Friday, January 27, 2006

Yep, that's my school!

Today this happened at the school where I teach.

It is always interesting to see the slant the media places on things! They make out like the cops did the wrong thing by arresting her and upset all the children, etc, and all the headlines say "Mum handcuffed for double parking". What bullshit. If they handcuffed everyone who double-parked in front of our school, there would be no-one left! Everyone does it, it is total chaos in front of the school just before school starts and just after it finishes. What she was really arrested for was swearing at the police (in front of her 3 year old child) and refusing to give them her name. How bloody stupid can you be? What did she think would happen? Now I don't know much more than what was on TV and what I've heard from a few people, (I was already in my classroom marking books and such like a good girl when this happened), but I can't believe the way the media are making her into a victim. Whatever the problems with parking, nothing excuses using that sort of language towards anyone, let alone a police officer and in front of children.

I just had to have my say - it's not very often something news-worthy happens where you work!

EDIT: Matt says I shouldn't write about this because I could lose my job for it. I disagree with him because it isn't really to do with the school itself, and I am only expressing my opinion, and that I should be entitled to free speech. He reminded me that Australian law actually does not allow us free speech, so I have included this disclaimer:

This post is my personal opinion, and does not represent the opinions of anyone else at my school or that of education queensland. I do not know the woman in question and her children are not in my class. I do not have any 'inside information' about this story because I work at the school, and in fact, I had to watch the news to find out why there were TV cameras at school. Furthermore, I believe I am just as entitled to express my opinion about it as you would be if it happened out front of your place of work. So there.

Monday, January 23, 2006

The first day of school

Yep, today was the first day of a new school year. I always enter the school year with mixed feelings - sadness that the holidays are over, looking forward to meeting the new kids, nervousness (there are always so many parents around and they make me nervous!). I am always excited though. It is fun meeting my new class, and seeing my kids from last year, too (they came to visit me after school and said hello at lunchtime).

My class this year seems pretty good but it is always hard to tell on the first day - none of them play up TOO much on the first day.

The morning was the usual chaos of meeting heaps of parents whose names I will never remember (except for the two whose children I have had before - and luckily they are both lovely people!), and then getting all the books and school equipment organised. It always takes so LONG!

We talked about our rules and all that stuff, and we got their behaviour books ready (the books where I write down good and bad behaviour basically so when the parents ask why their child is not a Level 1 for behaviour I can show them the book as evidence). They also write in the book when they do something good and love showing it off to their parents! They started to make covers for their books with tessellation colouring sheets.

I told them I was going to give them a test, and they got a bit freaked out, but then told them it was really only a quiz for fun so they could get to know me better. (See how evil I am!? They will get used to my sense of humour soon enough!). I asked them questions like "what is my middle name?" and "how old am I", "how many brothers/sisters do I have", etc. It was fun for them and they got to learn a few things about me. I don't know how fun it was for me when they were guessing "45" for my age though :P

In the afternoon the kids made posters to display the classroom rules. I do this every year because it's a good way for them to remember the rules and they like doing it.

So that was the first day! Doesn't sound like we got much done but I tell you, things take a very long time at the beginning of the year when you are still getting into a routine. Part of me hates this part of the year when the kids are strangers (I miss my old kids!) but part of me likes the change and it's fun getting to know them. Now if only I could remember their names! I am REALLY bad at remembering names at the best of times, and this year I have twins in my class! Arrgh!
(Meanwhile, I know one or two names already. Why is it always the kids who misbehave whose names I remember first!?).

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Look What I Made!!

Today, I made a wedding invitation! :) (and a placecard). Don't expect to start seeing them in your mailbox anytime soon though, I only made one! :P

I wanted to basically play around and see what I could come up with, and I have decided I really like this design. So fairly soon I will go down and buy some more paper (I only bought enough for one today because I wasn't sure if it would be what I wanted), and start making the like 50 or so invites I have to make! I won't be able to do the middle part (with all the details) until we have finalised a few more things though (like paying the deposit on the park - we can't do that until 6 months before the wedding, no earlier).

So what do you think?
It is a prototype, so I would be really happy to hear your opinions, including criticims (try to be constructive though!).

In other news, tomorrow I go back to work. I don't mind too much because it is a student free day, it is Monday I am dreading. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but I always get all nervous on the first day of school. Too many parents all talking to me at once and I look really bad because I can't be in 30 places at once and I can't remember any of their names. Tomorrow I get the joy of dragging furniture around and trying to get desks from god-knows-where. You would think our education department could afford at least enough DESKS for the kids but that is even a difficulty sometimes. My class this year is going to be bigger than last year so I will have to scrounge a few desks from somewhere.

Wish me luck :)

Oh, and *please* leave a comment about the invitation & let me know what you think!

