is a good comment.

Quote of the Day (I thought it was about time for another x-files one):
"I would never lie. I wilfully participated in a campaign of misinformation" ~ Fox Mulder

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Tassie Tickets!!!

This year Matt and I are going down to Tassie to spend Christmas with his parents. Yesterday I booked our tickets - we are flying down on Saturday 17th December, and coming back to Brisbane on the 2nd of January. I can't wait! I can really start getting excited now our tickets are booked. I was beginning to wonder if Matt was ever going to get around to checking with work about having the time off! I know Matt is really looking forward to going 'home', and we are both looking forward to seeing his Mum & Dad again. This weekend we were hoping to decide some of the things we can see and do while we are down there. I am *really* looking forward to it!

Quotes of the day:
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new horizons, but in having new eyes" ~Marcel Proust~

"Though we travel through the world to find the beautiful, we must carry it within ourselves or we find it not" ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

These may be true but I am still really excited about our trip!

Sunday, June 19, 2005

A quiet weekend...

This weekend, Matt and I stayed home, bundled up from the cold (yes, I hear you Tasmanians scoff at that statement, but it has been cold this weekend, especially in our house). Matt has spent the whole weekend working on the website getting the page about his birthday up and running (and it looks *fantastic* - don't forget to check it out and tell him how great it is ;) ). I have been scrapbooking. Partly because I wanted to get some scrapbooking done, and partly because it meant I would be in the study and *sort of* spending time with Matt.

I have been doing a lot of photos of me and Paul from our childhood recently, and there are a lot of them. I did a double page spread for each of us just *filled* with photos (no journalling which is unusual for me) and still have heaps left to do.

My favourite page of the weekend is this one:






Keep in mind these are photos not scans, and that these pages are meant to be viewed next to each other.

I'm sure you can't read the journalling, so here is the gist of the page (if you can't tell by the title). I did a page with photos and descriptions of my favourite toys when I was a kid. Thought these would be the sorts of things I would forget in the not-too-distant future and wanted to record them to show my own kids one day.

I hope Pixar doesn't sue me.

Let me know what you think - I know it pales in comparison to what Matt has achieved this weekend, but still I am proud of it!

Quote of the day "Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now."
~William Wordsworth, "To a Butterfly"

Saturday, June 18, 2005

The Case of the Missing Necklace

On Thursday night, I went to take off my necklace - the heart shaped one that Matt gave me that I *always* wear - and it wasn't there. I was sure I had put it on when I got up that morning, because I remember giving my necklace, watch and some hair-ties to Matt to put on the dressing table. I was wearing my watch and the hair-ties were still on the dresser, and I thought I remembered putting my necklace on too - and it wasn't there. Well, after turning the house upside down looking for it (with Matt's help), I still couldn't find it. I was sure that it had broken off somewhere and was gone. I had been to work that day and to the Plaza, so I thought it was gone for good - it could have broken off anywhere.

Anyway, I was *very* upset about it. Matt had given me that necklace to celebrate our first year together, and I had worn it every day since. I felt like a piece of myself had been taken away. Poor Matt didn't know what to do. He wanted to 'fix' things for me, and couldn't stand seeing me so upset, but nothing he said helped...

"I will buy you another one..."
"I don't want another one, I want *that* one!"
"It is just a piece of metal"
(this comment resulted in me just crying more)
"Things happen for a reason"
(I couldn't think of any reason something like that would happen)

So anyway, I went to school the next day, feeling miserable. It was the last day of term and I couldn't enjoy it because all I could think about was my necklace. I got the kids to search for me, around the classroom and up on the oval where I had done playground duty. They were so sweet and helpful, but still no necklace.

After work I went to the plaza and asked at the customer service desk, thinking it was a long shot but worth a try. Still nothing. By this point I was starting to think it was gone forever.

We had dinner at Mum's place that night, and then watched a DVD when we got home. I still kept looking around even though I was sure I had already looked *everywhere*.

Then, for some reason, I opened the top drawer of my dressing table... and there it was! Lying among my socks and undies was the necklace!

It seems what happened is that when Matt put the necklace on the dressing table with the other things, he must have put it close to the edge. It slipped off the edge of the table, and into the drawer, which was open a crack.

So now I feel really stupid for getting so upset, and I am still wondering why I never looked there in the first place, but I am certainly relieved!

I didn't want to listen to Matt's words of comfort when I was sure the necklace was gone and was upset about it, but now that I have found it and am thinking more rationally, I know that he was right - things do happen for a reason. I think I have learned something from this experience.

I learened not to take things for granted. I have been putting that necklace on every day for nearly 5 years now, and I don't really think about it much. I learned not to take something so special to me for granted, and to be grateful I have this token to remind me of how much Matt loves me no matter how far away I am.

I also was reminded of how much Matt loves me. The poor guy was beside himself on Thursday night when he couldn't console me. He seached the house for ages and did everything he could to try and make me feel better. I am grateful to have someone who cares so much for me.

So that is the story of the missing necklace. I am so glad it has a happy ending!

Quote of the Day: "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another is essential to your own" ~Robert Heinlein~

p.s. I have finally gotten around to updating the Recipe of the Week - a sweet one this week, it is mum's Fruit Salad Tart.

Friday, June 10, 2005

The Numbers Thing

I have seen this done on other blogs and thought it was cool. Leave a comment with your answers too, it is interesting to find these things out about people! These answers are in no particular order, by the way:

Ten things I do every day:
1. Eat
2. Shower & get dressed, etc
3. Wash my hair (I have to wash it EVERY day otherwise it is really yuk)
4. Tell Matt I love him :)
5. Watch TV (not always a lot, but usually some every day. Dunno whether this is a good thing)
6. Check my email
7. Check the website to see if there are any comments (seriously, every day. I know I am sad!)
8. Read (I read something everyday even if it isn't a book)
9. Talk (some would say all day every day but this is a slight exaggeration)
10. Sleep!

Nine favourite TV shows of all time:
1. The X-Files (I'm sure it was hard to guess that one!)
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
3. Stargate Sg-1
4. Lost (this has *s0* quickly jumped to one of my favourite shows!)
5. Friends
6. The Mysterious Cities of Gold (had to include this one for nostalgia's sake!)
7. Iron Chef!
8. Daria
9. The Simpsons

It was actually hard to think of 9! There are a lot of shows I watch that I wouldn't call my *favourite* shows. I think if I had more time I would change some of these.

Eight Junk Food Favourites
1. Lindt chocolate
2. Red Rock Deli Chips - the sweet chilli and sour cream or the honey soy ones. So hard to give these up now am supposed to be being good!
3. OPorto or KFC burgers (don't eat these very often but still love 'em)
4. 'Toronto' chocolate from Darrell Lea - it is a maple flavoured, chocolate coated nougat. SO YUM!
5. Peanut butter on toast (I love peanut butter. Looked up the fat content the other day.... it isn't pretty)
6. Curly Wurly chocolate bars
7. Crackers with cheese or dip. Or just cheese by itself - Parmesan cut really thinly - YUM. Better still with a glass of wine!
8. Have I mentioned chocolate?

Seven Things that Bug Me
1. Having hayfever all the time
2. When the house is a mess, especially when I don't have time to clean it
3. When it rains when my washing is on the line. Yes I know we need the rain, but can't it wait until I get the clothes in?
4. People who don't know how to merge when driving. You know the ones I mean. They try to merge into a 100 kmp/h zone going 40. Grrr.
5. The kids at school when they whinge.
6. The parents at school who complain for no reason or who yell at me or thing they are better than me
7. Getting headaches
8. People who are deliberately mean to others

Six songs i love this minute...
1. Any song by Norah Jones
2. Any song by Jamie Cullum
3. "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk
4. "Switch" by Wil Smith - Matt doesn't like this one but I am really liking it at the moment
5. "Special Two" by Missy Higgins. Matt hates her - maybe when I am by myself in the car singing along I gravitate to songs that Matt would never let me listen to when he is there?)
6. "Girl" by Destiny's child
It was really hard to choose these too. I don't really know what my favourite songs are. I tried to pick some from the charts at the moment since it says "this minute" but mostly I listen to CDs I already have. And a lot are soundtracks.

Five things I want
1. A house
2. A wedding
3. A scrapbooking room with lots of room for my stuff
4. Lots of stuff to fill said room.
5. Health and happiness for my friends, family and loved ones
(I DID say it wasn't necessacarily in this order!)

Four facts about me
1. I am a teacher
2. I am very clumsy and unco-ordinated
3. I love to scrapbook, read and cook
4. I am really tired tonight! (stupid sports day!)

Three wishes
1. For all this crazy stuff going on in the world to stop and people just be *happy*
2. To have enough money to be comfortable all my life
3. To be as happy all my life as I am now

Two people I wish I could see again
1. & 2. My grandparents. Especially now that I am researching my family history.

One thing I'm looking forward to
1. Finally becoming Mrs Matthew Bailey :)


OK, I am going to bed now. If you have the time, it would be really cool if people could comment in their own answers!

I Hate Sports Day

I hate Sports Day. I hated it when I was a kid (a very un-co kid who always came last in everything, which I admit may have contributed somewhat to this feeling), and I hate it now. I actually think I hate it more now.