UPDATE:

I just made a different version of the invite:



Which do you like best? Vote in the comments section. It's just like survivor! Which invitation do you want to vote off the island?

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Feeling a bit down

I feel a bid sad today. Thought I would cheer myself up by writing about it on here. It probably won't help much but I guess it does feel better to talk about thing (well, write). I tried crying and it didn't really help. Matt gave me a hug and that helped a bit.

I have only one day left on holiday. (Yeah, yeah, I know I shouldn't bitch about that, since I get so many, but I don't think it would matter how long the holiday, I would be sad it was over!)

I have upset someone I care about. (I won't say who or why but it wasn't Matt)

Some other people I care about are leaving.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. So maybe I am dumb to be feeling sad, especially with a wedding to plan. I'm sure I will be over it tomorrow.

Hope I haven't depressed everyone, and I am sure I will get over it very soon, but thanks for listening.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

I bought a Wedding Dress!!!!!

SO EXCITED!

Today I went shopping with Jules and Mum to buy a wedding dress :) It was so much fun! The funny thing was Matt said not to just buy the first one I tried on, and I ended up doing just that! I tried on a whole lot of others after it, but the first one was the one I liked the best. It fit me perfectly even though it was off the rack and on special. I found a veil I like too but I haven't ordered that yet. I have put the dress on lay-by. I can't show you a picture of it because they don't let you take pictures (they had signs up saying that if you did they would confiscate the film or delete the pics). Besides it will be a nice surpise then (well, hopefully nice!).

What I can show you though, is a picture of the wedding shoes I bought. I didn't want ones with too much of a heel because they would be uncomfortable and would make Matt look short. Mum and I looked in heaps of shops but ended up finally finding these when we went to the local shopping centre to get groceries.



The wedding is still quite a while away, but Mum was stressing out because she talked to a few other people who had said they'd been looking for shoes for ages and couldn't find any. I wasn't too worried but I really like these ones, they are comfortable and weren't too expensive.

It's really starting to feel real now and I'm so excited! I just wish I could put that dress on again, I felt like a princess! I really loved the tiara I tried on there too, but it was quite expensive. Maybe will have to think about that one. Mum said she might go halves with me though, instead of buying me earrings.

Ooh, and another important wedding note: Please let me know if you are thinking of staying the night in the Inchcolm Hotel (where we are having the reception) the night of the wedding. I will try and talk them into giving us a group discount, but I have to call them very soon I am worried about missing out on the honeymoon suite. You can check out their prices here. If not, there are other hotels close by. The Novotel is right next door, and in fact if you are driving to the reception you need to park in the Novotel carpark because the Inchcolm doesn't have one.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Finally!

You might be wondering why I haven't posted in so long, even though I am back from Tassie and am on holidays. Or, you might not give a crap. But I will tell you why anyway!

Instead of typing on here, I have been diligently recording all the events of our trip to Tassie to put up in the Events of 2005 section of the website (speaking of which, we will eventually have to get organised and put up an Events of 2006 page!).

It has taken me ages to write and when you look at it you will see why. It is long. And it has lots of photos. I would love it if all my hard work is not in vain and people go and check it out. Hey you can always just look at the pictures if you want! Check it out here.

Let me know what you think! Especially would like to see comments from people who made it all the way through - if anybody does!

Happy reading! :)

Oh, and on Saturday I am going wedding dress shopping :D So hopefully I will put up a post about what that was like. I can't wait!!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I'm Baaaack!

Yes, we have returned from our Tassie holiday. Before I start, I should say a very big thank you to Matt's mum and dad, Maxine and Peter, for letting us stay with them while we were in Tassie, and for looking after us so well with lovely meals, driving us around, etc. It is greatly appreciated! I would also like to thank Paula for looking after Matt's Bonsai which I gave him for xmas and for checking on the house (I was *much* relieved when we got home yesterday that our house was intact - no break-ins or anything).

We had a fantastic time, but boy am I glad to be home! Hopefully in the next day or so I will write up a long post about what we did while we were away, but I will put it in the Events of 2005 section because it promises to be monstrously long. I will let u know here when it is done. I don't know how long it will take because I can't sit at the computer too long because it is just too hot, but I DON'T CARE! I am glad to be back in the Queensland heat. I couldn't believe how cold it was in Tassie considering it was supposed to be the middle of summer. Don't know how long it will last but I was actually glad to be breathing in the humidity again when I stepped off the plane - I can wear all my pretty summer clothes again :) (You might notice in the photos when i put them up that I am wearing the same jacket in just about every one!). Guess it's a case of 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone'. I should complain less!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas, and had fun celebrating the new year! I can't believe it is 2006 - we get married this year!!!