Today (in case you haven't guessed) was Sports Day at the school I teach at. UGH. Here's how my day went.

1. Trudge up to the oval (which is a dust bowl since there has been hardly any rain and water restrictions). Stand there watching the 200m race with hundreds of kids cheering (read: screaming) in your ears.

2. Trudge over the the long jump pit (why!? why do I always end up with long jump?!). Try to organise the 30 or so kids to do their jumps, and try to give them all 3 attempts in the time given. (Luckily there were 2 long jump pits and some very helpful year 7's - don't think I could have done it without them!) Thank god I wasn't the only teacher over there.

3. Get yelled at and abused by crazy parents who think that their child is competing in the olympics rather than a school sports day. I had a BAD experience this year with this woman who was yelling at me that she was her son's COACH and she knows what she is TALKING ABOUT (I didn't have a clue what the hell she was raving about though). It's times like that one must bite one's tongue instead of telling said parent to get a life.

4. Spend all day measuring long jumps. Oh, the fun of the sand and the sun and the dust.

5. The oh-so-joyful moment where it is time to try to get the kids to clean up all their mess and get the tents pack up.

6. Stand around for ages while the age champions are called out. Hear that your team has come last for the 10th year in a row.

The best thing about sports day this year? It happened just before a long weekend. Hallelujah!!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Various Ramblings

I really love this blogging thing. The only thing I don't like is that no one seems to read it (well I know there are a few dedicated readers and I thank you!!!). I know that I should probably stop posting so often for this reason, but I don't really want to give it up. I have always been a bit of a journal-keeper but haven't done so as much in the past few weeks as I simply haven't had time. I don't know why it is easier to find the time to do this but it just is. I do type faster than I write. I sent out an email today asking people to drop in and have a look at the site if they haven't been in a while, so if you are one of those people reading this, hello and thank you!!! And please leave me a comment! Matt won't let me have a people counter on here and it would probably be pointless if I did anyway because I check it myself like 50 times a day!

I love Wednesdays! Wednesdays are my lunch-at-the-plaza days (no playground duty!!! You have no idea how nice it is to get a whole lunch break!). They are also my scrapping days with the girls from work. Today was our last one for the term and we did a bit of experimenting. For the other scrappers who may read this, this is a great idea! You can make your own patterned paper using a rubber stamp and some bleach. You just dip the stamp in the bleach and then lightly stamp it on the paper. It comes out with a lighter version of the colour of the paper and looks great! It does take a bit to get the hang of though, because you have to be careful not to have too much bleach. We found that dabbing it on a paper towel before stamping worked well. Try it yourselves!

The other reason I love Wednesday is that it is payday. It is nice to see that car loan drop down that little bit each fortnight. Each little step brings us closer to our own home and our wedding. I want those things so badly and those of you who know me well will know I am not the most patient person in the world when I am looking forward to something. I keep hoping we will win the Lotto but I think you have to buy a ticket for that to work!

I started my diet this week :(. Well it isn't really a diet, I am just 'being good' and trying not to eat too much junk, and trying to get to the gym to exercise. I went to Body Pump class on Monday night and I still can't walk properly. It is my own stupid fault though. I haven't been in a few weeks and I am always sore when that happens, and I let them talk me into putting my weights up :P How stupid am I? But it really is embarassing being the only regular who has hardly any weight on her bar. What can I say, I am a weakling? I told Matt I will go to the bike class tomorrow night and he will probably hold me to that, so I guess tomorrow I will be complaining about a sore butt. I keep telling myself how many calories I must be burning with my body repairing all my sore muscles! And thinking about my best friend Trina who has also been working her ass off in the gym (LITERALLY! She has lost 10kgs now and is still going!!! Isn't she a legend??!! :) ).

I told you this was rambling :P
Perhaps this is why my blog isn't that popular? Perhaps I went to a lot of trouble hiding my diaries from my family as a teenager for no reason? They would read one page and pass out with boredom! But I will keep writing because, well, I like it. And perhaps if I write all this down I will talk less and annoy Matt less with my ramblings :) We can only hope!!

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think aloud" ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~ (but what happens when your thoughts are a bunch of muddled ramblings?)

"What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?" ~Ursula LeGuin~

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Although we already celebrated Matt's birthday on Saturday night, today is his actual birthday - he is 27 years old today!

I hope you had a great birthday babe! Love you lots!!

Monday, June 06, 2005

Trivia Night

The school I teach at is having a Trivia night as a fundraiser on the 15th of July (Friday). I am trying to get a team together and would love it if those who are interested could let me know, even if you're not great at trivia! It should be heaps of fun, it is for a good cause, and the more people, the more likely we are to win!

Any suggestions for a theme? There is a prize for the best themed table (something easy!).

Speaking of trivia, I have created my own little Trivia tournament through a website called triviafun. Each day there will be a different set of questions. I just choose a topic from the computer (the first one is easy general knowledge!), and it comes up with the questions.

Go here to check it out (please? pretty please? all you non-commenters I am talking to you!)

Matt's Star Wars Party

Matt and I had a great time at his Star Wars themed birthday party! Thanks to everyone who came for all the trouble you went to with costumes, I know Matt was very happy! For those of you who weren't there (and are probably thinking our nerd scores should be upped for dressing up in Star Wars costumes), here are a couple of pictures. Matt is going to make a page up of the photos from the night, which will be uploaded sometime during the week. We will let you know when that happens.

This is me as Padme.

If you would like to see what the costume is supposed to look like, click here. Yes, I know I would need to lose about 20 kilos to look half as good as she does, but I did my best (especially since the real costume probably cost hundreds to make and mine mosly came from St Vinnies!).

This is our whole group.

From left there is Jules (a.k.a. Leia from Episode VI), Dan (Han Solo), Nat (Leia from Episode IV), Daniel (a.k.a. Luke Skywalker), Matt (a.k.a. Anakin Skywalker), Me (Padme Amidala) and Geoff (Obi-Wan Kenobi).

I think everyone did a fantastic job with their costumes, and we all had heaps of fun!

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Reasons Why I Love My Job...

We had our lunch day at the plaza today (my day when I don't have playground duty and get to get away from things for half an hour or so), and we (as we often do) got into conversations about particular problem children, not just those that were the thorns in our sides, but also those who we know have bad home lives. I was thinking about how we often focus on the frustrating, sad or difficult parts of our jobs, and how I don't mention enough the great things about it. Those of you who know me well will have probably heard more stories of children who have frustrated or worried me than of the good days. So I thought today, I will focus on the good - after all, I love my job!
Here are the reasons why...

1. I get to laugh every day. There is always something the kids say or do that makes me laugh, even if it is just a story I have heard from another teacher.

2. I get to feel like I am making a difference in the world. Whether it be by helping a student to understand or learn something they didn't know before, or by being the only adult in their lives who hugs them, tells them they are special and worth something and makes them feel safe (unfortunately there are many children for whom school is the only place they feel safe).

3. I get to at the same time, feel really flattered, and really down to earth. It was photo day today, and for pretty much the only day in the year I do it, I blow dried my hair and wore makeup. All the kids were telling me how nice I looked (except the one who asked if I had woken up late that morning and forgotten to brush my hair - and he wasn't trying to insult me, he was serious!). I have also been asked if I am pregnant (If THAT isn't an incentive to go to the gym, I don't know what is!) and told that I have a lovely singing voice (which I don't).

4. It's fun! Not many people have jobs where they get to play games, tell jokes and make things and get paid for it! (Today I got to make paper snowflakes to show the kids how to do it - we were celebrating the first day of winter).

5. You can be completely embarrasing and not have to worry about it. I can always pick a primary school teacher at the shops a mile off. They are the ones either spending their own money on resources for their classrooms (one of the not-so-great parts of the job) or dressed up in something weird. I know teachers who have shown up to work in pajamas, school uniforms, tiaras, easter bunny costumes, and odd socks. I myself have had my hair spray painted multi-colours and my face painted. I have danced around like an idiot and told very stupid jokes, sang off key (loudly) so the kids would not be embarrased to join in, and pulled silly faces to make children laugh.

6. You get to see the progression of what the kids knew and could do when they entered your room at the beginning of the year, to what they can do when the year is over. You miss them (well, most of them!) when they go on to the next year but are proud to see them growing up and moving on.

7. You learn a lot. You learn how to appreciate the little things. You are reminded of all the wonderful little things that are important to us as children but we seem to forget as adults. You learn how to be patient.

8. You learn that it really is the thought that counts. Teachers recieve the most interesting gifts! Flowers lovingly picked from the side of the road or the neighbours garden (or the school garden, which they're not supposed to do!). Huge bottles of cheap purfume that you dab on to your wrists and smile at because you know they have gone to the shops and bought it themselves, and are waiting for your reaction. Piles of homemade cards (with poor spelling which makes you question your job in the first place!). The funniest and most touching is when the children give you things of their own - their favourite sticker from their sticker collection or their best pink bubblegum-smelling biro. You try to say no, because you know they would appreciate these things much more than you, but they won't take no for an answer!

9. You get the opportunity, every day, to make a child's life happy

10. And the holidays aren't bad either :)

Quote of the Day: " The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner."
~Elbert Hubbard~

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of house I lived in, what kind of car I drove, or what my bank account was, but that I made a difference in the life of a child."
-Christian Bovee